News Digest: First FIR was lodged in Babri case 65 years ago on this day

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Wednesday, December 24, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		First FIR was lodged in Babri case 65 years ago on this day Tuesday, December 23, completes 65 years of idols of Lord Ram being placed in Babri Masjid. The idols were placed there on the intervening night of December 2223, 1949. Govt may confer Bharat Ratna on Vajpayee A meeting of the Union Cabinet has been called on Wednesday when the decision to confer the honour on Vajpayee is likely to be taken. K Balachander: Firm on ground, he launched stars K Balachander helmed nearly 80 movies, but he also gave direction to a number of wannabe heroes, moulding them into actors rather than stars. More India News»

		Business
		You can hand in pre-2005 notes till June: RBI The Reserve Bank of India has extended the deadline for turning in pre-2005 currency notes to June 30, 2015. UltraTech buys Jaypee cement units The cement plants also include captive power plants with a combined capacity of 180 MW. Record 95 exits in 2014 buoy India private equity play Private equity (PE) investments in India touched $10 billion even as a record number of profitable exits this calendar revved up the momentum for global private capital. More Business News»

		Environment
		Naidu, Jagan want to shrink Kolleru lake further AP assembly adopts resolution urging centre to reduce lake's contour level from 5 to 3 China sets up 21 new national nature reserves China has set up 21 new state-level nature reserves, increasing the country's total conservation area to nearly 10 per cent of the country's land territory. Flamingos give a miss to Ajmer lakes for 3rd time In the last three years, migratory birds like flamingoes have shifted their winter abode from the lakes of Ajmer. More Environment News»

		World
		Sony announces limited release for 'The Interview' Sony Pictures Entertainment announced on Tuesday a limited theatrical release of ``The Interview'' beginning on Thursday, putting back into the theaters the comedy that prompted an international incident with North Korea and outrage over its cancelled release. Ukraine abandons nonaligned status Ukraine's parliament dropped the nation's nonaligned status on Tuesday, possibly paving the way for a bid to join NATO in defiance of the Kremlin's wishes. French PM calls for 'vigilance' after three attacks French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called on Tuesday for "vigilance" after the country was hit by three bizarre attacks in quick succession, sparking fears of possible copycat action. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Saif to bring in 2015 with Bebo at Gstaad Bollywood stars’ itinerary for this holiday season Pics: 8 Most romantic proposals by celebrities Shah Rukh Khan: The badshah of generosity More Entertainment News»

		Science
		E-reading at night can leave you sleepless Use of a light-emitting electronic device such as e-books in the hours before bedtime can adversely impact sleep, overall health, alertness and the circadian clock, a new study has found. Nasa's adhesive grippers to catch space debris Nasa is developing gecko-inspired adhesive grippers that could grapple objects in space such as defunct satellites and orbital debris This paddle helps you climb glass walls like a gecko Stanford University students have created paddles that help humans scale glass walls like a gecko. More Science News»

		Sports
		Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar on Twitter to head list Kohli has overtaken Tendulkar as the most followed sportsperson on Twitter though the iconic cricketer still holds the no. 2 spot a year after his retirement. Title not won in December, warns Man City's Pellegrini Having won six successive EPL matches, City have closed gap on Chelsea but Pellegrini doesn't think the next few weeks will define the champions' season. Biopic on me should promote badminton: Saina Nehwal Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal said that she won't mind a biopic made on her life and wants it to highlight the sport of badminton rather than focus on her. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Apple iPad Air 2 review: Thinner and better Is the iPad Air 2 the best 10-inch tablet money can buy? We try to find out in our review… Samsung to launch curved smartphone at Rs 68,500 Consumer electronics company Samsung will launch the Galaxy Note Edge in India in January 2015, the first smartphone from the company with a curved right edge. 10 best Android smartphones of 2014 With so many smartphones, which ones can be called the best in the business? Take a look at our list of favourite Android smartphones of 2014 to find out… More Technology News»

		Education
		Tamil Nadu students sing their way through periodic table No one clears high school without learning the periodic table. But, which teenager does not baulk at it. A government school teacher in Tamil Nadu has come up with a novel and fun technique to help students remember the periodic table without just memorising it like Greek and Latin. IITs continue to be NRIs' first choice The Indian Institutes of Technology may not figure in the top 200 on several international university rankings but they remain the first choice when it comes to undergraduate education for the children of overseas Indians returning home, particularly IIT alumni. MP government set to provide smartphones to 1.5 lakh college students The Madhya Pradesh government has issued orders for providing smartphones to nearly 1.5 lakh government college students in first year as promised in the manifesto of the ruling BJP. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		International airline to pay for serving non-veg food to vegetarian flyer A consumer forum on Tuesday directed Swiss International Airline to pay a compensation of Rs 30,000 to a vegetarian flyer for inadvertently serving him non-vegetarian food on a Zurich-Mumbai flight in 2011. Thane sisters 'beaten by cops' to seek high-level probe in case Four sisters, who alleged on Monday that they were beaten up by cops when they went to the Kolsewadi police station to lodge a complaint against their neighbour after a dispute, have decided to approach the Thane police commissioner, demanding a high-level inquiry into the matter. Prabhu, CM may hold talks to resolve deadlock over bullet train project Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu is likely to intervene in a bid to resolve the deadlock facing India’s first bullet train. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Man who sold stolen goods online held One person was arrested for allegedly snatching valuables from women and elderly people and selling them through e-commerce websites. Bus rams into wall in central Delhi Several passengers had a close shave on Tuesday evening when an orange cluster bus they were travelling in rammed into the boundary wall of the Planning Commission building in central Delhi. 99% city veggie sellers use plastic bags: Study The blanket ban on plastic bags in the city has proved a dud. A survey by Toxics Link, an environmental NGO, has revealed massive use of plastic carry-bags. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Anti-conversion bill will create communal tension: Archbishop Moras Siddu, George also condemn move; CM says Cong & Karnataka won’t support this 200 govt PU colleges in N K'taka don't have principals Cab driver barges into schoolbus, slaps boy More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Ramudu's appointment challenged YSRCP MLA from Gudivada in Krishna district, K Sri Venkateswara Rao, on Tuesday filed a petition in the Hyderabad high court seeking to declare as illegal the appointment of J V Ramudu as DGP of Andhra Pradesh. AP to get separate police academy Going by the assurances given by the central government during the bifurcation of the state, residuary Andhra Pradesh may soon get a police training centre as well a marine police academy IPS officer moves CAT over cadre allotment IPS officer Abhilasha Bisht of the 1994 batch has approached the central administrative tribunal (CAT) challenging her allotment to the AP cadre in the ongoing cadre bifurcation exercise between AP and Telangana. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Women dive deep to weed out gender barrier, make a living As heavy winds lash the Ramanathapuram coast, A Mariammal and her niece M Rasakka sit outside their shanty and stare listlessly at the turbulent sea — the same blue space that swallowed their tiny fishing hamlet and their friends who ventured in to eke out a living that fateful morning on December 26, 2004. From sabha to sabha, shuttle for free now Crowded parking lots and unreasonable autorickshaw drivers can take the fun out of sabha hopping. Balachander's funeral likely tomorrow K Balachander, who was admitted to Kauvery Hospital last Monday after he fainted at his Alwarpet residence, died of cardiac arrest and kidney failure on Tuesday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Bungalow donated to house the aged Fern House, at a prime location in Mirzapur, will now be a home for the aged who have no one to take care of them in the twilight of their lives. City gets into Christmas spirit Christmas stars can be seen hung almost everywhere and city markets are choc-a-block with last-minute shoppers. Modi to skip Vibrant valediction Modi has reportedly spared only two days for the celebrations. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Ticket cancellations make railways poorer by 71 lakh The intense foggy weather conditions have paralyzed the movement of trains running on the New Delhi-Howrah route. HC lawyers go for road show, on relay fast on Wednesday Allahabad High Court Bar Association (HCBA) organized a massive road show on Tuesday as a part of their ongoing agitation against the proposed bifurcation of Allahabad High Court by setting up its bench in west UP. Sangam City reels under intense cold wave The Sangam City continued to reel under intense cold wave for the second consecutive on Tuesday. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		UGC team visits Khallikote College A University Grants Commission (UGC) team on Tuesday visited government-run Khallikote College here to assess the infrastructure facilities for restoration of its autonomous status. Mercury plummets, sales soar at Tibetan market for winter wear Temperatures have dipped and concurrently, the sale of winter garments is soaring at the Tibetan woolens market in Saheed Nagar.Jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters, mufflers and monkey caps are fast flying off the shelves. Govt gives up OPGC-OHPCjoint venture proposal Legal impediments have stalled the state government's plan for a joint venture (JV) between two state-run agencies to participate in the e-auction of coal blocks . More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		MP power company seeks tariff hike on 'unrealistic' coal price Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company’s proposal to the state power regulator seeking a 24% hike in power tariff claiming increase in price of coal seems to be based on ‘bogus’ claims. Illegal mining mafia in Sidhi fined Rs 500 crore In a major crackdown against illegal mining mafia, Sidhi district administration imposed penalties worth Rs 500 crore on the miners. BMC: Abattoir to be moved to outskirts Civic body will relocate the abattoir and the animal market to city outskirts on orders of national Green Tribunal. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Soldiers, cops held for helping Rampal The Haryana police have arrested six retired and serving Army soldiers and cops for helping preacher Rampal when he defied arrest warrants against him in a contempt of court case. Panel to look into pay hike for govt staff Four months after the then Congress government in Haryana announced to give pay and pension to state employees on the Punjab pattern, the BJP government on Tuesday announced to constitute a committee to examine the issue. NIHSAD pathologist to enlarge Sukhna avian virus probe A pathologist from India's premier research body, the National Institute for High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD), secured samples from backyard poultry maintained in the villages around the Sukhna Lake on Tuesday. More Chandigarh News»

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