Pope urges all nations to work for peace
Vatican City, Jan 11 (IANS/AKI) Pope Francis on Tuesday called on the world’s nations to find more ways to achieve peace, reiterating a major theme of his papacy. “My hope is that our countries and…
Religion
Pope to meet Palestinian President at Vatican
Vatican City, Jan 10 (IANS/AKI) Pope Francis will on Saturday receive Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Vatican Radio reported. The meeting comes after Francis on Monday called for peace talks on a permanent two-state solution…
Karmapa to participate in ‘Kalachakra’ ceremony
Bodh Gaya, Jan 10 (IANS) Tibetan religious head and 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje on Tuesday reached this Bihar town to participate in the highly-venerated ‘Kalachakra’ (Wheel of Time) ceremony to be presided over by…
‘Swiss Muslim girls must swim with boys’
Geneva, Jan 10 (IANS) Switzerland on Tuesday won a case at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) obliging Muslim parents to send their children to mixed swimming lessons. It said authorities were justified in…
Iran, Saudi to hold talks on Haj ceremonies
Tehran, Jan 10 (IANS) Iran has received an invitation from Saudi Arabia to discuss preparations for the next annual Haj pilgrimage, an official said on Tuesday. Iran has “officially received Saudi Arabia’s invitation to meet…
EC sends show cause notice to Sakshi Maharaj
New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) The Election Commission on Tuesday issued show cause notice to BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj and said it is prima facie of the opinion that he violated the Model Code of…
BJP president Amit Shah prays at Patna Sahib
Patna, Jan 10 (IANS) BJP president Amit Shah on Tuesday prayed at the Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib, the birthplace of the 10th Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh. “Amit Shah has bowed his head and offered prayers…
Kolkata cleric threatens Tarek Fatah on television show
Kolkata, Jan 9 (IANS) Two days after issuing a ‘fatwa’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Kolkata cleric on Monday threatened to slit the throat of Pakistan-born author and political commentator Tarek Fatah, with whom…
BJP slams Malayalam film director Kamal
Kozhikode, Jan 9 (IANS) Taking up cudgels against ace Malayalam film director Kamal, the Kerala state BJP on Monday said that he was made the Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy by the CPI-M…
Pope urges religious leaders to reject killing in God’s name
Vatican City, Jan 9 (IANS) In a speech that urged the pursuit of peace in the New Year, Pope Francis on Monday called upon religious leaders around the world to reject killing in the name…
Ayatollah Rafsanjani: A pragmatic cleric and savvy politician
By Vikas Datta He stood out among Iran’s ruling establishment with only wisps of hair on his chin instead of the full beards of his clerical colleagues and revolutionary commanders, but Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani…
Issue ordinance for conduct of Jallikattu: Panneerselvam to Centre
Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Monday urged the central government to promulgate an ordinance enabling the conduct of Jallikattu or bull taming sport during the ensuing Pongal festival. In…
Iran’s ex-President Rafsanjani dead
Tehran, Jan 8 (IANS) Iran’s former President and leading reformer Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died of heart disease on Sunday, local media reported. He was 82. Rafsanjani, was hospitalised on Sunday due to a heart attack,…
Helicopter service to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine suspended
Jammu, Jan 8 (IANS) Helicopter service for pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district were suspended on Sunday due to heavy snowfall in the Trikuta Hills, an official said. There…
5 Iranian pilgrims killed in Iraq hotel fire
Tehran, Jan 8 (IANS) At least five pilgrims died in a fire that erupted in a hotel in the Iraqi city of Karbala, Iranian authorities confirmed on Sunday. All five victims, who died in the…
US-based Sikh body gifts diamond-studded sabre at Patna gurdwara
Patna, Jan 7 (IANS) A US-based Sikh body gifted a diamond-studded sabre with a silver hilt at Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, during the celebrations of the 350th…
Police register case, EC seeks report on Sakshi Maharaj’s remarks
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) The Election Commission on Saturday sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh administration while police registered a case against BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj for his speech in which he allegedly…
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind voices concern over SC judgment
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) on Saturday voiced concern over the Supreme Court judgment that banned the use of religion and caste to seek votes and claimed the order can be “misused”….
Woman commits suicide on failure to ‘win’ Lord Shiva
Gurugram, Jan 7 (IANS) Lamenting her failure to “get” Lord Shiva despite years of austerities and fervent devotion, a woman committed suicide in a temple here, police said on Saturday. Anisha Sharma immolated herself in…
Sakshi Maharaj defends controversial remarks, BJP distances itself
New Delhi, Jan 7 (IANS) Facing severe criticism, BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday defended his controversial speech in which he blamed Muslims for India’s population boom, saying he did not name any community but…