Agra, Feb 7 : In order to make research in the field of homeopathy more potent, an international research centre in collaboration with six European countries was inaugurated here, with over 50 reputed homeopaths from France, Switzerland, Armenia, Nigeria and England converging for a conference which began Sunday.

Early results of clinical trials of various drugs used in treatment of diseases like cancer and AIDS have given hope of major breakthroughs in coming days, according to R. S. Pareek, a veteran homeopath.

Agra, Jan 2 : India is close to developing a vaccine to prevent swine flu and it should be ready by March or April, a senior health official said Saturday.

"We are close to developing effective vaccines to contain swine flu. One company has already begun testing on humans, while two other companies have concluded trials on animals. Definitely in March, by April-end 100 percent, we should have the vaccines," Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) chief and secretary, health research V. M. Katoch told IANS.

Agra, Jan 1 - Thousands of tourists, domestic and foreign, flooded Agra on the last day of 2009, causing hours-long traffic holdups that stretched to the next city. In the past week, around 25,000 people have been thronging the Taj Mahal every day, bringing cheer to the hotel industry, but leading to serpentine queues at the monument.

Agra, Dec 31 - Six-year-old Yash, son of an international chess player, who was abducted Tuesday afternoon was released after a successful joint combing operation by a police team in the Chambal ravines of Dholpur district, police said Wednesday.

Yash, who was released Wednesday night, is the son of Brajesh Agarwal, a Life India Corporation employee and a chess player who represented India in Dubai in the Junior Asian Chess Championship in 1991.

Agarwal's wife Richa told police that Vishnu, a taxi driver, had taken Yash on his motorcycle for a ride but did not return.

Agra, Dec 30 : A day after the six-year-old son of a chess player was allegedly kidnapped here, police Wednesday were still trying to trace his whereabouts.

Police said three suspects had been taken into custody and a crack team of the Special Task Force had been formed to trace Yash, who was abducted Tuesday afternoon.

Yash is the son of Brajesh Agarwal, an Life India Corporation employee and a chess player who represented India in Dubai in the Junior Asian Chess Championship in 1991.

Agra, Dec 30 : Star gazers and those interested in astrology can now prepare their horoscopes on their mobile phone itself, and that too free of cost.

A free software developed by Ojas Softech's research wing in Agra, was Wednesday launched by Surendra Sharma of the Brahmin Maha Sabha.

"With the number of star gazers going up and the younger generation getting hooked to astrology, the new software will prove a useful tool," Sharma said.

Agra, Dec 29 : A 45-year-old German woman tourist Tuesday fell off a platform and injured herself while seeking a vantage place to photograph the beauty and grandeur of the Taj Mahal, officials said.

The tourist was apparently lost in admiring the 17th century marble wonder while taking photographs.

"But she lost her balance and fell off the low wall (around the monument) onto the red sandstone Chameli Farsh, a good 20 feet below," a security personnel said.

Agra, Dec 28 : The situation continued to remain tense in some parts of Agra Monday, two days after the death of a member of a religious sect.

Scores of families in Sikandarpur and Lal Garhi areas of Agra have reportedly fled following violent clashes between villagers and Satsangis of the Radhasoami faith on Dec 22.

Meanwhile, the official team constituted by District Magistrate M. K. Narayan held several rounds of inconclusive talks with the villagers and the Radhasoami Satsangis.

Agra, Dec 26 - After Harit Pradesh, Purvanchal and Bundelkhand, the demand for the creation of yet another state in north India has gained momentum. This time it is Braj Pradesh, comprising Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh and two districts in Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh and Agra.

The demand has found the backing of business chambers, merchant associations and political parties in Agra, Firozabad, Aligarh and Mathura.

Agra, Dec 24 : The Samjwadi Party Thursday announced it had expelled its candidate for election to the legislative council from Agra-Firozabad after allegations that he had accepted money from the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) to lose.

Samajwadi Party leader and party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's son Akhilesh Yadav said Girish Yadav had been expelled from the party for six years, after allegations that he was to be paid Rs. 2 crore for losing the election against the BSP candidate Veeru Suman.

Agra, Dec. 22 : An altercation between villagers and members of a religious sect took a violent turn on Tuesday, as the latter burnt vehicles and went on a rampage in Agra.

Tension had been brewing over a disputed piece of land for some time between the villagers and Satsangis, and things took an ugly turn when the members of the sect attacked some villagers in the morning.

Police were called in to control the situation.

Agra, Dec 21 :The Taj Mahal city witnessed the coldest day of the season Monday as the mercury dipped to 6.4 degree Celsius, met department said.

The night shelters put up by various voluntary groups reported full attendance, said Bankey Lal Maheshwari, who runs a network of shelters for the poor.

The Agra Municipal Corporation announced it would provide firewood at important crossings.(IANS)

Agra, Dec 15 - Hindu marriages are becoming costlier each year, causing a great deal of stress and anxiety in middle class families. The only way to alleviate the financial burden is to promote community mass marriages, according to leaders at the 14th Agrawal Maha Sabha-sponsored mass marriage programme here.

The event was held Monday evening.

It was a rare spectacle to see thousands of family members and anxious friends dance with joy as 52 brides and grooms entered wedlock. The couples were showered with blessings and flower petals. They were also given presents to help them start their family life on a sound plank, Pawan Agri, who conducted the proceedings said.

The organisers hosted a feast for 10,000 guests.

Agra, Dec 15 - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has called for the demolition of caste barriers which he said have obstructed the growth of Hinduism and shackled Hindu society for hundreds of years.

Bhagwat was interacting with intellectuals in the Taj city Monday night after a two-day jamboree of the organisation in Agra.

He said the RSS was in no dilemma or confusion over its ideological posturing.

Agra, Dec 15 - Showers early Tuesday morning washed the dust off the Taj Mahal's white marble making it look sparkling white.

"Over the months, dust and sand particles had been deposited over the monument, giving it a pale look especially in the afternoons. But this morning's shower made it look so beautiful," Vishal, a photographer, said.

With the holiday season approaching, hoteliers are delighted and are hoping for a plethora of tourists.

"Business had not really picked up along expected lines particularly after the swine flu scare in Rajasthan. But we hope the coming days will boost tourism in Agra," said Rakesh Chauhan, president of the Agra Hotels and Restaurants Association. (IANS)

Agra, Dec 14 - One person was killed and two injured when gunmen stormed into a jeweller's shop in Agra's crowded Shah Ganj market, police said Monday.

Shail Kundra, a shopkeeper, and Ramesh Lavani were sitting in a jeweller's shop Sunday evening when two armed men barged in. Before Kundra could pull out his pistol, the assailants fired three bullets into him. They also fired three shots at Ramesh, police said.

They escaped while firing in the air while escaping. In the process another roadside hawker Amit was hurt. Shutters were pulled down and the whole market closed in a jiffy, police told the media.

Agra, Dec 10 : River police in motorboats have started patrolling the Yamuna behind the world famous Taj Mahal to keep an eye on polluters and look out for suspicious elements.

Two motorboats with six policemen each began the round-the-clock patrol Wednesday.

The much-awaited launch of the river police squad, to secure the Taj Mahal from polluters and anti-social elements, was announced by Deputy Inspector General of Police Aditya Mishra.

The river police project had been hanging fire for several years and the boats were lying unused at the police lines.

Agra, Dec 9 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Agra, on a 'long march' to Delhi with a charter of demands, finally crossed over from Uttar Pradesh into Haryana Wednesday, a day after his supporters clashed with police and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) activists in Mathura.

Rama Shankar Katheria wants to present a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil to protest price rise and press for an international airport ar Agra, among other things. He is leading hundreds of party workers to Delhi where a meeting is scheduled Friday at Jantar Mantar.

Agra, Dec 2 :Oscar winning actor Ben Kingsley, who plans to make a film on Taj Mahal, Wednesday visited the monument along with his wife Daniela Lavender.

He spent more than two hours at the Taj and mingled with visitors, many of whom took pictures with the 67-year-old.

Sir Ben plans to play Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in his dream project called "Taj", Daniela will act as Kandhari Begum, Shah Jahan's first wife of Persian origin, While Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai may feature as Mumtaz Mahal.

Agra, Nov 23 - When constable and sportswoman Anita Yadav went to meet a top Agra police official with her prized possessions - two golds and one bronze medal won at the November athletics championships in Malaysia - she could scarcely imagine what lay in store.

A 'princely' Rs. 400 had been sanctioned as her reward by the police, says a bitter Anita. This was the response to her application informing the police department of the laurels she had won.