Himachal Pradesh would achieve its target of completely eradicating tuberculosis (TB) disease by 2023, two years ahead of the fixed target of 2025, Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said on Sunday.

Thakur said Himachal is a front-​runner in TB control activities and had created a good impression at national level. “The government is committed for improving the health of its people and has started various schemes which were being implemented successfully,” he said, adding on Sunday, the health indicators of the state are best in the country.

Thakur said India contributed over 4th of total cases of TB in the World and 28 lakhs cases and 4.8 lakh deaths are reported every year in India which reveals the story of disease burden. “This is despite the fact that since 1997, more than 19 million patients in India are put on treatment and over 3.4 million additional lives has been saved so far due to concerted efforts,” he said.

He expressed happiness that program performance, in terms of case detection rate and treatment success rate of Himachal Pradesh as it is above the desired National level since the inception of program and ​said ​still we were striving hard to achieve more.

Thakur said in Himachal near two lakh TB patients have been treated since 1997 under the program and there was no doubt the DOTS is synonymous with effective​ TB control worldwide.

“Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) had been implemented in Himachal Pradesh in phased manner. Hamirpur was the first district to take up the activity in 1995 followed by Kangra and Mandi in 1998,” he said, adding entire state had been covered in January, 2002.

Health Minister said Himachal had decentralized the TB diagnostic and treatment services, we had 72 TB units across 74 health blocks. “Remaining two health blocks would soon be made functional as TB Units and all allopathic health institutions are functioning peripheral health institutions,” he added.

A massive landslide has cut off the mountainous district of Kishtwar from the city, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded en route the Doda-Kishtwar highway, police said on Sunday.

The highway has been blocked due to massive landslide in Drabshala belt on Saturday and is covered with big rocks and boulders, they said.

The men and machinery, both are working to clear the blockade on the highway, police said, adding over 100 vehicles are stranded at various places en route the highway.

Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and British fighter Amir Khan confirmed separately on Sunday that they would face each other on April 23 after weeks of conflicting reports.

Pacquiao tweeted: "Negotiations between team Pacquiao and team Khan have come to terms for the April 23 bout as this is what the fans wanted.#PacquiaoKhan"

Khan, 30, a few minutes later posted on his official Twitter feed: "My team and I have agreed terms with Manny Pacquiao and his team for a super fight #pacquiaokhan #April23rd"

Neither of them gave a venue for the match but Pacquiao's American promoter, Bob Arum, has previously been quoted as saying on the ESPN website, that "Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates, and the people there favour him fighting Amir Khan."

Spokesmen for the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Pacquiao could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Pacquiao, 38, previously confirmed on Twitter that he was "in negotiations" to face Khan despite Arum's own efforts to arrange a fight with Australian Jeff Horn in April.

Pacquiao tweeted on February 11: "See you in UAE for my next fight. #TeamPacquiao".

He also posted a poll on his offical Twitter feed asking his 110,000-plus followers to choose either Horn, Khan, American Terence Crawford or Briton Kell Brook as his next opponent.

Khan had been leading the poll when it was taken down.

Pacquiao announced a brief retirement last year but made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas in November, saying he still felt like a youngster.

Pacquiao had said he was retiring to focus on his new role as Philippine senator, after winning elections last year on the back of his sporting fame.

Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and British fighter Amir Khan confirmed separately on Sunday that they would face each other on April 23 after weeks of conflicting reports.

Pacquiao tweeted: "Negotiations between team Pacquiao and team Khan have come to terms for the April 23 bout as this is what the fans wanted.#PacquiaoKhan"

Khan, 30, a few minutes later posted on his official Twitter feed: "My team and I have agreed terms with Manny Pacquiao and his team for a super fight #pacquiaokhan #April23rd"

Neither of them gave a venue for the match but Pacquiao's American promoter, Bob Arum, has previously been quoted as saying on the ESPN website, that "Manny is trying to get a fight done in the United Arab Emirates, and the people there favour him fighting Amir Khan."

Spokesmen for the World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Pacquiao could not immediately be contacted for comment.

Pacquiao, 38, previously confirmed on Twitter that he was "in negotiations" to face Khan despite Arum's own efforts to arrange a fight with Australian Jeff Horn in April.

Pacquiao tweeted on February 11: "See you in UAE for my next fight. #TeamPacquiao".

He also posted a poll on his offical Twitter feed asking his 110,000-plus followers to choose either Horn, Khan, American Terence Crawford or Briton Kell Brook as his next opponent.

Khan had been leading the poll when it was taken down.

Pacquiao announced a brief retirement last year but made a successful comeback against Jessie Vargas in Las Vegas in November, saying he still felt like a youngster.

Pacquiao had said he was retiring to focus on his new role as Philippine senator, after winning elections last year on the back of his sporting fame.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said there is an "alliance of subversion" on certain Indian campuses and that the ultra-Left and separatists are speaking the same language.

They must also allow others with different opinions to speak, he said while delivering a talk at London School of Economics on Saturday.

The minister said it was his personal belief that "free speech" in society needs to be debated, adding that "violence is however not the method".

The comment comes days after a violent clash outside Delhi University's Ramjas college between activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's students wing — and other students groups on February 22 during a march against forced suspension of an event a day earlier.

"I personally believe that free speech in India, and in any society, has to be debated. If you believe you have free speech to assault the sovereignty of the country, then be ready to concede free speech to counter that," Jaitley said.

"Violence is not the method; no group can and should use violence… there is an alliance of subversion which is taking place. The separatists and the ultra-Left are speaking the same language in certain university campuses. So, they must be willing to allow others with a different opinion to put a counter viewpoint," he said.

"I find this absolutely strange that an argument is being raised that I have free speech to advocate that India should be broken into pieces and those who oppose me are hindering that right to free speech. Well, they too have a right to free speech," Jaitley said.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said there is an "alliance of subversion" on certain Indian campuses and that the ultra-Left and separatists are speaking the same language.

They must also allow others with different opinions to speak, he said while delivering a talk at London School of Economics on Saturday.

The minister said it was his personal belief that "free speech" in society needs to be debated, adding that "violence is however not the method".

The comment comes days after a violent clash outside Delhi University's Ramjas college between activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad — the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's students wing — and other students groups on February 22 during a march against forced suspension of an event a day earlier.

"I personally believe that free speech in India, and in any society, has to be debated. If you believe you have free speech to assault the sovereignty of the country, then be ready to concede free speech to counter that," Jaitley said.

"Violence is not the method; no group can and should use violence… there is an alliance of subversion which is taking place. The separatists and the ultra-Left are speaking the same language in certain university campuses. So, they must be willing to allow others with a different opinion to put a counter viewpoint," he said.

"I find this absolutely strange that an argument is being raised that I have free speech to advocate that India should be broken into pieces and those who oppose me are hindering that right to free speech. Well, they too have a right to free speech," Jaitley said.

They were known to be die hard supporters of their respective parties but just ahead of Manipur elections they switched sides and were now faced with a strange predicament of explaining their stand to the voters.

The turncoats contesting on tickets of either Congress or BJP, for the forthcoming Assembly polls, were facing a peculiar situation, with party workers in certain parts unwilling to work for them in the polls.

"Why should we work for a person who has come from Congress? We have been fighting all our life against the Congress and its misrule," a BJP leader from Lamlei constituency said.

The Congress too was facing such a situation in some of the seats where they have fielded former BJP leaders. They also have leaders from TMC and other parties in their list.

A section of leaders, both in the Congress and BJP, echoed, that a section of masses were apprehensive about the turncoats as till a few days back, they were busy beating trumpets in favour of their parent party.

Both the candidates list of Congress and BJP, two arch rivals in Manipur elections, have several turncoats in their lists who were earlier either with Congress or BJP or some other parties, but had switched sides just months before the forthcoming Assembly polls.

The BJP list has the names of the highest number of defectors from other parties and Congress ranks second in terms of giving tickets to turncoats. .

They were known to be die hard supporters of their respective parties but just ahead of Manipur elections they switched sides and were now faced with a strange predicament of explaining their stand to the voters.

The turncoats contesting on tickets of either Congress or BJP, for the forthcoming Assembly polls, were facing a peculiar situation, with party workers in certain parts unwilling to work for them in the polls.

"Why should we work for a person who has come from Congress? We have been fighting all our life against the Congress and its misrule," a BJP leader from Lamlei constituency said.

The Congress too was facing such a situation in some of the seats where they have fielded former BJP leaders. They also have leaders from TMC and other parties in their list.

A section of leaders, both in the Congress and BJP, echoed, that a section of masses were apprehensive about the turncoats as till a few days back, they were busy beating trumpets in favour of their parent party.

Both the candidates list of Congress and BJP, two arch rivals in Manipur elections, have several turncoats in their lists who were earlier either with Congress or BJP or some other parties, but had switched sides just months before the forthcoming Assembly polls.

The BJP list has the names of the highest number of defectors from other parties and Congress ranks second in terms of giving tickets to turncoats. .

Endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, which were tagged for the purpose of studying their migration pattern, have returned for mass nesting to the Odisha coast.

The tagged Olive Ridley turtles have reappeared in Gahiramatha, considered the world's largest rookery of the creatures, in Kendrapara district for laying eggs this year.

The sighting of 'tagged' turtles established the belief that these marine creatures prefer Odisha for laying eggs, said Gahirmatha Forest Range officer Subrat Patra.

The forest department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, fitted tags on the flippers of turtles between 1998 and 2010. The tagging had been conducted during the arrival of turtles for mass nesting, said informed sources.

"We have spotted some turtles with metallic flipper tags. The recovered tags are marked 'Gahiramatha', 'WII' and a number. The reappearance of tagged turtles shows that the female turtles return to the same beach to lay eggs, where they were born decades ago," said Patra.

Over 3.5 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles have come to the Nasi-2 beach within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary for laying eggs.

The wildlife department of the state government has made adequate protection for the endangered species for their safe laying of eggs.

The Olive Ridley turtles have laid over 3,55,000 eggs within a week of mass nesting in Rushikulya river mouth of Ganjam coast, which is an all-time record, Berhampur's Divisional Forest Officer Ashish Kumar Behera told IANS last week. The turtles had laid 3,09,000 eggs last year.
 

Endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, which were tagged for the purpose of studying their migration pattern, have returned for mass nesting to the Odisha coast.

The tagged Olive Ridley turtles have reappeared in Gahiramatha, considered the world's largest rookery of the creatures, in Kendrapara district for laying eggs this year.

The sighting of 'tagged' turtles established the belief that these marine creatures prefer Odisha for laying eggs, said Gahirmatha Forest Range officer Subrat Patra.

The forest department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, fitted tags on the flippers of turtles between 1998 and 2010. The tagging had been conducted during the arrival of turtles for mass nesting, said informed sources.

"We have spotted some turtles with metallic flipper tags. The recovered tags are marked 'Gahiramatha', 'WII' and a number. The reappearance of tagged turtles shows that the female turtles return to the same beach to lay eggs, where they were born decades ago," said Patra.

Over 3.5 lakh Olive Ridley sea turtles have come to the Nasi-2 beach within the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary for laying eggs.

The wildlife department of the state government has made adequate protection for the endangered species for their safe laying of eggs.

The Olive Ridley turtles have laid over 3,55,000 eggs within a week of mass nesting in Rushikulya river mouth of Ganjam coast, which is an all-time record, Berhampur's Divisional Forest Officer Ashish Kumar Behera told IANS last week. The turtles had laid 3,09,000 eggs last year.
 

Law enforcement officials in Germany registered 3,533 attacks on refugees and asylum-seekers in 2016, which resulted in 560 people, including 43 children, being injured, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

In addition, the ministry reported that last year there had been 217 attacks against non-profit groups that support refugees and on volunteers from those NGOs, Efe news reported.

According to the report, which was drafted in response to a request by the parliamentary group of the opposition party Die Linke, 2,545 of the 3,533 instances of anti-refugee hate crimes took place outside official reception centres.

The government-run centres were the site of 988 attacks, a slightly lower number than the 1,031 attacks registered in 2015.

"Must there be deaths before right-wing violence is considered a central security problem and put on the interior policy agenda," asked Ulla Jelpke, Die Linke's parliamentary spokesperson in an interview.

Jelpke accused the government of fear-mongering by giving the impression that refugees pose a security threat after passing stricter asylum and immigration laws.

According to the data provided by the ministry, Germany took in 280,000 asylum-seekers in 2016, a 68-per cent decrease compared to 2015, when 890,000 people arrived in the country seeking refuge.

The main causes of this dramatic drop in asylum requests are the closure of the so-called Balkan route and the signing of a refugee repatriation deal between the European Union and Turkey.

This January, almost 14,500 asylum-seekers entered Germany.

Law enforcement officials in Germany registered 3,533 attacks on refugees and asylum-seekers in 2016, which resulted in 560 people, including 43 children, being injured, the Interior Ministry said on Sunday.

In addition, the ministry reported that last year there had been 217 attacks against non-profit groups that support refugees and on volunteers from those NGOs, Efe news reported.

According to the report, which was drafted in response to a request by the parliamentary group of the opposition party Die Linke, 2,545 of the 3,533 instances of anti-refugee hate crimes took place outside official reception centres.

The government-run centres were the site of 988 attacks, a slightly lower number than the 1,031 attacks registered in 2015.

"Must there be deaths before right-wing violence is considered a central security problem and put on the interior policy agenda," asked Ulla Jelpke, Die Linke's parliamentary spokesperson in an interview.

Jelpke accused the government of fear-mongering by giving the impression that refugees pose a security threat after passing stricter asylum and immigration laws.

According to the data provided by the ministry, Germany took in 280,000 asylum-seekers in 2016, a 68-per cent decrease compared to 2015, when 890,000 people arrived in the country seeking refuge.

The main causes of this dramatic drop in asylum requests are the closure of the so-called Balkan route and the signing of a refugee repatriation deal between the European Union and Turkey.

This January, almost 14,500 asylum-seekers entered Germany.

The Indian Navy carried out a mega exercise which saw participation of its strategic assets including nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, besides Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets of IAF, officials said on Sunday.

The Theatre-level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) was conducted to test combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and the Coast Guard.

The aim of the month-long exercise, which was carried out across the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea and the North Central Indian Ocean, was to test the combat readiness of the forces to deal with any possible threat.

"TROPEX 2017 assumes great significance in the backdrop of current security scenario.

"The exercise provided an apt-opportunity to test the combat capability of the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard, and strengthened inter-operability and joint operations in complex conflict situation," the Defence Ministry said.

Over 45 ships from both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands, five submarines including the nuclear powered Chakra, 50 Naval aircraft, 11 ships from the Coast Guard, troops from the Army and 20 aircraft from the Air Force including Su-30s and Jaguars participated in the exercise from January 24 to February 23.

"The exercise, in complete coordination with the Army and Air Force, was conducted in phases to test the various facets of war-fighting and joint combat capabilities of the armed forces to respond to given threat situations," the Ministry said.

It witnessed various weapon firings by ships, submarines and aircraft from both the Navy and the Air Force.

The Ministry said the interaction of the forces helped validate operational war fighting concepts and provided valuable lessons to sharpen combat skills.

The Indian Navy carried out a mega exercise which saw participation of its strategic assets including nuclear-powered submarine and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, besides Su-30 and Jaguar fighter jets of IAF, officials said on Sunday.

The Theatre-level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) was conducted to test combat readiness of the combined fleets of the Navy, the Air Force, the Army and the Coast Guard.

The aim of the month-long exercise, which was carried out across the vast expanse of the Arabian Sea and the North Central Indian Ocean, was to test the combat readiness of the forces to deal with any possible threat.

"TROPEX 2017 assumes great significance in the backdrop of current security scenario.

"The exercise provided an apt-opportunity to test the combat capability of the Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard, and strengthened inter-operability and joint operations in complex conflict situation," the Defence Ministry said.

Over 45 ships from both the Western and Eastern Naval Commands, five submarines including the nuclear powered Chakra, 50 Naval aircraft, 11 ships from the Coast Guard, troops from the Army and 20 aircraft from the Air Force including Su-30s and Jaguars participated in the exercise from January 24 to February 23.

"The exercise, in complete coordination with the Army and Air Force, was conducted in phases to test the various facets of war-fighting and joint combat capabilities of the armed forces to respond to given threat situations," the Ministry said.

It witnessed various weapon firings by ships, submarines and aircraft from both the Navy and the Air Force.

The Ministry said the interaction of the forces helped validate operational war fighting concepts and provided valuable lessons to sharpen combat skills.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday accused the SP and BSP of virtually destroying Uttar Pradesh and said this election would end the politics of appeasement, casteism and dynastic rule.

Exuding confidence that BJP would form the next government in the state, Shah said, "Once the poll results are announced, it will signal the end of politics of appeasement, casteism and dynastic rule in the entire state".

Shah also urged voters to give an overwhelming majority to the BJP, and strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said as soon as the BJP forms the government, it would ban all the slaughterhouses in the state. "Instead of blood of cattle, there will be streams of milk and ghee flowing throughout the state," Shah said.

The BJP chief exuded confidence that the party would be form the government with two-thirds majority.

He said in the last 15 years of SP and BSP rule, development has taken a backseat.

"There is acute shortage of power, medicines, and the common citizens including women and traders are feeling very much unsafe," he said and added that farmers are yet to get their dues from the government.

Throwing an open challenge to Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP chief said, "Counting will begin at 8.00 AM on March 11…and by noon the counting process will be completed, bringing to an end the rule of Akhilesh Yadav by 1 PM".

The BJP chief took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, "On one hand Modi government has released 104 satellites, and on the other Rahul is pushing the 'cycle', which has already become punctured".

The cycle is the symbol of the Samajwadi Party with which Congress has forged an alliance for the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday accused the SP and BSP of virtually destroying Uttar Pradesh and said this election would end the politics of appeasement, casteism and dynastic rule.

Exuding confidence that BJP would form the next government in the state, Shah said, "Once the poll results are announced, it will signal the end of politics of appeasement, casteism and dynastic rule in the entire state".

Shah also urged voters to give an overwhelming majority to the BJP, and strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said as soon as the BJP forms the government, it would ban all the slaughterhouses in the state. "Instead of blood of cattle, there will be streams of milk and ghee flowing throughout the state," Shah said.

The BJP chief exuded confidence that the party would be form the government with two-thirds majority.

He said in the last 15 years of SP and BSP rule, development has taken a backseat.

"There is acute shortage of power, medicines, and the common citizens including women and traders are feeling very much unsafe," he said and added that farmers are yet to get their dues from the government.

Throwing an open challenge to Akhilesh Yadav, the BJP chief said, "Counting will begin at 8.00 AM on March 11…and by noon the counting process will be completed, bringing to an end the rule of Akhilesh Yadav by 1 PM".

The BJP chief took a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying, "On one hand Modi government has released 104 satellites, and on the other Rahul is pushing the 'cycle', which has already become punctured".

The cycle is the symbol of the Samajwadi Party with which Congress has forged an alliance for the ongoing assembly elections in the state.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Congress tie-up was an alliance of youth that will change the course of politics at national and state levels.

Addressing an election rally, Akhilesh said: "This is not an alliance between two families, it is an alliance between two youngsters, who would change the course of politics both at the national and state levels."

The UP CM also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to swear by 'Ganga Maiyya' (river Ganga) and clarify whether the latter's constituency of Varanasi was getting 24 hours electricity.

He also reacted to Modi's comment at a poll rally that if people were getting electricity on Ramzan, they should also get power supply on Diwali.

"The amount of electricity supplied during Diwali is more than that given during Ramzan in Uttar Pradesh. Steady supply of electricity was ensured during Christmas as well," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)