India

New Delhi, Jul 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for a four-nation tour of African countries aimed at enhancing ties with that continent, particularly in the economic sphere and people-to-people contacts. Modi will begin his five-day tour with Mozambique and then travel to South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. Focus of the visit will be on deepening cooperation in areas of hydrocarbons

Chandigarh, July 6: Haryana's BJP government is mulling to constitute 'Gau Rakshak Task Force' on the pattern of Home Guards to ensure strict enforcement of the stringent cow protection law in the state. "It is being considered to constitute Gau Rakshak Task Force (Cow Protection Task Force) on the pattern of Home Guards so that the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015 could be

New Delhi, Jul 6: hunted out of HRD Ministry, Smriti Irani today put up a brave face saying her new Textiles portfolio signified the "faith" shown by the Prime Minister and the party in her capacity to perform. Talking to reporters after taking charge of the new portfolio, she side-stepped questions about BJP president Amit Shah being behind her shift saying it is not individuals but the party who

New Delhi, Jul 6: India has "secured" the release of its national Regi Joseph who was abducted in March this year in Libya, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said today. "Indian Embassy in Libya has secured the release of Regi Joseph - an Indian national from Kerala. He was abducted in March this year". "This has been possible with the efforts of Azar A H Khan our Ambassador in Libya,"

Srinagar, Jul 1: Six persons including a senior police officer were injured in clashes between protesters and security personnel that broke out today after Eid prayers in the Kashmir Valley. Additional Superintendent of Police Mubashir Bukhari was injured in the stomach during stonepelting at Janglat Mandi in Anantnag district, a police official said. A constable was injured during clashes with

New Delhi, Jul 6: In a major overhaul of his Cabinet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday not just inducted 19 new faces into his ministry, but also changed the portfolios of some his top ministers. One of the most prominent changes involved Smriti Irani, who was shifted from the key Human Resources Development Ministry to the relatively lower profile Textiles Ministry. Smriti Irani's two-year

New Delhi, Jul 6: Two years can be a long time in politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised many, both within BJP and outside, when he appointed Smriti Zubin Irani his Human Resources Development minister. It was seen as more than recognition of the spunk the former TV star showed as BJP spokesperson when she would gamely take on detractors of the then Gujarat chief minister or the scare

Mumbai, Jul 5: The Shiv Sena-BJP rift is set to intensify with the ally failing to get any berth in today's expansion of the Union Council of Ministers, prompting it to issue a veiled threat to the senior partner that it will keep it in mind during the Mumbai city corporation and other local body polls across Maharashtra. Grumbling that BJP "took it for granted", Sena said it felt "hurt" by the

New Delhi, Jul 5: 17 new faces including BJP leaders S S Ahluwalia, and M J Akbar and allies Anupriya Patel of Apna Dal and Ramdas Athawale of RPI were today inducted along with two old hands Vijay Goel and Faggan Kulaste into the Modi government in expansion and reshuffle in which five were dropped and Environment Minister Prakash Javedekar was elevated to the Cabinet. The second exercise by

Jhangar (LoC), Jul 4: Over 200 heavily armed militants were waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir, a senior army officer today said but asserted that troops are fully geared to thwart their nefarious designs. "Exact details of the infiltrators cannot be said with surety but with our experience, having known their modus operandi and from inputs of various