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.

Modi says Sirisena will promote reconciliation

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New Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena will promote reconciliation in his island nation with a vision for inclusiveness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Monday.

Describing Sri Lanka as “a truly close neighbour and friend”, Modi offered New Delhi’s continued support and partnership to Colombo and the Sri Lankan people in “realising their aspirations”.

The prime minister made the observations when Sri Lankan External Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera called on him, an official statement said.

My kidnapping was similar to movie ‘Taken’: Golfer Allenby

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Australian golfer Robert Allenby, who was kidnapped from a local bar, robbed, beaten and abandoned in a park, said Monday that the incident was similar to the script of popular Hollywood movie ‘Taken’ which deals with abduction and features Irish actor Liam Neeson.

“You see a lot of things on movies – I’ve watched Taken quite a few times. It kind of felt pretty much the same as that. Very surreal,” Allenby was quoted as saying by the heraldsun.com.au Monday.

Allenby also recalled what he remembered of the horrific incident.

Infiltration attempts not linked to Obama visit: Parrikar

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Media reports drawing a link between 200 trained militants waiting to infiltrate into India from Pakistan to US President Barack Obama’s visit to New Delhi are incorrect, Defence minister Manohar Parrikar said Monday.

Parrikar said that terrorists preparing for infiltration from across the border was common this time of the year and that the Indian armed forces had been clinical in their response to neutralise infiltration attempts.

Mukesh Bhatt is my godfather: Composer Jeet Ganguly

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Composer Jeet Ganguly, who has created tunes for films like “Aashiqui 2”, “Youngistaan” and the forthcoming “Khamoshiyan”, says filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt is his “godfather”, who gave him a “rebirth” in the Hindi music industry.

Ganguly had worked for a song in the film “Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai” and then came back into the music industry with “Aashiqui 2”, which was produced by Bhatt’s Vishesh Films.

“I came back to the Mumbai music industry after 10 years. My godfather is Mukesh-ji, he brought me back. He has given me a rebirth,” Ganguly told IANS in an interview.

World-class product certification needed, says Paswan

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India needs to develop an excellent product certification comparable to world standards to make Indian good acceptable worldwide, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Food and Civil Supplies Ram Vilas Paswan said here Monday.

“In fact, this is a pre-requisite for the prime minister’s ambitious ‘Make In India’ campaign to succeed,” he said.

Paswan said that presently, the Bureau of Indian Standards has formulated 19,000 standards of which 6,000 are internationally comparable, and BIS certifies 933 products with the ISI mark.

Himachal to open mini secretariats in sub-divisions

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Mini secretariats up to the sub-divisional level will be opened in Himachal Pradesh to help people get maximum benefit of government schemes, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said here Monday.

So far, mini secretariats have been opened in the district headquarters.

Addressing a public meeting in Nadaun in Hamirpur district after laying the foundation stone of the mini secretariat building, he said a few opposition leaders were unnecessarily against the setting up of a central university in Dharamsala.

Harvard students visit Odisha steel plant

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A team of students from Harvard University Sunday visited the coal gasification steel plant of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL) in Angul in Odisha.

The students, visiting India as part of the Asia Leadership Trek, examined how the company uses green technology in the plant to produce steel.

Jaitley meets Jayalalithaa

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Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Sunday called on AIADMK general secretary J.Jayalalithaa at her residence.

In a statement issued here, AIADMK said Jaitley, who is on a day’s visit to the Tamil Nadu capital, went to Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence and was received by her warmly.

“It was a courtesy call which lasted 40 minutes,” the statement added.

Jayalalithaa lost her assembly seat and the chief minister post after she was convicted for four years jail term and Rs.100 crore fine in a corruption case.

I can’t be like Ajaz Khan: Sana Khan

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Actress Sana Khan, who got evicted from “Bigg Boss Halla Bol” Sunday, says she couldn’t behave like former contestant Ajaz Khan in order to entertain the viewers.

Sana entered the “Bigg Boss” house as a challenger, but was not able to do much and got voted out after spending two weeks there.

She was nominated alongside Rahul Mahajan and Sambhavna Seth in the series which is an extended version of popular reality show “Bigg Boss 8”.

Delhi Police arrest three, seize ammunition

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Delhi Police Sunday said it has arrested three people and seized a huge cache of live cartridges. However, police ruled out the possibility of any terror link behind the seizure and arrests.

Police recovered 1,020 live cartridges from three arms and ammunition suppliers.

Mohammad Sharik, a 42-year-old resident of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, and Faeeem Miya, a 44-year-old resident of Uttarakhand, were arrested Friday night near the Welcome station of Delhi Metro where they were to supply a consignment of 920 cartridges.

I-League: Mohun Bagan beat Mumbai FC 3-1

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City football giants Mohun Bagan kick started their I-league campaign in some style, by comfortably outclassing a 10 man Mumbai FC 3-1 here at the Saltlake Stadium Sunday riding on a brace by talismanic Japanese mid-fielder Katsumi Yusa.

Yusa scored in both halves, with Haitian Sony Norde also finding the back of the net once for the home side. Brazilian forward Joshimar da Silva did pull a consolation for the losers but Kunal Sawant’s red card at the fag end of the game did not help Mumbai’s cause either, as they failed to make a comeback.

Real Madrid register easy win against Getafe

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A Cristiano Ronaldo brace and a Gareth Bale flick helped Real Madrid defeat Getafe 3-0 Sunday in the Spanish La Liga.

Real Madrid were struggling to break down a well-organised Getafe side until the 62nd minute when Benzema some brilliant control, to set up Ronaldo for a simple tap-in, reports Xinhua.

Four minutes later and Real Madrid were out of reach with James Rodriguez producing an inch-perfect cross across for Bale to flick home Real Madrid’s second.

India, Sri Lanka pledge to build better ties

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Nine days after President Maithripala Sirisena took office, Sri Lanka and India Sunday pledged to deepen their relations, with New Delhi agreeing to work “closely and extensively” with Colombo.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj conveyed India’s views to her new Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera, who arrived here overnight on his first foreign trip after Sirisena came to power Jan 9.

In three hours of extensive discussions, Sushma Swaraj and Samaraweera covered all issues including enhancing bilateral cooperation and political reconciliation efforts in Sri Lanka.

Process underway on PIA officials’ visa: India:

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India Sunday said that the process relating to visas of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) staff was underway.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that the issues relating to visas of the PIA staff were part of the normal routine and the process was underway.

Last week, the Enforcement Directorate has issued summons to PIA in connection with alleged violation of forex laws in the purchase of properties in Delhi.

Bank lockers of family checked by CBI: Odisha MP

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Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra Sunday said bank lockers of his wife and daughter were examined by the CBI as part of its investigation in the Odisha chit fund scam.

Mohapatra said officials of the Central Bureau of Investigation examined the bank lockers Saturday.

The CBI, which had searched his residence in November last year, also seized the locker keys.

Sri Lanka to keep army posted in north

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The new Sri Lankan government Sunday said it would keep the army stationed in the northern part of the country and give priority to national security.

Sri Lankan State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardena said that after President Maithripala Sirisena won the presidential election Jan 8, there were several false reports that the army would be withdrawn from the north.

According to a Xinhua report, Wijewardena said President Sirisena had made it clear from the day he won the presidential election that he will not allow the country to be divided.

Libyan army announces ceasefire

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The Libyan army Sunday announced a ceasefire in its fight against the rebels in response to the recommendations of the UN-sponsored Geneva talks.

“We announce a ceasefire starting from midnight Jan 18 in all land, sea, and air fronts,” the Libyan army said in a statement, according to Xinhua.

However, the army said the ceasefire would exclude “operations to prosecute terrorists who do not recognise the right of Libyans to build a national state and do not recognise the democratic principles of this country”.

Five Maoists arrested in Bihar

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Five wanted Maoists were arrested in Bihar’s Jehanabad district Sunday, police said.

Jehanabad Superintendent of Police Ansuiya Ransingh Sahu said the five were wanted by police in neighbouring Jharkhand also.

Police also seized arms and ammunition from them.

The arrested Maoists were involved in many cases in both states.

Ravinder Yadav alias ‘Doctorjee’, one of the five arrested, is a member of the ‘special area committee’ of the banned CPI-Maoist. He is wanted in many cases of loot, murder and extortion in Bihar.

(IANS)

Fake PMO website busted, mastermind arrested

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Delhi Police has busted a fake website of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) under the name “Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Yojna” and arrested the mastermind for cheating several people on the pretext of providing them government loans, officials said Sunday.

In a joint operation by Delhi and West Bengal Police, Sudipta Chatterjee, the 43-year-old mastermind of the racket, was arrested Saturday from Howrah, where the network had its base.

Israel urges cutting ICC funding over war crimes probe

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Israel Sunday called for cutting funding for the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the tribunal’s decision to probe possible Israeli war crimes during last year’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Israel was trying to get various countries to stop funding the ICC, Xinhua reported.

“We will demand that our friends in Canada, Australia and Germany simply stop funding it (the ICC),” Lieberman told Israel Radio Sunday, in response to the announcement of the probe.

ITF juniors: Local talent Yubrani Banerjee makes the main draw

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Local talent Yubrani Banerjee made it to the main draw of the ITF Juniors Sunday after storming past Taipei’ Yu Pei Lee 6-2 6-1 here.

Banerjee was all-over Yu from the beginning, not allowing her an inch to get back into the encounter at the Dakshin Kalikata Sansad court.

Another Indian Mahak Jain also entred the main tournament whipping Priyanka Kalita 6-0 6-3.A

Two Taipei girls Huai Shu Chen and En Shuo Liang also made the cut for the main draw.

Second seed in the Boys Singles qualifiers Kunj Kotak lost out to another Indian Mridul Kharkwal in three-setter 4-6 6-4 and 4-6.

Clear Sunday in Delhi, morning fog affects trains, flights

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Thick fog Sunday morning brought down visibility to less than 200 metres in the capital, delaying 91 train services and 60 flights. The city later witnessed a warm and clear day, as the maximum temperature was recorded at 21.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above the season’s average. The Met department has forecast a similar Monday.

“Monday morning is also going to be foggy. The maximum and the minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 21 degrees and 6 degrees Celsius, respectively,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Kumble congratulates de Villiers for fastest ton

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Former India cricket captain Anil Kumble Sunday congratulated South Africa batsman AB de Villiers for scoring the fastest century in One-Day Internationals (ODI).

De Villiers reached the three-figure mark off just 31 deliveries against the West Indies at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. The previous record was held by New Zealander Corey Anderson, who took 36 balls to reach his ton playing against the same opponents a year ago.

“Congratulations @ABdeVilliers17 for a world record fastest odi hundred. Awesome batting! Unbelievable!!!” tweeted Kumble.

Sorensen replaces Murtagh in Ireland squad

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All-rounder Max Sorensen will replace Tim Murtagh in Ireland’s World Cup squad after the latter suffered an injury.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) Sunday confirmed that the Event Technical Committee of the World Cup has approved Sorensen as a replacement player for Murtagh for the quadrennial extravaganza. Murtagh is suffering from a stress fracture in his right foot and therefore has been ruled out of the tournament.

No differences with Maken: Lovely

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Congress’ Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely, who is not contesting the Feb 7 poll, Sunday refuted reports of differences between him and party leader Ajay Maken, and said he was happy to take up the organisational role offered to him.

On a day when Congress announced Lovely was not to contest Delhi assembly poll from his stronghold Gandhi Nagar, and would be looking after party work, he said he is happy to be offered an organisational role in the party.