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.

Squash: Dipika storms into WSA-Granite Open final

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Third seed Dipika Pallikal proved her superiority over Joshna Chinappa once again with a 11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 win to enter the final of the WSA-Granite Open squash tournament here Thursday.

In the final, Pallikal takes on England’s Sarah-Jane Perry who continued the giant-killing run when she defeated defending champion and top seed Amanda Sobhy of the US 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6.

Perry, the 2013 Granite Open champion, was delighted with her continuing success in Toronto.

Five militants, major killed in Pakistan

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Five militants and an army major were killed in an exchange of fire during an army operation in North Waziristan of Pakistan, media reported Friday.

Security forces conducted an operation in Datta Khel in which the terrorists and Major Zahid Iqbal were killed, Geo News reported citing the Inter-Services Public Relations.

Iqbal was commissioned in the Pakistan Army in 1999 and leaves behind two sons.

(IANS)

Charge sheet filed against nine over Japanese woman’s rape

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Rajasthan Police Friday filed a charge sheet against the main accused and eight others in a court in Dudu over the rape of a Japanese woman tourist.

“We filed a charge sheet against the main accused Ajit Singh alias Jeetram and eight others in Dudu Munsif Magistrate Court,” Inspector General of Police (Jaipur Range) D.C. Jain told IANS.

“We have requested the court for early trial,” he said.

Police framed charges of rape, abduction, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy among others.

Himachal budget session from March 11

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The budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly will begin March 11 with the governor’s address. It will conclude April 10.

A notification in this regard was issued by Governor Kalyan Singh, the Rajasthan governor who hold additional charge of the hill state, a government official told IANS.

The session would have 22 sittings.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who also holds the finance portfolio, will present the budget March 18.

This would be his 18th budget since he became chief minister for the first time in 1983.

(IANS)

Pay special attention to vulnerable: President to IAS probationers

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President Pranab Mukherjee Friday asked a visiting group of IAS probationers to carry out their duties by paying “special attention” to the vulnerable sections of the society.

Addressing the group of 183 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) probationers — that also included three officer trainees from the Royal Bhutan Civil Services — at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mukherjee said the young officers will have a “definitive role” in steering the destiny of the nation for the next three decades and more.

Mamata assures Bangladesh of resolving Teesta issue

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday called on Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and asked the neighbouring nation to have faith in her to resolve the Teesta water-sharing dispute.

“I am a small person, a down-to-earth person. From my side, I have solved the LBA (land boundary agreement) problem. Have faith in (me to resolve) Teesta too,” Banerjee said on her maiden visit to Bangladesh after taking over the reins of West Bengal, according to a bdnews24.com report.

Four killed in Yemen clash

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Tribal fighters backed by secessionists clashed with Yemeni security forces in the southern port city of Aden Friday, leaving at least four people dead, a government official told Xinhua news agency.

“Tribal gunmen intercepted a car carrying a top military commander in Aden’s neighbourhood of Khor Maksar, sparking a short clash with security forces in the area,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

Toongate professor declared absconding, takes anticipatory bail

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Jadavpur university professor Ambikesh Mahapatra, who was earlier arrested for circulating a photo spoof on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Friday took anticipatory bail after police declared him absconding in another case.

The chemistry professor had to get bail after a city court issued a warrant against him in a case that was filed following his participation in an event Dec 3, 2014.

Ghaziabad district magistrate hit by swine flu

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Ghaziabad authorities may find it difficult to tackle the deadly swine flu as its administrative head, District Magistrate Vimal Kumar Sharma, was Friday found to be affected with the disease.

With limited resources available in government hospitals, the district magistrate was admitted to the private-sector Pushpanjali Crosslay Hospital in Vaishali.

Out of 350 swine flu tests conducted so far in Ghaziabad, 42 have been found to be positive. Most of whom have been referred to Delhi hospitals, Chief Medical Officer Ajay Agrawal said.

21 killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria

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At least 21 people were killed Friday when suspected Boko Haram fighters renewed armed attacks on three villages in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, witnesses said.

Members of the terror group stormed the villages near Chibok town, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted 10 months ago in the southern part of Borno State, shooting sporadically, Dauda Ali, a Chibok resident who was witness to the attack, told Xinhua news agency via telephone.

Five held for leaking petroleum ministry documents

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Two petroleum ministry employees and three others have been arrested by the Crime Branch for stealing official documents and leaking them to corporate houses, police said Thursday.

Police said a clerk and a peon in the ministry stole the secret papers, photocopied them and handed them over to three private people in exchange for money.

Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi said those arrested belong to the multi-tasking staff (MTS) of the petroleum ministry.

Religion should be personal choice: Naidu

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Clearing the government’s position on the controversial ‘ghar wapsi’ events organised by various Hindu groups, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu Thursday said “if religion conversion is wrong, than re-conversion is also wrong”.

In an interview to HeadLines Today channel, the minister said ‘ghar wapsi’ programmes by various organisations might have angered people, but the central government was not responsible for those programmes as the state governments concerned must take care if there was any problem.

“If people convert on their own, than it’s alright,” he said.

111 Bangladeshi fishermen repatriated

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A total of 111 Bangladeshi fishermen were repatriated Thursday, on a day when West Bengal Chief Minister begins her three-day visit to Bangladesh.

Hours before her scheduled departure for Dhaka, Banerjee announced the repatriation of the Bangladeshi fishermen.

“Just like in the past, this year too, fishermen and Bangladeshi nationals who were arrested for crossing the border illegally, are being released,” said Banerjee, who will be meeting Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during the visit.

Burn Standard withdraws work suspension notice

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Officials of state-owned railway wagon manufacturer Burn Standard Co. Thursday night decided to withdraw the suspension of work following requests from unions and its personnel to resume work.

“We have decided to withdraw the suspension of work notice effective midnight today (Thursday) which was earlier served,” the company’s deputy general manager of personnel and administration G.H. Nag told IANS.

The company, however, is in the process of communicating the same officially to the staff and contractors’ trade unions, asking employees to resume work.

Eggs thrown at Naveen Patnaik’s carcade

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Eggs were hurled and black flags waved by a group of protestors at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s cavalcade here Thursday.

The incident occurred near Keshari Talkies in Bhubaneswar while the chief minister was on his way to attend the annual function of Utkal University students’ union.

Breaching the security cordon, the activists pelted eggs at the chief minister’s car when it stopped near the cinema hall.

Police resorted to cane charge to disperse the protestors, who blocked the road for nearly five minutes.

Bengal’s township policy to attract Rs.76,000 crore investment

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West Bengal’s township policy has potential to attract Rs.76,000 crores investment of which already Rs.32,734 crore has been proposed for 15 townships, Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi said here Thursday.

“Twenty-two proposals for new townships with estimated direct and indirect investments amounting to about Rs.76,000 crore have been announced. Out of these, 15 specific proposals have been received with a total estimated direct investment amounting to about Rs. 32,734 croresa, Tripathi said in his customary annual address to the state assembly.

Kolkata safe city for women: Bengal governor

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West Bengal Governor K.N. Tripathi Thursday expressed satisfaction over the law and order situation in the state and called Kolkata a safe city for women.

Tripathi also said the implementation of the National Food Security Act was a priority of the Mamata Banerjee government.

“As per published data by the National Crimes Records Bureau, Kolkata is a safe city for women, well behind in recorded crimes compared to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad,” Tripathi said in his address to the state assembly.

Kailash Mansarovar yatra to begin June 8

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The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage will commence June 8, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said Thursday while announcing that elderly pilgrims and those with mobility issues will now be able to visit Mount Kailash for the first time via a motorable route passing through China.

Sushma Swaraj also unveiled a website that has detailed information about the yatra.

“The yatra (pilgrimage) until 2014 was through only one way via the Lipulekh pass (in Uttarakhand), which was very difficult and only the youth or a very fit person could go on that route.

Government not serious enough on black money: Jethmalani

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Former law minister and veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani Thursday said the central government was not “serious enough” on the issue of bringing back the black money stashed abroad.

At a ‘Meet the Press’ programme, the lawyer said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “quite serious” about the issue but questioned his team.

“I have no doubt on the prime minister,” he said, adding that he had no faith on some of the people of his team.

Indian-American dentist charged with causing patient’s death

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An Indian-American dentist has been charged with homicide a year after the death of a patient who became unresponsive while having 20 teeth pulled and several implants installed, according to a media report.

Connecticut dentist Rashmi Patel, who turned himself in to Enfield police Tuesday, a year to the day that Judith Gan died in his office, was charged with criminally negligent homicide and tampering with evidence, according to New York Daily News.

‘Aviation, defence firms keen to invest in Andhra’

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Aviation and defence firms have evinced interest in setting up manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh, an official statement said here Thursday.

The interest was expressed as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu Thursday met CEOs of 11 leading companies from aerospace, defence and aviation sectors at the Aero India 2015 show in Bengaluru, said a statement from the chief minister’s office here.

States to gain by Rs.15 lakh crore from coal auctions: Goyal

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On the sixth day of coal blocks auction Thursday, Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said the ongoing auction, as well as the allocation, of the mines will fetch the respective home states Rs.15 lakh crore over a 30-year period.

“It certainly gives me confidence that we are not looking at anything less than Rs.15 lakh crore coming out of these 204 coal blocks as they start producing over the next 30 years,” the minister said.

“At the end of the fifth day (Wednesday), we are looking at about Rs.60,000 crores in the next 30 years accruing to the state governments,” he added.

CAG audit of discoms necessary, Delhi government tells HC

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The city government Thursday told the Delhi High Court that a CAG audit of the private discoms here was necessary to clear the air over the alleged anomalies and manipulation of their accounts affecting power tariff rates in the capital.

Senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan, appearing for Delhi government, told the court that it wants the Comptroller and Auditor General to audit the accounts of the three discoms from the financial years 2007 and that the government was not interested in a “routine audit”.

Amul plans Rs.5,000 crore investment, to set up 10 new plants

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Indian milk products major Amul Thursday said it is planning to invest in excess of Rs.5,000 crore in the coming three years to increase milk production as well as acquire new processing capabilities besides expanding into new markets.

“We will require Rs 5,000 crore over three years in adding new capacities, ramping up existing facilities and entering new markets,” managing director R.S. Sodhi told media persons here.