THE HEADLINES:
- JD(U) stakes claim to form the next government in Bihar under the leadership of Nitish Kumar; RJD, CPI and Congress extend support; Bihar Chief Minister, Jitan Ram Manjhi meets Prime Minister Modi this evening.
- Prime Minister chairs first NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi; discusses with Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors the flagship schemes and infrastructure projects.
- BJP hopeful of a favourable result in Delhi Assembly elections.
- Australia set a victory target of 372 for India in the opening warm-up game of Cricket World Cup.
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The Janta Dal(United) has staked claim to form the next government in Bihar under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. State party President Vashisht Narayan Singh today submitted a letter of support to Governor in this regard. He said RJD, Congress and CPI also supported Mr. Kumar's candidature for the next chief ministership of the state. Mr. Singh also said he has submitted a letter of party president Sharad Yadav in forming the governor that Manjhi had ceased to the leader of Legislature Party and his decisions should not be entertained by the Governor.
Meanwhile, JD (U) party spokesperson K.C. Tyagi said the alleged ongoing political turmoil in Bihar is due to the interference of BJP top leadership. Talking to media in New Delhi today he said BJP top leaders do not want Nitish Kumar to take over as the Chief Minister of the state. He said, JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav will submit a list of 130 MLAs to the Governor soon. He expressed hope that Mr Nitish Kumar will be called to take oath as the state's next Chief Minister. The JD (U) leader also alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi has joined hands with the BJP and seeking the dissolve the assembly is proof in itself.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi this evening to discuss the political situation in the state.
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The first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog is underway in New Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing the meeting. During the meeting Mr Modi will seek views of Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors on the Union Budget 2015-16, flagship schemes and infrastructure projects like rail and roads to put the economy on high growth trajectory. The meeting is expected to provide suggestions on setting up efficient processes and mechanisms for interaction between the Centre and states as also between NITI and other stakeholders to ensure synergy between different levels of government for a shared national development framework. The states have also been requested to give suggestion to make a success of the new central initiatives like Swachh Bharat and Make in India. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh are also present in the meeting.
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BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman has expressed confidence that the Delhi election results will be in favour of her party. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi today after holding a meeting with BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, she said it is too early to say that who is going to win and everybody should wait for the result day. While asking on Ms Bedi remark that she will take the responsibility of any outcome of the elections, Mrs Sitharaman said she has given her personal remarks and she is entitle to do it because she is the CM candidate of the party.
"She has given her personal believe, because she was project as a CM candidate & she will be a true leader from upfront & she said what she said but result will have to come on 10th. We are hopeful that the result will so in our favour."
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The National Green Tribunal has ordered a ban on road side shops and eateries along the animal corridors near Assam's Kaziranga National Park in the wake of increasing wildlife casualties due to vehicular movement on the adjacent highway. The Tribunal also directed the Assam government to submit records of animal fatality for 2013 and 2014 on the next date of hearing on March 12.
The Tribunal's direction came while hearing a plea filed by an environmentalist opposing expansion of the highway stretch claiming that continued unregulated use of NH-37 is leading to death of wild animals and reptiles in large numbers in road accidents.
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In Rajasthan, Seven persons died and 150 tested positive for Swine flu. The state level task force formed to combat the situation due to swine flu asked Senior doctors of medical colleges to supervise the treatment of swine flu patients. State Health Minister Rajender Rathore said medicines have been distributed in ample quantity to all Community Health Centers,District Hospitals and,Primary Health Centers in the state.
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In Karnataka six people have died due to swine flu. The Director of Health department in the state Dr. H C Ramesh informed that four people died due to swine flu in Bangalore and one each in Raichur and Bidar districts. He also added that 95 people are tested positive to H1N1 influenza in the state. The health department has made arrangements to sufficiently stock Tamiflu tablets. Dr. Ramesh also informed that District Health officers are closely monitoring the situation in the state.
In Karnataka six people have died due to swine flu. The Director of Health department in the state Dr. H C Ramesh informed that four people died due to swine flu in Bangalore and one each in Raichur and Bidar districts. He also added that 95 people are tested positive to H1N1 influenza in the state. The health department has made arrangements to sufficiently stock Tamiflu tablets. Dr. Ramesh also informed that District Health officers are closely monitoring the situation in the state.
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Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has sought permission from the CBI special court in Panchkula in Haryana, to go abroad to promote his film Messenger of God. The court has issued a notice to CBI for reply on his application yesterday. Dera Sacha Sauda Chief has approached the court to go to UK, US, New zealand, Australia and Dubai from February 16 to 25 to expand the reach of his movie. The UK, New zealand and Australia have already granted certificate for release of the film. Ram Rahim Singh is facing several cases including murder and rape in a CBI special court in Haryana.
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President Pranab Mukherjee today said that international co-operation and action are absolutely called for as a country can choose its friends but not its neighbors. Addressing the Heads of Mission at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Mr Mukherjee said, those days are gone when balance of power was the most important element in foreign policies of countries. He said the institutional arrangements of converting the globe into a global village have been initiated. Mr Mukherjee said, for the first time on day of swearing-in of Union Cabinet, India invited all heads of SAARC countries and by doing so the country has initiated and conveyed right message to its neighboring countries.
President Pranab Mukherjee today said that international co-operation and action are absolutely called for as a country can choose its friends but not its neighbors. Addressing the Heads of Mission at Rashtrapati Bhawan, Mr Mukherjee said, those days are gone when balance of power was the most important element in foreign policies of countries. He said the institutional arrangements of converting the globe into a global village have been initiated. Mr Mukherjee said, for the first time on day of swearing-in of Union Cabinet, India invited all heads of SAARC countries and by doing so the country has initiated and conveyed right message to its neighboring countries.
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Telecom subscriber base of thecountry reached all-time high of 97 crore at the end of December 2014. The latest report of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India said the number of telephone subscribers in India increased from 964.20 million at the end of November, 2014 to 970.97 million at the end of December, 2014.
"The report also said the Teledensity in the country, which means connection per 100, reached 77.58. The mobile or wireless subscriber base in country is now already at all-time highs after it crossed 93.53-crore mark at the end of October 2014. The growth in broadband subscribers was also dominated by mobile operators with 6.9 crore customers. The total broadband subscriber base increased by 4.28 per cent on monthly basis to 8.57 crore at the end of December from 8.2 crore in November. KAMPAN FOR AIR NEWS."
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Maharashtra and the National Capital Region have cornered 49 per cent of the total foreign direct investment inflows into the country since April 2000. According to Commerce and Industry Ministry data the Maharashtra attracted maximum foreign inflows at 70.41 billion dollar, about 30 per cent of total foreign direct investment inflows during April 2000 - November 2014.
The National Capital Region including parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, received 45.77 billion dollar foreign direct investment during the period. The National Capital Region accounted for 19 per cent of the country's total FDI. The data also said during the period, India received 236.46 billion dollar foreign inflows to the country.
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In Assam, 12 persons were killed on the spot in a road accident in Golaghat district this morning. Golaghat SP said that 3 seriously injured persons have been shifted to Jorhat medical college for treatment. He said the accident occurred at Bokakhat when the ill-fated vehicle collided with a stranded truck. The vehicle was coming from Lakhimpur. In another road accident, two persons lost their lives at Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district.
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Trade across the Line of Control between Salamabad in Uri and Chikoti in Muzaffarabad remained suspended yesterday following the arrest of a Pakistani truck driver after seizure of drugs from his vehicle. Police said the vehicle carrying oranges had come from Pakistani side on Friday morning. Customs and Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel at the Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre in Uri recovered 305 packets of drugs from the truck during a routine check. Following this, the driver and two of his local contacts, for whom the consignment was meant, were arrested.
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Ministry of External Affairs today said there is no proposal to amend Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, Act 2010. In a tweet, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said answers to all questions on India-US Nuclear breakthrough are available in public domain.
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In Egypt, the preparations for the upcoming parliament elections begin today. The registration of candidates for parliament elections begins at 9am local time today and will continue till 17 th February. Polling will be held in phases, during March and May. Political analysts expect that a record number of candidates will be able to stand in the polls, even though Muslim Brotherhood group and its Islamist allies will not be contesting the elections.
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In Egypt, at least 151 militants have been killed in army raids during the past three days in different parts of the country's North Sinai region. Official sources said in Cairo, forty-seven of these militants were identified as dangerous 'Takfiri' leaders. The raids came days after President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi ordered the formation of a military leadership for Sinai and the areas east of the Suez Canal. Egypt's Sinai peninsula has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-dictator Hosni Mubarak. The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Over 500 security personnel have also been reported killed since then.
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Iraqi authorities have said that they will go ahead with the plans to lift night curfew despite a spate of bombings yesterday which killed 37 people. Prime Minister Haider Abadi has decided to end the curfew and demilitarise several neighbourhoods as part of a campaign to normalise life in Baghdad. Iraqi capital was rocked by a series of bombings yesterday hours before the city's longtime curfew was set to come to an end. The worst hit was New Baghdad where a suicide bomber blew himself up at a street filled with hardware stores in which 22 people were killed.
Second attack took place shortly afterward in central Baghdad's popular Shorja market, killing at least 11 people. The third explosion outside an outdoor food market at the Abu Cheer market on a Shiite block of southwestern Baghdad left four people dead.
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The six nation Gulf Co-operation Council, GCC has denounced the Houthi take over in Yemen as a coup. In a statement from Riyadh, it said the takeover bid by Houthis represents a grave and unacceptable escalation and endangers the security, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen. GCC has asked Houthis to pull out its militia from Sanaa and restore democratic institutions. It has also called for UN Security Council intervention and put an end to the coup which has placed Yemen and its people in dark tunnel.
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The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly bilingual live phone-in programme “PUBLIC SPEAK” tomorrow will bring you a discussion on “Indian youth and Skill development”.
The News Services Division of All India Radio in its weekly bilingual live phone-in programme “PUBLIC SPEAK” tomorrow will bring you a discussion on “Indian youth and Skill development”.
This can be heard on FM Gold Channel and additional frequencies from 9.30 p.m. . Listeners can ask questions to the experts sitting in our Studio on telephone number: 011: 2331-4444 (Repeat 011: 2331-4444). You can also post your questions on our Twitter handle @airnews alerts by #tag Askair.
This programme is also available on Doordarshan DTH.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI, today decided to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on March 2 this year in Chennai. After a four hour long meeting, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel in a media release announced that the working committee discussed the implication of the Supreme Court judgment of the IPL spot-fixing scandal and decided to act as per legal advise.
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In the first warm-up match of the cricket World Cup, in Adelaide today India were 69 for the loss of 2 in 12 overs when reports last came in. Earlier, electing to bat first, David Warner and Glenn Maxwell smashed strokeful centuries to help Australia post 371 against a hapless Indian bowling attack. The hosts rode on Warner's 104 and Maxwell's 57-ball 122, before he was retired out, to put up a challenging score as they lost all their 10 wickets in 48.2 overs.
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