India

Ahmedabad, Jan 18 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Monday appointed the new chairman of the trust which manages the world famous Somnath Temple at Prabhas Patan town in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district.

Modi, one of the trustees of the Shree Somnath Trust, was named to the top post unanimously, a senior official of the shrine management body said.

The post of the Somnath Trust's chairman fell vacant after the death of the incumbent, former Gujarat Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel, in October last year.

Bengaluru, Jan 18 (PTI) A few ruling BJP legislators, who missed ministerial berths in recent expansion of the B S Yediyurappa cabinet in Karnataka, would meet here on Tuesday to chalk out their strategy, including meeting senior party leaders, including in New Delhi, party legislator M P Renukacharya said.

Spearheading the campaign to convey the discomfort among the MLAs to the party high command, the Honnali MLA on Monday said the meeting will be within the democratic framework of right to expression in the party.

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) An agreement to promote the movement of skilled Indian workers to Japan in a total of 14 sectors was signed between the two countries on Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The areas under which skilled Indian workers would be eligible to seek employment in Japan include construction, shipbuilding and ship-related industry, automobile maintenance, nursing, aviation, agriculture, fisheries and food services industry among others, it said.

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) The tenth round of talks between the government and representatives of protesting farmers on controversial new farm laws was on Monday pushed back by a day to January 20, with the Centre saying both sides want to resolve the stalemate at the earliest but it was getting delayed due to involvement of people of other ideologies.

Kota (Raj), Jan 18 (PTI) A 13 year-old-girl from Bihar was allegedly "sold" twice for marriage within 17 days, following which police have arrested five people on charges of human trafficking, including her mother.

The arrested also include the two men who allegedly paid Rs one lakh and Rs 1.21 lakh, while three others are yet to be nabbed.

Guwahati, Jan 18 (PTI) The Assam Mahila Congress on Monday expressed concern over the "alarming increase" of crime against women during the last few years under the present BJP government.

The state has reported "the highest rate of crime against women for the last three years consecutively" and the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics reveal that it is constantly increasing, Assam Mahila Congress president and MLA Nandita Das told reporters here.

Bengaluru, Jan 18 (PTI) The chairman of Wipro Limited Azim Premji and the founder chairman of Narayana Health Dr Devi Prasad Shetty are among those who have been selected for the annual awards given by the Press Club of Bangalore.

Premji has been chosen for 'Press Club Person of the Year', while Dr Shetty and actor-Director Sudeep Sanjeev have been selected for the 'Press Club Special Award.'

Besides them 25 senior journalists have been selected for the 'Press Club Annual Awards', a release said.

New Delhi, Jan 19 (PTI) Very dense fog blanketed parts of Delhi on Tuesday, reducing visibility to zero metres and affecting traffic movement, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The minimum temperature dropped to 6.9 degrees Celsius as northwesterly winds from the snow-clad western Himalayas have started blowing towards the plains, an IMD official said.

On Monday, Delhi's minimum temperature stood at 9 degrees Celsius, two notches more than normal, due to party cloudy weather and easterly winds which are not as cold as northwesterly winds.

Fatehpur (UP),Jan 19 (PTI) A 35-year-old debt-ridden farmer allegedly committed suicide in Khatauli village here, police said on Tuesday.

Kuldeep Tiwari allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from the ceiling fan in his house on Monday, SHO, Lalauli, Sandeep Tiwari, said.

According to the farmer's family, Kuldeep had taken a loan of Rs. 70,000 from a bank and had also bought fertilizer by taking money on loan on Sunday, the SHO said.

Shahjahanpur (UP), Jan 19 (PTI) The body of a newborn was found on the roadside in Puvayan township here, police said on Tuesday.

Villagers saw the body of a girl child near Nakkhasa village on the Shahjahanpur-Palia road on Monday with stray dogs scratching it, and informed the police, SP (Rural) Sanjeev Bajpai said.

It appeared that the body was thrown on the roadside just after the birth, he said, adding that it has been sent for post-mortem examination.

The matter is being investigated, the SP added.