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.

Skywalk to be built on Bengaluru airport road

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A day after a college girl and a youth were fatally run over by a speeding tanker, civic authorities here Friday announced they would build a skywalk across the busy airport road for pedestrians’ safety.

“We will soon build a skywalk at the Kempapura junction with escalators on both sides of the airport road to enable pedestrians cross over safely,” Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) commissioner M. Lakshminaraya told reporters at the spot where the accident took place Thursday.

Telesur of Suriname inks agreement with YuppTV

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Telesur, a telecommunications service provider in Suriname, and India’s YuppTV, Friday signed an agreement to deliver over-the-top (OTT) internet television services in the South American nation.

YuppTV, claimed to be a leading OTT content player for South Asian content, will provide a full turnkey technology solution to Telesur. It will aggregate existing local, Dutch and foreign content from various ethnicities and also bring premier Bollywood content to the people in Suriname.

Three killed in Afghan suicide attack

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At least three people — two children and the attacker — were killed and 13 injured in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, police said.

The likely target of the attack was the motorcade of parliamentarian Farhidoon Mohmmand from the province (200 km from Kabul), Xinhua quoted police spokesperson as saying. But the legislator escaped the attack unharmed.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

(IANS)

NHRC notice to Telangana government over child labourers

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The NHRC has sought a report from the Telanagana government on the rehabilitation of around 220 children who were recently rescued from bangle making factories in the state, a statement said Friday.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a media report that the children, including girls aged between 12 and 16 years from different parts of Bihar, were being made to work for a pittance, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued notice to the Commissioner of Police and District Magistrate, Hyderabad, Telangana calling for a report within two weeks.

Bill to merge PIO, OCI schemes introduced in Lok Sabha

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A bill seeking to merge Person of Indian Origin card with Overseas Citizenship of India card was introduced in Lok Sabha Friday.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was introduced by Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju to replace the ordinance brought by the government.

The bill seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955 and provide, among other things, for “registration of overseas citizen of India cardholder and also that the persons of Indian origin cardholders shall be deemed to be overseas citizen of India cardholders”.

Bengal Inc lauds small industry-centric Bengal budget

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West Bengal’s major industry bodies Friday welcomed the state budget saying the proposals on tax revision, especially Value Added Tax, would facilitate the growth of small scale industries.

“The state budget has further introduced a slew of measures to simplify and reform the taxation system which would stimulate the business and revenue generation for the government,” saidMerchant Chamber of Commerce president Arun Kumar Saraf.

Tirumala temple ropes in TCS as technology partner

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The Venkateswara temple, India’s richest shrine located on the hills of Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati, has roped in software giant Tata Consultancy Service (TCS) as the technology partner to provide all online services.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), which manages the affairs of the temple, Friday said TCS would take care of services including of e-darshan and all advance and current booking.

TTD executive officer D. Sambashiva Rao reviewed details of the collaboration with TCS CEO N. Chandrasekaran.

Rossouw’s energy inspired me: De Villiers

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South African skipper A.B. De Villiers, who cracked 162 from 66 deliveries against West Indies in a Pool B World Cup encounter here, Friday said it was fellow team-mate Rilee Rossouw’s energy that inspired him to play such a knock.

“There’re quite a few things that played a role. The credit had to go to the guys upfront and Rilee’s energy inspired me. That affected me and I wanted to play like that and then I started timing the ball and it all came off,” said De Villiers.

Uber cab driver alleges police probe not fair

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Uber cab driver Shiv Kumar Yadav, facing trial for allegedly raping a woman executive who he was ferrying in his taxi, Friday told the court that the Delhi Police has not conducted fair investigation in the matter.

Delivering his final arguments, Yadav’s counsel D. K. Mishra told Additional Sessions Judge Kaveri Baweja that the Delhi Police, instead of finding and verifying facts in the case, has gone to prosecute his client and did not conduct fair investigation in the matter.

Turkey, US to start training Syrian rebels from March 1

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Turkey and the US will launch a programme for training and equipping Syrian rebels March 1, spokesman for Turkish foreign ministry, Tanju Bilgic said Friday.

On Feb 19, Turkey and the US signed an agreement for providing training and equipment for the Syrian opposition forces, Xinhua news agency reported.

The programme aims to train a total of 15,000 Syrian opposition fighters in a three-year period, and 5,000 of them will be trained at a military base in the central Turkish city of Kirsehir.

Opposition slams Mamata government budget

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The West Bengal opposition Friday slammed the Mamata Banerjee government’s budget for 2015-16 calling it “unrealistic”, “directionless” and “jugglery of statistics”.

Describing the budget as “jugglery of statistics”, the Congress accused state Finance Minister Amit Mitra of suppressing facts and preparing the budget with an eye on the 2016 assembly polls.

UN’s top Afghan envoy in Pakistan holds parleys

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The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom has arrived in Pakistan amid media reports that the Taliban and the Afghan government are set to start peace talks, officials said Friday.

The UN envoy met Pakistan’s Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and other senior officials at the foreign ministry and”exchanged views on the evolving situation in Afghanistan and positive trajectory of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations”, Xinhua news agency reported citing the foreign ministry said.

Two killed in Somalia car blast

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At least two people were killed and two others injured Friday in a car explosion in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, police said.

The explosion, which the police say may have targeted a security official who owned the car, took place in Al Kamin junction in Mogadishu, killing two occupants of the car, but the security official was not present at the time.

Open for constructive suggestions on land ordinance: Naidu

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The government intends to give priority to passage of bills replacing six ordinances in the next week of budget session, Parliamentary Affairs M. Venkaiah Naidu said Friday, adding it was willing to consider constructive suggestions concerning the land acquisition ordinance.

Naidu said that the government will not go back on the ordinance but was willing to consider meaningful suggestions.

“There is no going back on the ordinance. If there are constructive suggestions, theyAwill be considered,” he said.

More students appearing for this year’s boards

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The number of girls and boys appearing for this year’s board exams for class 10th and 12th have increased by 3.37 percent and 1.01 percent respectively, officials said Friday.

According to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), the number of girls appearing for class 10th boards have increased from 5,35,030 in 2014 to 5,55,912 this year – a rise of 3.70 percent.

While the percentage of boys has increased by 3.02 percent this year as 8,17,941 boys will sit for the exams in 2015 compared to the last year when 7,93,940 boys appeared for the exams.

Nine dead after shootings in US

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At least nine people were killed in multiple locations in the US state of Missouri following shootings, a county sheriff confirmed to the Houston Herald newspaper Friday.

“There are four confirmed crime scenes at Tyrone, a possible fifth location and a sixth outside of Texas county in Shannon County”, Texas county sheriff James Sigman told the newspaper.

Sigman made the statement as troopers and deputies mobilised in the area.

He declined to offer any additional information about the investigation or the shooter.

Indian Navy concludes annual TROPEX exercise

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The Indian Navy Friday concluded its annual Theatre Level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX), a month-long drill encompassing all dimensions of maritime warfare.

“This month-long war drill encompassed all dimensions of maritime warfare, and witnessed participation of around 50 ships and submarines with over 70 aircraft from three naval commands,” a statement said.

The exercise also witnessed participation of units from the India Air Force and the Indian Coast Guard.

Moral, cultural values must with education: Rajnath

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Underlining the need of moral and cultural values for students, Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday called for promotion of education with scientific temper and skills.

Addressing a convocation of a private university here, the minister also asked students to participate in the process of nation building and contribute in making the country a developed nation of the world.

He said scientific temper and professional skills without proper value education can be dangerous.

Odisha government gets two more months over 18 mines’ fate

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The Odisha government has been granted another two months by the Supreme Court to decide on the fate of 18 iron and manganese ore mines in the state whose leases are due for renewal, an official said.

The state government has been granted time for a second time to take a call on renewal of the merchant mines, awaiting second and subsequent renewal. The previous extension granted by the apex court expired Feb 20.

Kolkata Open: Duckworth, Albot set up title clash

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Top seeded Australian tennis ace James Duckworth did justice to his billing as he came back from a set down to prevail over Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans and move into the final at the ongoing Emami Kolkata Open here Friday.

Duckworth will clash for the title with Radu Albot of Moldova who got past Chinese Taipei’s Ti Chen in a three setter at the BTA Complex court.

It took Duckworth one hour and 39 minutes to clinch the semi-final encounter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Swine flu toll in Bengal now 7

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The toll due to swine flu in West Bengal Friday rose to seven with the death of a person at a city hospital while 12 fresh cases were reported to take the total number of positive cases to 112, an official said.

“One person died today at a city hospital. Since January seven people have died due the infection,” said Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Malay Kumar De.

He said that 12 new cases were reported from the city as well as adjoining districts taking the total number of positive cases to 112.

BJP hands over letter of support to Kashmir governor

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A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators Friday handed over, to Jammu and Kshmir Governor N.N.Vohra, a letter conveying support to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed for government formation in the state.

A BJP delegation called on Vohra at the Raj Bhavan and handed over a letter which conveys BJP’s support in favour of the PDP for formation of government in the state and to invite Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to form the government, said a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan.

Sikkim woman raped in Delhi, five arrested

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A 25-year old woman from Sikkim, brought to Delhi on the pretext of getting her a job, was raped here by a young doctor who has been arrested along with four others, police said Friday.

The victim told police that she was raped by the 27-year-old doctor, identified as Mehraz, Thursday at his residence in Gautam Nagar in south Delhi from where she escaped.

The crime was reported Friday morning after an autorickshaw driver helped the woman to telephone the police.

533 startups in 1,000 days, says Startup Village

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The Startup Village here, the country’s first PPP model incubator which completed its 1,000th day Jan 10, has so far produced 533 startups, including 116 at campus startups, and created a total of 2,889 jobs with a total valuation pegged at Rs.292 crore, a statement said Friday.

Startup Village was launched April 15, 2012 with the ambitious agenda to create an ecosystem that would fire up entrepreneurial aspirations of youngsters in Kerala.

11 killed in Syria car bomb explosion

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A car bomb exploded Friday in a town in the countryside of Syria’s capital Damascus, killing at least 11 people, a monitoring group reported.

The car bomb tore through the city of Dumair in the eastern countryside of Damascus, more specifically on the road connecting Dumair with Palmira in central Syria, Xinhua news agency reported citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It said the number of casualties would likely rise due to the large number of critically wounded people.

Further details are awaited.

(IANS)