India

New Delhi, April 27: The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared a Bill that seeks to raise the age of legal sex from 16 to 18, provoking sharp criticism from child rights activists, who called it a regressive step. The Protection of Children against Sexual Offences Bill, 2011, says sex under the age of 18 - even if consensual - would be deemed as statutory rape and an offence that would be tried under

Ahmedabad, April 27: Ibrahim Bhura, a fisherman from Jamnagar in his late forties, spent all his life at sea and yet, his catch never earned him more than Rs 2 lakh annually. On Tuesday, however, he instantly became a crorepati, thanks to just one catch. Bhura struck gold when he caught some 350-odd ghol fish from Jhakhau creek in mid-sea. The catch is worth close to Rs 1 crore. The value of ghol

New Delhi, April 27: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Thursday said that the fact that culprits could not be brought to book in the Bofors gun deal was a serious reflection on the health of the investigating agencies. “Somebody swung the deal, somebody got kickbacks. Money was traced, accounts were traced, you don't need further evidence and the man was allowed to leave the

New Delhi, April 27: With two months left for the installation of the new President, the Congress has begun consultations with United Progressive Alliance (UPA) allies in the hope of achieving agreement on a common name. Defence Minister A.K. Antony will be flying down to Chennai shortly to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazagham president M. Karunanidhi to discuss the coming presidential elections, senior

New Delhi, April 27: Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Thursday made fresh allegations against Home Minister P Chidambaram, accusing him of delaying permission for the sale of Aircel to Malaysia-based firm Maxis in 2006 when he was the Finance Minister so that his son Karti financially benefited. In his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Swamy demanded Chidambaram's resignation and

New Delhi, April 26: Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar and actress of yesteryear Rekha are among four eminent persons who have been recommended for nomination as members of Rajya Sabha. 39-year-old Tendulkar, who has brought many a laurel to the country through his exploits in the game, and Rekha, known for her brilliant and emotional portrayals in Hindi cinema in the 80s, will become members of

Lucknow, April 26: This one really stinks. UP, home to scams of all kinds, ranging from NRHM to land, now has a filthy new entrant: the Toilet Scam. The state was to build toilets in rural households under the Centre-sponsored Total Sanitation Campaign. The state panchayati raj department told the ministry of rural development that it got 1.71 crore toilets constructed under the scheme in the past

Washington, April 26: The US has has said there is no change in its visa policy with regard to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. ''Our position on the visa issue hasn't changed at all,'' State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at her daily news conference yesterday. Nuland was responding to questions on the letter written by Congressman Joe Walsh to the Secretary of State

Bhubaneswar, April 26: Odisha MLA Jhina Hikaka was today released unharmed by Maoists at a village in Koraput, 33 days after he was abducted from the same district by the rebels. Clad in a green kurta and pajama, Hikaka was escorted by a group of tribals to Balipeta village in Maoist-affected Narayanpatna area, where he was believed to have been produced in a Maoist 'praja' (people's) court which

New Delhi, April 26: Now, girls are reaching puberty, two years earlier. The age of attaining sexual maturity among a girl, when she changes physically, hormonally and sexually has dipped, especially in urban India, to 10 years from 12-13 earlier, not just in India but globally. A study published in the Lancet on Wednesday says the age of 18 years clearly no longer signifies adulthood. According