New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Birds have the fundamental right to “live with dignity” and fly in the sky without being kept in cages or subjected to cruelty, Delhi High Court has said while holding that running their trade was a “violation of their rights”.

Justice Manmohan Singh expressed anguish that instead of being allowed to fly free, they were “exported illegally to foreign countries without availability of proper food, water or medical aid”.

“I am clear in mind that all the birds have fundamental rights to fly in the sky and all human beings have no right to keep them in small cages for the purposes of their business or otherwise,” the judge said.

The high court issued notice to Delhi Police as well as the bird owner, Md Mohazzim, and sought their responses by May 28.

The high court made the observations and issued the orders while staying the direction of a trial court which had allowed some birds to be released to the same person from whom they were rescued on his plea.

The trial court order was stayed on a plea by NGO People for Animals, which had challenged the release of birds into custody of owners without hearing the NGO which had freed the birds.

The NGO, in its plea filed through advocate S D Windlesh, has alleged that the trial court released the birds into Mohazzim’s custody despite arriving at a finding that he was not the owner of the birds.

Granting relief to the NGO, the high court said, “…This court is of the view that running the trade of birds is in violation of the rights of the birds. They deserve sympathy.

Nobody is caring as to whether they have been inflicted cruelty or not despite a settled law that birds have a fundamental right to fly and cannot be caged and will have to be set free in the sky.

“Birds have fundamental rights including the right to live with dignity and they cannot be subjected to cruelty by anyone including claim made by the respondent (Mohazzim).

Sambhal (UP), My 17 (PTI) Acting on the order of a local court, an FIR has been lodged against 16 people, including eight named, for allegedly cutting a cake prepared from cow dung on the birthday of BSP supremo Mayawati.

Station House Officer of Sambhal Anil Mishra said that on the occasion of the birthday of BSP supremo Mayawati on January 15, some persons had allegedly cut a cake prepared from mud and cow dung and made casteist remarks.

He said that one Amar Singh moved a complaint in the court in this regard.

On the order of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Moradabad, an FIR was lodged against Rajeshwari Tyagi, Najim, Shafeequ Rehman Malik, Asif Raza, Yaseen Ansari, Noon Khan, Chotte and eight other unidentified persons last evening.

He said the FIR has been lodged under various sections of IPC and SC/ST Act and the matter was being investigated.

Siliguri, May 17 (PTI) The Centre will seek a report from the West Bengal Labour Department on the actual condition of the workers of the tea gardens in the state, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.

The report is necessary in the wake of several complaints of reduction of fringe benefits, lack of water, power, educational institutions, medical facilities, malnutrition and Provident Fund default, she told reporters here after holding a high-level meeting.

On reopening of closed tea gardens, the minister said the matter would be discussed with the state government.

To a question whether the government has any plan to take over the closed mills, Sitharaman said such a step would not solve the problems.

The meeting was attended by Tea Board Chairman, Labour department officials, local MP S S Ahluwalia, local MLA Gautam Deb and representatives of several trade unions.

New Delhi, May 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China has redefined the economic partnership between the two largest and fastest-growing developing economies in the world, industry body CII said today.

Welcoming the business outcomes of the visit, it said: “Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China has redefined the economic partnership of the two largest and fastest-growing developing economies in the world”.

In a statement, it said: “The Prime Minister personally took up matters of concern to industry, and CII’s sense is that as a result, sentiments on both sides are very positive and upbeat.”

In the presence of the Prime Minister at the India-China Business Forum in Shanghai, Indian and Chinese companies exchanged 24 agreements for cooperation totaling USD 22 billion including investments and financing across sectors, the statement said.

Chinese initiatives in the sectors of railways, skill development, public health and medical education will further build on economic cooperation between the two countries, it added.

Ulan Bator, May 17 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gifted Mongolia a Bhabhatron, the indigenous machine developed by Indian scientists for cancer treatment, in the first demonstration of bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear sector.

Modi, on a two-day visit to Mongolia, the first-ever by an Indian Premier, drove down to the National Cancer Centre here and gifted the centre the equipment to boost cancer care.

“It is state-of-art nuclear medicine cancer therapy machine, developed and manufactured in India,” he said about the machine developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Earlier today, while addressing the country’s Parliament, Modi said the Bhabhatron equipment “can help treat cancer in Mongolia. This will be the first demonstration of our cooperation in the civil nuclear sector”.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted a picture of the Prime Minister with the hospital staff at the Centre, saying: “Boosting cancer care in Mongolia. PM @narendramodi hands over Bhabhatron at National Cancer Centre.”

An MoU was earlier signed between India’s Tata Memorial Centre and Mongolia’s National Cancer Centre for gifting of Bhabhatron-II Tele-therapy Unit along with a Radiotherapy Simulator.

Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbile thanked India for its support for the development of peaceful use of nuclear energy in Mongolia, and appreciated the gesture of providing the Bhabhatron and the simulator to the centre.

On the second leg of his three-nation tour, Modi is on a two-day visit to Mongolia and will leave for South Korea tomorrow from here.

Cairo, May 17 (AFP) Egyptian authorities hanged six men convicted of killing soldiers today, police said, ignoring appeals to spare them amid allegations two of them had been in custody at the time of their alleged crimes.

A military court upheld the death sentences last March, following a trial in which the six were convicted of carrying out the attacks in the months after the army’s overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Prosecutors said they were members of the Sinai-based Ansar Beit al-Maqdis jihadist group, which late last year pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

The sentence was carried out by hanging in a Cairo jail, the officials said.

Some of the men had been arrested when police and soldiers raided their safehouse north of Cairo in March 2014.

Two army explosive experts and six militants were killed in an ensuing gunfight, adding to the list of charges against the six men.

But human rights groups had appealed for a stay of execution, saying two of the defendants had been in custody at the time.

Amnesty International said the men underwent a “grossly unfair” trial and that the only witness during the trial was a secret police officer.

Mumbai, May 17 (PTI) A Maharashtra bride who got a “toilet” as her wedding gift from her kin as she preferred it over jewellery will now be given a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh by a sanitation NGO for taking a stand on the issue.

Inspired by ‘Swachch Bharat’ campaign, the woman from Akola district insisted on a toilet in her in-laws’ house, placing basic sanitation needs much ahead of other wedding presents.

Lauding the inspiring step by Chaitali Galakhe of Andura village in Balapur tehsil of Akola district, Sulabh International today announced Rs 10 lakh cash award for her.

While making the announcement, noted sanitation expert and mentor of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak termed Chaitali as a great inspirer and messenger of sanitation.

Appreciating the step of the rural woman, Pathak saw it as an impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign which motivates common people towards need of sanitation.

He announced to honour her soon with ‘Sulabh Sanitation Award’ carrying a cheque of Rs 10 lakh.

“I see it as an achievement of Modi when his government is completing one year in office,” Dr Pathak said.

Chaitali got married to Devendra Makode from a village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district.

Those who attended her marriage on May 15 at Andura village in Akola were surprised to see a new item on display, along with other usual household articles which form part of the articles given by parents/ relatives of the bride to her during the wedding.

Standing tall along with other items was a toilet. The pre-fabricated toilet with a water closet, a wash-basin and mirror standing around one foot above the ground, was the cynosure of all eyes at the event.

Rohtak, May 17 (PTI) Haryana Police have arrested eight persons after they were allegedly found placing bets on the matches during the ongoing Indian Premier League cricket tournament.

Police today said they received secret information that some persons were placing bets at two places — at Madina village and in Rajendra Nagar on Gohana road.

A team was constituted on the directions of Rohtak Range Inspector General of Police, Shrikant Jadhav, which carried out raids at the two places last night.

While five persons were arrested from Madina, three others were nabbed from Gohana road.

Eight mobiles, TV sets, registers and other articles were seized from the accused, police said, adding a case had been registered against them under relevant provisions of the law.