Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s premier news agency, having a reach as vast as the Indian Railways. It employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.

Thomas Muller will be World Cup’s top goal scorer: Gerd Muller

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Germany’s scoring machine in the 1970s Gerd Muller, also known as “Der Bomber”, said that current midfielder Thomas Muller will get the FIFA World Cup goal record.

Muller scored his first hat-trick in the World Cup match against Portugal in their Group G opener at Salvador, reports EFE.

Speaking about the Bayern Munich midfielder, Muller said: “The lad’s fast, he’s got a good technique. He’s going to be a great player.”

Muller senior expects that the 24-years-old “will eventually get the World Cup goal record as he still has two or three more World Cups in him”.

Spanish athletes support football team despite defeat

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Many Spanish athletes tweeted supportive messages for their football team which was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup following a 0-2 defeat against Chile Wednesday.

Real Madrid’s right back Alvaro Arbeloa, who was not called up to join the national team, tweeted: “I feel sorry for them. Perhaps this is the worst way to leave the World Cup but this is sport and sometimes these things happen.”

Spanish youngster Jesé Rodríguez tweeted, “You are the best. No matter what happens, always with Spain” and attached a picture of the national team celebrating a previous win.

Ronaldo tops list of World Cup highest paid players

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Real Madrid’s Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo tops Forbes magazine’s list of highest paid footballers in the FIFA World Cup.

Ronaldo, who is paid $80 million a year, came ahead of Barcelona’s Argentine striker Lionel Messi, who earns $64.7 million, reports EFE.

List of top-10 highest-paid players now participating in World Cup:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) (Real Madrid) $80 million
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) (Barcelona) $64.7 million
3. Neymar (Brazil) (Barcelona) $33.6 million
4. Wayne Rooney (England) (Manchester United) $23.4 million

Himachal seeks central funds for modernisation of airports

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Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Board vice-chairman Vijay Singh Mankotia Thursday sought central funds for modernisation of airports and starting regular flights in the state, an official statement said.

Mankotia, who called on union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju here, stressed the need for modernisation of the airports and starting regular and adequate flights for the state to serve the needs of high-end tourists.

Golfer Smriti takes lead in Hero golf

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Overnight joint leader Smriti Mehra played a consistent round to lead the field after 36 holes in the sixth leg of the Rs.7 lakh Hero Women’s Professional Golf Tour here Thursday.

The veteran carded 1 under 70 to finish at four under 138 after Round 2 at the picturesque Lidder Valley Golf Course.

Order of Merit leader Vani Kapoor of Delhi played a consistent round to improve to second position, trailing Smriti by a single shot. Vani too carded 1 under 70 to finish with a total of 3 under 139.

Russia eyes new strategic vision of cooperation with India

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Russia is eyeing a new “strategic vision” of bilateral cooperation with India in areas like nuclear energy and hopes this will be taken forward during President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India later this year for the annual summit between the two countries, Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin has said.

23 militants killed in Pakistani operations

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The Pakistan Army said Thursday that 23 more foreign and local terrorists were killed in North Waziristan tribal region as the security forces continued their major offensive.

The army, backed by fighter jets and gunships, Sunday launched a major operation against the militants hiding in North Waziristan.

An army statement said that 15 terrorists were killed in Zartatangi mountain heights of Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, by army gunship Cobra helicopters late Wednesday when spotted, Xinhua reported.

NDMA vice chairman resigns

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NDMA vice chairman M. Shashidhar Reddy Thursday resigned from his post, an official said.

Reddy, a Congress leader from Telangana, was appointed as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman when the body was formed in 2005. He was reappointed to the post in 2010 for another five years.

An official from the NDMA confirmed that he has resigned, adding that some other members have also sent in their resignations.

This measure came after the prime minister’s office asked the members to resign, the official said.

The NDMA is headed by the prime minister.

India Couture Week to begin July 15

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Fashion Design Council of India’s (FDCI) six-day India Couture Week (ICW) will be held at the Taj Palace Hotel here from July 15. The event will showcase collections of designers like Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra and Manish Arora.

The participating designers also include Anamika Khanna, Anju Modi, Gaurav Gupta, Monisha Jaising, Rina Dhaka, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Varun Bahl.

Anita Dongre to nurture six budding designers

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As part of the Gen Next programme of Lakmé Fashion Week (LFW), fashion designer Anita Dongre will mentor six young talents, who will get the opportunity to present their creations at the upcoming Lakmé Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2014.

This is the 18th batch of the programme. The six young designers – Anuj Bhutani, Arunima Majhi, Dhruv Kapoor, Kristy De Cunha, Neha Agarwal and Surbhi Shekhar – were chosen by the LFW Advisory board.

The winners will be mentored by Dongre.

Time to think about Spain’s future: Del Bosque

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Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque lamented his side’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup due to their 0-2 loss to Chile in a Group B match, saying that it is time to think about the future.

“We pushed forward but did not have any luck. Now it is time to think about the team’s future or mine. There will be plenty of time for that but not right now. We don’t have any excuses. We didn’t meet the standards expected of us though I would like to say that the team showed character,” del Bosque said, reports EFE.

Quest for education creating ghost towns in Himalayas!

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Ethnic Tibetan communities in Nepal’s highlands are rapidly shrinking as more parents send their children away for a better education and modern careers, reveals a new study.

The trend is threatening to create a region of ghost towns in the Himalayas, the study warns.

“Migration of young people, a low birth rate and population ageing raises the chances of a massive population decline that has already exceeded 30 percent in the past decade in some communities,” said study co-author Sienna Craig, associate professor at New Hampshire-based Dartmouth College.

Cameroon coach ‘disgusted’ after player head-butts teammate

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Cameroon’s FIFA World Cup campaign sunk into ignominy Wednesday when Benoit Assou-Ekotto head-butted teammate Benjamin Moukandjo during their 0-4 loss to Croatia.

The pair had to be separated by striker Pierre Webo after clashing in the 90th minute of the one-sided encounter at the Amazonia Arena. After the match, a furious Cameroon coach Volker Finke vowed to ascertain the cause of the incident, reports Xinhua.

“It’s clear we have to find the reasons what’s going on because such behaviour is really disgusting. It won’t do, it’s impossible,” Finke said.

‘Loves me, loves me not’ riddle may ruin your sex life

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Do you keep thinking whether your partner loves you or not? You could be suffering from relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD) that is detrimental to your sex life.

People who worry about whether their partners love them – or whether they love their partner – could have a damaging impact on their own sex lives, the study warns.

“ROCD symptoms are often overlooked by family and couple therapists,” said researcher Guy Doron of Interdisciplinary Centre (IDC) Herzliya in Israel.

This is the end of an era: Xabi Alonso

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Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso has admitted that his side has lost its way after being eliminated by Chile from the group stage of the FIFA World Cup, adding that it is the end of an era.

The defending champions were knocked out of the tournament after losing 0-2 to Chile at the Maracana Stadium here Wednesday, reports EFE.

“In football, the end of an era is usually signalled by a defeat. Maybe now is the time to start thinking about making changes,” said Alonso.

Iraq’s PM rejects calls to quit

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Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he will not quit as a condition for air support against Sunni militants after US President Barack Obama came under pressure from senior politicians to persuade the leader to step down, a British daily reported Thursday.

Uruguay captain Lugano to miss England game

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Uruguay captain Diego Lugano will miss his team’s decisive FIFA World Cup Group D game against England Thursday.

Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) information department head Matias Faral said Lugano is suffering from an injury in his left knee. His pain escalated in the past few days and physical therapy did not help him, reports EFE.

According to medics, the injury will not need surgery.
(IANS/EFE)

Sensex falls for second day; ends 44 points down

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The Indian stock markets’ key indices closed in the red for the second straight day Thursday as oil and gas stocks slumped on escalating tensions in Iraq.

The 30-scrip S&P Sensex (sensitive index) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened in the positive at 25,327.09 points, ended the day at 25,201.80 points, down 0.18 percent or 44.45 points from its previous day’s close at 25,246.25 points.

The index witnessed volatile session touching a high of 25,425.85 points and low of 25,069.66 points in the intra-day.

App can change your nail colour in seconds!

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So you want to change your nail paint everyday but don’t have enough time or patience? Worry not, a new app can take care of that.

The new concept puts tiny screens with a wireless connection on each nail, allowing patterns to be instantly changed from an app.

Each nail is a small screen, complete with power source and wireless communication system. Designs are selected via an app, and then synced to the nail.

Users can choose from designer nails, or create their own. An app is used to choose a pattern, which is then sent to the nail, changing it instantly.

Security of Indian nationals in Iraq highest priority’

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The Indian government is giving the highest priority to the welfare and security of its nationals abducted in Iraq, the ministry of external affairs said Thursday.

“Our embassy in Baghdad is persistently following the matter with Iraqi officials. The government is giving the highest priority to the matter and the welfare and security of Indian nationals in Iraq remain our primary concern,” ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told media here.

He said a Crisis Management Group here held two meetings chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to discuss further strategy.

Am against riots, won’t allow any communal tension: Mamata

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In a veiled attack on the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday vouched her support for the development of the minority communities in the state and strongly asserted her government will not tolerate communal tensions.

Addressing a function organised here by the state minority affairs ministry, Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, fired a salvo at the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying “some people get charged up on hearing the word minority”.

Rajasthan boy tops IIT JEE advance exams

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Chitraang Murdia from Rajasthan has topped the IIT JEE advance examination, the results of which were declared Thursday.

Murdia who secured 97 percent in class 12, wants to go to the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mumbai.

“There is a slight confusion over what I opt for between two branches – computer science and electrical engineering. I want to pursue a career in research so that I can work for people,” Murdia said after the results were declared.

In Delhi, Srajan Garg has topped the examination and secured rank 21st in the country.

Juvenile Justice Act to be re-legislated

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The central government has decided to repeal the existing Juvenile Justice Act and re-legislate it after holding widespread consultations with stakeholders, an official statement said here Thursday.

A draft of the proposed Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, incorporating suggestions already received during previous consultation process has been prepared and uploaded on the union women and child development ministry’s website, the statement said.

Project Islamic countries as homogenous force: Morocco

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Islamic countries need to impose themselves as a homogeneous and influential force to address the problems besetting the Islamic world, Morocco’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Salaheddine Mezouar has said.

“We will not be able to take on challenges ahead of us and impose ourselves as a homogeneous and influential force until we succeed in unifying our ranks and address our problems with courage and insightfulness,” Mezouar said Wednesday, the first day of the two-day 41st session of the foreign ministers council of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation being held here.

Japan coach cautious ahead of Greece match

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Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni has kept a cautious attitude towards compact opponent Greece in the FIFA World Cup Group C match to be held at the Arena das Dunas here Thursday.

Both Japan and Greece are fighting for their survival following respective defeats to Cote d’Ivoire and Colombia, reports Xinhua.

Keisuke Honda gave the Asian champions the lead in the opener against Cote d’Ivoire Saturday but, inspired by Didier Drogba, the Africans hit back with two goals to leave the Blue Samurai’s hopes in the balance.