Friday, 17 February 2012 04:44
World
Apostle of Love Leaves to His Eternal Source of Love; Metropolitan Mar Osthathios Passes Away.
Senior Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church Geevarghese Mar Osthathios (94) Thursday passed away at the Parumala hospital, Pathanamthitta.
Entombment of Metropolitan Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios will take place on Saturday, February 18 at the chapel of St. Paul’s Mission Training Center, Mavelikkara. The mortal remainings are kept at St. Peters and St. Pauls Church, Paruamala.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and former minister M.M. Baby had visited him on Thursday.
Metropolitans Dr. Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos of Niranam, Dr. Yuhanon Mar Theodoros of Kottrakkara-Punalur, Geevarghese Mar Ivanios of Kottayam, Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios of Thiruvananthapuram, Pualose Mar Pachomios of Mavelikkara, Dr. Mathews Mar Severios of Kandanadu West, Dr. Joshua Mar Nichodemus of Nilackal, Mathews Mar Theodosios of Idukki, and Dr. Abraham Mar Epiphanios of Sultan’s Battery were also at Parumala Hospital at the time of demise of the Metropolitan.
Ordained as a Deacon on 9 AUGUST 1947, as priest on 10 May 1956. Elected by the Malankara Syrian Christian Association as a Metropolitan on 2 Oct 1974. Professed as Ramban on 2 Oct 1974. On 15 Feb 1975 consecrated as Metropolitan. Took office as the Metropolitan of Niranam diocese on 1 April 1976. When H.G. Dr. Yuhanon Mar Chrysostomos Metropolitan took over the charge as the Metropolitan of Niranam diocese on 3 Jan 2007 His Grace was declared as the Senior Metropolitan of the diocese. Served as the president of Sleebadasa Samuham and the Kerala Council of Churches and was the member of Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. He is the founder of a good number of charitable programmes, mission centers and institutions which include Marriage Assistance Foundation, Sick Aid Foundation, Save A Heart Foundation, House Building Aid Fund, Mission Training Centre, M.G.D Ashram & Balabhavan Karunagiri, St Pauls Asram Puthuppady, Haripad Mission Centre, Yacharam St.Gregorios Balagram, Bethanya Bhavan, St.George Balikagram Pune etc... He is a world famous theologian, profound writer, orator, and owner of a very versatile personality.
More Info >> http://www.geevarghesemarosthathios.info/
Thursday, 29 December 2011 15:52
World
US warns Iran against closing oil route.
Tensions were mounting between Iran and the United States last night over threats by Iran to block the world's most important oil shipping route.
Iran's navy chief yesterday claimed that closing the Strait of Hormuz to ships would be "really easy".
It was the second such warning by Iran in two days, reflecting Tehran's concern that the West is about to impose new sanctions that could hit the country's biggest source of revenue, oil. The Strait of Hormuz is a 6.4km wide channel between Iran and Oman at the mouth of the Gulf through which more than one-third of the world's tanker-borne oil, or about 15 million barrels of oil, pass daily. Most of the crude exported from Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq - together with nearly all the liquefied natural gas from lead exporter Qatar - must pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the US military issued a statement saying it would not allow any disruption of shipping traffic. "Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated," said a US military spokesman.
A British Foreign Office spokesman called the Iranian threat "rhetoric," saying: "Iranian politicians regularly use this type of rhetoric to distract attention from the real issue of their nuclear programme."
Thursday, 29 December 2011 15:49
World
Five states to go to polls January-March
Elections will be held to the Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand assemblies between Jan 28 and March 3, 2012, and votes will be counted March 4.
Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Qureshi told media persons that while balloting in Uttar Pradesh will be spread over seven phases, the other four states will have a single-day voting.
The elections will kick off from Manipur Jan 28, followed by Punjab and Uttarakhand on Jan 30. Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, will see polling spread over Feb 4, 8, 11, 15, 19, 23 and 28. Goa will go to polls March 3.
A total of 137 million people will be eligible to vote in all five states. Uttar Pradesh, with 403 seats, alone accounts for 111.9 million voters. Punjab (117 seats) has 17.4 million voters, Uttarakhand (70 seats) 5.7 million, Manipur (60 seats) 1.6 million, while Goa (40 seats) has just one million voters.
Qureshi said candidates would be required to open a new bank account from which alone they can spend money on their campaign. "This will help facilitate monitoring." A 24-hour call centre would be operational for the first time to register poll related complaints. It can be reached on telephone number 1950, which happens to be the year the Election Commission was constituted. He urged candidates and political parties not to seek votes in the name of caste and communities, and said no election campaign would be permitted in religious shrines.
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Sunday, 27 November 2011 20:40
World
Pakistan orders US to leave airbase in row over deadly Nato assault
Pakistan has given the US 15 days to vacate an airbase used as a key launchpad for drone strikes in Afghanistan in retaliation for a mistaken attack on a Pakistani border outpost that killed at least 24 soldiers and injured many.
Pakistan announced that the government would "revisit and undertake a complete review of all programmes, activities and co-operative arrangements" with the US, and US-led forces in Afghanistan, "including diplomatic, political, military and intelligence".
The deaths of the Pakistani soldiers will fuel anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, a key US ally. Although there have been previous deaths of Pakistani troops caused by mistaken fire from coalition aircraft, the scale of the bloodshed this time was far greater.
Pakistan is considering boycotting an international conference on the future of Afghanistan in retaliation for the deaths of 24 Pakistani soldiers who came under attack from Nato helicopters at a border checkpost.
Sunday, 27 November 2011 20:38
World
India-China meeting off over Dalai Lama
A meeting between Indian and Chinese diplomats has been cancelled after Beijing objected to a scheduled speech in New Delhi by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama
The two Asian powers were scheduled to start the next round in long-running talks to resolve a border dispute over Arunachal Pradesh, the Indian state which China claims as south Tibet, on Monday. Dai Bingguo, China’s top foreign policy official, was to travel to the Indian capital for discussions with Shivshankar Menon, India’s national security adviser.
The Dalai Lama was to address the valedictory function of the four-day Global Buddhist Congregation, co-organised by the Public Diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry. The Indian side is believed to have conveyed to China that it was of a religious nature and not a political event and it cannot cancel it.
Sunday, 27 November 2011 20:37
World
Arab League to Vote on Sanctions Against Syria
The Arab League is preparing to vote on sweeping sanctions against Syria, which it has previously suspended from the 22-strong regional group.
The sanctions are expected to include the suspension of commercial flights to Syria from Arab countries, a travel ban on officials and politicians, a halt to all dealings with the Syrian central bank and a stoppage of all Arab projects in Syria.
The sanctions must be approved by two-thirds of the organization’s 22 members. If imposed, they would be another blow to the Syrian economy, which is already suffering from sanctions by the European Union and the United States.
The vote was scheduled after Damascus said it would not admit Arab civilian and military observers into Syria. The 500 monitors were to oversee the implementation of a peace plan that Damascus accepted on Nov 2 to end more than eight months of bloodshed that has killed, according to the United Nations, more than 3,500.
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