Indian Sub-continent

Bengaluru, Feb 1 (PTI) A Mirage-2000 trainer aircraft of the Indian Air Force crashed Friday at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Airport here killing both the pilots, a Defence official confirmed.

Though the pilots made a bid to eject, they were caught in the flames as the plane crashed with a huge explosion, the official added.

"This morning, a Mirage 2000 trainer aircraft on an acceptance sortie after upgrade crashed at the HAL Airport, Bengaluru," a Defence public relation officer said in a statement.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Top leaders of various opposition parties met on Friday to discuss the issue of alleged tampering of EVMs and develop their future course of action.

Sources said the Congress convened the meeting to discuss a joint strategy on the issue of alleged tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs) as some parties have questioned their efficacy and demanded the EC revert to the old system of ballot paper.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The government will provide a total of Rs 3,900 crore for servicing Air India's loans transferred to a special purpose vehicle, according to Budget documents.

The Air India Asset Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle, has been set up as part of financial restructuring of the debt-laden national carrier.

According to the documents presented in the interim Budget for 2019-20, the government has decided to allocate Rs 1,300 crore for the special purpose vehicle this fiscal.

Lucknow, Feb 1 (PTI) BSP president Mayawati called the Budget presented Friday by the BJP-led government `jumlebazi', or empty rhetoric, that did not address the ground realties.

She claimed that economic disparities had grown during the last five years with only a handful of capitalists benefiting, instead of farmers and the poor.

"This is wrong and against the interest of the country," she said in a statement.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) There has been a decline in budget outlays for IITs, IIMs, IISER, and statutory and regulatory bodies such as UGC and AICTE in the interim budget for 2019-20 as compared to the allocation for 2018-19.

This comes at a time the Human Resource Development Ministry has said it will implement 10 per cent reservation for economically weaker sections of the general category from the 2019 academic session and has directed to increase around 25 per cent seats in higher educational institutions and universities across the country.

Noida (UP), Feb 1 (PTI) The Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway connecting Uttar Pradesh with the national capital was shut on Friday evening as a huge mass of farmers marched on the road in a rally, officials said.

The Delhi Traffic Police cautioned commuters asking them to take alternate routes between Delhi and Noida suggesting usage of NH-9 instead of the DND to those moving to Ghazipur via Mayur Vihar.

"Due to the rally/protest by farmers, the DND road between Noida and Delhi has been shut," the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted at 5 pm.

Mumbai, Feb 1 (PTI) A 19-year-old man allegedly committed suicide at his residence in Kurla here on Friday, as he was apparently upset over not getting a mobile phone of his choice from his family, a senior police official said.

The deceased, Nadeem Sheikh, hanged himself from the ceiling fan of the kitchen around 4 am, the official said.

"Sheikh wanted a particular mobile worth Rs 37,000, but his elder brother gave him a cell phone worth around Rs 20,000," he said.

Begusarai (Bihar), Feb 1 (PTI) An occultist here has sent the Begusarai authorities into a tizzy with an "application" seeking permission for human sacrifice to propitiate his deity.

In a video that was shared widely, the occultist purportedly claimed that human sacrifice is not a crime and he is going to sacrifice his son, an engineer, first.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit West Bengal's Durgapur on Saturday to launch a nearly 300-km-long electrified section of the railways.

He will also inaugurate a 20-km-long Hijli-Narayangarh third line, a statement from his office said.

The prime minister will dedicate to the nation the railway electrification of the 294-km-long Andal-Sainthia-Pakur-Malda and the Khana-Sainthia sections.

Ballia (UP), Feb 1 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, who heads the BJP ally SBSP, Friday claimed that a US agency has warned that the saffron party could instigate riots.

The minister was apparently referring to reported remarks by US Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats on an assessment by intelligence agencies on threats worldwide.

According to reports, Coats said there was a possibility of communal violence if the BJP stresses on nationalist themes .