News Digest: In country's only ISO 9000 household, visitors fill out a feedback form after tea

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, December 10, 2017
		Today's Headlines

		India
		In country's only ISO 9000 household, visitors fill out a feedback form after tea Young Turks bring zing to Niti Aayog The experiment to hire young professionals seems to be delivering results, with experts and professionals from non-government areas such as the private sector, civil society and public policy graduates filling gaps as well as supplementing the career-based bureaucracy where specialisation can create silos. ED probing scams at 44% strength The ED is facing an acute manpower crunch as it continues to operate at 44% of its approved strength, impacting critical operations at the investigating officers' level, which has as many as 319 posts vacant. More India News»

		Business
		Indian economy set for higher growth trajectory: Jaitley He said the NDA government would now focus on large-scale investment in the infrastructure sector and rural areas. "I think, we should be looking forward to a much higher growth trajectory (for India) in the days to come." Former Infy CFO demands discontinuance of some board members No need to print MRP for single-brand retailers Top foreign retailers said marking MRP on individual products increases production cost that is eventually borne by the consumer. In Ikea’s case, labelling cost per store could be as high as Rs 7-10 crore. More Business News»

		Environment
		PETA teams up with Sony Music to help save rescued pets People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Sony Music together has launched a video contest 'Billi Ka Bachcha' on the occasion of International Animal Rights Day to encourage adoption of homeless animals like cats and dogs. Arunachal MP seeks survey on snow leopards in the state Arunachal Pradesh Lok Sabha MP Ninong Ering asks for a survey in the state to count snow leopard population. Earlier the MP had also asked for initiation of Project Snow Leopard. Berlin zoo on survival watch for newborn polar bear More Environment News»

		World
		Pak blocks 937 web addresses to curb terrorist activities The ministry of information technology took action under the National Action Plan (NAP) adopted in early 2015 to eliminate militancy from the country after the 2014 Peshawar school attack in which nearly 150 people, mostly school children, were killed. Israel air strikes kill two in Gaza as Trump rage simmers Retaliatory Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed two Hamas militants today, as unrest simmered across the Palestinian territories over US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Sri Lanka formally hands over Hambantota port to China Sri Lanka today formally handed over the southern sea port of Hambantota to China on a 99-year lease. The island country owed China $8 billion. With this agreement the country has started to pay back the loans. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Anushka Sharma-Virat Kohli wedding: Everything you need to know Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli are one of the most talked about couples in Tinseltown. Here's a roundup of everything you need to know about their hush-hush wedding. Pic: Sagarika Ghatke and Zaheer Khan go diving on adventurous honeymoon Sagarika Ghatge and Zaheer Khan, who got married on November 23, have headed to the Maldives for their honeymoon and is enjoying it to the hilt. The couple shared their first pictures from the exotic location that don't see them lounging around but indulging in some adventure activities. Ileana D'Cruz and Andrew Kneebone's candid pics Ileana D’Cruz impressed everybody with her acting chops when she made her Bollywood debut with ‘Barfi!’. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Mars atmosphere well protected from solar wind, reveals study Mars is a cold and dry planet with less than one per of Earth's atmospheric pressure at the surface. Martian atmosphere is well protected from the effects of the solar wind. New breathalyser test for drugs developed A breathalyser that can identify drugs from exhaled breath has been developed by a group of researchers in Europe. Exhaled breath contains particles carrying non-volatile substances. The collection procedure is non-invasive, can be repeated within a short time span and is convenient. New form of matter 'excitonium' discovered More Science News»

		Sports
		Whether ODIs or IPL, basics of captaincy remain same: Rohit He has successfully led Mumbai Indians to a hat-trick of IPL titles and no wonder Rohit Sharma firmly insists that "basics of captaincy remain same" when one shifts from franchise to international cricket. Winning Superseries Finals bigger priority than ranking: Srikanth Srikanth triumphed at the Indonesia Open, Denmark Open, Australia Open and the French Open this year, and is keen on capping it with a victory in Dubai, where eight of the top men and women performers will battle for supremacy. HWL: Australia beat Germany 3-0; to face Argentina in final Australia defeated a depleted Germany 3-0 to enter their second consecutive final of Hockey World League Final on Saturday. Goals from Wotherspoon (42'), Haywards (48') and Wickham (60') helped the defending champions set up a summit clash with Argentina which will be played on Sunday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		From Jan 1, link your mobile to Aadhaar via OTP Mobile subscribers who are yet to link their numbers with Aadhaar can do so from the comfort of their home from January 1 using a voice-guided system that would complete the process through a one-time password (OTP). Apple to buy music recognizing app Shazam: Report Apple is in talks to buy the popular song recognition app Shazam as the tech giant tries to compete with streaming leader Spotify, TechCrunch reported Friday. What the rich and famous have to say on Bitcoin More Technology News»

		Education
		CBSE class 10, 12 board exam practical schedule released 680 placement offers bagged by IIT-Roorkee students in 1st week Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee placements: A total of 681 offers — 286 in core sector and 395 in non-core — came from 168 participating companies during the recruiting exercise which began on December 2, it said in a statement. Best of Ivy League at Bennett University More Education News»

		Mumbai
		20 teachers of TISS centres that faced closure not paid salaries for two months Railway minister Piyush Goyal does a surprise check Man who died after fall from train was pushed by fellow commuter More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Families discuss challenges here Women alcoholics retrace steps to sobriety Fake board probe: Delhi government officials under scanner More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		BSY changes tack on candidate selection With factional feuds threatening to mar the BJP's prospects at the hustings in next year's assembly elections, party state president B S Yeddyurappa has chosen to settle a row over poll tickets that was of his making. 4 green crusaders bag wildlife awards Four wildlife conservationists and partners associated with a Bengaluru-based non-profit organization won laurels at the recently-held Sanctuary Wildlife Awards in Mumbai. Comatose dengue patient revived after a month It began innocuously enough with a bout of fever, which tests later revealed was the dreaded dengue. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		1 crore rip-off: Telugu students conned in Hyderabad round tickets Travel Agency Promised Cheap Flights To 150 F1 Visa Holders Unexplained kidney ailment in Uddanam may remain a medical mystery for ever The unusually high incidence of kidney ailments in Uddanam village of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh will continue to remain a medical enigma as health experts and scientists including from Harvard failed to find out the exact cause even after a series of tests. Afghan national threatens to jump from building, locals rescue him An Afghanistan national created nuisance on Saturday by threatening to jump from the top of a building in Shamshabad. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		No non-academic event in schools and colleges, rules HC Lifesaver: Doctors plan second heart in tummy No non-academic After parties' complaints, RK Nagar gets new RO Days after election officials allegedly botched up scrutiny of nominations in the R K Nagar byelection, rejecting papers filed by actor Vishal, the Election Commission replaced returning officer K Velusami with Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of Women MD Praveen Nair. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		DRI seizes Rs 49 crore in demonetized notes in Bharuch Over 68% in Saurashtra, South Gujarat take a call Woman secretary accuses boss of sexual exploitation More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Bomb scare halts train at Sirathu station 'Suspicious' Object Found Lying In Toilet Traffic chaos continues in Sangam city With the ongoing work, for laying of second railway track between Phaphamau and Allahabad junction, continues in the city, traffic chaos continued to pose problem for commuters in the Sangam city, on Friday as well. With just 2,700 surgeries, district lags behind in male sterilisation target More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Odisha BJP protests over non-allocation of funds for Bijepur irrigation project The BJP on Saturday staged a protest near the statue of poet Gangadhar Meher at Nalco Square in the capital city over non-allocation of funds in the supplementary budget for the recently announced Gangadhar Meher pipe-based irrigation project for Bijepur area of Bargarh district. Elephants damage crops in Bhubaneswar's Khurda A herd of around 22 elephants have left residents of Khurda district near Bhubaneswar sleepless for the last couple of days. These wild animals are creating havoc in Tangi areas of the district by damaging crops. Folk & Tribal Art Museum opened at Barkul near Chilika A folk and tribal art museum was opened on Saturday at Barkul near Chilika, 100 km from here, to promote rural art, culture and literature of the state. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Gadkari 'in dark' about Ken-Betwa river linkage project hurdles! Software glitch again embarasses Vyapam Barkatullah University mystery: How did files go missing? More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		'Pakistan troops committed inhuman atrocities in East Pakistan' Veggies grown by dera head make it to Sunaria prison's kitchen About 500 protesting NHM workers sacked in Haryana More Chandigarh News»

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News Digest: Why Congress should embrace religion and ignore charges of 'soft Hindutva'

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, December 09, 2017
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Why Congress should embrace religion and ignore charges of 'soft Hindutva' From Jan 1, link your mobile to Aadhaar via OTP Subscribers have till the first week of February to get their numbers verified, failing which their connection may be disconnected. A subscriber needs to call the Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) from his mobile number, and complete the process. PSU staffers' kids denied UPSC jobs under quota For the fifth year in succession, the Centre has rejected the wards of OBCs employed in PSUs who passed the UPSC civil services examinations but were categorised by the government as belonging to the "creamy layer". More India News»

		Business
		Government vs RBI: Deputy governor explains Kishore Kumar style The IIT-Bombay alumnus’ resume is studded with several achievements, but what you won’t find there is the fact that during his B-school days in New York, he had started an Indian film music band called 'Surbahaar'. Sensex up 300 points, market closes positive In Friday's early trade, both the benchmark indices consolidated on Thursday's positive sentiment and then extended the gains throughout the day. FMCG stocks were the major drivers of the Street with the Nifty FMCG sub-index surging more than 2 per cent during the day. GDP growth to rise to 7.5% in '18: Morgan Stanley According to global financial services major Morgan Stanley, corporate return expectations and balance sheet fundamentals are improving, and a strengthening financial system should be able to meet investment credit demand. More Business News»

		Environment
		Berlin zoo on survival watch for newborn polar bear Militias, poachers wreak havoc on central Africa's wildlife Various notorious groups are causing havoc on the central African wildlife. Poaching of elephant, hippopotamuses, buffaloes and other animals are on a rise. Remains of extinct lion species discovered in Australia The University of New South Wales' researchers said the fossilised skull, teeth, and humerus bone was found at the Riversleigh World Heritage site in Queensland. More Environment News»

		World
		Theresa May faces hardliner backlash after Brexit deal British Prime Minister Theresa May scored a key success in clinching a Brexit agreement with Brussels today but faced an immediate backlash from hardliners at home for making compromises. Maldives, China sign 12 agreeements to promote OBOR The Maldives has signed 12 agreements with China, including a pact to jointly promote the One Belt One Road (OBOR) programme, during the ongoing visit of the island nation’s President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom here on Friday. EU to start Brexit transition talks early in 2018 The European Union should be ready to start negotiating details of a post-Brexit transition period with Britain early in the new year, a senior EU official said on Friday, but talks on future trade will take longer. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Kangana Ranaut: A superstar is trying to put me behind bars Kangana Ranaut may have gone off the spotlight for shooting her forthcoming film 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi' but the actress makes sure to brush up on the current affairs from time to time. Alia Bhatt and her BFFs Just a few years post stepping into the world of showbiz, Alia Bhatt has become a name to reckon with. Kapil responds to Farah Khan's "mannerless" tweet Comedian-turned-actor Kapil Sharma is known for his infamous spats with many big-wigs from the industry.Well, it looks like he just added one more to the list More Entertainment News»

		Science
		China turns space debris into in-orbit 'Internet of Things' Chinese scientists have turned the final stage of a discarded launch rocket into a smart application programme by fitting it with intelligent chips, official media said here on Friday. Genes linked to homosexuality identified Scientists have discovered genetic variants linked to homosexuality by analysing the entire DNA codes of gay and heterosexual men. They discovered that DNA was different for gay and straight men around two genes: SLITRK5 and SLITRK6. Black holes have weaker magnetic fields than thought, says study The findings, published in the journal Science, will help scientists solve the half-century-old mystery of how 'jets' of particles travelling at nearly the speed of light shoot out of black holes' magnetic fields, while everything else is sucked into their abysses. More Science News»

		Sports
		HWL Final: India go down fighting 0-1 to Argentina in semis Olympic champions Argentina converted their lone penalty corner of the night to edge past hosts India 1-0 and enter their maiden final of the Hockey World League Final on Friday. Showdown with Triple H biggest match of my career: Mahal He's been here before, as WWE Champion earlier this year. But Saturday's showdown against the 'King of Kings' Triple H at the Indira Gandhi Stadium, the highlight bout of the much-awaited WWE Live India Tour, carries a different resonance for WWE Superstar Jinder Mahal. HWL Final: Netherlands beat England 1-0 to end on high Amidst heavy rain, Netherlands beat England 1-0 in the 7th/8th Place classification match at the Hockey World League Final on Friday evening. Mirco Pruijser (42') scored the only goal of the match in trying conditions. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Samsung to slash price of Galaxy smartphones on this date In a first, Samsung India will cut the prices of some of its Galaxy smartphones ahead of Christmas as part of "Happy Hours" sale on Amazon.in on December 12. Facebook Messenger Instant Games get new features Exactly one year back Facebook introduced Messenger games and on this occasion the company has rolled out new games and features. Presently, the platform has 70 games and more than 100 developers across the globe. Asus Zenfone 4 smartphone to get Oreo update this month Taiwanese smartphone maker Asus confirmed in August that it will roll out Oreo update for its Zenfone 3 and Zenfone 4 series of smartphones. More Technology News»

		Education
		680 placement offers bagged by IIT-Roorkee students in 1st week Over 680 offers were bagged by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Roorkee students in the first week of placement season, including 13 from international companies, a statement from the institute said on Friday. Best of Ivy League at Bennett University Cut-off marks for reserved category can't be decreased in a later stage, says Allahabad High Court More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Beer taps run dry as supplies held up over excise confusion Education department demotes 20 officials who got promotions under quota policy More than 3,000 civic staff skip biometric attendance, salary on hold More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Fee hike panel's tenure extended 7-year-old saves park from being razed Max hospital loses licence for declaring alive infant dead The Delhi government cancelled the licence of Max Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, on Friday. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		CM's health bhagya scheme hits roadblock Rai slams Hegde's 2016 remark on Hindutva over his alleged statement on Hindutva that he had made prior to becoming a minister. After Dec 18 Gujarat results, parties in Karnataka will change poll tack More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Final feasibility report on Telangana, Andhra Pradesh steel plants in a month Plants To Come Up In Kadapa & Khammam IndiGo to put Tirupati on its itinerary from January 7 Low-Cost Carrier To Operate Daily Flights From Temple Town To Hyderabad, Bengaluru Police arrest hostel owner's son for filming woman lecturer in bathroom Police on Friday arrested a degree graduate for allegedly video-graphing a woman lecturer while she was taking bath in the wash room. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Metropolitan Transport Corporation losses jump 400% in three years Metropolitan Transport Corporation's net losses almost doubled in 2016 from the previous year, despite an increase in patronage, and jumped more than fourfold from 45 crore in 2013-14 to 190 crore in 2015-16. Supreme Court stops High court from verifying thumb impression of Jayalalithaa Jailer Submits 'Impression' Copy To Court Suicide kills more youths in Tamil Nadu than accidents More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		In Gujarat's first polls, candidates openly wooed voters with booze, cash Use ballot to punish Congress: PM Narendra Modi Phase-1 polls for 89 seats in Saurashtra, South Gujarat today More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Traffic chaos continues in Sangam city With the ongoing work, for laying of second railway track between Phaphamau and Allahabad junction, continues in the city, traffic chaos continued to pose problem for commuters in the Sangam city, on Friday as well. With just 2,700 surgeries, district lags behind in male sterilisation target 'Allahabadi Surkha' gets damaged, growers in red More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Naveen to inaugurate 4-day Enterprise Odisha 2017 on Dec 13 in city High school contract teachers demand job regularization in Odisha Odisha witnesses drop in crime this year More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Rs 300cr scam in MP to help builders dodge Rera It's alleged that back-dated completion certificates were issued to housing projects that weren't complete so as to save them from RERA regulations that came into force on May 1, 2017. Whistleblower Madhya Pradesh bureaucrat transferred 18th time in 13 years Pulse procurement scam: 300 farmers yet to be verified in Narsinghpur More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Cop aspirant takes invigilator's help to cheat No city tableau at R-Day parade for second consecutive year MC calls meeting to take feedback on parking policy More Chandigarh News»

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