Deadly explosion rocks central Istanbul; several killed and injured

News Network

November 13, 2022

Istanbul, Nov 13: A strong explosion in a busy area at the heart of a busy pedestrian street in Turkey's port city of Istanbul has left several people dead and many others injured, according to the local governor, published videos and Turkish media.

The blast, reportedly caused by a bomb, occurred shortly after 4:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Sunday in the famous Istiklal shopping street in the Beyoglu district, which is popular with locals and tourists. The cause of the blast has not been made clear yet.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the Istanbul explosion.

The governor of Istanbul, Ali Yerlikaya, says four people have been killed and 38 others wounded in the explosion. Other reports, however, have put the fatalities at as many as 11 with 15 others injured.

State broadcaster TRT and other media showed ambulances and police heading to the scene.

The nearby Kasimpasa police station said all crews were at the scene but gave no further details.

The area has been evacuated.

Images shared on social media at the time of the explosion indicated it could be heard from far away and that there were also flames. A wide black crater is also visible on the images as well as several bodies on the ground nearby.

Local media said crime inspectors were on the scene and Anadolu reported that the Istanbul chief public prosecutor's office had launched an investigation into the blast.

Istiklal avenue was affected during a series of attacks targeting Istanbul in 2015-2016 claimed by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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