News Digest: Congress's poll alliance to give DMK much-needed boost to woo allies

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, February 14, 2016
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Congress's poll alliance to give DMK much-needed boost to woo allies Congress' alacrity in tying up with DMK appears geared towards boosting the perception in favour of Karunanidhi to help him net smaller parties which can make or mar electoral fortunes. New Swachh head joins long list of 'outsiders' in govt The appointment of ex-IAS officer and World Bank expert Parameswaran Iyer as secretary in the ministry of drinking water and sanitation, which pilots the Swachh Bharat Mission, may be seen as unconventional but lateral entry of private-sector technocrats has for long been the norm in key government positions requiring a certain skill. Romance literature turns new page as men of mush find their voice More Indian men, it appears, are writing from the heart to churn out the kind of romance novels typically (and inexplicably) associated with women. More India News»

		Business
		Make in India Week: PM promises stable tax regime Promising stable and predictable tax regime, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said this was the best time to invest in India as the government carries reforms, including setting up a company law tribunal and effective intellectual property rights regime. GoAir announces 'zero cancellation fee' offer Budget carrier GoAir on Saturday offered zero cancellation charges to its customers for flight bookings across its network for a limited period. BoB posts highest ever net loss of Rs 3,342 crore Bank of Baroda reported on Saturday the highest-ever quarterly loss in the nation's banking history at Rs 3,342 crore for the October-December period after recognizing and providing for the entire quantum of stressed assets identified through a special review undertaken by RBI. More Business News»

		Environment
		Spider kills snake in Australian outback duel A plucky little spider has once again proved that size doesn't matter by taking on -- and beating -- a much larger venomous snake, in a very Australian telling of the story of David and Goliath. China experts called to help pandas mate at Belgian zoo Two Chinese experts have been called in to an animal park in Belgium in a "delicate mission" to help two giant pandas reproduce, the park said in a statement. Zoo keepers had noted a change in the couple's behaviour in recent days, potentially signalling the start of a reproductive period. How climate change could slow transatlantic flights Researchers say global warming is likely to speed up jet stream winds - adding thousands of hours a year to journey times. Researchers from the University of Reading used climate models to simulate how a doubling of atmospheric CO2 would affect atmospheric winds. More Environment News»

		World
		Deep freeze grips U.S. northeast, triggers fatal 50-car pileup A dangerous cold snap bringing life-threatening cold was settling in across the northeastern United States on Saturday and a snow squall triggered a pileup of dozens of vehicles on a Pennsylvania highway that left several people dead. Brazil enlists army, cabinet in campaign against Zika Brazil's government launched a nationwide campaign on Saturday to fight the Zika virus, with President Dilma Rousseff and cabinet ministers personally visiting homes and handing out leaflets along with 220,000 troops. Donald Trump's profanity may be fodder for rivals Donald Trump will face pressure at a debate with his Republican rivals on Saturday night to show a more presidential side to his personality in South Carolina, where his frequent use of profanity has become an issue. More World News»

		Entertainment
		BT Exclusive: If 'Ki & Ka' don't kiss,who will? Here’s an exclusive picture of the lead pair of R Balki’s next, 'Ki & Ka', caught in a sweet, intimate moment. Sunny Leone recalls her first date Celebs share their thoughts about romance and talk about their first date 61st Filmfare Awards: Peppy Performances More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Why some men imagine woman are always sexually eyeing them If you walk into a bar and think that an attractive woman smiling at you wants to have sex with you, are you gauging her right or is it all in your head? Souping is the new juicing The appeal of souping, in part, is that it promises an easier detox. Next, digital desire A tech event in London later this year will explore the booming area of scientific innovation in relationships. More Science News»

		Sports
		3rd T20: India eye series win in Vizag A resilient India would look to continue the momentum and seal off their second successive T20 series win when they take on Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I De Gea own goal hands Sunderland win against United David de Gea's late own goal earned Sunderland a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Saturday and a vital three points in their bid for Premier League survival. Under-19 World Cup final: Can India claim fourth title? India have made it to the final of the junior World Cup on four occasions, winning the title thrice. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Something as simple as changing the date could brick your iPhone changing the date to January 1, 1970 will supposedly brick your device to the point that it cannot be recovered unless you manually disassemble the device and disconnect the logic board from the battery. Google is shutting down Picasa Google on Friday said it will be shuttering Picasa to shift its focus to the new Google Photos service launched less than a year ago. Adding these 12 features will make any instant messenger perfect Keeping in mind how most messengers aren’t really doing a good job at updating themselves, we decided to make a list of features we would want to see in a perfect messenger. And yes, we hope the existing messengers pick up a few things from this list too. More Technology News»

		Education
		Enrolments in online courses may see surge from tier-2 cities Online education and skill enhancement is likely to see a significant uptrend this year and high number enrolments are expected from major tier-2 cities, a survey showed. It also identifies media/entertainment and IT/ITES as two industries that will constantly seek skill development in 2016. Applications invited for the 3D Design: Ceramics programme at Staffordshire University The Staffordshire University has invited applications for the 3D Design: Ceramics BA (honours) programme run by the School of Art and Design. A statement issued by the university said that the university has the most extensive ceramic facilities in the United Kingdom. Sikkim to have institute on organic farming The agriculture ministry on Wednesday approved setting up of National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) in Gangtok, Sikkim, to extend research and technological support to organic farming systems in the country. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Good food keeps cancer kids on treatment With Proper Nutrition, Dropout Rate Dips From 25% in ’09 to 4.8% in ’15 Kin of HSC student who died of heart attack say he wasn't stressed Schools are asking students, preparing for boards or year-end exams, to calm down and ‘take it easy’ after the death of a 17-year-old HSC candidate from Nalasopara, following a heart attack on Friday. Lens on lover of accused in Worli woman murder Despite the confession of Rakesh Naukudkar that he had killed his wife Savita as he wanted to marry another woman and his wife was not agreeing to a divorce, the NRI police will investigate all angles. The cops are all set to summon the other woman, reportedly a colleague of Rakesh, for enquiry. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Netas of all hues wade in, make JNU theatre of national politics A day after Delhi police arrested JNU Students' Union president Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges over a pro-Afzal Guru event, the controversy took a BJP-versus-Opposition colour with politicians making a beeline for the campus. Afzal Guru event row: JNU bars Kanhaiya, 7 others from classes Even as the agitation in Jawaharlal Nehru University over the eulogizing of Afzal Guru took on an increasingly political colour on Saturday, the university’s own high-level inquiry decided that eight students, including two top members of the students’ union — its president Kanhaiya Kumar and general secretary Rama Naga — had prima facie engaged in “objectionable sloganeering” on the campus on February 9. Rajnath says innocent not to be harassed, rest up to court Fielding questions from the media, Rajnath Singh said, "The court will decide whether further action should be taken against those students who have been arrested by the police.". More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Lok Adalat settles 20,118 cases in 15 districts in Karnataka Four of a family die in road accident In a tragic accident, a couple and their two minor kids were killed in a road accident when the motor bike they were riding rammed into a pedestrian ran into middle of the road near Chintamani cross, Nandagudi in Hosakote on Friday night. 'I learnt to fix telephone lines, buy coffee machines and deal with egos' More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Irked over ESIC dues, hospitals set to derail scheme The Telangana Superspeciality Private Hospitals Association (TESHA), which has 10 top hospitals in the city under its wings, has run into trouble with the Union ministry of labour. Medical negligence? Parents seek action against Olive Hospital Close to 500 parents from across the city held a silent protest at Dharna Chowk on Saturday evening against the alleged negligence by Olive Hospital, Mehdipatnam, which eventually led to the death of nine-year-old Hardik Jena on January 27. State schools to have CBSE vacation pattern In an attempt to bring state-run schools on par with the CBSE-affiliated schools, the Telangana school education department has decided to commence the next academic session soon after conclusion of year-end exams in March. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Blind PhD scholar tries to return degree to Guv The 23rd convocation of the Manonmaniam Sundaranar (MS) University on Saturday witnessed high drama when a blind Ph.D candidate wanted to return his doctoral degree to Governor K Rosaiah. Leadership woes hurt Cong prospects Infighting and the absence of mass leaders foreshadow a further decline in Congress fortunes in Tamil Nadu as it gears up to face the forthcoming assembly election. Jaya doles out free, treated drinking water Chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced the Amma drinking water scheme (Amma Kudineer Thittam), under which 20 litres of treated water will be provided free of cost daily to families of economically weaker sections. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Seventy HIV positive couples celebrate V-Day On the eve of Valentine's Day on Saturday, nearly seventy HIV positive couples celebrated life. More dinosaur fossils found in Kutch A team of Indo-German geologists and palaeontologists working in Lodai village, some 25km from Bhuj town of Kutch, are on to something big as they have found some more fossils of dinosaur including skull, jaws and teeth. Mammumiya seeks discharge in 1993 arms case After being acquitted in Porbandar arms landing case, Umarmiya Bukhari alias Mammumiya Panjumiya has requested a city sessions court to discharge him in connection with an arms case registered in Dariapur police station in 1993. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Sonia springs surprise, comes to Allahabad on "private" visit Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived here this evening on a "private visit", taking local party leaders by surprise. Sandeep Pandey challenges expulsion from BHU; HC seeks reply The Allahabad High Court on Friday asked the BHU authorities to file a counter affidavit on a petition filed by Magsaysay Award-winning social activist Sandeep Pandey, who was recently sacked as a visiting faculty member for alleged "anti-national activities" Proposed Allahabad state university to affiliate 460 colleges of four districts The state budget 2016 brought good news for aspirants who wanted to pursue higher education from a state of the art university in the city but could not do so. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Valentine's Day: Police to keep strict vigil on right wing activists Expecting any moral policing or protest from the right wing activists against lovebirds and young couples on the occasion of Valentine's Day celebration on Sunday, the commissionerate police have made arrangements to keep strict vigil on city hangout zones to avert untoward incidents. Odisha native IFS officer Biraja Prasad dies India's ambassador to Republic of Tajikistan and city native Biraja Prasad died due to heart attack during sleep at Dushanbe, family sources said here on Saturday. He was 43 years old. Man held for killing peacock Forest personnel arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly killing a peacock in a forest near Dakarabada village under Buguda forest range in Ganjam district on Thursday. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Cong hits out at RSS-VHP for unrest in Dhar, demands action The Madhya Pradesh Congress has criticised BJP's fountainhead organization RSS and it's Hindu outfits for exploiting Hindus in the name of Bhojshala dispute, in Dhar town, on Friday. Tension prevails in Dhar on Saturday morning after some Hindu workers attacked and ransacked RSS office in the town, a day after Hindus celebrated Basant Panchmi in Bhojshala premises. Maihar by-poll records 72% turnout, result on Februrary16 Polling ends peacefully in Maihar assembly by-election of Madhya Pradesh with approximately 72 per cent voters exercising their franchise, on Saturday. With 13 candidates in fray, the key contest is between BJP's Narayan Tripathi and Manish Patel from Congress. Counting of votes will be held on February 16. Bhopal bank wants PAN card of Lord Mahaveer A TDS notice served by a regional rural bank in a village of Shivpuri district has baffled the Jain community of the village as it has asked for the PAN card of Lord Mahaveer. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Cop's wife raped in ICU hours after delivery in Jhajjar district A policeman's wife was raped in a private hospital's intensive care unit while recovering after giving birth to a baby girl on Saturday in Haryana's Jhajjar district. Before assembly polls SAD to face legal test in Delhi HC, decision on petition seeking its de-registeration on March 16 With Punjab assembly elections just a year away ruling Shiromani Akali Dal faces a major legal test in Delhi High Court in next month. After reserving judgement on November 5 last on the petition filed in 2010 seeking de-registration of Shiromani Akali Dal, Delhi High Court bench headed by Chief Justice G Rohini on Tuesday posted the matter for March 16 next saying that it needed time for clarifications when the matter was mentioned by petitioner Balwant Singh Khera through his counsel Indira Unninayar on February 9. Mother of newborn raped in ICU of a private Hospital in Bahadurgarh In a shocking incident, a woman was allegedly raped by an unidentified man in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a private hospital in Bahadurgarh city of Jhajjar district of Haryana. More Chandigarh News»

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