Sinopec seeks govt support to expedite USD 3.7 bn oil refinery construction
Chinese energy giant Sinopec on Wednesday sought the Sri Lankan government’s help in expediting the construction of a USD 3.7 billion oil refinery at the island nation’s strategic Hambantota port, according to a statement. An agreement to build the state-of-the-art oil refinery was signed between the two nations in January during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s visit to China. However, its commencement has been slow-going. A delegation of the oil company called on Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath to discuss the slow progress of the project, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The delegation, led by the company’s vice president, sought government assistance to iron out remaining difficulties to expedite the work, it said. The refinery, with a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day, is said to become the main attraction at an investment zone around the Chinese-built Hambantota port. China secured a long-term lease to build the economic zone. It also secured the Hambantota port on a 99-year lease as a debt swap.
CBI arrests NHIDCL executive director in Rs 10 lakh bribery case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday arrested the Executive Director and the Regional Officer of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Regional Office, Guwahati, while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a private person, according to an official press release. The CBI registered the instant case, based on source information, against the Executive Director and Regional Officer of NHIDCL, Regional Office, Guwahati, and two representatives of a private company. CBI laid a trap on October 14 and caught the accused Executive Director and one private person while the public servant was accepting bribe of Rs 10 lakh from the private person for issuance of favourable extension of time (EOT) and Completion Certificate of the work performed by the private company about the contract of 4-Laning of National Highway-37 between Demow to End of Moran Bypass besides other contracts in the State of Assam. Searches were conducted at seven office and residential premises of the accused persons at different locations throughout India. During the searches at the premises of the accused public servant, Cash of Rs. 2.62 crores has been seized. Further investigation revealed the acquisition of properties, namely 9 landed properties and 20 apartments, throughout India, in the names of a public servant and his family members. Moreover, documents about the purchase of high-end vehicles in the name of a public servant have also been recovered. Further verification of the immovable/movable properties of the accused public servant is in progress. Both the arrested accused persons will be produced in the Court of Special Judge, CBI Cases, Guwahati, today.
Jairam Ramesh reveals hidden History, unveils Nehru’s forgotten speech
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has brought to light a lesser-known moment in Indian history, highlighting a largely forgotten speech delivered by Jawaharlal Nehru in Hindustani on the night of August 14, 1947—just before his iconic “Tryst with Destiny” address. According to Ramesh, Nehru began his speech in Hindustani, speaking for about six minutes before transitioning to his famous English speech. This Hindustani speech, Ramesh noted, was lyrical and captured the essence of “Tryst with Destiny.” Both the text and audio recording of the Hindustani speech are available, offering a glimpse into India’s history. The Constituent Assembly met at 11 pm on August 14, 1947, and Nehru’s “Tryst with Destiny” speech was delivered just before midnight. While the iconic speech has become synonymous with India’s independence, the preceding Hindustani speech has largely gone unnoticed. Ramesh’s discovery highlights Nehru’s linguistic versatility and his ability to connect with the masses through his mother tongue. This revelation has sparked interest in exploring more of India’s hidden historical treasures.
Sunny Leone wishes daughter Nisha on 10th birthday, calls her “bright shining star sent from heaven”
Bollywood actress Sunny Leone took to her social media account to share a heartwarming post on the occasion of her daughter Nisha Kaur Webber’s 10th birthday. The actress penned a loving note expressing affection for her eldest child, marking the special day with an intimate family celebration at home. Sharing a series of adorable pictures from the birthday celebration, Sunny captioned the post, “Happy 10th birthday. I love you so so much. You’re a bright shining star sent from heaven. We all are so proud of you,” tagging Nisha on her social media account. The pictures shared by Sunny on her carousel post showcased herself, her husband Daniel Webber, and their three children, Nisha, Noah, and Asher, gathered around a beautiful birthday cake. The birthday girl is seen dressed in a casual t-shirt with a pink sash that reads “Birthday Girl”. The little girl is seen smiling as her parents and brothers help her cut the cake and feed each other. Sunny’s post quickly received love from fans and fellow industry celebrities who flooded the comment section in wishing Sunny’s little girl on her special day. For the uninitiated, Nisha Kaur Webber was adopted by Sunny Leone and Daniel Webber in 2017 from an orphanage in Latur, Maharashtra. A year later, the couple welcomed twin boys, Asher and Noah, via surrogacy. But the blessing of parenthood did not come easily to Sunny and her husband, Daniel Weber. The couple had to go through a series of emotional ups and downs to finally see their dream of a happy family getting fulfilled. Sunny, who had appeared on actress Soha Ali Khan’s podcast, explained the entire journey to parenthood. Sunny explained, “We had four girls and two boys but that didn’t work out. One day she’s (surrogate) like, ‘I am pregnant.’ But we found out that the sack was blank. The baby was not going to grow.” She further expressed how it was extremely tough to accept the constant setbacks. “We were like, ‘Did we do something? Does God not love us? Why is this happening? And why can’t we just adopt a little girl?” The actress also spoke on the process of adoption and how her daughter, Nisha, all of just 18 months then, came into their lives and made them experience parenthood. “In that time of losing those four girls, we applied for adoption. We tell Nisha that she chose us. You picked us as parents. We didn’t pick you, obviously. Nisha was just 18 months, but she was the size of a one-year-old. But I see her for the first time, and it’s like, “That’s my baby!!” exclaimed Sunny. “There was an instant connection. It’s like instant, like she’s mine and not anybody else’s now. That’s Nisha Kaur Weber!” explained Sunny.
