News Digest: En route to BJP? Congress's Narayan Rane meets Amit Shah

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, April 14, 2017
		Today's Headlines

		India
		En route to BJP? Congress's Narayan Rane meets Amit Shah Speculation was rife in Maharashtra’s political circles that Congress leader Narayan Rane would soon join BJP after he, along with son Neetesh, made an unscheduled visit to Ahmedabad on Wednesday night and held a secret meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in the presence of CM Devendra Fadnavis. Killer past: Pak spy in MP doesn't want to go home Pakistani spy Mohammad Sajeed Muneer, alias Sameer Kumar, wants to spend the rest of his life in Bhopal. Not because he likes the hospitality at Bhopal’s detention home or is scared to face the wrath of ISI, but because of his killer past. Pakistan keeps India in dark about Jadhav whereabouts The government reiterated on Thursday that alleged spy Kulbhushan Jadhav was a kidnapped, innocent Indian who had been sentenced to death by Pakistan in complete violation of all international norms. More India News»

		Business
		RBI may wind up, merge banks short of capital Banks with unsound financials face the prospects of a merger or winding up, or even risk their board and management being sacked by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Infosys' Vishal Sikka gets only 46% of variable pay This might please those who felt Vishal Sikka has been given an unduly high salary — the Infosys CEO has received only 46% of his target variable compensation for 2016-17. Airtel, Reliance Jio spar as competition intensifies More Business News»

		Environment
		2 lakh baby Olive Ridley turtles emerge in Odisha beach Emergence of baby Olive Ridley marine turtles along Gahirmatha beach on Odisha's coast has provided relief to conservationists. Nearly two lakh hatchlings have emerged out of pits since past 24 hours, forest officials said on Wednesday. Survey of India proposes to re-measure height of Mt Everest The Survey of India, oldest scientific establishment in the country, on Monday launched a portal,'nakshe' (maps), which will allow free download of 'open series maps' (OSMs) for public use and announced that it would "re-measure" the height of Mount Everest this year. Ken-Betwa link gets forest panel's nod but with limits The forest advisory committee (FAC), an expert body that advises the government on approval or rejection of major projects involving diversion of forest land has recently recommended the Ken-Betwa river link project (phase 1) in Madhya Pradesh for forest clearance. More Environment News»

		World
		Number of French people who do not want to vote rising Opinion polls in France before the presidential election on April 23 are revealing a crazy roller coaster ride. Man dragged off  UA flight suffered broken nose, loss of teeth A 69-year-old Vietnamese-American who was forcibly removed from a flight of United Airlines in Chicago will "probably" file a lawsuit for "unreasonable force and violence" that led to a 'significant' concussion, broken nose and loss of two front teeth, his lawyer said on Thursday. Donald Trump: Different strokes More World News»

		Entertainment
		Pallavi Sharda: I have done it the hard way Rajkummar Rao to play Subhash Chandra Bose Sunny Leone's sizzling Instagram pictures More Entertainment News»

		Science
		NASA images show how India looks from space at night NASA on Thursday released new global nighttime images of the Earth - including a detailed view of India and its surroundings that show how patterns of human settlement changed across the country between 2012 and 2016. Second 'Great Spot' found at Jupiter, cold and high up Scientists have discovered a "great spot" at Jupiter, which is 15,000 miles (24,000 kilometers) across and 7,500 miles (12,000 kilometers) wide. It's in the upper atmosphere and much cooler than the hot surroundings, thus the name Great Cold Spot. 'Bioresorbable stents tech of the future but risky now' More Science News»

		Sports
		IPL Match Highlights: KKR beat KXIP by 8 wickets Kolkata Knight Riders registered their second victory of the season in their first home game in Match 11 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Kings XI Punjab at the Eden Gardens on Thursday by chasing 171 in just 16.3 overs Singapore Open: Sindhu, Srikanth, Praneeth in quarters Olympic silver medalist PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth and B Sai Praneeth, runner-up at this year's Syed Modi Grand Prix, advanced to the quarter-finals of the singles events at the Singapore Open Super Series. With my comeback, focus will be on chasing: Kohli A shoulder injury sustained during the Australia Test series ruled Kohli out of the first two games while AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle played a game each as RCB opted to set targets in the first two games. More Sports News»

		Technology
		WhatsApp to government: Will cooperate in blocking sexually offensive videos US-based instant messaging application firm WhatsApp Inc today told the Supreme Court that it would cooperate and assist the panel, which is finding ways to block sexually offensive videos on social sites. H-1B visas helped Americans, claims US study H-1B work visas - the most sought after by Indian IT professionals - had a "positive effect" on innovation and increased the overall welfare of Americans, a new study has found, amidst uncertainty over the regulations of such visas by the Trump administration. Apple has hired a secret team for treating Diabetes Apple has hired a team of biomedical engineers as part of a secret initiative, initially envisioned by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, to develop sensors to treat diabetes, CNBC reported citing three people familiar with the matter. More Technology News»

		Education
		Indians in demand despite H-1B noise, say US universities "The Indian students in US universities have no reason to get unduly perturbed if they are seeking placements in America after finishing their courses." NAAC asked to rework accreditation process for higher education institutes Following complaints of corruption by the council’s peer team, the ministry asked NAAC to work towards bringing transparency, objectivity and technology into the grading system. As per the new methodology, the peer team assessment of institutions will be given just 20% weightage instead of the current 100% in deciding grade. NEET in Urdu: Govt says not biased against Muslims More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Doctor accused of rape by patient wins reprieve as HC stays trial In a relief for Dr Rustom Soonawala, the Bombay High Court on Thursday stayed proceedings where trial was to commence in a fouryear-old rape case against him. Lens on Mumbai railway officials as Parliament panel suggests scrapping of ad contracts Senior railway officials in Mumbai are under the radar as the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has recommended an inquiry by the BI into advertisement contracts allotted on first come first basis (FCFB). Railways to give door-closing system a second chance Automatic Door Closure System on the suburban network is back on the railways' agenda. WR said it has given a new contract to test a system which will help prevent deaths by falling from running trains. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Tattoo on dead teen's hand helps police crack 8-year-old murder A lucky tip-off and the letter 'A' tattooed on the right hand of an 18-yearold girl has helped police crack a sensational murder that took place in 2008. Delhi's Rajouri Garden bypoll: Congress takes 2nd slot In an indication that Delhi's love affair with Aam Aadmi Party and CM Arvind Kejriwal may be waning, the party crashed to a third-place finish with its nominee losing his deposit in the Rajouri Garden assembly byelection while BJP romped home with 51% of the vote. Crackdown on shell companies: ED searches offices of 6 Delhi CAs In its ongoing crackdown against shell companies, the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday carried out searches on alleged shell company operators in Delhi, primarily run by chartered accountants and company secretaries. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Morale booster for Congress: G Parameshwara JD(S) retains kingmaker tag; has more aces up its sleeve Siddaramaiah emerges stronger after the outcome More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Steal, smash & sell lorry parts Eight people involved in stealing lorries, dismantling them and subsequently selling their spare parts were arrested by Shamshabad police on Thursday. Lead rods looted in Kothur factory raid At 1 am, nine armed robbers barged into the Prakash Lead Industry, when a handful of workers were present, at Kothur industrial area. KCR's bonanza: Farmers to get 4,000 for fertilisers 4000 for each acre to buy fertilisers from the financial year 2018-19. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Cannot hold election to local bodies before July: SEC to HC Local bodies in Tamil Nadu have been lying vacant since October 24, but the State Election Commission (SEC) has told Madras high court it can complete the civic polls only by July and not by May 14 as promised earlier. TTV directed to appear in eco offences court on April 19, 20 AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran, who faces two money laundering cases in an economic offences court here, must appear in court on April 19 and 20, the judge said. Heat wave worsens in districts, no rain in Chennai The heat wave prevailing in interior districts intensified on Thursday with some areas posting a maximum temperature of up to 4° Celsius above normal. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Preying on hope for govt freebies Many families from economically poorer sections of the society in Ahmedabad had rejoiced after learning about a ‘government scheme’ where apparently under the Swachh Bharat Mission and Save the Girl Child campaign, they were getting bikes costing Rs 66,000 for Rs 38,000. Airfares surge over long weekend As a host of festivals including Vishu, Baisakhi, Poila Baisakh and Puthandu, among others, are falling around the weekend, airfares to certain destinations have shot up significantly. New Years' festivities to cheer up city Ahmedabad’s migrant communities are gearing up to celebrate their regional new years, and the city is in a festive mood. A host of festivals, including Baisakhi, Poila Baisakh, Vishu and Puthandu fall around this weekend. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		SHO suspended for 'failure to curb' cow slaughter The station house officer of Karari police station in Kaushambi was suspended on charges of dereliction of duty for his failure to curb cow slaughter. Allahabad high court: Remove unauthorised construction The Allahabad high court on Monday directed Noida officials to remove any unauthorised construction raised on the ground floor of NPX commercial project of M/s Hi-Lead Infotech Pvt Ltd in Sector 153. New Excise Policy to address plight of women: Rita Joshi More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Bhubaneswar plans to introduce 1200 bicycles in 120 spots Sudarsan Pattnaik gears up to impress Narendra Modi through sand art Zila Parishad elections in Malkangiri and Nuapada districts on April 26 More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Ater bypoll: Jubilant MP Congress celebrates win After facing a string of drubbings in assembly by-polls, victory in Ater assembly by-polls on Thursday perked up Congress party workers. Ater bypoll : MP CM, BJP state chief concede defeat Cong leading in Ater, BJP in Bandhavgarh Bypoll results: The Congress was leading in Ater in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district while the BJP was ahead in Bandhavgarh after the first round of counting of votes for the assembly seats. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Jilted lover shoots girl in head, kills self A jilted lover on Thursday morning shot himself after killing a girl in a colony near Bahalgarh Chowk of Sonipat on Thursday morning. Drug peddler gets 10-year RI Sat alert gets 4 Patiala farmers challaned for crop burning More Chandigarh News»

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