Marathon ModiShah meeting sets stage for govt formation
New Delhi: The stage is set for the formation of the new NDA government with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a marathon meeting lasting around five hours Tuesday at his residence with BJP president Amit Shah, sources told The Indian Express.The two leaders, who were together in Ahmedabad and Varanasi over the last few days, are also believed to have made use of some of the travel time to discuss this issue. However, there was no official word on the closed-door deliberations between the two. Also Read – Dussehra with a ‘green’ twist Speculation over Shah’s entry in the Cabinet has been intense since the BJP won the Lok Sabha elections with a massive mandate. While a section in the BJP believes that Shah could join the government as he had done the “maximum” for the party, another group argued that he would not leave its helm now. Party leaders said Shah has not given any hint about his role post May 30. Sources said Shah has spoken to all the BJP state unit presidents and leaders for inputs and suggestions on government formation. The party organisation is learnt to be keen to have its gains in new fronts — West Bengal, Odisha, North-East and Telangana — reflected in the new council of ministers. The BJP won 44 of 88 Lok Sabha seats across West Bengal, Odisha and the North-East this time. Telangana is where the BJP sees a “window of opportunity” after winning four seats. Also Read – India receives its first Rafale fighter jet from FranceAll eyes are also on the participation of NDA partners — Shiv Sena, JDU, LJP, Akali Dal and AIADMK — who were given pride of place on the dais during the NDA Parliamentary Party meeting. Within the BJP, speculation is rife that Smriti Irani, who defeated Congress president Rahul Gandhi in his family bastion Amethi, is likely to get a key post. But there is no clarity over senior party leader Sushma Swaraj’s position in the new government. Swaraj, Foreign Minister in the previous government, is not a member of either House and did not contest the Lok Sabha polls due to poor health. Party sources pointed to suggestions on including senior West Bengal leader Mukul Roy, who switched to the BJP from TMC and played a key role in the party’s success in the state. Sources also indicated that one or two senior office-bearers of the BJP could join the team. Meanwhile, the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi for a second term on May 30 will possibly mark a new record for a single event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is preparing to host 6,000 guests in the forecourt.The guest list, according to officials, includes visiting heads of state from BIMSTEC countries, the Kyrgyz Republic and Mauritius, and political leaders, diplomats, chief ministers, academics, writers, celebrities, sportspeople, film personalities and achievers. The one notable absentee from last time will be the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the participation of Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Kyrgyz Republic President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, Myanmar President U Win Myint, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering and Thailand’s Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Grisada Boonrach as a special envoy. The ceremony will be followed by a vegetarian High Tea for guests and a small private banquet hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind for visiting dignitaries where Dal Raisina, an in-house innovation that takes 48 hours to cook, will be served. This is the fourth time that a Prime Minister will be sworn-in at the forecourt. The preferred swearing-in venue usually is the Durbar Hall. The only two other Prime Ministers, who have been sworn-in with the grand Rashtrapati Bhavan edifice as a backdrop, are AB Vajpayee and Chandrashekhar.The Durbar Hall, where Nehru was sworn-in for his first term and delivered his iconic speech, seats just 500 but another reason why it has not been preferred in recent years is its poor acoustics. Ashok Malik, press secretary to President Kovind, said: “Emphasis is on simplicity and dignity, in keeping with a solemn occasion. The President and the Prime Minister are both clear that it should not be an ostentatious function. As far as I know, Rashtrapati Bhavan has never hosted such a large gathering for a single event.” The High Tea menu is expected to include lemon tarts, sandwiches, samosas and the appropriately named sweet Rajbhog. The banquet for visiting dignitaries would have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options depending on the preference of guests, starting with a lemon coriander soup.”There will be a light dinner for the visiting dignitaries because many are from countries to India’s east and we have to take into consideration their cuisine, which is not rich and heavy, as well as the fact that it will be very late for them in terms of their local time,” an official said.(With inputs from Indian Express)
New Delhi: Adani Power Wednesday reported consolidated net profit of Rs 634.64 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, mainly on the back of higher revenues. It had posted a consolidated net loss of Rs 653.25 crore in the same period previous fiscal, the company said in a BSE filing. According to the filing, total income of the firm rose to Rs 8,077.89 crore in March quarter, from Rs 4,161.19 crore a year ago. The company’s consolidated net loss for 2018-19 narrowed to Rs 984.40 crore from Rs 2,102.95 crore in the previous fiscal. Total income rose to Rs 26,361.63 crore compared to Rs 21,093.43 crore in 2017-18. Also Read – SC declines Oil Min request to stay sharing of documentsThe Board has also recommended enabling resolutions for seeking approval of the shareholders at the ensuing annual general meeting to raise funds by issue of equity shares or convertible bonds or other convertible securities etc through qualified institutional placement (QIP) or GDR or ADR or FCCBs or FCEBs etc for an aggregate amount up to Rs 7,000 crore. It has also approved the appointment of Suresh Jain as the Chief Financial Officer of the company from May 30, 2019. Adani Power also said Rajat Kumar Singh, the existing Chief Financial Officer of the company has resigned from the post. Power sold in FY19 was 15 per cent higher at 55.2 BUs (billion units) as compared to 48.0 BUs in FY18. The power sold during March quarter last fiscal was up 110 per cent at 16.6 BUs as against 7.9 BUs a year ago.
New Delhi: The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, in its second term, plans to introduce transformational changes in the direct tax regime by pruning a tax rate that is as high as 30%, widening the tax base and making it easier for honest individuals and corporate entities to comply with tax laws. At the same time, wilful tax evaders and money launderers will not be spared, government officials aware of the plan said. In its first term, the NDA government, led by Narendra Modi, introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, 2017, to revamp the direct tax regime. Although it was criticised for its shoddy implementation at the start, GST subsumed a range of national, state- and local-level taxes and ushered in a uniform tax regime in the country. Also Read – Dussehra with a ‘green’ twist Now, the finance ministry has been asked to speed up the framing of the Direct Tax Code (DTC) and incentivise individuals and companies to voluntarily file their tax returns, as the government seeks to widen the direct tax base, two officials with direct knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity. “We are expecting the task force [on DTC] to definitely submit its report by July 31,” one of the officials said, adding that the task force was “reviewing existing income-tax laws and drafting a new direct tax law in consonance with economic needs of the country”. Also Read – India receives its first Rafale fighter jet from France The government formed the task force on November 22, 2017, after PM Modi emphasised the need to redraft the archaic Income-Tax Act, 1961, at the Rajaswa Gyan Sangam, a conference of tax administrators, held on September 1-2, 2017. The task force had been initially expected to submit its report by May 2018, but ran into delays. Lower tax rates, the government hopes, will act as an incentive for taxpayers to comply with the direct tax regime, file returns and pay tax, augmenting its revenue. Direct tax collections amounted to Rs 11.18 lakh crore in the financial year ended March 31, falling short of the target of Rs 12 lakh crore. India’s top tax rate, applicable on incomes above Rs 10 lakh, is 30% exclusive of cesses and surcharges. The direct taxpayer base in a country of 1.3 billion people was as low as 74,127,250 in the assessment year 2017-18. Lowering the tax rate will also leave more disposable income in the hands of consumers, spurring them to spend more, in the process accelerating faltering economic growth. According to the latest official data, economy growth slowed to a nearly five-year low of 5.8% in the January-March quarter, pulling down full-year growth to 6.8%. According to experts, the budget, which will be presented in July, is likely to address key concerns such as sagging economic growth and job creation. According to the latest official data, the unemployment rate was 6.1% in July 2017-June 2018. “There is indeed an unfinished agenda on the tax front which needs to be finished,” Dinesh Kanabar, chief executive officer of tax firm Dhruva Advisors, said. “On the direct taxes front it is important that policy direction of reduction in the rate of tax to 25% is implemented in its entirety. The new direct taxes code is in the making and I do hope that with appropriate consultation we will bring about simplification on multiple fronts, create a regime where disputes can be settled without having to undergo a litigation process running for over a decade.” The task force working on the direct tax code could recommend the rationalisation of a few income-tax provisions relating to individual taxpayers to increase transparency and accountability, said Naveen Wadhwa, deputy general manager at Taxmann. “If this report is submitted on time, we may expect that some of the recommendations of the task forces are implemented through the amendments in the existing Income-Tax Act,” he said.(With inputs from Hindustan Times)
Gurugram: The public agencies have begun the process of razing over 350 structures that are coming in the way of building the elevated flyover in Gurugram.The process will be carried out in nine phases. Despite providing a deadline of completion of the eleven-kilometre long elevated flyover, various challenges plague the project. The difficulties have instead caused the work at the project yet not started. The ambitious project that will be key to ensuring connectivity in Delhi- Mumbai corridor will have the investment put in by the state as well as the central government. Also Read – Cylinder blast kills mother and daughter in Karawal NagarThe total amount of investment in the projects is slated to be around Rs 1100 crores and will begin from Vatika chowk in Sohna extending all the way to Bhondsi. Besides extending the width of the road there are also plans to build two elevated flyovers at the busy route. The deadline for the completion of the project has been kept in the time period one and a half years. With Gurugram being the major point at Delhi -Mumbai corridor this is the third major project where the National Highway Authority of India along with the state government will invest to revamp the city roads. Also Read – Two persons arrested for killing manager of Muthoot FinanceThere are already plans to Dwarka Expressway the clearance of which have been already done by the Gurugram administration. The NHAI has already built a number of flyovers and underpasses at the city’s busiest points along the Delhi- Jaipur highway. Among the key problems that are faced by the administration is the removal of over 240 houses that come in the way and over 10,000 trees that have to be razed for the construction of the road. It is important to note that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has already stated that it now wants the administration to get rid of all the hurdles before it can undertake the project. The Process of major road projects getting stalled thus resulting in major cost escalation is not new in Gurugram. If completed on time it could have proved to be another feather in the cap of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Haryana Government.
New Delhi: A heart-stopping moment was captured on CCTV where a 65-year-old senior citizen slipped while boarding a moving train in Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station. But the presence of mind shown by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) sub-inspector saved the life of the passenger.According to RPF statement, on Monday, RPF (NZM) saved the life of an elderly passenger when he fell down and was about to slip in between the gap of platform number 4 and the moving train while boarding coach with heavy luggage. Also Read – Kejriwal ‘denied political clearance’ to attend climate meet in Denmark”On duty sub-inspector (RPF) K P Singh proactively noticed it and swiftly pulled him out to save the life of the senior citizen,” RPF said. According to KP Singh, he noticed that the senior citizen was trying to board the moving train with heavy luggage in both hands. “I thought that passenger might slip then I started running towards him. Meanwhile, he slipped between platform and moving train,” said Singh adding that he reached at the right time and pulled the passenger out before any untoward incident could takes place. Also Read – Bangla Sahib Gurudwara bans use of all types of plastic items”The senior citizen was alright and later, boarded the train safely,” added Singh. Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Coordination) Dr AN Jha said, “RPF sub inspector K P Singh has done commendable humanitarian work by saving the life of a senior citizen. Railway administration has appreciated his devoted, brave & service above self, he will be awarded.” He further said, “I appeal to the passengers not to board or deboard running trains. Honour railway protocol and save your life.”
Chennai: The Madras High Court Friday granted one month parole to Nalini Sriharan, serving life sentence in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, after she argued her plea in person for seeking the relief to make arrangements for her daughter’s wedding. A division bench of Justice M M Sundaresh and Justice M Nirmal Kumar also directed the Tamil Nadu government to finalise the process for her release within ten days. It ordered Nalini not to give any interviews and not to meet any political person while out on parole. Also Read – Balakot strikes show major shift in govt’s handling of terror attacks: IAF chief She was brought to the court amid tight security in compliance with the June 25 order of the bench granting her permission to appear in person and argue on her petition. Nalini, lodged in the Special Prison for Women in Vellore for the last over 27 years, had sought six months leave to make arrangements for the marriage of her daughter. Besides Nalini, six others, including her husband Murugan, a Sri Lankan national, are serving life imprisonment in the case related to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by an LTTE suicide bomber during an election rally at Sriperumpudur near here on May 21, 1991.
New Delhi: The government said Tuesday it is devising a consumer-centric electricity distribution plan to ensure round the clock power supply for all.The Power Ministry in a release said that till now, the government has been preparing perspective plans for generation and transmission sectors under the aegis of the National Electricity Plan (NEP). The distribution plan keeps the needs of consumers at the centre of its focus. Power Minister R K Singh on Tuesday reviewed the Draft Distribution Perspective Plan for the power sector, the ministry said. Also Read – How a psychopath killer hid behind the mask of a devout laity!The draft plan is the first ever plan at distribution level which has been prepared by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) under the guidance of the power ministry. The ministry said that the efforts towards making a distribution plan is aimed at sustaining the goal of 24X7 uninterrupted power for all with increasing demand of electricity from consumers. The plan lays emphasis on 100 per cent metering of all consumers and providing an electricity connection on demand. Also Read – Encounter under way in Pulwama, militant killedThe plan also envisages frontier technology initiatives with an objective of providing reliable quality power supply to consumers. Besides, the plan also envisages conversion of all electricity consumer meters into smart meters in prepaid mode within the next three years. Smart metering would empower consumers with tools to help them conserve energy and plan their electricity usage in an efficient and optimum manner, it said. The plan anticipates an increase in Distribution substation capacity by 38 per cent, distribution transformation capacity by 32 per cent and an increase in different type of feeder lengths by 27 to 38 per cent till 2022. The plan, once released, would be operationalised along with the states and their DISCOMs under the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism.
KOLKATA: Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Sunday accused the BJP of making inroads in the state through “money, police and EVM (Electronic Voting Machines) and said in the coming assembly elections, they will “lose everything”. Demanding the ballot box back, she said the Lok Sabha election earlier this year was “a mystery, not history”.At a mega rally in Kolkata Sunday afternoon, the Chief Minister also issued a warning: “Some BJP leader has said ‘Pull TMC leaders off the bus’. I say to the BJP – if we react in kind, will you be able to withstand?” Also Read – Don’t use ‘lynching’ to defame India: Bhagwat”What fight by the BJP? Who are they? No one in Bengal knows them. Only RSS goons are doing dirty work through schools… In Bihar, the government has told the police to monitor RSS activity. We have not asked the police. They should be aware,” she warned the BJP, which won 18 of the state’s 42 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election. While Martyrs’ Day – a tribute to the people killed in police firing during her rally in 1993 – is an annual event, Sunday’s rally at the heart of Kolkata is seen as a launchpad for the assembly election campaign. Before the lakhs attending the rally, the TMC supremo gave a point by point refutal to the BJP accusations against her party and government. On the BJP demand that the Chief Minister returns the “cut money” amassed by her partymen, Mamata thundered: “Cut money? You are asking TMC to return cut money? Give us back the promised 15 lakh black money”.
Port-of-Spain: Opener Shikhar Dhawan would be desperate for a big knock after four consecutive failures as India are eyeing another series victory when they clash with the West Indies in the third and final ODI here on Wednesday. With scores of 1, 23, 3 in the Twenty series and single-digit score of 2 in the second ODI, Dhawan’s comeback post injury has been far from ideal. Troubled by in-coming deliveries, twice Dhawan lost his wicket to pacer Sheldon Cottrell. Also Read – Puducherry on top after 8-wkt win over Chandigarh Since Dhawan is not part of the Test squad, the Delhi left-hander would like to finish the Caribbean assignment on a high. There is another mini-battle brewing in the Indian batting line up for the number four slot with Shreyas Iyer putting tremendous pressure on Rishabh Pant. Pant has enjoyed the backing of the team management, especially skipper Virat Kohli but his repeated failures and Iyer’s 68-ball 71-run knock in the second ODI has made things different. Also Read – Vijender’s next fight on Nov 22, opponent to be announced later Pant’s temperament is cause of concern as he threw away his wicket on numerous occasions. Any team would prefer a level-headed batsman for that crucial position and by his knock on Sunday, Iyer has made a strong case for himself. Even legendary Sunil Gavaskar has vouched for Iyer for the number flour slot. He wants Pant to drop down to number five as he feels the wicketkeeper batsman is best suited to provide the late impetus. Elsewhere on the batting front, Kohli would look to carry on with his good batting form after hitting a brilliant 120 off 125 balls in the second ODI. Kohli anchored India’s innings in Iyer’s company after openers Dhawan and Rohit Sharma were dismissed cheaply. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the star for India with the ball in the last match with impressive figures of 4 for 31 from eight overs and the pacer would look to carry on his fine form in the coming matches of the tour. Bhuvneshwar’s pace colleague Mohammed Shami (2/39) and Kuldeep Yadav (2/59) also chipped in wickets but the left-arm spinner went for some runs and he would be hoping for better display in terms of economy rate. Although teams don’t prefer changing their winning combinations, Kohli might give Navdeep Saini a run in the last ODI by resting Shami. West Indies, on the other hand, would be desperate to save the series with a win. But for that to happen, West Indies’ batting unit will have to take more responsibility. It’s time talents like Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer and Nicholas Pooran rise up to the occasion for West Indies cricket to thrive. After the final ODI, the two teams will battle in a two-match Test series, starting August 22 at North Sound, Antigua. Teams (from): India: Virat Kohli (capt), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kedar Jadhav, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Khaleel Ahmed, Navdeep Saini West Indies: Jason Holder (capt), Chris Gayle, John Campbell, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran, Roston Chase, Fabian Allen, Carlos Brathwaite, Keemo Paul, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas, Kemar Roach. Match starts at 1900 IST.
New Delhi: Following a hubbub at the Press Club of India here on Wednesday, where eminent economist Jean Dreze was supposed to hold a press conference along with journalists who wanted to showcase video footage of the situation in Kashmir after the Central government effectively abrogated Article 370 and Article 35A, the Press Club of India has put out a statement, listing the facts of the day.On Wednesday, there were claims that the PCI had denied the organisers permission to show the video footage, but the Press Club in its statement mentioned that the organisers had not specified that they would need the facilities to show video footage. It said that the box for whether such facilities would be required was left empty because of which it assumed that it would not require the video facility. In its statement, the PCI said that the conference hall booked by the organisers had a capacity of 60 people and when the event was supposed to begin, 250-300 people had arrived, due to which the PCI said there was a “stampede like situation”. The PCI then asked the organisers to move to the ground floor lawn for holding the press conference. However, because no facilities to show video footage were available on lawn, the event could not proceed with it. The Press Club added, “The Press Club of India regrets the conduct of some of the persons, on behalf of the organizers, who are spreading the rumour that the PCI had withheld permission to show videos which is totally false and concocted. By twisting facts and presenting a totally different picture, PCI is being dragged into an unseemly and uncalled for controversy. The PCI has always given space to different organisations for holding their seminars and press conferences and uphold the freedom of expression as guaranteed in our Constitution and will continue to do the same in future. The PCI also abhors the tendency to spread baseless rumours on social media and websites about the institution.”
London: Indian steel conglomerate Tata Steel on Monday announced the closure of a plant in the southern Welsh city of Newport, with a potential loss of around 400 jobs at the UK site. The Indian steel giant announced that it had clinched the sale of a Canadian and Swedish plant as part of its worldwide Cogent Electrical Steels division but, despite exploring all options, the company has been unable to find a way forward for the Orb Electrical Steels plant. Also Read – Thermal coal import may surpass 200 MT this fiscal”Continuing to fund substantial losses at Orb Electrical Steels is not sustainable at a time when the European steel industry is facing considerable challenges. We saw no prospects of returning the Orb business to profitability in the coming years,” said Henrik Adam, CEO of Tata Steel’s European operations. “I recognise how difficult this news will be for all those affected, and we will work very hard to support them,” Adam said. The company said it had signed a sales and purchase agreement for Cogent Power Inc (CPI), with Japanese steel giant JFE Shoji Trade Corporation. Also Read – Food grain output seen at 140.57 mt in current fiscal on monsoon boostCPI manufactures cores for electrical distribution transformers and employs nearly 300 people. Tata Steel has decided to retain Surahammars Bruks AB, which makes advanced steels for electric vehicles and employs around 100 people. “We have been able to secure the future for almost 400 colleagues in CPI and Surahammars Bruks. However, today’s proposal will be sad news for colleagues at Orb in South Wales. “This is necessary, enabling us to focus our resources, including investment, on our core business and markets, helping us build a long-term sustainable future in Europe,” Adam said. The company said its Orb Electrical Steels business in Newcastle has been loss-making for several years as it struggled to compete in the fast-moving market to supply steels used in electricity transformers in which customer requirements have out-stripped the site’s capability. Converting the site to create steels for future electric vehicle production would cost in excess of 50 million pounds in a highly competitive market where Tata Steel faces higher-volume competitors both in Europe and globally. In addition, Tata Steel has been unable to find a buyer for Wolverhampton Engineering Steels Service Centre, in the UK, and proposes to close it, potentially affecting up to 26 jobs, including a sales office in Bolton. The Tata Group said every effort will be made by Tata Steel to mitigate the impact on affected employees including offering alternative employment opportunities where possible at other Tata Steel sites. Consultations with affected employees and trade unions at both Orb and Wolverhampton will commence shortly. This process will include assessing ways to minimise the need for compulsory redundancies. Tata Steel is the largest steelmaker in the UK employing more than 8,000 people, manufacturing advanced products for the likes of the automotive, construction and engineering industries. The company has invested around 2 billion pounds in its UK business since acquiring Corus in 2007, including more than 100 million pounds in the last year to support advanced steel manufacturing at a number of UK sites including an essential life extension project at one of the company’s two UK blast furnaces. Unions said Tata which employs nearly 6,000 workers in Wales was breaking its commitments over job guarantees. Roy Rickhuss of the Community steelworkers’ union called it “shocking” news, which “makes a mockery of the understanding we reached with Tata around the jobs guarantee”. “There has been no consultation about this proposal either at UK or European level and company management should hang their heads in shame in the way this has come about,” said Rickhuss. “This is of course extremely devastating news for workers at the Orb, but all Tata Steel workers should be concerned by the way Tata is breaking its commitments,” he said, calling on the UK government to intervene. UK Economy Minister Ken Skates said he stressed the importance in talks with the company of avoiding compulsory redundancies. “The Welsh government will now do everything it can to support individuals, the community and the supply chain affected by this announcement,” he added. “Today’s news clearly demonstrates the fragility of the global steel market and the UK government must now step up and broaden its approach to supporting the industry, including its supply chain, across the whole of the UK,” Skates said.
New Delhi: Doctors at AIIMS here have successfully removed a two-inch sewing needle from the back of a 10-year-old girl that was left behind by her mother on a bed at their home. Even though the girl complained that something had pierced into her back as she suffered from severe pain,her parents were not able to understand the exact reason behind it. She was then rushed to the nearby Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya, where an X-ray was done. It revealed a foreign object, which the parents identified as the needle which got embedded in her back, Dr Shilpa Sharma, a paediatric surgeon at AIIMS said. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderA surgery was performed there to remove it, but unfortunately the needle could not be traced during the surgery, the doctor said. As the pain got worse, the girl was referred to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Trauma Centre. “The X-ray showed the needle in the back muscles. We decided to wait so that it becomes fixed to surrounding tissue and does not move during surgery. “We waited for two weeks and meanwhile the kid was under regular observation to ensure that the needle is still intact and in the same place. The risks included dislocation of the needle into any vital organ or vessel. It was very near the spinal canal but luckily there was no damage. An ultrasound was done to monitor the needle instead of repeated X-rays to avoid radiation to the child,” Sharma explained. Also Read – Two brothers held for snatchingsThe girl was operated on August 30. With palpation, the needle was traced deep inside. It was more than one-inch deep at the level of the spine bone on the left side, she said. “A special needle with markings was used to feel the needle. The needle had rusted inside the body and was friable. The eye (of needle) broke on touching. Luckily, the lower part of the needle was also in the grip and it was slide out carefully. There was no complication and the girl was discharged after a few hours,” Dr Gyanendra Singh, neuroanaesthetist, said. The girl is fine now and is able to carry out her day-to day activities, Dr Sharma said. She advised her parents to be careful with such items while doing their daily chores and also teach their children to take care of their surroundings.
Washington: US President Donald Trump on Monday said he has no meeting scheduled with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York later this month. “I have no meeting scheduled (with Rouhani). I know they (Iranians) want to meet,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I know they are not doing well as a country. Iran has got a lot of problems right now.. but two and half to three years ago they were causing a lot of trouble… and we’ll see what happens,” he said. Also Read – Saudi Crown Prince ‘snubbed’ Pak PM, recalled jet from US After coming to power, Trump had withdrawn from the Iranian nuclear deal and imposed stringent sanctions on Iran. Trump said certain conditions had to be met for talks with the Iranians. “The biggest thing you can talk about are the sanctions, and the sanctions are massive. There’s never been sanctions put on a country like that. I think they have a tremendous future, but not the way they’re behaving,” he said. Responding to a question, Trump said the evidence from the recent attack on the oil units in Saudi Arabia indicated foul play from Iran. Also Read – Record number of 35 candidates in fray for SL Presidential polls “It’s looking that way. We are having some very strong studies done, but it’s certainly looking that way at this moment. And we’ll let you know. As soon as we find out definitively, we’ll let you know. But it does look that way,” he said. On Saturday, air attacks targeted Abqaiq, the site of the largest oil processing plant run by the Saudi state oil company, Aramco, and the Khurais oilfield. Iran has denied involvement in the air attacks, which were claimed by Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and other US officials will be visiting Saudi Arabia to hold talks in the aftermath of the attacks. Trump said: “We have a lot of options, but I’m not looking at options right now. We want to find definitively who did this. We’re dealing with Saudi Arabia. We’re dealing with the Crown Prince and so many other of your neighbours, and we’re all talking about it together. We’ll see what happens,” he said. Trump said he is against war. “Do I want war? I don’t want war with anybody. I’m somebody that would like not to have war. We have the strongest military in the world. We’ve spent more than a trillion-and-a-half dollars in the last short period of time on our military. Nobody has even come close,” he said.
New Delhi: With the aim to make the employees stress-free and develop self confidence in discharging their duties, the New Delhi Municipal Council on Tuesday organized a lecture programme at Convention Center of Palika Kendra, which was addressed by spokespersons of Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalya. NDMC Secretary Rashmi Singh informed that this lecture was organized primarily on understanding the self, its inner sources and strength and developing attitudes of leadership and the highest level of personal integrity. “Such types of curriculums have its significance and importance for any organization in respect of maintaining work life balance and positive psychology of the employees of their institutions,” she added.
VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s Green party has emerged from Tuesday’s election with a unique opportunity that could help decide the province’s political future but it comes with risks for the upstart political movement.Political scientists say Green Leader Andrew Weaver must carefully stickhandle the power he has while not alienating his own supporters if the results of the election are confirmed in the coming weeks and no party has a majority in the legislature.The Liberal party won 43 seats, leaving it one seat short of a majority. The NDP garnered 41 seats, and the Greens finished with three seats, leaving Weaver to determine whether to side with the Liberals or the New Democrats in a minority government situation.Liberal Leader Christy Clark campaigned on her party’s record of a strong economy while NDP Leader John Horgan called for a change at the legislature after 16 years in Opposition.Prof. Richard Johnston of the University of British Columbia said that while the Greens share some common policies with the NDP on issues such as electoral reform, the party must evaluate whether it should back the party that didn’t get the most seats or votes.“If it’s true that British Columbians voted for a change, that must mean, if you’re Andrew Weaver, ousting Christy Clark from government,” Johnston said Wednesday. “But that would also mean to do that he has to back the loser.”Kathryn Harrison, also a political science professor at UBC, said the Greens must weigh the risks of either choice but the Liberals may wait to do any negotiating until the final ballot count is released, which must happen by May 24.However, if the results are confirmed, Harrison said the Liberals and New Democrats may be forced to compromise with the Greens or face another election.“Voters really hate having the plug pulled very soon after an election and have to go back to the polls,” she said. “None of the leaders wants to be the one who causes an election.”Weaver said it’s too early for him to say whether he would back the Liberals or New Democrats but he was willing to compromise and was scheduled to meet with both Clark and Horgan on Wednesday afternoon.“B.C. Greens are committed to working with whichever party we end up working with,” he said.“It’s public policy first. Partisan politics? We’re not interested.”He said his party’s ban on corporate and union donations meant private contributions to his party “went through the roof” during the campaign and that the Greens did not go into debt.Weaver said he and Horgan agree on some key issues, such as electoral reform and a ban on corporate and union donations.Horgan’s post-election speech on Tuesday night hit on some of those issues as a potential signal to the Greens.“British Columbians voted today to get big money out of politics,” he said. “British Columbians voted today for proportional representation.”However, the Greens’ and New Democrats’ stance on electoral reform may be a deal breaker with the Liberals, Harrison said.“Small parties like the Greens are forever disadvantaged by a first-past-the post system. That would be the long-term win for them so maybe that’s one on which they would be willing to take that risk in supporting the NDP to achieve.”The Green party needed four seats to get official party status in the legislature, which would mean more resources for the party and a greater role in the house.Weaver said he wouldn’t demand official party status from the other parties to support a minority government, but there’s a chance the Greens could get recognized anyway.“I suspect other parties would be crawling over themselves to actually offer us official party status in light of where we stand today.”— Follow @CamilleBains1 on Twitter.
MONTREAL – Canada’s two largest airlines have cancelled scores of flights, affecting thousands of passengers, due to the massive hurricane that has flooded parts of Texas.Calgary-based WestJet (TSX:WJA) says 25 flights between Calgary and Houston have been cancelled since Friday, impacting travel plans for 1,400 passengers.It says aircraft are positioned to resume service when the situation on the ground has improved.Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport says on its website that it should reopen for commercial traffic on Thursday at noon local time.WestJet says it is tentatively planning to operate one flight that day and one on Friday. Extra flight segments will be added over the weekend to help transport passengers.Air Canada has cancelled several flights between Houston and airports in Montreal and Toronto. It wouldn’t provide details about the number of passengers affected.The Montreal-based carrier (TSX:AC) says in a website advisory that customers who purchased tickets directly with the airline for flights between Saturday and Sept. 5 to Houston, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport and San Antonio International Airport can change their flights free of charge until Sept. 20.Passengers who purchased tickets through Aeroplan or Air Canada Vacations should contact them directly.Hurricane Harvey has dumped a record 49.32 inches of rain on Texas.America’s fourth-largest city has been paralyzed by the storm that arrived as a Category 4 hurricane. Forecasters expect it will head back inland east of Houston sometime Wednesday then head north and lose its strength.
TORONTO – Police dogs in Toronto will be getting armoured vests designed to protect them from sharp weapons.The Toronto Police Services Board voted Thursday to accept an anonymous corporate donation of 18 of the vests.The donor came forward after Lonca, a canine with the force, was seriously injured last year by a suspect armed with a machete.The donor is buying the vests — designed to protect a dog’s major internal organs if attacked with a sharp or blunt object — from Line of Fire Defence Systems in Edmonton at a total cost of more than $22,000.Line of Fire spokesman Duncan Horner says the company is awaiting sizing information and will be manufacturing the armour and harnesses in the next few weeks.The Toronto force’s canine unit has been in existence since 1989 and currently has 22 officers and 33 dogs.
OTTAWA – It was a night of sticky ice, last-minute player signings and a disappointingly small crowd.The glitches that marred the NHL’s debut seem mere footnotes now as the world’s premier hockey league celebrates its 100th anniversary with an outdoor game Saturday evening between the Montreal Canadiens and host Ottawa Senators.Amid the humble beginnings, few could have foreseen the days of multimillion-dollar contracts, instant replays and franchises in Florida.As a bloody war raged in Europe, the four-team NHL’s first games took place Wed., Dec. 19, 1917.The Canadiens took on an early incarnation of the Senators in Ottawa, while the Toronto Arenas played the Wanderers in Montreal.The daily newspapers of the time, and their anonymous scribes, dutifully recorded the colour and chaos of the league’s emergence from the ashes of the National Hockey Association, alongside advertisements for gramophones, dyspepsia tablets and handkerchiefs.Ottawa dominated the Canadiens in the final NHA season, winning six of seven matchups.But for their first NHL meeting, the Senators were missing top scorer Frank Nighbor, an enlisted airman whose military commitment kept him off the ice. The “Pembroke Peach” would go on to win several Stanley Cups with the Ottawa team.One of his descendants, Derek Nighbor, plans to be at Ottawa’s TD Place Stadium for the NHL 100 Classic game with his brother and nephew, sporting their heritage Sens jerseys emblazoned with Frank’s No. 6.“Our family’s pretty proud of the connection,” he said. “It’s not only the Nighbor name, but it’s Pembroke. Still today, with our Junior ‘A’ Lumber Kings, hockey is really central to life in the Ottawa Valley.”The 1917 edition of the Senators had another headache on opening night: contract disputes meant several players signed at the eleventh hour and two — Jack Darragh and Hamby Shore — even missed the first part of the game.Canadiens sharpshooter Joe Malone scored three times in the first period, and Montreal led 5-3 heading into the third.Ottawa forced the play, but “it was useless, what looked like sure goals being missed by overskating the puck, missing passes and poor shooting,” the Ottawa Journal reported.Montreal won 7-4. Ottawa might have fared better if it had begun the game at full strength, said the Journal, adding the fact the ice became “very sticky” near the end of the game “may have had a lot to do with their poor work here.”The Daily Star confidently predicted the hometown Torontos, as the team was known, “should win in a walk” over the Wanderers, though the paper later acknowledged the Montreal roster was “not as weak” as player-coach Art Ross — future namesake of the league scoring trophy — “would have it believed.”The Wanderers president invited soldiers who had been injured overseas to attend the Montreal Arena as honoured guests. Even so, the Montreal Gazette noted the turnout of 700 was “one of the smallest crowds” to see a season opener and “many of the well-known patrons of the game were missing.”A Star story concluded the contest was certainly a first-of-the-season affair, as “the hockey was pretty rough in spots.”“Torontos showed plenty of speed and dash on the attack, but were weak on the defence.”The Arenas’ goaltending also failed to impress, with starter Sammy Hebert chased from the net in favour of Art Brooks.“Sammy Hebert couldn’t stop a flock of balloons,” a fan told the Star.One reporter considered the Wanderers lucky to outlast the Torontos, as Montreal faded in the late going, barely hanging on for a 10-9 victory.No fewer than 20 minor penalties and two majors were handed out, said an account in the Ottawa Journal. “The game was not rough, but the players were irritable.”Wanderers centre Harry Hyland — who scored five goals — suffered the only injury, however, when the puck bounced off his own goalie’s stick and “struck him a terrific smash fair in the eye, knocking him out.”The Montreal arena burned down just weeks later and the Wanderers disbanded. In the playoffs, Toronto defeated the Canadiens for the league championship.The season was notable for a major rule change in January 1918 — allowing goalies to drop to the ice to stop the puck.The league also tried to stay a stride ahead of sneaky fans by providing referees with special new whistles, preventing people in the crowd from stopping play by blowing the same type used by officials.“They are really wonders in their way,” the Star noted. “When blown into from the centre their sound resembles something between the roaring of an infuriated bull and the summer night lullaby of the latter’s amphibious namesake, the bullfrog.”— Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
Did you know the two people who developed the cure for Ebola are Canadian?Jennifer Diakiw with the Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation said a lot of people didn’t, until Dr. Gary Kobinger and Dr. Xiangguo Qiu won a Manning Innovation Award last year.“We think that it’s important for them to apply for these awards, because it really shines a light, not just on them as individuals, but on Canadian innovation and Canadian innovators,” she said.Nominations are being accepted for the 2018 Manning Innovation Awards until January 15.
Almost two dozen marine scientists from around the world have issued a warning about an often-overlooked side effect of climate change and pollution.In a paper published this week in Science, they say oxygen is disappearing from increasingly large areas of ocean and threatening marine life.The research, sponsored by an international body affiliated with UNESCO, finds the problem has been growing since the 1950s. Over the last 50 years, the amount of affected ocean has expanded by 4.5 million square kilometres to 32 million square kilometres of coastal and deep-sea water.That includes the St. Lawrence Seaway and oceans off Canada’s West Coast.“We feel this issue has to be looked at and deserves more attention,” said Denis Gilbert, one of the 22 co-authors and a scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.“All animals need to breathe oxygen and we know that regions of the ocean that are losing oxygen are becoming more and more common. We’re seeing the marine animals leaving those areas.”The paper, a summary of recent research, found oxygen-deprived waters off many of the world’s coastlines, especially those adjacent to large rivers and urban areas. Low-oxygen regions also exist in the high seas.The volume of ocean water completely devoid of oxygen has quadrupled since 1950, one study found. Marine animal populations and diversity are dropping at hundreds of coastal sites.In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, oxygen in the lower depths has dropped by 55 per cent since 1930.“It’s huge,” said Gilbert. “We’re already losing cod in the bottom waters.”Similar processes are further depressing naturally low oxygen levels along British Columbia’s northern coast, said Gilbert.He said several factors are at work.Agricultural and industrial residue flushes nitrates into oceans, creating algae blooms similar to those that can plague freshwater systems. But in the open ocean, climate change is by far the biggest contributor.Climate change, Gilbert said, delivers a “triple whammy.”First, warmer water can’t dissolve as much oxygen.Second, different layers in the oceans don’t mix as much as upper waters warm. Deeper layers don’t get ventilated by being exposed to the surface. Gradually, the oxygen they hold gets used up by bacteria.Third, warmer water forces marine animals to breathe more quickly, further using up available oxygen.“One of the reasons why (marine animals) cannot tolerate very warm waters is they need to breathe more,” Gilbert said. “In these waters where they need to breathe more, there’s less oxygen.”Gilbert said that, in comparison with other climate-change-related issues such as ocean acidification, the impacts of low oxygen on fisheries and natural ocean cycles are little studied.“It’s poorly understood.”The problem won’t go away any time soon.“Global warming models are predicting that the oxygen decrease will be even worse by 2100 and will keep getting worse,” Gilbert said.The models suggest oxygen will continue to decline in the oceans even with ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Still, Gilbert said, that doesn’t mean those targets shouldn’t be pursued.“Acting on fossil fuels will have benefit not just for sea ice and ocean acidification, but it will also have benefits for oxygen.”— Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960