Author: Indmedia

NEW DELHI: India is aiming to get 10 crore foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) by 2047, which will contribute 10% to the country’s theme expected GDP of $30 trillion. This is the aim set by Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), the apex policy body of India’s tourism sector. FAITH chairman Puneet Chhatwal said India is not an expensive destination in terms of hotels and that it has all that it takes to attract FTAs with its immense potential, while noting that massive infra creation is leading to increased footfalls here.“Historically we have seen flights to India are…

JD Vance was “blown away” by Caernarfon Castle during a visit with his wife to north Wales, the US Vice-President has revealed in a new book about his faith. “The coolest thing I’ve ever seen and it’s not particularly close,” Vance writes of his 2013 visit to the 13th Century castle – which is a UNESCO world heritage site – in an excerpt from his book published in The Sunday Times, external. He and Usha Vance, who studied at Cambridge, were drawn to the site of King Charles’ investiture as Prince of Wales in 1969, because he said it was…

Government denies sensitive data leak at Kudankulam nuclear power plant after cyberattack claims NEW DELHI: Union Science minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday dismissed reports claiming that sensitive files related to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) had been leaked, asserting that there had been no breach of nuclear safety or security-related data.His remarks came a day after the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) clarified that the leaked documents were linked only to the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the plant’s conventional Balance of Plant (BoP) package, following reports that ransomware group World Leaks had accessed thousands…

Steve Reed, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, said replacing the current “inefficient” system would deliver savings by reducing “wasteful” duplication and improving public services.”Some of our smaller cities are highly productive, but have been constrained by tight boundaries, set decades ago, which stop them from building the homes they need,” he said.”Others are more rural, with significant demand for social care services and affordable housing. Local government should be set up to address the unique circumstances of each area and design public services tailored to each community.”The government is facing legal challenges over previously announced proposals…

Mumbai: BJP MLA and the party’s Mumbai chief Ameet Satam, along with local residents, has opposed BMC’s plan to lease a 12-acre open space housing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex on Veera Desai Road in Andheri (W) for 10 years under the public-private-partnership (PPP) model to the Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandal.According to BMC’s tender conditions, Kelavani Mandal will pay the BMC annual rent of around Rs 21 lakh, which will increase by 6% every year and share 50% of its revenue too. This is the first time BMC has leased an open space plot under a PPP model.…

Delhi Police apprehended a 37-year-old man for the murder of a three-year-old girl. He allegedly fired at officers during his arrest and was injured in the leg. NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly murdering a three-year-old girl whose body was recovered from a drain in Kapashera.Police said a missing complaint regarding the child was received at Kapashera police station on the evening of July 10, following which an FIR was registered under Section 137(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and an investigation was launched.During the intervening night of July 14 and 15, police received…

New Bridge Rises, Mangaluru’s Sultan Battery Awaits Revival For almost two-and-a-half centuries, Sultan Battery has watched over ships entering Mangaluru through the Phalguni River. Today, as a ₹64-crore bridge rises beside it and promises to transform connectivity across the waterway, the 18th-century watchtower faces a different challenge: neglect, poor visitor infrastructure and uncertainty over how its heritage value will be preserved amid rapid development.Stuck Between History And NeglectConstructed using black stone blocks, the watchtower features openings for cannons, and an underground chamber believed to have been used for storing gunpowder. Protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the monument…

Hyderabad: Enforcement Directorate on Thursday took three key accused from Chanchalguda Central Prison into its custody for interrogation in the alleged Andhra Pradesh liquor syndicate and transportation contracts scam.Former AP State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL) managing director Dontireddy Vasudeva Reddy, businessman Kessireddy Raja Shekhar Reddy and Karumuri Sunil Kumar, son of former Andhra Pradesh civil supplies minister Karumuri Nageswara Rao, were handed over to ED officials at around 10 am following separate orders issued by a Hyderabad sessions court.The three accused were questioned through the day and will remain in ED custody until July 18. The orders, passed on July…

Chennai-Bengaluru Expressway Chennai: The 263.4km Chennai-Bengaluru expressway is stuck in litigation over a 25-km stretch falling within Tamil Nadu. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have already made giant strides in construction of the highway in their respective territories.The 25km stretch from Arakkonam to Kancheepuram of the six-lane NE-7 has seen a mere 50% progress with the contractor going on an appeal against NHAI in Madras high court. Officials said the cases were over, and they were awaiting orders.The problem pertains to high costs of fly ash from Ennore Thermal Power Plant sold by cartels when, according to tenders, the contractor was…

Gujarat minister Pradyumna Vaja Gandhinagar: To strengthen social and educational infrastructure in Gujarat, minister Pradyuman Vaja virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 21 crore from Swarnim Sankul-1 in Gandhinagar on Wednesday.Among the key projects inaugurated were newly constructed govt boys’ hostels aimed at supporting students from underprivileged communities. A hostel built for Rs 5.99 crore in Khambhaliya of Devbhumi Dwarka district under the developing castes welfare department, and another hostel worth Rs 7.15 crore in Khambhat of Anand district under the scheduled caste welfare department, were dedicated to the public.Additionally, a modern rehabilitation…