News Digest: Good US-India relations no threat to China: Obama

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, February 02, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Good US-India relations no threat to China: Obama Surprised at the Chinese reaction over his visit to India, US President Barack Obama has said there is no reason for Beijing to be threatened by a good relationship between New Delhi and Washington. Gehlot tests positive for swine flu, recovering Rajasthan’s former chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday wrote on Twitter that he has swine flu. Jharkhand: '4 Congress MLAs ready to strike deal with BJP' The split in the state Congress is imminent with four of its six legislators ready to strike a deal with BJP, a Congress MLA told TOI on Sunday. More India News»

		Business
		RBI may cut rate further by 25 bps The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may cut its policy rate further by quarter of a percentage point this week to boost growth, as inflation remains under control and the fiscal situation appears better following a record Coal India (CIL) disinvestment. India eyes G20 for infra push India has proposed that the G20 group be used as a platform for matchmaking the private sector, including pension funds which are sitting on a huge cash pile, with countries that are in dire need of funds for developing infrastructure. India-Israel to resume talks on FTA India and Israel will resume negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) next week, government sources confirmed, in another indication of deepening ties between the 2 countries since the Narendra Modi led NDA government came to power. More Business News»

		Environment
		Arnold to be star attraction at Delhi green summit Hollywood actor, activist and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will attend the annual ‘Delhi Sustainable Development Summit’ (DSDS) which is organized in the Capital from February 5 to 7 to brainstorm on ways and means to tackle climate change and reduce carbon footprints. Jackal research and translocation project launched Wildlife SOS in collaboration with U P Forest Department and Archaeological Survey of India are launching a wildlife research project to study and eventually translocate about 30- 35 wild jackals from Akbar's Tomb in Sikandra, Agra to safe natural habitat. Female elephant electrocuted in Tamil Nadu A 20-year-old female elephant was electrocuted near the Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. More Environment News»

		World
		South Sudan rivals agree ceasefire deal South Sudan President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar on late Sunday signed a deal to end more than 13 months of fighting in a civil war that has left tens of thousands dead, an AFP reporter saw. Boston bombing: Defense to focus on dead brother Lawyers for Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR' tsahr-NEYE'-ehv) are pinning their best hopes for saving his life on his dead older brother. Ukrainian separatist advance forces mass flight As fighting escalates around the town Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine, a growing wave of civilians are fleeing their homes, taking the risk of being struck by stray projectiles on their way, and often leaving family members behind. More World News»

		Entertainment
		The new serial kissers of Bollywood Actors who are okay with one-night stands Big B to make his commentary debut The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 just got all the more exciting, thanks to Amitabh Bachchan. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Proposed particle to spot dark matter? Researchers have proposed a new fundamental particle which could explain why no one has managed to detect the elusive 'dark matter' that makes up 85% of the universe's mass. PIO wonderkid working on new product for blind A 13-year-old Indian-origin boy, who invented a low-cost portable Braille printer, says he is currently working on a "pretty cool" new idea for a product which will again be useful for millions of visually impaired. DNA clock can predict lifespan Scientists have identified a biological clock that provides vital clues about how long a person is likely to live. More Science News»

		Sports
		Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Murray to win Australian Open World number one and Serb top seed Novak Djokovic defeated Britain's Andy Murray 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0 to win his fifth Australian Open title on Sunday. Sachin is one of my favourites, Kohli is magnificent too: Viv He had redefined ODI batsmanship almost three decades back but Sir Vivian Richards' favourite ODI batsman is none other than the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Arsenal climb to fifth after thumping Aston Villa 5-0 Arsenal climbed above rivals Tottenham Hotspur into fifth in the Premier League after an emphatic 5-0 win against goal-shy Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium. More Sports News»

		Technology
		WhatsApp starts rolling out voice calling feature As per a user, the calling feature is included in WhatsApp’s new build (2.11.508) which is only available on WhatsApp’s website. Samsung to launch Galaxy S6 in March Samsung will launch its next flagship smartphone Galaxy S6 by March-end. In pics: Inside Apple's largest store in Asia Apple just had the most profitable quarter of any company in history. More Technology News»

		Education
		Trying Times In the run-up to the board exams, experts provide you tips on how to handle exam-related pressure Rugumini Kedarnath, faculty member, St Ann's High School, Hyderabad While it isn't possible for all students to excel in an exam, building realistic expectations by taking into account how well prepared you are is a prudent way of ensuring that you don't stress yourself over an unattainable goal. Mixed affair Students get glimpses of national and international art trends at a fair in Delhi Students got glimpses of national and interna tional art trends at the seventh edition of the India Art Fair, held in Delhi last week. Local vocal - Biography of a university A book attempts to debunk `myths' about JNU If you are among the many who think Jawaharlal Nehru University is a leftist institution, here's a new book that attempts to change this and several others perceptions. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Associate member can be part of managing panel The state cooperative election authority (SCEA) has clarified that a housing society’s associate members can be part of the managing committee. Now, you can take a radio taxi at CST Train passengers can now book fleet taxis from the city’s railway stations, like at the airport. Water tax to be hiked but will service improve? The water tax is expected to be hiked by 8% in the next financial year, but citizens are wondering if it will lead to better services. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Singhs fight over 'Kalka' surname in Delhi It is a 'Kalka versus Kalkaji' puzzle for over 1.61 lakh voters of this assembly constituency in Delhi. Three more arrested for central Delhi encounter Three people were arrested for their involvement in an encounter in central Delhi on Saturday, which killed a boy and wounded a policeman. The trio was arrested for helping one of the criminals, Montu, to escape. A search is on to nab the other three who also helped Montu, and are now absconding. HC: Birth proof must for juveniles In a direction that will benefit thousands of children incarcerated in jails, the Delhi high court has linked birth registration system with the juvenile justice administration to ensure that they get permanent birth certificates. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Archbishop cautions against Ghar Wapsi Cautioning the Christian community against Ghar Wapsi, Rev Fr Bernard Moras, the Archbishop of Bengaluru, on Sunday said there is a threat to the rights and freedom of people though India is a secular country and everybody has the right to follow whichever religion one wants. Deve Gowda's grandson joins politics The third generation of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda's family entered politics on Sunday. Prajwal Revanna, son of former minister and Holenarsipur MLA HD Revanna, enrolled himself as an active member of the JD(S). 12 boys' heads tonsured, school blames it on lice, dandruff Twelve boys staying in their school hostel had their heads tonsured by their warden after they skipped classes. The boarders were all students of classes IX and X of St Joseph's Indian High School on Vittal Mallya Road. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		GHMC, L&T slug it out over ad revenue Clash over sharing advertisement revenue between Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation and Larsen & Toubro intensified with the former claiming at least half of the total revenue while the construction major claiming the entire pie. Spending freeze may hit minority welfare in Andhra Pradesh After the bifurcation of united Andhra Pradesh, the residuary state of AP is home to mainly Muslim and Christian minorities. All the six minority groups together account for 43.77 lakhs out of the state’s total population of 494 lakhs. Turkey, a gateway to ISIS terror network? Until Turkey deported Khammam native Javeed Baba, an engineer by profession, back to Bangalore suspecting him of trying to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), his family members were under the impression that he was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Tanker lorry strike may hit domestic LPG supply in TN The ongoing indefinite strike by LPG tanker lorry owners across the southern states is likely to affect the supply of domestic and commercial refills in the state. TN politics resort to poster war again, Cong's turn now As Sunday dawned, people in various parts of Tamil Nadu woke up to a poster war against TNCC chief E V K S Elangovan for his perceived derogatory remarks against senior Congress leader and former Union finance minister P Chidambaram. Cinderella to be performed in Indian dance form Cinderella, the famous western fairy tale, will be presented in various Indian dance forms for the first time in the country by Bharathanatyam dancer and Vaishnava research scholar Zakir Hussain. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		City's Kosovo visa crooks also ran racket in Borsad Two of the three accused arrested in the Kosovo visa scam - Chirag Bhat and Ghanshyam Nakum - are also wanted in another visa fraud case registered in Borsad town of Anand district a few years ago. In the Borsad fraud, the scamsters swindled visa-seekers of Rs 39 lakh. Walk for charity, stride for education education Around 2,000 Amdavadis participated in a charity walk on Sunday morning to raise funds for the education of children living in Ramapir no Tekro in Juna Vadaj area of the city. Ramapir no Tekro is one of the largest slums in Gujarat. Ram Katha for kidney patients raises Rs 5cr Religious preacher Morari Bapu's discourse on Sabarmati riverfront has raised approximately Rs 5 crore in nine days. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Oldest insurance service to go online soon Country’s oldest insurance service--Postal Life Insurance – of the postal department would soon go online allowing policy holders to view the status of their policy and deposit their premium online. Around 15 head post offices in the state would go online on Monday, including Allahabad head post office and Varanasi Cantt head post office to offer the facility. Maghi Purnima snan to mark end of Kalpwas The Maghi Purnima Snan on Tuesday would mark the completion of a month of kalpwas on the banks of Sangam for thousands of devotees. Post Tuesday, these kalpwasis would pack their bags and hit the road to return to their respective homes. Lawyers' mahapanchayat to oppose HC bifurcation The Mahapanchayat of lawyers at Magh Mela on Sunday unanimously resolved to fight against any move to set up a bench of Allahabad High Court in western UP. The lawyers also resolved to oppose any effort to bifurcate Allahabad High Court. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		First in-country e-auction of liquor through central PSU With the state government launching e-auction of country spirit (CS) and Indian-Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) off shops from April, the cabinet on Saturday gave its nod to assign central PSU, MSTC Limited, of developing the electronic platform. All set for World Wetland Day Strategies will be drawn up for wetland management in Odisha on the occasion of World Wetland Day to be celebrated on Monday. Sourav recalls Barabati links Former captain of Indian cricket team Sourav Ganguly on Saturday reminisced his connections with Barabati Stadium in Cuttack before making his international debut. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Thieves lift two-wheeler to carry stolen goods from house Thieves barged into a locked house in Bima Kunj area, heaped cash and valuables worth lakhs of rupees and to escape with the booty, they also took away a vehicle from the house. Anhad organises 'Meera Samaroh' at Bharat Bhavan in Bhopal The past couple of days have seen the cultural circuit of Bhopal busy with a plethora of events and one such festival that gave the residents several memorable evenings was the recent Meera Samaroh. Organised by Anhad, which is the centre for classical music based in Bharat Bhavan, the festival chronicled the many facets of the saint Meerabai. Thieves on the prowl again, make off with Rs 15 lakh booty Thieves decamped with cash and valuables worth around Rs 15 lakh from a locked house in Rachna Nagar. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Mani vs money: Set in France Mani, a 15-year-old Punjabi, is new to France. Since he is a minor, French law dictates he must be protected. He is taken in by the authorities, assigned to kind foster parents, given schooling from attentive teachers. Punjabi woman's guide to make-up Living in the Punjabi diaspora can sometimes pose some difficulties, and there is one problem facing women in particular. In the western world, the beauty industry can often be tailored towards a certain audience, of which Punjabis are not a part. CM clean chit to YC chief out of affection: BJP The statement by chief minister Virbhadra Singh that BJP had started stone pelting on Youth Congress workers on January 29 has left BJP leaders fuming, who have now retaliated by saying that Virbhadra Singh is making such statements out of affection for his son Vikramaditya Singh, who is also the state president of Youth Congress and was leading the protest. More Chandigarh News»

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