Sunita Williams unfurls tricolour in space

August 15, 2012

sunitha_william

New Delhi, August 15: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams displayed the tricolour on board the International Space Station and wished Indians a very happy Independence Day.


"I wish India a very happy Independence Day for August 15... India is a wonderful country and I am very proud to be a part of India," Williams said in her message.


"Of course, you know that I am half Indian. My father is from Gujarat. India is a very colourful and wonderful place and I am very proud to be from there. Happy Independence Day to everybody in India," she added.


This history-making event occurred on the annual program hosted by Riti Sunshine Bhalla, when the Indian American Astronaut called out from the International Space Station. It was for the first time in 65 years since India gained freedom, an astronaut, Sunita Williams, greeted the people of India and the Indian people around the world from outer space.


"Thank you Riti Sunshine for inviting me to join in your Indian Independence celebration," said Williams, while displaying the tricolor on board the International Space Station. She also gave a guided tour of the Space Station.


The unique celebration of the 65th anniversary of India's independence in the International Space Station is the brainchild of Varinder Bhalla, producer and director of the program.


Extensive planning and coordination was done with the help of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
"Riti worked very hard for this program all summer," said Varinder Bhalla.


"Riti and I traveled to Boston to interview Dr. Deepak Pandya, the father of the Astronaut as well as the Governor of Massachusetts, where Williams grew up. We then traveled to Mumbai to videotape greetings from Bollywood celebrities for Sunita, all in a span of ten days," added the proud father of the teen host.


Over 100 million viewers across India are likely to watch the Astronaut's greetings, on 80 national and regional TV channels in India.


"Five years ago, we started the program with the intent to pay homage to the freedom fighters who gave up their lives so India could be free. This year, we are dedicating our Independence Day Special to Sunita Williams, who has made a billion people of India so proud," said Riti Sunshine.


Bollywood celebrities Yash Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt and Anushka Sharma also offered their greetings to Williams on the Riti Bhalla Special, the TV program named after the teen host, a student of New York University.


Bhalla, 18, started her annual Independence Day in 2008, when she was only 13 years old.


U.S. Senator Bob Menendez joined Riti Sunshine in the celebration for the fifth time in he last five years.


Congressman Steve Israel, a strong supporter of India on Capitol Hill, also participated in the televised celebration. Both offered their best wishes to the Indian American Astronaut and shared their pride with the people of India.


Since 2008, 10 governors of America, 22 senators and congressional leaders as well as the former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam, have appeared as guests on her Independence Day show, which is telecast in 23 countries.


Williams, 46, along with Yuri Malenchenko of Russia and Japan's Akihiko Hoshide left for the ISS aboard a Russian spacecraft Soyuz TMA-05M on July 15 from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.



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Agencies
April 2,2020
Thailand's controversial king has created a category of his own with his idea of self-isolation.
 
According to reports, King Maha Vajiralongkorn, also known as Rama X, has hired out an entire luxury hotel in Germany, where he has been 'self-isolating' with 20 women.
 
The luxury hotel, the Grand Hotel Sonnenbichl, is in the Alpine resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
 
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However, it is unclear if his four wives are currently living in the same hotel.

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Agencies
June 29,2020

Tehran, Jun 29: Iran has issued an arrest warrant and asked Interpol for help in detaining President Donald Trump and dozens of others it believes carried out the drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad, a local prosecutor reportedly said Monday.

While Trump faces no danger of arrest, the charges underscore the heightened tensions between Iran and the United States since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Tehran prosecutor Ali Alqasimehr said Trump and more than 30 others whom Iran accuses of involvement in the Jan. 3 strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad face “murder and terrorism charges,” the semiofficial ISNA news agency reported.

Alqasimehr did not identify anyone else sought other than Trump, but stressed that Iran would continue to pursue his prosecution even after his presidency ends.

Interpol, based in Lyon, France, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alqasimehr also was quoted as saying that Iran requested a “red notice” be put out for Trump and the others, which represents the highest level arrest request issued by Interpol. Local authorities end up making the arrests on behalf of the country that request it. The notices cannot force countries to arrest or extradite suspects, but can put government leaders on the spot and limit suspects’ travel.

After receiving a request, Interpol meets by committee and discusses whether or not to share the information with its member states. Interpol has no requirement for making any of the notices public, though some do get published on its website.

It is unlikely Interpol would grant Iran’s request as its guideline for notices forbids it from “undertaking any intervention or activities of a political” nature.

The U.S. killed Soleimani, who oversaw the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, and others in the January strike near Baghdad International Airport. It came after months of incidents raising tensions between the two countries and ultimately saw Iran retaliate with a ballistic missile strike targeting American troops in Iraq.

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Agencies
February 26,2020

Islamabad, Feb 26: Islamabad on Tuesday declared former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif an absconder while simultaneously denying extending bail to him.

The federal cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan, cited that Sharif failed to provide required medical reports and has violated the bail terms.

The government has also decided to freeze gas and electricity tariffs for the next four months, The Dawn reported.

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She further asserted that the Punjab government, which was authorized by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) to decide Sharif's case on medical grounds, had written several letters asking him to submit his medical report from any hospital in London. However, he failed to do so and only sent a certificate that was not accepted by the medical board.

"If he (Nawaz Sharif) is seriously ill then why a comprehensive medical report is not being submitted to the medical board," Firdous added.

Further, she said that the office of the opposition leader was also waiting for his younger brother and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, who was also staying in London for 'no reason'.

"He is getting a monthly salary and enjoying luxurious offices and other perks and privileges but not performing his duties required by his office and the people. Shahbaz Sahib, return to the country and justify your salary and other benefits being given from taxpayers' money," Firdous added.

On October 29 last year, the IHC granted bail for eight weeks to Sharif, who was convicted and disqualified in corruption cases, on medical grounds.

Sharif left Pakistan for London along with Shahbaz on November 19, 2019, for his medical treatments there.

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