[wanabidii] News Digest: Services growth at five-month low in November

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Thursday, December 03, 2015
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Services growth at five-month low in November India's services industry barely expanded in November, growing at its weakest pace in five months, as firms grew increasingly gloomy about the coming year, a business survey showed on Thursday. Air India launches first direct flight to Silicon Valley Air India's first non-stop flight from New Delhi to San Francisco has landed here amid rousing welcome, becoming the first Indian airline to provide a direct air connection to the West Coast in the US. Sensex down 103 points in early trade, Nifty dips below 7,900 Falling for the second straight session, the benchmark BSE Sensex dropped by another 103 points, while the NSE Nifty cracked the 7,900-mark in early trade on Thursday on sustained selling by funds and retail investors amid sluggish Asian cues. More Business News»

		Environment
		Global warming could cause fall in oxygen on Earth: Study Earth's oxygen could dramatically fall due to change in ocean temperature of just several degrees, which may likely result in the mass mortality of animals and humans, a new study has claimed. Beijing smog reaches over 25 times safe levels Beijing ordered hundreds of factories to shut and allowed children to skip school as choking smog reached over 25 times safe levels on Tuesday, casting a cloud over China’s participation in Paris climate talks. Despite outcry, Japan to resume whaling Japan will dispatch a whaling fleet to the Antarctic after a one year suspension, the government said, defying international criticism and a UN legal ruling that the “research“ expedition is a commercial hunt in disguise. More Environment News»

		World
		North Korea digging new nuclear tunnel: Report Satellite photographs from October and early November indicate that North Korea is digging a new tunnel for nuclear testing. However, there are no signs that a such a test is imminent, a US research institute said on Wednesday. British bombers make first air strikes on ISIS British bombers made their first strikes on Syria on Thursday, just hours after Britain's parliament voted to target Islamic State targets in Syria. Tornado bombers took off from the RAF Akrotiri air base in Cyprus and made strikes on targets in Syria. Is it IS, ISIS or ISIL, and what's a Daesh? The Islamic State's rampage across the Middle East has left the world divided over how to refer to the extremist group. The observers are adopting different acronyms based on their translation of an archaic geographical term and the extent to which they want to needle the extremists. More World News»

		Science
		Unhealthy bite: World getting a sweet tooth Almonds provide lesser calories than estimated: Study A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) has shown that whole almonds provide about 20% fewer calories than what was originally thought. Cabinet okays Bill on Regional Centre for Biotechnology The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its approval for introduction of a Bill to provide legal status to the Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad. More Science News»

		Technology
		11 innovative Microsoft products that failed badly In hindsight, these products were way ahead of their time and something that Microsoft should have pursued. Here are nearly a dozen instances in which Microsoft saw the future and passed. Facebook activates Safety Check feature in Chennai Social networking giant Facebook has activated its Safety Check feature in flood-hit Chennai city. The tool sends users in the affected area a note asking them if they're safe. And when a user clicks "Yes, let my friends know," the tool automatically notifies his/her Facebook friends. Flipkart suffers Rs 2,000-crore loss in discount war The Rs 2000-crore loss in the year ended March, is attributed to heavy discounts offered by Flipkart to win customers and stay ahead of rivals Snapdeal and Amazon India while investing in back-end operations. More Technology News»

		Education
		CISCE annual meeting held in the presence of HRD and CBSE representatives The 108th General Body meeting of the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi (CISCE) was held in the city. 14 major company visit IIT-BHU for placement on second day On the second day of the placement season of IITs, as many as 14 major companies visited Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) on Wednesday.  CBSE asks schools to observe IDPD to sensitize students and make them more empathetic Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked all affiliated schools to observe International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) and hold multiple activities on December 3 with an aim to motivate and engage students from school age to develop an empathetic understanding towards day to day challenges faced by children with disability in their personal, social, academic and recreational aspects of life. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Gautam Singhania celebrates his car racing accomplishments in Mumbai After a record setting season at the European Ferrari Challenge series, Gautam Singhania celebrated at a south Mumbai eatery on Mahalakshmi Race Course Sena union demands clutter-free pavement on LBS Marg Shiv Sena's transporters union threatened a massive morcha in Kurla West on December 7 to protest against the illegal dumping of tyres, vehicle spare parts on pavements along the LBS Marg. Moneylender forces man to sell kidney to repay Rs 20,000 loan The Akola police have busted an international kidney racket with the arrest of a money lender who had forced a daily wage worker to travel all the way to Sri Lanka to sell off his kidney to repay a loan of Rs 20,000. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		At Delhi's air quality Beijing would have shut down factories.... For three days in a row, Delhi's air quality has been very poor, and the city has done nothing. Here's how India's capital compared with China's on Wednesday. HC: Do gods sit in Cabinet meet & decide issues? Do gods sit in the Cabinet meeting and decide the issues or is the Cabinet something beyond the heaven which can't deal with a relevant issue, the Delhi high court on Wednesday said expressing annoyance at the Centre's delay in sanctioning additional police for the capital. Man held for raping teen stepdaughter A 15-year-old girl has accused her stepfather of raping her for over a year after which the man was arrested from their residence in southeast Delhi's Jamia Nagar on Tuesday. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Congress divided over candidature of Veerkumar Patil in Belagavi Congress is facing heat within the party for once again confirming the candidature of sitting MLC Veerkumar Patil for upcoming elections of legislative council for the fourth time from Belagavi district. Karnataka govt ready with 100 tonnes of milk powder for Chennai With fear of more rains still looming large over Chennai, people stranded in different parts of the coastal city are asking for is food, and more importantly some milk for their kids. 200-bedded rehabilitation block for cancer patients to come up by 2017 The concept design for a 200 bedded rehabilitation block, Alaya Home for Cancer Care Charitable Trust, was unveiled by minister for food and civil supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao, in Bengaluru on Wednesday. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Osmania University students approach SHRC for beef festival The students of Osmania University (OU) who are organising the proposed controversial beef festival on December 10, on Thursday approached State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) seeking protection for the festival from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Raja Singh, who threated to foil the event. Police flirt with fatwa; Clergy outsources job At a time when the fatwa has come under sharp criticism from many quarters, surprisingly it is Hyderabad's own city police who appear to be flirting with it. Telangana govt flayed for flawed farm loan waiver At a time when the TRS government is being criticized for doing little to help the distressed farmers, implementation of farm loan waiver scheme has resulted in a greater distress for all the three stakeholders: farmers, the banks and the state government itself. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Forces on war footing to rescue survivors as Tamil Nadu flood toll nears 270 Rescue and relief operations continued in full swing in Chennai with over a hundred people taken to safety by teams of Army, IAF and NDRF, including a seven-month pregnant woman who was airlifted on Thursday from one of the worst-affected areas in the flooded city. Chennai rain: Army battles deadly flooding to rescue survivors Floods that have killed 269 people in Tamil Nadu began to recede on Thursday, giving rescue teams a chance to evacuate thousands of residents stranded by the heaviest cloudburst in the city of Chennai in over a century. Chennai rain: NDRF doubles strength of rescue teams to 1,200 NDRF teams have doubled the number of their rescuers in the rain and flood-battered Chennai and adjoining areas to 1,200 even as the force on Thrusday decided to penetrate deep into the affected areas to aid the marooned. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		2015 local elections — Rural rout a warning to state BJP govt The results of the local body election are a wake-up call for chief minister Anandiben Patel whose party has retained its urban fort but suffered serious reverses in Gujarat's rural areas. If this voting pattern gets repeated in the 2017 assembly polls, the ruling party could be in trouble. Int'l day for persons with disabilities — Creating vision in the dark When the visi tors will explore the world of darkness -felt everyday by the blind -at `Vision in the Dark' project at Blind People's Association (BPA) next year and visit exhibits such as Va ishnodevi cave, the project will have a major contribution from an Italian volunteer. Bharuch double murder - Abid, Salim detained by ATS at Indo-Nepal border The Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Gujarat detained Abid Patel, brother of Javed Dawood Shaikh alias Chikna an accused in the Mumbai serial blasts, along with an accomplice Salim Ganchi, from the Indo-Nepal border late on Wednesday afternoon. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Parl seeks details on Nehru papers After six decades, the manuscript of handwritten autography of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru 'In and out of prison' has grabbed the attention of the country's policy makers. HC turns down Rai's bail plea Rejecting the bail application of Rai, Justice R D Khare said that it was not a fit case for the grant of bail. Single window model launched to check HIV DAPCU officials are focusing on blocks like Pratappur, Soraon, Shankargarh, Koraon, Meja and Phulpur which are home to migrants - a large chunk of them being vulnerable to HIV infection. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Oil cos hike LPG price for non-subsidized consumers Oil marketing companies, including the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), has increased the price of non-subsidized domestic LPG cylinders by Rs 61.50. Govt to construct 3442 godowns in 3 years for paddy The state government has proposed to construct 3,442 godowns in the coming three years to facilitate storage of paddy, seeds and fertilizers. Odisha demands 5kcr in upcoming railway budget The state government on Wednesday demanded 5,000 crore from the Centre in the upcoming railway budget for 2016-17, official sources said. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		31 years on, Bhopal gas case still tied in legal tangle Bhopal gas disaster victims flays MP govt on false claims on facilities The victims of Bhopal gas tragedy, world’s worst industrial disaster, have objected to the `intolerant behaviour’ of Madhya Pradesh government who has claimed to finish all major tasks in the interest of sufferers. RSS to nationally campaign against social discrimination To set-right its stand on reservations after the BJP’s Bihar debacle, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will launch a nation-wide campaign for social harmony against untouchability and other caste bias in January-February next year. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Dalit man booked for skinning dead cow in Jalandhar A dalit man has been arrested for allegedly trying to skin a dead cow here on Wednesday. Don't fall prey to Sukhbir's designs, warns PPP chief People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal on Wednesday said he wanted to caution people in the state against the alleged designs of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to raise political heat and passions by adopting policy of confrontation, not only against political adversaries, but also people. Mohali mayor wants hygienic street food, writes to CMO Mohali mayor Kulwant Singh has written to the health department seeking a check on the sale of food being sold by street vendors. More Chandigarh News»

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