News Digest: Judges defenceless, says HC

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, July 25, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Judges defenceless, says HC How defenceless judges are, Justice P N Prakash lamented on Friday, recalling the midnight attack on Madras high court Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul's official residence by a group of advocates in April this year. Poor more prone to suicides than the rich, says NCRB Poor incomes, mounting debts and family issues drove a good number of those in the lower socioeconomic bracket to suicide. Conditional bidding may upset allocation of radio licences: Broadcaster to HC A day after Madras high court granted conditional permission to the Sun TV group to participate in bids for phase-III of FM radio licences, Entertainment Network India Ltd -- which manages the Radio Mirchi FM network -- moved court saying the conditional nature of such participation would harm other broadcasters. More India News»

		Business
		Brookfield may invest $1bn in GVK Brookfield Asset Management, one of the world’s largest investors in infrastructure and real estate, is in talks to acquire a large stake in the debt-laden GVK Power & Infrastructure for as much as $1 billion, two people familiar with the matter said. Dabur to roll out Hajmola drinks Taking a hint from consumers moving away from sugary and carbonated drinks to more functional ones like Paperboat’s Aampanna or Jaljeera, the Indian FMCG major Dabur is now extending its popular digestive brand Hajmola into the ready-to-drink beverage category. RIL posts muted Q1 profit growth at 4.4% Energy-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries (RIL) posted a muted 4.4% growth in its first quarter net profits ended June 30, 2015. The company’s consolidated profit after tax stood at Rs 6,222 crore as loss-making US shale gas operations were a drag on profits from core refining and petrochemicals business. More Business News»

		Environment
		Govt to clarify on international report on air pollution Government today said it was not right to believe an international report which claimed that air pollution kills 80 people in Delhi everyday and added that it will come out with a detailed correction of the answer on Monday. Fossil of a four-legged snake found in Brazil A fossil of a four-legged snake uncovered in Brazil has shed new light on the origins of snakes as land burrowers, not sea creatures, a study said on Thursday. Tree with 40 types of fruit entering harvest season As if plucked from the pages of a fantastical children's book, sixteen trees especially cultivated by an artist in the US will soon be heaving with forty different types of fruit as they enter their harvest season. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama returns to Kenya, reunites with father's family Fulfilling the hopes of millions of Kenyans, Barack Obama returned to his father's homeland Friday for the first time as US president, a long sought visit by a country that considers him a local son. Turkey joins US-led coalition against IS In a major tactical shift, Turkish warplanes struck Islamic State group targets Friday across the border in Syria, Turkish officials announced a move that came a day after IS militants fired at a Turkish military outpost, killing a soldier. EU exit will diminish UK's clout: Obama Exiting from the European Union will corrode Britain’s global clout, according to US president Barack Obama. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Why Saif-Amrita had kept their wedding a secret Riteish, Pulkit to launch Bangistan's best food joint Riteish Deshmukh and Pulkit Samrat are opening a franchise of Fc Donalds, which is a popular food joint in their land, Bangistan. Prateik mourns loss of his 'ma' a second time over Prateik Babbar lost his mother, film actress Smita Patil a few days after he was born in 1986. Post Smita’s tragic and untimely demise, the actor was raised by his grandparents. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		R&B or metal? Your choice can tell how you think The study found that Sex Pistols fans are likely to be more organised, while Queen fans will probably respond better to other people's emotions IIT-Hyderabad innovation makes telecardiology cheaper Professors at Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad have developed a new system to identify and transmit only anomalous ECG signals to the diagnostic centre, thereby saving more than 80% of the bandwidth and power without significantly sacrificing diagnostic accuracy. Now, with a simple blood test, find out if you could get diabetes You may soon be able to run a simple blood test to know if you are predisposed to diabetes. And with the right lifestyle changes you can delay or prevent the disorder. More Science News»

		Sports
		Paul van Ass set to go as India hockey coach India's hockey coach Paul van Ass' brief tenure is all set to end following a bitter public spat with Hockey India president Narinder Batra. Viral video: Japanese batter's insane pre-ball routine The young Japanese baseball batter does in the following video outdoes all those idiosyncrasies. He's not just a hyper ball of energy, but has a pre-ball ritual that OCD specialists would have a field day with. Pragyan Ojha takes five-for as India A take 154-run lead Pragyan Ojha picked up an impressive five-wicket haul as India A bowled out Australia A for 268 before extending their lead to 154 runs by the end of third day's play in the first unofficial Test on Friday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		iPhone 7 rumour round up: Specs, features & more Excitement is building for the next iPhone — and already a steady trickle of leaks are emerging, about the phone's features, look and specs. Here's a regularly-updated collection of everything we know so far. 5 new WhatsApp features you don't know about WhatsApp has just released a new update for Android smartphones that brings a bunch of new features for the popular app. Though the update has not been pushed to the Google Play Store, you can still download it from the company’s website and check out the new features. TCS, Cognizant, Infosys are top tech employers of FY15: Nasscom TCS, Cognizant and Infosys have emerged as the top employers in the IT-BPO sector, according to a list of 20 leading companies released by industry body Nasscom. More Technology News»

		Education
		Christian MPs want community consulted before framing of new education policy West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha also lent their support to the group. Presi to have SOAS, Cambridge links In a bid to take Presidency University to the next level, the state will sign two MoUs on July 27 with two frontline universities in the UK — the School of Oriental and African Studies of University of London and University of East Anglia. HRD ministry to probe charges of malpractices in ICHR from 1970s HRD ministry has instituted an inquiry into allegations of malpractices going back to 1970s in the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and also sought a review of its functioning. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Maharashtra defends ban on mediation in domestic violence cases in HC The state government on Friday defended before the Bombay high court its circular banning counselling or mediation in domestic violence cases without the order of a court. Dog-killings in Kerala has animal lovers up in arms The “cruel, illegal” mass killing of stray dogs in Kerala has riled animal lovers who will protest at Carter Road, Bandra, at 11 am on Sunday. It will be part of a protest in many cities across the country and abroad. House adjourned after ruckus, slogans The legislative council was adjourned for the day without conducting any routine business following ruckus and slogans in the House as the Opposition and the ruling parties came at loggerheads over allegations of corruption against state BJP ministers. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		After being at loggerheads, Kejriwal-Centre put heads together to discuss Delhi problems Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took time off from his ongoing confrontation with the Centre to meet road transport minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss and seek assistance to address city's pressing problems including the traffic mess, Yamuna clearing and developing the river as waterway for transportation besides developing bus ports. Kabul to Lajpat Nagar, naan-stop It's still Lajpat Nagar but with an unfamiliar garnish. The shop signs are in English but many have a few lines of Dari subscript. CM discusses Yamuna, infra mess with Gadkari Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took time off from his ongoing confrontation with the Centre to meet road transport minister Nitin Gadkari to discuss and seek assistance to address city’s pressing problems, including the traffic mess, Yamuna clearing and developing the river as waterway for transportation besides developing bus ports. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Students turn bus windows into emergency exits On a fateful morning in October 2013, a private bus heading to Hyderabad from Bengaluru went up in flames near Mahabubnagar, killing 45 on board. Within a month, another bus inferno in Haveri claimed seven lives. Experts blamed lack of proper emergency exits for the large number of casualties. Here's how web-based companies unite carpoolers In cities choking with traffic, carpooling is turning into a doable option. The good news is now you can choose not only your fellow travelers, but also the vehicle in which you wish to hitch a ride, facilitated by various web-based car pooling companies. Sonia Narang lodges complaint against Ashwin's aide, TV channel Lokayukta SP, Bengaluru, Sonia Narang on Friday lodged a criminal defamation complaint against V Bhaskar, alias 420 Bhaskar, and a Kannada TV news channel for airing falsehoods targeting her. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Telangana toddy shops turning into illicitly distilled liquor dens The Telangana government, in its mission to curb the menace of illicitly distilled liquor (IDL), has been facing an unexpected challenge. Osmania hospital shift: Heritage activists up in arms With the state government virtually readying its demolition squad citing the safety of the Osmania General Hospital's inpatient wing, heritage activists and historians are rushing in to save the iconic heritage structure. Hurdles aplenty for Osmania General Hospital shift It appears that Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's directive on vacating the 1920s-era inpatient block of Osmania General Hospital (OGH) within a week over safety concerns may have a domino effect. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Strong pleas fail to make Madras HC budge on helmet rule Provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, government orders, rules, legal precedents and maxims -- the jam-packed court room in court hall no. 19 of the Madras high court on Friday saw several arguments and counter-arguments to persuade the court to relent on the mandatory helmet rule for two-wheeler riders. Water crisis steeped in Chennai's history Cajoling the clouds, fiddling with the ocean or digging deep into the earth ­ any idea even remotely suggesting a solution to Chennai's water crisis has been eagerly lapped up by officials over the years. Vestiges from the past may be pulled down, but history often repeats itself -in Chennai, in the form of water scarcity . People take to streets after taps run dry Udaya S, who runs a petty shop in Little Mount, does not bath every day. He saves water so that his son can go to school neat and tidy.With taps and sumps, that bring water to his home, threatening to run dry, Udaya joined the scores who protested against Metrowater on Friday morning in Saidapet. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Paper trail leads to joy Neha Parmar, 7, was filled to the brim with happiness and excitement as she received a bundle of surprise gifts on Friday. Nearly 500 such students from underprivileged backgrounds wore delightful expressions as your humble pasti once again embarked on a lofty mission. Amdavadis to follow city's harmony blueprint Each time you take the Ahmedabad Heritage Walk, it is a step towards rediscovering yourself -of what it means to be an Amdavadi, to be a part of a more than 600-year-old urban culture. GTU evaluators standards falling drastically The role of Gujarat Technological University (GTU), with over 500 colleges under its ambit, is very crucial for a student perusing a career in professional courses like MBA, MCA, engineering or others. But over the years the assessment standard of GTU has fallen drastically mainly because of inexperienced and substandard evaluators who check the answer sheets of students. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Sangam City roads unsafe, Agra's deadliest Roads of Sangam City are 'most unsafe', while Agra has 'deadliest' roads among the KAVAL towns of Uttar Pradesh. Soon, screening of films on luxury buses The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) is mulling over lifting a ban on screening of films at its air-cooled buses after three years. Sinking feeling: Swelling rivers raise flood fears, again Heavy rain and subsequent floods caused by Shipra in Madhya Pradesh led to sudden increase in Yamuna and Ganga’s water level in Sangam City on Friday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		State hikes minimum wages for labourers The state government on Friday issued notification for increase in minimum wages of unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled labourers in the state. Villagers beat up man for suspected sorcery A 40-year-old man was admitted to Rayagad district headquarters hospital on Friday with serious injuries.He was allegedly beaten up by villagers, who suspected him of practising witchcraft, the previous night. Memories of temple's last dancing belle While the entire state was enraptured by the sheer magnitude of Nabakalebara, a house in the lane opposite Jagannath Temple's main entrance, stood forlorn and lost. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Shivraj's Jhabua visit sparks rumours of Kantilal's crossover After the death of veteran BJP leader and sitting MP from Jhabua-Alirajpur Lok Sabha constituency Dilip Singh Bhuria, Congress and BJP are trying to regain control of the tribal-dominated constituency. Let CBI probe bribery charges against SIT: Lokayukta to Madhya Pradesh HC Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta has pleaded before Gwalior bench of Madhya Pradesh high court to get allegations of bribery against special investigation team (SIT) that was probing the Vyapam scam investigated by the central bureau of investigations (CBI) which has now taken over the scam probe. New RRI in place at Itarsi station, but no smooth passage Despite commissioning of new route relay interlocking (RRI) system at Itarsi station, a few trains will remain cancelled for next 2-3 days. This is due to rake imbalance on account of sudden cancellation of trains for past one month. New RRI was commissioned on July 22. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Tricity regional committee: Boundary issues figure in first meet Boundary issues and better connectivity in city and Mohali and Panchkula figured in the first meeting of technical members of the Tricity regional committee comprising members of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Friday. Experts bat for 1-car policy, cop for working-hour change Car pooling, hike in parking rates, change in working hours and increase in the use of public transport are among the slew of measures experts and residents have suggested to decongest the city roads crammed with vehicles, especially at rush hours. Chandigarh registering and licensing authority to auction new series on Aug 1-2 The registering and licensing authority (RLA) of the Chandigarh administration is all set to auction new vehicle series CH-01-BD on August 1. More Chandigarh News»

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