New Delhi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said India's longest Chenani-Nashri tunnel that links Kashmir with Jammu will be rechristened after Bhartiya Jansangh founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 had dedicated to the nation this 9.2 km long tunnel that reduces the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by 31 km.

Terming the decision historic, the road transport and highways minister Gadkari said this will be a humble homage to the Jansangh founder given his battle for Kashmir's integration to the nation.

"Historic! Chenani- Nashri Tunnel on NH 44, in Jammu and Kashmir to be named after Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee. This is our humble homage to Shyama Prasad Ji whose battle for Kashmir, One Nation One Flag has immensely contributed in national integration," Gadkari said in a tweet.

The decision comes over two months after abrogation of the provisions of Article 370. President Ram Nath Kovind on August 7 had declared abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution after both houses of Parliament had passed a resolution in this regard.

Mumbai opening batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed his way into record books on Wednesday. At 17 years and 292 days, Yashasvi Jaiswal became the youngest in the world to score a double hundred in 50-overs cricket including List A and ODIs. He broke the record by almost 3 years in the Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Jharkhand. The youngest before Yashasvi was Alan Barrow, who scored a double ton at age of 20 years, 273 days in South Africa’s domestic cricket way back in 1975.

Yashavi scored 203 off 154 balls which included 12 sixes and 17 fours. The left-hander’s blistering innings propelled Mumbai to 358 for 3 batting first against Jharkhand at Alur, Bengaluru in a Vijay Hazare trophy Elite Group A match.

On October 17, 1987, thousands of people congregated at the Trocadero in Paris, where in 1948 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger. Those gathered, proclaimed that poverty is a violation of human rights and confirmed that people need to come together to ensure these rights are honoured. These rights were inscribed in a commemorative stone unveiled that day by Father Joseph Wresinski, founder of the International Movement ATD Fourth World. Since then, people have gathered on October 17 every year to renew their commitment to the poor, a day which has come to be known as International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The General Assembly declared October 17 as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, through resolution 47/196 adopted on December 22, 1992.

Islamabad: In a major development, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Tuesday decided "in principle" that Pakistan will remain on its grey list till February 2020 and directed the country to take "extra measures" for the "complete elimination" of terror financing and money laundering.

The meeting of the international watchdog reviewed the measures taken by Pakistan to control money laundering and terror financing, and observed that Islamabad will have to take further steps on the two parameters in these four months, reported Dawn.

The formal announcement of these decisions will be made on 18 October.

India is ranked 102 of 117 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2019, behind its neighbours Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Seventeen countries, including Belarus, Ukraine, Turkey, Cuba and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI scores of less than five, the website of the Global Hunger Index that tracks hunger and malnutrition said. The report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe termed the level of hunger in India “serious”.

In 2018, it was ranked 103 out of 119 countries. In 2000, the country was ranked 83 out of 113 countries. Now, with 117 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 102.

On the occasion of World Food Day, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan launched Food Safety Mitra Scheme, Eat Right Jacket and Eat Right Jhola. Addressing a gathering in New Delhi today, he said, Eat Right India and Fit India Campaign can prove to be a big success with the right strategy and implementation. The Minister urged people to reduce ghee, salt and ghee in food.
 
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced scheme of Food Safety Mitra (FSM) through which it plans to engage motivated individuals with the food safety ecosystem at ground level. A FSM is an individual professional certified by FSSAI who assists in compliances related to FSS Act, Rules & Regulations with three avatars- Digital Mitra, Trainer Mitra and Hygiene Mitra depending upon their respective roles and responsibilities. During the event, the Minister also launched Eat Right Jhola which is a reusable, washable and bio-degradable bag.

India slipped to the 102 spot in the Global Hunger Index which features 117 countries, according to Concern Worldwide, an aid agency which compiles the report.

India was the lowest ranked South Asian country in Global Hunger Index even behind Pakistan which was ranked 94th. Indeed, India is also ranked below countries such as North Korea at 92.

The report warned that the progress towards a 2030 zero hunger target that was agreed upon by leaders across the words was “under threat”.

The report, topped by Central African Republic, said that it was becoming difficult to feed the world due to climate change.It said that while there has been progress in reducing hunger, but the gains are now being threatened and severe hunger persists in many regions across the world.

Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh on Tuesday inaugurated the 41st DRDO Directors Conference in New Delhi.

He said that DRDO has played significant role in ensuring technological advancement of our forces and safeguarding our country.

Chiefs of the three forces & DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the conference, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said that armies that were better equipped always called the shots and decided the destiny of mankind.

They were always the one which had higher technologies. However,India's own historical experience on this has not been good.

He said that besides use of better technologies, integration of technology is the need of the hour.

He added that DRDO can play a significant role in becoming a catalyst in absorption of technology.

The International Cricket Council has readmitted Zimbabwe as a member following a three-month ban.

Zimbabwe, who failed to qualify for this year's World Cup, were suspended from ICC events in July because of political interference.

They are now eligible to play in the men's Under-19 World Cup in January.

However, the lifting of the ban comes too late for Friday's 2020 World Twenty20 qualifying tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

It was agreed in August that Nigeria would replace them in the 14-team round-robin event.

Air India on Tuesday became the first airline in the world to use a Taxibot on a A320 aircraft with passengers onboard.

Taxibot is a robot-used aircraft tractor for taxiing an aircraft from parking bay to runway and vice versa.

On Tuesday morning, the national carrier's Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani flagged off flight AI665 - which was carried to runway using Taxibot at terminal 3 of the Delhi airport - to Mumbai.

With Taxibot it is possible to tow an aircraft from the parking bay to the runway with its engines switched off.

It is a pilot controlled semi-robotic towbarless aircraft tractor used as an alternate taxiing equipment.

"The use of Taxibot on the Air India aircraft at Indira Gandhi International Airport today morning is the first such usage on any Airbus aircraft worldwide. Really an achievement to be proud of. A giant step forward towards a cleaner environment," Lohani said.