News Digest: BJP rides the Modicycle in western UP

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, April 18, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		BJP rides the Modicycle in western UP Travelling through Mathura , Agra, Firozabad and Etah, one gathers that BJP has emerged the team to beat.  We politicians have betrayed nation: Rajiv Pratap Rudy BJP nominee from Bihar’s Saran parliamentary constituency Rajiv Pratap Rudy said on Thursday, “We politicians have betrayed the nation. We don’t contest election on the basis of any candidate’s merit but purely on caste, religion lines.” Fearing for livelihood, Rudraprayag and Sonprayag not bothered about polls World’s biggest show of democracy hasn’t really excited over one lakh residents of Rudraprayag and Sonprayag who are directly dependent on the Kedarnath yatra for their livelihood.  More India News»

		Business
		Sahara makes fresh offer for Roy's bail Sahara group chief Subrata Roy may be out of Tihar Jail if the Supreme Court accepts a fresh offer of two group companies — Sahara Housing and Sahara Real Estate — to pay Rs 10,000 crore, as per the court’s bail pre-condition, albeit in instalments in quick succession. Independent director can sit on 7 listed companies Strengthening the corporate governance norms, market regulator Sebi has allowed an individual to be an independent director on the board of not more than seven listed companies simultaneously. Piramal to buy 20% in Shriram Cap for Rs 2,014cr Piramal Enterprises on Thursday said it will buy a 20% stake in Shriram Capital, a Chennai-headquartered unlisted financial services company, for Rs 2,014 crore. More Business News»

		Environment
		Humans and leopards can co-exist: Wildlife biologist Her ideas have a particular relevance to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana where the leopard-human conflict has taken a heavy toll."I am strongly against capturing a leopard and freeing it in some far away jungle. Japan considers curtailing whale hunt further Japan is considering scrapping a Northwest Pacific whale hunt just days before the fleet's planned departure, a media report said. Last rites to appease the souls of elephants Tusker lovers in central Kerala have now started performing rituals to appease the souls of dead elephants. More Environment News»

		World
		S Korea ferry death toll rises to 25 The death toll from a capsized South Korean passenger ferry rose to 25 on Friday as parents of missing schoolchildren blamed the ship's captain for the tragedy after he and shipping company officials made emotional apologies for the loss of life. South Sudan: 12 die after mob attacks UN base An angry mob of South Sudanese youths attacked a UN base on Thursday in order to harm members of an ethnic minority sheltering inside. Opposition cries fraud in Algerian election The main opposition candidate in Algeria's presidential elections cried foul late Thursday night hours after voting ended, alleging massive fraud and vowing to reject any results announced. More World News»

		Entertainment
		When Virat Kohli picked Anushka Sharma as his bride The dashing cricketer Virat Kohli, who has been denying his relationship with actress Anushka Sharma, has confessed his relationship status in public. And it was superstar Shah Rukh Khan who made him confess his love. 'I don't want to be back-stabbed anymore' Ronit Roy, 48, is emotional, hardworking, highly self-respecting and a loner. He attributes whatever he is today to television and apart from acting, he runs a security agency and enjoys trading in shares. How Sussanne is moving on post split with Hrithik? Here are 5 ways in which Sussanne is trying to move on post her split with husband Hrithik Roshan More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Meteorites helping scientists unlock secrets of Martian atmosphere About 40 meteorites that fell on Earth from Mars are helping scientists unlock secrets of the Martian atmosphere hidden in the chemical signatures of the ancient rocks. While drafting your will, include digital legacy too The Law Society of England and Wales has come up with a new and interesting advisory for those writing their wills — don’t forget your digital legacy. No Heartbleed attacks before bug exposed? The worry is that in the two years since the bug was accidentally incorporated into OpenSSL, attackers could have exploited Heartbleed to take sensitive information stored on a web server. More Science News»

		Sports
		Bengaluru on verge of scripting history Bengaluru FC are on the verge of scripting history in I-League football in their debut season. They are just three points away from lifting their maiden trophy. I'll get more podium chances, Nico says We have shown that we have a great package and we have produced three consistent weekends so far," Sahara Force India driver Nico Hulkenberg told TOI. Rafa Nadal battles wardrobe malfunction World No. 1 Rafael Nadal is battling a wardrobe malfunction that has forced him to alter his serving routine at this week's Monte Carlo Masters. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Wipro Q4 net profit rises 29%, beats estimates Wipro posted a 29% rise in its fourth-quarter net profit, beating expectations, helped by increased IT spending by its customers. Windows Phone 8.1: Finally, a worthy rival to Android, iOS It has been nearly four years since Microsoft launched Windows Phone and WP8.1 is a big update which adds a number of features. Nokia stops sales of Lumia 2520 tablet over electric shock fears Nokia issued an advisory for customers in the US and parts of Europe warning them of electric shock from a battery charger meant for its Lumia 2520 More Technology News»

		Education
		DU rejects 'quota' for Delhiites Delhi University has rejected the Delhi government’s proposal for reserving 85% of seats in state government-funded colleges for students from the city, citing its central character. 'Going Global' conference in Miami to focus on higher education in large system countries The annual conference -- ‘Going Global’ --- will discuss higher education in large system countries. More than 70 countries, including India, the UK, the US and China, will participate at the event. Indians must innovate to become leaders in technology: DRDO director general Avinash Chander Speaking at the 55th Institute Day of IIT-Madras, Chander said that the country is making breakthroughs in radars, with 80% of it provided by the DRDO More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Raj Thackeray Times Now interview MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in an interview to Arnab Goswami, the editor of Times Now, on Thursday, said his party’s support exists for Narendra Modi, and not the BJP. Not even for the party president Rajnath Singh. Arthur road jail chief, deputy held for graft The anti-corruption bureau on Wednesday night arrested Arthur Road jail superintendent Vasudev Burkule and his deputy, Pradip Pathrikar, for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 40,000 for clearing a candidate in an examination for jailors. 70-yer-old woman murdered in flat in Mumbai A 70-yr-old widow, who lived with her sister at a flat in an SRA building at Mulund (W), was found murdered at home late on Wednesday. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Purana Qila excavation site open today To mark the World Heritage Day, Archaeological Survey of India will open its excavation project at Purana Qila to visitors for a day on Friday. Autodriver files FIR against AAP supporters Days after apologizing to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for slapping him at a rally, auto driver Lali has now lodged an FIR against AAP supporters for assaulting him. Finish building jail: Tihar to LG Crowding of south Asia’s largest prison has prompted Tihar Jail authorities to write to the lieutenant governor asking speeding up of construction work of Mandoli Jails. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Big day over, voter list is still full of bloomers Polling officers at Bethany High School in Koramangala were waiting to see their 113-year-old voter, but when the person finally walked in, he was in his early 20s.  Follow the ink: Big names cast their votes In a nation that loves a good story, elections are the best form of storytelling. And like the tired old saying about Bollywood, which nevertheless must get trotted out on such occasions, this story has emotions, drama — and even mothers. Learning to deal with death There are courses on how to manage anger and how to lead a beautiful life. But a course on how to accept the finality of death? That's a trend the city has been witnessing, with terminally ill patients seeking a peaceful exit. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		3D hologram's premier night in Hyderabad The usual routine of the bustling Venkatgiri market in Jubilee Hills is briefly disrupted on Wednesday evening with a burst of unusual activity.  Flagging fortunes: Sale of campaign material plunges The election season may be in full flow, but retailers and wholesalers of election campaigning paraphernalia, who usually laugh all the way to the bank during electioneering, are twiddling their thumbs.  Clash of the titans The meticulously designed ‘game play’ that the three seasoned politicos contending for the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat are busy executing these days — each aspiring for a lion’s share of the 14,18,179 votes the constituency has to offer. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		In need of fortification The ramparts where dreamyeyed soldiers once sat and penned letters to their loved ones back home has become a feasting ground for crows fighting over leftovers. Last House, others await resurrection The bright red prop stands out against the brown backdrop of a caved in ceiling, piles of rubble, decaying wood and years of bird droppings. Move the pole, and the 300-year-old structure is most likely to give in. TN supporter culture drifts away from ideas Gopalakrishnan, 48, who owns an electrical goods shop at Teynampet, dons the red-shirt-black-trousers uniform of DMK thondarani when he goes to attend campaign meetings. "I started doing this as an 18-year-old," said Gopalakrishnan, as he left his shop to campaign for Dayanidhi Maran.  More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Gujarat's voter awareness drive aims at 10% higher turnout over 2009 polls The state election machinery’s ongoing efforts to increase voter awareness for this year’s Lok Sabha elections are aimed at increasing enrollment of youth as voters and motivating youth to exercise their franchise on voting day.  Illegal structures threaten glory of Ahmedabad's heritage The mushrooming of illegal constructions will soon hide the heritage monuments from the view, fears the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Ahmedabad celebrates its Jain heritage today Each time you take the Jain heritage walk in Ahmedabad's Walled City, you get a better understanding of the values - of compassion, tolerance, love and non-violence - that went into its formation. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Blast in Jhansi shatters morning peace Citizens of the walled city were taken aback when a low intensity blast took place in a by-lane in the city on Thursday morning.The blast was heard in Purani Pasrat at around 9.00 am. Aam Aadmi Party candidates file papers The Aam Aadmi Party candidates from Allahabad and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies Adarsh Shastri and Shimla Shri respectively filed nomination papers at district collectorate on Thursday. Aarushi case: HC to hear Talwars' plea on May 5 The Allahabad high court on Thursday fixed May 5 as the date to hear appeals filed by Dr Rajesh Talwar and Dr Nupur Talwar in Aarushi Talwar murder case. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Women voters outnumber men in K'mal, Gajapati Female voters outnumbered their male counterparts in the tribal dominated Kandhamal and Gajapati districts which went to the polls on April 10. Facilities make voting enjoyable for disabled For visually-impaired Subhalaxmi Das, voting turned out to be a memorable experience.The 29-year-old went to a polling booth at Khapuria and exercised her franchise in a Braille ballot paper. 'Others' hold heads high as they cast votes Encouraged by the Supreme Court recognizing trans-genders as a third gender and giving them the right to have families on Tuesday, several hijras on Thursday cast their votes here. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Braille Boon for Blind in Bhopal To facilitate voting among the blind, polling booths at Shivaji Nagar area of Bhopal were made Braille-enabled on Thursday. Names of all candidates and their parties were scripted in Braille on the right side of EVMs. Candidates kept in police control room to prevent violence Congress, BJP and BSP candidates from Madhya Pradesh’s Morena were kept in police control room there amid intelligence inputs that they may trigger violence or capture booths during polling on Thursday. Couples get inked, then get knotty Dr Bhaskar Nayak, Sunil Kushwaha and Deepal Kataria were three grooms TOI came across at polling booths on Thursday the day Bhopal constituency went to polls. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		For 'maharani', not a stroll in the bagh  At Kakrala, a tiny village in the prosperous wheat belt of Nabha, an elderly woman, perhaps in her late 70s, looks in earnest deference at Preneet Kaur, sitting on a makeshift stage that creaks under the weight of burly Sikh men who crowd around the microphone. Manpreet a 'thug': Sukhbir Badal Talking to mediapersons, Sukhbir said Manpreet was indulged in several "thuggian" (cheating activities) during his finance minister days. Sant Samaj to boycott BJP candidates BJP has fielded Arun Jaitley, Vinod Khanna and Vijay Sampla from Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur parliamentary constituencies respectively where they are being supported by SAD(B). More Chandigarh News»

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