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.

Four tourists killed in Himachal bus accident

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At least four tourists were killed and over 20 others injured when a private bus skidded off the road and rolled down a gorge in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district Monday evening, police said.

The toll could increase as rescue work is on.

The bus carried around 50 tourists, mostly from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and was on its way from Renuka to Paonta Sahib in the hill state.

It met with an accident near Madna Ghat, some 15 km from Renuka and 50 km from district headquarters Nahan, Assistant Superintendent of Police B.S. Thakur told IANS.

Mumbai gets two critical road links

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Mumbaikars were Monday finally rewarded with two critical north-south road infrastructure projects – the Panjrapole-Ghatkopar Link Road on the Eastern Freeway Project and the south-bound arm of the Kherwadi Junction flyover.

Inaugurating the two projects, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan assured the city that the north-bound arm of the Kherwadi Junction flyover in Bandra on the Western Express Highway would be completed in 7-8 months.

“Both these projects will certainly change the way in which Mumbaikars travel,” Chavan said.

Man held for extortion call to former mariner

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A 21-year-old man has been arrested here for demanding Rs.5 crore from a retired captain of the merchant navy, police said Monday.

Vinit Makol, who wanted to recoup the loss he incurred while betting during the Indian Premier League (IPL), was arrested from west Delhi’s Subhash Nagar Sunday, police said.

Makol, along with his friend Sanjeev alias Bobby, had bet Rs.40 lakh in the IPL.

Police said they sent a message to the retired captain’s phone, saying his son will be killed if he did not give them Rs.5 crore.

Makol’s brother is a business partner of the naval captain’s son.

Kejriwal raises e-rickshaw operators’ problems with LG

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Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday met Lt.Governor Najeeb Jung and requested him to hear the problems faced by the e-rickshaw operators in the national capital.

Kejriwal, also the Aam Aadmi Party chief, urged Jung that the state authorities should immediately stop issuing traffic tickets, impounding e-rickshaws or harassing e-rickshaw operators.

Delhi man calls brother, shoots himself

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A 24-year-old man from a rich family called his brother over the phone to inform him about his suicide plan and later shot himself with a locally-made pistol in front of him at his residence Monday, police said.

Aashish, the son of a businessman who died a few years ago, shot himself in the left side of his chest around 4 a.m. after drinking alcohol at his residence in Prashant Vihar area of west Delhi.

Stranded nurses, workers in Iraq safe, assures Indian envoy

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The Indian nurses stranded in Tikrit, the town seized by the fighters from Al Qaeda-influenced Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) last week, are completely safe, the Indian embassy in Iraq Monday said.

“The International Red Crescent Society volunteers visited the 46 Indian nurses that were stranded in a hospital they were working in since last week,” India’s Ambassador A. Ajay Kumar told IANS from Baghdad Monday.

In all, there are 46 Indian nurses stranded in Tikrit – most of them from Kerala – and 41 construction workers are in Mosul, the embassy said.

Bhutan visit will remain etched in my memory: Modi

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who Monday returned from his two-day official visit to Bhutan – his first foreign visit after taking office – said that the trip would “remain etched” in his memory.

“Back to Delhi. This Bhutan trip will remain etched in my memory. It was a very satisfying & productive visit,” Modi posted on his Facebook account which is followed by over 18 million people.

Pakistan justifies military operation in North Waziristan

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Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday said the government’s decision to initiate a full-scale operation in North Waziristan tribal region was justified.

He said during a speech delivered in the National Assembly Monday that the operation would continue until terrorism is eliminated from the country, Dawn online reported.

Sharif added that the government had tried to pursue peace talks but it was unfortunate that after four and a half months of dialogue the talks could not be fruitful.

Spanish federation has confidence in Del Bosque

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Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar has not lost confidence in coach Vicente del Bosque despite the defending champions’ shocking 1-5 loss to the Netherlands in the World Cup opener.

Villar could not hide his shock at the sheer scale of the defeat, one of the biggest blows suffered by Spain since he took over the RFEF presidency in 1988, according to Marca daily, reports EFE.

Lack of sleep kills Chinese soccer fan

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A young Chinese man died after he spent several days without sleep to watch the World Cup matches, currently held in Brazil, according to doctors.

A young man, aged 25, was found Saturday lying dead in front of the television, hours after the end of a game between Spain and the Netherlands, which ended with a landslide 1-5 defeat for the defending champions, reports EFE.

Time difference between Brazil and China is 11 hours, which pushes soccer supporters to stay up all from midnight to 6 a.m., local time, to watch the games.

Meghalaya rebel arrested in Bangalore

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A top leader of a Meghalaya-based rebel group was arrested in Bangalore Monday, a police official said.

“Rapiush Ch. Sangma, the vice-chairman of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), was arrested by Bangalore police based on intelligence inputs provided by us,” Meghalaya’s Director General of Police Peter Hanaman told IANS.

Sangma was arrested while he went to drop his child at a private school in the Karnataka capital.

Khushbu quits DMK

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Actress-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar Monday announced her exit from the DMK, a party with which she has been associated since 2011.

“Gave my 100 percent for party, still didn’t get recognition,” Khushbu said in a statement.

“I’m quitting all my association with DMK and I’m no longer associated with the party. I quit my membership with DMK with a heavy heart,” she added.

Khushbu said she has no plans of joining any other party.

Energy key part of Indo-Russian strategic partnership: Pradhan

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Energy security is an essential element of the Indo-Russian strategic partnership and cooperation in the sector will be furthur strengthened, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said here Monday.

“Russia has always been a longstanding, time-tested friend and a strategic partner, and energy is an essential element of our relationship, and we look forward to working further in this sphere,” Pradhan said in his address at the opening plenary of the 21st World Petroleum Congress being held here.

Gopal Ansal to wait for SC nod to travel abroad

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Ansal Buildwell Ltd. chairman and managing director Gopal Ansal will have to wait for some more time for the Supreme Court’s nod to travel abroad for his business dealings – as Justice Vikramajit Sen Monday recused from hearing his application.

“I can’t hear the matter. I will see if it can be heard by another bench,” said Justice Sen as senior counsel Nidhesh Gupta mentioned before the bench of Justice Sen and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh the real estate magnate’s application for court’s permission to travel to London and America for his business dealings.

Brazil’s Natal city put on alert after heavy rains

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Heavy rains in the past three days, which has resulted in floods, have forced the Brazilian authorities to declare a high alert in the city of Natal, one of the 12 World Cup hosts.

The city municipal authorities underlined on the website that the state of alert was activated starting Monday, reports EFE.

The city, which is due to host USA-Ghana match here Monday, will also see US vice-president Joe Biden attending the clash.

The heavy rains have caused the cancellation of the fan festival held in the city and also disrupted the Mexico-Cameroon clash held last Friday.
(IANS/EFE)

Uma Bharti promises to avert Kedarnath-type tragedy

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Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti Monday announced important measures, including repair of river embankments, to prevent disasters like one that hit Kedarnath in 2013, the ministry said.

“Uma Bharti said her ministry will take up repair of embankments of rivers which were damaged during the tragedy under flood management plan with the cooperation of the ministries of environment and tourism,” said a ministry statement.

India hikes import value of gold, silver

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The government Monday increased import value of gold to $411 per 10 grams and for silver to $632 per kilogram due to a jump in the prices in the global markets.

In the first fortnight of June the import value of gold was $408 per 10 grams and silver was $617 per kilogram.

The government revises the import tariff value of gold, silver and other products every fortnight taking into account the volatility in the global markets.

Customs duty on the import of these products depends on the import tariff value, which is considered the base price.
(IANS)

Thai military junta denies crackdown on foreign workers

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Thailand’s military-run National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Monday clarified that it wasn’t cracking down on migrant workers.

The clarification came after reports of more than 130,000 Cambodian workers having fled back home from Thailand due to rumours that the junta would go after undocumented foreign labour, Xinhua reported.

NCPO deputy spokesman Winthai Suvari denied the crackdown, but added it was necessary for NCPO officials to inspect all areas where there are illegal foreign workers in a move to properly address the long-term issue.

Militants seize city in north Iraq

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Militant groups took control of city of Tal Afar in Iraq’s northern province of Nineveh, as families begun leaving their homes to safer areas outside the city, an official said Monday.

Insurgent groups, including militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, an Al Qaeda offshoot, captured several neighbourhoods in the city after fierce clashes with Iraqi security forces, the official told Xinhua.

Warm Monday in Delhi, Tuesday to be cloudy

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Delhi experienced a warm Monday with the maximum temperature recorded at 41.2 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season’s average. The Met Office has forecast a cloudy Tuesday.

“The skies will be cloudy in the morning. Some parts of the city may witness thundery conditions,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The maximum and the minimum temperatured are likely to hover around 41 degrees and 31 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature recorded for the day settled at 30.6 degree Celsius, three notches above the season’s average.

Delhi gets NHRC notice over irregularities in mid-day meals

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Taking note of alleged irregularities in the mid-day meals at Anganwadi centres in the national capital, the NHRC Monday issued notice to the Delhi chief secretary, seeking a report within four weeks.

The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognizance of a media report, according to which, eight lakh children, who were shown to be getting mid-day meals at many Anganwadi centres for years, actually never came there.

IOA divided over 2019 Asian Games bid

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There are clear indications of the senior office-bearers of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) pulling in different directions even on a crucial issue like bidding for the 2019 Asian Games.

On Monday, IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said he would ascertain the views of the IOA members through mail before deciding whether to bid for the Games or not.

This despite the fact IOA president N. Ramachandran did not show much interest in bidding for the Games, saying the IOA’s main concern should be to make the organisation financially sound, reducing its dependence on government funds.

None of my children have my habits: SRK

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A doting father and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan wants his children to be whatever they wish to be in life without making any compromises to their health and happiness. He calls them “good kids” and is happy that they are “better human beings” than him.

Shah Rukh and his wife Gauri have three children – Aryan (17), Suhana (14) and AbRam (soon to turn one) born via surrogacy.

SBI branch manager abducted in Meghalaya

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An official of the State Bank of India (SBI) was Monday abducted by suspected tribal militants in Meghalaya’s South West Garo Hills district, police said.

Arvind Kumar, manager of the State Bank’s Ampati branch, was kidnapped by three unidentified men at gunpoint from Garobadha area while he was going towards his office from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.

Ampati, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, is the district headquarters town of South West Garo Hills. Ampati is about 375 km from the state capital Shillong.

Order on Jessica Lal case convict’s parole plea reserved

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The Delhi High Court Monday reserved its order on the parole plea of Manu Sharma, who is serving a life term in the Jessica Lal murder case, so that he could appear for post-graduation examinations in human rights.

Justice Sunita Gupta reserved the order after police filed their response on Sharma’s parole plea. The court last Wednesday issued notice to police.

Sharma’s counsel told the court his exams will commence from June 19. He also submitted that the Delhi government rejected his application for parole June 6.