News Digest

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, April 13, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Priyanka, Robert with kids join Rahul for filing nomination  Weeks after drawing immense speculation over the absence of Priyanka and Robert Vadra at Sonia Gandhi's nomination, almost all of the Gandhi-Vadra clan was present here on Saturday when Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers.  BJP is disturbing UP's tehzeeb: PM Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, addressing his first election meeting here, launched a scathing attack on the BJP and said Amit Shah, who was in charge of the UP unit of the party, was driving a wedge between communities.  Piran Kaliyar Muslims to back BJP in LS polls Rejecting the call from Jama Masjid’s Shahi Imam, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, to support the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls, Muslims at the renowned Piran Kaliyar, the burial place of the 12th century Sufi saint Hazrat Syed Alauddin Ali Ahmed near Roorkee in Uttarakhand, say they will vote for the BJP this time.  More India News»

		Business
		Essar Energy inv hire law firm to prevent delisting Investors in Essar Energy, controlled by Indian billionaires Ruia brothers, have reportedly hired law firm Skadden Arps in an attempt to prevent taking the LSE-listed oil company private "on the cheap". Finance officials confident of global growth Finance officials from the world's major economies believe an ambitious goal to boost global growth by $2 trillion in the next five years is within reach despite a variety of threats, including rising tensions over Russia's actions in Ukraine. India calls for data sharing on taxation India today called for data sharing on taxation and blamed the industrialised and developed nations for their reluctance on parting with this information. More Business News»

		Environment
		China water contamination hits 2.4 million after oil leak A crude oil leak from a pipeline owned by a unit of China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) is to blame for water contamination that has affected more than 2.4 million people in the Chinese city of Lanzhou World Bank drops funding for hydro power project on Sutlej Local people and environmental activists under the banner of Sutlej Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti celebrated the victory of their campaign to save river Sutlej after the World Bank dropped funding for the controversial Luhri Hydro project in Himachal Pradesh. Rarest primate on verge of extinction Do you know the name of world's rarest primate? It's Hainan gibbon -- a species found only in a tiny corner of an island in the South China Sea. More Environment News»

		World
		Ukraine prepares armed response as city seized by pro-Russia forces Armed separatists took control of a city in eastern Ukraine on Saturday and Kiev prepared troops to tackle what it called an "act of aggression by Russia", pushing the conflict between the neighbors into a dangerous new phase. 'Obamacare' under attack as conservatives eye 2016 Republicans eyeing the 2016 White House race battered President Barack Obama's health care law and nicked each other Saturday, auditioning before a high-profile gathering of conservatives that some political veterans said marked the campaign's unofficial start. Ex-US marine gets 10-year sentence in Iran: Lawyer An Iranian appeals court has overturned a death sentence of a former US Marine convicted of working for the CIA, instead sentencing him to 10 years in prison, his lawyer said on Saturday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Was more emotionally sound till she passed away' Arjun Kapoor, 28, looks more like his mother Mona, but is a spendthrift and emotional like his father, Boney. His mother was a movie buff, who always wanted Arjun to do a Dharma romcom, as he loved Karan Johar’s brand of cinema. Co-stars welcome Shiney Ahuja back Shiney Ahuja, who is returning to films after over four years with Welcome Back, has found a supportive lot in his colleagues Salman beats Aamir on TV Bollywood stars nowadays are not just restricted to films only, the alternative career option for them now is joining TV shows as hosts or judges. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Smoking ruins your taste buds There is another reason why you should not smoke, especially if you are fond of coffee and tasty food, as smoking harms taste buds, research has confirmed. Coming, ATMs that retaliate when they are attacked ATMs would soon be armed with a mechanism that would spray hot foam in the face of the attacker if he tries to force it open. Space station computer outage may force spacewalk A computer outage at the International Space Station may require a spacewalk by astronauts and threatens to delay next week's launch of a commercial supply ship for Nasa. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL 7: Focus on teams' guiding lights If Mumbai Indians boast of a coach John Wright and mentor Anil Kumble, Delhi Daredevils have on board Gary Kirsten, who helped India win the World Cup. Daredevils can't afford a slow start The Delhi Daredevils have built their side around captain Kevin Pietersen and new coach Gary Kirsten's aim is to get them out of the rut as soon as possible. Fabianski steers Arsenal to FA Cup final Lukasz Fabianski saved two penalties as Arsenal beat holders Wigan Athletic 4-2 in a shootout on Saturday to reach their first FA Cup final for nine years. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Samsung calls on Google executive to defend innovation In Apple’s latest patent fight with Samsung Electronics, lawyers on both sides are relying on the power of a good story to sway a jury. And Samsung is borrowing one from Google. Microsoft sued over browser miscue that led to $731 million EU fine Microsoft Corp's board faces a lawsuit over the way it handled an error with its Internet Explorer browser that ended up costing the company a record-breaking $731 million fine by European antitrust regulators. India leads in asking Facebook to censor content Facebook on late Friday released its second transparency report, detailing the government requests it has received for censoring content and information on users from July 2013 to December 2013. More Technology News»

		Education
		Valuation of Class 12 papers completed The valuation of the answer papers of the class 10 and 12 public examinations are moving in a fast phase, according to officials. Punjabi University short of minimum teaching days: Public accounts committee report The startling revelations, surfacing in the PAC report, were accessed under an RTI application by advocate H C Arora. Medical exam papers leaked last year? The Crime Investigation Department (CID) suspects that question papers of previous PG Medical Entrance Tests (PGMET) may also have been leaked. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Poll duty puts brakes on car registrations, driving licence in Mumbai If you are buying a car or two-wheeler now, be prepared for a delay in getting your vehicles registered or obtaining the RC book. In Mumbai, BSP candidate and cleric talks of giving 'sleepless nights' to rivals A band of 15 bearded men accompany Maulana Abdus Salam Khan Qasmi through the crowded lanes in the Muslim-dominated mohallas of Bhendi Bazaar and Mohammed Ali Road. 18-year-old stabs father to death for hitting mother Fed up with watching his father assault his mother every other day, a teen allegedly stabbed his dad to death on Saturday at their Vasai home. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		40 kg gold seized at IGI airport during polls Since the general election was announced, CISF has seized nearly 40kg of gold from IGI airport. Searches have also yielded lakhs of rupees in cash, senior officials said. Two burnt to death, 1 hurt in cylinder blast Two men were burnt to death and one was injured in a cylinder blast in Bhajanpura, northeast Delhi, on Saturday evening. BJP seeks panel for private school admissions elhi BJP on Saturday asked lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung to set up a high-level committee to monitor the admission process in private schools. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Hospital staffer injured as transformer explodes An assistant manager with a private hospital sustained serious injuries while two others escaped with minor burns after a transformer installed near the BMTC depot in Koramangala IV block exploded on Saturday evening. Young minds decode lines from bygone era The sheet of paper had some strange signs printed on it.The teacher explained that they were alphabets of Linear B, a language used by ancient Greek in around 1450 BC. 'Modi could have been more transparent' "Modi has fought so many elections.He could have declared it (his marital status) earlier.He could have been more transparent. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Man kills mom over property dispute A 55-year-old woman was throttled to death, allegedly by her own son, over property dispute at Moinabad late on Friday night. Olympics in Hyderabad? So claims Congress If you thought the ‘westerly winds’ had only swept our Gen Y off their feet, turn to our netas. Trio run over by Patna Express Three persons were run over by the Patna Express near Boraj checkpost in Jainad mandal of Adilabad district in the wee hours of Saturday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Tamil journalist, brother held for burglary Two brothers, including a Puducherry-based Tamil journalist, were arrested on Friday night in connection with a theft in Chennai’s MGR Nagar area. Ammonia plant shut down after naphtha leak A day after the naphtha leak inside the ammonia plant of Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL), authorities have temporarily shut the unit and employed an expert team to fix the leak. Four cops hurt as fishermen clash on Andhra Pradesh border Four policemen, including an additional superintendent of police, were injured when nearly 3,000 fishermen from Nochikuppam on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh border wreaked havoc at Chinna Mangodu Kuppam in Tiruvallur district on Saturday morning. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		9 job seekers duped by visa firm, stranded in Russia Nine persons from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have been stranded in Russia by a visa and immigration agency based in Anand. 334 candidates in fray for Lok Sabha polls in Ahmedabad A total of 79 candidates withdrew their nominations on Saturday, the last day for withdrawal of nominations, thereby leaving 334 candidates in the fray for the Lok Sabha elections in Gujarat. Voter awareness rally chokes traffic on NH-23, 33 The rally, organized by the district administration as a part of their voter awareness campaign, sought to ensure maximum voter turnout during polls. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Allahabad High Court orders demolition of two 40-storeyed buildings in in Noida "The respondent company, Supertech Limited, has pleaded falsely and destroyed facts to non-suit the petitioner and mislead the court. Seminar on cyber security at Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences A two-day national seminar on social media, cyber monitoring and security was organised by the department of forensic science of SHIATS (Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences) on Friday. United college students exhibit talent at Prabandhan-2014 The young and talented management students of BBA and BCA institute of United College organized a two-day event Prabandhan-2014 to showcase their expertise in the field of managerial skills and entertainment. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		'No clash between Modi wave and my image': Pratap Sarangi BJP candidate for Balasore parliamentary constituency Pratap Sarangi is one of the most promising candidates for the party in Odisha.The two-time MLA from Nilagiri is banking on the Modi wave and his clean image. Modi's 'heat' and Sonia's 'rain' in Balasore It was literally Modi 'heat' and Sonia 'rain' in Balasore where the political titans showed their strength in two separate rallies on Friday. Bahinipati's brother, nephew stabbed Koraput/Rourkela/ Less than 24 hours after first-phase polling on Thursday, Jeypore in Koraput district, Rourkela and Gajapati witnessed post-poll violence. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		10-minute break from long lectures, an opportunity to unwind The 10-minute break from their long lectures, give them an opportunity to get together and unwind. Protest over kid's rape in Guna, mob sets doctor's house on fire The mob tried to set on fire houses of two doctors and three businessmen, said police, adding, mild force was used to disperse the mob.Police also had to fire shots in air to bring the situation under control. Another Cong candidate ready to join exodus to BJP With Damoh candidate Mahendra Pratap Singh all set to play traitor, the second phase of parliament polls could bring deal another jolt to Congress. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Road repairs halted as residents resent poor quality work On Friday, residents and shopkeepers of Kapurthala Road not only got the repair work by the Jalandhar municipal corporation contractor stopped, but also made him and civic body officers collect the bitumen with shovels. Politicians remember Udham Singh only in speeches Sunam (Sangrur) Till now it was the annual functions to commemorate Udham Singh's martyrdom on July 31 in his hometown Sunam that left his grandnephew Jeet Singh with a heavy heart. MTB Shimla 2014: Kiran, Vamini top day one The third edition of MTB Shimla 2014 started successfully with chief of staff, Army Training Command (ARTRAC) Lt Gen B S Sachar flagging off the race on Saturday morning. More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: Police had information about Gardewara ambush

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, April 12, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Police had information about Gardewara ambush The Naxals had called for a boycott of the polls in their stronghold but their threats were thwarted by the security forces. Polling starts in Tripura Voting began on Saturday in Tripura for its second Lok Sabha constituency, officials said. A divided Congress could turn the tide for Sriramulu The landscape of Bellary parliamentary constituency has changed since 2009. Trucks laden with iron ore heading towards ports on the state’s western coastline and leaving behind a trail of iron dust are missing.  More India News»

		Business
		Gold import fall helps narrow trade deficit Gold and silver imports declined 40% to $33.5 billion in 2013-14, compared to close to $56 billion in the previous year.In March, import of precious metals was down by 17% to $2.75. Oil India Ltd eyes $2 billion Shell blocks Oil India Ltd, the nation's second-biggest state-run explorer, is studying an acquisition of Nigerian oil and gas assets owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc. Infosys begins search for Shibu's successor The storied IT company has so far had a succession of co-founders as CEO, and this would be the first time that a non-founder would be taking the position. More Business News»

		Environment
		Toxic tap water spurs panic bottled water buying in China: Media Tap water in a Chinese city was found to contain excessive levels of the toxic chemical benzene, prompting residents to rush to buy bottled water, state media said on Friday. China begins soil pollution clean-up amid doubt over funding China has announced its first pilot projects to treat metal pollution in soil and prevent farmland from further contamination, but critics say the government's overall efforts are underfunded and inefficient. Anacondas land in Chennai, to reach Thiruvananthapuram zoo today Cargo hold area at the Chennai airport had a special consignment from Sri Lanka on Wednesday.The consignment had seven anacondas including six females, en-route to Thiruvananthapuram zoo. More Environment News»

		World
		MH370 hunt goes on after Australia signals great confidence Ships and planes pursued Saturday the search for the missing Malaysian airliner off Australia after Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was "very confident" that signals from the black box had been detected. Ukraine offers more powers to woo east Ukraine’s prime minister on Friday told leaders in the country’s restive east that he is committed to allowing regions to have more powers, but left it unclear how his ideas differed from the demands of protesters now occupying government buildings or Russia’s advocacy of federalization. South Korean envoy to meet Chinese counterpart Wu Dawei, China's special representative for Korean Peninsula affairs, will hold talks with his South Korean counterpart Hwang Joon-kook during latter's China visit, the foreign ministry said on Friday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'I'd rather lead an interesting life than be a star' Lisa Haydon talks so fast that you may miss a few things she says. And in those few words, she might reveal a personality trait, or make an honest confession about her professional life Possibility of Farhan replacing Nawaz in Raees? Casting for a film is proving to be sticky business. The recent hijinks that went into the casting of Bajirao Mastani is a strong case in point. No Hamari Adhuri Kahani without Vidya: Mahesh Bhatt Mahesh Bhatt has dismissed all speculations about Vidya Balan not being a part of his next production, Hamari Adhuri Kahani. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		'Jesus' wife' text not a modern forgery: Study New scientific tests suggest a fragment of papyrus in which Jesus speaks of "my wife" is more likely an ancient document than a forgery , according to an article published on Thursday by the Harvard Theological Review. Doctors engineer human cartilage graft from nasal septum cartilage cells In a major boost for lab made organs, doctors have engineered a human cartilage graft from patients’ own nasal septum cartilage cells to successfully rebuild the nostrils (alar lobule) of five individuals whose noses were damaged by skin cancer. Nasa gets clearance to build spacecraft to collect samples from an asteroid Nasa is all set to start building the world’s first spacecraft that will collect the first ever samples from an asteroid in 2018. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL 7, an opportunity for fading stars The Indian Premier League is all about opportunities — not just for the young and talented but also for those who are looking to make a mark all over again. Chennai Super Kings set to sail again There have been serious allegations made against the team, but one can't deny that despite the chaos, there's a sense of order in the team-building process. Pak should learn from India: Moin Khan India's dominance in ICC events prompted Pak coach Moin Khan to admit that India is not only powerhouse but they should take a leaf out of neighbour's book. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Infosys begins CEO search process, looks at external candidates too Infosys will look at both internal and external candidates to succeed CEO & MD SD Shibulal, who is due to retire in March next year. Samsung Galaxy S5 available in India at Rs 51,500 The latest version of Samsung's flagship Galaxy smartphone series went on sale worldwide. Heartbleed bug: Am I at risk and do I have to change my password? The bug has gone unnoticed for more than two years and could have potentially given hackers access to an unlimited array of secure data. More Technology News»

		Education
		Northwestern, Bridge School join hands to offer certificate programme The first programme, in Predictive Business Analytics, will be launched this summer. Pune varsity suspends controller of exams University of Pune (UoP) vice-chancellor Wasudeo N Gade on Friday handed out a suspension order to controller of examinations (CoE) Sampada Joshi after a three-member inquiry committee indicted her in its interim report for having no effective control over the exam department and for lack of coordination. Over 49,000 clear state management CET exam As many as 49,252 candidates have cleared the state government's 'MBA/MMS CET 2014' - the qualifying examination for admissions to management degree courses in the state. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		No need to post cops in bars, Bombay HC says Posting constables inside restaurants and bars may be interpreted as a sign of weak administration, the Bombay high court told the state on Friday while granting interim relief to some hoteliers in Thane, Chembur and Govandi areas who had complained against such vigilance. Punish women too in rape cases: SP leader Abu Azmi SP’s state president Abu Azmi is attracting angry criticism for his statements about rape survivors Plea puts state law on farmland under Supreme Court lens MUMBAI: In a setback to the state, a new law enacted by the state to allow 26,000 acres of farmland to be returned to its private owners is now under Supreme Court scrutiny. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Ad firm sends copy of Rs 15 crore campaign bill of a party to EC An advertising firm has sent to the Election Commission the copy of a bill of Rs 15 crore it has charged a leading political party for putting up hoardings in the national capital. Supreme Court puts on hold Delhi's nursery admissions Uncertainty again plagues nursery admissions in the city, with the process being put on hold on Friday, this time by the Supreme Court. NCR board meeting delayed, no new date The NCR Planning Board’s meeting on Saturday was deferred. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Bangalore Political Action Committee backs 12 city candidates The Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), a citizens’ collective, on Thursday endorsed 12 candidates in Bangalore North, South and Central constituencies in the coming polls. Swaraj is your birthright: AAP candidate Sharadamma , 37, is a resident of TS Palya near KR Puram. A BBMP pourakarmika, her job requires her to cover a distance of about 10 km on an average daily.  Customer goes red over green bread A miffed Subhash Shetty called up the customer care department of manufacturer Hindustan Unilever Private Limited, which later replaced the bread and tendered an apology. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Modi reluctant to share dais with Naidu? Even as the BJP and the TDP are wrangling over key seats in the Seemandhra region, fresh trouble is brewing for their alliance. 87 to choose from in poll symbol swayamvar Be it the hot chilli or the cooling ceiling fan, the omnipresent television or telephone, the puttering autorickshaw or the soaring kite, kitchen staples gas cylinder or cup and saucer, the Election Commission has a wide array of free poll symbols on offer in every Lok Sabha constituency. Post split, Telangana energy sector to glow It’s a bright picture for the energy sector in Telangana with the committee appointed to distribute power between the two states recommending 52.17% power to the new state and the remaining 47.83% to Andhra Pradesh. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Most converts to Islam are backward; they need quotas In Tamil Nadu, the government grouped Muslims by caste names such as marakaiyar and rowther and provided them reservation by stating that these were the backward Muslims. Gay college student arrested for double murder in Salem A 21-year-old homosexual was arrested here on Friday for allegedly murdering two men who refused to have sex with him in two separate incidents. Jayalalithaa smells conspiracy behind power cuts  It is an issue chief minister J Jayalalithaa could not have ducked for long.  More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		This Gandhi family roots for Modi as PM The Gandhi family may be chief minister Narendra Modi’s favourite punching bag. But Mohandas Gandhi, Indira, Rahul, Rajiv, Sonia and Priyanka—all of Surat—are rooting for him to become Prime Minister. Passport scam takes Ahmedabad cops to Mumbai A DCP Zone I squad, investigating a case of a duplicate passport, has been stationed at Mumbai to collect more evidence in the case. Gujarat HC reserves order on special courts for rape cases Gujarat high court on Friday reserved its order on a PIL filed by an NGO - Lok Rakshak Seva Samiti demanding setting up of special courts in each district across the state to deal with rape cases. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		PAC, police bands too join efforts In a bid to increase voting percentage during 2014 parliamentary polls, personnel of police and PAC bands are encouraging denizens of the Sangam city to cast vote in coming elections. BJP eager to end decade long hiatus Bharatiya Janata Party poll managers are eager to end a decade long hiatus by riding on the 'Modi wave' to win the Allahabad and Phulpur parliamentary constituencies. Blood donation camp at Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences A blood donation camp was organised at Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology & Sciences on Thursday. Around 80 units of blood were donated by SHIATS students. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Election in Puri: Maheswar Mohanty steps out, meets workers For the first time since he was attacked in February, BJD candidate from Puri assembly seat Maheswar Mohanty on Thursday addressed party workers in Puri. Kalinganagar may backfire on BJD in Odisha Never before had this debate of industrialization versus agriculture taken centre stage on hustings in the pocket, analysts said. Voters boycott poll at village on Naveen Patnaik's turf Voters in a village under chief minister Naveen Patnaik's Hinjli constituency in Ganjam district boycotted polling on Thursday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		'Bramhakumari' arrested for extorting Rs 7 lakh from elderly man by filing false rape case This incident took place in Gwalior district on Friday evening. Man chops off wife's fingers over refusal to join prostitution racket A 30-year-old man chopped off his wife's fingers allegedly after she refused to join a prostitution racket. The incident took place at Damoh district in Madhya Pradeshon Thursday night. Petition filed against Azam Khan in Indore court for his Kargil war comment Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Azam Khan landed into a legal trouble as a complaint petition was filed against him in local court of Indore for his comment about the Kargil war which created a political storm.  More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Canteen bytes TOI visits colleges in Tricity to bring you the ins and outs of student life. CCTV camera's grainy footage stumps cops Like earlier instances, this time too the CCTV camera installed at Sector 38 light-point could not help the police much after a truck ran over a cyclist on Thursday night. Chandigarh voters cash in on discounts It was bonanza time for voters in the city and Panchkula after they cast their vote.Many enjoyed discounts, which were promised to maximize the voting percentage, after showing their inked finger. More Chandigarh News»

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