News Digest: Cold wave sweeps north India; Leh records -12 degree C

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, December 14, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Cold wave sweeps north India; Leh records -12 degree C Cold wave swept in several parts of north India today with Leh in Ladakh region experiencing the coldest night of the season at minus 12 degree Celsius and higher hills of Himachal Pradesh receiving another spell of moderate snowfall. Four cops hurt in Lucknow communal violence Four policemen were injured in communal violence here on Sunday over anti-Islam comments made by self-proclaimed Hindu Mahasabha leader Kamlesh Tiwari recently. Khaps to help fight stubble burning in Haryana villages In the past few years, Haryana's khaps have restrained themselves from issuing anti-women diktats they are generally associated with. More India News»

		Business
		SBI to ensure liquidity if Fed hikes rates: SBI chief Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairman of the country's largest lender, State Bank of India, has said that her bank is taking all steps to ensure that there is adequate liquidity in the aftermath of expected hike in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve next week. Infosys plans to invest in Silicon Valley fund Infosys is taking yet another major step to engage with innovative startups. Google Cap in talks to back CarDekho Auto classifieds major CarDekho is close to receiving a fresh round of funds led by growth-stage investor Google Capital, which has so far taken selective bets on Indian startups, people familiar with the matter told TOI. More Business News»

		Environment
		Negotiators in Paris up all night to clinch deal Negotiators huddled through Wednesday night and most of Thursday, racing against the clock to resolve key differences between the rich and developing nations in an attempt to stitch together an international pact to fight climate by the self-imposed deadline of Friday. Pollution on the rise as temperature dips in Delhi Overcast skies and a distinct layer of smog marked another highly polluted day in Delhi which saw further increase in the level of suspended particulate matter, with the average reading of PM 2.5 touching 204 microgram per cubic metre, keeping the air quality 'very poor'. Global warming could cause fall in oxygen: Study Earth's oxygen could dramatically fall due to change in ocean temperature of just several degrees, which may likely result in the mass mortality of animals and humans, a new study has claimed. More Environment News»

		World
		French far right collapses in regional runoff elections Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front collapsed in French regional elections Sunday, failing to take a single region after dominating the first round of voting, pollsters projected. Death toll in northwest Pakistan blast rises to 24 A blast killed 24 people and injured 70 in the northwestern Pakistani city of Parachinar on Sunday, officials said, and a banned Sunni Islamist group claimed responsibility for the attack. Death clash toll in Burundi capital rises to nearly 90 Nearly 90 people were killed during Friday's clashes in the Burundian capital, the army said on Saturday, the worst outbreak of violence in Burundi since a failed coup in May. More World News»

		Entertainment
		PIC: Akshay's adorable play date with Daughter Nitara Akshay Kumar might be a very busy man what with his hectic shoot and promotion schedules, but why should that mean, like any ordinary dad, he wants anything more than spending time with his darling daughter Nitara on a lazy Sunday morning. WATCH: Shah Rukh - Chutki Dubsmash on Dilwale Leave it to Gaurav Gera to take even the most serious of dialogues, spin it around and leave you in splits. So the funny man teamed up with Shah Rukh Khan to give you ‘ek Chutki’ laughter with this hilarious Dubsmash on Dilwale. SRK to remake 'Breaking Bad'? Shah Rukh Khan has revealed that he would be remaking the hit international TV series Breaking Bad into a Hindi movie. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Essex man suffering from hypospadias thought he was the only man in the world with a one-inch penis Hypospadias is a congenital problem affecting the appearance and function of the penis Vaginal orgasms are a 'myth', researchers claim New study claims terms are wrong and need to be reconsidered How often should I wash my hair? Personal care experts answer in Reddit AMA It’s an oft-debated question that never seems to come to any proper conclusion: "how often should I wash my hair?" More Science News»

		Sports
		India start favourites in World T20: Wright The 61-year-old New Zealander, who was here as a talent scout for IPL champions Mumbai Indians, spoke on a variety of topics. Chappell does not see anything wrong with Nagpur pitch Virtually backing the Indian position, former Australian captain Ian Chappell does not see anything wrong in the spin-friendly Nagpur pitch which saw India thrash South Africa inside three days in a recent Test. EPL: Arsenal back on top as Villa capitulate again Arsenal enjoyed an easy 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday to soar to the summit of the Premier League and leave their hapless opponents rooted at rock bottom. More Sports News»

		Technology
		6 hot laptops in Rs 35,000 - Rs 40,000 range Looking for a laptop in Rs 35,000 - Rs 40,000 range 10 must-have apps to boost your productivity Mobile payment systems: All you need to know  Which ones should you use and how safe are they? Here's a look at mobile payment systems and how they work. More Technology News»

		Education
		Madrassa students get trained to aid in time of natural calamity Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, one of India’s leading Islamic organization, is giving training to students enrolled in government-aided madrassas to become scouts and guides. The madrassa students are being trained to help people during emergencies and natural calamities including floods and earthquakes. National uniform education policy for regional languages The government has undertaken a collaborative, multi-stakeholder and multi-pronged consultation process for formulating the New Education Policy (NEP), which included online, grassroots and national level thematic deliberations. More girls joining NIT-K The premier technical institution National Institute of Technology-Surathkal (NIT-K) has seen a sudden rise in girl opting for NIT from past three year, so much so that institution is finding difficult to accommodate them. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Rapist 'exorcist' to be jailed 25 yrs after crime Twenty-five years after a self-styled priest and exorcist raped a young married woman who had come to him to be cured of her illness, the man, now in his late 50s, will go to jail for the crime. Two bikers die in road mishaps at Andheri, Malad A 23-year-old youth, Zaffar Ali, was killed after his two-wheeler was hit by a speeding truck in Andheri (east) on Saturday . 'Poor' rating for city's air but we are better off than Delhi The quality of air in the city has deteriorated considerably over the past few weeks with many areas, particularly in the suburbs, faring between 'poor to very poor' in the air quality index (AQI). More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Delhi woman gang-raped in car in Meerut A 31-year-old woman from Delhi’s Kashmere Gate area was allegedly gang-raped by three men in a car at Pallavpuram in Meerut on Saturday, police said. Pay 200% more as fine for repeating traffic offence in Delhi Repeated a traffic offence? Get set to pay a substantially higher fine of up to 200% more than what you paid the first time. If you commit the offence a third time, your licence will be seized on the spot. AIIMS guilty of caste discrimination: Panel The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has held AIIMS guilty of caste discrimination after it took action against an assistant professor of its College of Nursing in connection with a case of alleged harassment leading to suicide by a student. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		New rules set to bring windfall for land owners near Bengaluru Farmers in the vicinity of Bengaluru city are set for a windfall with the state government all set to implement the The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 in Karnataka. Alumni soak in nostalgia, have a blast on campus Around 250 industrial ists, CEOs and seniors of high-profile compa nies got together on the campus of their alma mater, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB), on Sunday to relive their college days, from playing galli cricket to tug-of-war, among other fun-filled games. Close encounters a hundred feet below surface This Bengalurean spends more time underwater than on land.Ajit SN, a diver and underwater photographer, has completed 190 dives in two years and surprised most dive masters around the world. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Tableau rejected, Telangana won't take part in R-Day ever Taking a hard stand against the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre, the Telangana government has decided not to participate in the Republic Day tableau parade in 2016, or even thereafter. AP to go for open bidding to develop capital? The AP government is mulling doing away with the much-publicised Swiss Challenge system to select the master developer for the upcoming state capital city of Amaravati. Polavaram: Centre to reimburse Rs 2,200 cr to AP The Centre has agreed to reimburse Rs 2,200 crore to the Andhra Pradesh government towards the money spent on the ongoing Polavaram irrigation project. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		After floods, slum dwellers keen to move from river banks Many families who made their homes on the banks of the Adyar river have returned to what remains of their houses. Water release according to rules, says chief secretary In the wake of widespread criticism that the worst-ever deluge of Chennai was caused by the state government's poor management of water release from Chembarambakkam reservoir, state chief secretary K Gnanadesikan has said release of water was regulated according to the flood compendium rules and keeping in mind the forecast of "isolated very heavy rain". Anbumani hails Paris climate deal Taking a vow to protect the world, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Sunday hailed the Paris deal on climate change agreed upon by 195 countries as historical. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Dalit leaders denounce HC judge's anti-quota remarks Dalit leaders on Saturday demanded action against Justice J B Pardiwala while an MP vowed to bring an impeachment motion in the Parliament against the high court judge for his remarks against the reservation system. `Climate change will make Kutch hotter, wetter by end of century' Climate change will seriously affect living in Kutch before end of the century, claims Gujarat's first micro-level climate change study by Indian meteorlogical department (IMD). Cold wave in state, mercury levels in Ahmedabad touch 8.8°C For the second consecutive day, cold wave conditions swept across the state with Naliya town in Kutch, which was the coldest place in Gujarat, recording a minimum temperature of 6.8°celsius. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Milk for child on train was just a tweet away Satyendra Yadav had no idea how to pacify his 18-month-old baby when he began crying inconsolably after not getting milk for a long time, stuck in a train for hours on Thursday somewhere between Allahabad and Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh. Congress plan to regain Nehru-Gandhi bastion of Phulpur Basking in the glory of its recent electoral success in Bihar assembly polls and Gujrat civic polls, the Congress has embarked upon a mission to regain its lost political glory and stature in UP, with special focus on Allahabad – once known as the cradle of Nehru-Gandhi bastion. This winter season, traffic cops issue advisory to minimize road mishaps Acknowledging the fact winter season is infamous for road accidents, both under fatal and non-fatal category, the traffic police authorities have issued an advisory for commuters with an objective to ensure safety of drivers and commuters on streets, state and national highways. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		WB mafia lifting sand from river bed in Odisha The district administration on Friday shot off a letter to its counterpart in West Midnapore district of West Bengal (WB) urging it to take action against the people involved in illegal lifting of sand from Odisha portion of the Subarnarekha river bed. Train arson accused was petty criminal in Chennai: Police Subhash Ramachandran, a Tamil Nadu resident accused of setting ablaze a series of empty trains in Puri on November 12 and other places in the country, was involved in petty offences in Chennai, police confirmed. Congress, BJP shun house panel on project Five Congress MLAs, who were members of the assembly committee on the Polavaram project, on Friday resigned from the panel in protest against the "cheap politics" of the ruling BJD. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Bhopal: Temperature plummets in 2 days, winter chill sets in A drop of nine degrees celsius in two day heralded setting in of winter in Bhopal with a bang. With mercury touching a minimum of 10 (-1) degrees celsius and a maximum of 24.3 (-2), the city recorded lowest of the season for day and night on Sunday, weatherman said. Smart city wishlist: Security concerns women while men want better connectivity Most women in Bhopal want a better planned city, alert police, no discrimination and social security. Socio-economic status and good education also ranks high in the wish list. Madhya Pradesh police gives clean chit to govt in 40 Vyapam deaths Madhya Pradesh police (intelligence wing) had conducted a parallel investigation into 40 Vyapam-related deaths before the case was handed over to CBI. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		IMA auditorium to have lifts soon, guv announces funds Governor of Punjab and Chandigarh administrator Kaptan Singh Solanki on Saturday announced to give funds to install lift in Indian Medial Association (IMA) auditorium. Polybags yet to do the vanishing act Polythene bags were yet to vanish from the markets as the UT administration implemented the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to fine those found using or dealing with plastic material (bags, cups and plates) Rs 5,000 on the first day on Saturday. Overbilling costs telecom company Rs 10,000 The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Panchkula, has directed Bharti Airtel Limited, Rajiv Gandhi Technology Park, Chandigarh, to pay a compensation of Rs 10,000 to Sector 15 resident for overbilling. More Chandigarh News»

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