News Digest: All roads lead to Rameswaram

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, July 29, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		All roads lead to Rameswaram Unlike on normal days when mostly elderly pilgrims throng Ram eswaram, the town wit nessed something com pletely unusual on Tuesday . A sea of young people, from all parts of the country, had come down to pay homage to former President A P J Abdul Kalam, who in spired them to “follow their dreams“. Yakub verdict: Justice Joseph takes the high moral and legal ground Justice Joseph adopted a very different approach from the normal practice. He justified his effort in digging out what he felt to be a fault in the composition of the bench which dismissed Yakub’s curative petition on July 21. Churchill questioned, Kamat summoned on today While the crime branch of the Goa police had summoned both, former CM Digambar Kamat and former PWD minister Churchill Alemao in connection with the Louis Berger bribery case, it questioned only Alemao on Tuesday, asking Kamat to be present at the Ribandar office on Wednesday. More India News»

		Business
		Rising bad debt hits PSU banks' health A year ago, Bank of India's profit was almost four times State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur's. But the latest numbers released on Tuesday have dramatically altered the picture: BoI's net profit is now less than half that of the SBI subsidiary as it grapples with mounting bad debt, which have more than doubled in the past 12 months. HDFC takes over HUL's Lever House for Rs 398cr HDFC has completed the acquisition of Hindustan Unilever's (HUL's) 1.53 lakh sq ft former headquarters in south Mumbai for Rs 398 crore. Maruti net up 56% on higher sales, cost-cut Maruti Suzuki on Tuesday reported 56% increase in net profit in April-June quarter, backed by higher sales and cost-efficiency measures. More Business News»

		Environment
		Two new species of spiders found in Mumbai A team of young naturalists has discovered two spider species at Aarey Milk Colony. 15 Gharials to be released in Beas belt to boost tourism Punjab government on Tuesday announced that 15 Gharials will be released in the Beas belt as part of its plan to make it a habitat of the species. 'Investment flows can't be treated as climate finance' India today said investment flows — which can have green benefits — cannot be treated as climate finance, that should ideally come from public funding or there should be a subvention for industries to adopt climate-friendly technologies. More Environment News»

		World
		Kerry implores Congress to back Iran nuclear deal " Secretary of State John Kerry warned skeptical lawmakers not to nix the contentious nuclear deal with Iran, insisting that it includes strict inspections and other safeguards to deter cheating by Tehran. Over 2,000 migrants tried to enter Channel Tunnel More than 2,000 migrants tried to enter Channel Tunnel in France Israeli spy Pollard to be released on parole Nov 21 Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst convicted of spying for Israel, will be released on parole November 21 after serving 30 years in prison. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Bollywood's rock steady marriages 'Will not gossip or b***h about anyone' Shriya Saran loves to learn, travel and explore. What is Ranveer Singh praying for? Ranveer Singh may be the quirkiest actor in Bollywood but he has a acquired a new habit recently. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Babies' social skills linked to learning second language Infants' social skills play a key role in helping them learn a foreign language, a new study has found. Two undergrads discover densest galaxies ever Imagine seeing a million stars dazzling the night sky instead of a few thousand that we see from Earth. Such a fantastic sight could be visible if there was a planet near the heart of two galaxies discovered accidentally by two undergraduates at San José State University. Decoded: How Malaria parasite enters liver A cell protein paves the way for the malaria parasite to enter the liver, where it multiplies ten-thousand-fold and is released into the bloodstream, scientists have discovered. More Science News»

		Sports
		No cricket series amid terror strikes: Ganguly backs BCCI Former India captain Sourav Ganguly backed BCCI's stance of not resuming bilateral cricketing ties with Pakistan until the cross-border terrorism stops. I thought about committing suicide: S Sreesanth He contemplated "suicide" during his time at Tihar Jail but pacer S Sreesanth is now hoping to sing the redemption song and would approach the BCCI for lifting the life ban. Indian women archery team earns Rio Olympic berth Indian women's recurve team earned Olympic quota for 2016 Rio Games by entering the final, while the men's trio failed to advance after giving away a lead. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Moto G (Gen 3) review: The best phone under Rs 15K? Motorola just introduced the third-generation variant of the same smartphone with a water-resistant design, more RAM, upgraded front and rear cameras and a refined design. OnePlus 2 vs OnePlus One: 10 new features OnePlus 2 is finally here, ending months of wait for the fans and speculation by the users. Here we take a look at the 10 features OnePlus 2 has that OnePlus One does not… Most Android phones at risk, can be hacked by text Cybersecurity firm Zimperium has warned of a flaw in the world's most popular smartphone operating system that lets hackers take control with a text message. More Technology News»

		Education
		Sex education: Hey! Parents! Don't leave them kids alone Parents have a major role to play when it comes to counselling and guiding children. But counsellors and psychiatrists, who deal with child abuse, state that in several cases they found that parents are not able to communicate with children, often pushing them into a shell. Out-of-school survey numbers in Maharashtra just don't add up, say experts How can 40% of the children identified as being out of school in the recent state-wide survey be from Mumbai, when the city constitutes about 11% of Maharashtra’s total population, ask experts. 'Upload info on students' Delhi University has asked all colleges to upload details of students who have been given admission this year. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Out-of-school survey numbers just don't add up, say experts How can 40% of the children identified as being out of school in the recent state-wide survey be from Mumbai, when the city constitutes about 11% of Maharashtra’s total population, ask experts. CA, accomplice held in 2 lakh extortion case in Mumbai Two men, a chartered accountant and a reporter, were arrested by the Malad police recently for extorting Rs 2.5 lakh from a 29-year-old man. Will sell Thane SEZ flats only to IT staffers from the area, developer assures tribunal Developer Hubtown Group has given an undertaking to the National Green Tribunal that they will sell flats in their proposed Sunstream City project in the IT special economic zone (SEZ) at Kopri in Thane (E) to only those working in IT companies within the project area. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Fire doused after 2 hrs, 28 rescued A major fire broke out on the seventh floor of a commercial building at Netaji Subhash Place in northwest Delhi on Tuesday afternoon. Multilevel parking lots elude South Delhi South Corporation’s promise to operationalize three multilevel parking facilities in south Delhi by July-end falls flat. When TOI visited the sites in Hauz Khas, Munirka and Kalkaji, it found that the underground parking lots are nowhere near completion. South Corporation seals 38 illegal cell towers in 2 weeks The problem of call drops and bad connectivity in south Delhi may get worse in the near future as South Delhi Municipal Corporation has initiated a drive against all unauthorized mobile towers in their jurisdiction. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Governor Vajubhai R Vala refers BBMP bill to President Congress government's strategy to postpone the Aug 22 BBMP polls has hit a roadblock. Lokayukta goes on leave for 20 days as son is produced in court Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao is in no mood to give up his post as yet, notwithstanding the fact that his son Y Ashwin was arrested for allegedly running an extortion racket from the portals of the institution. SIT gets 10 days to question Ashwin A special Lokayukta court in Bengaluru on Tuesday remanded Yerabeti Ashwin, son of Karnataka Lokayukta Justice Y Bhaskar Rao, to 10 days in police custody . More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Villagers spend 1 lakh to get rid of monkeys Fed up with the monkey menace, residents of Venkatapuram village in Devarakadra mandal have taken matters into their hands to get rid of the simians that have made their lives miserable over the past two months. AP govt decides to grant autonomous status to CRDA In a major policy decision, the Andhra Pradesh government has decided to grant independent status to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) and de-link it from the municipal administration and urban development department. The move is set to bring changes in the administration as majority of issues concerning the development of the new capital will be dealt by the CRDA independently. Bhatkal court 'drama' poses security risk With terror suspect and Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal creating a flutter during his court visits, the Cyberabad police, citing ‘security risk’, have requested the Ranga Reddy district court to conduct proceedings using the video-conference facility from the Cherlapalli prison. A petition to this effect was moved a few days ago in court. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Key to Kalam's secular character lies in a temple town A tiny shop near the western entrance of Sri Ramanath aswamy temple in Rameswaram was one place that enthralled A P J Abdul Kalam as a child. Kalam once said he developed his interest in flying objects by seeing toys, such as aeroplanes, in the shop that was run by his family. His visits to the shop, apart from fuelling his interest in avionics, also increased his fascination for the temple that remained throughout his life. Hostel-mate regrets missing weekend reunion with Kalam T Sampath Kumar regrets missing his sched uled trip to Chennai last weekend more than anything now. The 83-year-old, who shared a hostel room with former president A P J Abdul Kalam for four years during their intermediate and under-graduation days at St Joseph's College in Trichy, was supposed to spend a Saturday with his old friend. Students meet in library, read from 'Wings of Fire' A city-based private bus operator on Tuesday announced free rides to Rameswaram for those wanting to take part in the funeral of former President A P J Abdul Kalam. This perhaps was the best example of Kalam's popularity in his native state, which witnessed an outpouring of grief and admiration for the man known for his simplicity and warmth. Fans and admirers also took to social media to pay tributes. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		HC begins hearing of Naroda Patia appeals A division bench of Gujarat high court comprising Justice Mohinder Pal and Justice R D Kothari on Tuesday began hearing the appeals in the 2002 Naroda Patia massacre case. Science notables will pay homage to Kalam today The scientists' community of the PRL and the Space Applications Centre, Isro, will congregate on Wednesday to pay homage to former President and colleague, APJ Abdul Kalam. Spike in dengue cases, outbreak fears rise The sting of the mosquito is already getting sharper with the rising number of dengue cases stoking fears of a possible outbreak in the coming weeks. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Case against Salman, Owaisi for Memon remarks A complaint case has been registered against film star Salman Khan and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi for making alleged objectionable statement against the death penalty given to 1993 serial bomb blasts convict Yakub Memon. Five dead, 2 injured in road accident Five Rajasthan-based devotees including three of a family was killed while two others sustained injuries in a road accident in Pratapgarh district on Monday. WhatsApp helps cops trace missing people The cops have found a unique use of WhatsApp. They have turned this messenger app into an effective tool to share details of missing persons, unidentified and unclaimed bodies among themselves to solve cases. In the last 20 days, they have managed to trace three missing persons through dissemination of information on this app. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Bhubaneswar's sand sculptor's fate-changing meeting with Kalam Fortune smiled on globe-trotting sand sculptor Sudarsan Pattnaik only after he met Dr Abdul Kalam in 2005. Pattnaik said Dr Kalam was the first Indian luminary, who recognized his sand art. Quack returns baby boy to couple in Rourkela Their happiness knew no bounds when police handed over the child to them.After giving away her baby boy to Azad Ahamed alias Hakim, a quack, Rajani had a hard time convincing him to return the child. 20-kg gold adorns Keonjhar trio Thousands of devotees witnessed Suna Besha (golden attire) of Jagannath and his siblings at the Baladevjew Temple here on Monday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Madhya Pradesh roads kill 25 every day Road accidents snuffed out 25 lives and left 112 injured in Madhya Pradesh every day last year. Unsafe Bhopal roads: 2 deaths every day in 2014 Road accidents snuffed out 25 lives and left 112 injured in the state every day last year. In this period, 9,292 people died and 41,204 sustained injuries in 39,698 cases, according to National Crime Records of Bureau (NCRB). MP discoms wrongly billed Rs 9.5cr from 1.2L consumers: CAG Madhya Pradesh power distribution companies wrongly billed 1.2 lakh domestic consumers in the name of fixed charges and unnecessarily forced them to cough up Rs 9.5 crore in a year. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Ludhiana boy shares notes from Kalam's last audience Aditi Goel | He knew his first date with India's missile man would be a memorable one, but had never imagined it could be the last public appearance of India's favourite scientist. Paint-and-embarrass campaign still on in Pkl, MC promises better roads Panchkula residents continued their campaign to embarrass the municipal corporation by painting around potholes on city roads on Tuesday. 2 private firms to beautify Mohali Deputy commissioner Tejinder Pal Singh Sidhu, on Tuesday, announced that the administration has joined hands with renowned companies Godrej and Philips for the beautification of the city. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Top Headlines | Tech | Entertainment | Movie Reviews | Life & Style