Yoga session
Foreign devotees participate in a session of yoga on the banks of the Sangam, the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, during the Kumbh Mela Festival in Allahabad yesterday. The Kumbh Mela will see up to 100mn worshippers gather over the next 55 days to take a ritual bath in the holy waters.
Owaisi back in jail after questioning by police
Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi was sent back to jail yesterday after four days of questioning by police in a hate speech case. Police in Adilabad district did not question the legislator yesterday and produced him before a magistrate in Nirmal town, about 200km from Hyderabad. He was later sent back to the district jail in Adilabad, some 90km from Nirmal. A police official said they completed the questioning in four days, although the court had remanded the MIM leader in their custody for five days. The MIM leader was arrested on January 8 and the next day a Nirmal court sent him to judicial custody for 14 days.
55-member UK team toattend diabetes summit
Britain’s minister for public health will lead a 55-member delegation to India this week for the Indo-UK Diabetes Summit, a statement from the British deputy high commission said in Chennai yesterday. Led by Anna Soubry, the delegation will comprise universities, companies and specialists in diabetes. It aims to explore opportunities for increased collaboration in primary healthcare, medical equipment, education, research and training at the Indo-UK Diabetes Summit to be held in Chennai tomorrow. “It is a valuable opportunity to deepen the enduring relationship between our countries and to strengthen our co-operation in private and public healthcare and education,” Soubry said in the statement.
Telangana group to disrupt Seemandhra meet
Telangana Jagruthi, the cultural arm of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, has threatened to disrupt today’s meeting called by Congress leaders from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions to oppose the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh. Telangana Jagruthi president Kavita yesterday said they would not allow the meeting to be held in Hyderabad as it was a ‘conspiracy’ to stall the formation of Telangana state. Kavita, daughter of TRS president K. Chandrasekhara Rao, said they would not keep quiet if Seemandhra (Raylaseema and Andhra) leaders tried to create hurdles in the formation of a separate state. She threatened to mobilise her supporters from all 10 districts of Telangana to stop the meeting.
Srinagar-Jammu highway to be closed due to snow
The Srinagar-Jammu highway, Kashmir Valley’s only link with the country apart from air travel, would be closed today. This follows the weather office forecasting moderate to heavy snow until Saturday. “The snowfall could be rather heavy in the Pir Panjal mountain range that could disrupt traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. Air traffic could also be affected during this period because of the rain/snow and poor visibility,” Sonam Lotus, director of the weather office in Srinagar, said. The weather office had issued an advisory on Tuesday evening. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was 0.1 degree Celsius yesterday, -3.8 degrees in Pahalgam, -6.7 in Gulmarg, -9.5 in Leh and 12 points below freezing point in Kargil town.