Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, March 13, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Man rides into Red ambush with earplugs on, killed Listening to music proved fatal for Vikram Nishad, the lone civilian killed in Tuesday’s Naxal ambush in Sukma, Chhattisgarh. Former Meghalaya governor to fight from Kokrajhar on TMC ticket  In order to give a tough fight to Hagrama Mohilary’s Bodoland Peoples’ Front (BPF) in Kokrajhar in the Lok Sabha polls, Trinamool Congress is set to field former Meghalaya governor Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary for the seat.  Miffed with BJP, Baitha joins TMC The first Maoist leader to have joined mainstream politics and made his way to Parliament in 2009, Kameshwar Baitha of JMM joined hands with Trinamool Congress at a function in Delhi on Wednesday. More India News»

		Business
		SpiceJet orders 42 Boeing 737 Max Low-cost carrier SpiceJet on Wednesday placed an order for 42 Boeing 737 Max aircraft at a list price of $4.4 billion. Private banks at risk of losing clients to PSUs Private sector banks are at a higher risk of losing customers to state-owned banks as compared to public sector banks due to non-satisfactory customer services, says a survey commissioned by IBM. Factory output flat, retail inflation slows Industrial output remained flat in January after three months of consecutive decline while retail inflation slowed to a 25-month low in February, providing some headroom for the central bank to ease interest rates. More Business News»

		Environment
		Leopard found in sanctuary; curbs on visitor entry The presence of a leopard in Ralamandal Sanctuary here for a second time in a month has led the forest authorities to restrict the entry of visitors in the reserve area. Africa to spew half of world's particle pollution by 2030: Study With its exploding urban population burning ever more coal and wood, Africa could contribute as much as 55 percent of the world's particle pollutants by 2030, a study said. Rhino census to start in Bengal forests The forest department will conduct rhino census at Gorumara National Park spread over an area of over 88 square kilometres and other adjacent forestlands on Wednesday and Thursday. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama backs interim Ukraine PM Obama also said after meeting interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk that he hoped US diplomacy with Moscow over the next few days could cause a "rethinking" of plans for a secession referendum in Crimea on Sunday. Crisis spawns unity in sea of rift Four countries involved in a bitter dispute over islands in the South China Sea have joined hands with eight other nations to search the missing Malaysia Airline aircraft. Israeli warplanes strike back over Gaza rocket salvo Israeli warplanes hit a number of targets in the Gaza Strip on Thursday night in response to heavy Palestinian rocket fire into the Jewish state earlier, Palestinian eyewitnesses said. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Salman Khan approaches Sunny Leone for a film? It was indeed a sunny day in Jaipur when actress Sunny Leone flew in to promote her upcoming film and interact with her fans here. Ekta unperturbed on protests against Sunny Leone TV Czarina Ekta Kapoor is indeed a woman of steel. Despite getting threats from Hindu radical outfit Bajrang Dal, who are opposing Ragini MMS 2's lead actress Sunny Leone's visit to Indore, Ekta is determined to still go to that city for promotions. Before & After: Hairy actors get waxed chests More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Beanstalk-like 'space elevators' could go from sci-fi to reality Researchers suggest that a beanstalk-like ‘space elevator’ consisting of an Earthanchored tether that extends 100,000km into space could eventually provide routine, safe, inexpensive and quiet access to the Earth’s orbit. Hundreds to sue as vaginal implants lead to sex woes Hundreds of women have been left in severe pain and in some cases have had to give up sex because of commonly-prescribed surgical implants, injury lawyers have said. Mishap survivor's face reshaped using 3D printed parts British doctors have carried out a pioneering surgery - believed to be the first of its kind - reconstructing a man's face using a series of 3D printed parts. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL pushed to UAE, B'desh on standby Ending weeks of speculation and uncertainty, BCCI announced that 7th season of Indian Premier League will be held in three phases from April 16 to June 1. Barca beat City to reach UCL quarters Lionel Messi struck to end Manchester City's dreams of a famous comeback as Barcelona beat the English club 2-1 to reach Champions League quarterfinals. SA demanded Rs 180 crore to host IPL BCCI would have loved to host IPL in South Africa but plan was shelved because, according to sources, CSA was demanding close to 180cr to host the event. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Your 2G internet bill is likely to go up Telcos may adopt this strategy to propel first-time smartphone users to use 3G. How Twitter shapes public opinion Twitter is shaping public opinion like never before and a new research reveals how these viewpoints are evolved. More Technology News»

		Education
		UK witnesses 21% drop in study visas to Indians in 2013 The European country issued only 13,608 study visas to Indian nationals in 2013, which is 21 per cent lower than the earlier year. India among 30 countries where 'education' attacked most often: Study Education Under Attack 2014, “a global study of threats or deliberate use of force against students, teachers, academics, education trade union members and government officials" was released recently. Board exams: Students can check their seating arrangement today The SSC and HSC exams are set to begin on March 13. Students who want to check their seat numbers at the centres can go to their respective schools or centres which will be open from 11am to 4pm on Wednesday. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		No space to walk, but women feel safe A Mumbaikar in search of the city's best locale is unlikely to venture into the choked gullies and rickety buildings of Dongri and Masjid Bunder or the gridlocked bylanes of Mohammad Ali Road and Pydhonie where traders jostle for every square inch of space. SP may eat into votes of Cong-NCP  The Samajwadi Party may eat into Muslim votes and spoil Congress-NCP candidates' chances as it plans to field at least five candidates in the city.  Senior cop may contest from Raigad A month after Mumbai police commissioner Satya Pal Singh quit, to join the BJP, another senior police officer, Sanjay Apranti, has quit to join the Aam Aadmi Party.  More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Multi-use crop: Hair today, beard tomorrow Hair transplant as a cure to baldness is passe. Getting beard transplant is the new cool. Gangster who robbed journalist arrested A man has been arrested for robbing a journalist of his belongings at gunpoint at Mandawali in east Delhi two months ago along with other gang members, police said on Wednesday. Kathputli acrobats learn to make living out of art A team of Australian acrobats, Indian choreographers and a few social workers has helped youngsters at Kathputli Colony acquire new skills to improve their lot. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		He champions an inclusive voting platform At 18 months, he was affected by polio. Now at 38, he is a chartered accountant with his own firm, is the founder of Astha NGO, a stage performer, backstroke swimmer and an actor who has worked in a film. 'Chop this tree, it blocks the ad' "A tree in Koramangala is blocking visibility of an advertisement hoarding in our complex, I need permission to cut it." "A tree in Indiranagar is disturbing the view of my shopping complex. Dialysis on wheels keeps U R Ananthamurthy on the move A mobile ambulance moves towards 'Suragi' on 6th main, RMV second stage.Two huge pipes connected to the 'Dialysis on Wheels' make their way through the garden of the house and reach the dialysis unit. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		MIM may play spoilsport for Anjan in Secunderabad hen sitting Secunderabad Congress MP Anjan Kumar Yadav felicitated Mohammed Pahalwan, Old City don and prime accused in the Akbaruddin Owaisi attempt to murder case, a year ago, little did he realize that this would mar the chances for his re-nomination in 2014. Tumultous welcome to Ponnala at airport The new office-bearers of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) got off to a bad start after rampaging and unruly party workers were lathicharged when they tried to gatecrash into the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport to welcome the leaders when they returned from Delhi on Wednesday evening. All Kurnool Congress leaders but Kotla to join TDP Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leadership in Kurnool is overwhelmed these days as, barring Union minister Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy, all Congress MLAs will have quit the Congress by this weekend to join the opposition party. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		DMK's ST bait may not hook fishers Targeting fishermen, the DMK’s election manifesto says it will strive to give the community Scheduled Tribe status all-India. But many fishermen, who have demanded this for over 20 years, see this as an election-eve stunt. Owners rarely claim seized cash Seldom do people make claims of ownership of cash seized by the Election Commission (EC), Income Tax (I-T ) and police officials during election campaigns. Election fever catches on fast at churches this Lent From calling on their congregation to fast against corruption to inviting political parties to their parish , churches have decided to make elections the flavour of the Lenten season. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Eight Dharpur Medical College students booked for ragging Eight students of Dharpur Medical College near Patan have been booked for ragging and harassing 18 of their juniors. Jains turned religious restrictions into business opportunities: Study If the Jain community has emerged as leaders in trading and money-lending, it is largely due to religious restrictions imposed on them, says a study. Court seeks details of 177 highrises with lax fire safety The Gujarat high court on Wednesday sought a report from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) about 177 commercial highrises not having fire safety measures. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Polling yet to cross 50% mark in district Records show that in the 2009 parliamentary elections, the district recorded 43.40% polling while the percentage for 2004, 1999 and 1998 was 42.14%, 45.98% and 48.01% respectively. Harried citizens opt for online voter registration Over 600 voters have applied online to register themselves to vote or make a change in address, age or name to avoid chaos and confusion caused by booth level officers. Delayed admission process to hit quality of students at AU When it comes to initiating the process to conduct admissions, Allahabad University lags behind many other universities of the country. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Students display interest in polls Exams are round the corner but several students across campuses in the city are taking a keen interest in the forthcoming elections. PSOs for security of candidates Candidates, contesting the ensuing Lok Sabha and assembly elections from Bhubaneswar, can seek personal security officers (PSOs) during electioneering if there is a threat to their life. Malkangiri on alert post-Chhattisgarh attack Security forces are on high alert in Malkangiri, which shares boundary with Chhattisgarh, to stop possible influx of Maoists. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Special court grants bail to Arvind Joshi's parents A special court on Tuesday granted bail to parents of tainted IAS officer Arvind Joshi, who were charge-sheeted in a disproportionate assets case along with him and his wife Tinoo Joshi. RTE lottery held for state board schools Lottery for admissions under Right to Education (RTE) Act for 28,000 schools across Madhya Pradesh took place on Tuesday.Some 1,300 schools in Bhopal fall under RTE ambit. Moment of pride: Traffic cops honoured for dedication Lt Gen Amit Sharma, VSM General Officer Commanding, Headquarters 21 Corps recently felicitated two assistant sub-inspectors - Naresh Pandey and Kailash Narayan, for sincerely manning the railway crossing near Lal Ghati. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		People facing corruption charges should step aside: Manish Tewari Voices of dissent in Congress over former railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal getting a ticket from Chandigarh have got shriller. Corporates happy to fund SAD The 90-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) takes great pride in its rustic charm. BJP objects to Virbhadra calendar, citing poll code Close on the heels of its objecting to ration cards carrying the photographs of Congress leaders, BJP has made another complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner, seeking a ban on the calendar published by the state government, showing chief minister Virbhadra Singh distributing ration bags. More Chandigarh News»

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Your News Digest from Times of India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, March 12, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		AAP ups the glamour quotient with Gul Panag AAP could get a dash of glamour with actor Gul Panag likely to be named as its candidate from the Chandigarh constituency. Arvind Kejriwal skips Delhi for big fight with Modi A Kejriwal vs Modi faceoff appears imminent with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announcing candidates for all seven Delhi parliamentary seats.  BJP's '160 Club' sends ripples in party More India News»

		Business
		IRDA asks SBI Life to refund Rs 275 crore In a move that will benefit 7.5 lakh borrowers of State Bank of India Group, the insurance regulator has asked SBI Life to refund Rs 275 crore of premium collected from policyholders, which makes it the biggest refund order in insurance history. Opposition to Suzuki plant grows In January this year, MSIL board allowed Suzuki to set up a car manufacturing unit in Gujarat as a 100% subsidiary of the Japanese company.Earlier, MSIL was to set up this plant. CBDT provides tax clarity on M&As Further, even the payment made on which tax has not been deducted is denied as a business expenditure in the hands of the Indian payer. More Business News»

		Environment
		Rhino census to start in Bengal forests The forest department will conduct rhino census at Gorumara National Park spread over an area of over 88 square kilometres and other adjacent forestlands on Wednesday and Thursday. 15 bird species in India critically endangered Even as conservation efforts at various levels continue to show hope for the future, the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Birds (2013) shows that fifteen bird species in India continue to be Critically Endangered (CR). Solar lights to ward off tigers at Sundernbans' villages WWF-India has launched the project — 'Lights for Stripe' — to install solar lights along the edge of villages on the fringe areas of the tiger reserve. More Environment News»

		World
		Ukraine won't intervene in Crimea: President “Unfortunately, for now Russia is rejecting a diplomatic solution to the conflict,” he said. US and India could accomplish a lot together: Obama On a more serious level, the ambassador’s energies in Washington, at a time when India is busy navel-gazing due to elections at home, will be directed at averting punitive US trade sanctions. 'Miniskirt' turbulence for Japanese budget carrier Skymark Airlines came under fire from the cabin crew's labour union, which said the super-short skirt — with a distinctively swinging sixties look — barely covers wearers' thighs. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Why Sunny Leone refused to go topless Legend has it, Alfred Hitchcock had to shoot and re-shoot the shower scene in his 1960 horror-thriller 'Psycho' over seven days to get the right impact HOT PICS: Lesbian & gay kissing scenes in Bollywood 'Salman is not in movies because he is ambitious' Atul Agnihotri, 45, is a family man whose wife Alvira is his best friend. He not only looks up to his father-in-law Salim Khan as his father, but also respects him for setting the right hierarchy in his house where there are no favourites and every decision is taken collectively More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Drinking ups premature birth risk Drinking during first three months of pregnancy has been now confirmed to heighten the risk of having premature or unexpectedly small baby. American, two Russians back on Earth after half-year in space Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut on Tuesday landed back on Earth in Kazakhstan after a stay aboard the International Space Station of over half a year, which saw the Olympic torch paraded in space. Tree rings reveal reasons for Genghis Khan's rise A new study of tree rings preserved for over a thousand years has shown that warm wet weather in the late 12th century may be responsible for the rise of the Great Mongol Empire. More Science News»

		Sports
		Zaheer is clearly past his prime: Prasad Zaheer Khan is clearly past his prime and is struggling while bowling his second spell, ex-India player and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad said on Tuesday. Champions Bayern ease past Arsenal FC Bayern Munich were held to 1-1 draw by Arsenal in Champions League but it was not enough to stop the holders reaching the quarterfinals 3-1 on aggregate. Can perform in all formats, says Pujara "I'm definitely capable of performing in all formats. The moment I start scoring runs for India in ODIs, critics will have no problems," said Cheteshwar Pujara. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Vodafone: 2G and 3G tariffs will converge in future Vodafone India said the 2G and 3G tariffs will converge in near future, although there is little scope for further cut in 3G rates. Why Apple should fear Samsung's Tizen strategy Samsung's decision to use Tizen, a non-Android operating system has mostly been seen as a blow to Android developers. Google to pay $3.5 million bonus to Nikesh Arora Google will pay finance chief Patrick Pichette a $3 million annual bonus, and chief business officer Nikesh Arora a $3.5 million bonus. More Technology News»

		Education
		Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering: UGC to re-implement PG scholarship Engineering graduates, who have qualified the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE), can now avail of a vital scholarship from the University Grants Commission (UGC) to pursue their postgraduate (PG) studies. FIR registered in SSC algebra paper leak in Mumbai Kandivli (W) police station has registered an FIR against a 16-yr-old SSC candidate under sections 6 (possession of question paper before exam) and 7 (copying) of Maharashtra Prevention of Malpractice at University, Board and other Specified Examinations Act, 1982. Algebra paper leak in Mumbai being probed by SSC board Officials are in a tough spot after a school complained that one of the SSC candidates who was appearing for his algebra exam on Tuesday had a copy of one of the question papers. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Minor harassed at market in Amboli The Amboli police registered a case of molestation against an unknown person on Monday evening. The man had tried to force a minor girl to accompany him. Illegal terrace flat of 1993 blasts approver razed The BMC demolished a 650-sqft illegal terrace flat near Yari Road in Andheri on Tuesday. Officials say the flat on the terrace of Bunch Berry CHS’s A wing was illegal and the city civil court had ordered its demolition. Bookings for special AC train fail to pick up on Day 2 Bookings for the Mumbai-New Delhi air-conditioned premium train failed to pick up on the second day too even though the train is scheduled to depart on March 15. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Modi, Kejri pichkaris to keep Holi revellers busy Supporters of Narendra Modi and Arvind Kejriwal are arming themselves with pichkaris this Holi to take each other on. And Sadar Bazaar is all geared up with appropriately packaged water guns to keep both camps busy. Congress in dilemma: Which MP to drop Agarwal sweeps primaries for NE Delhi seat The sitting MP from North East Delhi parliamentary constituency and former DPCC chief, J P Agarwal, may once again be Congress' face in the general elections.  More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Engineering fees: Govt gets a week A high court division bench headed by Justice KL Manjunath on Tuesday granted a week's time to the government to continue talks with private unaided engineering colleges to fix their fees. Cong has broken 'Hindutva lab' in the coast: Janardhana Poojary An expected win in Congress primaries has given B Janardhana Poojary a new zest. Farmer leads fight against smoking What has a farmer got to do with colleges? But Durgaiah M (60), from a village in Ramanagaram district, is a familiar face in some Bangalore colleges. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		With no role in Telangana, Jaipal Reddy sticks with Chevella With the Congress high command not wishing to involve him in Telangana state politics, Union minister Jaipal Reddy is all set to fall back on contesting the Lok Sabha once again from Chevella.  TDP counts on settlers to win five LS seats Despite the exodus of several leaders in the Telangana region, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is confident of not only retaining the two Lok Sabha seats it had won in the region in 2009, but bag three more constituencies (Malkajgiri, Chevella and Mahbubabad) in the light of the changed dynamics brought about by the bifurcation of the state. Task Force sleuths nab accused in 2010 communal clashes Task Force sleuths arrested a 23-year-old accused, who went absconding, in the 2010 communal riots case and handed him over to Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials on Tuesday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Cong isolation prompts Vasan to pull out of Lok Sabha race Calling the electoral alliances in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in the country opportunistic, Vasan said the hidden agendas of various parties would be known only after the polls. Poorly placed bins become motorists' bane Garbage bins in the city are often kept haphazardly, left to protrude onto roads and posing a threat to motorists. Leak found in Chennai's major water line A leak was detected in a pipeline conveying water from Chembarambakkam lake to Chennai near Poonamallee flyover on Tuesday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Our marathon men in Parliament Congress MP from Mandvi, Chittubhai Gamit, became the longest serving MP in Gujarat in 1998 when he was elected for seven terms in a row -- Gamit died last year in December. Girls fleeing home found Amraiwadi police on Tuesday found two girls in a matter of hours after they were reported missing. Oil spill after car rams into auto A major oil spill after an accident at the flyover over Iskcon Crossroads on SG Road halted the traffic for more than five hours.Traffic was diverted to the road below till late evening. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		563 students get degree at IIIT-Allahabad convocation A total of 563 students were awarded degrees in BTech, MTech, MBA, MSCLIS and PhD at the ninth convocation of Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad on Monday. Now serving NaMo thali, RaGa basket Businessmen of Sangam city are cashing in on the election fever with innovative ideas to not only give a boost to their trade but also to instigate customers to stop for a while and debate over the leaders in the fray. High court dismisses writ petition challenging PCS- 2011 results The Allahabad High Court on Monday dismissed a writ petition whereby the result of Provincial Civil Services (PCS)-2011 examination conducted by Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) was challenged. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Polls around the corner, time to look for better prospects Many leaders are deserting their parties in the run-up to the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections in the state. Lilies speak for ticket aspirants Flower vendors in the city are doing brisk business as a large number of ticket aspirants are making a beeline in front of Naveen Nivas with flower bouquets. Grand old party to field new faces Congress is likely to field a sizeable number of new faces for the ensuing assembly elections, party sources said on Monday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Bhopalites enjoy a play with acclaimed artists at Bharat Bhavan Bhopalites enjoyed a theatrical weekend with acclaimed artistes like KK Raina, Ila Arun, Pitobash, Aditi Sharma and Abhishek Pandey, who staged a play titled Namaste on Sunday evening at Bharat Bhavan. BJP-NDA to come to power with 300 seats in the Lok Sabha: Naqvi BJP national vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday explained why it is necessary for party president Rajnath Singh to contest from Lucknow. High court adjourns hearing in Bhandari's bail plea to March 12 Madhya Pradesh high court has adjourned the bail hearing of prime accused in MP PMT scam and chairperson of Shri Aurobindo Institue of Medical Science, Dr Vinod Bhandari to March 12. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Saini chapter still not over, Punjab chief electoral officer says Punjab chief electoral officer V K Singh said the action regarding complaint against Punjab director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini is still not over. PPP compromised with its ideology by aligning with Congress: Bhagwant A day after satirist-turned-politician Bhagwant Mann got the AAP ticket, he has found fault in Peoples Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal. He also said he had not left the party but it was PPP that left him. Cong complains to poll officer against Jagir Kaur Jagir Kaur exercised political pressure to force the XEN, panchayati raj, to organize a foundation stone laying ceremony in both the villages on March 2. More Chandigarh News»

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