Veteran Odia actor Debu Bose passed away following a prolonged illness, at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Wednesday. He was 75. Bose had worked in more than 120 films, television shows and innumerable plays. His family said the actor had suffered heart attacks on two earlier occasions and was kept on ventilator support in the hospital. The actor had started his career with Odia movie Tapasya in the 1980s.Multi-talented Bose also worked as a choreographer for the Odia film Man Ra Akash. He was a disciple of Odissi dancer Late Guru Kelurcharan Mohapatra. His characters in Suna Chadhei, Sahari Bagha, Kaveri, Phula Chandana and Chaka Bhaunri won the hearts of millions. Born on December 2, 1942, the actor was associated with a regional theatre group ‘Diganta’ and had directed many plays.Directors, producers and actors expressed grief over the demise of the veteran actor. “Bose was my mentor and his departure for heavenly abode has left a huge void in the Odia film industry,” said Pradyumna Lenka, a prominent actor. read more

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday allayed fears of revocation of the special provisions of Article 371H and said the rights are aimed at developing the backward areas of the State.In his Independence Day address, Mr. Khandu said the provisions enshrined in Article 371H are aimed at “protecting the economic and cultural interests” of some States, including Arunachal.The recent abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 in J&K by the Centre have raised apprehensions in the Northeast, with several parties and organisations fearing that the Centre may also tinker with the special status accorded to their States.Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified that the Central government has no such intention.Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his bold move in J&K, Mr. Khandu said: “The provisions of Article 371H are inclusive in nature, but that of Article 370 are primarily divisive. The government has taken the first step towards the inclusive development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “I assure the people of my State that the provisions of Article 371H will continue to stay in force and the same has been categorically assured in Parliament by the Centre,” he said after unfurling the Tricolour at Indira Gandhi Park here. Article 371H vests the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh with special responsibility with respect to the law and order situation in the State and in the discharge of his functions in relation thereto. read more

There was uproar in the Rajya Sabha on Monday over the meeting of an aide of yoga guru Ramdev with the 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, disrupting the Question Hour.A picture of the yoga guru’s close aide Ved Pratap Vaidik with Hafiz Saeed was circulated on social media, stirring a raging controversy.As soon as the upper house met, the uproar on the issue forced a 15-minute adjournment.The Congress questioned if Vaidik was sent as an emissary, and why were the proper channels not followed.Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said he was surprised Vaidik, who is also a senior journalist, claimed to be an emissary.”It is most surprising Vaidik claims to be intermediary. Who sent him on the mission?” he questioned.Congress leader Anand Sharma said: “It is not a small issue. He is not just a journalist. This person claims to be an emissary. Such meeting cannot take place without officials being informed.””The Ministry of External Affairs will have to give a statement,” he said.Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified that Vaidik was not sent as a government representative.”As far as government is concerned, Hafiz Saeed is a terrorist. Government of India has nothing to do with any journalist in his individual capacity meeting him,” said Jaitley.Chairman M. Hamid Ansari tried to calm down the members, saying law will take its course if Vaidik has done anything illegal. However, opposition members refused to relent and created a din over the issue.Amid the uproar, the upper house was adjourned till noon.advertisementVaidik has said he met Hafiz Saeed on July 2 in Lahore and had an hour long chat with him. He has said that he met the 26/11 mastermind in his capacity as a journalist. read more

Get the best of News18 delivered to your inbox – subscribe to News18 Daybreak. Follow News18.com on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, TikTok and on YouTube, and stay in the know with what’s happening in the world around you – in real time. Amit PanghalboxingManish KaushikWorld Boxing Championships First Published: September 20, 2019, 4:21 PM IST Ekaterinburg: Amit Panghal scripted history on Friday as he became the first Indian male boxer to reach the gold medal match at World Championships. Manish Kaushik, on the other hand, settled for bronze.Panghal defeated Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibissonov 3-2 in a split decision verdict to reach the final in 52kg category. In the final on Saturday, Panghal will be up against Rio Olympic champion Shakhobidin Zoirov. Kaushik lost his 63kg category semi-final 0-5 to reigning world champion Andy Cruz Gomez of Cuba.Panghal and Kaushik had already entered the unchartered territory for India when both of them advanced to the semi-finals on Thursday and assured two medals from the Championships. Never before had India had two semifinalists at the marquee event for amateur boxers.Kaushik joined the likes of Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan (2011), Shiva Thapa (2015) and Gaurav Bidhuri (2017), all of whom had won World Championships bronze for India before.Panghal’s rise has been nothing short of spectacular in Indian boxing ever since he claimed a 49kg category bronze in the 2017 Asian Championships.He was a quarter-finalist at the world championship on debut in the same year, went on to win consecutive gold medals at the prestigious Strandja Memorial in Bulgaria, before becoming the Asian Games champion in 2018.This year, he already has the Asian Championships gold to his credit after moving to the 52kg category following the dropping of 49kg from the Olympic roster to accommodate more women’s divisions in the 2020 Tokyo Games.(With PTI Inputs) read more

The major reason why Le 2 and Le Max2 have managed toThe major reason why Le 2 and Le Max2 have managed to create a mark for themselves is because they come packed with powerful features and cutting-edge design. The Le Max2 packs in a Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon[TM] 820 processor and 21MP primary camera that features OIS for blur-free photos and advanced PDAF technology for ultra-fast focusing alongside a Dual- LED (Dual Tone) flash. For the selfie lovers, there is also an 8MP front camera. The stunning metal unibody Superphone sports a gorgeous a 5.7-inch display with a 2K display.While the LeEco Le 2 is powered by Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon[TM] 652 processor along with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. It flaunts a 5.5-inch Full HD display that has a great build quality. It comes equipped with a 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. In addition to this, Le 2 and Le Max2 are the first phones in India and the world to adopt a new CDLA standard. The 3.5mm headphone port in these Superphones have been replaced by lossless audio Type-C interface thus paving way for an audio revolution.LeEco Le 2 and Le Max2 come bundled with one year LeEcos Supertainment program that gives users an access to a content library of 2000+ movies and 3000+ hours of curated shows, 150+ live TV channels and 1.9 million songs with lossless audio.Along with this, users will get 5 TB cloud drive space, access to 50+ big ticket international live concerts, exclusive live streaming of major entertainment events and music concerts worldwide and 7500+ hours of world class entertainment.advertisementLeEco will also give users a chance to tune into these top international live concerts – live and offline – in lossless audio. (MORE) PRN TLS TLS read more

Samsung launched the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime phones in India on Monday. The two phones are part of Samsung’s ever-expanding Galaxy J-series universe. “Owing to the consumer centric approach and ability to bring valuable and meaningful innovations, the Galaxy J-series has received tremendous response from the consumers,” says Samsung. No wonder the company keeps launching one J-series phone after another, oh so frequently.Also Read: Samsung launches Galaxy J5, J7 Prime in India, price starts at Rs 14,790 Things are a little different with the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime though. They are unlike any other J-series phone that you’ve seen before, literally and figuratively. A J-series phone — before the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime came along — was synonymous with all-plastic build, mediocre specs and affordable pricing. The Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime have none of the above. And yet the two are J-series phones.On a regular day, the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime would pass of as Samsung’s A-series phones. You know, with all that metal and all that jazz, it’s really hard to tell the difference. But, that’s precisely what has happened. Samsung has finally decided to give its J-series, the premium treatment. Whether or not, the move would set cash counters ticking for Samsung is yet to be seen. After all, it is always a gamble to up the premium quotient and price tag of a phone — out of the blue — that buyers generally expect to be practical and more affordable. Clearly, the J-series is doing well, and Samsung is ready to take the plunge. To recall, it is also doing something similar with its A-series phones now. It has started building them with all the more premium materials — glass and metal — bringing them closer to its S-series line-up.The lines between Samsung’s high-end S-range, its mid-level A-range and its affordable J-range have blurred and the verdict is out. Samsung just can’t go wrong with smartphone design anymore. In fact it keeps getting better and better each day.advertisementThe Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime boast of an all-metal unibody design — top and bottom ends being plastic with brushed metal finish to accommodate the antennas — with curved 2.5D glass on the front. Both the phones come with front-mounted physical home buttons that double as fingerprint scanners. While the Galaxy J7 Prime is meant for someone who’s into phablets, the Galaxy J5 Prime is for someone who likes cute and comfy phones. I prefer the latter, which is why I have a little bias towards the Galaxy J5 Prime. I don’t mind its humble specs, as opposed to its slightly heftier sibling. It feels just right in the hands. It is easier to hold and operate. The bigger Galaxy J7 Prime can be a tad slippery. Moreover, the 2.5D glass also looks better on small phones. That’s one reason why I like the 5.2-inch Asus ZenFone 3 more, over the bigger 5.5-inch variant.Being all-metal means, the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime have non-removable back covers, and obviously non-removable batteries. That is, but, a small price to pay for all that premium you’re getting. The Galaxy J5 Prime is a 5-inch phone with a 720p display while the Galaxy J7 Prime comes with a bigger 5.5-inch 1080p screen. The phones have just the right amount of pixels, without going overboard, which means they have pleasantly sharp displays and good viewing angles. There’s no option to manually correct colour saturation, but the phones do give you an Outdoor Mode option to — manually — up the phones’ brightness levels for when you’re out in direct sunlight. On a regular day, the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime would pass of as Samsung’s A-series phones. You know, with all that metal and all that jazz, it’s really hard to tell the difference The Galaxy J7 Prime is powered by a 1.6GHz octa-core Exynos 7870 processor clubbed with 3GB RAM and 16GB of internal memory which is further expandable by up to 256GB via microSD card. The Galaxy J5 Prime on the other hand comes with a 1.4GHz quad-core CPU with 2GB RAM and 16GB of inbuilt memory, which is again expandable by up to 256GB via microSD card. Both the phones run Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based TouchWiz UI, support dualSIM and 4G LTE (VoLTE-ready) connectivity.The Galaxy J7 Prime sports a 13-megapixel camera on the rear with f/1.9 aperture, autofocus and LED flash. On the front you get an 8-megapixel camera, also with LED flash. The Galaxy J5 Prime has the same rear camera but a 5-megapixel camera on the front.I am yet to test the two phones at length, but based on first impressions of the devices, well, looks like we might just have something — in fact a lot — positive to look forward to. I was pleasantly surprised with the phones’ rear camera, especially its quick focus locking and shutter speed. The rear cameras on-board the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime are really fast, even in indoor lighting conditions, where I tested the phones. Moreover, picture quality was also fairly nice, considering that in the price range that Samsung will be selling these phones, there are not many good camera phones right now.advertisementAs for, overall performance, well, I for one am glad that Samsung has really tried to cut down on bloat or unwanted apps. TocuhWiz still needs a lot of work, but, it’s moving in the right direction, at least. I will have more to say about the phone’s all-round performance and camera capabilities in our full review.While the Galaxy J7 Prime is backed by a 3,300mAh battery, the Galaxy J5 Prime comes with a smaller 2,400mAh battery.Samsung is banking on two key features to sell its new Galaxy J phones: S Power Planning and S Secure. The S Power Planning is essentially a battery saving feature that allows users to reserve the phone’s battery for calls by allocating a certain percentage of the battery for calls and messages. It also allows users to extend the phone’s battery time to up to twice the current available time and also forward calls when it is running low on juice. Of these the last one is particularly interesting. The forward calls feature lets you feed in a number that you would want your incoming calls to be forwarded to when your phone runs out of battery. Usually, when such is the case, you get a message from your telecom operator that says you missed so and so call next time when you power up your phone. Using Samsung’s forward calls feature you can re-route that call to a different — a spare, perhaps — number and carry on with your chit-chatter even if your primary phone is out of juice.The S Secure feature on the other hand allows users to lock and hide their applications, secure Wi-Fi thereby encrypting all data which is being transferred and create a separate Secure folder for images and applications.Both S Power and S Secure have been developed at its India R&D centre, says Samsung.Also Read: Samsung Z2 quick review: This can be your first smartphoneWhile meaningful innovations still form the backbone of Samsung’s new J-series phones, the Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime are a different breed (of J-phones) altogether. They are more premium, have heftier spec-sheets and are also expensive. While the Galaxy J5 Prime has been priced at Rs 14,790 the Galaxy J7 Prime will cost buyers Rs 18,790. I understand, there would be many, who would be turned off by their pricing, especially those who have for long considered the J-series as one that is relatively affordable. At the same time, there would be buyers, who were for long looking for a premium phone — at under Rs 20,000 — from the likes of Samsung. These are the kind of buyers who wouldn’t want to invest in something like the Galaxy S6 or the S7, but, would definitely want to try out something premium should Samsung bring something of that sort. The Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime, in that case, would make so much more sense. They need not be perfect, but at least, they look and feel premium, and won’t burn a noticeable hole in your pocket. Watch this space for our full review of the Samsung Galaxy J5 Prime and Galaxy J7 Prime in the days to come.   advertisement read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth on his maiden win of the Indonesia Open title , saying the entire nation was extremely delighted on his victory.”Congratulations @srikidambi! We are extremely delighted on your victory in the Indonesia Open Super Series tournament,” tweeted Prime Minister Modi.Congratulations @srikidambi! We are extremely delighted on your victory in the Indonesia Open Super Series tournament.- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2017Meanwhile, North Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a cash reward of Rs. five lakh for Srikanth.”Congrats @srikidambi on your superb win at #IndonesiaSSP Finals. You’ve made us all proud. Glad to announce Re 5 lakh award from @BAI_Media,” Sarma tweeted.Congrats @srikidambi on your superb win at #IndonesiaSSP Finals. You’ve made us all proud. Glad to announce Re 5 lakh award from @BAI_Media pic.twitter.com/hiR9N8kEAZ- Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 18, 2017Earlier in the day, Srikanth came out with a spectacular performance as he defeated unseeded Kazumasa Sakai of Japan 21-11, 21-19 to win the men’s singles title of the Indonesia Super Series Premier badminton tournament in Jakarta. read more

Transfers Lewandowski’s call for new Bayern strikers knocked back by Rummenigge Joe Wright Last updated 2 years ago 21:02 10/30/17 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(3) Bongarts Transfers Bayern München Bayern München v RB Leipzig RB Leipzig Bundesliga Celtic v Bayern München Celtic UEFA Champions League Robert Lewandowski The Polish frontman has suggested that he needs assistance to reduce the demands on him at the Allianz Arena, but the club’s chairman does not agree Bayern Munich executive board chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge does not believe they need to sign more strikers to support Robert Lewandowski.The Poland international suggested on Saturday he is struggling to cope with the demands of leading the line in three domestic competitions and for the national team.Bayern 15/2 to win CL Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player The issue has come to the fore in the build-up to Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Celtic in Glasgow, with Lewandowski unable to travel with the team due to a muscle injury.Rummenigge insists Lewandowski will only miss the game out of precaution, though, and denied they need more options in the squad.”It is only a precaution,” he told the media prior to leaving Munich.Kingsley #Coman is on board as #FCBayern begin their journey to Glasgow, but @lewy_official stays behind in Munich. #UCL #CELFCB pic.twitter.com/5vZGaWP53v — FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) October 30, 2017 “If we had been playing against Real Madrid, he would have probably travelled with us.”I don’t think we have any problematic areas. “It certainly isn’t nice that we have several attacking players injured at the moment. But our coach is known for the fact that he does not complain. He will find ways to work around it.” read more

Manchester City Restaurant owner suffers broken nose defending Man City fans attacked in Naples Goal Last updated 2 years ago 18:56 11/1/17 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(0) AFP Manchester City UEFA Champions League Napoli v Manchester City Napoli Three of the Premier League club’s supporters were also injured after they were attacked ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League game Four Manchester City supporters were attacked ahead of their club’s Champions League match against Napoli in Italy, ANSA reports.The group of fans visiting the city had dined at a restaurant in Via Cesario Console when the exit was blocked and they were approached by a crowd of people throwing objects at them.They fled the scene and sought shelter in two different restaurants. While this prevented one from suffering injury, his three friends were attacked inside the premises, where a Neapolitan restaurateur, who tried to defend the fans, was also injured. Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player The Italian suffered a nose fracture in the fracas, while one of the City fans was treated for a shoulder issue, with the two other supporters receiving mild injuries.Police are investigating the incident but have not made any arrests up to now.The incident involving the Premier League club’s supporters comes a day after two arrests were made on Monday after Chelsea fans were attacked in Rome.City are currently top of Champions League Group F, where a draw or a win away at Napoli on Wednesday night will secure their place in the last 16 of the competition. read more

Ethan Ampadu is not currently available to be signed on loan from Chelsea but the Blues may opt to change their stance later in the transfer window, depending on the outcome of their other January activities, Goal understands.The 18-year-old has had a multitude of clubs publicly declare an interest in him over the past few months, including Cardiff City and Derby County, while Aston Villa were also thought to be keen on the Wales international.Maurizio Sarri has only used Ampadu on two occasions all season, but there is potential for him to get increased game time as Cesc Fabregas is expected to make a move to Monaco next week and Gary Cahill is being permitted to leave on loan, with Fulham in the frame to snap up the English centre-back. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ampadu is in contention to make his tenth appearance for the Blues this season with a clash against Nottingham Forest the FA Cup coming up at the weekend, having made the bench in the last two matches.Forest are the team against which Ampadu made his Chelsea debut last season before going on to impress in his sporadic appearances at the club, highlighted by the signing of a new five-year deal in September in acknowledgement of his potential.Meanwhile, Chelsea’s other bright young talent in the first team squad, Callum Hudson-Odoi, could leave the club in the January transfer window. Bayern Munich have made an offer in excess of £30 million and are testing Chelsea’s resolve, with the Blues struggling to get their home-grown star to renew his deal, which expires in June 2020. read more

zoom The Port of Los Angeles has issued a draft white paper on zero emission technology that details the Port’s testing of zero emissions technology to date, and its proposed near-term plan for encouraging zero emission technology use in maritime goods movement.By 2020, the Port plans to facilitate testing and development of up to 200 zero emission vehicles.”While we’ve made great strides in reducing emissions and greenhouse gas emissions over the last decade, the Port of Los Angeles continues to look for new opportunities to further cut pollutants, especially greenhouse gas,” said Chris Cannon, Chief Sustainability Officer and Director of Environmental Management at the Port.”We think zero emission technology in key operational sectors has strong potential to help us achieve these reductions.”Developed by the Port’s environmental management team, the draft white paper outlines next steps regarding current and planned zero emission demonstration projects. It also includes recommendations for zero emission-related infrastructure planning, as well as strategies for pursuing local, state and federal funding for near-term zero emission equipment testing and for long-term capital investments and operations. read more

more ways for condominium corporations to deal with problem tenants in their buildings better information for those buying new condominiums about the amenities, such as gyms or pools, to be available, and the date they will be complete a requirement that buyers get a copy of a new condominium corporation’s proposed budget, so they know what kind of fees they’ll be paying for the first year a requirement for anyone converting a building into condominiums to do a reserve fund study to ensure buyers know what kinds of maintenance the building may require and how it will be paid for. For more information, visit www.gov.ns.ca/snsmr/access/individuals/consumer-awareness/condominiums.asp. There are about 12,000 condominium units in Nova Scotia. —————————————————————–FOR BROADCAST USE The province has introduced new rules effective Sept. 1 that will help protect condo owners. They include limits on how much rent a builder can charge people who move into their condos before the condominium corporation is registered, a new dispute resolution process for owners and condo corporations, and ensure buyers get more information up front. Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell says the new rules will help protect current and future condo owners. There are about 12-thousand condominium units in Nova Scotia. -30- New rules effective Sept. 1, will offer better protection for Nova Scotians who own, or are thinking of buying a condominium. “A growing number of Nova Scotians, everyone from first-time homebuyers to seniors, are choosing condominiums. These amendments will make sure those people are well-protected when they buy their home,” said Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations Minister John MacDonell. Starting Thursday, there will be limits on how much rent a builder can charge condo buyers who choose to move into their units before the condominium corporation is registered. Buyers can not own the condominium before it is registered. For the first six months, builders will only be able to charge 0.75 per cent of the net purchase price per month; that amount will go down to 0.5 per cent after six months, and to 0.25 per cent after a year. This protects condominium buyers from having to rent a unit they planned to buy for long periods of time. There will also be Condominium Dispute Officers available through Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations to help owners and condominium corporations solve their disputes quickly and effectively. Other amendments to the Condominium Act include: read more

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Prohibitory orders banning large gatherings was re-imposed in Srinagar today, a day after the government said sporadic clashes took place in the city after the restrictions were relaxed yesterday. Sources said police vehicles were seen making announcements on loudspeakers asking people to return to their homes, and shopkeepers have been told to shut their shops. On Saturday, a Home Ministry spokesperson said there have been “stray protests” in Srinagar and Baramulla, none of which involved a crowd of more than 20 people. Also Read – India gets first tranche of Swiss bank a/c details Asked about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s claims that huge protests have taken place in the state, police chief Dilbagh Singh said there has been no untoward incident “barring minor stone-pelting which was dealt with on the spot”. The Home Ministry also dismissed media reports about a protest by some 10,000 people in Kashmir valley as “fabricated and incorrect”. The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is peaceful and no violence has been reported from anywhere in the state, the state police had tweeted. Also Read – Tourists to be allowed in J&K from Thursday In a statement, the government said senior police officers and Chief Secretary BVR Subrahmanyam have asked people not to believe in rumours about alleged incidents of firing in Kashmir valley. On Saturday, Srinagar and other towns saw good traffic for Eid shopping, it said. Around 400 politicians including former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been under arrest since last week. On Monday last, the BJP-led central government scrapped the special status accorded to Jammu and Kashmir through a presidential order and declared plans to bifurcate the state into two Union Territories. The bill cleared parliament and was signed by the President over the next few days. Omar Abdullah’s National Conference has appealed in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision. In its petition – filed by party MPs Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi – the party claimed the centre’s move was “illegal”. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who has been camping in Jammu and Kashmir amid the lockdown, was seen in a video on Saturday talking with locals.(With inputs from NDTV) read more

HALIFAX — A fire that has been burning for a week aboard a container ship off Canada’s east coast is now said to be “largely contained” and under control.The German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd says five crew members were transferred back to the Yantian Express on Wednesday evening from one of the massive tugs fighting the fire.It says the ship is 1,400 kilometres off the Canadian coast and is being slowly towed to port.The 320-metre ship was travelling to Halifax from Colombo, Sri Lanka, via the Suez Canal when a container caught fire on the forward deck on Jan 3.After the fire spread to other containers, the ship was evacuated and two ocean-going tugs were dispatched to fight the blaze.Hapag-Lloyd says a third tug is en route to the Yantian Express to assist, and is expected to arrive on Sunday.The company says it is unable to estimate damage to the ship or its cargo.The Canadian Press read more

MONTREAL — Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. says industry consolidation in North America is inevitable, amid reports that it has approached a U.S. rival about a potential merger.Chief operating officer Keith Creel declined to confirm it is eyeing Norfolk Southern, about a year after an overture to CSX Corp. ended without a deal.But he told a Toronto conference that an industry pause on mergers will eventually end.“When it comes to consolidation it’s not if but when,” he told a Scotiabank transportation conference.When it comes to consolidation it’s not if but whenCreel said change is needed to bypass the bottlenecks in Chicago that are the “Achilles heel” for the industry.Canadian Pacific CEO Hunter Harrison has long advocated consolidation in the rail industry to ease congestion and transport goods more efficiently across the continent.A larger CP network would allow the railway to avoid freight transfers to other carriers, Creel said. That would help Canada’s second-largest carrier and free up space in Chicago that would help the entire industry improve service.He acknowledged that CP’s approach isn’t popular with some competitors.“But it’s the inevitable thing and we’re not going to stick our head in the sand.”Industry observers say a merger with Norfolk would be good for both companies, but it would face significant hurdles, including the U.S. regulator. The Surface Transportation Board placed a short-term moratorium on mergers in late 1999 following a proposed deal between CN Rail and BNSF that was eventually called off.Why Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd’s reported quest for a record Norfolk Southern Corp merger faces ‘very high hurdles’Norfolk Southern Corp shares surge on report of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd takeover bidAnalyst Fadi Chamoun of BMO Capital Markets said regulators are probably loathe to ignite a flurry of mergers that could harm the competitiveness of other railways and hurt shippers.“We believe the path towards regulatory approval requires shippers to be onboard and that could imply cost concessions from the railroads,” he wrote in a report.But Creel said it can be done if the merging railways and their customers speak with a “common voice” to demonstrate that the change will improve service. That requires a friendly transaction.He wouldn’t speculate on how soon consolidation will come.“I’ve got a lot of years left to railroad, but it’s going to happen within my time frame before I retire.”Earlier, CN Rail chief marketing officer Jean-Jacques Ruest told the Scotiabank conference that the current system works well for most railways in good economic times and bad.Although the Montreal-based company is open to acquisitions of small, shortline operators, he said larger alternatives are constantly being considered and the railway will adjust to any changes.“We like the environment that we have today. It doesn’t mean that we can’t deal with situations as they evolve,” Ruest said. “None of us are static and especially coming from a marketing background, you always expect chaos and out of the chaos you do something out of it.” read more

This new funding comes on top of $13.8 million that Ottawa pledged to help finance urgent humanitarian demining activities in Colombia, the second most mined country in the world. Canada has also committed $6 million to contribute to the demining of areas liberated from Islamic State militants in Iraq. According to figures released by the federal government, Canada has contributed $237 million over the last decade to fund demining programs around the world. Canada is pledging new money to help clear landmines in Sri Lanka and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland announced before she left to attend an international demining event held at Kensington Palace in London Tuesday, Radio Canada reported.Canada’s announcement comes as the international community marked the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action. The new funding includes $1.9 million over three years to find and clear landmines in northern Sri Lanka, which will allow residents in the affected areas to resume their livelihoods in agriculture and the fishery. It also includes more than $3.8 million for education, training and mine-clearance activities in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, Freeland announced. “Demining work worldwide is critically important, and the devastating impact of these weapons on civilians is without question,” Freeland said in a statement. “Canada’s funding for these projects builds on the significant work already undertaken in mine clearing in these countries. It is my hope that the funding will help to create a world free of anti-personnel mines.”The event at Kensignton Palace dubbed #LandmineFree2025 was hosted by the world’s two leading landmine charities, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and The HALO Trust. The event, which was attended by Prince Harry, marked the 20th anniversary of Diana, Princess of Wales’ walk through an Angolan minefield; and the signing of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa.UK’s Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel, who joined Prince Harry in The Orangery at Kensington Palace, announced that the UK is tripling its support for landmine clearance and pledged about $170 (£100) million over the next three years.MAG and The HALO Trust estimate that it will take about $170 million a year to clear the remaining minefields to reach their goal of landmine-free world by 2025. (Colombo Gazette) read more

← Previous Story Draw for Challenge Cup (1/4 Final): Norwegian clash – Serbian Radnicki in Minsk Next Story → David Korazija to join Metalurg Skopje Problems before the Polish derby in Kielce. Wisla Plock fans demands 420 tickets, but they received only 300.According to the rules of Polish Handball Federation, Vive targi Kielce should give to Plock fans 400 tickets for the match Vive Targi Kielce – Wisla Plock. But they didn’t. They gave only 300. Plock’s fans said – 400 or we don’t go!From the first days Kielce according to Wisla fans, they tried to prevent Plock’s fans to come in large numbers. First, increased ticket prices form 20 and 30 zlotys at equal price to 40 zlotys for all. Looking at the prices for the Kielce fans (20 and 30 zlotys) it’s not fair play, they say. Now they said, that may be granted only 300 tickets, but they knew about that Plock want and they have to give them a 400 tickets (10% of all sportshall) for a long time before the sale in Kielce starts, so the translation in an official letter to the SPR Wisla, the “Technical Conditions sector designed for guests visiting supporters in the Legion Hall does not allow you to stay in the greater number of people.”In all situation club Vive Targi will pay probably only 500-5000 zlotys! But the worst thing is once again suffer the discipline which is handball. It is well known that matches Wisla plays against Vive also has “fights” in the stands. Players play for the fans and fans create a fantastic atmosphere.TEXT: Wojciech Wisniewski Polish handball derby read more

THIS YEAR’S SONY World Photo Awards show many different sides to life on this planet – from the aftermath of the Norwegian massacre in Utoya to Romanian celebrations where men dress in bear suits.Norwegian photographer Andrea Gjestvang (32) was named the L’Iris d’Or/Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year, beating over 122,000 entries from 170 countries. The photographer won her award plus Sony digital imaging equipment and $25,000 prize money at a gala ceremony held in London.The judges voted unanimously for Gjestvang’s powerful series of portraits of children and youths who survived the July 2011 massacre on the island of Utoya, outside Oslo.The series, ‘One day in history’ “captures the young survivors with immense sensitivity and honesty and are an enduring testament to the resolve of these young people in the face of this unspeakable tragedy”, said the award organisers.Gjestvang – who has been published in Newsweek, M Le Monde, Stern and D Republica – said of her win:I feel so honoured, grateful and proud to receive this fantastic recognition and prize. I am grateful the important stories of these young people are reaching out and moving people the way they move me.Hoang Hiep Nguyen, Vietnam, was named Open Photographer of the Year – and it transpired he only bought his first digital camera one year ago. He won for his creative and stunning image of a girl in a storm and his prize was a Sony a77 camera plus $5,000.In total, there were 15 professional winners from around the world.The Student Focus Photographer of the Year was named as Natalia Wiernik from Poland and the Youth Photographer of the year was Alecsandra Dragoi.An Outstanding Contribution to Photography award was given to iconic photographer William Eggleston. read more

Facebook Twitter: @NeosKosmos Instagram The Cross-Party Elections Committee convened at the interior ministry for the first time in this pre-election period on Tuesday, chaired by Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos.After the end of the meeting, the Committee announced that the broadcast time allocated to smaller political parties and party coalitions with elected representatives will be increased, in both private and state-run radio and television stations.The two larger parties will each be allocated 37.5 percent of total free broadcast time (down from 40 percent in the previous general elections), while the smaller parties will share the remaining 25 percent (up from 20 percent in the previous elections). Also included in the smaller parties is that of the Ecologists-Greens, which succeeded in electing one MEP to the European Parliament in June. Tuesday’s meeting also decided that there should be two televised debates between the political parties: one between the leaders of the two main parties and one with all the party leaders with elected representatives. The details of the process and the terms of these encounters are to be decided by the political parties themselves.Regarding the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), which is going to the elections without a leader at its head, the committee decided that the party must itself decide who will represent SYRIZA during radio and television broadcasts.On the issue of party funding from the state budget, this was set at 4.5 million euros and at a lower rate than the previous general elections because of the preceding European Parliament elections in the same year.The minister said there would be one more meeting of the Committee that would include a representative of the Ecologists-Greens party. This was not represented at Tuesday’s meeting, since the first meeting of the Committee has to decide whether parties elected in the European Parliament elections will participate. read more