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India beefs up security ahead of US President Obama's visit for Republic Day celebrations

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that security was beefed up across the country ahead of US President Barack Obama's visit to New Delhi for Republic Day celebrations. The central government has placed multi-tier security set up for the high profile visit. Obama will arrive in New Delhi on January 25 to take part in Republic Day celebrations on the invitation of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Meanwhile, the city of Taj Mahal, Agra, is set to become a fortress ahead of Obama's visit on January 27. The Taj Mahal will be closed to visitors on that day.

Jan 21, 2015

PM Modi meets Russian defence minister to deepen bilateral cooperation

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in New Delhi to deepen bilateral cooperation. Shoygu arrived in New Delhi for his three-day India visit to review the ongoing cooperation and future prospects in defence sector between the two countries. He is also scheduled to hold talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar later in the day. Besides, the defence minister will also attend a session of Russian-Indian Intergovernmental Commission on Military and Technical Cooperation and visit the Russian-Indian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace Limited that makes supersonic cruise missiles. Modi had signed a raft of agreements with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who visited India in December last year.

Jan 21, 2015

PM Modi meets Myanmar's Vice President Sai Mauk Kham to improve bilateral relations

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Vice President of Myanmar, Sai Mauk Kham met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday. Kham arrived in India on Monday on a five day visit to improve the bilateral relations between the two countries. Accompanying Kham on his visit is a high-level delegation of cabinet ministers and senior officials Through this visit, both the countries are aiming to improve physical connectivity and economic links. Reportedly India is keen on expanding its commercial footprint across Myanmar. Kham is scheduled to hold meetings with other top leaders of India including President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Kham will also be visiting various places of historical importance both within and outside Delhi.

Jan 21, 2015

China has mountains to climb with Winter 2022 bid

A barren mountainside marks where China hopes ski jumpers will vault to glory at the Winter Olympics, representing the giant leap the country must make to stage the 2022 Games. Duration: 01:12

Jan 21, 2015

School student killed in accident in Ranchi, angry mob burns buses

Ranchi, Jan 21 (ANI): A mob, angry at the death of a school student, burnt vehicles in Ranchi on Wednesday. A student of fourth standard was run over in a road accident when a bus and a car were trying to overtake each other. The student died on the spot. However, it is not clear if the student was hit by the bus or the car. Angry people spilled onto the roads, set two buses on fire and blocked traffic to protest against the student's death. In order to clear the road, the police had to chase away the angry mob. An eyewitness, Rakesh Kumar, said the mob could only be controlled once the police teams arrived on the scene. Meanwhile, another eyewitness, Pushpesh Yadav, confirmed the student died on the spot. School students too came out to protest against this accident and shouted slogans demanding justice for the deceased student.

Jan 21, 2015

Police arrest man for smuggling endangered lizards in Assam

Guwahati, Jan 21 (ANI): Police in Assam arrested a man from a railway station in Guwahati city for trying to smuggle 15 gecko lizards. The man identified as Sanjay Rai was trying to smuggle the endangered species to West Bengal, police officials said. He told officials he had caught the geckos from Kumarghat in Tripura and was taking them to Siliguri. Geckos have large international market value and they are transported to China from northeastern states via Nepal. There are many instances where gecko smugglers have been arrested in the city and other parts of the state.

Jan 21, 2015

Delhi Polls: Candidates from various political parties file nomination

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): Leaders from various political parties today filed their nomination papers for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections. The scrutiny of nominations will take place tomorrow, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is January 24. Polling will take place on February 7 and the counting of votes will be taken up on February 10.

Jan 21, 2015

Jaipur set to welcome authors, publishers for literature festival

Jaipur, Jan 21 (ANI): India's pink city Jaipur will welcome authors, writers, speakers at Asia's largest literary festival which begins on Wednesday (January 21). Regional language novelists and writers will rub shoulders with Man Booker prize winners and Nobel laureates at the 8th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), which will be held in Diggi Palace in Jaipur. The writers will converge in the city for five days of readings, debates and discussions. Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Vasundhara Raje, is scheduled to inaugurate the festival, where over 200,000 visitors are expected. The event is seen as an agenda-setter on key issues from the global economic crisis to the rise of e-books, the current state of politics in the Middle East to the increasing importance of Indian language publishing.

Jan 21, 2015

Punjab records first swine flu death

Amritsar, Jan 21 (ANI): Punjab reported its first swine flu death of the year as a 55-year-old woman succumbed to the H1N1 virus at a private hospital in Amritsar city. Sarabjit Kaur was admitted in the hospital on Friday with complains of high fever and cough. Kaur also had uncontrolled diabetic condition. He informed that she had not travelled in recent past or contacted any swine flu patient. Swine flu is caused by H1N1 virus. H1N1 symptoms are similar to those produced by other influenza viruses - fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and respiratory problems. With the number of swine flu cases rising in India, doctors had advised people to avoid crowded places.

Jan 21, 2015

Delhi Polls: BJP's CM candidate Kiran Bedi files nomination from Krishna Nagar

New Delhi, Jan 21 (ANI): BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi filed nomination papers from Krishna Nagar constituency on Wednesday. Bedi was accompanied by BJP's Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay. Earlier in the day, Bedi had held a roadshow and paid tribute to Lala Lajpat Rai in Krishna Nagar constituency. She had also interacted with tea and newspaper sellers in Krishna Nagar and enquired about the kind of issues they were facing.

Jan 21, 2015

Drug Racket Case: Punjab and Harayana HC stays transfer orders of ED official Niranjan Singh

Chandigarh, Jan 21 (ANI): The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday stayed the implementation of transfer orders of Enforcement Directorate (ED) Assistant Director Niranjan Singh who is probing 4000 crore synthetic drug racket case. The decision was taken on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Lawyer Navikiran Singh. The next hearing of the case is scheduled on February 2. Navikiran Singh said that it was wrong to order transfer of an official during the investigation.

Jan 21, 2015

Rainstorms mar Zambia's presidential vote

Zambians were called to cast their ballot in the country's presidential election. Heavy rains perturbed the proceedings with some voting stations forced to open again on Wednesday. Duration: 00:33

Jan 21, 2015

ISIS has recruits from all over the world. This image shows ISIS militants from China.

Missing South Korean Teen May Have Joined Islamic State

The 18-year old South Korean boy reportedly told his parents that he wanted to meet a friend he had met online, in Turkey.

Jan 21, 2015

Father buries 4-year-old son, curses Ukraine's war

Vladimir Bobryshchev buried his son in the rebel bastion of Donetsk this week, after a rocket fell on his home. Duration: 00:36

Jan 21, 2015

Answer to Militants and ISI?

Peshawar, January 20, 2015: While the State of Pakistan's continues to connive with militants to disturb the peace in other countries, it is the common man who continues to suffer a great deal. One month after the gruesome attack on the army public school in Peshawar, the school reopened, the candle light vigils were held and a tough message was sent to militants and its backers within the State of Pakistan. Activists, campaigners and members of the civil society gathered in several cities across Pakistan on Friday (January 16) to mark one month since the deadly attack by Taliban gunmen on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar in which over 140 people, including 134 children, were systematically gunned down. In Islamabad, several parliamentarians came out to join a vigil outside Parliament House. In Lahore, around two hundred citizens lit candles in memory of those killed in the school attack.

Jan 21, 2015