Submit your Article

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that it is his dream to ensure that every Indian has his own house by 2022. 
Prime Minister Modi, who is on a visit to Gujarat for a day to inaugurate a series of schemes, was speaking at a function of certificate distribution to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) here. 

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said, "It is my dream; it is our endeavour to ensure that every Indian has his own house by 2022. Till now, we only heard about politicians getting their own residence. Now, we are hearing about the poor getting their own homes." 

Prime Minister Modi asserted that homes under the PMAY-G scheme came up successfully because of the absence of middlemen. "I got an opportunity to talk to women across the state today who got their homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin. The wonderful homes under this scheme are being made possible because there are no middlemen in it," Prime Minister added. 

Referring the women of Gujarat as his sisters, Prime Minister Modi said that gifting them houses ahead of the Raksha Bandhan festival would give him great satisfaction. "When festival of Raksha Bandhan is around the corner, nothing can be better than getting a house as a gift. Just days before the festival, gifting a house as a brother to more than one lakh families give great satisfaction to me," he noted. 

During the event, Prime Minister Modi distributed certificates and employment letters to selected beneficiaries under various development schemes including the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Mukhya Mantri Gramodaya Yojana and the National Rural Livelihood Mission. He also distributed appointment letters and mini-ATMs to women bank correspondents. 

Later in the day, the Prime Minister will also visit Junagadh to inaugurate several development projects, including a government civil hospital, 13 projects of Junagadh Municipal Corporation and a milk processing plant at Khokharda. He will also deliver the convocation address of the Gujarat Forensic Sciences University at Gandhinagar before attending a meeting at the Somnath Trust in Gandhinagar. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump's national security adviser warned Wednesday that the United States will respond "very strongly" if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad uses chemical weapons in an offensive to retake Idlib province. 

Speaking at a press conference during a visit to Jerusalem, John Bolton also said that the Trump administration was not seeking to oust Iran's leadership with its reimposition of sanctions on Tehran. 

"Regime change in Iran is not American policy but what we want is massive change in the regime's behaviour," he said. AFP

All the attackers who fired rockets into Kabul city on Tuesday morning had been killed and the cleanup operation was over, Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danesh said. 

A group of militants occupied a building in Kabul city on Tuesday morning and began attacking government buildings and installations, triggering a gun battle. 

"All the attackers, possibly two or three terrorists, occupied a building to terrorize people by firing but all of them were killed in gunshots by security personnel," Danesh told reporters at the site of the incident. 

He also asserted that only two police personnel were injured in the fight. 

However, a local media outlet the Tolonews reported that the residents had counted as many as 22 rockets fired by militants. Reportedly two people had been killed and four others injured. 

Earlier, Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai confirmed that three rockets fired by militants slammed into Police District 10 and Police District 2 but caused no loss of life. 

The rocket attacks on Kabul city took place just one day after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani announced a three-month conditional ceasefire starting on Monday, a day before Eidul Adha, the Muslims' largest annual religious festival observed on Tuesday Aug. 21, urging Taliban outfit to follow suit. 

Taliban militants, according to Afghans, have rejected the government's offer of ceasefire by firing rockets on the city. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.  XINHUA

Gunshots were fired early Monday at the US embassy in Ankara but caused no casualties, Turkish and American officials said, amid escalating tensions between the two NATO allies. 

Six shots were fired at the US embassy, the Ankara governor's office said, adding that three bullets hit the iron gate and exterior wall. 

"There are no casualties," it added. US embassy spokesman David Gainer confirmed to AFP that a "security incident" had taken place. "We have no reports of any injuries and we are investigating the details. We thank the Turkish National Police for their rapid response," he said. 

A bullet mark was clearly visible on a security booth at the embassy, an AFP journalist at the scene reported. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu condemned the "provocative attack" in a message on Twitter. 

"We will make sure that this incident is investigated quickly and the perpetrators are brought to justice," he said. 
The Turkish foreign ministry said measures were taken to "ensure the security of the US embassy in Ankara, other US missions and their personnel" across the country. 

The incident comes as Ankara and Washington are locked in a bitter dispute over Turkey's detention of an American pastor on terror-related charges. 

US President Donald Trump has doubled the tariffs on aluminium and steel tariffs from Turkey, prompting Ankara to sharply hike tariffs on several US products. 

On Friday, Turkey threatened to respond in kind if Washington imposed further sanctions, while a court rejected last week another appeal to free pastor Andrew Brunson. 

The diplomatic stand-off has sent the Turkish currency into free fall against dollar, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowing to lead the country out of the crisis. 

Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin blasted the attack at the US embassy as an attempt to "create chaos". 
"Turkey is a safe country and all foreign missions are safeguarded by law," he wrote on Twitter. 

In a written statement ahead of the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, Erdogan remained defiant over the US sanctions. 
"The attack aimed at our economy has no difference from an attack aimed at our call to prayer or flag," he said. 
The president said those who believe they will bring Turkey to its knees through the foreign currency exchange rate "will soon see they are mistaken." AFP

 Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has heaped praise on Lionel Messi's start to the Liga season after the Argentine bounced back from a disappointing World Cup with two goals against Alaves. 
Messi sent an audacious second-half free-kick under the jumping wall and into the net for the opener, and Barca's 6,000th La Liga goal, at the Camp Nou on Saturday before slotting in his second in injury-time after Philippe Coutinho had also scored in the 3-0 win. 
"With Messi, you can expect absolutely anything," Valverde said. "He sees things that others don't see on the pitch. 
"Sometimes we get too used to seeing it, he does things like he did today and we want him to pull a rabbit of the hat every time. 
"He's a genius and we're lucky to be able to see him play every day." 
Messi has been left out of Argentina's squad for the first post-World Cup friendlies following reports that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner asked to be excused from the four games. 
He was unable to prevent a shambolic Argentina side from being knocked out of the World Cup in the last 16 stage in a 4-3 defeat to eventual winners France. AFP

New Delhi (India), Aug 17 (ANI) Thousands of people flocked the roads in the national capital on Friday to pay last respects to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was cremated with full state honour at Smriti Sthal here. 

India's 10th Prime Minister breathed his last at 5:05 pm on Thursday after spending nine weeks at the All India Institute of Medical Science, where he was undergoing treatment for Urinary Tract Infection, low urine output and chest congestion. He was 93. 

His daughter Namita Bhattacharya lit the funeral pyre, while the Tricolour, wrapped around the glass coffin of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was handed over to his granddaughter Niharika. He was accorded rifle salute. 

President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP president Amit Shah, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, among various other national leaders attended the cremation ceremony to pay homage to the beloved leader. 

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa also paid their last tribute to Vajpayee. 

The ceremony was also attended by a string of foreign dignitaries including King of Bhutan Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, Sri Lanka's acting Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella and former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. 

Earlier in the day, the cadaver was taken out from the newly built Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters - the walls of which saw Vajpayee for the first and the last time. People sprinkled rose petals on their beloved leader as his final journey began towards Smriti Sthal - a large piece of land with manicured grass behind the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah followed their leader through the lanes of Darya Ganj leading up to Rajghat. 

Vajpayee, who led the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government from 1998 to 2004, was the first-ever member of the Bharatiya Janata Party to become India's Prime Minister. He was given Bharat Ratna - India's highest civilian honour - in 2015. (ANI)

Don’t let the name ‘Coffee Pasal’ fool you. You get a lot more than just coffee in there and it is in no way a ‘pasal’, but rather a complete departmental store if you will. So alongside an extended menu for coffee-based drinks, Coffee Pasal also offers breakfast sets, snacks, main courses for lunch and dinner as well as an assortment of tastiest pastries. There are smoking and non-smoking seat­ing arrangements, and plenty of books and reading material to while away your time. If you’re there to spend time, Arun Ghimire, the co-owner, offers you plenty of “chiya guff”, talking passionately about coffee or anything else you’d like to discuss. Besides its delectable food and coffee, his hospitality is considered another strong point of Coffee Pasal. Go get a steaming cuppa.

THE MENU

Chef’s Special:

- Brekkie@Narayanhity

- Oz Style Bush Steak

- Mushroom Risotto

Opening hours: 8 am to 10 pm

Location: Durbarmarg, Ktm

Cards: Accepted

Meal for 2: Rs 2,500

Reservations: 01-4246483

The Nepal Transport Workers Association has said that the decision of the government to dissolve transport associations and committee has laid off some 15,000 transport employees. 

The 15,000 employees were working for the 400 committees active across the country and they have all lost their job as result of the government's decision, the Association Chair Dharma Raj Bhandari said. 

The meeting Saturday of the Association has also objected to the provision made in the new civil code, which has prescribed 10 years in prison to a driver who is responsible for accident leading to fatalities. 

The meeting decision to run a nationwide campaign for a new structure as per the statute amended by the last general assembly, expand organisation in new locations, enforce minimum wage in all transport workers, exert pressure for enforcement of the social security act and form thematic committee to assign responsibilities. 

Bhandari also said the Association will work with the Nepal Trade Union Congress to ensure that the rights and well-being of the transport workers are guaranteed across the country. RSS