[wanabidii] News Digest: McDonald's India to focus on brand extension

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Sunday, January 10, 2016
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		McDonald's India to focus on brand extension In its 20th year of operations in India, McDonald's India will sharpen focus on innovation, delivery business, and brand extensions like McCafe in 2016, that have "significantly boosted" the company's revenues in the past year. India to be star performer; China to slow down in '16 India will be a "star performer" among emerging market economies and is expected to clock 7.7 per cent growth in 2016. It will outshining China for the second consecutive year, a PwC report says. Of the emerging economies, only India is expected to grow faster in 2016 than its long-term average growth rate. Sebi mulls steps to reduce MFs exposure in corp bonds Sebi is mulling urgent steps to safeguard investors' interest against any over-exposure of mutual funds to riskier corporate bonds, while measures are also underway to allow sale of funds on e-commerce platforms to provide an easy and cost-effective channel. More Business News»

		Environment
		Mozambique park sees wildlife numbers grow after war Lions are getting pregnant and the waterbuck population is soaring at one of Mozambique's main national parks, once the scene of fighting during a civil war which virtually wiped out the park's lions, elephants and many other species. Eighth lion dies at ambitious Etawah Lion Safari Project The ambitious Lion Safari project in Etawah, a flagship project of the Uttar Pradesh government, suffered another lion death on Saturday when Tapasya, the lioness, succumbed to prolonged illness. Sabarimala to go 'green', pilgrims asked to cooperate With the Kerala high court seeking that the famed Sabarimala temple in the state's Pathanamthitta district and its premises are kept clean and turn "green", local authorities have launched an awareness drive and asked pilgrims to ensure that they adhere to the rules. More Environment News»

		World
		French president honors 2015 attack victims French President Francois Hollande and other dignitaries are holding a special ceremony to honor all those killed in Islamic extremist attacks around Paris in 2015. Japan urges reduced restrictions on Fukushima imports Japan pressed Singapore to ease its ban on Fukushima food imports, following the European Union's move to relax restrictions on imports from the area, according to media reports on Sunday. US flies B-52 over S Korea after North tests nuke A US long-range heavy bomber flew over South Korea on Sunday, the US military said, days after North Korea conducted its first alleged hydrogen bomb test in defiance of international sanctions. The B-52 Stratofortress briefly roared over 72km south of the inter-Korean border. More World News»

		Science
		Villages on the Moon can be reality by 2030: Scientists Villages on the Moon, constructed through cooperation between astronauts and robotic systems on the lunar surface, can become a reality as early as 2030, a group of scientists have predicted. Nasa mission finds 100 new alien planets The information about the planets, some of which are very different from what the spacecraft observed during its original mission, was shared by University of Arizona's Ian Crossfield at a conference of the American Astronomical Society, National Geographic reported. I need a drink: pilot after 22,000-km flight British aviator Tracey CurtisTaylor landed with her open-cockpit biplane at Sydney’s international airport on Saturday, completing a three-month journey from England to retrace a pioneering feat of early aviation. More Science News»

		Technology
		9 hot gadgets set to launch in India soon Just like every year, CES 2016, held at Las Vegas, had the tech giants from around the world showcasing their latest products and concepts: Smart fridges, connected cars, futuristic gaming tower PCs, new-age fitness trackers, 8K TV sets and the list goes on. Techies turn 3 Madhya Pradesh villages into free Wi-Fi zone Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Digital India initiative, four techies from Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district have turned three remote villages into first free Wi-Fi hamlets in the country without government funding. 8 gadgets & tech you should definitely use in 2016 Here are some gadgets and technologies that provide simple solutions to these and many other such problems. More Technology News»

		Education
		Chinese universities to enroll more ethnic minority students Chinese universities have agreed to expand annual enrollments of ethnic minority students from the tension-fraught western region of Xinjiang to 10,000 by 2020, up from the current school year's 6,800. CAT 2015 result: Meerut boy bags 99.99 percentile City boy Prabhav Gupta is 20 years old but the world is already his oyster. Gupta has scored 99.99 percentile in the common aptitude test (CAT). The fourth-year engineering student is now preparing for his interview at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad - his dream college. Two from Raj bell CAT with near-perfect 99.99 Two aspiring management students from the state - Arnav Pareek and Prabhav Gupta - scored a near-perfect 99.99 percentile in Common Admission Test (CAT) 2015, results of which were declared on Friday evening.Pareek, who is a chemical engineer from IIT-Banaras Hindu University (BHU), prepared for CAT along with a job in a leading MNC. More Education News»

		Mumbai
		150 suburban services The Central Railway has started a 18-hour block for dismantling of the 135-year-old Hancock bridge between Byculla and Sandhurst Road stations. Due to the block, 150 suburban services will be cancelled on main line. Shia cleric execution triggers hate mails to Saudi consulate The Saudi Arabia consulate here has received a barrage of hate mails after the Saudi authorities executed senior Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, along with 46 others, last week. Week on, baby set on fire by father dies The infant, who was set on fire along with his mother and cousin at their Mira Road home by his father on December 31, has succumbed to his burns. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Triple murder in Delhi, one body found in cupboard In a shocking incident, a family of three was found dead in their house in Old Rajendra Nagar in central Delhi on Sunday. The husband's body was found in a cupboard. The police are investigating whether he was murdered or if it's a case of suicide. Beggars, ragpickers to manage public toilets in Delhi Beggars and ragpickers may soon manage toilet complexes in the national capital, with the NDMC planning to launch a novel initiative for their empowerment. Man stabs, strangles wife over daughter in northeast Delhi A 22-year-old woman was stabbed and strangled by her husband in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur area on Saturday during an argument over the upbringing of their daughter. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		11k acres land leased for solar power park has contaminated water: Report Having burnt its fingers in land acquisition for mega power projects time and again, the government has decided to change its land policy for one of the biggest power generation endeavours in Karnataka. Police charge sheet no evidence to prove non holding of DL by a rider on the date of accident-, says HC The Karnataka high court has said that a police chargesheet cannot be relied upon as an evidence so as to hold that the driver of an Insured vehicle involved in a accident had no driving licence on the date of the accident.. Few likes on FB could lead to low self-esteem, says study In an age where ‘likes’ on Facebook are determining happiness, popularity and self-esteem, young teens are sliding into a state of depression, finds a study on the impact of using social networking site Facebook. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Parties make moves to finalize candidates With the State Election Commission (SEC) announcing the schedule for the GHMC elections, political parties have stepped up the pace of finalizing their candidates Cong demands KCR to reveal funds source for publicity blitz The Telangana Congress on Saturday demanded the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) declare the source of funding for its massive outdoor campaign in the city. Art has escaped from closed doors: Esther David Anybody can be an artiste – that’s the mantra art critic and author Esther David swears by. “It is the way you open up minds and you teach a technique and you expose yourself to a certain area,” David, popularly known for creating space in the world of art for underprivileged children, said while discussing Art & Culture at the ongoing Hyderabad literary festival, on Saturday. More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Jallikattu symbolises manliness, BJP leader L Ganesan says The BJP government at the Centre decided to allow jallikattu because without it, the Pongal festival will not be complete,  BJP leader L Ganesan says Jallikattu, rekla race help preserve native bull stock, say breeders Until the jallikattu ban was lifted on Friday , several prized bulls, bred over centuries, like the Kangeyam, Puliyakulam and Tiruchengodu were headed for the slaughterhouse. As pendency mounts, judges invoke faith to put an end to legal wrangles Vedas, Lord Krishna and Prophet Muhammed – at first blush, these would seem irrelevant at a sombre judicial event on mediation and conciliation. But jurists used anecdotes profusely to drive home a point that mediation as a dispute resolution method was not alien to India. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Sons of judge, goldsmith, scrap dealer among CAT-2015 toppers The results of the Common Admission Test 2015 ( CAT) was a cross section of society as the toppers came from vastly varied backgrounds, with the sons of a high court judge, a goldsmith and a scrap dealer being represented. Ahmedabad doctor wins silver in international powerlifting championship A city-based radiologist, whose work does not involve strenuous physical activities, proved his physical ability at an international powerlifting championship by clinching the silver medal. Pan-India cuisine on offer at Sattvik-2016 As the 13th edition of the ‘Sattvik Food Festival’, the annual extravaganza to promote traditional food-items, began on Saturday, the aroma of recipes from across the country spread on the new campus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) here. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		Accidents on rise, traffic cops to hold road safety week Taking note of the high incidence of road accidents, city traffic police have planned a road safety week beginning Monday. The region reported over 290 deaths and 523 injuries in road accidents last year. Rly to impose mela surcharge North Central Railway has decided to impose surcharge on the passengers travelling during the Magh Mela period. This surcharge will be applicable on tickets purchased at Allahabad and adjoining stations ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 20, depending on the class of the train in which the passenger is travelling. STF nabs dacoit on the run since '89 Sleuths of the Special Task Force (STF) on Saturday arrested a notorious dacoit even as he was trying to escape towards Kaushambi. Radhayshyam Maurya, a resident of Sultanpur Ghosh (Fatehpur), has been absconding since 1989. Police have also recovered a 0.32 bore pistol along with two live cartridges, one motorcycle without registration and Rs 12,110 in cash from him. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		Sam Pitroda: 20 years too long for techno vision Sam Pitroda, the newly-appointed technology adviser for Odisha who would be associated with the state government's Vision 2036, said 20 years is too long a time to prepare a vision for future technology use. Haj applications available from Jan 24 The state Haj committee has started preparations for the annual pilgrimage this year.The application form for the purpose will be available for free at its office in Cuttack from January 14, official sources said. Centre focusing on growth in eastern India: Minister Union minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha on Saturday said the NDA government is emphasizing on inclusive growth of eastern India, including Odisha. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		He makes, sells, flies & even 'wears' kites With Makkar Sankranti round the corner the “kite man” of Bhopal is flying high, producing kites of myriad hues, shapes and sizes. End teachers' recruitment scam probe in six months: Madhya Pradesh High Court A double bench comprising Justices RS Jha and MK Mudgal issued orders on Friday after rejecting a PIL against the alleged corruption that took place in Bhind in the recruitment of teachers (sanvida shikshak varg 1, 2 and 3). Jazz rock artist enthrals audience at music festival “You Gotta Find Your Heart,” crooned jazz rock artist Joe Alvarez and struck a chord with those lovelorn in the audience. He was performing at Bharat Bhawan amphitheatre on the first day of Hriday Drishyam, a state culture department music festival. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Haryana Panchayat elections first phase Sunday With polling percentage touching 67.7%, Panchkula topped the table as Haryana recorded 49% voting till 2pm in the first phase of 5 Panchayat election on Sunday. Chandigarh International airport: No clarity over the name In a rare instance, Akali Dal and Congress are in the same camp over the contentious issue of renaming Chandigarh International Airport after martyr Bhagat Singh. Liquor vends in Pkl villages closed today All liquor vends in villages of Panchkula would be closed on Sunday too in view of the panchayat elections. More Chandigarh News»

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