BERLIN/MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters): Germany is waging a charm offensive inside the Republican Party. Japan is lining up its own Trump whisperer. Mexican government officials are talking to Camp Trump. And Australia is busy making laws to help Trump-proof its U.S. defense ties. Everywhere, U.S. allies are taking steps to defend or advance their interests in the event former President Donald Trump returns to power in November elections, an even chance based on recent opinion polls i

BENGALURU/CHENNAI, April 24 (Reuters): Top fast-food franchisees in India are likely to report a slump in quarterly earnings as cash-strapped consumers continued to cut back on dining out and ordering in, analysts said, spurning the hundreds of new restaurants that operators opened in 2023. Pizza franchisees such as Jubilant Foodworks, Devyani International and Sapphire Foods India. struggled throughout 2023 due to heightened competition, with burger chains alsojoining the strugglelater in the y

NEW DELHI, April 23 (Reuters) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist party have begun attacking opposition rivals, saying they favour minority Muslims, in what analysts see as a bid to invigorate their hardline base after general elections began last week. India began voting on Friday in a seven-phase election at which Modi seeks a rare third consecutive term, with campaigning that had so far largely focused on his record of growth and welfare as well as his personal popu

A Delhi court on Monday directed the AIIMS to constitute a medical board to examine Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to determine whether he needs insulin to control his blood sugar levels and said the home-cooked food that the politician was consuming was different from the diet chart prepared by his doctor. Special Judge for CBI and ED cases Kaveri Baweja passed the order while declining Kejriwals plea for video consultation with his doctor in the presence of his wife. Kejriwal had alleged he wa

Beijing (AP): The hunt for the origins of COVID-19 has gone dark in China, the victim of political infighting after a series of stalled and thwarted attempts to find the source of the virus that killed millions and paralyzed the world for months. The Chinese government froze meaningful domestic and international efforts to trace the virus from the first weeks of the outbreak, despite statements supporting open scientific inquiry, an Associated Press investigation found. That pattern continues to

By the time Donald Trump took to the stage for his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, some of his most ardent supporters had spent the night in their cars amid frigid temperatures to see the man they hope to once again elect as president. As Lee Greenwoods God Bless the U.S.A. pumped from the speakers inside the convention center, the Republican former president-turned-candidate waved, swayed, clapped and blew kisses. Trump, Trump, Trump, some in the crowd of 3,200 people chanted. A young couple hel

SINGAPORE, April 19 (Reuters) Nearly half of Chinas major cities are suffering moderate to severe levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released on Friday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found 45% of Chinas urban land was sinking faster than 3 millimetres per year, with 16% at more than 10 mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables but also the

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta reserved its verdict after hearing the response of Election Commission on the pleas. The petitioners have also sought reversal of the poll panels 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass through which a voter can see the

Attacking the BJP, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said those ruling the country are not worshippers of satya (truth) or Maa Shakti but only of satta (power). She was speaking during her first roadshow in Uttar Pradesh in support of the INDIA bloc candidate from Saharanpur Imran Masood, hours before the campaigning for the first phase of Lok Sabha elections came to an end. The roadshow covered a distance of about two kilometres in areas with a sizeable Muslim population. It st

Ranchi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has made four fresh arrests in connection with the alleged illegal land grab-linked money laundering case against former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and others, official sources said on Wednesday. Those taken into custody under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) have been identified as Antu Tirkey, Priya Ranjan Sahay, Bipin Singh and Irshad, they said. The ED had on Tuesday conducted searches at the premises of Tirke

Indias prime minister, Narendra Modi, is favoured to win reelection when Indias 970 million voters start heading to the polls on April 19 in the countrys massive, six-week general election. Modi, who has been prime minister since 2014, has benefited from a divided opposition, glowing mainstream media coverage and high economic growth rates. However, recent polling indicates significant voter discontent over inflation and unemployment. While 44% of respondents want the Modi government to return t

Aditya Srivastava has topped the prestigious civil services examination 2023, with Animesh Pradhan and Donuru Ananya Reddy getting the second and third ranks respectively, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced on Tuesday. Srivastava qualified the examination with electrical engineering as his optional subject. He has done his graduation (Bachelor of Technology) in electrical engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, according to the results of the civil servic

Unhealthy lifestyle and social habits such as smoking, consumption of alcohol and processed food and excessive use of cell phones can cause damage to sperm DNA, experts at AIIMS, Delhi said. They said that many people are also not aware that infertility, recurrent abortions in women and birth defects in children may happen because of poor sperm quality in men. The fathers role in conception and embryo development cannot be ignored, Dr Rima Dada, Professor at the Department of Anatomy, AIIMS, sai

The government has likely mopped up over Rs 27,000 crore in taxes from senior citizens on the interest they earned on term deposits last fiscal, researchers at the countrys largest lender SBI said. According to the report by SBI researchers, the total amount of deposits has risen by 143 per cent in the last five years to Rs 34 lakh crore at the end of FY24 from Rs 14 lakh crore. High-interest rates also seem to have led to higher interest among the senior citizens to invest in fixed deposits, as

New Delhi, April 15 (Reuters): Nearly 1 billion Indians will be eligible to vote in the worlds biggest election starting this month. Opinion polls predict an easy win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which would give him a record-equalling third straight term. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INFLATION Indias economy is expected to have grown by about 8% in the last fiscal year ended March 31, the fastest among major countries. In the past decade under Modi, the Indian

Washington: Tax Day reveals a major split in how Joe Biden and Donald Trump would govern: The presidential candidates have conflicting ideas about how much to reveal about their own finances and the best ways to boost the economy through tax policy. Biden, the sitting Democratic president, plans to release his income tax returns on Monday, the IRS filing deadline. And on Tuesday, he is scheduled to deliver a speech in Scranton, Pennsylvania, about why the wealthy should pay more in taxes to redu

MUMBAI, April 15 (Reuters): The Indian rupee fell on Monday on worries over a broader conflict in the Middle East but avoided slipping to a record low as the central bank possibly curbed losses, traders said. The rupee was at 83.4350 to the U.S. dollar at 10:46 a.m. IST compared with 83.4125 in the previous session. The domestic currency has traded in a 2 paisa range so far, managing to hold above the 83.4550 record low, which was hit earlier this month. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) likely so

SYDNEY, April 13 (Reuters): An attacker who fatally knifed six people in a Sydney mall was shot dead by police in the beachside suburb of Bondi on Saturday, police said, as hundreds fled the scene. The assailant was shot by a police officer after he attacked shoppers in the busy Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre, a police statement said. Five of the six victims killed were women, while eight people, including a nine-month-old baby, were taken to hospital with stab wounds, New South Wales

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday issued notice to the ED and the CBI on AAP leader Manish Sisodias plea seeking interim bail in excise cases for campaigning in general elections. Special Judge for the CBI and ED, Kaveri Baweja, directed the central probe agencies to file their replies by April 20, when the court is likely to take up the application for hearing. The CBI as well as the ED have alleged that irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi excise policy, undue favours were

New Delhi AD elhi court on Wednesday dismissed an application moved by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, arrested in a money laundering case, seeking more time with his lawyers, saying the relevant rules were applicable equally to him and other inmates and that he allegedly used legal consultations allowed by the court to issue certain administrative directions. Special judge for CBI and ED cases Kaveri Baweja, while dismissing Kejriwals application for five meetings with his lawyers every week, a

WASHINGTON, April 10 (Reuters): U.S. consumer prices increased more than expected in March as Americans paid more for gasoline and rental housing, leading financial markets to anticipate that the Federal Reserve would delay cutting interest rates until September. The third straight month of strong consumer price readings reported by the Labor Department on Wednesday followed on the heels of news last week that job growth accelerated in March, with the unemployment rate slipping to 3.8% from 3.9%

Alappuzha (Ker), Apr 6 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday said the Left will not allow the communal politics of the BJP to take root in the state and ensure that the saffron party does not win a single seat in the Lok Sabha polls. Addressing the media here, Vijayan said the Left will overcome the challenges posed by the Sangh Parivar to the nation and its people and will work towards ousting them from power. We are contesting this election with an aim to bring down the BJP

New Delhi [India], April 4 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals wife, Sunita Kejriwal, read out a message from her husband asking his MLAs to visit their areas every day and discuss peoples problems and sort them out. What made the video statement noteworthy was the background, in which a photo of the Delhi Chief Minister behind bars was placed in between the portraits of BR Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. Just because I am in jail, the people of Delhi should not suffer in any way. Every MLA

Noida, Apr 4 (PTI) As many as 7,575 trees have been felled on a nearly 16-km-long section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway and over 1.76 lakh are to be planted in compensation for it, according to the National Highways Authority of India. Of the felled trees on the Ganeshpur-Dehradun section of the project, 4,983 were in Uttarakhand, while 2,592 were in Uttar Pradesh, the NHAI said in response to a query filed under provisions of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. In the RTI query, Noida-based

Cambridge/Shanghai, Apr 4 (The Conversation) From the crispy crunch of fresh veggies to the creamy indulgence of decadent desserts, we all have different food preferences. Our palates develop uniquely, shaped by genetics, culture and personal experiences. Food preferences play a significant role in shaping our dietary habits. Highly palatable foods rich in sugars, fats and salts often appeal to peoples tastebuds and provide immediate satisfaction. However, these foods are typically high in calor

New Delhi, Apr 4 (PTI) The government has launched the myCGHS app for iOS to provide Central Government Health Scheme beneficiaries access to electronic health records, information, and resources. The app facilitates a wide range of services, including booking and cancellation of online appointments, accessing reports from CGHS labs, checking medical reimbursement claim status, and locating nearby wellness centres and empanelled hospitals, labs, and dental units among others. The app was launche

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) The Congress on Wednesday hoped that the SEBI tasked with probing charges of alleged stock manipulation by the Adani Group would not seek further extension for presenting its report in the Supreme Court to push the deadline past the election date. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) should not become another SBI, which is too scared to touch the sacred. In a post on X, Ramesh said the Hindenburg Research had level

New Delhi, Apr 3 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it would hear next week a plea by an NGO seeking cross-verification of the votes cast in EVMs with Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT). A bench headed by Justices Sanjiv Khanna said the plea will be listed next Tuesday or Wednesday after advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the NGO, said the matter should be heard urgently. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, also appearing in the matter, submitted that the elections are n

Kolkata, Apr 3 (PTI) The blue-ash cotton saree with bright red border carefully draped by actor-politician Saayoni Ghosh appeared in particular contrast to the signature blue-bordered white saree of her leader-cum-mentor Mamata Banerjee who she sought to defend on one of West Bengals most pressing issues of the upcoming general elections: Sandeshkhali. Even as the 31-year-old youth leader of the Trinamool Congress pinched herself at her apartment in the tony neighbourhood of Jodhpur Park in sout

TAIPEI, Taiwan, April 3, 2024 (AP) Taiwans strongest earthquake in a quarter century rocked the island during the morning rush hour Wednesday, damaging buildings and highways and causing the deaths of four people. Taiwans national fire agency said four people died in Hualien County and at least 57 were injured in the quake that struck just before 8 a.m. The local United Daily News reported three hikers died in rockslides in Taroko National Park near the offshore epicenter. A five-story building

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted a last opportunity to the Centre and several opposition parties to respond to a petition seeking to restrain them from using the acronym INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance). A bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora said that the replies be filed within one week to the public interest litigation which alleged that by using the INDIA acronym, the parties were taking undue advantage in t

New Delhi, Apr 2 (PTI) The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down hard on yoga guru Ramdev and managing director of Patanjali Ayurved Acharya Balkrishna for their absolute defiance in not filing proper affidavits of compliance in the misleading advertisement case and breaking every barrier. It also disapproved of the Patanjali MDs statement that the Drugs and Cosmetics (Magic Remedies) Act is archaic. Not just the Supreme Court, every order passed by the courts across this country has to be respecte

New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): The Congress has targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit to Uttarakhand today, later in the day, where he is scheduled to address a rally in Rudrapur as part of his Lok Sabha campaign. The Congress General Secretary in Charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, alleged that the state has been plagued by rampant unemployment, and a deteriorating law and order situation in recent years. Today, PM Modi is visiting the city of Rudrapur in Uttarakhand,

New Delhi [India], April 2 (ANI): After the BJP denied him a ticket from Muzaffarpur, party leader Ajay Nishad, will join the Congress Party on Tuesday ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Ajay Nishad is a two-time MP from Muzaffarpur. Ajay Nishads office told ANI that Ajay Nishad is disappointed after the party denied him a ticket from Muzaffarpur and thats the reason he will join the Congress Party today. In its fifth list of candidates, the BJP gave the election ticket to Raj Bhushan Nishad from Muz

Smithfield (US), Apr 2 (The Conversation) Aerobic exercise like jogging, biking, swimming or hiking is a fundamental way to maintain cardiovascular and overall health. The intensity of aerobic exercise is important to determine how much time you should spend training in order to reap its benefits. As an exercise science researcher, I support the American College of Sports Medicines recommendation of a minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderate aerobic exercise, or 75 minutes per week of high-in

NEW DELHI, April 1 (Reuters) India on Monday put on hold a proposed hike in road toll charges, in a move that will be welcomed by millions of motorists, truckers and commercial vehicle owners just ahead of a general election. The annual hike in road toll charges would have benefited highway operators like IRB Infrastructure Developers, opens new tab and Ashok Buildcon Ltd (ABDL.NS), opens new tab while putting an extra burden on commuters and businesses who could see freight rates rise as a res

New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday slammed the BJP government over the Income Tax departments notices to her party, describing the move as a biased action to weaken the voice of 140 crore Indians. She asserted that people will never allow the anti-democratic plans of the BJP to succeed. The Income Tax department has sent multiple notices to the Congress, raising a total demand of Rs 3,567 crore. On Sunday, the party said it has received fresh income tax notice

New Delhi [India], April 1 (ANI): The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody till April 15 in an alleged money laundering case linked to the Delhi excise policy case. The Enforcement Directorate, while seeking direction to send Kejriwal to judicial custody, said the arrestee has even given false and contrary evidence vis-a-vis other members of the AAP. When he was confronted with the statements given by his party leaders, he called them confuse

New Delhi [India], April 1 (ANI): The Income Tax Department of the Central Government assured the Supreme Court on Monday that it will not take any coercive steps to recover approximately Rs 3500 crore in income tax dues from the Indian National Congress (INC) party until the upcoming general elections are over. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the IT department, made the undertaking before the apex court that no coercive step would be taken against the party. Mehta said that the iss

Beijing, Apr 1 (PTI) China has released a fourth list of 30 new names of various places in Arunachal Pradesh amid Beijings stepped-up assertions in recent weeks to re-emphasise its claim over the Indian state. India has been rejecting China renaming places in Arunachal Pradesh, asserting that the state is an integral part of the country and assigning invented names does not alter this reality. The Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs released the fourth list of standardised geographical names in Za

Rudrapur (Uttarakhand), March 30, 2024: Nearly 76% of the Indian population suffers from vitamin D deficiency, according to data from tests of more than 2.2 lakh people conducted across 27 cities in India by Tata 1mg Labs recently. While 79% of men overall were found with lower-than-desirable levels of vitamin D in their bodies, for women, the figure was 75%. India gets surplus sun, yet 3 out of 4 Indians suffer from vitamin D deficiency. This number is only growing its a public health problem

Eating leftovers can be a great way to save money, diversify your cooking repertoire and reduce food waste. But eating leftover food can also be risky as these foods have already been exposed to bacteria in the environment. If you havent stored and re-heated leftovers correctly, you could be putting yourself at risk of potentially life-threatening food poisoning. How quickly should leftovers be refrigerated or frozen? Bacteria exist everywhere in our world, including in kitchens and the foods w

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The Election Commission has issued a notification banning the conduct, publication or publicising of exit polls between 7.00 am of April 19 and 6.30 pm of June 1 when votes will be cast for the Lok Sabha and four state assembly polls. The notification issued on Thursday also made it clear that under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, displaying any election matter including results of any opinion poll or any other poll survey, in any electronic media,

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The Congress will reserve 50 per cent of government jobs for women if it is voted to power, former party chief Rahul Gandhi said on Friday, asserting that powerful women will change the destiny of India. Gandhi asked why even today only one in three women is employed and why is there only one woman in 10 government jobs. Isnt the population of women in India 50%? Is the presence of women in higher secondary and higher education not 50%? If so, then why is their share in t

New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) The ED is working as BJPs political weapon and it wants to get details of AAPs Lok Sabha election strategy by accessing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals phone, senior AAP leader Atishi alleged on Friday. Kejriwal, who is the national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), was arrested by the central probe agency on March 21 in the Delhi excise policy-linked money laundering case and is in its custody till April 1. The insistence of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to

United Nations, March 29, 2024: Amid diplomatic tensions over US and Germanys remarks over Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals arrest, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said we very much hope that in India and any country that is having elections, peoples political and civil rights are protected. According to PTI reports, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric made these remarks on Thursday while he was responding to a question on the politi

Kolkata, Mar 28 (PTI) TMC leader Mahua Moitra has said she will campaign in her Krishnanagar constituency on Thursday, giving a miss to the Enforcement Directorate summons that asked her to appear for questioning at the ED office in New Delhi.. I will be out for campaigning in the Krishnangar constituency in the afternoon, she told reporters. The Enforcement Directorate had issued fresh summons to Moitra and Dubai-based businessman Darshan Hiranandani for questioning in a Foreign Exchange Manage

New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains and Somnath Bharti were among the scores of AAP members detained by police on Tuesday as they gathered at the Patel Chowk here to protest against the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Raising slogans of Inquilab Zindabad and Kejriwal Zindabad, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and leaders reached the areas metro station in groups, with the party calling for a march to Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence on Lok Kalyan Marg f

NEW DELHI, March 26 (Reuters) Police in the Indian capital detained dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday as they attempted to march to Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence to protest against last weeks arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Kejriwal, a key opposition leader whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has governed the national capital territory for a decade, was arrested by the financial crime-fighting agency on corruption charges relating to the citys liquor policy, weeks bef

WASHINGTON, March 26, Updated (Reuters) The U.S. is closely following reports of the arrest of Indian opposition figure Arvind Kejriwal and encourages a fair legal process, a State Department spokesperson said on Monday after Germanys reaction to the case sparked a protest from India. Kejriwal, a national opposition figure and chief minister of Delhis capital territory, was arrested by Indias financial crime-fighting agency on Thursday on corruption charges that his political party rejects, a m