News Digest: Singapore's former PM on five-day official visit to India

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Monday, September 08, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		India
		Singapore's former PM on five-day official visit to India Singapore's former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong is on a five-day visit to India during which he will be meeting several political heads, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. J&K flood fury is Kedarnath-2, Omar says Drawing parallel between last year's Kedarnath tragedy and the Jammu & Kashmir's flood, chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday hoped that his government will be able to keep the death toll less by better and speedy rescue operation. 1,800 refugees still in Shamli camp A year after one of the worst riots in the history of the state, 1,800 refugees are still living in the relief camps of Shamli district. More India News»

		Business
		Modi govt has stuck to path laid out by UPA, says Rajan India's new government may take some time to unveil "grand, big picture reforms" as it is currently focusing on implementation of stalled projects worth $50-70 billion that will pay dividends in the short run by helping on the inflation and income fronts, RBI governor Raghuram Rajan has said. 'Telcos must keep rivalries out': Ravi Shankar Prasad Communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad is in charge of the telecom sector, which has been hit by a series of controversies. Government plans new return to plug excise, service tax evasion The government plans to introduce a new annual tax return that will include information from income tax audit report, including TDS and income tax returns, and cost audit report as it looks to draw information from multiple sources to clamp down on evasion of excise and service tax. More Business News»

		Environment
		Two more cubs of Royal Bengal tiger die in Indore zoo Four cubs were born on September 5 by successful mating of a white tigress, called Shivani, and a Royal Bengal Tiger for the first time in any zoo of Madhya Pradesh. 99 per cent of Sweden's waste is now reused Around 99 per cent of Sweden's garbage is now recycled and the country is so efficient at managing waste they are importing it from other European countries. California blue whales, once nearly extinct, back at historical levels California blue whales, the largest animals on Earth once driven to near extinction by whaling, have made a remarkable comeback to near historic, 19th-century levels, according to a University of Washington study released on Friday. More Environment News»

		World
		Scottish independence backers lead Supporters of Scottish independence from Britain have taken their first opinion poll lead since the referendum campaign began, indicating a real possibility that they might win, according to a YouGov survey for the Sunday Times newspaper. US urge Afghan rivals to resolve disputed vote US President Barack Obama today urged the rival candidates in Afghanistan's disputed election to come to an agreement on a national unity government to end the crisis over the vote. Obama to set out plan to go on offensive against Islamic State President Barack Obama will deliver a speech to Americans and consult with lawmakers this week to sell his plan to go on the offensive against Islamic State militants, but is trying to head off public concern about another big military escapade. More World News»

		Entertainment
		I can be in a tub full of petals with ladies: SRK We spoke to the dynamic and full-of-life Farah Khan, who was too happy flaunting the fact that she was the only one man or woman who had managed to get Shah Rukh to take off his shirt in a film. Excerpts: Sonam tries to overcome her fear of elevators Sonam Kapoor, who has a phobia of elevators, tried to conquer it sometime back in Bangkok. Fear Factor: Celebrities and their weird phobias Be it heights or water, close space or elevators, darkness or fire, each one of us has some phobia or the other. More Entertainment News»

		Science
		100m-year-old volcano found under the Pacific A massive 100 million-year-old ancient extinct volcano has been discovered lurking four kilometres underwater in one of the least explored areas of the Pacific Ocean. Bra does not increase risk of breast cancer: Study Wearing a bra does not increase the risk of breast cancer - even if it is underwired or worn all year long, according to new research. In Europe, Neanderthal art that looks like hashtag The hashtag may be a symbol of modern life, but its origins can be traced back to Neanderthal carvings. More Science News»

		Sports
		Serena Williams downs Caroline Wozniacki for sixth US Open title World number one American Serena Williams won her 18th Grand Slam title at last, overpowering Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark 6-3, 6-3 to capture her sixth US Open crown. F1: Lewis Hamilton wins Italian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton turned a poor start into a dramatic win ahead of his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg in Italian GP, cutting German's lead from 29 points to 22. US Open: Nishikori, Cilic seek glory in unlikely final istory, redemption and glory will be on the line when Japan's Kei Nishikori and Croatia's Marin Cilic battle for the US Open men's title on Monday. More Sports News»

		Technology
		First impressions: Moto 360 smartwatch Is the Moto 360 the best smartwatch among the current crop? Moto X (Gen 2) preview: New avatar but will it be worth the price? It won't be wrong to say that it's a completely new phone and not just an iterative upgrade. 8 ridiculously expensive gadgets money can buy See eight of the most ridiculously expensive gadgets money can buy. More Technology News»

		Education
		Mumbai colleges have up to 135 students in a class this year Some of the top city colleges affiliated to Mumbai University this year have more than 135 students in a classroom, especially the commerce classes. Students aim to borrow less from banks for MBA A big take away from the great recession of 2009 among the students worldwide is to borrow less and count on greater contributions from parents investing in their education. Threat of closure Budget private schools, which serve children from low-income families, face a threat of closure under the right to education (RTE) act 2010. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Mumbai colleges have up to 135 students in a class this year Some of the top city colleges affiliated to Mumbai University this year have more than 135 students in a classroom, especially the commerce classes. Deepika Padukone, Arjun & Sonam at the second edition of Fashion's Night Out in Mumbai This evening of indulgent retail therapy with a cause was attended by celebs like Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and Neha Dhupia to name a few. Help centres to be set up for lost kids and medical emergencies The traffic department has imposed a series of restrictions for Anant Chaturdashi. From noon on Monday till 6am on Tuesday, it will close off 49 roads to traffic, make another 55 one-way, ban parking on 95 stretches and bar heavy vehicles from 13 roads. To monitor mandal processions, it has mounted 218 CCTV cameras at different junctions. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Cops plan e-database of IGI staff With the sharp rise in theft cases and bolder crimes being reported from IGI airport, the baggage loaders at IGI, considered a minor nuisance till now, are turning into a security issue Ozone-depleting AC gas new favourite of smugglers While R-22 gas or chlorodifluoromethane is allowed to be imported, shipments are closely regulated and require a license to be brought into the country. Private firms to gain Rs 6k crore per year on power minister's rescue plan The nine private power projects account for 10,580mw, and as government documents indicate, would corner over 24 million tonnes of domestic coal a year ? enough to run a 5,000mw plant or feed Delhi's demand. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		5 infants rescued from beggars in Bangalore These are infants you see on the road, in the hands of beggars, often flaunted to get passersby pull some money out of their pockets out of sympathy. Bangaloreans bid adieu to Ganapa Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations peaked in the city on Sunday as devotees made a beeline to water bodies for visarjan. Over 3 lakh idols were immersed in four lakes till midnight. Staff head for office, with kids in tow It was a very different sight at the secretariat on Sunday. Hundreds of officials headed for their offices — many with their spouses and children in tow. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		IM operative learnt tech skills in Banjara Hills Alleged Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative Ajaz Shaikh reportedly learnt the art of using various information technology tools at an institute in Banjara Hills. Heavy rains trigger flood alert in Telangana, AP villages Danger warning signal No. 1 was issued in Bhadrachalam town as the water level in the Godavari crossed 45 feet. The danger warning here is issued if the water level crosses 42 feet, officials said. 'Farmers can take final call' "We have decided to meet farmers of Guntur district along the Krishna river and put up our plans before them. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Courier firms asked to pay artist Rs 5 lakh for negligence The state consumer disputes redressal commission directed two courier companies to pay a city-based painter a relief of Rs 5 lakh for failing to deliver her paintings in time. City artist takes his love of symmetry to Mumbai At 68 sculptor S Nandagopal's work has taken a new turn. No stranger to innovation, the Chennai artist's foray into art began with painting but was sealed with his love for metals. IT companies flood campuses with offers If campus placements are an indication of the financial health of the country, India is on a recovery curve. Engineering colleges are showing around 20% growth in the number of jobs being offered to freshers this year. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		State tops in onion, potato output Gujarat may have slipped from third to the fifth position in overall production of onions of potatoes in the country for 2013-14, but the state has recorded the highest per hectare productivity of these two crops. Marine Task Force to get 1k new recruits The state police's Marine Task Force (MTF), also dubbed as 'Marine SRP' due to its role as enforcing agency similar to State Reserve Police (SRP) in cities and districts, is to recruit more than 1,000 personnel. 2 women claim to be moms of child found by police The mystery over a two-and-a-half-year-old boy, Sagar, found by Madhavpura police on Friday foxed the cops as two women came forward, claiming motherhood of the boy. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		UPSRTC plans to restart rural bus service Uttar Pradesh State Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) had planned to restart rural bus service to connect the city to remote villages. In 2012, the scheme was discontinued after poor road connectivity and infrastructure led to wear and tear of dozens of vehicles within a short period. Villagers block Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway;demand more compensation for land acquired to construct Karchana power plant Hundreds of villagers in Kachri villages blocked Jhansi-Mirzapur Highway for several hours on Sunday, demanding compensation as per new acquisition policy for the land acquired to construct the proposed 1,320 MW power plant in Karchana. Five IERT students expelled for ragging Five students, including three girls of Institute of Engineering and Rural Technology (IERT), were on Sunday expelled for two years after a fresher lodged a complaint with the anti-ragging helpline of University Grants Commission (UGC). Action would also be initiated against 12 officials for bid to hush up the case. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Missing Sambalpur youth rescued from UP Sudarsan Meher of Sambalpur got his son on Saturday.He was rescued by Uttar Pradesh (UP) police from the house of Jaiprakash Jatt at Dhanoura in the northern state. Incessant showers worry idol makers in Cuttack The incessant rain has not only thrown normal life out of gear in Millennium City but also adversely affected Durga Puja preparations. The artisans in the city are worried as idol-making has got delayed. Open up umbrella to study in classroom Students of several city schools are having a hard time due to incessant rain over the last few days. The heavy rain has exposed poor infrastructure facilities in schools with seeping walls and dripping roofs. Finding it difficult to manage in some schools, teachers have asked students not to come to school till the rain stops. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		MP sitting on permissions to prosecute corrupt babus Madhya Pradesh government is sitting over requests of state Lokayukta seeking sanction to prosecute corrupt officials. More than 100 such requests including around 40 made in 2013 are pending, despite apex court's direction for clearing such requests in three months. MP BJP forgets Atal-Advani, all hail Modi-Shivraj On August 26, BJP patriarchs Atal Behari Vajpayee, LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were axed from the party's Parliamentary Board. Ten days later, they have disappeared from posters at Madhya Pradesh BJP's working committee meet where discussions revolved around success stories of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and to a lesser extent about chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. If BJP forgot its elders to usher-in a new era, it would still be understandable. But the party here also intentionally or otherwise forgot to place its national president Amit Shah on the banners. Look-out notice issued against IAS couple Madhya Pradesh Lokayukta police on Saturday issued a look-out circular (LOC) against on-the-run former IAS officer couple Arvind Joshi and Tinoo, following an arrest warrant issued against them by district court in a disproportionate assets case. Information has been sent to airports, through Intelligence Bureau (IB), across the country to prevent Joshi couple from leaving the country. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Ragnis pull in crowd for netas' recital With assembly polls dates expected to be announced soon, the folk artists of Haryana are already in high demand. Rains bring misery for farmers, claim first victim Missing from his native Chahlaan Wali village since Saturday, his body was found on a rail track near Maur Mandi, where he had thrown himself in front of an approaching train. Congress ads dump 'Hooda' for party The punch line 'Number 1 Haryana, Hooda ji ka Haryana' used by Congress to woo voters has been dropped ever since Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has taken over the advertisement campaign of the party. More Chandigarh News»

		To manage your newsletter subscription settings, click here	Other Newsletters from TOI : Movie Reviews | Life & Style | Top Headlines