News Digest: India gears for combat exercises with US, to include Japan

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, June 22, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		India gears for combat exercises with US, to include Japan India is gearing up for the next round of military exercises with the US, including the top-notch "Malabar" naval war games in the Pacific and the intensive "Yudh Abhyas" counter-terror drills in Uttarakhand, in the first such maneuvers after the Modi government came to power last month. Govt to fast-track trial of cases on crime against women, children The government proposes to fast-track trial on criminal cases related to women and children, law and telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told TOI in an exclusive interview. Saying that installing Lokpal would take time, the minister said the government had initiated the process of getting rid of redundant laws. He said bottlenecks in the clearance process would be removed to facilitate setting up of industries. Appointment of Lokpal may get delayed: Prasad The appointment of a Lokpal may take some time as the government needs to bring rules framed by the previous UPA government in conformity with the Act governing the watchdog, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said. More India News»

		Business
		Treat foreign stake of over 10% FDI: Govt Foreign investment of 10% or more in a listed company will now be treated as FDI as the government has accepted the report of a committee on rationalizing definitions of FDI and FII. Govt looks to free up supply chain in farm produce Considering that problem in the supply chain is the main reason behind spiraling prices of fresh farm produce and kitchen staples onion and potato, the government has fast tracked the plan to ensure smooth supply of such items through alternative chains besides the APMCs. Basmati rice exports up by Rs 10,000cr Demand for biryani in the Middle East has spurred basmati rice exports from India which registered a huge jump of Rs 9,890.58 crore in 2013-14 as compared to the previous season. More Business News»

		Environment
		Scientists oppose defence radar project in Andaman islands Narcondam Hornbill, just about 350 of its kind and who live in the smallest habitat and only in India, may lose their island home if a defence radar project on the Narcondam island in the Andamans gets a green nod. Pilgrim crush endangers Periyar reserve The masses that throng Sabarimala every year are causing ecological damage to the sanctuary in which it is situated. Great white shark numbers are surging, study says Great white shark numbers are surging in the western North Atlantic after decades of decline. More Environment News»

		World
		Obama advances transgender rights Unlike Obama's support for same-sex marriage and lifting the military's ban on openly gay troops, the White House's work to promote transgender rights has happened mostly out of the spotlight. Court confirms death to 182 Morsi backers An Egyptian court confirmed death sentences against the leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and at least 182 of his supporters. Meet Peanut, the world's ugliest dog It's that time of year again when dogs with unusually large heads, hairless bodies and other oddities compete to be the World's Ugliest Dog. More World News»

		Entertainment
		'Next time I plan to get pregnant, I'll invite you' Vidya Balan and co-star Ali Fazal talk about the challenges of shooting their film, playing a female detective on screen and spying in real life. Why did Salman breakup with Aishwarya? Break-ups are quite common in tinsel town. While a few have quietly moved on, certain relationships have taken an ugly turn. The latest in this list is Preity Zinta, who has accused her ex-beau Ness Wadia of ‘outraging her modesty’. Ness, for his part, has denied her allegations. We take a look at some of the celebrities whose break-ups have been widely discussed. OMG: Kareena Kapoor adjusts her dress in public More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Japanese PM wants to hold robot Olympics The Japanese Prime Minister is already planning for the future of sports in Japan in science-fiction fashion. Dwarf galaxies big contributors in universe's formation Previous studies of star-forming galaxies were restricted to the analysis of mid or high-mass galaxies, leaving out the numerous dwarf galaxies that existed in this era of prolific star formation. Soon goggle to help surgeons locate tumours in real time There could soon be cheaper and more lightweight tools, such as goggles or hand-held devices, to identify tumours in real time in operating rooms as researchers have developed a dual-mode imaging technology, an improvement over single mode imaging. More Science News»

		Sports
		Ring of death has engulfed Europe In Brazil, like the other South America teams, Costa Rica is showing the world that it is not the size of the bull that matters when you are in the Ring of Death. Bosnia out as Nigeria end win drought Bosnia-Hercegovina's maiden World Cup appearance ended in disappointment as a 1-0 defeat by Nigeria ensured they could not qualify for the second round. WC: Germany draw 2-2 against Ghana Ghana held Germany to a 2-2 draw despite Miroslav Klose coming on as a substitute to tie the World Cup scoring record with the equalizer in their Group G tie. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Apple iWatch may come in multiple designs, sizes: Report Apple plans to launch smartwatches with multiple screen sizes and designs this fall. Google I/O 2014: 10 things we expect Here's a list of Google I/O rumors and predictions. 5 tips to stay safe while shopping online 5 tips to stay safe while shopping online More Technology News»

		Education
		Craft your own course with the liberal arts The Indian education system still follows a traditional approach, where students are made to choose one stream and pursue that for their undergraduate course. Education abroad on mind as TOI workshop ends The last day of Times of India’s Mission Admission seminar held on Saturday, focused on educational opportunities in foreign universities for undergraduate programmes. DU admissions from tomorrow, but cloud over FYUP future The stage has been set for a faceoff between the UGC — the academic-cum-funding agency for central universities — and the Delhi University over the controversial four-year undergraduate programme. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Commuters rush for season tickets to beat steep fare hike As hundreds of Mumbai’s train commuters queued up at railway stations across the city on Saturday to buy season tickets to beat the fare hike that comes into effect on June 25, railway officials were busy thinking up steps to stop this surge. Mercedes driver who killed biker in south Mumbai accident held The son of a Mumbai-based builder, who allegedly mowed down a biker on Thursday night with his luxury car, was arrested late on Friday. Special Metro round trip tickets today in Mumbai Mumbai Metro One Private Ltd (MMOPL) has introduced ‘round trip tickets’ for commuters to enjoy a hassle-free ride on the Metro, this weekend. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Brother kills wrestler over property dispute A 47-year-old man was shot dead allegedly by his own brother in Bhalswa dairy area in northwest Delhi on Friday night. Traffic diverted from today for Chandni Chowk facelift The traffic police have prepared a diversion plan for Chandni Chowk ahead of the redevelopment work being undertaken by the public works department from June 22. Ugandan gang-raped in Dwarka, duo arrested A 30-year-old Ugandan woman has alleged she was raped by two men who even robbed her of her mobile phone and some money after the assault. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Building a forest one tree at a time Bangalore, once considered one of the greenest in India, is turning into a concrete jungle. But Afforestt, an organization that specializes in designing urban forests, is trying to change that. Young and restless: How the young are changing the look of the city Young people - college goers and young professionals - have always been trendsetters. More Kannada on Namma Metro BMRC is doing its bit to promote Kannada through Metro Rail.The announcements at stations and on trains are usually made in English, Hindi and Kannada. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Telangana illegal immigrants in Iraq in no man's land Thousands of illegal migrants from north Telangana are stranded in strife-torn Iraq even as their families back home run from pillar to post seeking official help for their safe return. Division unscientific, Andhra Pradesh governor says Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan on Saturday said the unscientific bifurcation of the state has left a deep scar on the psyche of the Telugu people and that it would take time for it to heal. Men in blue to police Hyderabad The era of khaki is over. The state government headed by the pink party wants to usher in the blue. Hyderabad city police personnel will soon shed their khaki uniform and don one in blue, akin the United Nations security forces. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Chennai's suburban trains: Popular but neglected The number of commuters using Chennai's suburban train services has increased but the network remains largely neglected. College staff killed in accident Two employees of a private engineering college were killed and three others, including two women, seriously injured when the car they were travelling in collided with a truck near Padappai around midnight on Friday. Man found dead in Kilpauk A 40-year-old man died in an accident in Kilpauk on Friday.He is yet to be identified, police said. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Gujarat govt to buy Rs 100 crore jet for CM Anandiben Chief minister Anandiben Patel is set to get new wings with the Gujarat government likely to spend Rs 100 crore to buy a new aircraft for her. Energy minister Saurabh Patel addresses IIM-Ahmedabad's PGPX batch Gujarat's energy, petrochemical, and finance minister, Saurabh Patel addressed students of PGPX, the one-year MBA programme at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) on Saturday. Special cadre for traffic cops soon As the number of vehicles is increasing in the state, the Men in White are struggling to keep pace.For cities like Ahmedabad, the policeman to vehicle ratio is almost 1:1,000. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Traffic cops to interact with commuters The traffic police on Friday decided to interact with commuters with an objective to minimize the cases of road accidents. General class passengers face problems in refund It is irony of sorts that passengers travelling in the general class, who contribute maximum to the revenue of railways, are the worst sufferers. Concern over excessive usage of groundwater Officials of the groundwater department claim that around 243 normal tubewells and 257 mini tube-wells are supplying around 238 MLD water for the city daily. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Panel to decide on BU degrees Berhampur University on Thursday formed a search committee to recommend the names of eminent personalities on whom to confer various honorary degrees at the next convocation. 126 buildings lack fire safety clearance Altogether 126 apartments in the city have been found not having the requisite fire safety clearance. Staff shortage dogs central university In 2009 when the Central University of Orissa (CUO) came into being in Koraput, it had raised hopes among locals that it would open new vistas of higher education as they always depended on either Utkal University in Bhubaneswar or Berhampur University. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		'MP exam scam accused got '139 calls from CM's house' The Congress on Saturday accused chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's wife, Sadhna Singh, and his other relatives of being involved in Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board (MPPEB) scam. One-on-one: Trivedi gives clean chit to former minister Former higher education minister Laxmikant Sharma, accused in contract teachers' recruitment scam of MPPEB was confronted with key accused and board's former exam controller Pankaj Trivedi across the table. Shivraj summons police brass after midnight crackdown sparks rights violation cry Chief secretary Antony J C De'Sa, principal secretary (law), director general of police (DGP) Nandan Kumar Dubey and additional director general, special task force, Sudhir Sahi, were present at the meeting. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		ISIS playing deadly game with Indian workers The ISIS militants have started playing a deadly game of life and death with migrant workers, including Indians in Iraq. More Punjabis return home from Iraq As Punjabi youths have started returning from Iraq, a 25-year-old youth from Nawanshahr district, who reached his village on Saturday, said that Punjabis working there were desperately waiting to return home. Specialisation in Panchkula's pet care centre helps veterinarians open 'foreign' doors Dogs are not only best friends of humans, they are now helping the latter get easy access to foreign countries. More Chandigarh News»

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