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.

Himachal cricket body’s plea to implead CM dismissed again

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In a setback to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), the state high court Wednesday once again rejected an application of the cricket body, led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, to implead Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in a land allotment dispute case.

Pronouncing the order, reserved May 14, a division bench of acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan observed: “The applications for impleadment of the respondents (including Virbhadra Singh) stand dismissed.”

Notice to UPSC, Delhi on plea of five teachers

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The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the UPSC, Delhi government and its education department on a plea filed by five teachers against UPSC’s decision to not consider them for appointment as principals in city government schools.

The teachers, approaching the court, contended that last year the Union Public Service Commission had advertised for 58 posts of principals in Delhi government schools and despite fulfilling all the conditions with regard to age, educational qualification and experience as the criteria laid down for the post, they have not been selected.

Pranab, Modi congratulate Egypt’s president-elect

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Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are among world leaders who have congratulated new President-elect Abdel Fattah al-Sisi for his landslide victory in the presidential election.

Mukherjee, in a statement released by the Indian embassy in Cairo, said he was closely following the latest developments in Egypt and he had always wished all the best to this great country and its friendly people.

The Indian prime minister also expressed his confidence that under al-Sisi’s wise leadership, Egypt will witness a new era of stability and prosperity.

Hot Wednesday in Delhi, mercury to rise further Thursday

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Delhi witnessed a hot, sunny Wednesday as the maximum temperature settled three notches above the season’s average at 43.4 degrees Celsius. The mercury is expected to rise further Thursday.

The maximum temperature Thursday is expected to settle around 45 degrees Celsius while the minimum will hover around 27 degrees, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

“The skies will remain clear through the day Thursday and the afternoon will be hot,” said the IMD official.

Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman to be on Shanghai film fest jury

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Hollywood stars Nicole Kidman, Natalie Portman, Hugh Grant, Hayden Christensen along with Chinese actress Gong Li, will be part of the jury this year and attend the red carpet event of the 17th Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF).

The youngest in the top league film festivals will be celebrated in this Chinese economic capital between 14 and 22 June.

Kidman will open the festival on June 14 while Portman will close it June 22. The festival will see the presentation of the Jin Jue awards, made in the form of golden statuettes of an ancient traditional Chinese cup.

22 killed in China mine accident

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Twenty-two people were killed in a coal mine accident Tuesday evening in southwest China’s Chongqing municipality, authorities said.

Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of all the missing miners, Xinhua quoted the officials as saying.

The accident occurred at 5:40 p.m. at the Yanshitai Coal Mine in Wansheng district, according to the Chongqing Municipal Administration of Coal Mine Safety, which said it was a “gas incident”.

At least 28 miners were working down the shaft at the time of the accident, it added. Six of them managed to escape, with two injured in the process.

Death toll in eastern Ukraine uprising touches 181

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The death toll from a separatist uprising in eastern Ukraine has climbed to 181 with over 300 people injured so far, the country’s acting Prosecutor General Oleg Makhnytsky said Tuesday.

“Terrorists’ actions in Donetsk and Lugansk regions killed 181 and injured 293 people. At least 59 Ukrainian soldiers are among those killed,” Xinhua quoted Makhnytsky as saying Tuesday.

Since the beginning of the unrest, Ukrainian authorities have opened 675 protest-related criminal cases, Makhnytsky said.

Syria extends presidential voting period

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Syria’s electoral committee Tuesday extended the presidential voting period for another five hours in view of a high voter turnout, the media reported.

“The closing time for voting has been pushed to midnight in all provinces due to high turnout,” the official SANA news agency quoted Syria’s Higher Judicial Committee for Election as saying, according to Xinhua.

Syria’s general election started at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday amid criticism from Western countries and threats from the armed opposition. It was previously scheduled to end at 7:00 p.m.

Hear out common people, workers, Karat tells Bengal party leadership

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CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat Tuesday advised the West Bengal party leadership to patiently hear criticism and suggestions of the common people and draw lessons from them to build up movements despite the “tough situation” that the party was passing through.

Addressing the concluding session of the state committee here, Karat said the party leadership’s immediate focus should be on standing by the people who are the victims of atrocities let loose by the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Death toll in Nepal bus crash now 20, seven Indians identified

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The death toll in Monday’s bus accident in Gothibang in Nepal increased to 20 Tuesday, and seven of them have been identified as Indians, an official said.

Ram Bahadur Kurumbang, chief district officer of Pyuthan district, said the Indians were identified as Suresh Kumar Sahu, 16, Gop Raj Gupta, 70, Saraswoti Sahani, 62, Suresh Sau, 15, Urmila Pandey, 66, Suvadra Yadav, 65, and Pinku Ojha, 24.

At least 17 people were killed Monday when a jampacked bus swerved off the road and plunged into the Madi river in Gothibang.

Sharapova fights back to enter French Open semis

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Maria Sharapova made a superb turnabout as she fought back from one set down to reach the French Open semifinal with a 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Garbine Muguruza.

Seventh seed Sharapova, the 2012 winner, seemed in trouble as she lost the first set in 27 minutes to 20-year-old Muguruza, the winner over defending champion Serena Williams in the second round.

But she produced an inspiring fight back to grind down the Spanish player to win in two hours and six minutes.

Egypt’s al-Sisi officially declared president

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Egypt’s former military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was Tuesday officially announced as the new president of the country by the presidential election commission.

Al-Sisi achieved a landslide victory over leftist candidate Hamdeen Sabahy in the three-day presidential polls held last month.

“Presidential candidate Abdel-Fattah Saeed Hussein Khalil al-Sisi got 23,780,104 votes, which represents 96.91 percent of the votes,” Xinhua quoted Judge Anwar al-Assi, chairman of the election commission, as saying in a press conference Tuesday.

Russia to reorganise troops to counter NATO activities

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Russia would reorganise its armed forces to strengthen their mobility as NATO was increasing military activities near the country’s western borders and in Ukraine, a senior Russian official said Tuesday.

“Due to the conflict in Ukraine and considerable NATO reinforcements on our country’s west, we are currently working on proposals related to reorganising troops and army and fleet forces to increase their mobility,” said Vladimir Komoyedov, head of the Defence Committee of the parliament’s lower house, the Duma, reported Xinhua.

19 killed in attacks on Iraq’s Fallujah

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At least 19 people were killed and 43 injured Tuesday in shelling in the militant-seized city of Fallujah in Iraq’s western province of Anbar, a medical source said.

Air strikes, artillery and mortar shelling on several neighbourhoods in the city of Fallujah, some 50 km west of the capital Baghdad, left 15 people dead and 40 wounded, Xinhua quoted a source from the city hospital as saying Tuesday.

In addition, a barrage of mortar rounds hit the city municipal office, killing four people and wounding three others, the source said.

Lampard to leave Chelsea after 13 years

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England midfielder Frank Lampard has said he will leave Chelsea after 13 years in service.

The 35-year-old has not agreed to a new deal with the Premier League team. He did not reveal Monday which club he will sign, reports Xinhua.

Lampard is currently with England in Miami for two World Cup warm-up matches before travelling to Brazil Saturday.

Sheikh Hasina condoles Munde’s death

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Tuesday wrote to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi condoling the sudden demise of union minister Gopinath Munde. Bangladesh has “lost a good friend”, she said.

“You have lost a distinguished political leader and we have lost a good friend of Bangladesh,” Hasina said in a message.

Hasina said she was “deeply saddened and shocked to learn about the sudden and most unfortunate passing away of Munde” and extended condolences “to the government and the people of India and to the members of the bereaved family”.

Elections for Mizoram, Arunachal Rajya Sabha seats June 19

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Elections for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Congress-ruled Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh will be held June 19, officials said Tuesday.

The tenure of sitting Rajya Sabha member from Mizoram, Lalhming Liana of opposition Mizo National Front (MNF), will end July 18 while the term of incumbent upper house member from Arunachal Pradesh, Mukut Mithi, ended May 26.

Last month the Congress returned to power in Arunachal Pradesh securing 42 seats in the sixty member house. In Mizoram, the Congress has 33 legislators in the 40-member assembly.

SC throws out Campa Cola society residents’ plea

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The Supreme Court Tuesday dismissed as “misconceived” and “non-maintainable” a plea by residents of Mumbai’s Campa Cola Housing Society to restrain BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation from evicting them.

The apex court bench of Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice C. Nagappan, dismissing the plea, said the petitioners have held back from it the details of earlier proceedings and orders passed by it (apex court) in the matter.

Widow remarriage relevant everywhere: Mahesh Manjrekar

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Filmmaker-actor Mahesh Manjrekar, who shot and completed the Hindi-Tamil version of his Marathi film “Kaksparsh” while contesting the Lok Sabha election as a Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) candidate, says that he remade the film becuse the issue of widow marraige is relevant everywhere.

“It was tough. But I am first and foremost a filmmaker. Even if I had won the elections, I would’ve continued to make films. Even while I was fighting election, I was a filmmaker first,” said Manjrekar who lost the election.

“Kaksparsh” is Manjrekar’s first Hindi film in four years.

Sensex ends at new closing high; metal stocks zoom

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A benchmark index of Indian equities markets rose 173.74 points or 0.70 percent Tuesday, striking a new closing high of 24,858.59 points. Metal, oil and gas and capital goods stocks gained the most.

The market, which was trading cautiously ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) bi-monthly monetary policy review, started falling soon after the apex bank left key interest rates unchanged. However, the bank’s decision to cut the liquidity ratio requirement for banks helped correct the sentiment.

Himachal to open generic medicine stores

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The state government will open generic medicine stores in two medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh on a pilot basis, state Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said Tuesday.

“Initially the generic medicines stores will be opened in the Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital in Shimla and the Rajendra Prasad Medical College in Tanda town, and subsequently these will be opened in all zonal hospitals,” he said.

Zindagi channel mourns Munde death at launch

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A two-minute silence in memory of late Union Minister of Rural Development Gopinath Munde was observed here Tuesday at the launch of the new Hindi general entertainment channel — Zindagi – Jodey Dilon Ko.

Munde passed away in a car accident here Tuesday morning.

The channel officials and media persons from various media outlets at the event observed a two-minute silence before the launch function took off.
(IANS)

Ronaldo, Brazil most sought after by Indian football fans

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With the football World Cup fever catching up in India, Portugal star Christiano Ronaldo is the most searched footballer in this cricket-crazy country.

Latest results by Google Search Trends revealed Tuesday that Real Madrid’s Rolando, Ballon d’Or winner, remains the most sought after with a distinctive lead over Argentinian star Lionel Messi and Brazilian Neymar.

English soccer star Wayne Rooney and Spanish star Fernando Torres take the fourth and fifth spot on Google search.

Most of the queries for the 2014 World Cup came from the the soccer mad states of West Bengal and Kerala.

Driver involved in Munde accident not on hotel duty’

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The Imperial Hotel Tuesday clarified that it had “no concern” with the vehicle and the driver involved in the car accident that led to Union Minister Gopinath Munde’s death Tuesday morning.

The driver, 32-year-old Gurvinder Singh, is a resident of Mehrauli area in south Delhi. According to reports, he was working as a driver with the hotel.

However, the hotel issued a clarification that he was not on hotel duty.

Simon Cowell hopes One Direction gets fans’ support

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Music mogul Simon Cowell hopes One Direction’s fans will “stay loyal” to the band following the leaked video showing band members Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson smoking cannabis while on tour in Peru.

Cowell is standing by the band – who he put together on the 2010 series of “The X Factor” Britain – following the recent leaked cannabis smoking video shot while on tour in Peru, something which isn’t illegal in the South American country, and is hoping their fans will support them too, reports femalefirst.co.uk.