News Digest: Rawat woos voters with Rs 500cr sops ahead of bypolls

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, May 29, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Rawat woos voters with Rs 500cr sops ahead of bypolls Looking to woo voters in two assembly constituencies of Dharchula and Doiwala, where bypolls are due soon, chief minister Harish Rawat has announced a slew of sops in the form of development projects worth Rs 500 crore. Ramdev welcomes SIT on black money Yoga guru Ramdev welcomed the setting up of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe black money stashed abroad by the Narendra Modi government. Former pastor, sons booked for minors' gang-rape The Roorkee police have registered a case against a former pastor and his two sons for allegedly gang-raping two minor sisters for over six months. More India News»

		Business
		Govt depts battle for FDI policy control The control over foreign direct investment (FDI) policy and the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has turned into a full-blown battle between two wings of the government and is expected to prompt the finance minister, Arun Jaitley, to intervene and end the tussle. Unpaid subsidies face FM's scrutiny The government's unpaid subsidy bills have attracted finance minister Arun Jaitely's attention with the minister raising the issue during his first interaction with the department of economic affairs on Tuesday. CAG slams oil ministry, DGH over KG-D6 The CAG's draft report, sent to the ministry for response, could spark off another round of wrangling between the Reliance-led consortium and the government involving a chest of $1.5 billion. More Business News»

		Environment
		Asiatic lion's abode set for Unesco leap The proposal for the World Heritage Site status for Gir and Girnar could make it the county's first to be on both cultural and nature site lists. Brazil promises 'greenest World Cup' "We want to score green goals," Brazil's environment minister Izabella Teixeira said. Breeding centre for Great Indian Bustard to be set up in Kutch Finally, there seem to be some serious efforts in saving the Great Indian Bustard that is on the brink of extinction. More Environment News»

		World
		America must always lead: Obama US President Barack Obama on Wednesday tried to regain his statesman’s mantle, telling graduating cadets here that the nation they were being commissioned to serve would still lead the world and would not stumble into military misadventures overseas. Egypt's Sisi sweeps to victory in presidential vote Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the general who toppled Egypt's first freely elected leader, swept to victory in a presidential election, provisional results showed on Thursday, joining a long line of leaders drawn from the military. Kerry to Snowden: 'Man up' and come home US secretary of state John Kerry on Wednesday called National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive and challenged him to "man up and come back to the United States." Snowden says in an interview that he would like to go home. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Top 5 controversial couples of TV Bollywood beauties and their navel show Is Sunny Leone annoyed with Ranveer Singh? Besides being bold and having an affinity towards sex, actor Ranveer Singh and former adult star Sunny Leone have one more thing in common between them. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		The moon's internet speed soon to be faster than earth The internet speed on the moon will soon be faster than that on earth. Scientists have found a way to get broadband speed of just under 20 megabits per second (mbps) on the Moon. Martian volcano may have been habitable The slopes of a giant Martian volcano, once covered in glacial ice, may have been home to one of the most recent habitable environments yet found on the Red Planet. 30% of world is now fat, no country immune: Study Almost a third of the world is now fat, and no country has been able to curb obesity rates in the last three decades, according to a new global analysis. More Science News»

		Sports
		Serena knocked out of French Open Defending champion Serena Williams was eliminated in the second round of French Open when she suffered a 6-2, 6-2 defeat against Spain's Garbine Muguruza. CR7 is world's most marketable player Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's most marketable footballer, according to a study released by an international sports market research company. Maria enters 3rd round at Roland Garros Russian Maria Sharapova advanced to the third round at the French Open by beating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 7-5, 6-2 on Wednesday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Infosys president BG Srinivas resigns Infosys president and board member BG Srinivas has resigned from the company marking the eleventh top-level exit in the company. Lava Iris 504Q+ review: A well built budget option The Iris 504Q+ is an iterative update offering a superior camera, slightly better internals and better fit and finish. India may soon have more Twitter users than UK: Study India and Indonesia are primed to surpass the United Kingdom with the third- and fourth-largest Twitter populations this year, the research firm said. More Technology News»

		Education
		What Smriti Irani is looking at: IITs in every state, review of DU's FYUP HRD minister Smriti Irani has given a list of 60 priority areas to her officials and asked them to work in that direction. Parents combine foreign vacations with hunt for college Joshua Arul Ebenezer had an array of courses in universities abroad to choose from, but a visit to Cardiff School of Law in UK sealed the deal. “It was worth the Rs4 lakh we spent to visit the place,” said his father Gerald Ebenezer. It's destination Europe for high quality education at low cost Europe is no longer just a holiday destination for Indians. With universities offering quality education at 70% of what it would cost to study in the US and the UK, middle-class students are opting for European institutions. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Rights activists welcome RSS stand on Sec 377 A cross-section of human rights activists from South Asia on Wednesday welcomed an apparent softening in the RSS's stand on homosexuality. MNS men vandalize Kalyan school Several Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers, led by party MLA Prakash Bhoir, vandalized Birla School on Wednesday and manhandled its administrator, alleging the school favours Sindhis over Marathis in junior KG admissions. Super jumbo A380 may end up delaying flights behind it Congested airports and the double-decker super jumbo A380 do not share an easy relationship. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		HC refuses plea for ban on Arvind Kejriwal's letter The Delhi high court on Wednesday declined to entertain a plea seeking a ban on publication and circulation of Arvind Kejriwal’s letter questioning orders sending him to judicial custody and also leveling allegations against Nitin Gadkari. Venkaiah Naidu bats for Metro expansion in NCR In a major policy departure from the earlier UPA government, the new urban development minister, Venkaiah Naidu, said on Wednesday that instead of big cities going vertical, twin cities and satellite towns will be developed to reduce load on them. UGC retracts letter on ad hoc teachers Within a week of writing to DU colleges saying there’s no provision for salaries to ad hoc appointments, the University Grants Commission has withdrawn the May 19 letter. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Cousins fight over property, 1 dies A property dispute between two cousins ended in the death of one near Guraguntepalya junction, Yeshwantpur, in the wee hours of Wednesday.The duo worked as contract labourers with Bangalore Metro. Karnataka cop row: Officer's rights violated, says loyal police corps The ADGP was accused of taking photographs of a woman freelance journalist using his camera phone on Monday morning.He was caught by the woman, her cousin and another customer, and handed over to police. Melkote restoration on the back burner A central monument in temple town Melkote dates back to the 12th century.Apart from some famous temples and rock formations, there are also line drawings belonging to ancient times. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Murder accused let off on lack of evidence the division bench comprising Justice L Narasimha Reddy and Justice M S K Jaiswal said there are several missing links in the prosecution's case apart from lapses on the part of material witnesses. No President's rule in Telangana from June 2 However, Seemandhra would be kept under President's rule until TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu takes charge by June 8 or 9. Bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation likely to take a few more months Unlike other units heading for splitsville, the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) will continue, at least for some time, as a single entity post June 2. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		PIL wants CBSE schools be brought under govt control Seeking to bring CBSE schools in Tamil Nadu under the effective control of the state government, a PIL wants the government be asked to frame appropriate rules under the RTE Act empowering itself to grant recognition to new CBSE schools. New foot over-bridge to help people cross over from Central to Park Town Travellers and suburban commuters may no longer have to jostle for space inside a narrow subway or hop across the busy main road to reach Central railway station. Decision to pull out stops irks rail passengers Southern Railway’s decision to reduce halts of trains has drawn passengers’ ire. Rail Passengers Association of Tiruvallur has, in a letter, urged the authorities to scrap the decision to withdraw stop of Mangalore Mail and to allot more stops for more trains at the station. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		After slowdown, passenger movement takes off at Ahmedabad airport Introduction of new routes and more flights, along with a spur in the passengers flying on international routes from the city, has led to 9.6% growth in passenger movement in 2013-14 at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here. Ahmedabad girl gets research grant from US university A city girl has won the Double Hoo Research Grant from the University of Virginia. Golden era of Gujarati architecture The Solanki or Chalukya period of Gujarat from 942 AD and 1244 AD is considered to be golden period not only for the empire's greatest geographic extent and economic and military power but also for its cultural achievements. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Minor sisters raped, killed, hanged from tree In a shocking incident at Ushaiti village under Badaun Kotwali on Tuesday night, two minor girls aged 14 and 15 years were raped and killed. Demand to restore Jhunsi-Puramufti bus service Volunteers of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a group of daily commuters on Tuesday urged the divisional commissioner to restore Jhunsi-Puramufti bus service for the convenience of daily commuters. Chief project managers' conference The conference of chief project managers of Railway Electrification was organised on Tuesday under the chairmanship of general manager, PK Srivastava. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Heavy rain in western districts of Odisha Widespread rain in Kalahandi, Balangir and Nuapada districts has led to the rise in water level of rivers.The Vansadhara was flowing barely half metre below the danger mark but it receded late on Tuesday. NSG security drills in Bhubaneswar today In the wake of recent visit of two Indian Mujahideen operatives to the state capital and Puri, the National Security Guard (NSG) has decided to conduct security drills at these places on Wednesday. 13 runway juveniles delinquents caught Police on Tuesday nabbed 13 of the 27 juvenile delinquents, who had escaped from the government-run observation home here . More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Employee found hanging in minister's hotel in Bhopal An 18-year-old employee of a hotel in old city area reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself on Tuesday morning. The hotel belongs to higher education minister Umashankar Gupta. Finally, cable-stayed bridge to link Kamla Park, VIP road The much-awaited cable-stayed bridge linking Kamla Park with VIP road may become a reality by December 2015. Van Vihar tigress Sita seriously ill Sita, the aged tigress at Van Vihar, who has been a regular treat to wildlife lovers visiting the national park for last two decade is seriously ill. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Property dispute behind Panchkula BJP leader's murder The police on Wednesday said four and not three persons had murdered 26-year-old BJP leader Ashutosh Bhardwaj after storming into his house in Saketri in the wee hours of Monday. MC general house to take up developmental works tomorrow After a gap of three months, the municipal corporation will take up 13 financial agenda items during its general house meeting on Friday. PU may approach cops over fake texts for UBS seats An unusual text message doing the rounds these days has started to worry PU authorities. More Chandigarh News»

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