News Digest: 4.96 lakh traffic accidents, 1.8 lakh deaths in 2015: NCRB

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, January 08, 2017
		Today's Headlines

		India
		4.96 lakh traffic accidents, 1.8 lakh deaths in 2015: NCRB With 23,219 deaths in a year, UP reported the highest number of fatalities in road and rail accidents. The state is followed by Maharashtra (18,404 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (17,376 deaths). The figures include deaths in road and rail accidents, which are together referred to as ‘traffic accidents’. Plans to change Citizenship Act hit Assam accord hurdle The Modi government’s plans to fast track citizenship for minorities like Hindus, Sikhs and Christians fleeing religious persecution has hit a bump with the law ministry pointing out that the proposal runs afoul of the Assam accord. Tepid response to govt's #IAmTrolledHelp for cyber sexual complaints The tag, #IAmTrolledHelp had complainants flag messages by abusive trolls and harassers on social media. The response has been tepid so far. Between July and December 2016, the ministry received 57 complaints of online harassments through various channels. More India News»

		Business
		Some protectionism needed to help domestic companies: SBI chief State Bank chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya on Saturday said some level of protectionism is needed to safeguard national interest and also encourage entrepreneurs to build companies of global scale. Aurobindo Pharma to buy Portugal's Generis for 135 million euros Aurobindo Pharma on Saturday said it has inked a pact to acquire Portugal's Generis Farmaceutica SA from Magnum Capital Partners for a consideration of 135 million euros (around Rs 969 crore). Generis produces and sells pharma products in Portugal. China forex reserves fall for 6th month, near $3tn level Reserves fell by a slightly less than expected $41 billion last month to $3.011 trillion, central bank data showed on Saturday, following a drop of $69.06 billion in November. China's reserves fell nearly $320 billion in 2016, after a record drop of $513 billion in 2015. More Business News»

		Environment
		Centre to ban use of 18 pesticides harmful to humans The Union agriculture ministry has issued a draft order, asking manufacturers, importers and state authorities to completely ban 12 of the identified pesticides from January 1, 2018 and remaining six from December 31, 2020. World heat shatters records, a new sign of global warming Last year was the hottest on record by a wide margin, with temperatures creeping close to a ceiling set by almost 200 nations for limiting global warming, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Thursday. How we shop hurts endangered species The hidden danger to wildlife posed by imported consumer goods -- an espresso coffee in Beijing, a tofu salad in Chicago -- can now be pinpointed and measured, researchers said Wednesday. More Environment News»

		World
		Toll rises to 43 in car bombing in Syria's Azaz The death toll in a car bomb attack Saturday in the rebel-held town of Azaz in northern Syria has risen to 43, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said. Gunman shoots, wounds US consular official in Mexico 18 dead as torrential rains submerge southern Thailand Heavy rains continued to hammer Thailand's flood-ravaged south today, bringing the death toll up to 18 and leaving thousands of villages partially submerged. The flooding, which was roof-high in some areas, has affected nearly 1 million people in ten southern provinces since it started a week ago. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Actor's actor Om Puri redefined idea of male lead Om Puri, whose haunting eyes and deafening silence captured the history of violence endured by an ordinary tribal in Aakrosh (1980) and whose portrayal of an upright cop simmering with coiled rage in Ardh Satya (1983) vaulted him to the pantheon of cinema’s finest performers, passed away on Friday. Priyanka Chopra is feeling blue after the holidays After celebrating New Year’s Eve in India with her family and friends, it was back to the grind for Priyanka Chopra. Irrfan Khan's most memorable films Here’s taking a look at some of Irrfan Khan's best films. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Hubble creates interstellar road map for future galactic trek NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is creating a road map for the two Voyager spacecraft, that will travel through unexplored territories beyond our solar system, by measuring the material along the probes' future trajectories. China to set up world's highest altitude telescopes at border with India China is setting up the world's highest altitude gravitational wave telescopes in Tibet, close to Line of Actual Control with India, with a budget of $18.8 million to detect faintest echoes resonating from universe which may reveal more about the Big Bang theory. New method to heal wounds without scars: Study In a breakthrough, researchers have found a way to manipulate wounds to heal as regenerated skin rather than scar tissue by transforming the most common type of cells found in wounds into the fat cells. More Science News»

		Sports
		21 BCCI state units accept Lodha reforms With Supreme Court verdict already out, 21 state units have already confirmed in writing to Lodha Panel about implementing all reforms even as former presidents N Srinivasan and Anurag Thakur joined forces in Bengaluru. Better prepared for limited overs captaincy: Kohli The Test captaincy left him surprised but Virat Kohli says he is better-prepared to lead India in the limited-overs format as he has already picked up some tricks of the trade. Sania Mirza wins Brisbane doubles title but loses No.1 rank Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza picked up her first title of the season, combining with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands to lift the Brisbane International women's doubles title, but ended up losing the World No.1 crown to her partner. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Airtel, Vodafone announce new plans to take on Reliance Jio's 'Happy New Year' offer Vodafone Group Plc in November slashed the value of its Indian subsidiary by Rs 36,448.53 crore due to increased competition since Jio's entry. Fall in iPhone sales: Apple CEO Tim Cook gets a salary cut Apple penalized CEO Tim Cook for the iPhone maker's first sales slump in 15 years with a 15% pay cut. Cook still did extremely well, with a compensation package valued at $8.7 million for Apple's fiscal year that ended Sept. 24, according to a regulatory filing made Friday. But the amount was down from nearly $10.3 million in the prior year. Telecom companies take 'seven-point proposal' to Trai The telecom watchdog also agreed to look at combining data from various channels such as crowdsourcing, field test and network data. More Technology News»

		Education
		Only national awardee principals can continue after 60: CBSE State assembly polls to not delay CBSE board exams The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class X and Class XII board exams would not be delayed on account of the assembly polls in five states in February and March. This placement season turns out to be best for young IIT students Ropar and Mandi invited more companies across sectors this year. This seems to have worked well, resulting in a higher number of offers this year. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Biker held for death of pedestrian Nigerian drug convict who fled last week held Students demand inclusion of Urdu in medical entrance test More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Travellers hit as fog delays flights, trains Delhi high court to check quality of education in government schools East Delhi garbage blocks roads, ups fear of disease The BJP-ruled east corporation says trifurcation is the root cause of all problems and blames the AAP-led Delhi government for not implementing the Fourth Delhi Finance Commission report. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		We want respect, not moral policing, women tell government Safety in public spaces, equality and respect from the political classes – these were the three demands that women, and men, who gathered at three different locations in the city to register their protest against the incidents of sexual harassment of women that the city has witnessed in the past week. Strapped to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, Israeli tourist travels 11 hours on ambulance When David, 23, left Israel for a vacation in India, his itinerary largely comprised beaches on the country’s western coast— in Goa and Karnataka. Little did he know that, during his brief sojourn in the country, he would undergo a medical procedure that lasted 11 hours, while in transit. Karnataka to cash on Neera to spice up revenue Karnataka is now banking on non-alcoholic nutritious drink, ‘neera’, the sweet sap harvested from coconut spathe, to augment its financial resources in the backdrop of a slowdown triggered by demonetization. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Common tests for postgraduate admissions from next year From the academic year 2017-18, all postgraduate courses such as MA, MSc and MCom will have common entrance tests (CET) based on the streams they are pursuing. Barkat Villa, once Nizam's abode, razed It was an abode of royalty, a piece of history. But now, large parts of it are no more. Barkat Villa, once home to the heir of the Asaf Jah dynasty, has been demolished to make way for a swanky new building with its foundations already laid. Sushma Swaraj at work to reunite Hyderabad man with South African wife A Hyderabadi man, whose South African wife is facing trouble to get an Indian visa, tweeted external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday, for help. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		6 people held for possession of crude bombs Dumping sites being cleared of tree debris Kiran Bedi writes open letter, says she will demit office next year More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Rs 67,000 crore MoU to be signed for bullet train Gujarat's U-turn: State govt drops idea of setting up Vodka plant In an expected U-turn, the state government has dropped the idea of allowing a vodka plant and distillery unit to be set up in dry Gujarat. Vibrant Gujarat Summit: Rs 1 lakh crore fuel to fire up renewable energy After remaining quiet for some time, the renewable energy sector in Gujarat is waiting to buzz again this Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS). More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Post office to take poll campaigning to remote areas Some of the remotest villages of the state may not have basic infrastructure but they would still be able to get a taste of election campaigning by candidates in the fray. BSP announces candidates for 12 assembly seats of Allahabad The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) announced its third list of candidates for 100 more assembly seats of the seats, on Saturday. This include the names for all the 12 assembly seats of Allahabad district. 'Eunuch akhara' to visit Magh Mela More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Pranab heaps praises on Odias Praising the glorious legacy of Odia people, President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said it inspires the rest of the country. Mahimananda Mishra moves court for bail Mahima was arrested by police on December 26 on the charges of his connection with the murder of Mahendra Swain, general manager of the Hyderabad-based Seaways Shipping and Logistics Limited. State Election Commission asks officers to be neutral The State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday pleaded for the conduct of free, fair and impartial rural polls in the state scheduled in five phases from February 13 to February 21. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan mulls liquor ban impact survey in Gujarat and Bihar On Thursday, the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asks the state’s director general of police (DGP) to correlate the issues of crime and liquor consumption in the state - formulating a plan to survey the impact of liquor ban in two states. Higher education fund for Madhya Pradesh's meritorious talent Under its ambitious plan to promote meritorious talent, Madhya Pradesh government is expected to announce a higher education fund to help students pursue higher studies. BJP leader Amit Shah in Jabalpur on Jan 8 Ahead of BJP working committee meeting in Sagar, party's national president Amit Shah will be in Jabalpur city, on January 8, to participate in the 350th birth anniversary (Prakash Utsav) of Guru Govind Singh. Shah is also likely to address public during the programme. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Bahu, servant held for killing 80 year old Haryana police have arrested the daughter-in-law and domestic help of the 80-year-old woman who was found brutally murdered in Sonipat’s Bhatgaon village on Wednesday. Ambedkar's grandson join hands with Chhotepur Sucha Singh Chhotepur led Apna Punjab Party (APP) and Parkash Ambedkar led Bhartiya Republican Party (BRP) announced an alliance for the Punjab assembly elections on Saturday. 55-year-old man booked for raping daughter for three months In a shocking incident, Mewat police has booked a 55-year-old man for allegedly raping his daughter for the past three month. A case has been registered against him at Punhana police station. More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: BJP to Pak: Curtail terror to better ties

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, January 07, 2017
		Today's Headlines

		India
		BJP to Pak: Curtail terror to better ties Asserting that India’s surgical strikes against POK terror launchpads have had the “required effect” on Pakistan, BJP has asked the Nawaz Sharif government to curtail terror to improve ties. Hope a failed harvest for farmers as cash runs dry Note ban has halved hawala ops: Intel The call traffic between hawala agents in India dropped almost by half post demonetisation, says a recent assessment by the central intelligence agencies. Payments to the end beneficiary of hawala deals are traditionally in cash, with Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 being the favoured denominations. More India News»

		Business
		Hit by demonetisation, Supertech fails to deposit Rs 10 crore in SC Real estate giant Supertech failed to comply with a Supreme Court order to deposit Rs 10 crore before it, and told the court on Friday it could not raise the money due to the Centre’s demonetisation decision. Swedish companies in India shouldn't rest on their laurels: Marcus Wallenberg SC stays sale of 2G spectrum by Maxis More Business News»

		Environment
		World heat shatters records, a new sign of global warming Last year was the hottest on record by a wide margin, with temperatures creeping close to a ceiling set by almost 200 nations for limiting global warming, the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service said on Thursday. How we shop hurts endangered species The hidden danger to wildlife posed by imported consumer goods -- an espresso coffee in Beijing, a tofu salad in Chicago -- can now be pinpointed and measured, researchers said Wednesday. Now, all puppies to be sold with micro-chips ​​The new rules, which have been proposed by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change also make it mandatory for the state government to form a state board or society for prevention of cruelty to animals. More Environment News»

		World
		At least 33 prisoners killed in another Brazil prison uprising At last 33 inmates have been killed in a new prison uprising in the Amazon region of Brazil, officials said Friday, just five days after 56 inmates were slaughtered in a nearby state in the country's worst prison massacre for more than two decades. Pak SC asks Sharif to establish ownership of London flats In the Panama papers leak case hearing, the Pakistan Supreme Court on Friday asked Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his siblings to come out clean on the ownership details of the London flats which are not shown in their wealth statement. UK's May to visit Trump following his inauguration British PM Theresa May's office has said she will meet Donald Trump in Washington in the weeks following his January 20 inauguration as the US president. No dates for the trip were announced on Friday. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Watch: AR Rahman thank his fans on his birthday Music maestro A.R. Rahman, who rang in his 50th birthday on January 6, went live on Facebook to thank his fans and well wishers for all their love and support. Here's proof that all is well between Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone While gossip mills have been working overtime suggesting a cold war between Priyanka Chopra and her supposed arch rival Deepika Padukone, the ‘Quantico’ actress shut down these rumours in style. Om Puri passes away: NSD remembers its iconic student The 66-year-old actor died early on Friday in Mumbai after a cardiac arrest. On the morning of the news of his demise, Amitabh Srivastava, a writer and NSD alumnus from 1979, took us to another gallery that has pictures of NSD alumni who have been feted with Padma or Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards, which also features Puri. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		New method to heal wounds without scars: Study In a breakthrough, researchers have found a way to manipulate wounds to heal as regenerated skin rather than scar tissue by transforming the most common type of cells found in wounds into the fat cells. Don't take your cellphone to hospitals, bugs on it can infect patients, warn scientists Scientists have warned that mobile phones spread infections in hospitals. Their advice: Do not carry your phone inside a medical ward or ICU lest the handset infects patients. It is known that mobile phones are a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and viruses. Research links living near major roads to dementia A massive new study has found correlation between dementia and living near major roads. Over a 10-year period, researchers from Public Health Ontario looked at 6.6 million people staying at different distances from major roads. They found that those staying as close as 50 meters to a major road showed a 7 per cent higher risk of developing dementia, possibly due to a combination of air and noise pollution. More Science News»

		Sports
		India v England: Yuvraj, Rishabh in Kohli-led squads Yuvraj Singh, 35, last played an ODI in December 2013. He was part of India's T20I squad last year, and returns to the ODI squad after scoring 672 runs in five Ranji Trophy games for Punjab this season. Kohli in the right phase to take over from Dhoni: Ashwin Ravichandran Ashwin hailed MS Dhoni as an illustrious leader and said a lot of leadership lessons can be learnt from him. He also said Virat Kohli, who will now captain the Indian team in all formats, is no less a player and in the right phase to take over. Dhoni, Nehra, Rahane to get match time in warm-ups Short of match practice, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane will captain the India A team for two warm-up matches against England at CCI here next week. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Uber fares increased by up to 50% in Delhi-NCR When contacted, an Uber spokesperson said: "Starting January 5, 2017, we have made some changes to our pricing structure in Delhi, NCR in order to serve the city better." Vodafone users to get 'unlimited data' for an hour Telecom major Vodafone on Friday said it would launch SuperHour on Saturday for prepaid customers, enabling unlimited 4G/3G data usage for one hour. WhatsApp users in India sent 14 billion messages on New Year's Eve The traffic on the last day of 2016 was higher than WhatsApp's last record of 8 billion messages in one day on Diwali last year. More Technology News»

		Education
		This placement season turns out to be best for young IIT students Ropar and Mandi invited more companies across sectors this year. This seems to have worked well, resulting in a higher number of offers this year. Genpact and Calcutta University create financial services strategic partnership Genpact, a global leader in digitally-powered business process management and services, today announced an agreement with Calcutta University for a consultancy and research partnership in banking and financial services analytics. Schools seeking CBSE affiliation will again need go-ahead from state More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Navi Mumbai hospital claiming adjoining plot gets no relief Duo accused of raping, killing woman acquitted Truck mows down senior citizen in Colaba More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Nirbhaya case: Supreme Court seeks affidavits Pension hiked for widows, senior citizens You can now carry small knife on Metro More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		British MP Virendra Sharma opens new section of calligraphy museum This museum is different. It houses a calligrapher’s collection of fountain pens, nibs, journals and quills. Chickpet, Avenue Road still reeling under demonetization effect, business down by 40% Two months after demonetization, business in Bengaluru’s trading and retail hub of Chickpet, Avenue Road and Mamulpet has improved from the lows of November and the first half of December, but it is still down significantly. Sexual harassment charge: HR manager told to pay Rs 50,000 for 60 months to ex-employee The state labour department has imposed a monthly penalty of Rs 50,000 for five years on a senior manager of a software company who is facing charges of sexual harassment. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Anxious clients line up at Muthoot to reclaim gold Schoolboy's suicide: Friends speak up, principal arrested for abetment Scientists discuss role of microbiome More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Bharat Ratna for Jayalalithaa: HC rejects PIL The Madras high court declined to direct the Centre to confer the nation's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, on former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. 81-year-old dies waiting for ambulance stuck in traffic City residents have often suffered silently when stuck in traffic due to political meetings or rallies, but an incident earlier this week gave a new dimension to such disruptions. Woman, 75, falls into well, is rescued by firemen A 75-year-old woman survived after slipping into a 50-foot-deep well at Koyambedu on Friday, thanks to a team of fire and rescue services personnel that battled for 45 minutes in the narrow shaft to rescue her. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Vodka plant to come up in dry Gujarat? The proposal comes from a lesser known industrial house, SBM group, which has listed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to be signed at the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. From Nobel's hat to Tagore's acceptance video Congress slams government over Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit spending Prior to the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s arrival January 9, Gujarat Congress on Friday accused state government of helping the capitalists in exploiting Gujarat’s resources in the name of vibrant summit. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		'Eunuch akhara' to visit Magh Mela STF nails arms smuggler, recovers 21 pistols With 'Alav par charcha', BJP to warm up to UP farmers More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Civil society groups protest relocation of tribes from buffer zone of Similipal Tiger Reserve According to them forest dwelling communities in the tiger reserve have applied for the recognition of community rights over the forest but even while the forest rights recognition process is pending with the government, the forest department has started the relocation drive. Picnicker beaten to death by friends A 35-year-old man, who had gone on a picnic with his friends, was beaten to death at Babejor under Jamankira police limits, around 50 km from here, on Thursday. Publicise RTE among poor, private schools told "Private schools don't give admission under the 25% reservation quota taking alibi that there are no applicants. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		NGT wants decision on treated wastewater Currently, the BMC supplies 11.33 lakh litres of clean and good quality water per day to railway department for washing and several other uses at Habibganj railway station. Assess biomedical waste disposal quantity in hospitals: NGT being disposed of through in-house facilities in various hospitals which under the new rules of 2016 have been prohibited from disposing of the BMW through in-house disposal facilities. Barbs fly in run-up to BHEL election Election to the BHEL Thrift Society was mired in controversy on Thursday with vice-president and president hurling accusations at each other.Voting for the society's top post is on January 8. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Remembering an unlikely 'hero' With the intensity of his piercing gaze, Om Puri rose beyond a web of pockmarks to make it big in Indian theatre and the Hindi film industry. Punjab Congress submits memorandum to Election commission on Fazilka jail raid Punjab Congress vice-president and Abohar MLA Sunil Jakhar submitted a memorandum on the recent raid in Fazilka jail to the state’s chief electoral officer (CEO) VK Singh, alleging that the Badal government was influencing the probe into the incident and soft-peddling the case. Jarnail Singh enrolled as voter in Lambi assembly segment The Muktsar district administration has enrolled former Delhi MLA and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member Jarnail Singh as an eligible voter from Punjab, after agency reports stated Jarnail had confirmed to have resigned from his Delhi assembly seat. More Chandigarh News»

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