Jammu-Srinagar highway to remain closed
Jammu, Jan 24 (IANS) The Jammu-Srinagar highway will remain closed on Thursday for the fourth consecutive day following fresh snowfall in Bannihal sector, an official said.
Although the debris of an avalanche that hit the Jawahar Tunnel has been removed and both tubes made functional, traffic cannot be allowed on the highway as the road has turned slippery, Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police in Kashmir Muzaffar Ahmad Shah told IANS.
"The decision has been taken keeping safety of travellers in mind. A big landslide had also hit the highway in Anokhi Fall area of Ramban district due to incessant rain," Shah said.
Intending travellers have been advised not to undertake the journey without contacting the control rooms in Jammu and Srinagar.
The strategic highway is regarded as the lifeline for the landlocked valley as all essential supplies are routed through this road.
Closure of the highway especially during the winter months helps hoarders and profiteers hike prices of essentials by creating artificial scarcity.
--IANS
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Microsoft search engine Bing blocked in China
Beijing, Jan 24 (IANS) Microsoft announced on Thursday that its search engine, Bing, has been blocked in China, the last major foreign search engine operating in the country.
"We've confirmed that Bing is currently inaccessible in China and are engaged to determine next steps," CNN quoted a Microsoft spokesman as saying.
It was not immediately clear why Bing has been being blocked.
China's internet regulator is yet to comment on the development.
Microsoft, which recently overtook Apple as the world's most valuable company, is the latest US tech giant to face difficulties in China.
Top internet platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have been blocked in China for years, blacked out by a vast government censorship apparatus known as the Great Firewall.
Google pulled out in 2010.
According to Greatfire.org, a group that tracks what sites are blocked in China, said the site appeared to be inaccessible in parts of the country but reachable in others, reports The New York Times.
China's blockages often take time to spread nationwide, though in the past some services have been blocked in some places only to be restored later.
--IANS
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Punjab beat MP in PWL tie
Ludhiana, Jan 23 (IANS) Defending champions Punjab Royals defeated debutants MP Yodha 4-3 to claim their second consecutive win in the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) Season 4 here on Wednesday.
World championships silver medallist Bajrang Punia engineered the turning point of the tie when he prevailed over reigning European champion Haji Aliyev 8-6 in a dramatic power-packed 65 kg category bout full of aggression.
This was Bajrang's second win in a decider this season.
Before that, world championships bronze medallist Pooja Dhanda won the crucial sixth bout of the evening 9-3 against Mimi Hristova in the female 57 kg category to keep MP Yodha alive in the tie.
Earlier, the former European championships bronze medallist Dato Magarishvili gave Punjab Royals an early lead overcoming the 2017 Commonwealth Championships gold medallist Deepak of MP Yodha 10-0 in a one-sided encounter in the 86 kg category.
In a major upset, Khelo India Youth Games gold medallist Punjab Royals' Anju defeated the 2017 Commonwealth Championships gold medal winner Ritu Phogat 6-4 in an exciting encounter to put the defending champions 2-0 ahead in the tie.
It was 3-0 in favour of Punjab Royals after the 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Korey Jarvis of Canada clinched the 125 kg super heavyweight bout against the upcoming Indian wrestler Akash Antil of MP Yodha 6-0.
MP Yodha's European Championships silver medallist Elise Monolova held on to a late onslaught by Punjab Royals' Anita to win the women's 62 kg bout 3-2 and bring the PWL debutant MP Yodha back into the tie.
Sandeep Tomar showed glimpses of his past as he overcame an intense challenge from Punjab Royals' Nitin Rathi 3-2 in the men's 57 kg category and keep MP Yodha alive in the tie making it 2-3 after the fifth bout.
--IANS
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Kim happy with Trump's summit plans
Pyongyang, Jan 24 (IANS) North Korean top leader Kim Jong-un has expressed "great satisfaction" after receiving a letter from US President Donald Trump that expressed his "unusual determination and will" towards a second summit between the two, the North's state media said.
His comments came after he met with one of his top aides who went to Washington last week, the BBC quoted the KCNA as saying on Thursday.
"Kim Jong-un said that we will believe in President Trump's positive way of thinking, wait with patience and in good faith and, together with the US, advance step by step toward the goal to be reached by the two countries," North Korean state run news agency KCNA said.
The report also said Kim "spoke highly of President Trump for expressing his unusual determination and will" towards a second US-North Korea summit.
The conciliatory tone comes after the North Korean leader in his New Year speech warned his country might change course if the US continued its sanctions.
The two sides have been planning the second summit by the end of February, according to the White House. No venue has been announced for the new talks but observers say Vietnam could be a potential location, the BBC reported.
Kim also visited China for talks with President Xi Jinping, as he did before the Singapore summit, while his top negotiator Kim Yong-chol met Trump at the White House.
Last year's rapprochement and the Singapore summit came after a turbulent 2017 marked by North Korea testing missiles that could reach the US mainland and an escalation in rhetoric with both sides trading insults and threats of nuclear destruction.
The first summit ended with a general agreement towards denuclearisation but little has been achieved since. US sanctions remain in place and the North has not provided a detailed account of its nuclear facilities.
--IANS
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Key Indian equity indices open in green
Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS) Taking a cue from global markets, the key Indian equity market indices on Thursday opened higher.
The Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the BSE, which had closed at 36,108.47 on Wednesday, opened higher at 36,146.55.
Minutes into trading, it was quoting at 36,129.50, up by 21.03 points, or 0.06 per cent.
At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader Nifty 50, which had closed at 10,831.50 on Wednesday, was quoting at 10,838.70, up by 7.20 points or 0.07 per cent.
Negative global cues and a last hour sell-off pushed the key equity indices down on Wednesday.
The Sensex was down by 336.17 points or 0.92 per cent at the Wednesday's closing. In the day's trade, the barometer 30-scrip sensitive index had touched a high of 36,521.47 and a low of 36,037.90. The Nifty, too was down by 91.25 points or 0.84 per cent.
On Thursday, Asian indices were mostly showing a positive trend though Japan's Nikkei 225 was quoting in red, down by 0.23 per cent. Hang Seng was up by 0.12 per cent, South Korea's Kospi was also up by 0.42 per cent. China's Shanghai Composite index was trading in green, up by 0.62 per cent.
Overnight, Nasdaq closed in green, up by 0.08 per cent while FTSE 100 was down by 0.85 per cent at the closing on Wednesday.
--IANS
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