LIVE: Qatar, Kuwait summon India envoy over BJP leaders' remarks
Nupur Sharma had made some controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad
 "Nupur Sharma")
Nupur Sharma
PM Modi calls for 'one earth, many efforts' to make environment better
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday launched the 'Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement', a global initiative, and asserted that its vision is to live a lifestyle that is in tune with our planet and does not harm it.
Those who live such a lifestyle are called pro-planet people," he said in a video address, and added that "Mission LiFE' borrows from the past, operates in the present and focuses on the future.
Giving the slogan of "one earth, many efforts", he said India is ready to lend its support to actions to make environment better and improve global wellness.
With the launch coinciding with World Environment Day, Modi said our planet's challenges are well-known, and the need of the hour is human-centric, collective efforts and robust actions that further sustainable development.
"Reduce, reuse and recycle are the concepts woven in our life. Circular economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle," Modi said, noting that gods and goddesses in India have plants and animals associated with them, and nature equated with divinity.
UP factory explosion: FIR against unit owner, operator; toll rises to 13
An FIR has been registered against the owner and the operator of a factory in Hapur where at least 13 workers were killed and 20 injured in an explosion, police said on Sunday.
The incident took place at Ruhi Industries in the Dhaulana area on Saturday.
"So far, 13 people have been killed, while 20 are injured. The injured are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut," Superintendent of Police Deepak Bhuker said.
He added that 11 out of the 13 deceased have been identified and they are from Bahraich (Uttar Pradesh) and Bihar.
Inspector General of Police Praveen Kumar said the factory was licensed to manufacture only electronic goods, and an investigation is underway to ascertain how explosives reached there.
Police said they suspect that crackers were being manufactured in the factory.
VP Naidu holds talks with Qatar leaders on strengthening ties
Vice President M. Venkiah Naidu, who is on a visit to Qatar, met its Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani at Amiri Diwan on Sunday and assessed the developments in bilateral relations, an official statement said.
They also agreed to further strengthen their historic friendship in all areas, the MEA statement said.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the continued engagement at the highest levels between both countries since the landmark visits of Qatar's Amir to India in 2015 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Qatar in 2016.
They agreed that high level engagement should be sustained, including through an early visit of Qatar's Amir to India. Both sides also looked forward to the convening of the Joint Commission between the two sides, at the Foreign Minister level, later this year and also agreed to promote bilateral parliamentary exchanges.
India has close and friendly relations with Qatar and the commitment to deepen multifaceted bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, energy, food security, defence, technology, culture, education, health, media, and people to people contacts.
Naidu thanked the Qatari leadership for taking great care of the Indian community.
In a meeting earlier of Sunday, Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani recalled the historic relations between both countries which are based on mutual trust and appreciated the contribution of the Indian community in his country's development of Qatar. An understanding has been reached to set up an ICCR Chair of Indian studies at Qatar University.
Both sides expressed strong commitment to further enhance bilateral trade and investment cooperation. Naidu has invited the Qatari side to explore the significant opportunities in a range of sectors including infrastructure, connectivity both physical and digital, energy, defence and hospitality.
BJP's Nupur Sharma withdraws her controversial statement after suspension
Suspended from the BJP following her alleged derogatory remark against Prophet Muhammad, Nupur Sharma on Sunday unconditionally withdrew the controversial statement made in a TV debate and said it was never her intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings.
Sharma, who was a BJP national spokesperson, claimed that her comments were a reaction to "continuous insult and disrespect towards our Mahadev"' (Lord Shiva) as she could not tolerate it.
In a statement posted on Twitter, she said, "I have been attending TV debates for the past many days where our Mahadev was being insulted and disrespected continuously. It was mockingly being said that it is not Shivling but a fountain. The Shivling was also being ridiculed by comparing it to roadside signs and poles in Delhi."
She was apparently referring to the discovery of what Hindu groups have claimed is a Shivling at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi.
She added, "If my words have caused discomfort or hurt religious feelings of anyone whatsoever, I hereby unconditionally withdraw my statement. It was never my intention to hurt anyone's religious feelings."
Muslim groups have been holding protests demanding action against her.
Cases have been filed against Sharma in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, accusing her of hurting religious sentiments.
Environment Day: Checking CO2 emission one glass bottle at a time
The orthodox recycling of used glass bottles needs more energy consumption and results in carbon emission, claim the founders of a Noida-based firm that has devised a creative way to bring back such used items among consumers.
The 'Kavi The Poetry-Art Project' has so far up-cycled over six lakh bottles, putting them back for users in new, designer avatars like planters, palettes, key chains, and other home dcor items through eco-friendly, sustainable processing.
June 5 is celebrated across the world as Environment Day since 1973, with an objective to raise awareness towards a sustainable life style to check global warming and climate change that threaten life on earth.
Our initiative began around 2012. It was largely inspired by our inclination for all things art and poetry. Eventually we got into eco-friendly, sustainable recycling of glass bottles like liquor, ketchup and others used in houses, co-founder Amit Singh (39) told PTI.
Co-founder Madhuri Balodi (34) said, through the initiative, we have so far up-cycled more than six lakh glass bottles, recycled 22 tonnes of reclaimed wood and saved 1,500 trees.
Citing scientific studies, she claimed for six tonnes of glass recycling, one tonne of carbon is emitted into the atmosphere.
Singh said the used bottles from across Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi and Gurugram in the national capital region (NCR) reach their Noida Sector 6-located facility through their network of scrap dealers and rag-pickers.
Sometimes, we even have the bottles sorted like wine bottles, scotch or beer bottles separately, depending on the situation and the requirement, he said.
The art-inspired commercial venture has also found takers well beyond the NCR with people from far-off states like Gujarat and Karnataka now shipping used glass bottles to them.
We are now getting up to 500 bottles daily from not just the NCR but other states as well. The word of mouth seems to have caught the attention of people who want their used glass bottles up-cycled into a designer new avatar, Balodi said.
While the duo is leading the initiative, their environment-enthusiast team members engaged in the up-cycling work cycle all the way to their workplace, Singh said.
We have a team of 15 people at the Sector 6 facility. 90 per cent of them cycle to work from within Noida, while some even come from Delhi. Every day they ride for 10 km to 15 km to work. A couple of them have very expensive bicycles also, he added.
Pak ruling alliance questions Sharif's move to allow ISI to do verification of civil servants
Pakistan's ruling alliance have questioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's decision to empower the spy agency - Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) - to conduct verification of all government officers before their induction, appointments and postings, as well as promotions.
The Sharif government issued a notification on Friday to give the status of a Special Vetting Agency (SVA) to the ISI. The decision angered not just the allies but also his own Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The ISI is Pakistan's powerful spy agency. In 1950, it was officially given the task of safeguarding Pakistani interests and national security, inside and outside the country.
Some members belonging to allied parties even criticised Prime Minister Sharif for not taking the coalition partners and parliament into confidence, vowing to take the matter to the court, The Express Tribune newspaper has reported.
They quipped that the premier should also consider including politicians in the notification as most of the traitors were there.
"This has been done behind the back of coalition partners and parliament," Pakistan People's Party (PPP) General-Secretary Farhatullah Babar said, asking why the decision was taken as it is not a single-party government.
In a tweet, Babar said that the decision must be unacceptable to many coalition partners, and they must protest to reverse it, adding that unilateral alteration in civil service rules must be challenged.
Babar noted that the agency that failed to detect Osama bin Laden hiding in Abbottabad has been tasked with reporting on the competence and professionalism of civil servants. He urged everyone to say no to the decision as it was "unacceptable".
Tripura by-elections acid test for BJP: CM
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Sunday described the upcoming by-elections as an acid test for the ruling BJP and hoped that voters will give a befitting reply to those who necessitated the "untimely polls".
By-elections to Agartala, Town Bardowali (West Tripura district), Surma (Dhalai) and Jubarajnagar (North Tripura) assembly constituencies are scheduled to be held on June 23 and results will be declared on June 26. Assembly elections to the 60-member House will be held early next year.
"It would have been better had the by-elections been avoided as assembly elections will be held within the next six months," Saha told reporters.
The dentist-turned-chief minister, who took over the baton from Biplab Kumar Deb in May, is contesting from Town Bardowali seat.
"Voters will give a befitting reply to those for whom the by-election was necessitated," Saha said in reference to turncoats. The bypolls were necessitated after three BJP MLAs quit the party and the assembly and a CPI(M) legislator died.
"Although the BJP considers every election as final, the upcoming bypolls will be an acid test for the ruling dispensation. If our strategy for the by-elections succeeds, we will replicate it in next year's assembly elections, else we will have to bring a change to it," he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to visit Vietnam from June 8-10
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will hand over 12 high-speed guard boats to Vietnam during a three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country from Wednesday, in reflection of the growing congruence in maritime security cooperation amid China's increasing muscle-flexing in the region.
The defence ministry said Singh's visit to Vietnam from June 8 to 10 is aimed at further consolidating the bilateral defence ties as well as the comprehensive strategic partnership.
It said the defence minister will hold extensive talks with his Vietnamese counterpart, General Phan Van Giang, with a focus on exploring new initiatives to further strengthen the defence engagements, besides exchanging views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
Singh is also scheduled to call on Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Guj to reduce carbon emissions from power production to 139 mn tonnes by 2030, says govt
Gujarat has set a target to reduce carbon emissions from energy production to 139 million tonnes by 2030 by raising its installed capacity of renewable energy to 68,000 MW over the next eight years, a state government official said on Sunday.
A release said the state reduced its carbon emissions by about 115 per cent in 2022 as compared to 2017, mainly due to an increase in the installed capacity of renewable energy in power generation.
The reduction in carbon emissions from renewable energy in Gujarat was 12.08 million tonnes in 2017-18, which increased to 26.01 million tonnes, or around 115 per cent in 2021-22, the Gujarat government said in the release issued on the occasion of World Environment Day.
"Gujarat's energy department has decided to reduce carbon emissions from energy production to 139 million tonnes by 2030. To this end, the state government will increase the installed capacity of renewable energy to 68,000 MW by 2030," it said.
"Carbon emission from thermal power in the state has been steadily declining in the last five years. This has been achieved due to the incentive given by the state government to promote renewable energy," the release informed.
In 2017-18, the share of renewable energy (with hydro energy) in the installed capacity of power generation in Gujarat was 29 per cent with 8,065 MW, which increased to 42 per cent in 2021-22 with the contribution of 17,367 MW, it said.
Delhi Court extends Lawrence Bishnoi police custody by days, to take him to Rajasthan
A Delhi court on Sunday extended the police custody of Lawrence Bishnoi for a further five days. Delhi police will take him to Jodhpur and Ganga Nagar in Rajasthan for investigation of the Arms Act case.
Some days back his name surfaced in singer Sidhu Moose Wala's murder case. Moose Wala was shot dead on 29 May in Punjab.
Duty Magistrate Umesh Kumar of Patiala House Court extended the police custody of Lawrence Bishnoi after he was produced following his 5 days of remand. He was sent into police custody by CMM Patiala House Court on May 31, 2022.
Delhi police sought five days further remand to arrest the persons whose names come up during the interrogation of Lawrence Bishnoi.
The plea for extension of police custody was not opposed by Advocate Vishal Chopra counsel for Bishnoi.
The court asked what has been done during 5 days of police custody?
The accused was taken to Sonipat, Plawal, Bahadur Garh and other places in Delhi NCR, a Special cell of Delhi Police submitted.
Death toll in Iran building collapse rises to at least 38
It's unclear how many more people remain unaccounted for in the collapse of the still under-construction tower at the Metropol Building in Abadan nearly two weeks ago. R escuers were still working and families still waiting for word of their loved ones despite promises the search operation would be finished by now.
The structural building failure in the oil-rich but impoverished Khuzestan province has focused public attention on shoddy construction practices and prompted mass allegations of government corruption and negligence.
Authorities have arrested 13 people as part of a broad probe into the disaster, including Abadan's mayor, Hossein Hamidpour, who resigned last Friday.
Protesters have gathered in mourning at the collapse site, denouncing top officials and demanding accountability, according to videos widely shared on social media and analysed by The Associated Press. However, reporting on events in Abadan remains extremely difficult as the threat of arrest looms.
Authorities have disrupted internet access, according to experts, restricting people's ability to share videos and information.
30% parents feel video games, social media improve kids' mental health: Study
Almost 40 per cent parents covered in a recent survey have said video games have had a positive impact on their children's mental well-being, while 30 per cent have said social media has had a similar effect on their kids.
The Pearson's Global Learners Survey conducted in April found that 92 per cent parents globally think that schools should provide free mental health services to students and employees, and 53 per cent believe that children should be introduced to wellness and mental health awareness in primary school itself. Only 26 per cent parents have said their children's schools share mental health resources directly with students and parents.
"Nine in 10 respondents globally report that they think more highly of schools (91 per cent) and employers (90 per cent) that actively address mental health and well-being issues. Eighty-four per cent globally say that they think more highly of brands that consider the mental health or well-being of consumers," the survey report said.
"Almost 30 per cent of parents globally say that social media has had a positive impact on their children's mental well-being (28 per cent). A similar number of parents globally say that virtual learning has had a positive impact on their children (27 per cent). Globally, almost 40 per cent of parents say that video games have had a positive impact on their children's mental well-being," it said.
Over 3,100 parents from the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil, China and India participated in the fourth edition of the survey.
Tropical Storm Alex, first of season, forms in Gulf of Mexico
Tropical Storm Alex, the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, formed Sunday morning in the Gulf of Mexico on a track to come ashore in southern Florida with heavy rains and gusty wind.
National Hurricane Center forecasters said in a 5 a.m. advisory that Alex had sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph) and was located about 270 miles (435 kilometers) northeast of Fort Pierce, Florida. More than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall on parts of the state, the center predicts, but massive wind speeds or storm surge is not expected.
Alex is a new version of the storm that was called Hurricane Agatha when it slammed into Mexico's Pacific Coast earlier this week, killing at least 11 people and leaving 20 missing. It got a new name once the storm crossed Mexico into the Atlantic basin.
BJP suspends Nupur Sharma, expels Naveen Kumar Jindal for religious slur
The BJP on Sunday suspended its national spokesperson Nupura Sharma from the party following her alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad which had ignited protests from Muslim groups.
The party also expelled Naveen Kumar Jindal, who heads its Delhi media, from the party, saying that his views on social media vitiate communal harmony and are in violation of its fundamental beliefs.
"Your primary membership is immediately terminated and you are expelled from the party," a communication from its Delhi president Adesh Gupta said.
A communication to Sharma from the party's disciplinary committee said she has expressed views contrary to the party's position on various matters, which is in clear violation of its constitution.
"Pending further inquiry, you are suspended from the party and from your responsibilities, assignments if any, with immediate effect," it said.
Rooftop solar to play big role in 500 GW non-fossil goal: Union Minister Khuba
The rooftop solar will play a major role in achieving the target of 500 GW of non-fossil by 2030, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Bhagwant Khuba has said.
"The Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is working towards achieving target of 500 GW of non-fossil by 2030 as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has set the Panchamrit targets. The rooftop solar will play major role, the Minister said on Saturday at the launch of Pan-India Rooftop Solar Awareness Campaign titled "Ghar Ke Upar, Solar is Super."
The campaign should aim at mobilising local government, citizens, Residents' Welfare Associations and municipalities to spread awareness of solar rooftop, the Khuba said.
The minister was optimistic that the Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities will offer maximum potential in achieving this target.
According to him, Karnataka alone has the potential of one GW rooftop solar.
Stating that the MNRE is providing 40 per cent subsidy for households to install solar, Khuba urged people to install rooftop solar unit by utilising subsidy from central government.
He apprised the audience that he has ordered for installing rooftop solar at his residence in Bidar.
"Without the involvement of people, no big idea can succeed. Rooftop solar provides an opportunity to the common person to make his contribution towards containing global warming and climate change," Khuba said.
During the event, Karnataka Energy Minister V Sunil Kumar shared the renewable energy plans of Karnataka government. He also urged farmers to utilise the benefits being offered by MNRE and state government.
In this scheme farmers will be given 30 per cent subsidy each by centre and state to install solar pumps.
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First Published: Jun 05 2022 | 6:51 AM IST
