Narendra Modi

Some more photos from the Rakshabandhan celebrations.

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Global Sneak Peek

AUGUST 29, 2015 | EDIT

India Not to send Military contingent to China

India has declined an invitation from China to send its military contingent to participate in the multi-national parade being held in Beijing. The parade is being held to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of second World War which culminated in the defeat of Japanese forces.

However, Minister of State in External Affairs Ministry Gen (retired) V K Singh will be attending the high profile military parade on 3rd September, says Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of External Affairs Ministry.

The military parade organised by People’s Liberation Army of China will see the participation of over 1000 foreign troops from more than 15 armies of the world, including Pakistan. China is planning to showcase its military might in a big way in front of foreign militaries.

38 girls & women killed in Swaziland crash

At least 38 girls and young women have been killed in a crash while traveling in a truck to a Swazi king’s royal residence for the annual reed dance, the Swaziland Solidarity Network said in a statement. The network added that 20 other people were injured in the incident. According to news reports, the truck smashed into the back of a van and was then struck by another truck.

 Bangkok bombing police arrest suspect

Police in Thailand have arrested a man in northern Bangkok accused of involvement in a deadly bombing on August 17 that killed 20 people, mostly tourists, national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said. The suspect reportedly left a rucksack at the site of the attack. Officers raided his apartment and found possible bomb-making materials. The suspect “looks like the one we are looking for… [Police] also found a lot of materials which can be used to make bombs,”Prawut said.

• 7 die in Chinese paper mill gas leak

  At least seven people have died and two were injured after being exposed to poisonous gases at a paper mill in Anxiang county, Hunan province, central China. The fatalities and injuries occurred after a worker at the mill fell into a pool with poisonous waste paper pulp when he was doing cleaning work, a statement from Anxiang county said, as cited by AP. His colleagues tried to rescue him but were exposed to the deadly gases. A series of deadly accidents at chemical plants have recently rocked China. The worst took place at a warehouse storing hazardous chemicals in Tianjin port earlier in August, when more than a hundred people were killed. The explosion at the chemical plant occurred at a chemical warehouse in Shandong province in eastern China, injuring several people.

• Proton-M rocket puts British satellite into orbit – Roscosmos

  A Russian Proton-M carrier rocket successfully put a UK telecommunications satellite into orbit on Saturday, Roscosmos space agency has reported.“Proton-M, which was launched on August 28 from the Baikonur [space center in Kazakhstan] at 14:44 Moscow time, launched into orbit the Inmarsat-5F3 satellite on August 29 with the help of the Briz-M upper stage,” a Roscosmos representative told RIA Novosti. Inmarsat-5F3 was brought into a so-called supersynchronous orbit, which is nearly twice the 22,400-mile altitude of other similar devices. It has been designed for facilitating communication services in North and South America, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean. This marked the first successful launch of a Proton-M since a May accident, when a Mexican MexSat-1 was lost due to a flaw in the rocket’s third stage.

  Iraqi PM orders easier access to Baghdad Green Zone

  Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday ordered security forces to ease access to Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone and main streets. The move was taken in an apparent bid to improve daily life for ordinary Iraqis as the country braces for fresh protests, Reuters reported. Thousands of people were heading to join Friday’s protests following a call from powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The capital and many southern cities have witnessed demonstrations in recent weeks calling for provision of basic services and the prosecution of corrupt politicians.

• Putin to head Russian delegation to UN

  President Vladimir Putin will head the Russian delegation at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York that will open in September, Russia’s official portal of legal information said Friday. Among other delegates will be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, his deputy Gennady Gatilov, presidential aide Yury Ushakov and Russia’s envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin. After Putin leaves New York, Lavrov will lead the Russian delegation.

  Dominic hit by Erika storm

  

  In Storm Erika US, helicopter rescue teams in Dominica are flying to the aid of hillside villagers still trapped in their homes after the Caribbean island was hit by Tropical. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that flash floods and landslides have killed at least 12 people. Road bridges were swept out to sea and flood debris, including a wrecked aircraft, blocked the main airport. The storm hit Dominica on Thursday, dumping a huge amount of rain on the small mountainous island in just a few hours. More than 20 people are missing on the island which has a population of 72,000 people.

  The storm is now moving northwest towards Haiti and the Dominican Republic. It could also hit Puerto Rico and Cuba in the next few days. The Governor of the of Florida, Rick Scott, has declared a state of emergency, saying the storm poses a severe threat.

  Obama expresses regret to Japan’s Abe for spying charges

  Obama told Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that he thought the trouble the revelations caused Abe and his government was regrettable, a Japanese government spokesman told reporters.

  The 40-minute call took place Wednesday morning Japan time.

  Japanese officials faced questioning from the media and in parliament after WikiLeaks posted online what appeared to be five US National Security Agency reports on Japanese positions on international trade and climate change.

  They date from 2007 to 2009. WikiLeaks also posted what it says was an NSA list of 35 Japanese targets for telephone intercepts.

  Abe told Obama that the allegations could undermine trust between the countries, and reiterated his request for an investigation of the matter.

  The comments from both sides seemed to echo the exchange between Abe and US Vice President Joe Biden in a similar call earlier this month.

  The two leaders also discussed the global economic turmoil, North Korea and climate change.

  Malaysia braces for major protests

  In Malaysia, thousands are set to protest in the capital Kuala Lumpur and elsewhere, calling for Prime Minister Najib Razak to step down over a financial scandal. He has faced public anger over a 700 million dollars payment made to his bank account from unnamed foreign donors. It was discovered last month during a probe into alleged mismanagement at the debt-laden state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Today’s rally is expected to continue into tomorrow and the pro-democracy group Bersih has also called for protests in the cities of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching on the Malaysian side of Borneo. Mr Najib has denied any wrongdoing.

  Media agencies