News Digest: No wheat or cotton, Malwa trio cashes in on strawberries

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Tuesday, December 29, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		India
		No wheat or cotton, Malwa trio cashes in on strawberries Three progressive farmers from Muktsar district decided to veer off the path of conventional crops to try something exotic in their fields. They tried their hands at strawberry and succeeded in a farming belt known more for cotton and wheat crop rotation. Parents of woman killed by husband fight to raise her girl A 26-year-old man from Raigad district, Atif Qamruddin Popere, who was earlier arrested in Dubai for killing his wife, now faces the firing squad in the UAE following the confirmation of his death sentence by that country’s highest court. 'Jallikattu', other animal races to continue for some time The Centre is set to allow popular bull taming sport ‘Jallikattu’ in Tamil Nadu and some other animal races, like a bullock cart race in Maharashtra, in the new year with the government saying it would let such cultural practices continue while ensuring that animals are not subjected to cruelty. More India News»

		Business
		Govt readies nat'l infra investment fund of Rs 40k cr The government is ready to launch the National Infrastructure Investment Fund (NIFF) — with an initial corpus of at least Rs 40,000 crore — with two two large overseas funds expected to sign up commitments of at least $1billion (around Rs 6,700 crore) each next month, a top government official said. Essar Oil's delisting to be biggest in India Essar Oil’s move to delist its shares from stock exchanges, for which the company recently got a nod from market regulator Sebi, is set to be the largest such offering in India in terms of payouts to investors. PMO official on search panel for Sebi chief As the search continues for next chief of the markets regulator Sebi, the government has reconstituted the search-cum-selection panel which would now include a representative from the Prime Minister’s Office. More Business News»

		Environment
		Crows too know how to make and use tools! f you thought only humans or primates can forge and use tools, you are wrong. Crows can make, use, and even store for re-use certain tools while foraging for food, a new study shows. 'Bread, Wine, Chocolate' makes environmental issues tasty The lands, waters and atmosphere of our planet are under tremendous stress from the appetites and endeavors of more than 7 billion people, and such issues often make for grim reading. Amid smog crisis, China vows more liveable cities China vowed on Tuesday that it would make "liveable" cities a central goal of China's urban planning, amid persistent problems over choking smog that frequently blankets the populous east and north. More Environment News»

		World
		Storms snarl US travel, threaten rare winter tornadoes Snow, sleet and hail snarled transportation across swaths of the United States on Monday during one of the busiest travel weeks, after dozens died in US storms that were part of a wild worldwide weather system seen over the Christmas holiday period. Saudi posts record $98 billion deficit in 2015 Saudi Arabia posted a record $98 billion budget deficit in 2015 due to the sharp fall in oil prices, the finance ministry said on Monday. Revenues were estimated at 608 billion riyals ($162 billion), well below projections and 2014 income, while spending came in at 975 billion riyals ($260 billion), ministry officials announced at a press conference in Riyadh. S Korea, Japan reach landmark deal on WWII sex slaves An apology from Japan's prime minister and a pledge of more than $8 million sealed a breakthrough deal Monday on a decades-long impasse with South Korea over Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during World War II. More World News»

		Entertainment
		Neetu skips X'mas lunch; Katrina not the reason A few days ago, Katrina Kaif made her debut appearance at Shashi Kapoor’s customary Christmas lunch. Celebrities who believe in aliens Certain celebs believe in aliens. Let's take a look at who they are... SRK to Ranbir: Bollywood's best selfies  Celebrities continued their love affair with social media all through 2015. From using it to promote their films, to sharing their private moments — actors surprised us with their can More Entertainment News»

		Science
		'Indians three times more prone to cardiac arrest than Americans' Indians are three times more prone to cardiac arrest than Americans owing primarily to poor lifestyle, eating habits and genetic reasons, medical experts have said. Blocking fat-transporting protein may slow ageing A naturally occurring protein that transports fats around the body also hinders essential functions in cells that increase life span, scientists have found, suggesting that blocking the protein in humans may prevent age-related diseases. First chip that uses light for data transfer developed A microprocessor chip that uses light, rather than electricity, to transfer data at rapid speeds while consuming minute amounts of energy has been developed by researchers, including those of Indian-origin. More Science News»

		Sports
		Watch: Yousuf, Raja exchange coarse words on Amir issue The two waded into each other and used some very personal, coarse and unrefined language against each on national television during a show on Geo Super channel. Parthiv Patel leads Gujarat to maiden Vijay Hazare title Captain Parthiv Patel's polished 109 helped Gujarat hammer former champions Delhi by 139 runs and capture their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy on Monday. Eager to learn lot of things from Dravid: Sarfaraz Sarfaraz Khan, selected in the India U-19 WC squad, said he has learnt a lot from ex-Test cricketer Rahul Dravid and look forward to get tips from the legend. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Gionee Marathon M5 Review: The heavyweight smartphone at Rs 17,999 The Gionee Marathon M5 has solid battery backup and performance but is weak when the design sound and camera are taken into consideration. 13 hottest gadgets of 2015 Phones, cameras, tabs and more, ET Magazine highlights some of the most talked-about gadgets of last year. Reliance Jio launches 4G for employees: 10 key takeaways The much-awaited 4G services from Reliance Jio is here -- though only for the companies 90,000 odd employees so far. At a glittering ceremony in Mumbai, the petroleum-to-retail corporate giant introduced its 4G services. More Technology News»

		Education
		Lucknow University MA topper denied admission to PhD A Lucknow University student who topped MA Hindi exams in 2014 and bagged two gold medals for his performance was denied admission to PhD. NIIT University partners with PwC India to offer master's programme in cyber security Under the partnership, academic experts from NIIT University (NU) and senior professionals from PwC India have co-created a two-year work-integrated specialised master's programme in cyber security. Education department fails to act against pvt schools defying RTE Act City-based private schools have not just failed to implement the complete provisions of the Right to Education (RTE) Act 2009, but have also failed to interpret them correctly. For this year too, private schools have announced the conduct of tests and interviews for admission to all classes, except the entry-level ones. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		State to have India's biggest refinery: Min Union minister of state for petroleum, Dharmendra Pradhan, on Monday announced that the country’s biggest oil refinery will come up along Maharashtra’s coast by 2017. 'Fed up with taunts by Malwani youth's kin, duo fled home' The two Malwani youths—who returned home last week after a mysterious disappearance of a few days—had possibly left home as they were “fed up of constant fights, allegations and taunts” made by the family members of their neighbour Ayaz Sultan who is said to have crossed over to Kabul and is suspected to have joined terror outfit Islamic State. This is what sources in the state anti-terrorism squad said on Monday. Teacher hiring held up over data mismatch Despite the ban on teacher recruitment being lifted in the state, fresh appointments are not happening in government-aided and a few unaided schools as there is a lack of clarity on the number of vacancies. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Top cop, AAP minister spar over odd-even plan Delhi’s odd-even traffic plan has become the latest flashpoint between the AAP government and police. A day after police commissioner B S Bassi tweeted that AAP volunteers should not indulge in vigilantism during the fortnight long scheme, transport minister Gopal Rai asked Bassi to stop politicising the issue. Centre set to call DDCA probe invalid The Union home ministry is set to declare the commission of inquiry set up by the Arvind Kejriwal government to probe alleged corruption in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) as “void ab-initio” (invalid from the outset), according to sources in the government. Former SG: No violation of constitutional norm Former solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam has written to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal formally accepting the offer to head the commission of inquiry (CoI) constituted to probe alleged financial irregularities in DDCA. In a letter to the CM, he has said the formation of the probe panel was in tune with provisions in the Constitution. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		A flood of compassion to hit churches this Christmas A few days ago, Fr C Francis of St Patrick’s Church got a WhatsApp message from a Chennai family about their four-day trial in a house marooned by floodwaters. Superstores give a mall makeover to Chickpet's historic sari market Sagar Theatre has gone, so has Bharat Glass. Now, it is the turn of the elegant red-and-green Mohan Building, over a 100 years old and housing nearly 40 shops in its cavernous interiors held together by high ceilings, graceful arches and intricate stone work. Modi to visit Karnataka on January 2 and 3 2016 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Karnataka on January 2 and January 3 to attend a series of events, including the Indian Science Congress. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		'MIM sympathising with terror suspects' The BJP on Monday came down heavily on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) for sympathizing with terror suspects in Telangana.Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy said that the state police must counsel the MIM leaders so that they stop projecting suspected terrorists as national heroes. Amaravati to house media hub on lines of Seoul, UK The new capital of Amaravati will have a specific media and cultural hub close to famous temple town of Anantaram in Guntur district. AP proposes to build temporary secretariat Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu's proposal to build a temporary secretariat in Guntur district is a winwin strategy, government officials say. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Seagrass recharges 360sqkm of marine bed across country Considered among the oldest living organisms on earth, seagrasses are vital to the ef fort to find a solution to cli mate change. Also known as blue carbon, a meadow of seagrass per unit area can store twice as much carbon as the world's temperate and tropical forests -an acre can sequester 3,350 kg of carbon per year. 15 dead Olive Ridleys on city beaches worry conservationists In a worrying sign for conservationists, 15 Olive Ridley turtles, an endangered species, have washed ashore dead on Chennai beaches ahead of the nesting season. “There were 11 along Marina beach and four on Elliot’s Beach,” said TN parties stoke sentiments on Lanka, LTTE ahead of polls Ahead of the 2016 assembly polls in the state, the ruling AIADMK and other political parties are attempting to stoke public sentiments on emotive issues like Sri Lankan Tamils’ sufferings and LTTE, although they have not translated into electoral gains in the past. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Diaspora literature has evolved from longing to belonging: Expert Gujaratis started emigrating to distant shores from 19th century and made countries in east Africa and England their home, primarily for business. Nadiad-boy Rahul gets world ranking points, only Gujarati to do so It’s a typical story of a small-town boy realizing his dreams and making it big in tennis. Nadiad-based Rahul Sidwani made history of sorts in Gujarat tennis when he became only the second male player from the state to get a world ranking. Donkeys find new role as depression therapy animals Donkey is man's new best friend. Donkey Assisted Therapy (DAT) conducted in Ahmedabad treats depression among adults and develops confidence among differently-abled children. The DAT has been used successfully in Sri Lanka, UK and Europe. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		For king-size bash, railways rolls out Maharajas' Express The "Gems of India" trip has been scheduled for December 30 and will take travellers on a 3-night/4-day trip of Delhi-Agra-Ranthambore-Jaipur-Delhi. No winter holiday in govt primary schools From this year onwards, students of government primary schools would not be able to avail winter vacations. AU fails to implement health scheme for students The authorities of Allahabad University have failed to implement accidental and health scheme for students. It was passed by the authorities four years back. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		First BPUT alumni meet turns ugly as ex-students heckle VC The first-ever alumni meet of Biju Patnaik University of Technology on Sunday turned ugly as a section of former students greeted vice-chancellor Shyam Sundar Pattnaik with black flags, tomatoes and eggs even as they heckled him. Sand art to greet tourists at BPIA Tourists arriving at Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) here will soon get a slice of Odisha’s exquisite sand art. The state tourism department — in association with the BPIA — has decided to start a sand art exhibition in the airport from mid-January. New Year picnic turns tragic as three students drown in Kalahandi New Year revelry turned tragic as three college students who had gone for a picnic drowned while bathing in a stream at Baringadara in Kalahandi district on Sunday afternoon. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Former Congress minister announces new party for Muslims, Dalits in MP On Congress party’s foundation day, the Madhya Pradesh unit received a massive jolt as former Union minister Aslam Sher Khan on Monday announced the party was heading for a split in the state. Cabbies get etiquette training from tourism department Five years back, ahead of Commonwealth Games India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) trained cabbies to be courteous and follow etiquettes, to leave a perfect impression on foreign visitors. Central Pollution Control Board report deems UCIL toxic waste trial run successful: Sources After wating for more than a decade, the Union government is gearing up for incineration of 330 MT of toxic waste lying in Union Carbide factory Bhopal for incineration at Ramky facility at Pithampur in Dhar district of Mahdya Pradesh. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		'Ram Madhav's comments reflection of grand design of RSS to subsume minorities' Rubbishing views of RSS general secretary Ram Madhav that one day India, Pakistan and Bangladesh would reunite and create Akhand Bharat, Dal Khalsa leaders and other speakers at a conference organized by Sikh Youth of Punj Manish Tewari hails Capt Amarinder as next CM of Punjab : Congress ex-MP Manish Tewari on Monday said that in targeting Capt Amarinder Singh alone during their respective political conferences on Sunday at Fatehgarh Sahab, both the Akali Dal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have only betrayed their own fears after having read the writing on the wall and realised that people of Punjab have already made up their mind as who was going to be their next Chief Minister. 6 laborers buried alive in Chandigarh Six people were buried alive and eight others critically injured when the wall and roof of a liquor vend collapsed in Chandigarh’s Transport Area on Monday afternoon. More Chandigarh News»

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