News Digest: ASI unearths 4,000 cannon balls at Kannur fort

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Saturday, December 12, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		ASI unearths 4,000 cannon balls at Kannur fort In what could be the biggest excavation of its kind in the country, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials unearthed thousands of cannon balls from St Angelo’s Fort here, a seaside citadel built by the Portuguese in 1505, and subsequently occupied by the Dutch, the British and also local Muslim rulers. Protect history: PM Modi to people Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to be conscious of their heritage and ensure that it is preserved and protected for future generations. Sedition case: Hardik Patel, 2 aides denied bail An Ahmedabad city sessions court on Friday denied bail to Patidar quota stir leader Hardik Patel and his two aides — Dinesh Bambhania and Chirag Patel — in connection with sedition charges slapped by city crime branch. More India News»

		Business
		Rajan expects US Fed to hike rates by 25 bps next week Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan on Friday primed the markets for a quarter of a percentage point rate hike by the US Fed next week — a move that is expected to cause ripples across the world, including India. India imposes anti-dumping duty on steel products India imposed five-year anti-dumping duties on stainless steel imports from China, the European Union and the United States on Friday, as the government tries to help local companies suffering from cheaper imports. Auto stocks fall on green tribunal's diesel order Select automobile stocks cracked after the National Green Tribunal ordered restrictions on the use of diesel vehicles in Delhi till January 6 as investors on Dalal Street felt that it could impact the revenues of select automobile manufacturers. More Business News»

		Environment
		Negotiators in Paris up all night to clinch deal Negotiators huddled through Wednesday night and most of Thursday, racing against the clock to resolve key differences between the rich and developing nations in an attempt to stitch together an international pact to fight climate by the self-imposed deadline of Friday. Pollution on the rise as temperature dips in Delhi Overcast skies and a distinct layer of smog marked another highly polluted day in Delhi which saw further increase in the level of suspended particulate matter, with the average reading of PM 2.5 touching 204 microgram per cubic metre, keeping the air quality 'very poor'. Global warming could cause fall in oxygen: Study Earth's oxygen could dramatically fall due to change in ocean temperature of just several degrees, which may likely result in the mass mortality of animals and humans, a new study has claimed. More Environment News»

		World
		Putin vows tough military action in Syria President Vladimir Putin on Friday ordered his forces in Syria to take tough action against any threats, speaking two weeks after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane in the war-torn country. For Democrats, Trump no longer a laughing matter Until Monday, when Donald J Trump proposed a ban on Muslims entering the United States, Hillary Clinton could hardly keep herself from laughing at the mention of his name. 2 Syrians arrested in Geneva amid enhanced security The Swiss public broadcaster is reporting that two men of Syrian origin have been arrested in Geneva with traces of explosives found in their vehicle. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Enfant terrible to good Samaritan, Salman  Till late on Wednesday (one night before the judgement was pronounced) Salman Khan was at ND Studio, Karjat attending to his professional assignments. Bollywood actors get funny website names Akshay Kumar's alleged love affairs Khiladi Akshay Kumar has had a colourful history as far as his love life is concerned. Starting from Pooja Batra to his wife Twinkle Khanna and Priyanka Chopra, the actor has had a series of alleged love affairs. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		MUHS partners to start Africa Oncology Fellowship Program Merck, a science and technology company, joined hands with the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) and University of Nairobi to start its Africa Oncology Fellowship Program. It signed a MoU with the MUHS this week to kick-start the programme. Alzheimer's: Drinking a glass of wine a day may help sufferers reduce risk of death from disease Alzheimer’s sufferers who drink a single glass of wine - or the equivalent of two to three units of alcohol - every day are significantly less likely to die than those who drink more or are teetotal, research suggests. USFDA safety review asks for new warnings on diabetes medicines, SGL2 inhibitors An FDA safety review has resulted in adding new warnings to the labels of a specific class of type 2 diabetes medicines -- sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, about the risks of too much acid in the blood and of serious urinary tract infections. More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL has taken away home advantage from India: Virat Kohli Virat Kohli said that the advent of the cash-rich IPL, in which several top foreign players figure, has taken away the home advantage from India which is hosting the ICC World T20 Championship in March-April next year. Sania, Bopanna star as Indian Aces beat UAE Warriors Mirza and Bopanna came to the fore as the Indian Aces consolidated their top spot in the second leg of the International Premier Tennis League standings. Cyclist Deborah makes history with 4th place ranking India's young cycling sensation Deborah Herold has become the first female cyclist from the country to reach the heights of fourth place in the UCI individual world ranking. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Xiaomi's 12.5 inch laptop to start shipping in April 2016: Report Speculations about Xiaomi opening another front in its battle against Apple and Lenovo Group have been doing rounds since quite sometime. 21 tech companies where employees are happiest For those who are thinking of brushing off their resumes to try something new in 2016, job-hunting site Glassdoor has the inside skinny on which tech companies are making their employees happiest. Google just revealed the first new feature of Android N During a Reddit AMA on the Pixel C, Glen Murphy, director of Android and Chrome UX, confirmed that split-screen multitasking support is incoming. "We're working hard on a range of enhancements for Android in this form factor," he said. More Technology News»

		Education
		44% of Mohali residents are graduates, the highest among Indian cities Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, better known as Mohali, the cricket venue near Chandigarh, has the distinction of having the highest share of graduates in its population among all Indian cities. Nearly 44% of its residents are either graduates or above. UK woos Indians, says no cap on foreign students Sajid Javid, UK secretary of state for business, innovation and skills, has said there is no cap “at all on number of foreign students” visiting Britain for studies. Maharashtra govt decides to conduct only 2 baseline tests this year in schools After a series of delays marred the first and second round of baseline tests in the schools across the state, the Maharashtra government has now decided that it will conduct two instead of three tests in this academic year. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Dabbawalas will pedal with Powai in cyclothon The hardworking and ubiquitous dabbawalas of Mumbai have teamed up with Powai residents to participate in the Cyclothon Carnival this Sunday , to pedal home the message that cycling is not only healthy for us, but also for the environment. Several members of the dabbawala fraternity will be seen cycling through the leafy lanes of Hiranandani Gardens, but minus their heavy lunch load of shiny `dabbas'. Coming next year: Law college for women in city A law college exclusively for women is what University of Mumbai will soon get. It is one of the 65 new colleges proposed in the perspective plan for 2016-17.Currently , only SNDT Women's University runs a law school for women in the city . The plan has been put up on the university's website. Synth disco king Giorgio Moroder to spin his classics in city tonight Not too many people can claim to have a world renowned song created o pay homage to them, especially one that acts as an auditory primer to their life's work. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		HC slams cops over speed breakers The Delhi high court on Friday asked police whether it was implementing the court's directions to identify and remove illegal and dangerous speed breakers from the capital's roads. Ministries to submit plans on pollution After the Supre me Court asked the Centre and Delhi government to co me up with suggestions to de fuse the capital's air pollution crisis, solicitor general Ranji Sinha has asked three key mi nistries to provide their ac tion plans to be submitted in the apex court. Govt to ready plan of action on Monday Prospective diesel car buyers are a worried lot as registration of diesel vehicles has been banned till January 6, 2016. On Friday , National Green Tribunal directed the Delhi government to immediately stop registration of all new diesel vehicles and those older than 10 years till the next date of hearing. Having received the order late on Friday , no official directions had been issued to regional transport offices where these registrations take place. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Northeast soft power captivates the city In 2012, a rogue text message altered the destiny of northeast residents in Bengaluru. Finding Amir Khusrau through music, poetry It is difficult to not be amazed by Amir Khusrau. A 13th century Sufi musi cian, poet and scholar who is credited as the inventor of the sitar and tabla, and the khayal and tarana styles of music, Khusrau's life offers rich material to storytellers. Delhi-based Ankit Chaddha is one of them. Legacy is a double-edged sword Children of famous musicians and dancers have crafted their own style and idiom -sometimes to escape inevitable comparisons with their parents The last time Anoushka Shankarper formed in Bengaluru in 2012, it was to a packed house with her father, the late Pandit Ravi Shankar. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Relief aid to Chennai from CSIR-IICT Scientists of CSIR-IICT in the city have despatched air material to Chennai in the wake of the floods. IICT director S Chandrasekhar constituted a committee comprising K V Ram Prasad, V Mohan Rao, Sudershan, and K Sriram for the purpose of sending the relief material. Reformist Bohras face social boycott in Hyderabad The members of Dawoodi Bohra community are predisposed to business; the thousands of large and small hardware and glass stores dotting the city bear testimony to the fact that the largely mercantile community is thriving. Hoarding of a different kind for Hyderabad civic polls Ahead of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) polls, the I&PR department has set up huge hoardings at vantage places in the city publicizing government schemes and decisions. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Most reservoirs around Chennai wreaked damage Today, Red Hills Lake, spread across 18sqkm, offers a breathtaking view. The reservoir built by the British in the 1870s and named after the red sand hillocks that once dotted the region, is nearly full.Local businessman E Simon says he has never seen it like this before. Most reservoirs around Chennai wreaked damage Today, Red Hills Lake, spread across 18sqkm, offers a breathtaking view. The reservoir built by the British in the 1870s and named after the red sand hillocks that once dotted the region, is nearly full.Local businessman E Simon says he has never seen it like this before. Reneging on house deal costs dealer 50L Reneging on the terms of a construction agreement has cost a city realtor dear. The state consumer disputes redressal commission has directed him to pay 46.5 lakh as cost of pending construction work along with a fine of 5.25 lakh. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Congress questions airport pacts with Changi Congress has questioned the BJP government’s decision to hand over Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports to Singapore’s Changi Airport Group for managing operations. IPS offcers meet twice in a day, one to pat their own backs and then to discuss delay in promotions IPS officers met on two occasions on recently to discuss the state and the cadre issues. In the DGP conference was held at DGP office in Gandhinagar were in all Range heads, Police commissioners and Head of the Departments of police establishments applaued themselves for the security arrangements in the recently held local body elections while in the meeting of IPS association the delay in promotion remained in the limelight. Gujarati movies thrive on digital push t is not easy to get tickets for Gujarati films any more which now have devoted audiences wai ting for new releases. Chai tali Shah, a 27-year-old ex ecutive, learnt this when she wanted to watch `Chhel lo Divas' last Sunday . More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Milk for child on train was just a tweet away Satyendra Yadav had no idea how to pacify his 18-month-old baby when he began crying inconsolably after not getting milk for a long time, stuck in a train for hours on Thursday somewhere between Allahabad and Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh. Congress plan to regain Nehru-Gandhi bastion of Phulpur Basking in the glory of its recent electoral success in Bihar assembly polls and Gujrat civic polls, the Congress has embarked upon a mission to regain its lost political glory and stature in UP, with special focus on Allahabad – once known as the cradle of Nehru-Gandhi bastion. This winter season, traffic cops issue advisory to minimize road mishaps Acknowledging the fact winter season is infamous for road accidents, both under fatal and non-fatal category, the traffic police authorities have issued an advisory for commuters with an objective to ensure safety of drivers and commuters on streets, state and national highways. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Cry for 'no flying zone' over Lingaraj Temple Civil groups, along with priests, on Thursday demanded a 'no flying zone' status to Lingaraj Temple area for protection of the 11th century monument. Manipuri youth's body sent to SCB for 2nd autopsy The commissionerate of police has decided to conduct a second post-mortem on Manipuri youth L Poumai, whose body was found hanging from a tree at an OAS officer's residence here on December 2. Govt identifies 2.37L acres for land bank The state government has identified 2, 37,424.623 acres in eight regions across the state for the proposed land bank. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Minister's charity idea: ​Selfie and shake hands with him for Rs 10 In Modi’s ‘Make in India’ era, a Madhya Pradesh minister has borrowed an idea for charity from an erstwhile British ruler. Inspired by the Queen’s charity initiative, who takes handful of pounds for shaking hands, state food and civil supplies minister Vijay Shah, heir to tribal princely state of Makrai near Harda, has offered an opportunity to people to shoot a selfie and shake hands with him for Rs 10. MP farmers getting less compensation for acquired land, says Cong The farmers of village Shivgarh in Ratlam district are enraged for being paid less compensation of the land being acquired for laying Dungarpur-ratlam railway line. Farmers demand payments at par with what has been paid to affected farmers in Rajasthan. MP BJP legislator alleges police 'raj' in entire state It is unbelievable how MLAs of both ruling BJP and Opposition Congress are supporting each other raising issues in the Madhya Pradesh assembly this winter session. Congress deputy leader of opposition Bala Bachchan, senior party MLA Mukesh Naik, BJP MLAs Pannalal Shakya and Bel Singh Bhuria all came together when home minister Babulal Gaur refused to remove two police inspectors who did not receive the local MLA’s call even after a tribal youth was being knifed to death. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		44% of Mohali residents are graduates, the highest among Indian cities Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, better known as Mohali, the cricket venue near Chandigarh, has the distinction of having the highest share of graduates in its population among all Indian cities. Nearly 44% of its residents are either graduates or above. Charanjit Singh Channi becomes Punjab CLP leader Reshuffle in Congress Punjab unit was completed on Friday with the party putting in place a new team headed by Chamkaur Sahib MLA Charanjit Singh Channi as Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader. HC issues notice to Punjab for reservation in promotions Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday issued notice to the Punjab government on a plea against the provisions of the decision of Punjab government to provide reservation to employees of schedule cast (SC) and backward class (BC) category into the promotions in service. More Chandigarh News»

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