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.

Los Angeles, May 16 (PTI) Queen of Pop Madonna has become the latest celebrity to join the neon hair rage in Hollywood.

The 56-year-old singer ditched her signature blonde hair and dyed her tips an ombre pink hue with the help of famed celebrity hairstylist Andy Lecompte in New York City.

The “Rebel Heart” singer debuted her new colourful locks on her Instagram account, reported Ace Showbiz.

In one of her Instagram images, Madonna was seen posing in front of a New York City backdrop, wearing minimal make-up and a comfy printed tee.

Besides Madonna, a number of A-list stars including Kaley Cuoco, Julianne Hough, and Hilary Duff have all experimented with their hair colors as of late.

Singer-actress Rita Ora was the latest star who revealed a brand new do. Earlier this week, she debuted a cool French-braided do for an event with Adidas.

New Delhi, May 15 (PTI) Petrol price was today hiked by Rs 3.13 a litre and diesel by Rs 2.71 per litre, the second straight steep increase in rates this month.

The hike, which comes on the back of Rs 3.96 per litre increase in petrol and Rs 2.37 a litre raise in diesel from May 1, will be effective from midnight tonight.

Prices of petrol in Delhi will be Rs 66.29 a litre from tomorrow as against the current Rs 63.16; while diesel will cost Rs 52.28 per litre as against Rs 49.57, Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nation’s largest oil company, said.

The two consecutive hikes have wiped away more than one-third of the gains that had accrued to consumers when global rates began to fall in August last year.

“Since last price change (effective May 1), there has been a steep increase in international prices of both petrol and diesel. Rupee-US dollar exchange rate has also depreciated quite significantly during this period.

“Combined impact of both these factors warrant an upward revision in prices, the impact of which is being passed on to consumers with this price increase,” IOC said in a statement.

State-owned fuel retailers IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL) revise petrol and diesel prices on 1st and 16th of every month based on average imported cost and rupee-dollar exchange rate in the previous fortnight.

Petrol prices had been cumulatively cut by Rs 17.11 a litre in 10 reductions between August and February and diesel by Rs 12.96 a litre in 6 cuts between October and February.

After two rates hikes (0.82 a litre in petrol and Rs 0.61 per litre in diesel on February 16, and Rs 3.18 per litre in petrol and Rs 3.09 a litre in diesel on March 1) rates were again cut on April 2 (49 paisa a litre in petrol and Rs 1.21 in diesel) and on April 16 (80 paise per litre on petrol and Rs 1.30 a litre on diesel).

“The movement of prices in international oil market and rupee-USD exchange rate shall continue to be closely monitored and developing trends of the market will be reflected in future price changes,” IOC said.