JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is starting his electoral campaign today and would visit the state of Jammu and Kashmir on the first day.

Commenting on successful testing of ASAT capability of India, the BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said that achievement of space scientist is phenomenal and there shouldn’t be any politics on the issue.

“We have achieved the capability of targeting low earth orbit satellites. India has joined the elite club of countries. It’s our scientist who has achieved it and let’s not make it a political discourse,” he said.

In 2014, BJP had won the state’s three parliamentary seats – Jammu, Udhampur, and Ladakh – out of six. Jammu and Kashmir will vote for the Lok Sabha elections in five phases – April 11, 18, 23, 29 and May 6. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

BEIJING: China said it will prosecute former Interpol chief Meng Hongwei for graft after investigations found he was suspected of taking bribes and breaking discipline rules, local media said.

The ruling Communist Party’s anti-corruption watchdog said it has expelled Meng from the party.

The Interpol, the France-based global police coordination organization, last year said Meng resigned as its president after French authorities said he had been reported missing by his wife after traveling to his home country. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced India is the fourth nation in the world to officially enter the elite space power club with the successful targeting of a live satellite with an anti-satellite weapon, A-SAT.

In an address to the nation today, PM Modi said even as Mission Shakti operation was a difficult target to achieve, it was completed successfully within three minutes of launch today.”

He said India has successfully taken down a low-earth orbit satellite at the height of 300 km in just 3 minutes, Indian media said.

With this success, he said India has become the 4th nation after US, Russia and China to have a satellite which can take down enemy satellite weapons.

He said this mission does not violate any international norms or laws of security. “This aims to bolster India’s national security, and is a step in ensuring peace,” he said in his address. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is addressing the nation this afternoon, local media said.

Modi tweeted saying that he would be addressing the nation with an important message. He gave no details. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI: A Pew survey published weeks ahead of general elections showed that most Indians are happy with the direction of the country and economic prospects. However, the level of satisfaction has declined over time, the report said.

More than three-quarters of those polled said lack of employment opportunities is India’s biggest problem. The survey found out that the problem had not changed through most of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure.

The survey said concerns about terrorism and Pakistan loomed large.

Likewise, three-quarters of Indian citizens consider Pakistan a threat while 59 percent said terrorism had become worse.

54 percent people expressed satisfaction with the way democracy is working in the country, the survey found.

A total of 2,521 people were approached for their views in the survey run from May 23 to July 23, 2018. (Agencies)

PARIS: At a time when the US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing is strolling following crisis involving it jetliner 737 MAX, its European rival Airbus has said it has strike a deal with China to sell 300 passenger jets, international media reported.

The agreement to that end was reached during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to France, CNN reported. China is major market for airline manufacturers and Boeing and Airbus face tough competition.

The order covers 290 planes from the A320 family and 10 from the A350 line, the statement said, adding the deal was a sign of strong demand from all areas of China’s rapidly expanding aviation market, including “domestic, low cost, regional and international long haul”.

WASHINGTON: Chandrayaan 2, India’s second moon mission scheduled to be launched in April, would be carrying a NASA science probe, media reports said.

The Chandrayaan 2 will carry NASA-owned laser retro-reflector arrays, which allows scientists to make precise measurements of the distance to the Moon, according to the US space agency officials.

Science instruments will also be flying to the Moon aboard the Israeli lander Beresheet, due to touch down April 11, Besides Chandrayaan 2, reports said.

NEW DELHI: India’s main opposition Congress party said will provide 72,000 rupees to poor families every year if voted back to power.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi said this would be a “final assault” on poverty.

Gandhi on Monday said the program would benefit a total of 250 million of a population of 1.3 billion.

He labeled the program as an extremely powerful, dynamic, and a well-thought-through idea calling it a fiscally prudent scheme in phases.

Gandhi claimed they have done all the calculations, and asked the best economists. “Our party is going to implement it”, he said.

However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rebuffed the idea as an enticement. (Agencies)

BEIJING: The death toll from an explosion in a pesticide plant in eastern China’s Jiangsu province has climbed to 64, media reports said on Saturday.

The incident has been dubbed as of the worst industrial accidents in China. The explosion knocked down buildings, tossed children into air and caused a tremor equivalent to a magnitude-3.0 earthquake, officials said Saturday.

The officials said that 24 others were missing.

PRAYAGRAJ:  500 buses parade along 3.2-km stretch have set a Guinness  world record in India. The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) ran a fleet of 500 shuttle buses on a stretch of 3.2 kilometres between Sahson toll and Nawabganj toll plaza.

UPSRTC had issued directive to all the 18 regions of the state to send the buses along with manpower in the city by February 27. A couple of observers from the Guinness Book of the World Records witnessed the event and handed over a certificate to the winners. Till date, has Abu Dhabi held a record of running 390 buses in a parade.