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.

Over 2,000 NCC cadets to participate in Republic Day camp

by

Over 2,000 NCC cadets will participate in the Republic Day camp this year, including over 100 cadets from Jammu and Kashmir and 160 from northeast, it was announced Tuesday.

“Around 2,070 cadets, including 707 girl, cadets are participating in this year NCC Republic Day Camp,” National Cadet Corps (NCC) Director General, Lt Gen Aniruddha Chakravarty said.

“This also includes 101 cadets from Jammu and Kashmir and 160 cadets from northeaster region,” he said.

Tech Mahindra forms JV with Avion Systems

by

Indian IT consulting company Tech Mahindra Tuesday said it has entered into a joint venture with US-based global telecom technology firm Avion Systems to provide network design and engineering services to communications service providers.

“Tech Mahindra has been chosen as a minority investor at Avion Systems and the new JV will be called Avion Networks Inc (ANI),” the company said in a statement.

Indian woman held without trial in Maldives

by

An Indian woman, imprisoned on charges of murdering her 10-month-old child and also attempting suicide, has been awaiting trial for the past four-and-half years, media reports here said.

Rubeena Buruhanudeen, 30, who is being held at Maldives’ Dhoonidhoo detention centre, has been awaiting sentencing since late August 2010, Minivan News reported citing a source close to the case.

Rubeena confessed to the killing and has since said that she was heavily medicated at the time of her child’s death, with only a vague recollection of events, the report added.

Ito too good for Ramanathan in Chennai Open tennis tournament

by

An error-prone Ramkumar Ramanathan, one of the two Indian wild cards, flattered to deceive as a higher-ranked Tatsuma Ito of Japan hammered the local challenger 6-3, 6-3 en route to the second round of the $450,000 Chennai Open, here Tuesday.

Ramanathan, ranked 285, proved no match for No.87 Ito whose consistency and a solid all-round game proved to be the clincher. The Indian did serve better with nine aces, but Ito played smarter tennis to emerge deserving winner.

Government launches web portal for approval of cargo movement

by

The government Tuesday launched a web portal envisaged to ease the regulatory hurdle and saving time in obtaining approvals for transportation of heavy cargo.

According to the ministry of road transport and highways, the web portal will provide online approval of over-dimensional (OD) and over-weight cargo (OWC) movement.

The portal was launched by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who said the digitalisation in the sector will ensure smoother movement of heavy transport and make system corruption free.

‘MSG – The Messenger…’s music album launched

by

The music album of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh’s forthcoming film, “MSG – The Messenger of God” was released here Tuesday at the PVR Priya theatre.

The film features the sect chief as a director, actor, writer and music composer.

Ram Rahim Singh, his co-actors Flora Saini and boxer Vijender Singh were among the attendees for the event.

The album, which consists of songs “Never ever”, “Ram Ram”, “Raatan-baatan”, “Daru ko goli maro”, “Papa the great” among others, broke records on online portals like Flipkart and Amazon on its pre-booking.

IMA concerned over survey on needless surgeries

by

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tuesday expressed concern over a recent survey which showed that 44 percent of surgeries advised to patients by doctors were not needed.

In a letter to the Medical Council of India and Maharashtra Medical Council, the IMA said: “If the findings of this survey are correct, it is a matter of national concern but if the findings of this survey are not correct, it will cause a great damage to doctor-patient relationship”.

The survey, with a data base of 12,500 patients, showed that over 44 percent of the surgeries were advised needlessly.

Yemeni president, Shia rebels agree to hold talks

by

Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and leaders of the Shia Houthi militia Ansar Allah have agreed to hold a dialogue to end their differences and implement a power-sharing agreement they signed in September, media reported Tuesday.

The Houthi rebels, who have controlled the northern province of Saada since 2010, extended their domains to other regions in 2014 and forced the government to resign in September.

In recent months, however, the Houthis have been meeting fierce resistance from Al Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate and other Sunni Muslim groups and clans.

Pakistan president set to sign anti-terror laws

by

Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain was set to sign a new bill into law after both houses of parliament Tuesday unanimously approved tough anti-terror measures, including establishment of military-led special courts for the hearing of terrorism-related cases.

The National Assembly and the Senate also approved an amendment in the Army Act to empower the military courts to try accused in terrorism cases, Xinhua reported.

States nod for system to enhance student mobility, job needs

by

State education ministers Tuesday endorsed the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) and the credit framework for skills to enable student mobility across institutions after the union government strongly pitched for the measure aimed at meeting student aspirations and employment needs.

The day-long conference convened by the human resource development ministry decided to form a joint working group comprising nominees from the central and state government to sort out issues in implementing CBCS and the credit framework.

NIA chief in Assam, to visit violence-hit areas Wednesday

by

NIA chief Sharad Kumar reached Assam Tuesday to take stock of the central agency’s probe into the recent violence in Assam that left 81 people dead and over two lakh homeless.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) director general held discussions here with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Director General of Police (DGP) Khagen Sarma, Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla and other officials.

Assam Police sources said the NIA chief will Wednesday visit the violence-affected areas in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts.

Maruti Suzuki, Hyundia increase prices

by

The country’s largest automobile companies in terms of passenger car sales Tuesday hiked prices on account of the government’s decision to withdraw excise duty concessions and increase in input costs.

The country’s largest passenger car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki said it was increasing vehicle prices to offset higher taxes.

According to a company official, the price increase which was effective Jan 1, 2015 was intimated to its dealers Tuesday.

“The price increase was intimated today. All vehicles which are sent to dealers will be sold with new prices,” the official told IANS.

Ranji: Uthappa’s century puts Karnataka on top

by

Batsman Robin Uthappa slammed a brilliant 156 (202b, 23b, 1×6) as defending champions Karnataka took command of their Group A Ranji Trophy league match against Jammu and Kashmir who, trailing by 243 runs in the first innings, were 37 for one in their second essay at close of play on the second day, here Tuesday.

Uthappa, having relinquished his opener’s role for No.5 spot in the batting order, held the innings together as Karnataka, overnight 123 for five in reply to the visitors’ 160, declared at 423 for nine effectively taking a match-winning lead.

Tunisia suggests UN-controlled operation in Libya

by

Tunisia’s prime minister would support a UN-supervised counter-terrorism operation by Mediterranean countries to end the violence and anarchy in Libya but said he opposed other forms of foreign intervention in that country.

In an interview published Tuesday by the French daily Le Figaro, Tunisia’s interim Prime Minister, Mehdi Jomaa, said he believed that a dialogue between Libya’s different “factions” was the only solution to the country’s crisis.

South Africa retain top Test team status

by

South Africa have retained their ICC top ranking in Tests following their 2-0 series win over the West Indies.

The win helped South Africa retain the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test Championship mace and pocket a cash award of $500,000, an ICC statement said Tuesday.

“The series win means irrespective of how both the fourth Test between Australia and India, and the second Test between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, pan out, South Africa cannot be removed from the top Test pedestal at the 1 April annual cut-off date,” the ICC release said.

Pakistan shelling resumes in Kashmir

by

Pakistan Rangers Tuesday again started shelling BSF positions in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district and the Indian boarder guards retaliated, police said.

“Pakistan Rangers started shelling and firing on the Border Security Force border outpost at Chandrachek near the international border in Kathua district,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

“They are using mortars and other weapons to target BSF positions,” he said, adding the BSF had taken retaliatory action.

Firefighters work hard to control Australia bushfire

by

Australian emergency teams Tuesday battled one of the worst bushfires in South Australia in the last few years as high temperatures and strong winds threatened to make their job more difficult.

The fire has been raging since Friday and has left 134 people injured, some in serious condition, while scorching or severely damaging 38 houses and more than 12,500 hectares of land in South Australia, according to the television channel ABC.

Samsung unveils Galaxy A5, A3, E7, E5 in India

by

Samsung India Tuesday launched four mid-segment smartphones – Galaxy A5, Galaxy A3, Galaxy E7 and Galaxy E5, a company statement said here.

The new range of smartphones will be available from mid-January. Galaxy A3 will be priced at Rs.20,500, A5 at Rs.25,500, Galaxy E5 at Rs.19,300 and E7 at Rs.23,000.

“Both Galaxy A and Galaxy E smart phones have been designed to empower young minded consumer and provide accessibility to iconic design and flagship Galaxy features.

Reliance Industries: CLSA ups target by 33 percent, retains ‘buy’

by

Describing Reliance Industries (RIL) stock as the best growth in global large oils at discounted valuation, global brokerage CLSA Tuesday maintained “buy” on the stock, raising its target price to Rs.1,250, which is 33 percent higher than current levels.

“Reiterate our double bagger BUY with target of Rs.1,250 a share, ahead of key triggers in 2015,” CLSA said in a report.

Rajnath approves concessions for Pakistani refugees in Kashmir

by

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday approved “certain concessions” for post-1947 refugees from Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir.

The home minister has written to various authorities requesting them to waive certain requirements, like having a proper identity certificate, so that they can get employment and their children could go to schools, an official release said.

“He has written to Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar that concessions, like waiving off the condition of producing identity certificate, may be permitted in their recruitment to the armed forces,” it said.

North Korea can put n-warheads on missiles: Seoul

by

South Korea believes its Communist neighbour has already acquired a “significant” level of technology to miniaturise nuclear warheads and put them on its missiles, according to a defence white paper published Tuesday.

“North Korea is presumed to have secured some 40 kg of weapon-grade plutonium by reprocessing spent nuclear fuel multiple times, and it is evaluated to be working on a highly enriched uranium programme,” it added.

Iraq to continue rebuilding army

by

Iraqi leaders Tuesday said the process of rebuilding the country’s army is in its first stage and pledged to continue the exercise and reforms in the military structure following the blitzkrieg of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group which seized large parts of the country.

Iran marks 40-km red zone inside Iraq to stop IS

by

Iran has marked a 40-km red zone inside the Iraqi border to thwart any infiltration attempt into its soil by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, an Iranian army commander said Tuesday.

The Iranian army has warned the IS militants against any movement towards the Iranian border since the terrorist group has entered Iraq, Xinhua cited Press TV as quoting Ahmad-Reza Pourdastan, commander of the Iranian army’s ground forces.

Don’t play politics with our soldiers: Amit Shah to Congress

by

BJP chief Amit Shah Tuesday hit out at the Congress for questioning the government over the Coast Guard operation leading to the interception and subsequent sinking of a Pakistani terror boat and the death of suspected terrorists on board. He said the party should not play politics over the sacrifices of Indian security forces and instead encourage them.

“The Congress is asking whether they were terrorists or not. I want to know whether the Congress is going to contest elections in Pakistan or in India?” Shah said at a public meeting here.

Sony CEO breaks silence on cyber-attack

by

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai has broken his silence on the hacking of the corporation’s computer systems which has been blamed on North Korea, describing the attack as “vicious and malicious”.

Hirai is on a visit to Las Vegas to attend the annual Consumer Electronics Show, and used the opportunity to make his first public address since the incident which has led to a new wave of tension between Washington and Pyongyang.