New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and senior Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led government over the deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore, calling the incident a “murder of the right to life” and accusing the administration of negligence, arrogance, and a complete failure of accountability. In a post on X, LoP Gandhi said, “In Indore, there was no water — just poison being distributed, while the…
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New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) The Federation of All India Farmer Associations (FAIFA) on Friday urged the government to roll back the notified excise rates on tobacco products and revise them to revenue-neutral rates, to disincentivise smuggling, and support domestic agriculture.A stable taxation framework, FAIFA noted in a statement, is necessary to sustain farmer incomes, protect employment across the value chain, and align economic policy with long-term public health goals.The Ministry of Finance n…
Jerusalem, Jan 1 (IANS) Israel said Thursday that new regulations banning access of dozens of aid organizations to Gaza and the West Bank had come into force, despite calls by UN agencies and international humanitarian groups to halt the move. Minister for Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said organisations had been given 10 months to submit detailed information about their staff, with the deadline expiring at midnight on Wednesday. Groups that failed to meet the new requirements “had their licen…
Hobart, Jan 1 (IANS) Former Australia batsman Damien Martyn is showing positive signs in coming out of his battle with meningitis, his former teammate Adam Gilchrist said. Martyn, 54, remains hospitalised in Queensland after being placed in an induced coma due to meningitis.Martyn fell ill on Boxing Day and is now in a serious condition at the Gold Coast University Hospital. “He’s still in the hospital. There’ll be more details coming out as they come to hand, but certainly in the last 24 …
United Nations, Jan 1 (IANS) Facing a severe cash crunch, the world organisation starts 2026 with a shrunken budget of $3.45 billion and scheduled 19 per cent job cuts.The General Assembly has adopted a budget that broadly reflects Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ proposal, but is higher than the $3.238 billion he had asked for.This year’s budget is about $270 million, or 7.25 per cent lower than 2025’s $3.72 billion.This budget covers only the main UN operations, and the budgets for the peac…
United Nations, Jan 1 (IANS) Multiple United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and international organisations jointly issued a statement, calling on Israel to revoke its ban on the operations of international aid organisations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.The statement, issued on Wednesday (local time), said that international aid organisations play a central role in humanitarian operations in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, providing nearly one billion US dollars in assistance annual…
Mumbai, Dec 31 (IANS) India’s hospital industry is set for strong and sustained growth over the next few years, with revenues expected to rise at a healthy pace of 11–12 per cent annually, a new report said on Wednesday.The growth will be driven by rising healthcare needs, higher insurance coverage, increasing medical tourism, and fresh investments in hospital infrastructure, according to data compiled by CareEdge Ratings.A key reason behind this optimistic outlook is India’s long-standing…
Tokyo, Dec 30 (IANS) Japan’s agriculture ministry said on Tuesday that it has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a poultry farm in Saitama Prefecture, marking the country’s 12th outbreak this season and the first case in the greater Tokyo area.The affected farm is located in Ranzan Town, Saitama, north of Tokyo, which raises about 240,000 egg-laying chickens, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.The greater Tokyo area…
New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message against the misuse of antibiotics is timely and draws attention to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) — a very important health concern, said health experts on Monday.PM Modi, in his last ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of the year on Sunday, warned people against the misuse of antibiotics and raised the concern of rising levels of AMR in the country.The Prime Minister cited a recent alarming report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), w…
Tokyo, Dec 29 (IANS) Japan’s agriculture ministry said on Monday that genetic testing has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza at a farm in Hokkaido Prefecture, marking the 11th bird flu outbreak in the country this season.According to a statement released by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the outbreak occurred at a poultry farm in Yuni Town, Hokkaido, leading to the culling of over 6,000 egg-laying chickens.In accordance with relevant guidelines, all …