News Digest: I can understand people's anger: Omar

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, September 11, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		I can understand people's anger: Omar J&K CM Omar Abdullah says he understands the rising anger among his people. Talking to TV channels, he described the situation as "very serious" and the floods "unprecedented". J&K floods: Over 90,000 rescued, but many refuse to leave home Civilian volunteers with the Army are handling bulk of the rescue work in flood-hit Jammu & Kashmir as the state administration is said to be virtually crippled. India will stay fully engaged with Afghanistan, Sushma tells Karzai India and Kabul Wednesday reiterated their commitment to intensify cooperation with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj saying India was there to stay in Afghanistan. More India News»

		Business
		Ratan Tata buys into e-jewellery company Ratan Tata has made a personal investment in online jewellery retailer Bluestone as the former Tata Group chairman scales up his exposure to India’s red hot e-commerce sector which has attracted a steady stream of investor money. India eyes FTAs to offset WTO deadlock With talks at the World Trade Organization (WTO) moving slowly, the government has decided to pursue its strategy of entering into bilateral trade agreements with select countries to boost exports, while gradually opening up Indian markets. Tata-SIA may miss Diwali launch target Tata-Singapore Airlines’ JV full service carrier Vistara is likely to miss its target of pre-Diwali (October 23) launch. Top aviation authorities say the JV has to complete various requirements and the process may take another two to three months. More Business News»

		Environment
		Climate change could 'fundamentally alter' US forests Even more troubling, experts have seen trees die at twice the normal rate for no apparent cause, other than increasing heat and dryness. China suggests cap on coal use, import curbs in draft air pollution law China is the world's biggest coal consumer and gets nearly 80 percent of its electricity from the heavily polluting fuel. Climate-damaging greenhouse gases reached new record high in 2013 The shocking disclosure is part of the WMO's annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, released in Geneva. More Environment News»

		World
		Oscar Pistorius verdict hangs on 'possible improbabilities' Eighteen months ago, when he granted Oscar Pistorius bail after the killing of his girlfriend, South African magistrate Desmond Nair noted a number of "improbabilities" in the Olympic and Paralympic star's account of the shooting. UN gives $3.8 million for flights in Ebola areas The United Nations humanitarian chief has allocated $3.8 million from an emergency fund to support a UN air service operating in the Ebola-struck West African region. US Congress may soon vote to arm, train Syria rebels US lawmakers could vote within days to authorize the military to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels, with Democrats drafting the legislation Wednesday in an effort to reverse advances by the Islamic State (IS). More World News»

		Entertainment
		I'll sulk and be pissed off: Deepika tells director A fly-on-the-wall session with Finding Fanny director HomiAdajania who we asked to interview the Deepika Padukone he knows. Aditya Roy Kapur's ex takes revenge by kissing? The relatively newcomer to tinsel town will now be seen in Rohan Sippy's Sonali Cable. But did you know the actress was said to be dating heartthrob Aditya Roy Kapur? 'Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu' director stuck in Srinagar floods Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu director Shakun Batra, who had gone to Srinagar to attend a friend’s sister’s wedding, is also stuck there. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		Why the elderly can go downhill, after the loss of their partner Bereavement can have a devastating impact on the immune systems of older people and may explain why many elderly spouses die soon after the loss of their loved ones, scientists have said. Hidden henge: Archaeologists discover huge Stonehenge 'sibling' in UK The startling new finding includes 17 previously unknown ritual monuments dating to the period when Stonehenge achieved its iconic shape. Nuclear waste-eating bacteria discovered Specialist "extremophile" bacteria have been discovered that thrive under the alkaline conditions expected in cement-based radioactive waste. More Science News»

		Sports
		Paes, Sania skip Asian Games to revive rankings India will field a second-string tennis contingent at the Asian Games after allowing Paes and Mirza, to play on the professional tours instead to revive their rankings. Dipika-Joshana set for face-off at Asiad A controversial squash singles draw could lead to an "unfortunate" quarterfinal face-off between Dipika Pallikal and Joshana Chinappa at the Asian Games. What does 2014 Grand Slam season mean for 2015? After nearly a full decade of Slam finals involving Federer, Nadal or Djokovic, Cilic's win at the US Open gave hope to others that there might be room at top. More Sports News»

		Technology
		Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus coming to India on October 17 Apple's newly announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones will be available in India starting October 17, according to Apple's India website. First impressions: Apple Watch looks to be another winner Here's the first impression of Apple's first ever smartwatch 'Big screen' battle: Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note With the launch of the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has joined the league of hardware makers who are convinced that consumers want a device that marries the smartphone and tablet form factors. More Technology News»

		Education
		Australia steepest for foreign studies, India cheapest Australia has once again emerged as the most expensive overseas education destination for students followed by Singapore and India the cheapest in a study conducted by a global bank. Last year, Singapore was sixth in the list. Classical Telugu or T dialect? The Telugu syllabus from class 1 to 10 is set for a complete overhaul and the new syllabus will come into effect in Telangana from the 2015-16 academic year. Errors set to vanish from Gujarat English medium textbooks This November, thousands of English medium students of Class 5-8 can expect error-free second semester textbooks. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Suicide cases in Bombay twice that of mishap deaths Suicides claimed almost double the number of lives lost in road accidents in Mumbai in 2013, with youths aged 15-29 emerging as the most vulnerable section taking the extreme step. No political ads on BEST buses and stops, says Bombay high court There will be no politician’s photo looking down from BEST buses to seek votes in the forthcoming assembly election. Governor snubs CM Chavan, says no to ordinance Newly appointed governor C Vidyasagar Rao has again snubbed chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. Rao decided to reject a proposal to promulgate an ordinance to amend the Nanded Sikh Gurudwara Sachkhand Shri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		No space for feet on Safdarjung Development Area footpaths Their roads and pavements are wide, but the residents of Safdarjung Development Area avoid walking on them due to the widespread encroachment. 5,000 women fined for not wearing helmets Traffic police began their crackdown on women riding two-wheelers without helmets in the city, prosecuting as many as 5,000 violators on Wednesday. HC asks Centre why no Lokayukta in Delhi Why is there no Lokayukta in Delhi since last June? The Delhi high court on Wednesday asked the Centre, since Delhi is under President's Rule, to apprise it about the status of appointment of Lokayukta in the capital. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		PIL challenges 25% criterion The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday ordered notice to the state and central governments in a PIL challenging the state government's recent notification stipulating that schools seeking minority status should have at least 25 per cent students belonging to the respective community - down from 75 percent earlier. Teachers key to revive reading habit Harish Salve (name changed), a 38-year-old business executive, is a voracious reader and has a large collection of books in his library in his house at Sanjaynagar. 83k caught for ticketless travel As many as 83,853 persons have been caught for ticketless travel by the South-western Railways and Rs 3.5 crore collected as penalty, in the last six months. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Ajaz's hawala route being mapped by NIA Ajaz was said to be in touch with several hawala operators and officials are trying to map his network. 'Policy mum on PCB exemptions'* They pointed out that though the previous IT policy had clearly exempted IT industry from PCB clearances. Spy case: CCS gets custody of 'ISI agent' The chief metropolitan magistrate on Wednesday granted Central Crime Station (CCS) sleuths four-day custody of alleged Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agent Asif Ali from today. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Suicide prevention centre to train counsellors in health dept The spiralling suicide rate in Tamil Nadu has finally set alarm bells ringing in the state's health department. Campaign against tobacco falls in deaf ears The various awareness campaigns that were conducted in Tamil Nadu to highlight the ill-effects of tobacco use seems to have had little or no effect on the public, if one goes by the recent World Health Organization's study on the "Economic Burden of Tobacco Related Diseases in Tamil Nadu". Flight delayed after glass door breaks at Chennai airport A Chennai-Doha Qatar Airways flight was delayed by around 10 minutes after a glass door of a boarding gate shattered at the new international terminal of Chennai airport on Wednesday. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		NMCE's former boss Kailash Gupta fails to deposit Rs 20cr, goes back in jail Former chairman of National Multi-commodity Exchange of India Ltd (NMCE), Kailash Gupta, surrendered before a local court on Wednesday after he failed to fulfil the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court for his bail. Wilful default: HC relief for firms' officials The RBI guidelines prohibit other banks and financial institutions (FI) from offering loans to promoters and directors of the company that has wilfully defaulted. No brain mapping of accused: Court A city sessions court has rejected cops' request to conduct brain fingerprinting of a person who is accused of kidnapping a minor girl who is missing even after his arrest. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		IERT ragging cell warden suspended The chief warden of the Anti-Ragging Cell of Institute of Engineering and Rural Technology was suspended while adverse entry was given to remaining members on orders of divisional commissioner on Tuesday. Will Yogi's magic work for BJP in Kaushambi? Will the visit of BJP’s firebrand leader Yogi Adityanath in Kaushambi district be able to garner support for BJP candidate Santosh Patel contesting from Sirathu bypoll. With no signs of polarization, the party seems to be in a tight spot. Performer chronicles region's Nautanki art form for posterity At 63, folk artiste Ramlochan Sanwariya, belonging to a village of Karchana tehsil has documented history of the Nautanki art form and brought to fore several unsung heroes of the Allahabad region and their contribution to the dying art form. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Work on IIT campus gains momentum After a prolonged delay, construction work on the IIT Bhubaneswar campus has finally gained momentum, brightening prospects of shifting the institute to its permanent address at Argul on the outskirts of the city soon. Cholera scare in Kalahandi Three persons have died of suspected cholera in Narla block, 36 km from here, in Kalahandi district. Funding for cricket league on CBI radar The Indian Premier League's state version Odisha Premier League (OPL), which was under the scanner of income tax department and vigilance wing in 2011 for irregularities, is now under CBI glare. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Woman set ablaze daughter-in-law on suspicion of washing powder theft A woman was set ablaze by her mother-in-law over suspicion of theft in Subhash Colony on Sunday. AIIMS students suffer food poisoning Students of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal have been reported sick with food poisoning. Two faculty members quit AIIMS Bhopal Two faculty members of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal have decided to quit on Tuesday.Since its start in 2012, more than a dozen faculty members have quit the institute. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		CBSE hunting for alternatives to homework, you can help Does homework bore or tire you as a student, parent or teacher? If yes, then it is time to come forward and share alternatives with the Central Board of Secondary Education. DLF lost control of prime Gurgaon land twice The fine print of the Punjab and Haryana high court's September 3 order, cancelling allotment of 350 acres of land in Gurgaon to real estate major DLF, has revealed a startling fact. Parties make power crunch in Haryana poll issue Electricity supply in Haryana is likely to become a major issue in the upcoming assembly elections. More Chandigarh News»

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