News Digest: Galaxy of business honchos to go with Mamata Banerjee to UK

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, May 20, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Galaxy of business honchos to go with Mamata Banerjee to UK Over three dozen CEOs are expected to accompany chief minister Mamata Banerjee in what will be a massive road show to hard sell Bengal in Britain in the end of July. ED may give clean chit to Madan in Saradha scam State transport minister Madan Mitra might be given a clean chit in the Saradha scam by the enforcement directorate, which is likely to submit a chargesheet by end of June. Saradha case: Sudipta aide held after 8 months' search Another close aide of Saradha kingpin Sudipta Sen has been nabbed by the CBI after a search of eight months. Sleuths said the accused, Arindam Das, used to look after the firm’s operations in South 24-Parganas. More India News»

		Business
		Govt eyes Rs 1L cr in highway auction In a first of its kind move, the road transport ministry is looking to auction about 5,000 km of government-funded national highway stretches nearing completion in a bid to attract overseas investors and generate resources to construct more roads across the country. New service tax rate of 14% from June 1 The new service tax rate of 14% will come into effect from June 1, top government sources on Tuesday said, in a move that will make eating out in restaurants, insurance and phone bills expensive, among many other things. Wipro training 20k unicorns in e-push Wipro is building an army of Unicorns that can bounce between code and design as it moves into the new world of artificial intelligence, analytics and robotics. More Business News»

		Environment
		Govt to tighten norms for coal-based power plants Moving to tighten norms for emissions of major pollutants by coal-based power plants in the country, the environment ministry has proposed a fresh standard for old and new units seeking them to substantially cut down release of health-damaging particulate matter (PM). Driest place on earth found in Atacama Desert, Chile Researchers have discovered the driest location on Earth in the Atacama Desert in Chile – and they were surprised to find some bacteria living there, according to NASA’s Astrobiology magazine. The site is reported to be as dry as Mars. Global warming could sink large parts of Kochi: Scientists Within 100 years, rising sea levels caused by global warming could submerge large swathes of coastal land in Kochi, Kerala's second most populous city, scientists at the Goa-based National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) have predicted. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama reaffirms US support for Iraq to retake Ramadi President Barack Obama was briefed by his top national security advisers on Tuesday on the situation in Iraq and the strategy to counter Islamic State militants, the White House National Security Council said in a statement. UN to explore new Mideast peace effort with Israel The United Nations will explore options with Israel's new government for a return to negotiations on creating a Palestinian state within a reasonable time-frame, the new envoy said. 6 Chinese nationals charged with stealing US trade secrets Three Chinese nationals who earned advanced degrees from the University of Southern California and three others have been charged with stealing wireless technology from a pair of U.S. companies. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Salman recalls Katrina's Kashmiri connection Salman Khan, who’s back in Kashmir, shooting for his next, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, seemed to be savouring the beauty of the location. My acting had become pathetic: R Madhavan R Madhavan, 44, came to be popularly known as Maddy after he played the character of Madhav Shastri in one of his films in which he was lovingly called Maddy. He is shameless about expressing his emotions, moody and astute, with strong likes and dislikes. Sooraj and Athiya's 'hot blooded affair' Indian movie goers are looking forward to Athiya Shetty and Sooraj Pancholi's debut, ever since Salman Khan made the announcement of launching the duo. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Antibiotics back as alternative for appendicitis Every year, 300,000 Americans with appendicitis are rushed into emergency surgery. Most think that if the appendix is not immediately removed, it will burst -with potentially fatal consequences.But now some doctors say there may another option: antibiotics. New gene therapy can help blind see Scientists might be able to change the cells in blind people's eyes, giving them the power to see again. Home-made morphine raises heroin abuse fear Scientists have figured out all the steps to make morphine and similar painkillers without using opium poppies, opening the door for home-brewed drugs and even wider abuse. More Science News»

		Sports
		Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings to enter IPL 8 final Mumbai Indians put up a superb all-round performance crushing Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs to enter the final of the eighth edition of IPL. Virat Kohli let off after anti-corruption code breach Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli was let off after being found guilty of violating the Board of Control for Cricket in India's anti-corruption code. Soderling hoping Nadal will lose at French Open Soderling is sick of being the answer to a favourite quiz question, the one which asks who is the only player to beat 9-time champion Nadal at French Open. More Sports News»

		Technology
		16 Android apps not available for iPhones Here are 16 interesting Android-only apps. Did PM Modi really insult India? Modi's statement during his recent three-nation tour that Indians earlier 'felt ashamed' of being born in the country has not gone down well on Twitter. ZTE Nubia Z9 mini first impressions We’ve been using the smartphone for the last few days and here are our initial thoughts…. More Technology News»

		Education
		Education body opposes Telangana govt's move to close down 4,000 govt schools Opposing the Telangana government's decision to shut down about 4,000 state-run schools, the Save Education Committee (SEC) submitted a memorandum to education minister Kadiyam Srihari late on Monday evening, seeking a rollback of the directive. International Baccalaureate schools in India post 10-fold growth in 10 years India may not have the Ivy League but it is fast getting an ‘IB league’. According to a new report, the number of schools with IB (International Baccalaureate) has witnessed a nearly ten-fold increase during the last ten years Common Law Admission Test 2015 results declared The result for the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) 2015 was declared late on Tuesday night by the Ram Manohar Lohia National Law University, Lucknow. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Brace for milk price hike as govt plans to fix MSP at Rs 20 Milk prices are likely to go up again. The state government plans to bring an ordinance to fix the minimum support price (MSP) for milk from base-point suppliers at Rs 20 per litre. Haj panel in row over 'arranging' qurbani The Haj Committee of India, the nodal agency for travel of the major chunk of Indian Haj pilgrims, is in a row over arranging qurbani (animal sacrifice) during Haj on behalf of pilgrims. Naval cadets asked to give statement The Yellow Gate police have wrote a letter to the Navy personnel to come and record their statements in a case registered for attempted murder. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Former MCD official sentenced to three years jail in DA case A 70-year old former MCD official has been sentenced to three years imprisonment in a disproportionate assets (DA) case for illegally amassing over Rs seven lakh between 1995 to 2000 by a Delhi court. DDA employee jailed for taking bribe A 60-year-old DDA employee has been sentenced by a trial court to two-and-a-half years jail for accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000. Stephen's files complaint against staffer St Stephen's College isn't done with its administrative officer, Subha Kumar Dash, yet. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Tax department attaches 2 VTU bank a/cs to recover dues The Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) suffered a major setback on Tuesday after the income tax (I-T) department attached two of its bank accounts. No room for private vehicles: Schools A day after traffic police issued guidelines to schools to allow private vehicles dropping children to park on campus, many institutions showed reluctance to come on board. From non-availability of space to children's safety, multiple concerns were weighing on the school authorities' mind. 'We want our land, not money' The legislature committee formed to study encroachment of lakes on Tuesday had to face angry residents who had lost their properties during the recent clearance drive in the city. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Hyderabad varsities shrinking Land under the control of various universities has been shrinking in Telangana with various state government agencies taking over chunks of the property for various purposes. Green channel for fire tenders Henceforth, police will provide a traffic green channel for fire tenders attending emergencies. Online test for management seats in pvt MBBS colleges soon In a latest develop ment, the Telangana government has cleared the decks for conduct ing a separate online entrance test for filling up 35% MBBS management quota seats on offer in 15 private medical colleges in the state. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		'Neeravi' Murugan in police custody, re enacts scene Notorious criminal ‘Neeravi’ Murugan, who was caught robbing a teacher at MCN Nagar in Thoraipakkam, was taken to police custody on Tuesday and was made to re-enact the scene at a few places in Madipakkam by cops. Docs trim donor lung to fit into small-built woman Anitha Devi, 30, from Haryana was like any other patient with end-stage lung disease as she waited for a transplant at a city hospital. Stalin meets two bitter critics of DMK DMK treasurer M K Stalin on Tuesday met two of the most bitter critics of the party, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and PMK leader S Ramadoss as part of his efforts to build bridges with opposition leaders. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Gujarat govt plans '4D drive' against malnutrition in kids The state government has decided to launch a statewide drive to curb malnutrition, and address common health problems among children in the state in the 0-6 age group. 6 Rajasthan tigers in Kuno, MP afraid of losing lions Rajasthan seems to be losing its tigers to Madhya Pradesh. The movement of tigers from Ranthambore national park in Rajasthan to Kuno-Palpur wildlife sanctuary has established the natural corridor between the two sanctuaries is functional. Executive chairman of Metrolink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad seeks ban on media coverage Former IAS officer and executive chairman of Metrolink Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA), Sanjya Gupta, on Tuesday sought a ban on media coverage on the accusations of his involvement in the Rs 113 crore scam. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		HC asks KDA to remove encroachers The Allahabad high court on Monday directed the Kanpur Development Authority (KDA) to get vacated unauthorized occupations by ‘kabadis’ (scrap dealers) at ‘O’ Block at Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur. Unhygienic cut fruits and veggies a health hazard Even as hot weather is forcing the denizens to stay indoor, eatables and cut fruits being sold in various localities of the city are posing serious health hazard because of which cases of stomach upset and diarrhoea are on the rise. AU scientists study meteorite for signs of life Is there life beyond the blue galaxy? Experts at Allahabad University are trying to answer this mystifying question by analyzing a specimen of Haripura chondrite, a meteorite that had fallen in Rajasthan in 1921. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		AIIMS, Bhubaneswar registered with ECFMG All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here has been registered with Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), an institute statement said. Puri temple priest attacks couple, detained in police station Unseemly attitude of the priests of Jagannath Temple in Puri continues to be a cause for concern as a couple was on Tuesday assaulted by a priest when they refused to pay him dakshina. Berhampur University Plus III results: Girls outperform boys in arts Girls outshone boys in arts, grabbing the top positions in most subjects in the Plus III final year examinations in Berhampur University (BU), while boys bagged first position in most of subjects in the science stream. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Woman kills 3-year-old son to marry paramour A 25-year-old woman strangulated her 3-year-old son to death and dumped body in a canal at Silpara village in Rewa district to live with her 20-year-old paramour. Madhya Pradesh CM, wife insure life under PM's social security scheme Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday insured all staff at his official residence and their family members under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). MPPEB scam whistleblower claims sixth attempt on life in Gwalior, files FIR Youngest whistle-blower in MPPEB scam, Ashish Chaturvedi, who have accused Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of influencing the probe, has alleged yet another attempt on his life in Gwalior district of MP on Monday. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Unidentified persons shot at BJP leaders in Amritsar Unidentified persons opened fire at BJP leaders here in Amritsar late on Tuesday night. Moga incident: HC notice to Centre, Sukhbir, Harsimrat Badal Taking cognizance of a petition seeking probe of Moga incident by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any agency outside Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central government, deputy chief minister, Sukhbir Badal and union cabinet minister Harsimrat Badal, who are the owners of Orbit Aviation. GGSF honoured creater of Char Sahibzade in US Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GGSF) honored Harry Baweja, the creator and director of famous animation movie Chaar Sahibzade which became an instant international and commercial success, depicting the life story and ultimate martyrdom of the four sons of Guru Gobind Singh in 1704. More Chandigarh News»

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