News Digest: Onus of running Parliament on PM, says Congress

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, July 27, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Onus of running Parliament on PM, says Congress Congress has put the onus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for functioning of Parliament while reiterating its demand for sacking of foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and BJP chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. On the plus side, there's online Big sizes are now big business for e-tailers who are tapping a largely ignored segment Manipur Army ambush: NIA to seek details on militants from Myanmar The National Investigation Agency is all set to approach Myanmar seeking details on NSCN-K and its affiliates in its probe into the June 4 attack on army convoy that killed 18 soldiers. More India News»

		Business
		Flydubai in talks for SpiceJet stake Dubai government-owned low-cost carrier (LCC) flydubai has re-entered the fray to pick up a stake in budget airline SpiceJet. Surprised by growth, Amazon ups India focus Amazon has said it was so surprised by its growth in India that it had decided to put a whole lot more focus on it. Prestige to acquire Exora biz park in Rs 1,000cr deal Realty major Prestige Estates Projects is set to unveil a little over Rs 1,000-crore deal to acquire a 63.5% stake in Exora Business Park from Red Fort Capital, people directly involved with the matter said. More Business News»

		Environment
		Eco-tourism at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve gets a boost In a bid to promote eco-tourism in the buffer zone of the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, an expedition has been organised between August 14 and 16. Yamuna pollution threatens Taj: Parliamentary panel A parliamentary panel has expressed concern over pollution affecting the Taj Mahal and linked it to the polluted Yamuna river that flows along the monument in Agra. Mighty mammoths went extinct due to warming Earth The mighty megafauna of the last Ice Age, including the woolly mammoths, largely became extinct because of rapid climate-warming events, a study says. More Environment News»

		World
		Yemen rebels launch attack despite Saudi-led coalition truce Yemen's Huthi rebels pounded an area in the southern province of Taez shortly after the start of a humanitarian truce declared by the Saudi-led coalition bombing the Iran-backed insurgents, witnesses said early Monday. Turkey launches new strikes on PKK as NATO meeting called The Turkish military on Sunday launched new air strikes on Kurdish militants in northern Iraq as Ankara invoked an article of NATO to call a meeting of the military alliance over its campaign against the PKK separatists and IS jihadists. Turkish PM says no plans for ground troops in Syria Turkey has no plans to send ground troops into Syria but has agreed with the United States that air cover should be provided for moderate rebels fighting Islamic State there, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying on Monday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Bhatt, Parveen Babi's heart wrenching love story Tabu is open to marriage During the media interactions for Drishyam, Ajay Devgn was good-naturedly ribbing Tabu on how he wrapped up his interviews really quick, while she took hours over her Q-and-A sessions. Pakistani actor wants to work with Kangana Imran Abbas, 32, is not just one of the highest paid actors in Pakistan, but is also very sought after by all the women there. He is simple, emotional and spiritual and proud of himself being rooted. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		25 yrs on, an exhibition to help decode crop circles An exhibition, marking 25 years since the appearance of one of the world's most famous crop circles, has opened in the UK to present the "unknown facts" about the mysterious and misunderstood phenomenon. Floating forever: Now 'windbot' mission to Jupiter? Nasa is investigating the feasibility of creating a windbot, a robotic probe designed to stay aloft in a planet's atmosphere for a long time, to explore gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn. Why pendulums swing in sync? Clock riddle solved Scientists may have finally solved a 350-year-old mystery of why pendulum clocks hanging from the same wall synchronize over time. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL 2013 spot-fixing: Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan walk free A trial court on Saturday discharged all accused, including cricketers S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing case. Briton Froome lands second Tour title Briton Chris Froome won his second Tour de France title in three years on Sunday to enhance his growing reputation as a grand tour specialist. Hungarian GP: Vettel wins for Ferrari on emotionally-charged day German driver Sebastian Vettel delivered an emotional high-speed tribute to his late colleague Jules Bianchi on Sunday when he stormed to victory for Ferrari. More Sports News»

		Technology
		OnePlus 2 launch: 10 things you need to know Here's our round-up of the 10 things you need to know about OnePlus 2 smartphone… Accenture India to scrap annual performance reviews Accenture India will soon join the rest of the global firm in scrapping annual performance reviews and rankings. Apple's two biggest challenges in India With only a tiny share of the world's fastest-growing major smartphone market, Apple Inc is stepping up its push into India, with a first targeted TV advertising campaign, expanded retail network and promotional financing schemes. More Technology News»

		Education
		A different pathway Sanjoni Sethi on her journey from an international school to an Indian university. Student speak - triple delight Akshi Nayan Shah > Second year, Bachelor of Arts in journalism, psychology and English literature, Christ University, Bangalore Welcome note Four DU students on completing a year in college and how they have changed More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Nightclub in Mumbai refuses entry to couple 'for being Indian' A young couple has lodged a police complaint against two staffers of a nightclub in Juhu, stating that the employees had denied them entry into the establishment early on Sunday, ‘because they were Indians’. Teen, friend held for kidnapping 11-yr-old from Naigaon An 11-year-old boy from Naigaon, who was allegedly kidnapped by a teenaged neighbour for ransom, was rescued on Sunday. 'Pursue 1992-93 riots cases with same zeal' A day before the Supreme Court will take a final call on the mercy petition of 1993 serial blasts convict Yaqub Memon, campaigners, who have been following the city’s worst sectarian riots cases for more than 20 years, lambasted the government saying that it should show similar interest in punishing the riot accused. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Bhushan, Yadav want old club returned to farmers The several eager men who arrived at Delhi Race Club on Sunday afternoon to wager their money on a horse race taking place in far-off Hyderabad were left a tad annoyed. Over 50 people had blocked the gate holding banners and placards and were asking for the race course to be handed over to farmers.Bhushan, Yadav want old club returned to farmers Metro phase III to have green benefits Greater connectivity is not the only benefit Delhi Metro's phase-III project will offer. Thampu U-turn: Scholar never collected stipend In a flip-flop, St Stephen's principal Valson Thampu who had claimed that the PhD scholar, who had alleged molestation by a professor, was not given part of her stipend, now says that "the girl never bothered to collect the cheques". More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		These families live amid the dead in peace The children sit in tently, heads buried in their books. The dimming light of the evening does little to deter them from doing their homework. So does the fact that under the slabs they are sitting lies a body . Top techies head back to classroom MBA programmes see more applicants with 10-20 years of work experience One-year rural stint or Rs 30 lakh penalty for junior doctors Students from state-run medical colleges may have to cough up a fine of Rs 30 lakh if they don’t serve in rural areas from next year. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Tug-of-war a big hit Having very few open spaces, gardens and playg rounds in the city, denizens thronged Happy Streets on Sunday morning to indulge in fun and games. Will excise laws hinder Telangana's liquor policy shift? The Telangana government is finding itself in a piquant situation over its new liquor policy that has been in the works for some time now. Will hyderabad meet fatehpur sikri's fate? When water vanished from Fatehpur Sikri, leaving nothing for his people, horses and camel, Mughal emperor Akbar left the city lock stock and barrel for Agra in 1585. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Like Vanakkam, Namaste too can make waves in city It's 8.30am and Aarthi Sw minathan is headed out for a long day at work. As she braces to navigate the traffic, she switches on the radio for her usual dose of Tamil melodies by A R Rahman. Rahman it is, but only in Hindi! 7-mth pregnant woman takes spotlight in half-marathon The spirit of a city takes centre-stage when it hosts a marathon and it was no different during the fourth edition of the Dream Runners Half Marathon (DRHM) that took place here on Sunday. A botox for her, a tuck for him Forget couple activities like dance classes or weekend spa getaways --they have become passé. Chennai's couples are going in for advanced medical procedures together and hospitals, who are only too happy to please, are offering his and her packages. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Study links poor oral health to cancer People with swollen gums, missing teeth, ill-fitted dentures, and other signs of poor dental health are susceptible to getting cancer. A new study has shown that people with limited mouth opening and poor dental hygiene are at risk of contracting oral cancer. Khambhat artisans to show stone beads skills For the past 5,000 years, stone bead artisans in Khambhat have been involved in ‘Make In India’. Now, they will finally get a global platform. A forthcoming workshop at IIT-Gandhinagar will see Khambhat’s master craftsman Anwar Hussain Shaikh and his team conducting live practical into the technique of making stone beads before eminent experts and scholars from the US, the UK, Japan, Sri Lanka, Italy, Nepal, Thailand and Bangladesh. Veggie Gujarat to get GIB chicks for breeding Gujarat will be getting newly hatched chicks of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard from neighbouring Rajasthan. These chicks will be kept at Nalia sanctuary for ‘nature acclimatization’, after which they will be released in Kutch for conservation. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		AU Gears Up To Tackle Ragging As the new entrants have started arriving on the campus of Allahabad University, the varsity authorities have also started gearing up against incidents of ragging, be it in any form. Flex banners, mentioning the phone numbers of anti-ragging squad, and issuing of new I-cards, which mentions the warning not to indulge in ragging, is on the cards. English medium students to apply from GIC, GGIC The students who had opted English as a medium for class X and XII examination of UP Board, have been asked to apply from Government Inter College (GIC) or Girl’s Government Inter College (GGIC) for giving the exams. The move has been taken after reports of students applying from more than one centres. IRCTC launches Goa, Agra Rajasthan tour packages Encouraged by the enthusiastic response to its string of tour packages, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has now dished out a set of winter tour programmes for its patrons that would take them to the alluring beaches in Goa, the resplendent Taj Mahal at Agra and the majestic forts in Rajasthan. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		BJD MP cremated with full state honour at native village BJD vice president and Rajya Sabha member Kalpataru Das was cremated at his native village Bhotaka in Jajpur district on Sunday afternoon with full state honour. Orchestra groups unite against vulgar shows The orchestra groups in the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack have decided to check vulgar and erotic performances. Koraput admn to reach out to people To build confidence among people and ensure all-round development of the district, the administration is set to launch a special programme, Operation Blue Moon, in the Maoist-hit Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks of Koraput district. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Post-wet spell, rain exceeds season total up till now An overextended wet spell for nine consecutive days with the sun occasionally peeping out has triggered dankness, putting residents to inconvenience. Post-wet spell, rain exceeds season total up till now An overextended wet spell for nine consecutive days with the sun occasionally peeping out has triggered dankness, putting residents to inconvenience. Cash-for-vote slur gone, Argal runs for mayor Once an accused in the sensational cash-for-vote scandal, five-time BJP MP from Chambal region - Ashok Argal has been named as mayoral candidate for the party from Morena. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		CBSE seeks feedback on English novels, OTBA The CBSE has asked schools for feedback on English novels and the recently-introduced open text based assessment (OTBA) from students, parents and schools. Govt school wears new look ahead of adviser's visit With new fans, white-washed classrooms, clean floors, a fenced boundary, clean toilets and verandas, the Government Model High School of Hallomajra is all decked up for the adviser's visit expected on Monday. Shelter home inmate goes missing A 13-year-old inmate of a shelter home for destitute children, Snehalya, has been missing for last two days.The shelter home authorities lodged an FIR with the police on Sunday. More Chandigarh News»

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