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.

US offers to develop Aviation City in Andhra

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The US has come forward to develop the Aviation City in Andhra Pradesh, the state government said on Wednesday.

This was discussed during a meeting between Henry Steingass, regional director for south and south east Asia at the US Trade Development Agency (USTDA), and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Wednesday.

An airport and Aviation City will be developed over 1,000 acres of land.

A 1,000 MW micro power grid will also be set up for the proposed project, said a statement from the office of the chief minister.

RBI officials, Kolkata police discuss fake notes racket

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The Kolkata Police, which recently busted a fake currency printing racket, on Wednesday held a discussion with the Reserve Bank of India officials over the issue.

The Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on Monday had busted the currency racket arresting Chandrasekhar Jaiswal, a scrap dealer.

Besides Rs.10 crore in fake Indian currency notes, the police also seized counterfeit foreign currencies including US dollars.

Production loss hits Indian tea exports

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Indian tea exports declined in 2014 as Assam Orthodox variety suffered 20-million kg production loss due to delayed rains, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Sitharaman said that though India ranked second in production and fourth in exports, lower demand in Iran, Russia and the US, lower prices from Africa at $2 per kg in the international market and lower demand from Bangladesh impacted export of the beverage.

Odisha energy regulator revokes licenses of three firms

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Three electricity distribution companies in Odisha managed by Reliance Infrastructure, whose licences were revoked by the state’s power sector regulatory commission on Wednesday, have decided to move the tribunal for redressal.

“We are concerned on revocation of our licence by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission. We have always complied with statutory and regulatory requirements as a licensee,” said a spokesperson for one of the three companies – Nesco, Wesco, Southco.

“We will approach the honourable Appellate Tribunal for Electricity for redressal,” the spokesperson added.

India’s spectrum auction elicits Rs.60,000 crore in six rounds on Day One

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A total of six rounds of bidding took place on Day One of the auctions of radio frequency spectrum, or airwaves, for telecom operators with a total offer for Rs.60,000 crore, sources said on Wednesday.

“We have received bids in all bands. There was some good bidding in the 800 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands, whereas 2,100 MHz is yet see some traction. Auction will continue tomorrow (Thursday),” a source said.

The bid amount is already 50 percent more than what the government had budgeted for.

CBSE helps students, parents deal with exam related stress

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The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) offers counselling services to students and parents of CBSE affiliated schools to help them deal with examination and result related stress.

The service is a community outreach programme provided free of cost through telephonic counselling, online counselling and question answer columns in national newspapers, according to a written reply to the Lok Sabha by Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani.

46 infrastructure projects in 33 cities underway: Venkaiah

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To augment urban infrastructure in 33 cities across India, 46 projects were at various stages of implementation under the public-private partnership, Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said on Wednesday.

Replying to a question from Nimmala Kistappa in the Lok Sabha, Naidu said the total cost of the projects underway was Rs.25,902.84 crore.

Cabinet paves way for expanding Swacch Bharat Kosh

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The union cabinet on Wednesday cleared some enabling provisions to encourage participation of individuals and companies in the Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK), sources said.

They said the cabinet had cleared the provisions to enable people living in India and abroad and companies give funds to SBK.

The SBK was set up in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s August 15 speech to achieve the objective of Clean India (Swachh Bharat) by the year 2019, the 150th year of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi through the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Task forces set up to make three cities smart

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Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has set up three task forces to develop Ajmer in Rajasthan, Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh as smart cities in collaboration with the US.

“The task forces will have representatives from the urban development ministry, external affairs ministry, respective sate governments and cities and the US Trade Development Agency (USTDA),” the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Bodies of 10 illegal immigrants recovered in Italy

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The Italian Coast Guard recovered the remains of ten illegal immigrants from the Strait of Sicily and rescued 121 people who were shipwrecked while traveling on a boat headed for the Italian coast.

The rescue team announced on Wednesday in a press release that the accident took place Tuesday afternoon when the operations center received an alert from an oil rig off the coast of Libya of a nearby shipwreck.

Italian ship Dattilo arrived at the scene to help take care of the remaining survivors and to recover the bodies.

Russian n-fuel firm signs contract with DAE

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Russian nuclear fuel company TVEL has signed a contract with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) for supply of enriched uranium fuel pellets for the Tarapur nuclear power plant, a statement said on Wednesday.

A series of shipments of the enriched uranium fuel pellets is planned in 2015 to the Nuclear Fuel Centre in Hyderabad, a fuel assembly production site for the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS).

India: Make election of UN secretary-general more democratic

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With Ban ki-Moon’s second term as secretary-general ending next year, India has called for making the election of his successor more democratic and open by giving the UN General Assembly (UNGA) a greater say and ending the Security Council permanent members’ near total control of the process.

Bhagwant S. Bishnoi, India’s deputy permanent representative, said: “The General Assembly, being the voice of the international community, must be given a greater say in the selection of the UN secretary-general.”

Swine flu death toll rises to 295 in Rajasthan

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The death toll in swine flu is inching towards the 300 mark in Rajasthan as nine more deaths were reported on Wednesday.

An official told IANS that the death toll Wednesday stands at 295.

“The task force set up by the state government on swine flu has directed the authorities across the government hospitals to remain vigilant inspite of the drop in positive cases,” official said.

I-League: Mohun Bagan go on top of table again

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A point for Mohun Bagan saw them go ahead of Pune FC on goal difference to sit at the top perch of the I-League table as they earned a hard fought draw against Dempo at the Fatorda stadium here on Wednesday.

Striker Balwant Singh’s opened the scoring just after half an hour for Bagan which was followed by the sending off of Haitian medio Sony Norde in the dying seconds of the first half.

Dempo attacked for majority of the second half and their persistence paid off with skipper, Englishman Calum Anges equalising with a stunner with two minutes from the end of normal time.

Bangladesh to tackle BNP’s extremism with ‘resilience’

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Bangladesh on Wednesday told the UN Human Rights Council that it will handle the BNP-sponsored “violent extremism” with its “characteristic resilience and determination”.

Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali told a meeting in Geneva on Wednesday that the alliance of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami was promoting a “violent extremist agenda in the name of political movements”, bdnews24.com reported.

He said the people of Bangladesh “maintain their resolve not to submit to these forces”.

Varanasi-Kathmandu bus service flagged off

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday flagged off the India-Nepal bus service which will connect Varanasi and Kathmandu.

The first bus was flagged off from police lines in Varanasi. The bus will facilitate trips between the two cities to Buddhist and other religious tourist stops, an official said.

For security and safety of passengers, CCTV cameras and a vehicle tracking system have been installed in the buses.

All passengers will be provided with other luxury amenities like free magazines and bottled water.

Eight people chosen for Independence Award in Bangladesh

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Late finance minister Shah A.M.S. Kibria, matinee idol of yesteryears Abdur Razzak and professor emeritus Anisuzzaman were among eight people nominated for Bangladesh’s highest civilian honour, the Independence Award.

The Cabinet Division on Wednesday released the list of nominees chosen for their contributions to the nation and during the 1971 Liberation War, bdnews24.com reported.

Kashmir to have two swine flu test labs, toll now 10

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The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday ordered the setting up of two swine flu testing laboratories in the state, as the toll due to the H1N1 influenza rose to 10, officials said.

“One testing laboratory for the detection of H1N1 virus will be established at the Government Medical College, Jammu and the second one will be established at the Chest Disease Hospital, Srinagar,” an official told IANS.

A sum of nearly Rs.12 crore has been released by the state administration for this purpose, he said.

Had to rectify legacy of bad governance by UPA: Jaitley

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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has said that the Narendra Modi government had to set right the legacy of bad governance left behind by the previous UPA government at the Centre.

Speaking at the school of international and public affairs at Columbia University here Monday he said the yields of upto one lakh crore from the first few ongoing coal block auctions was proof of the improved governance brought in by the NDA coalition. Jaitley is on a private visit to the US.

Modi disapproves Sayeed’s remarks

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday disapproved Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s controversial remarks crediting Pakistan and militants for peaceful elections in the state and said such comments cannot be supported.

Modi said the PDP-BJP alliance government in Jammu and Kashmir will run on the common minimum programme (CMP).

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the president’s address in the Rajya Sabha, Modi did not name Sayeed but referred to his remarks that created an uproar in parliament.

South Africa post second highest total in World Cup

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As opener Hashim Amla recorded his highest individual ODI score, South Africa with 411/4 posted the second highest total in a World Cup during their encounter against Ireland at the Manuka Oval on Tuesday.

Amla hit 159 off 128 balls as he and Faf du Plessis (109) clobbered the Ireland bowling to all parts of the ground.

The Proteas posted a mammoth 411/4 in their allotted 50 overs, just two runs shy of India’s 413 against Bermuda in the 2007 edition.

South Africa finished the formalities bowling out Ireland for 210.

HC notice to police on bail plea of murdered BSP leader’s son

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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the police while hearing a bail plea of realtor Nitesh Bhardwaj, serving a jail term for allegedly killing his billionaire father and BSP leader Deepak Bhardwaj.

Justice S.P. Garg sought a response from Delhi Police as Nitesh’s counsel Mukesh Kalia contended that his client be released on bail because he has already spent about two years in jail.

Nitesh, 36, Deepak Bhardwaj’s younger son, was arrested in April 2013 for his father’s murder at a Delhi farmhouse on March 26.

Snowden wants guaranteed fair trial in US

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Edward Snowden, the ex-analyst in the National Security Agency (NSA), has been a political refugee in Moscow for nearly two years, but wants to return back to his native US on the condition that he is guaranteed a fair trial, his Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena said on Tuesday.

BJP slams Trinamool, CPI-M over deferment of chit fund discussion

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The BJP on Tuesday accused the Trinamool Congress of having a tacit understanding with the CPI-M after a discussion on chit funds in the West Bengal assembly that was to take place Wednesday was deferred till the next session.

“Chit funds came into existence under the CPI-M led Left Front and flourished under the Trinamool Congress. So if the discussion would have taken place, the muck of the chit funds would have splashed both the CPI-M and the Trinamool,” state BJP president Rahul Sinha said.

CAB hopeful of Eden Gardens getting more matches

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With Jagmohan Dalmiya back at the helm of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Tuesday hoped Eden Gardens will get to host the 2016 World Twenty20 final.

“Due to petty politics, Eden (Gardens) has been deprived of many international matches despite having world class facilities. Eden was intentionally targeted so far, but with Dalmiya back at the helm, we hope to get more international matches,” said a CAB official.

“We expect to get big matches of the World Twenty20 including the final,” he added.