News Digest: Saradha con: Big fish feel the heat

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, August 28, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Saradha con: Big fish feel the heat Back-to-back arrests by CBI last week of two powerful players with heavy-duty political backing in the almost Rs 3,500-crore Saradha scandal have rattled many politicians. Karunanidhi's son Alagiri booked in temple land grabbing case Former union minister and expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri has been booked for alleged grabbing of land belonging to a local temple, an official said. Travel to Kashmir valley, enjoy a feast fit for a king Struck by Kashmir's scenic beauty, a wise old king once said, 'If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here'. Now, with Times Passion Trails' Kashmir Culinary Trail, discover how this heavenly destination can be paradise for the palate as well. More India News»

		Business
		Overseas payments under scanner The government has put payments made by Indian companies to foreign vendors and routed through Indian banks under the scanner after the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money and the Central Bureau of Investigation expressed fears over possible misuse. 'WHO says alcohol prohibition doesn't work' India's embattled alcoholic beverage industry has pulled out a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report outlining the adverse impact of 'blunt' measures like prohibition on alcohol after Kerala last week unveiled a plan to rid the state of liquor. Allow more private and foreign banks: ADB president Takehiko Nakao, president of the Manila-based Asian Development Bank says investors are keen to invest in India but calls for more reforms in the financial sector. More Business News»

		Environment
		Plastic waste may trigger water bombs in Himalayas Unfortunately, this is the ugly truth of the Himalayas. The heap, which includes biodegradable plastic, can be found just four kilometres from Shimla in the reserved forest of Lalpani. Earth can sustain more terrestrial plant growth Earth can produce much more land-plant biomass — the total material in leaves, stems, roots, fruits, grains and other terrestrial plant parts — than previously thought, according to a new study. Elephants belong in the wild: Mary Kom Elephants and other animals in circuses are subjected to chronic confinement, physical abuse and psychological torment. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama seeks allies for action in Syria President Obama has begun to seek and mobilize allies for possible US action in Syria and Northern Iraq even as reports emerged of an American jihadi dying in Syria fighting for extremists. Russia has opened new war front: Ukraine The Obama administration, which has placed increasingly punitive economic sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis, on Tuesday asserted that the Russians had sent new columns of tanks and armour across the Ukrainian border As truce holds, dazed Gazans get to work Life did not exactly return to normal, but thousands of residents did return to their homes. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Am not allowed to go near my daughter or meet her' Raja Chaudhary, who has been missing in action for some time now, will soon be seen in a comic role, that of a bank robber, in the upcoming show Raavi And Her Magic Mobile. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to make comeback with Irrfan The extremely talented Irrfan will be playing the lead with Aishwarya in the film. Pics: Best & worst of Aishwarya Rai at Cannes so far More Entertainment News»

		Science
		New estrogen compound may curb binge eating Scientists have found that a new estrogen-based compound may help prevent binge eating. Is our universe a 2D hologram? A unique experiment called the Holometer has started collecting data that will answer some mind-bending questions about our universe - including whether we live in a 2D hologram. Fastest sprinters' speed secret unlocked Scientists have unlocked the secret behind Usain Bolt's extraordinary speed - he delivers a firm, rapid punch to the ground! More Science News»

		Sports
		Sindhu enters third round, Jwala-Ashwini pair bows out P V Sindhu stormed into the third round of the World Badminton Championship with a straight game victory over Olga Golovanova of Russia. Odds slashed on Van Gaal leaving Manchester United British bookmakers reacted to Manchester United's defeat by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup by slashing the odds on manager van Gaal leaving the club. Agnieszka Radwanska knocked out of US Open Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska was knocked out of the US Open, going down 6-3, 6-4 to China's Peng Shuai in the second round in New York. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Xiaomi 'discontinues' Mi 3 just a month after launch Xiaomi has suspended the sales of Mi 3 for an undefined period of time. Oppo N1 Mini review: Great camera phone, not so great price The phone packs the N1's rotating swivel camera in a relatively compact form factor. Toys that 8 of the wealthiest tech titans own From sports franchises to private planes, we've rounded up some of the most interesting toys tech billionaires have splurged on recently. More Technology News»

		Education
		AMU's Kerala centre restricts use of mobiles on campus Aligarh Muslim University centre at Malappuram, Kerala, has imposed restrictions on use of mobiles by students on campus. Students' papers to be verified online The time-consuming document verification process of Bangalore University (BU) students is all set to go online from the next academic year. Educational Initiatives, Duke TIP launch talent search programme for school children The ‘Duke TIP ASSET India Talent Search 2014’ programme seeks to identify toppers in mathematics, science and English in classes 7 and 8 and give them a platform to aim for more. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Dying declaration cannot be made in kin, friend's presence No relative or friend should be present while the dying declaration of a victim is recorded, the Bombay high court has said. 2-year-old girl dragged away by leopard A two-year-old girl from a tribal village in Wada fell prey to a leopard on Wednesday and she is yet to be found. Poor response forces BEST to scrap two Freeway buses Two fast-track bus routes were introduced via the Eastern Freeway to encourage citizens to use public transport while travelling from SoBo to the suburbs. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Sultanate-era relics on road to recovery Paharganj's identity, for years, has been that of an area replete with budget hotels teeming with foreign tourists. Metro to scale new high with Ghaziabad link Travelling within the NCR will become fast and smooth with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation constructing a 9.6km elevated track to Ghaziabad in December. Less than 4% of commuting in Delhi done on cycles now In 1957, more than 35% of Delhiites commuted on bicycles. Fifty years later, the ‘modal share’ of cycling in the city’s transport had reduced to about 4% and—given the rapid increase in private vehicle ownership—is likely to have dipped further by now. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		No fresh KPSC selection: KAT to govt In a setback to Siddaramaiah government, the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT) on Wednesday asked it not to undertake a fresh selection process via the Karnataka Public Service Commission (KPSC). Siddaramaiah's loss is Vasundhara's gain But these prominent Bangaloreans have recently been named to Rajasthan’s BJP CM Vasundhara Raje’s advisory body to spur the economic and social growth of the desert state. Seer accused of sexually abusing woman Administrators of the Shri Ramachandrapur Mutt in Hosanagar of Shimoga district have filed a police complaint of blackmail against a singer and her husband. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Panel finds Vinukonda-Donakonda region ideal for Andhra capital After months of scouting for suitable place and putting an end to speculation, the K C Sivaramakrishnan Committee has identified Martur-Vinukonda-Donakonda region as ideal for the location of new capital location of Andhra Pradesh.  Steep fee hike in private dental colleges After increasing fee for certain categories of seats in private medical colleges, the Telangana government on Wednesday effected a change in the fee structure of private dental colleges as well. Did DoPT mess up AIS officers' cadre allocation? A slip-up by the department of personnel and training (DoPT) of excluding former chief secretary PK Mohanty’s name from the list of officers, despite being in service on June 1, has changed the complexion of the entire AIS cadre allocation to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Tamil, the lost language of Carnatic music Among the many issues that remain unresolved in Carnatic music is the language that should be used. I hold that a key reason for alienating nonbrahmins is that the language of Carnatic music used in much of the concert performances is typically not Tamil. Bharat Ratna: Missing jewels from TN Karunanidhi's demand for bharat ratna to annadurai puts spotlight on past state honours. TN tourism department plans makeover to woo tourists Tamil Nadu tourism is planning to begin all over again. After a period of inaction, the department has decided to revive a few of its tourist-friendly schemes following a recent ministers’ conference in Delhi. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		NaMo chant at Ahmedabad's Ganesha pandal The Narendra Modi wave continues in the city even after the general elections. Modi may have moved to New Delhi as Prime Minister but his presence will loom large during the Ganpati festivities in the city this year. Cloud of bats diminishes Modhera Sun temple glow Creatures of the night have laid siege to the Sun temple at Modhera and tourists are appalled by the stink they have raised. Thousands of bats have taken shelter in the temple and their droppings are now a health concern. Teen rapes four-year-old in Odhav A four-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 19-year-old youth, Rajesh Gajera, in Odhav.Police have arrested Gajera for the crime."She was raped on August 24," said an Odhav police official. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Can't deny quota over gender: HC The Allahabad High Court has ruled that there should not be any discrimination on the ground of gender in providing reservation to a girl under the Freedom Fighters’ quota for admission to medical courses in Combined Pre-Medical Test (CPMT). AU prof deciphers Gupta dynasty inscription A faculty member of the department of Ancient History of Allahabad University has managed to decipher and identify a rare 5th century copper plate inscription discovered in a village near Mahasthan in Bogra district of Bangladesh. Docs rush to Koraon villages after death of 5 kids The death of five children in different villages of Koraon block in the past 48 hours has made the officials of health department run from pillar to post to ascertain the cause of the deaths. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Jajpur postmaster embezzles Rs 8 lakh The postmaster of Nachipura village post office in Jajpur district is accused of embezzling Rs 8 lakh of depositors. Cong to take stock of election debacle Congress general secretary in-charge of Odisha B K Hariprasad and secretary Subhankar Sarkar would hear them for two days starting Wednesday.The duo would compile their views and submit the report to the high command. Training to make science colourful & interesting Teachers from tribal schools of Odisha on Tuesday got hands-on training on teaching science in a more interesting and joyful manner. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Protests rage outside Scindia School, parents claim kids forced to watch porn Protests raged outside Scindia School, Gwalior, after the alleged suicide bid by a student. 'Sorceresses' burn a man alive, dance around him in Madhya Pradesh Seven people including four sorceresses stabbed a man, chopped his arms, burned him alive and danced around him until he was done to ashes. No end to state's power woes Chouhan had on August 23 instructed officials to improve power supplies and ensure 24-hour supply in the state.Power minister too had in a statement on August 21 assured supplies would be improved in two days. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		'Tera CM kidhar hai' challenge for parties A galore of political parties in Haryana, which is likely to go to polls by the end of September, notwithstanding, they are yet to find their chief ministerial candidates. HJC to explore new options for alliance Sources close to HJC leader Kuldeep Bishnoi also hinted that Sharma may join hands with him by merging his party into HJC. BJP goes into huddle before panel meet with Akalis With differences cropping up between both parties, the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal and its alliance partner in the government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had on August 12 announced setting up a six-member state coordination committee. More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: Australian high commissioner meets science and tech minister ahead of PM Abbot's maiden visit

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, August 27, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Australian high commissioner meets science and tech minister ahead of PM Abbot's maiden visit Australian high commissioner in New Delhi, Patrick Suckling, met Jitendra Singh and discussed different issues likely to come up during Abott's visit. Jaitley hopeful of Parliament nod on Insurance Bill by year-end Finance minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday expressed hope that long-pending Insurance Bill seeking to hike FDI cap to 49 per cent will be passed by Parliament by the end of this year. Rajinikanth in good books of BJP, says Tamilisai Superstar Rajinikanth is in the good books of BJP and is welcome to join the party, state BJP chief Tamilisai Soundararajan said on Tuesday. More India News»

		Business
		Jan Dhan: Banks target 1 crore accounts in two days This translates into each public sector bank branch opening close to 125 accounts each over the next two days, along with issuing Aadhaar numbers on the spot and authenticating the new address wherever the beneficiary of the no-frills account certifies a change in address. Power, metal stocks continue to slide Among the stocks hit badly on Tuesday was Reliance Power, which lost 6.4% to Rs 77 while Adani Power was down 6.4% at Rs 49. MFs fall back on closed-ended funds Over the last one year, about 35 closed-ended schemes have mobilized over Rs 6,000 crore, while a couple of schemes — one each from UTI Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund — are currently open for subscription. More Business News»

		Environment
		New butterfly species found in Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh is known as a treasure trove of nature, where one after another, new fish and butterfly species have been found in recent years. Govt to ban pesticides harming bees The fertiliser ministry is likely to soon recommend a ban on the use of a pesticides that are harmful for bees, particularly honeybees. From 50 in 2013, Tadoba-Andhari tigers up by 10 The abstracts of the report were discussed at a two-day internal research seminar by WII from August 18-20. More Environment News»

		World
		Gaza truce open-ended, but puts off tough issues In the end, both sides settled for an ambiguous interim agreement in exchange for a period of calm.Hamas, though badly battered, remains in control of Gaza with part of its military arsenal intact. Putin, Poroshenko hold bilateral meeting: Officials Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Petro Poroshenko on Tuesday began a bilateral meeting in Minsk to discuss the conflict raging in eastern Ukraine, officials said. US hostage held by IS is female aid worker Family members and US officials say the Islamic State militant group has been holding a young American woman hostage in Syria since last year. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Kareena Kapoor Khan visits Ajmer Dargah Kareena Kapoor landed in Jaipur on Monday and headed straight to the Ajmer Dargah to seek divine blessings of Khawja Moinuddin Chisti. SRK will be the next target: Underworld Top 10 double meaning songs Marathi actor and producer Dada Kondke may have made it big in the Marathi music industry but his hit music numbers have gained popularity throughout the nation. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		US firm plans to put life-detector on Mars A private American space organization, Explore Mars, has announced a new method of detecting life on the Red Planet by employing military technology. This polish nails date-rape drug by changing hue A group of university students in the US have come up with a unique way of helping to protect women from sexual assault on nights out - a nail polish that changes colour when it comes into contact with date-rape drugs. Modern airships brace for space odyssey Airships are dusty relics of aviation history. Lighter-than-air vehicles conjure images of the Hindenburg, in its glory and destruction, and the Goodyear Blimp, a floating billboard that barely resembles its powerful predecessors. More Science News»

		Sports
		Footballer Frank Lampard retires from England duty Since making his England debut in 1999, the 36-year-old Lampard has scored 29 goals in 106 appearances, with his last appearance coming at the World Cup 2014. Ana Ivanovic storms into US Open second round Serbia's Ana Ivanovic beat American Alison Riske 6-3, 6-0 in the first round Tuesday. Ivanovic has won 48 matches this year, more than anyone else on tour. Saina Nehwal progresses in World Championship Saina Nehwal stormed into the third round of the World Badminton Championship with a commanding straight game win over Natalia Perminova. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Review: Xolo 8X-1000 smartphone and HIVE UI How does Xolo’s first attempt at creating a customized UI work out? Does it hamper the user experience or does it help the phone work better? We find out in our Xolo 8X-1000 review… Android One smartphones set to become expensive Indian manufactures are set to price Android One handsets between Rs 7,000 and Rs 10,000, higher than the planned sub-$100 (Rs 6,000) tag. 6 reasons Xiaomi Redmi 1S is a game changer We got a chance to experience the phone during a media meet and here's why we feel it is a game changer... More Technology News»

		Education
		Students' papers to be verified online The time-consuming document verification process of Bangalore University (BU) students is all set to go online from the next academic year. Educational Initiatives, Duke TIP launch talent search programme for school children The ‘Duke TIP ASSET India Talent Search 2014’ programme seeks to identify toppers in mathematics, science and English in classes 7 and 8 and give them a platform to aim for more. Only 17,500 poor kids provided free books, Delhi high court told Out of around 70,000 children from poor and disadvantaged families, only 17,500 have been provided free books in this academic year, the Delhi government informed the Delhi high court on Tuesday. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		MFs fall back on closed-ended funds Over the last one year, about 35 closed-ended schemes have mobilized over Rs 6,000 crore, while a couple of schemes — one each from UTI Mutual Fund and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund — are currently open for subscription. Shah Rukh Khan gets extra cover after Pujari threat Police have beefed up security at the residence and office of actor Shah Rukh Khan after fugitive gangster Ravi Pujari mentioned the actor's name in an SMS threat issued to film producer Karim Morani and followed it up with a threat call to the actor's office. Maharashtra govt suspends rape-accused DIG Sunil Paraskar Deputy inspector general of police Sunil Paraskar, accused of raping a model, was suspended on Tuesday to facilitate an “impartial” departmental probe into the allegation that he misused his office. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		14-yr-old girl alleges rape by 2 youths A case has been registered at the Harsh Vihar police station in northeast Delhi. Cops identify woman on pyre, family still missing Police have identified the woman whose body had been abandoned on the pyre at Nigambodh Ghat on August 19. AAP to start cleanup drive Aam Aadmi Party’s volunteers in Malviya Nagar, along with residents, will start a signature campaign in the area from Monday to demand dustbins and toilets in the colony. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Traditional festival sweets hit the shelves It's the season for a sugar rush: the modak, kayi kadubu, panchakajjaya, kari modak and must-have obbattu are being patted, shaped, steamed and fried in traditional Kannadiga homes in time for Ganesh Chaturthi. Lokayukta raids 7 babus, nets Rs 9.7 cr illegal assets In simultaneous raids across the state, Lokayukta police swooped down on seven officials and unearthed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 9.7 crore from them. Narendra Modi aide Vajubhai Vala is Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala, 76, Gujarat Assembly speaker and senior BJP leader of that state, has been appointed the governor of Karnataka.  More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		From Jana Sangh foot soldier to Maharashtra governor, Vidyasagar Rao comes a long way For someone who began as a foot soldier in Jana Sangh several decades ago, Ch Vidyasagar Rao has come a long way as he gets ready to take charge as the new governor of Maharashtra. Hyderabad woman gangraped in front of husband, brother-in-law A 21-year-old daily wage worker was gang-raped by five people at Medipally on Tuesday. The victim, along with her husband and brother-in-law had migrated to the city from Mahbubnagar a week ago in search of livelihood. Ration card screening may save govt Rs 200 crore The Telangana state government expects to save about Rs 200 crore per year once it completes the massive exercise of eliminating bogus white ration cards. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Near Kalpakkam, geotubes to check marauding sea It has been a fortnight since they got into the boats. Rajendran and his fellow fishermen at Kadalur Periyakuppam are hopeful, however, and continue to mend the nets in their village south of Kalpakkam, gazing at the rough sea that causes rapid erosion on their shoreline. Tamil Nadu: where the masses set the norm Word is that Tamil is a language like no other. And researchers at the People's Linguistic Survey of India have several reasons to offer. Karunanidhi's Teso lauds Modi for efforts to find Lanka solution The Tamil Eelam Supporters Organization (Teso), headed by DMK chief M Karunanidhi, on Tuesday lauded the NDA government’s efforts to find a political solution to the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and asked the Centre to expedite steps in this regard. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		SFI fee hike to hit students hard For the students who have got admission in various colleges earlier this month, the second semester is going to be pricey. State to be secured with 'Eklavya' A year ago, if police had encountered a mangled car on a state highway with all the occupants dead on any Saturday, they had to wait for two days till the RTO opens on Monday to get the details of the car registration. More volunteers for traffic warden scheme City police's traffic branch conducted its second awareness seminar at Bapunagar police station to create awareness about traffic rules and encourage senior citizens to join the traffic warden scheme. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Railways to set up ticketing centres outside stations For easy access of tickets from counters other than railway stations, Indian Railways will open up yatri ticket suvidha Kendra. These kendras will sell both reserved and unreserved tickets through PRS (passenger reservation system) and UTS (unreserved ticketing system) counters respectively. Railways has also allowed private participation in the establishment and operation of these centres. In this connection, Indian Railways has given instructions to all the zonal railways including North Central Railway. UP Board: Online registration for IX, XI begins The world’s biggest examination conducting body, UP Board has started online registration of students taking class IX and XI examinations. The Board has started a special website www.upm.sp.edu. for the purpose. At least 23,000 schools across the state have been instructed to apply before October 1. UPTET qualified candidates still wait Board recognition Saumya cleared Uttar Pradesh Teachers Eligibility Test (UPTET) in 2011 while she was still pursuing BEd, which is the mandatory qualifying examination. She passed BEd a year before the declaration of TET results in 2013. Three years on, the candidate is still running from pillar to post to know whether she is eligible to apply for teaching in government or aided schools or not. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Setback for smart class project The ambitious e-vidyalaya project launched by the state government to provide ICT-based education in schools received a setback as a high-level technical committee raised objection over the list of electronic equipment and goods the government wanted to buy. Funds shortage hits ailing folk artist Proper medical care eludes cash-strapped Sanchar artist Bisakha Rana, suffering from a kidney ailment. Gave money to politicians to buy their favour: AT boss Pradeep Sethy, chit fund organization Artha Tatwa (AT) Group's CMD, on Monday said he had given money to at least 55 prominent persons, including politicians, ostensibly to buy their favour for pursuing his activities. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Was it a murder bid at Scindia School? Scindia School management, which hushed up the matter for two days, told police he was found sprawled on the balcony of his hostel room. Three Scindia School students held for abetting suicide Five people, including three students, were on Tuesday arrested in connection with the alleged suicide attempt by Bihar minister Jai Kumar Singh’s 14-year-old son at Gwalior's Scindia School last week. MP's first bio-toilet on a platform inaugurated at Habibganj station The state’s first bio-toilet on a platform was inaugurated at the Habibganj railway station by the west central railways (WCR) on Monday. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		New clot buster set to revolutionize medicine A clot buster, which can target a clot in the blood vessels without internal bleeding and dissolve it, is set for launch, subject to regulatory clearances after clinical trials. Golf club terms DC bank seal illegal The Chandigarh Golf Club has not taken kindly to the Deputy Commissioner's act of sealing the bank accounts as the DC "is not empowered to do so under the law". Fire & Emergency Services Committee sanctions breathing compressors Sources said the MC had two breathing air compressors, out of which one is out of order, because of which the fire department wants an AMC contract. More Chandigarh News»

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