[wanabidii] News Digest: Toyota to miss China 2014 sales goal of over 1.1m vehicles

		THE TIMES OF INDIA
		Tuesday, December 30, 2014
		Today's Headlines

		Business
		Toyota to miss China 2014 sales goal of over 1.1m vehicles Toyota Motor Corp is likely to miss its 2014 objective of selling over 1.1 million vehicles in China because of a faster-than-anticipated economic slowdown and resulting price war in the local auto market. SpiceJet will have to itself resolve financial problems: Raju Troubled carrier SpiceJet will have to itself resolve its financial problems and the government can only help in the process, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju said on Tuesday. To attract investment, govt amends law on arbitration The government had to take the Ordinance route as it wanted the amendments to be put in place at the earliest, the official said. More Business News»

		Environment
		Bengal's new target: Tourism hubs with eco-friendly practices West Bengal, in its bid to prioritise sustainable development and eco-friendly practices, has got the ball rolling to promote eco-tourism on a large scale in the state. Pachauri: IPCC future not tied to Paris climate deal The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading UN body for the assessment of climate change, will continue its work, no matter whether countries arrive at a global climate deal next year in Paris or not. Antarctic seals may use Earth's magnetic field to navigate Antarctic seals may use the Earth's magnetic field as a natural GPS while hunting, a new study has found. More Environment News»

		World
		2 gunmen open fire on Los Angeles police car Two men opened fire on a police car patrolling a tough part of Los Angeles, but the two officers inside were not injured and one was able to shoot back, authorities said on Monday. Taliban claims victory over U.S.-Nato coalition in Afghanistan Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have claimed victory over Nato, the United States and its allies, a day after the U.S. officially ended its combat mission in the country. American Airlines flight diverted to Jamaica An American Airlines flight was diverted to Kingston due to a "pressurisation issue" during its Bogota-to-Miami trip, the airline said. More World News»

		Science
		Chicken flu virus can help spot deadly influenza strain Warning signs of the avian influenza A (H7N9) virus could be traced in flu viruses circulating in poultry firms, research suggests. Some genetic mutations could help save lives Doug Whitney should have died years ago. The 65-year-old resident of Port Orchard, Washington, has a devastating gene mutation that causes early onset of Alzheimer’s disease. 'Thinking' robo-turtle for undersea mission Indian-origin researchers have developed a next-generation ‘thinking’ robotic sea turtle capable of performing complicated tasks such as surveillance and energy harvesting. More Science News»

		Technology
		Online startup boom: What made the year 2014 special Consumer internet companies raised over $4 billion this year amid an unprecedented global appetite for India's digital pie. Over 1,250 new ventures sprouted, with the number of mobile-first startups growing fastest 10 flop gadgets of 2014 The year 2014 saw several blockbuster products. Products that not only made news but were also loved both by reviewers and users. And with them there were also some which failed to live up to the expectations. Here are some notable tech fizzles of the year 2014. 2014: The year that was in tech More Technology News»

		Education
		Super30 among top3 pioneering educational initiatives : Japanese group A Japanese media group has selected Mathematician Anand Kumar's Super 30 among three pioneering initiatives in the field of education. UIIC recruitment test of AOs to be held in the first week of January, 2015 The United India Insurance Company Limited exam for the recruitment of ​Administrative Officer (AOs) will be held in the first week of January. HRD ministry to launch 3-year integrated BEd The Union ministry of human resource development has decided to introduce an integrated three-year BEd and a two-year MEd programme More Education News»

		Mumbai
		Cops bar boat parties in Mumbai on 31st night Taking a serious view of Sunday's blast in Bangalore and terror alerts by various intelligence agencies, the city police have decided not to allow any party on cruise ships, boats or yachts as part of New Year's celebrations. Probe stayed against Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd, govt officials in alleged Slum Rehabilitation Authority scam In a major relief to real estate major Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL ) and two senior government officials, the Bombay high court has stayed a recent sessions court order to file an FIR and initiate investigations against them for alleged irregularities in a Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) project in Motilal Nagar slums in Bandra. Developers fear January ready reckoner hike Expect more stamp duty and registration charges for property transactions in 2015. Developers expect ready reckoner rates to go up from 5% to 40% in January , though an official announcement will come only in the first week of 2015. More Mumbai News»

		Delhi
		Delhi gasped, babus sniffed a conspiracy Delhi received the un flattering title of be ing the world's most polluted city this year, with WHO urban air quality database revealing in May that the city has the highest PM2.5 level--even higher than Beijing. Mandate muffled, Delhi waits for govt For a brief while at the start of the year, the common man believed he had the reins of government in hand. But it was all too theatrical to last, with the CM intent on dharnas & durbars. Raahgiri shows capital new raah to fun, fitness Raahgiri Day revolutionized the way Delhiites understood their roads and their right to use them. And once people realized that they could not just walk freely but also run, skip, jump and skate on their neighbourhood roads, it became a mass movement. More Delhi News»

		Bangalore
		Abandoned vehicles a security nightmare Unattended, standing still for weeks in unguarded territory, abandoned vehicles at public spaces like the City Railway Station’s parking lot can be a security nightmare in the wake of specific signatures that some terror modules have--using vehicles to plant explosives. Dampness due to rain reduced blast intensity? Even as central investigators visited the bomb blast site in Bengaluru, probe has been expanded to several cities in search of possible leads into the Sunday attack in IT city. Who killed tiger: wrestler or forest men? Forty days after it struck terror in Karnataka, the tiger on the prowl was shot dead in the district's Khanpaur taluk late Sunday night. More Bangalore News»

		Hyderabad
		Beware of 'addressless' swine flu patients who could spread virus The sudden spurt in swine flu cases in the city has thrown up new complications for local health officials as the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) is found sending the list of patients tested positive for swine flu without any addresses or contact numbers. JNAFAU graduate was in contact with ISIS activist: Top cop A 21-year-old graduate of the Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University (JNAFAU) was picked up by the Telangana police two months ago for being in contact with a suspected ISIS activist from the Netherlands. Handwritten passports will be invalid after Nov 2015: RPO With handwritten passports becoming invalid post November 2015, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) has advised citizens holding “non-machine readable passports (handwritten)” to get them reissued from the regional passport office (RPO). More Hyderabad News»

		Chennai
		Pongal 2015: Distribution of free saris, dhotis to begin in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday Over the years, the state government has been distributing free saris and dhotis on the occasion of the Pongal. CPM to hold protests in support of striking Tamil Nadu transport workers The CPM on Tuesday announced that it would hold protests across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday to extend support to transport workers who have been on an indefinite strike since Sunday. Tamil Nadu CM writes to Modi, seeks subsidy to two fertilizer units Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a notification for the continuance of subsidy to two fertilizer units – SPIC in Tuticorin and Madras Fertilizers Limited in Manali -- till such time gas connectivity is provided to these plants by the Centre. More Chennai News»

		Ahmedabad
		Cops plan crackdown on home delivery of liquor To block the flow of liquor to New Year parties, the city police have planned to crack down on home delivery of liquor. Fog hits travel plans of 9,000 passengers Dense fog and bad weather in northern parts of country affected travel plans of over 9,000 passengers from city on Monday. Professors to teach poor under IIM-A flyover Soon, the space below Gyanshakti Marg flyover at IIM-A crossroads will be used by students and faculty of the premier management institute to impart different types of education to different categories of students. More Ahmedabad News»

		Allahabad
		More erosion on Ganga banks as water level to rise Efforts of the mela authorities to give final touches to the preparations for mela got a jolt when a portion of land got affected by erosion due to increase in Ganga water level. UP Board to issue certificates online Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad would soon issue documents online to keep a tab on fake certificates and marksheets of class 10 and 12. Cold wave intensifies, no Sun for 2 days The cold wave in the city further intensified with the city recording a minimum temperature of 6.3 degree and the maximum being 11.0 degree Celsius. The intense cold wave has paralysed the normal life of citizens. More Allahabad News»

		Bhubaneswar
		80 tribals "converted" to Christianity in Odisha At least 80 tribals were allegedly converted to Christianity in Balisuda village in Sundargarh district of Odisha, officials said on Saturday. Elderly man beheaded for sorcery in Odisha An elderly man was beheaded in Odisha for allegedly practicing sorcery, police said on Thursday. UGC team visits Khallikote College A University Grants Commission (UGC) team on Tuesday visited government-run Khallikote College here to assess the infrastructure facilities for restoration of its autonomous status. More Bhubaneswar News»

		Bhopal
		Sarod maestro's charges no music to babus Bureaucrats in Madhya Pradesh have strongly reacted to allegations by Sarod maestro Ustad Amjad Ali Khan that he and his family members were being ignored for years by their home state. Bhopal, Indore civic polls on Jan 31 Polls in nine civic bodies including Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Chhindwara municipal corporations, will be held on January 31, Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission (MPSEC) announced on Monday. MP shows highest fall in newborn mortality: Survey Madhya Pradesh has shown highest fall in neonatal mortality across the country, down by three points against national average fall of one point, according to Sample Registration System (SRS) bulletin 2013. More Bhopal News»

		Chandigarh
		Govt department wants tougher biz licence norms after Vadra 'excess land' in Chandigarh The state revenue department has recommended to the Manohar Lal Khattar government that commercial licences in land deals should be issued only after a clearance from the director of land records (DLR) on the total land holdings of a particular individual. BJP to stay away from SAD's Jan 5 protest against drug smuggling BJP has distanced itself from the protests planned by its alliance partner, SAD (Badal), against drug smuggling in the border areas of Punjab from Pakistan. Academia discuss new arrivals in chemical technology A discussion on "Heat Transfer Model in Methane Hydrates" by Tomoya Tsuji, professor from Nihon University of Japan took place during the third day of 67th annual session of CHEMCOM 2014 at Panjab University (PU) on Monday. More Chandigarh News»

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