News Digest: Explosives seized from van near Suri

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, June 07, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Explosives seized from van near Suri Police stopped an explosive materials-laden van at Mallarpur within the limits of Mayureswar police station late on Friday night. 'Stateless' Chitmahals head for settlement On an idyllic drive under an overcast sky, through the hinterland of West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, lush green fields of paddy and jute, there is nothing to suggest that we may have, a moment ago, crossed a patch of 'foreign country'. Transgender development board set up with Manabi as vice-chief Post the appointment of Manabi Bandopadhyay as the first transgender principal of a college in India comes the news of her selection as the vice chairman of the state's Transgender Development Board. State minister of women and child welfare development Sashi Panja will be the chairperson of the Board that will have 13 members. More India News»

		Business
		Reliance Power, Adani in $4.5bn power play in Bangladesh Reliance Power said it has signed a deal with Bangladesh Power Development Board for setting up a 3,000 mw liquid gas-fired plant and a floating terminal for importing gas in ships to power the unit at a total investment of $3 billion. New aviation secretary takes stock of 'ailing' Air India On Saturday — a day after taking charge in the aviation ministry — he took a marathon five-hour-long review of Air India. India-US trade at $103bn, can reach $500bn: US envoy The India-US bilateral trade in goods and services has crossed the elusive $100 billion threshold and now stands at $103 billion, US envoy Richard Verma said here on Saturday. More Business News»

		Environment
		280 turtles seized from smuggler in Kolkata Around 280 turtles of rare species were recovered from the home of a villager near the India-Bangladesh border at Bongaon in North 24-Parganas on Saturday. Centre urged to conduct study on Goa rivers' water Union environment minister Prakash Javdekar has been asked to send a team of experts to study the water quality in Goa's rivers, which a Goa MP claimed is unfit for consumption. 'Vampire' plants can have positive impact on food chain Parasitic 'vampire' plants that attach onto and derive nutrients from another living plant could benefit the abundance and diversity of surrounding vegetation and animal life, a new study has found. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama heads for G7 summit focused on Ukraine President Barack Obama left Washington late on Saturday headed for a G7 summit in southern Germany focused on violence in eastern Ukraine. UK minister comes out as gay after 29-yr secret affair Britain’s schools minister has announced he would be tying the knot with his male partner after a nearly 29-year secret affair. With rains near, relief in Nepal faces uphill task Kodari would have been just another village in Nepal if it wasn’t for the border it shares with China. More World News»

		Entertainment
		How Aamir is the highlight of 'Dil Dhadakne Do' Pluto Mehra, the bullmastiff, the Mehra family’s pet dog in Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Dil Dhadakne Do has found his own share of fan following. Twinkle Khanna posts daughter's pic doing yoga Mrs Funnybones Twinkle Khanna tweeted a picture of daughter Nitara and captioned it: “I think the baby does not want to let the prime minister down and whole- heartedly starts preparing for Yoga day. (sic)” Bollywood celeb kids and the property they own More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Stoned age: Cavemen smoked up Hunter gatherers in Congo Basin found to use 'medical marijuana', possibly a prehistoric habit 60% chance that your toothbrush has poo: Study Billions of humans could be brushing their teeth with other people's poo, a shock study has revealed. World's 'most precise' quantum thermometer designed A team of researchers has designed the most precise quantum thermometer to date. More Science News»

		Sports
		Serena wins third French Open and 20th Grand Slam title Serena Williams won her 20th Grand Slam title and third French Open crown, clawing her way back from a break down in the last set to defeat Safarova. Rahul Dravid appointed India A, under-19 coach: BCCI Former captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the coach of the India A and under-19 teams, Board of Control for Cricket in India said on Saturday. Djokovic downs Murray to reach French Open final Novak Djokovic beat battling Andy Murray 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1 on Saturday to reach his third French Open final and stand on the cusp of a career Grand Slam. More Sports News»

		Technology
		'Why most companies fail, but Google won't' Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt kicked off the company's 2015 shareholders meeting by defending those moonshots to investors. Rs 1.1 crore house sold on Snapdeal Since the launch of the real estate category in August 2014, Snapdeal has sold over hundreds of houses across various price segments. Own more than one smartphone? 5 things you can do More Technology News»

		Education
		Scripting success: Four Hindu girls ace Urdu in ICSE exams Samruddhi Shyam Waghmare was confident that she would get good marks in Urdu in 10th standard (ICSE Board) exams this year. New session here, but colleges still await funds in Gurgaon The next academic session in government colleges in the city is just a month away, but work on the much-need upgrade of infrastructure in three colleges is yet to start. Now, B Voc in entrepreneurship, retail The Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC) will start a bachelors in vocation programme for two streams — apparel manufacturing and entrepreneurship, and fashion design and retailing. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Flip-flop: Now Centre clears TIFR director With the Centre, in a flip-flop, confirming his appointment as TIFR director after rejecting it on technical grounds, the decision to accept the post is left with theoretical physicist Sandeep Trivedi. Thane sends more children to school than Mumbai Mumbai’s zip code is no longer a campus district. Neighbouring Thane sped past the unremittingly progressive Mumbai to become the largest schooling district in the state. Plant trees for ragging, HC tells students In a unique punishment, the Bombay high court directed seven students of the Army Institute of Technology, Pune, who were allegedly caught ragging, to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 and plant 10 trees each in the campus. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Haven for highs With 10 alcohol vends, Mayur Vihar’s twin malls have become a tippler’s paradise. God forgive Kejriwal, says Jung Reacting to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's sharp attack on him during a TV interview, lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung on Saturday said, "May God forgive him, for he knows not what he says". Shot at, victim panics and crushes robber under car in Delhi A few minutes after they robbed two businessmen, four bikers ran into them at a traffic signal. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		City teen selected for internationa; chemistry Olympiad Ameet Deshpande, a 17-year-old student from AECS Maruti Public School, has been selected for the International Chemistry Olympiad (ICO) to be held in Bratislava, Slovakia. Chargesheet filed against ex-BJP MLA, 46 others Bowing to pressure, the Congress government handed over the case to the CID and preliminary investigation had revealed that Nandita had died after consuming poison. 3 PWD engineers come under scanner Karnataka Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi has directed initiation of prosecution and registration of a criminal complaint against three PWD engineers over irregularities running into over Rs 32 lakh in the renovation of the DG&IG office. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Andhra Pradesh sees higher revenues The finances of Andhra Pradesh are slowly looking up after business and industrial units started functioning from Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Tirupati. CBSE disaffiliates 9 schools in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has disaffiliated nine schools in the two states — two in Telangana and seven in Andhra Pradesh. Fans propose, Naidu disposes Balayya speech at bhoomi puja Film actor and TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna was much in demand at the bhoomi puja programme here on Saturday as crowds wanted him to address them. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		State told to reinstate suspended IPS officer More than a year after IPS officer M Sathiya Priya was placed under suspension when she returned from a United Nations assignment in South Sudan, the Central Administrative Tribunal has revoked her suspension. Veteran AIADMK leader Sulochana Sampath dead AIADMK organising secretary EVK Sulochana Sampath, mother of TNCC chief EVKS Elangovan, died on Saturday morning. BVM still on boil, normalcy likely after June 11 inspection Students of Bala Vidya Mandir Senior Secondary School students may have to wait another four days before normalcy returns. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Man flies in from Dubai to donate stem cells, save girl Priya Shah (7) was fighting a losing battle with thalassemia. Vismay's counsel rubbishes FSL report The counsel of Vismay Shah, accused in the BMW hit-and-run case, on Saturday argued before the court that the FSL report that Vismay had not applied brakes during the accident, in which two youths were killed two years ago, was false. Delimitation: 8 objections raised The state election has so far received eight objections to the proposed delimitation of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's wards. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		North Central Railway launches plantation drive On the occasion of World Environment Day, general manager of North Central Railway initiated a plantation drive at the headquarters situated at Subedarganj on Friday. New members of Kashi Kshetra apprised of BJP's works After inducting around 26 lakh new members, Bharatiya Janata Party leadership of Kashi Kshetra is educating them about the history of the party and achievements of the Union government in the past one year. Allahabad fisherman nets endangered eel fish after a decade After a gap of about a decade, an endangered ‘eel’ fish was found in Yamuna on Friday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		At TOI event, Odisha minister urges citizens to plant more trees Every individual and entity must contribute towards improving and preserving the environment, agriculture minister Pradeep Maharathy said here on Friday. Utkal postgrad students to get insurance cover from this year Students taking admission in various post-graduate courses at Utkal University this year (2015-16) will have a life insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh besides health insurance of Rs 25,000, vice-chancellor Ashok Das said here on Friday. Goons 'knew' about money: Police Police strongly suspect a gang of unidentified miscreants, who attacked former justice P K Mohanty’s family and robbed his valuables, knew about the presence of huge cash at his residence in CDA area in Cuttack. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Madhya Pradesh court dismisses PIL against Maggi's brand ambassadors A district court in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday dismissed a petition seeking registration of FIR against two Nestle officials film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta, who have featured in the Maggi advertisements. Bhopalites celeberate World Environment Day Environment-conscious Bhopalites celebrated the World Environment Day with a plethora of activities. 14th National Rang Alap Drama Festival kickstarts in Bhopal The 14th National Rang Alap Drama Festival kickstarted in the city with the staging of the play, Shuturmurg. Directed by Vibha Shrivastava and written by Gyandev Agnihotri, the play was presented by Hum theatre group at Shaheed Bhavan. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		2 days after son's death, HP veteran ready to send grandson into Army Martyr Rajesh Kumar's Family Has Tradition Of Joining The ArmyAnand.Bodh@timesgroup. She plays flute and doesn't have a moustache! The sound of flute incessantly flows in with the cold winds in Lahaul-Spiti.From cradle to grave, it pervades all spheres of life here. Sikh youth saves visually impaired man's life in US A Sikh youth has become a hero in the US after he risked his life to save that of a visually-challenged man who had fallen on a rail track right in the path of a train. More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: NAFED procures 1,100 tonnes of onions under PSF

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, June 06, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		NAFED procures 1,100 tonnes of onions under PSF The National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) has procured 1,100 tonnes of onions from Lasalgaon and Pimpalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) to stabilise onion prices in the domestic market. 'Disown sadhus taking drugs during Kumbh' The Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti (MANS) on Friday started its state-level session in the city with a mission to ask the seers of various akhadas to disown the sadhus taking drugs during the upcoming Kumbh mela. Officials, citizens, NGOs join hands to clean Godavari For the first time in the city, all the government officials, citizens and environment activists came together to clean the Godavari and its tributaries — Nasardi and Waghadi — right from their origins on the occasion of World Environment Day on Friday. More India News»

		Business
		More analysts downgrade Nestle's stock After falling sharply for three consecutive sessions the Nestle India stock showed some stability on Friday, closing marginally higher on NSE and a tad lower on BSE. Turnover on the bourses in the stock, however, was more than three times its daily average turnover in the past few months. Tax refunds jump 20% in April-May You can hope to get your tax refund faster with the government streamlining the process, resulting in an over 20% jump in payments during April-May. Government eyes insurance for key assets The home ministry has written to various ministries asking them to look at obtaining insurance for reconstruction of critical assets after a natural disaster More Business News»

		Environment
		Plastic choking Gir, the pride of Gujarat Every year, wildlife lovers and voluntary organizations clear tonnes of plastic littering the 36 km-long Girnar Parikrama route. World Environment Day: ITBP to plant 10 lakh trees this year The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force on Friday decided to undertake an ambitious project of planting 10 lakh saplings across the country as part of its social initiative towards environment conservation. World Environment Day: PM plants 'Kadam' tree sapling Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday planted a Kadam tree at 7RCR on the occasion of World Environment Day to create awareness for environment. More Environment News»

		World
		Stolen US federal data goes back 30 years Data stolen from US government computers by suspected Chinese hackers included security clearance information and background checks dating back three decades, US officials said on Friday, underlining the scope of one of the largest known cyber attacks on federal networks. Kathmandu Valley to enter UN's 'heritage in danger' list Thirty-six-years after it was designated as a world heritage site by Unesco, the famous Kathmandu Valley is all set to enter the infamous list of world heritage in danger – thanks to devastating earthquake recently. Boston bomber's friends sentenced to prison Two college friends of the Boston Marathon bomber were sentenced to prison on Friday for removing a backpack containing empty fireworks shells from Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room amid a massive manhunt three days after the deadly 2013 attack. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Anil Kapoor looks up to Javed Akhtar the most Anil Kapoor has the rare distinction of being the only actor who has had the opportunity of working with all the Akhtars, starting with Javed Akhtar to Zoya to Farhan to Shabana Azmi to Honey Irani. Akshay plans an 'unplanned month-long holiday' We all know how Akshay Kumar is a disciplinarian when it comes to his work. But he is equally particular about going on his family holiday after every film. Bollywood's biggest Twitter wars A look at some of the biggest wars by Bollywood celebs on micro-blogging site Twitter. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		A blood test can tell every virus you've ever had Test detects every known human virus from single drop of blood Washington: Researchers have developed a new test that can detect every known human virus that currently or previously infected a person from a single drop of blood. FDA panel approves 'viagra for women' After an intense lobbying campaign, a federal advisory panel recommended approval of what would become the first drug to treat a lack of sexual desire in women. Texas man is first to get skull-scalp transplant US doctors hailed a complex operation as a world first after performing a skull and scalp transplant on a cancer patient who also received a new kidney and pancreas during the procedure. More Science News»

		Sports
		Can't force either India or Pakistan to revive ties: ICC Dave Richardson said that while ICC wants resumption of Indo-Pak bilateral ties but it cannot interfere in the matter concerning boards from both countries. US denies visa to Indian youth archery team India's participation in the World Youth Archery Championships has been thrown into jeopardy after 20 members of a 31-strong team, including Korean coach Chae Wom Lim, were denied visa by the US embassy. Wawrinka beats Tsonga to reach first French Open final Stan Wawrinka reached the French Open final for the first time on Friday by defeating France's last hope, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-3, 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/3), 6-4. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Own more than one smartphone? 5 things you can do Flipkart 'caught' offering fake discount A closer look at a product’s listing on Flipkart showed that it was priced at Rs 399 by the manufacturer, but Flipkart was selling it as if Rs 399 was the price after discount. Xolo Chromebook review: No frills laptop Google has now realised the need for affordable Chromebooks and partnered with the likes of India’s Xolo to introduce a device priced as low as Rs 12,999. More Technology News»

		Education
		They shop online but like to apply on paper They don’t think twice about online shopping but when it comes to applying online for Delhi University seats, school graduates still hesitate. Despite a practically glitch-free round of online application—registration and fee-payment—for over a week, faith in the system is clearly still low. Only that can explain the crowds at the eight admission centres across Delhi University and the 21,813 forms sold on the first day of offline registration. Over 5,000 submitted. Oxford University's last male-only club to admit women The last male-only undergraduate club at Oxford University is all set to welcome its first female members after it voted unanimously to admit female undergraduate students. Give free education to specially-abled students: HP HC to government Himachal Pradesh high court on Friday directed the state government to provide free education to specially-abled students up to university level.The court also enhanced the amount of their scholarship. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		'Narcotics cell cop tried to deceive investigators' The crime branch, which is probing the drug mafia-policemen ties, has claimed that arrested senior inspector of the anti-narcotics cell Suhash Gokhale tried to mislead the investigating team. Now, Arthur Road Jail goes on air; inmates run in-house radio centre Taking a leaf from Tihar and Yerawada Central Jails, Arthur Road Jail has started its own radio centre, which will be operated by the inmates themselves and aired in all barracks and high-security cells, including that of 26/11 terror attack handler Abu Jundal, via the public address system. Lead in Maggi within safe limit: Maharashtra FDA results The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not find any excess lead in nine of the 15 samples of Maggi noodles tested over the past fortnight. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		New wetland off Barapullah to curb pollution in Yamuna In a bid to curb pollution in Yamuna, the Delhi Development Authority has decided to develop a wetland on the floodplains to treat the water of Barapullah drain before it is released into the river. Also in the works is a biodiversity park near Okhla bird sanctuary. The wetland project will start in a month’s time. Native plants for Ridge Now extinct, the native plant and grass species that gradually disappeared from Kamla Nehru Ridge, part of Delhi Ridge, might be restored before monsoon. Many plant species like Salai, to be reintroduced, hold medicinal value. There is a plan to restore its wetlands too. LG doesn't take our calls, doing PM bidding: Kejriwal In his first interview to a TV channel after becoming chief minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal on Friday launched a scathing attack on lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing them of trying to govern Delhi indirectly. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		`Music leaves a lot to the imagination' Tajdar Junaid is on a high after composing for several international films and his debut album. Authors look for unusual launch pads When first-time writer Adhirath Sethi sat down to think of ideas for the launch of his book The Debt Collector's Due, he was clear that he didn't want it to be a typical wine and cheese affair, where guests stood around talking desultorily. Study blames industrial effluents for Varthur Lake froth Pavana V, a 15-year-old student from Varthur, east Bengaluru, knows the froth in Varthur Lake has a high concentration of phosphorous, heavy metals and other chemicals. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		3D mapping gives new colour to heritage monuments in Hyderabad The Telangana tourism department has illuminated three monuments in the city — Buddha statue, Kachiguda railway station and Clock Tower — using 3D mapping technology as part of the Formation Day celebrations. Hyderabad's green health in critical condition On World Environment Day, Hyderabad has no reason to cheer. 90 ppm lead allowed, 1.18L ppm found! While the Maggi saga has put the spotlight on hazards of excess lead, a Delhi-based environmental group revealed the shocking presence of 'very high lead concentrations' up to 1.18 lakh parts per million (ppm) in samples of enamel decorative paints sold in stores across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		The real noodles: Slow to cook, good to eat Toddlers to tipplers miss Maggi, but non-instant varieties are healthier options. Bombay man TN took to heart Former TN Ranji cricketer Michael Dalvi on the high he got batting in Chepauk, driving around Madras in his Volkswagen, the high-intensity league matches and more. Mobile snatchers on loose, give cops a tough time They alter IMEI numbers before reselling phones. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		'Friends' rob youth of Rupees 1.02 lakh in Ahmedabad A 25-year-old youth was robbed by two persons who identified themselves as cops late on Wednesday night.Police arrested six, including the victim's friend Dharmik Patel, for the crime on Friday. Man arrested in Ahmedabad for murder in Odhav City crime branch on Friday arrested Ravikant Sikvar, a resident of Odhav and native of Uttar Pradesh, for stoning his friend Kuldeep Sikvar to death. Person who helped hit-and-run accused held in Ahmedabad Police on Friday arrested Fenil Shah for aiding the hit-and-run accused, Ali Ayyubkhan Pathan, a resident of Nawab Chawl in Shah-e-Alam. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		HQ Purva celebrates 45th Raising Day HQ Purva UP & MP Sub Area, Allahabad, celebrated its 45th Raising Day on Monday with full zeal and enthusiasm. AAP seeks rollback in service tax Volunteers of Aam Admi Party (AAP) on Monday staged a demonstration in the city demanding Union government to rollback service tax which has gone up to 14% from Monday. 'Fabricator' on world tour after losing a leg BV Narayana was in his early twenties when he lost a leg after being hit by a group of motorcyclists. After three decades, he decided to tour across the globe to make people aware of traffic norms so that they could be saved from the pain that he had to undergo. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		CBI raids chit fund company in Odisha CBI, probing the Odisha mega chit fund scam, on Thursday raided Jana Mangal Agro Care, a Ponzi firm, accused of cheating investors of more than Rs 50 crore. Simultaneous raids were conducted at four places in Jajpur district and two locations in Ganjam. State sends Maggi to Pune lab for tests Amid growing concerns about safety standards of Maggi noodles, the state government on Wednesday sent samples of the instant snack to an accredited laboratory in Pune. Red fear forces 60 families to leave villages At least 60 families of 11 villages in the cut-off area across Balimela reservoir in Malkangiri district have left home due to Maoist fear. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Madhya Pradesh to get fertiliser plants in Jabalpur, Jhabua Union minister for chemicals and fertilisers Ananth Kumar on Friday said that Madhya Pradesh would soon get two fertiliser plants with a total production capacity of 26 lakh ton. Madhya Pradesh boy loses palm in mobile blast Hands of a 12-year old boy were severely damaged after a mobile phone exploded in his hands in Satna district on Friday evening. Vegan Shivraj gets PETA award for taking eggs off mid-day meals This may be a new chicken and egg story for Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who recently scrapped serving of eggs in the Anganwadis of three tribal districts of the state. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Punjab government to launch awareness campaign against stubble burning Faced with an uphill task of tackling the widespread practice of stubble burning that has taken a toll on the environment of not only Punjab but also the national capital, Punjab government has started offering subsidy on equipment that can dispose of wheat and paddy residue. Transfer order of 78 forest officials cancelled in Chandigarh Haryana forest department on Friday cancelled posting and transfer orders of 78 officials that were issued by outgoing head of the department few days before his retirement on May 31. 3 held with 530kg poppy husk in Karnal Police arrested three persons on Thursday night with 530kg poppy husk near GT Road at Gharaunda in Karnal district. More Chandigarh News»

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