Photostream: News Digest: Respect Indian sentiments: Government to Amazon after tricolour mat row

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Today's Headlines

Respect Indian sentiments: Government to Amazon after tricolour mat row
Keeping up the pressure on Amazon, India has instructed its ambassador in Washington to convey to the e-tailer that while allowing sale of products by vendors on the website, Amazon should respect Indian sensitivities and sentiments.

Temperature set to rise from Sunday
Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Uttarakhand remained under the spell of cold on Saturday. The weatherman, however, said the temperature is likely to go up starting Sunday. J&K's Gulmarg experienced the season’s lowest night temperature at minus 14.4 degrees Celsius.

Government has disbursed Rs 6,000 crore as arrears under OROP scheme
The govt has disbursed Rs 3,995 cr in the first instalment of arrears to 19,69,385 ex-servicemen. In the second instalment, Rs 2,291 cr was disbursed. "It’s our duty to respect and honour veterans as they are an unbreakable link between the present and the past,” said MoS for defence Subhash Bhamre.

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Business

Sebi panel for clarity in board of directors' appointments
A Sebi panel has proposed increased transparency in the processes for appointment and removal of board of directors. The panel has also said that companies should have better systems for evaluating the performance of directors and should periodically disclose how board members have performed.

Gold falls by Rs 100 on weak demand; silver recovers
Halting its four-day winning run, gold drifted lower by Rs 100 to Rs 29,350 per 10 gram at the bullion market in Delhi due to weak retail demand. However, silver recaptured the Rs 41,000-mark by rising Rs 250 to Rs 41,200 per kg on increased offtake by industrial units and coin makers.

Mukesh Ambani to pump in a fresh Rs 30,000 crore in telecom biz
Mukesh Ambani is set to add fresh fuel to the fiercely-competitive mobile phone market by pumping in an additional Rs 30,000 crore in Reliance Jio. Jio, which had 72.4 million customers at the end of 2016 after its launch on September 5, said that the new funds will be used to enhance coverage and capacity.

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Environment

Smog set to return to parts of central, north China
China has asked its officials to adopt plans to cut emissions and mitigate pollution as smog is again likely to hit central and northern parts of the country. The smog, which will return to Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong and Henan provinces, is expected to last until a cold front comes to the rescue around Thursday, the ministry said.

'Big chill' after asteroid strike likely killed dinosaurs

Air-cleaning poem can help tackle pollution: Scientists
A revolutionary air-cleansing poem has removed more than two tonnes of pollution from the environment in the UK as part of a project which could be used to fight pollution in cities across the world, a leading British University claimed on Friday.

More Environment News»

World

Donald Trump unleashes Twitter attack against civil rights legend

Protesters across US decry Donald Trump's anti-immigrant stance

Obama urges public to embrace the 'work of citizenship'
President Barack Obama is calling on all Americans to "throw ourselves into the work of citizenship," regardless of party.

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Entertainment

As it happened: 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards 2017

62nd Filmfare Awards 2017: Aamir Khan and Alia Bhatt bag the top honours
Aamir Khan won the Best Actor (Male) Award for his role of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat in ‘Dangal’. Alia Bhatt, who was nominated for two films – ‘Udta Punjab’ and ‘Dear Zindagi’, picked up the award in the Best Actor (Female) category for her performance in the former film.

62nd Filmfare Awards 2017: Sonam, Shahid, Manoj Bajpayee bag Critics Choice Awards
Style icon and outspoken actress Sonam Kapoor finally got her hands on the Black Lady.

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Science

Wanted: Hindu priest to test magic mushroom
A priest, a rabbi, and a Zen Buddhist roshi walk into a bar and order a beer prestigious university lab to trip on psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Wait, what?

SpaceX launches first rocket since explosion, returns stage to earth
A SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off from California on Saturday, returning the company to flight for the first time since a launchpad explosion in Sept. The launch of the 230-foot rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 1754 GMT aimed to deliver 10 satellites into orbit for Iridium Communications.

Barack Obama thanks Nasa for taking his sign to Mars
"Signed, sealed, delivered. I carried @POTUS's signature to the surface of #Mars. http://go.Nasa.gov/2jIeWVU #NasaPast8Years," Curiosity Rover tweeted. "That is out of this world. Thanks, @Nasa.," Obama, who will demit the White House on January 20 after serving eight years as US President, tweeted.

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Sports

Sindhu's Chennai Smashers beat Mumbai Rockets to win PBL title
Chennai Smashers defeated Mumbai Rockets 4-3 in what turned out to be a classic final to win their maiden Premier Badminton League title at the Siri Fort Complex on Saturday.

Ranji Trophy: Parthiv hundred takes Gujarat to maiden title
Gujarat lifted the Ranji Trophy for the first time in their history, beating domestic heavyweights Mumbai by five wickets on the last day of the final at Indore's Holkar Stadium. Parthiv Patel scored an excellent 143.

Dhoni will be giving his views, I will take decisions: Kohli
Virat Kohli feels that the transition of captaincy will be a smooth one as he will now be in charge of taking a final call even as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's "priceless suggestions" will always be welcome.

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Technology

Microsoft to acquire Montreal-based AI startup Maluuba
Microsoft announced Friday a deal to buy Maluuba, a Montreal startup focused on making machines able to think the way people do.

Facebook down in multiple parts of the world
The world’s largest social networking website is reportedly not working properly. Thousands of Facebook users from different parts of the world have complained that they are not able to post anything or check updates on their news feed.

HTC to trim smartphone launches in 2017
The recently announced HTC U Play and the HTC U Ultra may be two of the six-seven handsets the company plans to launch this year. In addition, Chang said that users can expect HTC to launch some ‘Desire’ branded smartphones for ‘fun and affordable’ markets.

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Education

ICSE, ISC dates revised due to Assembly elections
To avoid clashes with the ensuing state elections, the Council of Indian School Certificate Examinations has revised dates of Class 10 and Class 12 exams. ISC (theory) exams will commence from March 1,and ICSE exams will commence from March 10.

Bihar school education budget higher than national average
Bihar's school education budget is 5.6 per cent of its gross state domestic product, which is higher than the national average of 2.7 per cent of GDP, according to a study by a leading NGO.

J&K board declares class 10 result; 83% students qualify
Jammu & Kashmir Board of School Education (J&KBOSE) on Thursday declared the result of class 10 examinations, which were delayed last year due to unrest, with over 83 per cent of the 58293 students qualifying for the next class.

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Mumbai

Beer, country liquor sales on a high in festive Dec
More tipplers in Mumbai chose to bring in Christmas and New Year at home or at weekend getaways than in bars and restaurants. While consumption of beer and country liquor increased on these festive days, the more expensive India-made foreign liquor (IMFL) got a thumbs down, reveal excise department statistics for December.

Tech for communication between trains on track
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) will soon carry out a study before commissioning an advanced signalling technology on the suburban corridor. The technology--communication -based train control system-can help improve safety and frequency of train services.

NGO launches website to help identify birds
Bringing cheer to thousands of budding environmental photographers and amateur bird watchers, the Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) has recently launched a one-of-its-kind online platform that identifies Indian bird species using artificial intelligence.

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Delhi

Supreme Court asks if AAP govt diverted 900cr from workers' fund
The Supreme Court has sought answers on a PIL which has accused the Arvind Kejriwal-headed AAP government in the capital of illegally diverting Rs 900 crore from the building construction workers’ welfare fund for other purposes.

Swaraj India sounds poll bugle with new drive today
Amid the ongoing blame game between AAP and BJP over municipal funds, Yogendra Yadav’s Swaraj India, which will debut in active politics with this year’s civic polls, is starting a campaign asking people to seek accountability from both parties in power.

Police car on patrol crushes veggie vendor
A 40-year-old vegetable vendor was run over by a PCR van near Burari on Friday night.

More Delhi News»

Bangalore

Bengaluru murder: A WhatsApp message aroused suspicion

Bengaluru murder: Three kids pay the price for an ill-starred friendship

Bengaluru murder: Rajesh, not his father, killed wife's lover
While police booked Rajesh for murder, Gopalakrishna, 78, was booked for abetment.On Friday night, police had a tough time when both father and son claimed they had shot Amith.

More Bangalore News»

Hyderabad

'SHE' teams to keep an eye on eve-teasers at David Guetta's show in Hyderabad
At David Guetta’s show in Hyderabad, the “SHE teams” would be keeping an eye on eve teasers.

Gotcha! David Guetta to rock in Hyderabad after Bengaluru fiasco
Hyderabad seems to have stolen a march on Bengaluru (no surprises, it keeps happening!) as the city is all set to roll out the red carpet for the Grammy-winning musician David Guetta after police refused permission for his concert on Thursday.

Bruised, not broken: Fight on for Radhika Vemula
It was lunch time on Friday when Radhika Vemula, mother of Rohith Vemula, the University of Hyderabad research scholar who committed suicide on January 17 last year, called out for Raja, her younger son, to help her unwind the thread that got stuck in the spool pin of her sewing machine.

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Chennai

PM Narendra Modi greets O Panneerselvam on his birthday
Modi greeted Panneerselvam over phone on the latter's birthday and also conveyed his greetings on the occasion of the harvest festival of Pongal to the Tamil Nadu chief minister.

Jallikattu ban: Police lathicharge, detain 30 protestors in Madurai
At least 30 jallikattu protestors were on Saturday taken into preventive custody in Tamil Nadu's Madurai district for allegedly trying to defy a ban on the controversial bull-taming sport during the Pongal festival.

Quacks get off easy, Tamil Nadu needs strict law

More Chennai News»

Ahmedabad

Sanctity evoked on Saptak Day 12
On the sacred twelfth day of Saptak, on Thursday, in sync with the sanctity of the number twelve, as of the twelve Jyotirlingas, twelve principal Olympians gods, twelve Tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of Jesus, twelve petals in Anahata, the muses descended on the Amrut Modi School of Management hall, as Saptak invoked Raga Bihag in the late Pandit Omkarnath Thakur's haunting voice.

A hundred hues of kites
Kitists From Across The Globe Speak About Their Kites And Traditions

Ahmedabad's posh area Memnagar declared bird flu hit
The dreaded bird flu tightened its grip on Ahmedabad as the administration on Friday declared Memnagar, a posh area in west Ahmedabad, as bird flu hit.

More Ahmedabad News»

Allahabad

Roads of Allahabad host bhandara for devotees
Even as lakhs of devotees took holy dip in the holy water of Ganga on the occasion of Makar Sankranti and felt blessed on the day of Uttrayan (the day when sun enters the northern hemisphere), thousands of Allahabadies—irrespective of religion and sect they belong to—arranged free bhandara, mainly comprising of Khichadi, for the pilgrims and denizens.

Sangam to attract 50 lakh for Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti is likely to attract around 50 lakh pilgrims for a holy dip on Saturday.

Allahabad high court: Voter list can be corrected till last date of filing nomination
Ruling that Election Commission can remove duplicate and fake names from electoral roll till the last date of filing of nomination, the Allahabad high court on Friday directed it to correct electoral roll of Ghaziabad assembly constituency (No. 56) of Ghaziabad district.

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Bhubaneswar

Odisha human rights body seeks report from Kandhamal collector on Janaki's poverty

Khurda Road-Puri rly section to become Green Corridor by this Sep
In order to make stations and railway lines free from human waste discharge from trains, the Railways has decided to make Khurda Road-Puri section (44 km) of the East Coast Railway (ECoR) ‘Green Corridor’ by installing bio-toilets in the trains coming to and originating from the Puri station.

Poor response to Odisha budget suggestions
The state government's move of seeking suggestions from people for the 2017-18 annual budget has received poor response.Only 259 inputs have come in the last 13 days.

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Bhopal

Govt to cheer up commoners with food & shelter: MP CM
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Saturday that the state government will bring cheers in the lives of common people by providing them food, clothing and shelter. The government would also enact a legislation to provide land and financial assistance for a house to all those born in the state but who don’t have a roof over their heads.

Narmada Yatra: CM upset over ministers' apathy, asks them to attend four days
Upset over ministers' apathy towards the much hyped Narmada Sewa Yatra, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has asked his cabinet colleagues to spend at least four days in the Yatra to encourage public and ensure their presence.

Congress gives evidence of hawala accused in MP minister's school

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Chandigarh

Minor boy threatens judge in Gannaur, held
A minor boy threatened a judge after the latter acquitted an accused in case at Gannaur town of Sonipat district on Friday. Acting on the complaint of the sub-divisional judicial magistrate (SDJM) Amit Kumar, police arrested the minor after a case was registered against him at Gannaur police station.

AAP blackens Vij's posters over remark on Mahatma Gandhi
Enraged by the controversial remark of Haryana health minister Anil Vij on Mahatma Gandhi, activists of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) here on Saturday held a demonstration against him and blackened his posters near the city’s main bus stand.

PO in TADA case arrested after 20 years
The counter intelligence wing of Punjab Police has arrested a proclaimed offender (PO) who had been in hiding for more than 20 years. Sandeep Bhau (60), a resident of Bathinda, was wanted in a Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) case registered in 1992.

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