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New Delhi, July 4 : Defence Minister A. K. Antony Thursday left for China on a four-day official visit during which he is slated to have talks on Sino-Indian border and discuss regional and global security.

During the visit, Antony will have delegation-level talks with his counterpart, State Councillor and Minister of National Defence Chang Wanquan.

Both ministers are expected to discuss a number of issues, including those related to maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border, interactions between the armed forces of both sides, and matters relating to regional and global security.

UTI Asset Management Co Ltd, in which American asset management group T. Rowe Price holds a 26 per cent stake, has announced the appointment of Leo Puri as its new managing director.

UTI, India's sixth biggest asset manager by size, had been operating without a managing director for more than two years. The company's previous chairman & managing director U. K. Sinha departed in February 2011 to join capital market regulator Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi) as chairman.

Mexico City, July 4 - US-based Apple Leisure Group plans to invest $600 million in six projects that will create more than 4,000 jobs in Mexico, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said.

The funds will be used to construct new facilities and expand existing properties in Jalisco, Baja California Sur and Quintana Roo states, Peña Nieto said during a ceremony at the Los Pinos presidential residence.

The properties are expected to generate sales of more than $350 million in their first year of operation, the president said.

Mumbai, July 4 : Air India's plans to resume direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne in August after a 16-year gap will boost tourism to Australia, a top official of Tourism Australia said here Thursday.

"The key to unlocking India's long-term tourism potential is improved air access and capacity.  Securing directs flights to Australia is critical to securing a share of the 50 million Indian tourists expected to travel overseas by 2020," said Tourism Australia's Managing Director Andrew McEvoy.

Air India is expected to launch a triangular New Delhi-Sydney-Melbourne route from Aug 29, deploying the new Dreamliner aircraft.

New Delhi, July 4 : As the opposition cornered the government over the the food security ordinance, union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari Thursday said only crocodile tears were being shed over parliamentary propriety.

The principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left parties and several other parties have raised objections to the government's move to bring in an ordinance on the food security bill without facing parliament.

Shimla, July 4 :  Putting an end to speculations that Himachal Pradesh is appointing a Punjab officer as its police chief, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh Thursday rubbished all claims that the state is getting in touch with the Punjab government.

"I have yet to take any decision (on the appointment of the new director general of police)," Virbhadra Singh told reporters here.

"Why should I write a letter to Punjab, Haryana or any other state," the chief minister said when questioned about his purported letter to Punjab for sending an officer on deputation to the state.