News Digest: PM Modi will skip President Mukherjee's iftar again

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, July 15, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		PM Modi will skip President Mukherjee's iftar again Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to attend an iftar hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. Suicides a puzzling trend: Karnataka agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda Agriculture minister Krishna Byre Gowda, stunned by the spate of suicides by farmers, has decided to constitute a committee involving experts in various fields, besides a vision group under Dr MS Swaminathan, to study agricultural conditions of the state.In an interview with TOI on Tuesday, the minister shared his views and concerns. Govt to import 5,000 tonnes of arhar to curb price rise Government is set to procure 5,000 metric tonnes of arhar from Malawi in its effort to moderate the prices in the market. Price of arhar has increased by nearly Rs 30 per kg across Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata in comparison to the prices of last year. More India News»

		Business
		China troubles not good news for India: Assocham Economic troubles in China may have significant impact on India, particularly in sectors like IT and steel, industry body Assocham has warned. File appeals on merit: CBDT to taxman Disapproving of the 'casual' attitude of taxmen in filing appeals and pursuing litigation in important revenue matters, the CBDT has asked the I-T department to take legal recourse only in "deserving" cases. Sebi to overhaul disclosure norms for better monitoring To strengthen its real-time monitoring of insider trading cases and detect other corporate governance related lapses, regulator Sebi will soon put in place a 'system-driven disclosure regime' for listed companies and their top officials. More Business News»

		Environment
		US officials seize endangered fish bladders U.S. officials in Puerto Rico have seized a load of fish bladders taken from an endangered species and stuffed inside packages that were shipped from Venezuela and destined for Hong Kong. Global warming may eat up $200bn crops by 2050 A whopping $200 billion worth of wheat, rice and maize crops could be lost by 2050 globally if the issues arising from global warming are not addressed on a war-footing, an independent study on the impact of climate change on crop yields has warned. Tiger habitat in Buxa has shrunk: Foresters Amid concerns that tigers may have disappeared from West Bengal's Buxa Tiger Reserve, foresters have claimed that the habitat of the big cat has shrunk to a small area on the foothills. More Environment News»

		More News»

		Entertainment
		PIC: Ranveer, Priyanka, Deepika in Bajirao Mastani Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a perfectionist. Parineeti to play MS Dhoni's wife? MS Dhoni's biopic has been in news for days, and now it seems the makers have apparently found their Mrs Dhoni. Salman didn't have to do action scenes in a burqa Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Salman Khan’s upcoming Eid attraction might have a heavy subject at hand, but director Kabir Khan has also infused enough fun elements in the film. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Cern experts discover new particle pentaquark Scientists at Cern's Large Hadron Collider on Tuesday announced the discovery of a new class of exotic subatomic particles called the pentaquarks. A vaccine that can be inhaled developed to fight Ebola The first needle-free Ebola vaccine that can be inhaled protects non-human primates against the deadly virus and may advance to human clinical trials soon, scientists say. Sitting for long may up cancer risk in women Spending more leisure time sitting is associated with a higher risk of multiple myeloma, breast cancer and ovarian cancer in women, a new large-scale study led by an Indian-origin scientist has found. More Science News»

		Sports
		Djokovic, Serena bust a move at Wimbledon champions dinner After winning titles again on Wimbledon's grass, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams showed they can cut a rug, too, at the champions dinner. Sachin Tendulkar congratulates Paes, Sania and Nagal Sachin Tendulkar has congratulated the Indian trio of Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and young Sumit Nagal for their respective victories at the Wimbledon. I approached Pravin Tambe for coaching, says Hiken Shah Cricketer Hiken Shah says he is "shocked" after the BCCI found him guilty of making a "corrupt approach" to a fellow player. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Apple iOS 9 features already available on Android Apple has released the first public beta version of iOS 9, its upcoming mobile operating system. Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2015) review The Kindle Paperwhite’s display is impressive and the display resolution is now at par with the top-end Kindle Voyage. 4 tips to save your gadgets from Monsoon blues Here are some tips to help you take care of your precious gadgets when it pours. More Technology News»

		Education
		Court glare on schools that expel kids over fee disputes Bombay high court on Tuesday said that it would look into the issue of schools and educational institutions expelling students over tuition fee dispute or for the behaviour of parents. Haryana government launches skill development mission to train youth The state government today launched Haryana Skill Development Mission with a view to train youths as per their capabilities and make them employable. Pay cut looms for 'erring' Gujarat teachers What is 8 + 4 + 4? According to some senior teachers employed by the Gujarat education board, the answer is 80! In the state, no fewer than 500 teachers have committed a host of such mistakes while evaluating the answersheets of standard X and XII students. And now they will face the music for being chronically careless. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		MNS proposes mobile jammers in BMC House With several civic officials getting distracted by their smartphones during the general body meetings at the BMC, MNS corporator Dilip Landhe recently moved a notice of motion, seeking signal jammers in the heritage hall where the meetings are held. Landhe’s proposal was, however, shot down by the Shiv Sena. Bombay HC raps Maharashtra for delay in building courts Maharashtra seems to be an exception when it comes to providing infrastructure for courts, observed the Bombay HC on Tuesday, miffed at the non-compliance of its orders. 3 nabbed for hen 'sacrifice', assaulting activist in Juhu Three persons were arrested on Saturday for ‘sacrificing’ hens at Juhu Chowpatty and assaulting an activist who tried to intervene. This is the second animal sacrifice incident reported in the recent past. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Protest over stuck foot overbridge hits traffic Residents of Shahpur Jat in south Delhi blocked the Outer Ring Road on Monday morning demanding that the construction of a foot overbridge near Panchsheel Club be expedited. Traffic came to a halt for nearly three hours as a result of the blockade. Robber trio on bike traps biker, loots 20L in E Delhi Three men staged an accident and looted Rs 20 lakh from an employee of a garment factory owner near Karkardooma Courts Complex in east Delhi on Monday. Enforcing law: Corporations pass the buck to govt More than a year after a law was passed to protect the livelihood of street vendors, the Delhi government and civic agencies are yet to implement it. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		FIR kiosk gets mostly petty complaints The FIR kiosk at Mantri Mall, Malleswaram, was a blessing for Sreenivasalu, mainly because he wouldn't have to deal with too many cops. "No bribes, no cajoling...It was simple, efficient and professional," said Sreenivasalu. Jawa lovers on vintage ride More than 500 Jawa and Yezdi lovers got to gether at the National College Grounds in Basavanagudi on Sunday to celebrate the vintage bike which is currently out of produc rently out of production. International Jawa CZ Yezdi Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of July. Why is Bengaluru's poop badly treated? After you flush the toilet and the swirl falls silent, ever wondered where the poop goes and what happens to it? TOI goes on its trail and finds out how a crappy sewage system could snowball into a big worry for the city. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		No vaccination during Godavari Pushkarams The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have geared up to fight snake and dog bite cases during the 12-day Godavari Pushkarams, scheduled to begin on July 14. Ramzan 'gift' is not a stand-alone freebie! The Ramzan “package” announced by Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao seems to have caused consternation to some self-styled secular activists as well as the outfits of Sangh Parivar. MIM to go solo in GHMC polls The Majlis-e-Ittehadul-Muslimeen (MIM) would not form any pre-poll alliance in the upcoming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, said party chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Police register FIR in land sale issue involving former Union minister Alagiri's wife The government side on Monday informed the Madurai bench of the Madras high court that the district crime branch police (Madurai) have registered an FIR based on a complaint filed by a woman in a land sale issue involving former Union minister M K Alagiri’s wife Gandhi Alagiri. Tuticorin port surpasses its own single day cargo handling record The V O Chidambaranar Port in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu surpassed its own record by handling 1,61,108 metric tonnes of cargo on a single day on July 10.  Tamil Nadu seeks financial aid from Centre for interlinking of rivers Accusing the previous UPA regime for not favourably considering the proposals of the state, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday urged the Centre to extend financial assistance, including cost for land acquisition, to interlink rivers in the state. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Two posing as crime branch personnels nabbed City crime branch sleuths on Sunday nabbed two persons Imtiaz Panjvani, resident of Vatva and Abdul Qayyum Shaikh of Fatehwadi, juhapura for impersonating as policemen and robbing a trader of Rs 10,000. With Rath Yatra approaching seizure of illegal firearms a top priority With Rath Yatra approaching, it is raining guns for the city crime branch. French athlete rescued near Indo-Pak border in Kutch French ultra runner Gaël Couturier was rescued by a team of EMRI 108 near India-Pakistan border in Kutch district on Saturday. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Search on for nephew who shot Balkhadia's 'funeral' The death of dreaded bandit Sudesh Patel alias Balkhar aliad Balkhadia remains a mystery for UP cops. SRTC to popularize Bus Service in schools Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) has decided to by set up information kiosks at schools and colleges for making students aware of City Bus Service. BJP members create ruckus in AMC meet Pandemonium was witnessed in the special meeting of Allahabad Municipal Corporation on Sunday. The BJP corporators were adamant on discussing the issues like insanitation and waterlogging. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		91 child workers rescued in Berhampur As many as 91 child workers employed in different places, including hazardous cashew processing units, have been rescued in Ganjam district, police said today. Nabard to create 9.23L tonne storage for farm produce The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) aims to create 9.23 lakh tonne storage space by constructing godowns and warehouses. Too few ATMs in Puri to meet festive rush For a generation that prefers to carry cards to cash, it may be a testing time at ATMs in Puri during Nabakalebara Rath Yatra rush.The Holy Town, which is expecting 30 lakh pilgrims on July 18, has only 47 ATMs. More Bhubaneswar News»

		More News»

		Chandigarh
		7 members of inter-state robbers' gang held with weapons Police here claimed to have nabbed on Tuesday seven gangsters involved in dacoities, extortion and highway robberies. Conman dupes old woman of Rs 2 lakh in Barnala A conman duped an old woman of Rs 2 lakh while she had gone to deposit the money in a bank at Bhadaur town in Barnala on Tuesday. Civil services toppers visit alma mater After cracking UPSC civil services examination with flying colours, Vandana Rao, Deepshikha Sharma and Sandeep Malik visited their alma mater Kurukshetra University on Tuesday. More Chandigarh News»

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