[wanabidii] News Digest: Gujarat govt extends Maruti benefits to parent firm

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Friday, December 25, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Gujarat govt extends Maruti benefits to parent firm A few days after Maruti Suzuki India Ltd received minority shareholders' approval for handing over the Gujarat plant to the parent company, Suzuki Motor Corporation, the Gujarat government reworked the "state support agreement" in favour of the Suzuki. USFDA finds ceiling leaks at Sun Pharma plant The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter issued to Sun Pharma highlights serious concerns of sterility assurance in medicines, possibility of microbial contamination and ceiling leaks, as part of the manufacturing lapses at its Halol facility. Biocon soars 7% on drug launch Biopharmaceutical company Biocon on Thursday said it has launched a generic version of Gilead Sciences' Hepatitis C drug, Harvoni, in India. More Business News»

		Environment
		Crows too know how to make and use tools! f you thought only humans or primates can forge and use tools, you are wrong. Crows can make, use, and even store for re-use certain tools while foraging for food, a new study shows. 'Bread, Wine, Chocolate' makes environmental issues tasty The lands, waters and atmosphere of our planet are under tremendous stress from the appetites and endeavors of more than 7 billion people, and such issues often make for grim reading. Amid smog crisis, China vows more liveable cities China vowed on Tuesday that it would make "liveable" cities a central goal of China's urban planning, amid persistent problems over choking smog that frequently blankets the populous east and north. More Environment News»

		World
		Indonesian ferry accident death toll climbs to 63 The death toll from a ferry disaster in central Indonesia has risen to 63 with a few of people still missing. According to the search and rescue agency chief, as of Friday morning 103 passengers aboard the boat had been recovered, with just 40 found alive. The ferry sank on rough seas last Saturday. Japan mountaineer Taniguchi dies in fall while climbing Japanese mountaineer Kei Taniguchi (43) died in an accident while climbing in the snowy Daisetsuzan range in northern Japan's Hokkaido. Taniguchi, who climbed Mount Everest in 2007, became the first woman to win the prestigious Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) mountaineering award in 2009. Pakistan withdraws diplomat from Bangladesh: Foreign min Pakistan has withdrawn one of its diplomats from Bangladesh after "harassment", the foreign ministry said. More World News»

		Science
		Quran found at UK univ belonged to first ever Muslims? An ancient copy of the Quran found at the University of Birmingham in July may have belonged to Abu Bakr, one of the world’s first ever Muslims. Technical glitch delays Nasa's Mars project by 2 years Nasa’s Mars programme has suffered a setback following the decision of the space agency to suspend the March 2016 launch of the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission as a result of unsuccessful attempts to repair a leak in a section of the prime instrument in the science payload. Chinese TV channel hires robot as reporter, anchors worried For the first time, a Chinese news channel has employed an artificial intelligence robot as a weather reporter on its live breakfast show, raising concerns among the country’s journalists. “I’m happy to start my new work on the winter solstice,” robot XiaoIce said during her debut on Tuesday morning. More Science News»

		Technology
		15 things to do with your old Android smartphone People upgrade their smartphone -- on average -- once every two years. Coming soon: SMS alerts directly from PM Modi Soon, you could get an e-mail or SMS straight from the Prime Minister informing you of a new policy decision or even an urgent alert in national interest.The e-Sampark initiative launched as a part of 'Digital India' last year is now being extended to private citizens, especially professionals. Net Neutrality: Microsoft snubs Facebook's plan Microsoft has jumped right into the middle of the ongoing intense battle over Facebook's plan to provide some internet services free of charge. More Technology News»

		Education
		90% of government degree colleges in Karnataka headless According to the department of collegiate education, 376 — or, some 91% — of the 411 GFGCs in the state don't have a permanent principal. In Bengaluru, only three of the 20-plus GFGCs have permanent principals. Gujarat Class XII science results: 3,542 score over 90% Around 98% students who'd appeared for semester III of Class XII science stream cleared the board exams. Of the nearly 1.33 lakh students in A group (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) and B group (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), only 2,681 students failed. Harvard University's Public Health School opens centre in Mumbai The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently announced the opening of a centre in Mumbai. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		DJ Shaan regaled audiences at world's biggest guest list event in Mumbai One of the country's leading deejays, Shaan took things to a whole new level when he performed in front of the largest crowd ever for an Indian DJ at the world's biggest guest list event. Mumbai gets coldest December day in a decade The minimum temperature measured at the Santa Cruz weather station was 11.4°C. Thus, for yet another day, the city's minimum remained lower than usually colder places (in the state) like Mahabaleshwar, Nagpur and Alibaug. Retired income tax chief granted anticipatory bail in murder case The Bombay high court has confirmed its anticipatory bail to Kamlesh Argal, a retired chief commissioner of income tax (I-T), in an alleged kidnap and murder case of another former IRS officer. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Karkardooma killers had rehearsed the shootout The juveniles who shot dead a Delhi Police head constable at Karkardooma courts on Wednesday had meticulously planned the operation, hoping to finish everything in five minutes and escape in the melee. Even women are at odds with exemption Delhi government may have exempted single women drivers from the odd-even formula starting January 1, but this decision has received a mixed response from the public, especially women. Delhi wakes up to air 5 times worse than safe standard The smog cover lifted on Thursday, but air quality continued to be poor.Wednesday had the worst air in the whole of 2015 with PM 2.5 concentration of a staggering 295 micrograms per cubic metre (gm3). On Thursday morning, it actually peaked to 300 gm3, about 5 times the Indian safe standard. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		If you can dream it, he will bake it It was during his school days that he got interested in the art of cake-making. Little did C Ramachandran then know that his hobby would eventually turn into a career spanning almost 50 years and earn him a place n the Limca Book of Records. A week after mother, toddler found dead in Nandi Hills Almost a week after his mother plunged to death in Nandi Hills, the body of a two-and-a-half-year-old boy was discovered by a team of police, climbing experts and locals on Thursday. BBMP sleeps on HC's garbage disposal order A week after the Karnataka high court directed the BBMP to implement the "two bin, one bag" system for household and other points of garbage collection, the BBMP has not moved an inch ahead in implementing it. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Close shave for 30 students About 30 students had a providential escape on Thursday when their school bus ploughed into a roadside canal near Ponnur. Blasphemy isn't freedom of speech: Asad Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi on late Wednesday night reacted strongly to the comments made by a Hindu Mahasabha leader against Prophet Muhammad. Gaiety, rallies mark Milad-un-Nabi A sea of humanity poured into Old City streets on Thursday to celebrate Milad-un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Jayalalithaa urges Modi to exempt police radio network from spectrum charges She also demanded waiver of Rs 140 crore levied on the state police department by the Union ministry for communications and information technology. 'Tamil Nadu govt should not have trained 206 priests' Only people born in the lineage of archakas can perform the duties of archakas, asserts M A Venkatakrishnan, retired professor and head of the department of Vaishnavism at the University of Madras. HCs have jurisdiction over private univs, says SC Can employees of private universities drag the institutions to writ courts over job-related disputes? More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Hemal Shah and her associates could have black mailed more people Projecting themselves as sleuths from crime branch, Hemal shah and her associates could be involved in more cases of extortion and black mailing. Isanpur police has sought remand of the accused to know their criminal history. Three caught for threatening jeweller A team of Vastrapur police officials arrested Harshad Panchal, Vishnu Desai and Ashish Thakkar after a jeweller accused them of threatening him over a business transaction. Yuletide spirit joins Eid-e-Milad fervour Muslims in the city celebrated Eid-e-Milad-un Nabi (Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad) with festivity and fervour on Thursday. A rally of devotees took place in various parts of the Walled City in the afternoon. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		19 Pakistani women seek Indian citizenship As many as 26 Pakistani nationals from Sangam city are seeking Indian citizenship, following two women from the neighbouring nation being recommended for the same by state government as they prepare to marry residents of Kanpur. Prime accused surrenders in pradhan murder case The prime accused in Piprav double murder case, in which a newly elected gram pradhan and another man were killed, surrendered before police on Thursday. The accused was identified as Pawan Singh, a resident of Piprav. Traffic jams due to Barawafat Traffic jams occurred in many areas due Barawafat processions on Thursday. Hundreds of commuters were trapped in different areas including Chowk, Ghantaghar, Leader Road, Rajapur, Johnstonganj, University Road and other areas. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		All faiths come together on Xmas Churches are all decked out to celebrate the birth of Christ, waiting to welcome scores of people from Thursday midnight. Kandhamal bandh today against fake ST documents Kui Samaj Samanwaya Samiti (KSSS) a tribal outfit, has called a 12-hour bandh in Kandhamal on December 25. BJD foundation day to be low-key affair The foundation day of the BJD will be a low-key affair this year. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Madhya Pradesh IPS officer dies of heart attack at gymMadhya Pradesh IPS officer dies of heart attack at gym Senior IPS officer S K Pandey who was serving as additional director general (ADG), disaster management, died of heart attack during gym workout at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh on Friday morning. Marriage gardens on city outskirts may face music After initiating action against marriage gardens around the Upper Lake, the district administration has now turned its watchful eye towards illegal marriage gardens operating on the outskirts of the state capital. Jabalpur airport's licence suspension revoked Union minister of state for civil aviation, Mahesh Sharma, has revoked the suspension of licence of Dumna Airport, Jabalpur, on Thursday. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Pay dead grandpa's loan to fight panchayat polls! Life was never easy for women in patriarchy-driven rural Haryana and the new educational clause for panchayat elections to be held next month had made life only tougher with 68% not being able to contest. Robbed of lakhs, victim, passerby nab 2 of 4 criminals Division number three police on Wednesday arrested two of the four miscreants who looted an ayurvedic practitioner of lakhs of rupees at gunpoint at Dhai Ahata road. The accused were identified as Harwinder Singh and Lovepreet Singh, both of Nawanshahr. Santa made of tyres, a bizman's gift to city Businessman Bikramjit Singh Madhok has decided to give a special gift to the city on this Christmas. He has used old tyres to create different figures, including Santa Claus, at a roundabout on Sat Paul Mittal road, also known as Malhar road. More Chandigarh News»

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