Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, February 22, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Odisha minister Maheswar Mohanty shot at in Puri State law and tourism minister Maheswar Mohanty (60) was injured on Friday after unknown miscreants fired at him near his residence in Puri. Shiv Sena UP chief targets Modi, seeks Rajnath's projection as PM Pandey said the Shiv Sena leadership has given its nod to the state unit’s proposal of supporting projection of somebody from Uttar Pradesh as the next prime minister. No FCI godown being used to store liquor: KV Thomas Food and consumer affairs minister KV Thomas told Rajya Sabha on Friday that no Food Corporation of India (FCI) godown is being used for storing liquor. More India News»

		Business
		CSR rules soon with 10 major areas Corporate affairs minister Sachin Pilot had TOI last year that the essence of the bill is self-reporting and self-disclosures and there is no intention on the part of the government to create an inspector raj. Create portfolio with your goals in focus Financial prudence makes it possible to increase wealth manifold, says Gaurav Mashruwala Embassy Group hijacks Four Seasons deal Last December, Goldman Sachs entered into a conditional agreement to sell the 1-million sqft development to RMZ but failed to close the deal following opposition from its minority shareholder. More Business News»

		Environment
		Scientists discover new marsupial known for fatal sex Australian scientists have discovered a new species of marsupial, about the size of a mouse, which conduct marathon mating sessions that often prove fatal for the male. Heavy smog alert for Beijing as pollution levels goes high The Chinese capital has issued a yellow alert for heavy air pollution over the next three days, with children and the elderly being advised to stay indoors. Agra's leather shoe units told to check pollution After hundreds of petha (sweetmeat) units were forced to shut down in Agra last fortnight, Uttar Pradesh's pollution control body has now shifted its focus to pollution causing leather shoe units here. More Environment News»

		World
		Renzi forms new Italian government Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi has formed Italy's new government, saying the broad coalition aims to give the economically-strapped country “hope.” Obama snubs China, meets Dalai Lama US President Barack Obama welcomed Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to the White House on Friday, defying China, which said the meeting would "seriously impair" bilateral ties. Strangers save baby who stopped breathing on road When five-month old Sebastian stopped breathing on a highway in the US state of Florida on Thursday, his desperate aunt pulled over and screamed for help. More World News»

		Entertainment
		What exactly happened at Salman Khan's dinner party? Salman Khan hosted a get-together for his close friends at his place recently. Both his former flame Sangeeta Bijlani and ‘Jai Ho’ co-star Daisy Shah were part of the guest list. Director goes underground post molestation charges While actress Geetika Tyagi has decided to file a police complaint, director Subhash Kapoor, who she has accused of molesting her, has gone underground and cannot be contacted. Pics: Comedy characters that went viral Here's a list of comedy characters from the small screen that went viral amongst audiences to the extent that they even imitate them. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Astrophysicists look inside heart of an exploding star Astrophysicists have for the first time ever been able to look inside the heart of an exploding star to document exactly how shock waves rip apart massive dying stars and ultimately end their lives. In a first, experts peer into heart of supernova Astrophysicists have for the first time been able to look inside the heart of an exploding star to document how shockwaves rip apart massive dying stars. 600-yr-old mystery script cracked A British linguist has cracked the code of a 600-year-old manuscript, deemed as ‘the most mysterious’ document in the world. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL 7 set to embark on African safari Five years after it created an unforgettable buzz in SA, the money-churning Indian Premier League is all set to return to Nelson Mandela's country once again. 'Politicians should stay out of sports' Politicians should stay out of sports & sportspersons should be at helm of affairs, Rahul Gandhi said at the launch of 'National Youth Policy 2014' on Friday. 'Want to do for MI what I did for CSK' Mike Hussey was a pillar of strength for CSK. But this time around, Mumbai Indians picked him up in the auctions as CSK didn't go the distance to retain him. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Bill Gates, Steve Ballmer pressure-test you: Satya Nadella In his first interview as CEO, Satya Nadella talks about leadership lessons from his predecessors, his management style and fostering innovation. 'Google was ready to pay more than $19bn for WhatsApp' According to a report, Google CEO Larry Page went to meet WhatsApp chief Jan Koum last week in a desperate bid to prevent the deal from materializing. Samsung to unveil bendable tablet next week: Report South Korean media is abuzz that Samsung will unveil the first-ever bendable tablet at Mobile World Congress. More Technology News»

		Education
		China No. 3 pick of foreign students That the world flies to China and India to entice the young to their colleges is common knowledge. What is not so well known is that China has now become the third most favoured nation of international students after the US and UK. University in Hindi heartland has no Hindi department In a strange twist of fate for Hindi in its heartland, the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule (MJP) Rohilkhand University, with more than 155 degree colleges affiliated to it, has been without a department of Hindi for the last 39 years. CBSE advises its schools across country to use canvas shoes only The Central Board of Secondary Education has issued an advisory to all the heads of schools under its jurisdiction to introduce canvas shoes as part of the uniform. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Hospital fined Rs 3.8 crore for denying patient stem cell bank of choice The Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of Rs 3.81 crore on L H Hiranandani Hospital, Powai, for denying a couple the right to preserve their newborn’s stem cells with the company of their preference. Raj, Uddhav enjoy extra cover even as their parties run riot It couldn’t be more ironic. The leaders of the two most aggressive parties in Maharashtra are also among the ones enjoying the most protection at the state’s expense. AAP fined for political rally at ground sought for Shiv Jayanti The BMC has fined the AAP for using a ground in Andheri (W) for a political rally when the application for use of the ground cited a religious purpose and the celebration of Shiv Jayanti. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Over 5,000 DDA flats unallotted Residents of Delhi may be waiting for Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to offer new flats, but there are about 5,970 flats lying vacant in the city. Plea in high court against AAP A plea has been filed in Delhi high court seeking direction to the Election Commission to cancel the registration of Aam Aadmi Party on the ground that it allegedly used forged documents to register itself. Najeeb Jung reviews helplines Lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung on Friday reviewed the work done by the anti-corruption helpline. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		She power: New-age ads celebrate womanhood Not very long ago, insurance companies sold policies for son's education and daughter's wedding, and jewellers pitched their products primarily for the brides-to-be. Convict in high court 2 years after jumping parole Police on Friday produced in the Karnataka high court Thejus alias Theju, a convict in a murder case who had jumped parole two years ago. Embassy may bag Rs 515cr Four Seasons Bangalore deal India’s leading tech-park developer Embassy Group has swooped down to hijack a Rs 515-crore acquisition of the country’s second Four Seasons Hotel project in Bangalore from cross-town rival RMZ Corp, people involved with the matter said. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Cops ponder over future With the Telangana bill having been passed by the Parliament, state police officers are trying to figure out their future postings from the ‘Civil List’. 'Women relegated to the margins of Telangana movement' After long decades of struggle, the new state of Telangana would soon be a reality, but several activists say that women would continue to remain in the margins as the popular movement has failed to give them enough representation. TDP demands development works in peripheral municipal circles Seeking ‘justice’ for peripheral circles, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) corporators staged a dharna in front of GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar’s chambers on Friday, demanding Rs 5 crore to each of the 50 wards in the peripheral municipal circles like L B Nagar, Uppal, Kukatpally, Alwal and Kapra for developmental works. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		8-hour outages leave residents reminiscing about good old days The three months when Chennai can complain of a nip in the air are over — and with them has gone uninterrupted power supply. Jaya won't let Modi run away with growth plank Unwilling to let BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi appropriate the mantle of a growth crusader, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa pitched in on Friday , saying the state had received higher incremental investments under her governance , even more than Gujarat. Freebies? Tell us how will you fund them: EC to parties Political parties are free to announce freebies in their election manifestoes, but they must also spell out means to finance them, the Election Commission has said. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Researchers say accountants gave up 'shirorekha' to write fast Gujarat’s business community has always influenced history and culture of the land. Chain-snatchers make West wild On an average, two house break-ins, one chain-snatching and six vehicle thefts are reported daily in the Ahmedabad city, said the state government in the assembly. Middleman held, another on the run The local crime branch (LCB) of Gandhinagar police arrested a middleman named by the prime accused Kalyansinh Champawat, for collecting Rs 1.2 crore from 23 candidates taking the examination for the post of talati. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Labourer killed in wall collapse A 55-year-old woman labourer was killed and two others sustained injuries when a dilapidated wall they were taking down collapsed on them at the district women hospital under Shahganj police station here on Thursday. Blast in fireworks trader's house injures four At least four persons including a woman and three children suffered injuries in an explosion at the house of a fireworks trader at Chail block under Pipri police station of Kaushambi district on Thursday. Declassify Bose files: Forum to govt All India Legal Aid Forum has asked the Central government to declassify 36 top secret files regarding Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and end the controversy over his death. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Protest at Utkal over broken hostel wall The agitators said at least four boys entered the ladies' hostel No.I on Wednesday night because of the broken boundary walls, posing a threat to their security. Film star, cricketer to promote brand Odisha The state government has begun hunting for a 'brand ambassador' to promote Odisha tourism in domestic and overseas markets and planning to rope in a Bollywood personality or a cricketer for the purpose. Scientist surpasses own world record Thirty-eight hours and 21 minutes.That was the duration of city-based scientist Pothula Srinivasa Brahmanand's speech marathon, a successful attempt to break his own world record. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		MP Cong leader claims job scam in journalism varsity, moves Lokayukta police Katare said the scam is similar to the one in Haryana, where former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, his son Ajay Chautala and 53 others were convicted by a Delhi court last year for illegal recruitments of 3,000 junior basic trained teachers. NIFT: NCW suggests Kothari's suspension, action against director general National Commission for Women (NCW) has slammed National institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) director general Prem Kumar Gera and NIFT Bhopal director U S Tolia describing sexual harassment in NIFT as 'institutional failure'. Girl walks out of marriage against dowry; gets groom, kin nabbed Displaying courage, a girl broke off marriage when a groom and his family began making absurd dowry demands in Damoh district on Thursday.The girl had represented Madhya Pradesh at a national level sports event. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Complaints against Punjab DGP serious: Election Commission Brahma also revealed the EC had held a three-hour meeting last week with Saini at the office of Punjab CEO V K Singh at their Sector 17 office in Chandigarh. Haryana voters may get meal discount at hotels Cast your ballot and pay 25% less for lunch at your favourite restaurants. Senior PGI faculty protest extension of dean's term Defying the PGI act and inviting the ire of senior faculty, officials have extended the term for the dean's post until the next governing body meets. More Chandigarh News»

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Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, February 21, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Nirbhaya ad gives sleepless nights to NRI woman While boarding a Kochi-Bahrain flight three months ago, Daisy Sunny, a widow and mother of two from Kerala’s Thoppumpadi, was clueless about unexpected ‘fame’ awaiting her. Money-spinner ATM gives bank a run for money State Bank of India officials went into a tizzy after one of its ATMs in Madhya Pradesh’s Manasa town began spewing extra cash, nearly double the amount keyed in by customers. As the word spread, crowds thronged the machine to collect their booty. One toll tag for Delhi-Mumbai national highway from August Indian Highways Management Company Ltd, a company promoted by NHAI, has appointed ICICI Bank to set up the central clearing house that will collect toll charges through electronic mode and distribute the funds to developers. More India News»

		Business
		Final nod to AirAsia India likely today India is all set to get a new airline very soon. Top aviation ministry sources say the proposed Tata Group-AirAsia joint venture will get the final clearance to fly from DGCA on Friday. Salary credit to NRE account not taxable Indian employees working overseas often face litigation over taxation of their overseas salary income, if such salary is received in India. This is because a non-resident can be subjected to tax in India on that portion of the income which is received in India. Coal regulator gets approval With Parliament running out of time to enact the Coal Regulatory Authority Bill, 2012, the Cabinet on Thursday approved an executive order to put in place a regulator for the coal mining industry that would have much less teeth than originally envisaged. More Business News»

		Environment
		Agra's leather shoe units told to check pollution After hundreds of petha (sweetmeat) units were forced to shut down in Agra last fortnight, Uttar Pradesh's pollution control body has now shifted its focus to pollution causing leather shoe units here. Cabinet clears Rs 13,000-crore project to increase forest cover The government finally on Thursday approved a much awaited 'Green India Mission' proposal of the ministry of environment and forests as a "centrally sponsored scheme" to increase forest cover in the country and sanctioned Rs 13,000 crore for this purpose. Flamingos hunted for meat in Navi Mumbai's mudflats Broken beaks, feathers and bones have been found on the outskirts of Phunde village in Uran taluka, about 25km from Vashi, raising fears of poaching of flamingos which migrate to the nearby mudflats every winter. More Environment News»

		World
		Venezuela protests escalate At least five people have died since the unrest turned violent last week, with scores of injuries and arrests. EU drags Britain to court for high air pollution levels The European Commission has dragged Britain to court for failing to deal with its air pollution. Chinese censors allow access to US TV drama Chinese censors have allowed a major video downloading website to provide access to the latest series of popular US political TV drama, House of Cards, Hong Kong-based Phoenix Weekly has reported. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Aishwarya avoids mom-in-law Jaya Bachchan in public? According to Zoom, the famous saas-bahu jodi avoided each other at a bash thrown by the Ambanis on the occasion of their mother Kokilaben's birthday. When Shah Rukh Khan created a ruckus on flight Shah Rukh Khan is not only Bollywood’s badshah but also the king of hearts. Movie Review: Highway More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Found: 'Switch' in brain that lulls us to sleep Researchers at Oxford University's Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour have discovered the 'switch' in the brain that sends us off to sleep. Gene behind kids' love for violent TV shows? Ever wondered why certain kids like violent TV and video games more than others? Scientists now say they were just born that way. Cyborgs step closer to reality Scientists have created a new coating that makes nanoelectronics much more stable in conditions mimicking those in the human body, bringing the development of cyborgs closer to reality. Cyborg is short for "cybernetic organism", a being with both organic and mechanical parts. More Science News»

		Sports
		Dhoni ruled out of Asia Cup with injury Dhoni was ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a side-strain injury that he suffered during the 2nd Test in New Zealand, paving the way for Kohli to lead the side. Not converting good starts, says Sehwag "When I watched the videos of my game, I did not find too many mistakes. The only mistake was that I was not converting good starts into big ones," said Viru. Rafael Nadal rolls into Rio quarterfinals World No. 1 Rafael Nadal stormed into the quarterfinals of the $1.3m Rio Open on Thursday by beating Spanish compatriot Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-2. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Why Facebook is buying WhatsApp for a whopping $19bn Facebook is betting huge on mobile with an eye-popping cash-and-stock deal worth up to $19 billion for smartphone messaging service WhatsApp. Facebook to buy WhatsApp for $19 billion Facebook will buy mobile messaging startup WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock, as the world's largest social network looks for ways to boost its popularity. World's longest free Wi-Fi zone in Patna If you have an internet-enabled device and you are anywhere on the stretch from NIT-Patna on Ashok Rajpath to Danapur, you can now access the internet free of cost. More Technology News»

		Education
		Film and Television Institute of India may remodel all TV courses The city-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) is expected to restructure all its one-year television courses into two-year certificate programmes. Jawaharlal Nehru University vice chancellor considers opening centre in Bihar Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) vice-chancellor has informed education minister P K Shahi that the issue of opening a branch of the varsity in Bihar has been circulated to different wings of the university. Panjab University to offer one-year post-graduate law course Students wishing to undertake a post-graduate degree in law from Panjab University (PU) may soon be able to complete it in just a year. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		New bus depot at Chincholi to be city's first in 18 years After TOI reported on February 10 on the urgent need for a bus depot to smooth the flow of traffic between Goregaon and Malad, the BEST undertaking has decided to throw open its 26th bus depot at Chincholi Bunder from March 1. Chincholi Bunder is between Goregaon and Malad. Maria forms commission to review citizen-friendly plans by ex-chiefs New police commissioner Rakesh Maria has set up a committee that will review the earlier schemes that were introduced by his predecessors to help citizens but never really worked out. Bus runs over child pillion rider after bike skids A nine-year-old girl, who was riding pillion on a bike, was run over by a BEST bus in Ghatkopar (W) after the two-wheeler skid. The biker was an underage rider, the police said. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Gunrunner from MP held A man was arrested outside Gurdwara Balasahib in north Delhi with 10 pistols in his possession on Wednesday evening, police said on Thursday. Cops to reply on Gopal Kanda plea A trial court on Thursday sought clarification from Delhi Police and former Haryana minister Gopal Kanda on his bail plea in the Geetika Sharma suicide case. Danish rape survivor asked to depose The Danish gang rape survivor is likely to return to India to depose against her tormenters.Delhi Police has written to her via Interpol and conveyed the matter to embassy officials, sources said. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Five revellers attack two cops, held Five inebriated people, including a contractor attached to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), were arrested after they allegedly attempted to assault two policemen. Drunk driving check turns ugly SI Rajanna and constable Anand were carrying out checks near Chennakeshavanagar when they stopped a car carrying brothers and realty businessmen Chinnappa (37) and Anthony (33). Understaffed forest department grapples with eviction woes Over 1.6 lakh acres of forest land in Karnataka have been encroached upon by private individuals until mid 2013, according to official figures. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Confusion over status of Andhra cabinet Andhra governor E S L Narasimhan has sent a report to the Centre following the resignation of N Kiran Kumar Reddy as chief minister but confusion seems to persist over the status of the Cabinet, Raj Bhavan sources said on Thursday. High court upholds conviction of Abu Salem in fake passport case The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday confirmed the 7 year jail term awarded to underworld don Abu Salem by a CBI court in Hyderabad in the fake passport case. Army imposes blockade in Secunderabad Cantonment limits from February 25 Come February 25, lakhs of people traversing through defence areas in the Secunderabad Cantonment will run into road blockade as the Army authorities have decided to close down important roads. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Terminally-ill life term convict set to walk free A terminally life convict who is said to be counting his days is all set to be released from the Cuddalore central prison, thanks to an order of the Madras high court. Centre to fund five new medical colleges in Rajasthan With an aim to give a fillip to medical education in Rajasthan, the Centre has decided to fund five new medical colleges in the state. High court orders work on elevated port road to resume Earlier, advocate-general of Tamil Nadu A L Somayaji said the government halted works because the NHAI deviated from the original plan, exposing several city suburbs to inundation risk. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Naroda Patiya massacre: Maya Kodnani given electric shock therapy This was the first time Kodnani was given ECT. Mahajans ate away Gujarati's 'top line' Gujarat’s business community has always influenced history and culture of the land. Women file public interest litigation for school in village Four women from the village have submitted in their petition that the village of 15,000 population has got only one school up to class V.Kids that study beyond it have to travel 6km to reach the nearest secondary school. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		MNNIT faculty members sport black ribbon, stage protest Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT) faculty members on Wednesday wore black ribbons and staged a protest at the administrative block against implementation of four-tier flexible faculty structure. Murder triggers violence in Pratapgarh Angry locals fought pitched battle with police near Bhupiamau crossing in Pratapgarh on Wednesday over murder of a history-sheeter. AU to host seminar on world peace Rajiv Gandhi chair in contemporary studies of Allahabad University will be organising a two-day international seminar on peace building from February 21. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		The benefits of new exam format Examination season is round the corner and the phobia is gripping students and parents alike. Experts advise pupils to keep calm and study With just five days left for the annual high school certificate exam, the students are busy in last-minute preparations. Temperature to rise from today Interior parts of the state continued to reel under cold wave conditions for the third consecutive day on Wednesday.At least nine places recorded less than 10 degree Celsius on Tuesday night. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Symposium on Kanha-Pench landscape held at Mocha A three-day symposium was held on Kanha-Pench Landscape Symposium at Mocha, in Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh. Jilted cop shoots woman dead in MP A sub-inspector posted at Indergarh police station in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh today shot dead a woman with his service revolver here after she allegedly turned down his love proposal yet again. Scindia lays foundation stone of NTPC super thermal power project at Gadarwara Scindia said that the aim is to make the country self sufficient in power along with efficient transmission and distribution systems. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		EC: Will check DGP complaint after code The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday said it would deliberate on the complaint made by the Congress against Punjab police chief Sumedh Singh Saini once the model code of conduct is in place. Ramoowalia said Akali brass sought Blue Star: Brothers However, Ramoowalia rubbished the allegations made by his two brothers, terming it an attempt by them to defame him and impact his status in the Akali Dal by concocting this story due to an ongoing family dispute. 215 deities invited to join week-long Shivratri fair Colourful palanquins of over 200 deities will congregate at historic Mandi town of Himachal to celebrate week-long Shivratri fair on February 28. More Chandigarh News»

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