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Showing posts from 2017

LIVE updates: BJP takes lead in Gujarat, Himachal polls; Modi magic intact

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The results of the Gujarat Assembly election 2017 for 182 seats and the Himachal Pradesh Assembly election for 68 seats will be announced after counting of votes today Counting of votes for Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections has started. The result will be announced today itself. The 182 constituencies in the Gujarat Assembly had gone to the polls in two phases – on December 9 and 14. The electors in Himachal Pradesh’s 68 seats had voted to elect their legislators for their respective constituencies on November 9. The Gujarat election 2017 is seen as a prestige battle for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been ruling his home state for over two decades. It is also considered a litmus test for Rahul Gandhi, the newly elected president of the Congress party. Gujarat elections result (152/182 seats) Party Leads Won BJP  82 Congress  70 Others  2 ALSO READ:  All eyes on Gujarat as stage set for counting today

1st phase of Chabahar port launched: 10 key points explaining its relevance

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Would provide opportunities to Indian companies to penetrate and enhance their footprint in the region The first phase of  Chabahar port  was inaugurated on Sunday by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.The Chabahar project, located on the Gulf of Oman, only 85km from China's Gwadar port in Pakistan, is important for India as it will allow it to bypass Pakistan in accessing Afghanistan and Central Asia. Business Standard is republishing this 31/10/2017 article which explains the significance of the port. India sent its maiden cargo of wheat to Afghanistan through the Chabahar port in Iran, bypassing Pakistan on Sunday. The shipment will pave the way for operationalisation of the Chabahar port as an alternate route providing reliable and robust connectivity for central Asia. Also Read :  First phase of Chabahar port inaugurated Also Read :  Iran opens Chabahar port: India, Afghanistan can now trade bypassing Pak The shipment was flagged off from the Kandla port

India's crime capital: Delhi sees most murders, rapes, abductions in 2016

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Delhi had most cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives (3,645) Delhi had the highest incidence of murder, rape and abduction among 19 cities with populations more than 2 million, national crime data for the year 2016, released on November 30, 2017, show. Further, Delhi also reported the highest crime rate (1,222.5 crimes per 100,000 population) under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), according to data published by the National Crime Records Bureau. Delhi was followed by Kochi (757.9) and Jaipur (756.5), data show. Delhi accounted for nearly 39% of all crimes under the IPC reported in cities in 2016, followed by Bengaluru (9%) and Mumbai (8%). IPC crimes in Delhi increased 43% in two years from 139,707 in 2014 to 199,445 in 2016. Source: Crime In India, 2016: National Crime Records Bureau As many as 2,194 murders were reported across 19 cities in India, down 6% over 2014. Delhi reported the most–479 murders in 2016, with a murder rate of 2.9 per 100,000 pop

2 yrs after Maggi ban: Food firms, regulators still walk on thin ice

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Analysis of ash content in food, for the uninitiated, involves the burning away of organic content, leaving inorganic minerals On Wednesday, instant noodle brand Maggi was in the spotlight for failing laboratory tests conducted in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The current run-in coming after the lead-in-noodle issue that surfaced in May 2015 and was finally settled in 2016. This time food regulators found excess presence of ash content in Maggi, manufactured and marketed by Nestlé India, points to the difficult relationship shared by the company and the regulator. Nestlé, however, is not the only company to come under regulatory scanner in the past few months. Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Ayurved was twice in the news this year for food safety violations pertaining to its atta noodles and amla juice, respectively. Earlier in the year, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asked Hardcastle Restaurants, which runs McDonald’s outlets in west and south India, to serve

India, US will work for inclusive growth: Ivanka Trump ahead of GES Summit

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Ivanka said 52% of entrepreneurs will be women, attending from 127 different countries India and the US will continue to work together to increase economic opportunities and inclusive growth, US President Donald Trump's daughter and adviser  Ivanka Trump today said, days ahead of her visit to Hyderabad for a global business summit. Ivanka, 36, will lead a high-powered American delegation of officials, women entrepreneurs and businessmen for the  Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2017 in Hyderabad, a three-day summit beginning November 28. The summit will be attended by 1,500 entrepreneurs from 170 countries and would have around 350 participants from the US, a large number of whom are Indian-Americans. ALSO READ:  GES 2017: Economics, Ivanka and Hyderabad's green card-holding rich beggars Ivanka would deliver the keynote address at the summit, which would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said that her aim for this summit is to

Act fast on GST rate cut or face action: Hasmukh Adhia

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Finance secretary says onus of passing on the benefits is on companies Companies, including FMCG firms, might be prosecuted if their retailers do not immediately cut the prices of products whose goods and services tax (GST) rates have been slashed. Union Finance Secretary  Hasmukh Adhia  says the retailers or the companies cannot continue with higher prices on grounds that the old stocks have not been exhausted. “We have made provisions for the companies to claim the difference from the government as input tax credit. But I am not willing to accept their argument to postpone passing on the benefits to consumers till they have disposed of their old stocks.” According to him, the new prices should be effective from November 15. The GST Council in its last meeting this month cut the tax rate on 176 items from 28 per cent to 18 per cent and on two to 12 per cent. There was a huge demand to make these cuts. Speaking in a Doordarshan interview in which Business

Only God can save us, say officials as BJP, AAP, Cong spar over Delhi smog

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An estimated $600 mn is needed to provide farmers with alternatives, but the BJP of PM Narendra Modi and Opposition parties in power in New Delhi and nearby Punjab are squabbling over who will pay As pollution level climbed to 12 times above the recommended limit this week in India’s capital, government officials said they knew what was needed to control the smoky haze, but nothing would be done, at least this year. A major source of the smog at this time of year across northern India, including New Delhi, is farmers burning the stubble of the previous crop to prepare for new plantings in November. An estimated $600 million is needed to provide farmers with alternatives, but the Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and opposition parties in power in New Delhi and nearby Punjab states are squabbling over who will pay, said three federal government officials who have been briefed on the situation. “Nothing more is likely to happen this year,” said

Padmavati row: Karni Sena wants Bharat Bandh, Bhansali gets security cover

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Bhansali has been facing the ire of various groups and self-styled experts on what they term as 'erroneous' depiction of Rajput queen Rani Padmavati. The Shri Rajput Karni Sena on Wednesday called for a 'Bharat Bandh' (shutdown) on December 1 if Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movie "Padmavati" releases on that date, while the Maharashtra government provided a precautionary security cover for the filmmaker in view of the increasing controversies and growing threats. "We will hold rallies across the country, including Gurugram, Patna, Lucknow and Bhopal before the release date," Lokendra Singh Kalvi, founder-patron of the Shri Rajput Karni Sena, an organisation of the Rajput community, told media persons in Jaipur. He said all communities, including Muslims, supported the Sena on the issue. "We demand a complete ban on the film. Now, we don't want any pre-screening of the movie. All we want is a ban," he said. He cl

Kerala Transport Minister Thomas Chandy resigns over land grab allegations

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Chandy is the third minister quitting Kerala govt in just 18 months; he was alleged to have got a road constructed through government-owned land Battling land grab charges, Kerala Transport Minister  Thomas Chandy  on Wednesday submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who forwarded it to the Governor. Chandy was alleged to have got a road constructed through government-owned land and levelled water bodies to facilitate easier access to his Lake Palace Resort located near the Punamada Lake in Kerala. Chandy is the third minister quitting the Kerala government in just 18 months. The first to go was Industries Minister E P Jayarajan who quit last year. Saseendran followed in March this year. Speaking to the media at the Secretariat later, NCP leader T P Peethamabaran said the resignation letter had been handed over to Vijayan. "All the details will be told to you at 2 pm". Sources close to Chandy said he will approach the Supreme Co

Skincare Tips for Glowing and Radiant Skin Naturally

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Controlling stress levels and caring for your skin depending upon its type and the surroundings is also important. Skincare is much more than just cleaning of the skin, factors such as consuming a healthy balanced diet and getting enough sleep are also associated deeply with skincare. Controlling stress levels and caring for your skin depending upon its type and the surroundings is also important. Natural ways to care for the skin includes eating ample amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, avoiding food items that cause skin damage such as oily fast foods and including food items such as dark chocolate and healthy fats that are good for the skin in daily diet. Caring for the Skin on the Face There are differences and similarities in the way one should care for the skin on the face and on the body. The first step to keep skin on the face and body healthy and glowing is by keeping it clean from dirt and toxins. To clean the face, use a face-wash rich in natural ingredi

Tattoos and their effect on Health

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The most common and widespread risk of tattoos is that of infections and skin allergies. Tattoos are growing in popularity with each passing day especially amongst the youngsters. Getting a tattoo can be quite an experience and thus more and more people are getting inked each day. Tattoos can be temporary or permanent. The process mostly involves a needle piercing the outermost layer of the skin and creating the design using ink drops. Technology which is used to create tattoos is getting better with the growth in popularity of body art. But still risks in getting a tattoo and erasing the same if required remain. Laser tattoo removal is done by directing high energy pulses to remove the ink. Although the process does not affect or damage surrounding tissues but still issues such as scarring, discoloration of skin, burning sensation, incomplete removal and infections may occur. Common Health Issues Associated with Tattoos The most common and widespread risk of tattoos

Xiaomi Redmi Y1: Budget selfie-centric phone with satisfactory performance

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The Redmi Y1 is priced at Rs 8,999 for the base model with 32GB storage and 3GB RAM and Rs 10,999 for higher variant with 64GB storage and 4 GB RAM In its first shot at the selfie-centric smartphone segment, Chinese smatphone manufacturer Xiaomi has come up with not one but two budget devices -- the Redmi Y1 and Redmi Y1 Lite. While the Lite variant costs Rs 6,999, the  Redmi Y1 price  at Rs 8,999 for the base model (32GB storage and 3GB RAM) and Rs 10,999 for the premium variant with 64GB storage and 4 GB RAM. Business Standard reviewed the Redmi Y1 to test its selfie camera capabilities, besides the overall smartphone performance. Here are our observations: Camera The Redmi Y1 sports a 16-megapixel front camera, coupled with an LED flash. The images captured using the selfie shooter come out clean, but show heavy post-processing. The soft flashlight assists in taking low-light shots but limits the use only to selfies. The overall picture quality is nothing excep

Nokia 5 with 3GB RAM in India for Rs 13,499

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HMD Global, which owns Nokia-branded phones, on Monday announced that " Nokia 5 " will be available in India in a new configuration with 3GB RAM at Rs 13,499. The device features 5.2-inch IPS HD display with sculpted Corning Gorilla glass and comes with 13MP rear camera with phase detection auto-focus camera (PDAF) and 8MP front camera with auto-focus. "Nokia 5 has already forged a reputation for being a beautifully-crafted phone which punches well above its weight. Now we have added more memory so fans can get enhanced performance in the same precision-engineered design," Ajey Mehta, Vice President India, HMD Global, said in a statement. The device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 mobile platform and has internal memory of 16GB that can be expanded up to 128GB via microSD card slot. It sports 3000mAh battery. The 3GB Nokia 5 will be available for a week on Flipkart from November 7. The device will also be available in selected retail outl

Prince Alwaleed's arrest: How future Saudi king is tightening grip on power

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Analysts said the purge aimed to go beyond corruption and aimed to remove potential opposition to Prince Mohammed's ambitious reform agenda Saudi Arabia's future king has tightened his grip on power through an anti-corruption purge by arresting royals, ministers and investors including billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal who is one of the kingdom's most prominent businessmen. Saudi Prince Arrest  Alwaleed, a nephew of the king and owner of investment firm Kingdom Holding, invests in firms such as Citigroup and Twitter. He was among 11 princes, four ministers and tens of former ministers detained, three senior officials told Reuters on Sunday. The purge against the kingdom's political and business elite also targeted the head of the National Guard Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, who was detained and replaced as minister of the powerful National Guard by Prince Khaled bin Ayyaf. The allegations against Prince Alwaleed include money laundering, bribery and exto

Wake up call for Delhi: Capital 3rd worst in women safety, Goa tops index

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Goa came out as the state where women and girls were the least vulnerable, followed by Kerala, according to the index Delhi came in just two positions shy of being the worst state when it comes to safety of girls and women, faring better only than Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, while Goa topped the list, shows a newly-formed Gender Vulnerability Index by NGO Plan India. ( Here is the link to the full report ) The GVI attempts to "generate a normative consensus" on status of girls and women in India and takes into account four core dimensions: Education, health and survival, poverty, protection. Also Read :  Six arrested for alleged rape of Delhi woman For each dimension and GVI, state-wise ranking has been provided, with Goa coming in at rank one, followed by Kerala at rank two, Mizoram in the third position, Sikkim at fourth, and Manipur at rank five. At rank 28, Delhi fares among the bottom five, with Bihar faring the worst at rank 30, followed by Uttar P

Chennai rains: 4 dead, schools shut for 2nd day as more downpour expected

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Over the next few days, moderate to heavy rains will continue to lash Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu Chennai and coastal parts of Tamil Nadu have received heavy rains for a third day in a row. Until now, four people have reportedly died across the state due to heavy rainfall. The state administration has decided to keep the schools shut in several parts of the state. In the past 24 hours, areas near Chengalpattu have received 100 mm rainfall, with most places receiving an average of 40 mm rainfall in the city. Also Read :  Indian Railways: New timings for 500 trains from Nov 1; know the details While the rain stopped on Wednesday morning for a few hours before resuming, suburbs of Chennai faced water stagnation. Also, some local rivers and bridges were also flooded. On Tuesday, a woman died in Cuddalore, 190 km from  Chennai Rains  , after a wall of her home collapsed, taking the total death toll to four. TV footage showed rainwater beginning to

IPS officer arrested for cheating in UPSC mains exam with Bluetooth gadget

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Safeer Karim, currently an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Tirunelvelli district, was caught talking to his wife during the exam An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, aspiring to enter the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), was arrested for cheating in the civil services main exam with Bluetooth equipment, a police officer said on Monday. Safeer Karim, currently an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Tirunelvelli district, was caught talking to his wife in Hyderabad for answers, according to the officer. The officer said being  IPS Officer Caught Cheating  in exams will have a serious effect on Karim's career. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Samsung Galaxy J5 gets new security patch: Here's why it is important

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The update addresses Blueborne vulnerability and is currently rolling out to Galaxy J5 users in Europe via over the air (OTA) Samsung has released a critical software upgrade for its budget Galaxy J5 smartphone. The update addresses the Blueborne vulnerability, which was recently identified as a serious threat that spreads through Bluetooth and takes control over user devices. The update with firmware number J530FXXU1AQI3 is currently rolling out to  Galaxy J5 Update  users in Europe via over the air (OTA). Recently, Samsung had released the security patches to address Blueborne vulnerability for several its flagship series smartphone-- Galaxy S, Note and A series. Other smartphone manufacturers such as Motorola are also pushing out the security patch to address the vulnerability. Here is what the Blueborne vulnerability is and why the security updates are important BlueBorne is a malicious code that spreads from one device to another via Bluetooth. It allows h

Top developments: Swiss couple attacked in Fatehpur Sikri; 5 held

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Sushma Swaraj sought a report from the Uttar Pradesh government on the assault One of the two Swiss tourists attacked and badly injured near Agra five days ago was discharged from Delhi's Apollo Hospital on Thursday even as five people, including three minors, were taken into custody for the crime. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who visited Agra, promised better security for tourists. Sushma seeks report External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said while Marie Droz had been discharged from the hospital, her male friend Quentin Jeremy Clerc's condition was improving. The Swiss embassy in New Delhi confirmed the October 22 attack and said it was providing them consular services. The ugly attack took place when the young couple was walking alongside a train track in  Fatehpur Sikri  near Agra. Clerc was left with a fractured skull and several bruises. Senior Superintendent of Police Agra, Amit Pathak, said late on Thursday evening that five

Tips to crack Haryana govt job exams- know Ramdev, teej other cults

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Lakhs of students prepare for various entrance exams every year to bag the much coveted government or banking sector jobs Preparing for a  government exams in Haryana ? Here’s a tip – buck up your knowledge on cult-like figures and the job is youOver the last two years, some of the questions that candidates have been asked to answer in Haryana are related to Baba Ramdev and other such cult-like figures. Here are such questions: Where is the dera of Kali Kamali Baba located in Haryana? Who is the guru of Baba Ramdev? On which part of the body is the ornament ‘Chalkada’ worn? Millions prepare for various entrance exams every year to bag the much-coveted government or banking sector jobs. Why ask such questions? Candidates and social activists are now questioning “the logic behind such questions” for recruitment to the posts of police constable, clerk, food sub-inspector, patwari (revenue official), statistical assistant and even pump operators. Young job

Father claims 3-yr-old Indian girl in Texas choked on milk, charged

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A post mortem has been conducted on the child's body, but the medical examiner has yet to announce the exact cause of death Police have charged the adoptive father of a three-year-old Indian girl in her death after he admitted that the child choked while he was making her drink milk and died in their home in Texas, according to court documents. Wesley Mon Mathews had earlier told police that  Sherin Mathews  disappeared when he made her stand in a lane behind their house in Richardson city at 3 a on October 7 as punishment for not drinking milk. After nearly two weeks of searching by police using drones, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and volunteers, her body was found on Sunday in a ditch near their house in the city near Dallas. While the search was going on, Mathews stuck to the story about Sherin's punishment and mysterious disappearance. Mathews, who was arrested on Monday, was charged with causing injury to a child which carries a maximum penalty

Watch: Mirage 2000 fighter jets land on Lucknow-Agra Expressway

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The exercise was conducted near Bangarmau in Unnao Twenty aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF), including AN-32 transport, Mirage 2000 and Sukhoi 30 MKI, made a touchdown on the  Lucknow Agra Expressway  on Tuesday. Two AN-32 transport and fighter planes such as Mirage 2000, Jaguar, Sukhoi 30 MKI are taking part in the exercise.The AN-32 are meant for humanitarian assistance and relief operations during floods or any other natural calamity. Latest Current Affairs  : The exercise was conducted near Bangarmau in Unnao. The IAF's touchdown exercise, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh Government, is the first official IAF exercise on the expressway, which was inaugurated in November last year. "It is for the first time any transport aircraft will land and then take off from the expressway. The AN-32 are meant for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief during floods or any other natural calamity," PRO, Defence (Central Command), Gargi Mali

Smokeless Diwali: Delhi, there is something foul in the air, don't make it worse

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A ban is rarely a great solution, but we must recognize that no other agency is upholding our right to breath clean air. Current Affairs  :  Go outside and get some fresh air. Go for a walk, it will clear your mind.” Fresh air and a relaxing walk are simple pleasures unavailable to residents of Delhi/NCR. Walking, running or cycling here might cause more damage to your health than any good. Why do you say this? Because on an average day in Delhi/NCR PM2.5 pollution is between 150-400 micrograms per cubic metre. This means the ‘baseline’ or ‘everyday’  pollution  in the NCR due to essential or routine economic activities, in and around Delhi, is 2 to 4 times above the danger mark. Transportation, factories, coal-fired power production, waste burning, unending construction work, slash and burn agriculture in neighbouring states, and local climate effects are the major reasons. This has been the case for the last 5-10 years. It is a problem because PM2.5 levels above 60-100

Dhanteras 2017: Offers on gold are pouring in. Here's your guide

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Are you planning to buy gold this Dhanteras? It is that time of the year when people flock to buy gold It is that time of the year when people flock to buy gold. Dhanteras, an amalgamation of Sanskrit words dhan, that stands for wealth, and teras that refers to the 13th day of the Hindu calendar, is marked by praying to goddess Lakshmi and the purchase of gold objects. To cater to the ritual of shopping on  Dhanteras  , various online websites have come up with attractive offers on gold, silver and other metals for the Diwali Sale season. From the option of buying gold for Re 1 to getting massive discounts on branded jewellery, the online shopping world is full of best deals for Dhanteras celebrations. This year’s Dhanteras comes after the government changed a key rule governing gold buying. As part of the push to revive consumer sentiment in the economy, the government recently allowed people to buy Rs 2 lakh worth of gold without quoting the permanent account number

Indian-origin teenager Akshay Ruparelia becomes UK's youngest millionaire

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Ruparelia claims to have already sold 100 million pounds worth of properties since he set up his business Latest Current Affairs  :  An Indian-origin teenager has become one of Britain’s youngest millionaires after his online estate agency business got valued at 12 million pounds in just over a year. Akshay Ruparelia, at just 19 years of age, juggled his school work with negotiating property deals for his no-frills business that offers to sell properties for a fraction of the cost charged by established high street estate agents. This week "Nationwide Online Agents: Doorsteps. Fees From £99." became the 18th biggest estate agency in the UK just 16 months after the website went live. Ruparelia claims to have already sold 100 million pounds worth of properties since he set up his business. “I got the website up and running and after a couple of weeks a man in Sussex asked me to sell his home and a separate chunk of land he owned beside it. “I had t

Fire breaks out at PMO; doused in 20 minutes

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The blaze was reported in room number 242, located on the second floor, at around 3.35 am A minor fire broke out in a room at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in the wee hours on Tuesday. The blaze was reported in room number 242, located on the second floor, at around 3.35 am. "At around 3.35 am we got a call in our control room that a fire broke out in PMO's office, room number 242," Divisional Fire Officer Gurmukh Singh told ANI. Fire tenders were immediately rushed to the spot and they took care of the situation in less than 20 minutes. Singh said the fire broke out due to sparking in a computer's UPS. No casualties have been reported due to the incident. The room belonged to a section's officer. Click Here To Known More About :  Fire At PMO

BookMyShow looks for Flipkart's backing to combat Alibaba

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A minority stake in BookMyShow to give Flipkart a play in the fast-growing online ticketing space and also an access to a high-spending loyal customer base Amid competition from deep-pocketed global players like Alibaba, India’s leading online ticketing platform BookMyShow is looking for a backing in its space from Flipkart, the country’s largest internet company. While  Flipkart BookMyShow Deal  has been one of the few profitable internet companies in India, with a profit of Rs 3.1 crore on a revenue of Rs 248 crore in the year that ended March 2016, competition from rivals like Paytm has caused sales growth to slow. To shield itself from cash-burning rivals, BookMyShow will sell a minority stake to Flipkart, a behemoth with a cash reserve of $4 billion. For the e-commerce major, a stake in BookMyShow will give it a play in the fast-growing online ticketing space and also an access to a high-spending loyal customer base. Also Read :  Latest Current Affairs Ac