News Digest: Ludhiana roads deadliest in Punjab

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, July 20, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Ludhiana roads deadliest in Punjab Roads in Ludhiana were Punjab's deadliest, claiming 318 lives in 2014. 'Tourism could bridge Punjab's French connection' Historic and cultural ties between Punjab and France, especially the contribution of officials in the French army to the empire of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh warrior who ruled the first Sikh kingdom, are now witnessing a renewed interest. 39 Christians 'converted' to Hinduism in Kerala The Viswha Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Sunday 'converted' 39 people from 11 dalit Christian families to Hinduism as part of its controversial ghar wapsi programme in Kerala's Alappuzha district on Sunday. More India News»

		Business
		There is misconception over new GDP data: Sen A panel headed by Pronab Sen, chairman of the National Statistical Commission, to review manufacturing data used in the compilation of the GDP, will submit its report next month. Goldman CEO Blankfein's net worth crosses $1billion Goldman Sachs Group made hundreds of partners rich when it went public in 1999. Its performance since then has turned Lloyd Blankfein,60, into a billionaire. China's economic growth outlook still promising, Xi says President Xi Jinping has reassured local governments that China's economy still enjoys a promising outlook despite downward growth pressure pegging it around seven per cent. More Business News»

		Environment
		Deadly metals found in fish from Ennore creek The seafood you eat could have toxic elements like mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium, a study has found. 'Don't introduce new agenda in Paris conference' India today cautioned the developed nations against introduction of any new agenda at this "late hour" if they want to make the crucial climate change conference in Paris scheduled for later this year a "success". UK full of mini versions of Stonehenge Researchers have discovered miniature versions of Stonehenge, a massive prehistoric stone monument, around upland areas across the UK, from Cornwall to northern Scotland. More Environment News»

		World
		Burundi officials skip crisis talks days before poll Government representatives failed to show up Sunday for talks in Burundi aimed at ending the unrest caused by the president's controversial bid for a third term, forcing the mediation to be adjourned just ahead of Tuesday's election, the talks facilitator said. Cameron offers plan to counter extremism Prime Minister David Cameron is launching a five-year plan to defeat Islamic extremism, saying it is time to counter the ideology that has attracted so many young people to the Islamic State group. Rebel shelling kills 57 in Yemen's Aden At least 57 civilians were killed today when Shiite rebels bombarded Yemen's second city Aden, where Saudi-backed pro-government forces have made gains against the insurgents, a health official said. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Bollywood's most expensive films Bahubali: India's answer to Hollywood's hit film series 300, is a grand visual delight in every sense. Celebs who allegedly had sex in public We put together celebrities who have allegedly had sex in public and some have been caught too! Read on to find out more... Shraddha getting voice training for Rock On 2 Shraddha Kapoor will soon be starting to shoot for the sequel to the cult youth rock musical drama film Rock On in September. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Learning with Times: Uranium is a cleaner fuel, but not freely traded According to World Bank estimates, 41.2% of the world's electricity comes from coal, 21.9% from natural gas and 3.9% from oil. Hydropower constitutes 15.6%, nuclear power 11.7% and other renewable resources a little over 4% of the world's total electricity generation. Total DNA on Earth counted: 50 tn tn tn When scientists want to estimate global biodiversity, they typically tally the total species or organisms found around the world. Decoded: How mosquitoes track humans Mosquitoes track down their human targets by making use of a multi-sensory strategy that involves odours, visual cues and body heat to draw them closer to their prey, a new study by California Institute of Technology has found. More Science News»

		Sports
		Cremer, Chibhabha star in Zimbabwe's consolation win Zimbabwe took the fight to the Indians and managed to register a win in the tour, beating India by 10 runs in the second and the final T20I. Rahane rues 2nd T20I loss, but happy with overall performance Ajinkya Rahane rued his side's failure with the bat to lose the second T20 against Zimbabwe but said he was happy with the overall performance of the team. There is no better feeling than winning fifth rubber: Bhambri Yuki Bhambri is relishing the fact that his was a decisive win in the fifth rubber over New Zealand which took them to Davis Cup World Group Playoffs. More Sports News»

		Technology
		6 'best' camera smartphones We take a look at 6 best smartphones that offer OIS for superior camera performance. Airtel to launch branded 4G handset at Rs 4,000 The company is in discussions with Chinese vendors and even held talks with Taiwan based Foxconn, which has set up its mobile manufacturing plant in India. 10 tricks every Android user should know Since Android is an open platform, there’s plenty of room for customization. Beyond personalizing your phone, there are a few easy practices that can keep your phone neat and organized with plenty of battery life to last all day. More Technology News»

		Education
		Research roundup - Retail realities One would think that retail stores make most of their sale during the weekend when shoppers flock stores. Career Guide What are my career options if I pursue an MCom degree instead of an MBA after my BCom? Calicut University cancels 2012 B Tech exam Calicut University's vice chancellor (VC) has decided to cancel the special re-examination conducted three years ago for the daughter of the personal assistant of the pro vice chancellor (PVC) and 23 other B Tech students of Nehru Engineering College, Pampadi. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		RPF personnel rescue two kids The RPF rescued two children at Bandra in separate instances. Consultant to aid RPF in checking e-ticket fraud The Western Railways unit of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has hired a consultant who can give specific tip-offs on e-ticketing fraud. Consumer can insist on insurer paying for scrap When a claim is settled on total loss basis, it is customary to determine the scrap or salvage value and deduct this from the total loss assessed. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Foreign training for NDMC staff The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is planning to send a team of gardeners and safai karamcharis abroad for training to give the areas under it the spruced up look of Singapore or Shanghai. School stampede: Fresh probe likely The Delhi government has decided to set up a fresh inquiry into the stampede that occurred at a government girls or boys senior secondary school in Khajuri Khas in 2009. Girl killing: AAP steps up offensive against police The fight for control over Delhi Police has intensified after a 19-year-old girl was brutally stabbed to death at Anand Parbat. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		The hands that create the gods have little to count as blessings At one corner you spot Lord Venkateshwara, standing benign under a tree; a few feet away you notice Goddess Lakshmi being recreated in all her munificent magnificence under a chisel. Ballari youth paints a picture of hope When Ramu Hampi, 28, a fancy store owner in Hospet taluk of Ballari district in north Karnataka, started making a two-minute video on farmers for a friend, he realized the various problems faced by them. Mandya villagers corner Ambareesh The anguish among farmers was palpable in Mandya that has recorded the highest number of farmer suicides in the state recently. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Varsity non-teaching staff in state to get 43% salary hike After facing protests for several months, the government on Sunday decided to extend the benefits of 10th pay revision commission (PRC) to non-teaching staff in state universities, which would make them eligible for the 43 per cent salary hike. AP, Telangana lax in reporting bad drug reactions An adverse reaction to a drug can give a scare to any patient, but chances are that most patients going through such symptoms in Hyderabad are never told what’s going wrong. Post offices to distribute 'God-Jal' Bottled ‘God-Jal’ (Godavari Jalalu) will be distributed through post offices in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh from Monday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		When fashion links heritage, handlooms When textile designer N Bhushavali gifted a khadi kurta with ancient Grantha inscriptions on it to senior archaeologist R Nagaswamy, he was awestruck to find the young designer had embroidered it with inscriptions found in Kailasanathar Temple in Kancheepuram. 85-year-old tries to end life in Chennai A 85-year-old man who attempted suicide by jumping into the sea in pouring rain was rescued by Coastal Security Group (CSG) commandos on Saturday night. Shortage of facilities leaves Chennai public libraries in shambles The building looks decrepit and its insides are ill-lit. One has to wade through mounds of garbage and bear with the foul smell from a nearby corporation toilet to locate the entrance. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Now GIDC plans impact fee, one-time payment schemes Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) plans to launch two new schemes for plot holders and owners — a One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme for defaulters and an impact fee scheme for those who have done unauthorized construction on their plots. Blind sculpt their memories on clay For Vikram Dabhi, 19, a student with Blind People’s Association (BPA) and native of Lathi, Mickey Mouse was a fond childhood memory. Disabled people don't need pity: UPSC topper The victory of Ira Singhal, the first person with disability to achieve the feat of cracking UPSC exam in general category this year, is truly an inspiring tale of perseverance and passion. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Budding astrologer all set to steal the show Children of her age prefer to watch cartoon on TV sets or to play games on mobile or computer but seven year- old Kriti Varshney learns the patterns of movement by the planets and stars and assigns meanings to them that relate to human impetus and perception. Smart queries baffle Pratapgarh students For a class 12th student, question like how many bones are there in human body or for that matter what is the velocity of light, could be simple. AU library upgradation hangs fire for a year A mega exercise to boost amenities for students at the Central Library of Allahabad University is lying in a limbo for the past over a year even though it was cleared by the building and work’s committee (B&WC). The reason: CPWD has not provided the work estimate to the varsity. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Millions ecstatic at first look of divine trio in Nabakalebara Billed as the country’s biggest religious congregation, the Nabakalebara Rath Yatra on Saturday drew more than 10 lakh devotees who pulled the chariots of the new idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple. Puri pilgrims' moments of sorrow and grief Two women were killed and several others, mostly women and children, injured in a stampede in front of the chariots here on Saturday. Plantation drive for Mahanadi fishermen's livelihood To provide alternative livelihood to fishermen after ban on fishing in Mahanadi wildlife division of Satkosia Tiger Reserve in March, the authorities recently launched a drive to plant fruit-bearing trees on land belonging to fishermen. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		41 kids stranded as hostel in Rajgarh district inundated Incessant rain in last 24 hours has left 41 students of a government hostel in Talen town of Rajgarh district marooned. Soon after the reports, district administration launched rescue works late hours, but the students were stranded till late night hours. Hard-disk tamper cloud on 3 IPS officers, may face CBI quizzing Three policemen, including two senior IPS officers are likely to be questioned by CBI, which kick-started a probe into a complaint alleging foul play during seizure of hard-disk from the computer of Vyapam chief system analyst Nitin Mohindra. Students enrolled, degrees on offer, but colleges missing Corruption and irresponsible attitude of monitoring and agencies granting affiliation and permission to run educational courses have led to mushrooming of ghost colleges right under the nose of the government and administration in the state capital. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		MC to launch Citizen's Charter today If the back lane of your house is dirty, MC is bound to clean it within seven days, replace defective water meters and remove debris within five days of receipt of complaint, issue birth and death certificates within seven days, remove a fallen three within four hours, prune a tree within three days, remove a dead tree within 15 days, repair faults in street lights within 24 hours, and replace a damaged pole within 10 days. Paramour held for killing woman's husband in Mohali The Mohali police on Sunday claimed to have solved the mystery of a 48-year-old man found murdered in Mullanpur on July 12, with the arrest of a man alleged to have an illicit relationship with the victim's wife. CCPCR takes note of child abuse cases, issues advisory With two cases of child abuse coming to fore within two months, the Chandigarh Commission for Protection of Child Rights (CCPCR) has issued a detailed advisory on warning signs to help identify possible behavioral patterns in children who are being abused. More Chandigarh News»

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