Asian News International

Asian News International. Multi-media news agency, content for information platforms: TV, Internet, broadband, newspapers, mobiles.

USD 210 million needed now for Bosnia floods: UN

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The United Nations estimates it will cost USD 210 million to cover immediate priority needs for the next six months in Bosnia, alone, after devastating floods hit the region, an official has said.

UN Development Programme official Cihan Sultanoglu yesterday said immediate needs include shelter, food, water, health and agriculture supplies, medicine, debris removal and mine clearance.

She said 800 square kilometres (308 square miles) of flood-affected areas are suspected to contain mines and unexploded ordinance, making the clean-up operation costly, difficult and lengthy.

Depression in elderly linked to Alzheimer’s risk

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Late-life depression could become a major risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s faster than others, a study says.

Depression in the elderly could point to a build up of a naturally occurring protein in the brain called beta-amyloid, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Our results clearly indicate that mild cognitively impaired subjects with depressive symptoms suffer from elevated amyloid-levels when compared with non-depressed individuals,” said Axel Rominger from University of Munich in Germany.

Yamaha turns to fuel efficiency to enhance position in India

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Japanese two-wheeler maker Yamaha, better known for its performance bikes, is turning to fuel efficient technologies for the Indian market as it eyes a bigger share in the country’s two-wheeler segment.

As it tweaks its strategy of focusing on ‘performance’ to ‘performance with mileage’, the company plans to introduce fuel efficient technologies in its upcoming launches as well as upgrades of its existing models.

Teenager commits suicide in Uttar Pradesh

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Depressed over his academic performance, an 18-year-old boy allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself dead in Mughalsarai area, police said here today.

Ashu Dubey shot himself dead with the licensed gun of his father yesterday, they said.

Police said Ashu was suffering from depression after he failed in his Class XII exam.

IANS

FashionAndYou raises $10 mn; eyes more funding next year

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e-Commerce firm FashionAndYou today said it has raised funding of about USD 10 million (Rs 60 crore) from its exisiting partners like Sequoia Capital and Smile Group and a new investor.

The company is looking at raising an additional USD 5-10 million in funding early next year to fuel its growth plans.

Its current round of funding saw participation from existing investors — Sequoia Capital, Smile Group, Norwest Venture Partners, Intel Capital and Nokia Growth Partners.

RCom launches roaming plan ‘One India One Rate’

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Reliance Communications (RCom) on Monday launched ‘One India One Rate Plans’ that will allow customers to pay the same rate for local, STD and roaming calls from anywhere in the country.

The telecom operator has introduced two plans of Rs 599 and Rs 350 for its post-paid users and pack of Rs 45 for its pre-paid customers which will have free incoming calls while roaming and same rate as home network for outgoing calls.

Jewellery trend 2014: Chokers

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Designers across the globe are trying to bring back the charm of choker neckpieces, and are positioning it as a “must-have accessory” this season.

The last time choker necklace grabbed attention was the Dolce & Gabbana “Love” piece that singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria Beckham wore. Now, Holly Fulton, Balmain and Saint Laurent are some of the designers who are focussing on this accessory to ensure that all eyes are drawn to the neck.

The trend is popular at red carpet events too.

Archaeologists discover ancient Egyptian tomb in Luxor

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Spanish archaeologists unearthed a tomb dating back to the 11th dynasty of ancient Egypt in the city of Luxor, Egypt’s Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said Monday.

The tomb belonged to a senior statesman, and was found in the Zeraa Abu el-Nega area in western Luxor, which is about 600 km south of Cairo, Egypt’s state news agency quoted the minister as saying, according to Xinhua.

Ibrahim said the tomb consists of a square-shaped burial chamber and that the wide chamber showed this tomb belonged to “a person from a royal family or a very senior statesman”.

Dilip Kumar, the living legend

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The stage glittered with the presence of Hindi cinema icons like Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Aamir Khan, when the trio, along with veteran actress Saira Banu and author Udaya Tara Nayar, launched thespian Dilip Kumar’s long-awaited autobiography “The Substance and The Shadow” in his presence here Monday evening.

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who was slated to sing at the event, couldn’t make it.

Held at Grand Hyatt in Santa Cruz here, the red carpet of the event saw celebrities from the old and gold age as well as new generation walk in for the momentous night.

Power minister calls emergency meeting over Delhi power crisis

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With the power situation in Delhi worsening by the day, Union Power minister, Piyush Goyal, is meeting Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung today for an emergency meeting.

The Union minister will discuss the ongoing power crisis in Delhi with the LG and other government officials and offer the Centre’s support in tackling it.

Mercury likely to touch 46 degrees in Delhi

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The national capital will continue to face the blistering heat Tuesday with the minimum temperature recorded two notches above the season’s average at 30.1 degrees Celsius. The Met Office has forecast a clear day ahead.

“The maximum temperature is likely to hover around 46 degrees Celsius,” said an official of the India Meteorological Department.

Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 52 percent.

Federer hails Murray’s ‘great choice’ of appointing Amelie Mauresmo as new coach

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Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer has hailed Wimbledon champion Andy Murray’s ‘great choice’ of appointing Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo as his new coach.

Federer, who will defend his only title of the 2013 season in the pre- Wimbledon warm-up event at Halle this week, said that Murray’s surprise decision to hire Mauresmo was interesting.

According to Sport24, the former world number one said that there had been rumours in Paris about Murray and Mauresmo working together.

Students meet Harsh Vardhan to demand special quota in Delhi University

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Students from Delhi today met the Union Minister of Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to demand a state wise quota in Delhi University (DU).

One of the students, Sukriti, said that they had raised their issues in front of Dr Vardhan, who assured them then that he would talk to Human Resource Development Minister (HRD) Smriti Irani about this issue.

Another student, Harry Kapoor, said that they wanted to take admission in DU but were unable to do so because of the high cut-offs.

Fasting 8 days a year can boost your immunity

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For those who hate fasting, starving for just eight days a year can bolster your immune system like never before.

Fasting encourages body to replace old and damaged cells – especially if the immune system has been damaged by aging or cancer treatment, researchers said.

“When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged,” explained Valter Longo, a longevity expert from University of Southern California.

Facebook ‘liking’ is new form of humanitarian support

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“Liking” or “following” a page on the social networking site Facebook is a new form of humanitarian support and civic engagement and, according to a study.

Petter Bae Brandtzaeg and Ida Maria Haugstveit of Scandinavian research organization SINTEF in Oslo, Norway, surveyed more than 400 Facebook users about their habits on the site and their propensity to “like” a particular humanitarian cause or organization.

Govt to encourage FDI to create jobs, assets

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The Narendra Modi-led government today committed to encouraging foreign direct investment (FDI), especially in sectors that create jobs and assets.

“…government will follow a policy of encouraging investments, including through FDI; which will be allowed in sectors that help create jobs and assets,” President Pranab Mukherjee in his address to Parliament.

He said the government will create a policy environment which is predictable, transparent and fair.

Seven bodies found in Pakistan from airport’s cold storage

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At least seven bodies were recovered Tuesday from Karachi-based Jinnah International Airport’s cold storage facility in Pakistan, media reported.

A terror attack on the airport Sunday night killed 23 people including 10 militants, Dawn online reported.

The rescue operation followed by the attack, continued for nearly 28 hours.

According to officials, the rescue workers broke down three walls of the cold-storage facility and retrieved the bodies which were badly burnt and were beyond recognition.

Sensex hits new record high of 25,711.11; Nifty touches 7,683

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Continuing its record-breaking spree for the fourth session in a row, the benchmark BSE Sensex today hit another life-time high of 25,711.11 on sustained capital inflows as the new government unveiled its agenda for economic reforms.

The 30-share index Sensex, which had gained nearly 775 points in the previous three sessions, up by another 130.90 points, or 0.51 per cent, to trade at fresh record high of 25,711.11 in the opening trade today. The gauge had touched intra-day high of 25,644.77 yesterday.

Mobile phones could make men infertile

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Men, who keep a mobile phone in their trouser pocket, could be affected with male fertility, according to a new study led by the University of Exeter.

A team led by Dr Fiona Mathews, of Biosciences at the University of Exeter, conducted a systematic review of the findings from ten studies, including 1,492 samples, with the aim of clarifying the potential role of this environmental exposure.

The researchers found that this proportion fell by an average of 8 percentage points when there was exposure to mobile phones and similar effects were seen for sperm viability.

20 students still missing as rescuers begin search in Himachal

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Rescue workers of NDRF and the Indian Army Tuesday started the search operation to locate 20 students of an engineering college in Hyderabad who went missing after strong currents in river Beas in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district washed them away.

Their chances of survival were bleak, officials said.

“We have again started the search operation this (Tuesday) morning to locate the missing people,” Jaideep Singh, commanding officer, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) told IANS.

Five bodies were fished out Monday and airlifted to Hyderabad.

Centre likely to order CBI probe into Gopinath Munde’s death

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Maharashtra BJP President Devendra Phadnavis has said that Union Minister Rajnath Singh’s response has reportedly been positive towards the demand of a CBI probe into the death of former Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde.

He said that he would be making an announcement regarding the issue.

Phadnavis along with Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari earlier today had met the Home Minister demanding a CBI probe into the death of Munde.

He said that the duo had appraised the Home Minister of people’s wishes regarding an investigation into the death of Munde.

Muslims change their outer shell following techie’s murder

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On Saturday around 1.30pm namaz at the mosque in Unnati Nagar, Hadapsar had a usual gathering but something was different. Pathani suits had made way for shirts and trousers and a few youths had shaved off their beards.

The atrocious murder of Mohsin Sadiq Shaikh here on June 2 allegedly by members of Hindu Rashtra Sena has left residents apprehensive. Mohsin, the 28-year-old IT manager, coming back from namaz, was targeted as he was wearing a Pathani suit, sporting a beardand skull cap.

Granddaughter murdered Granny for lavish lifestyle and money

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On May 10, when a 72-year-old home-alone woman was murdered at Binnypet here, the police had suspected that it was yet another routine case of murder for gain

She was murdered by her granddaughter who is just 19. Harshitha, the grand daughter, a high school dropout, made her mind up to throw a party for her buddies at an expensive restaurant in Bangalore just to show that she belonged to a rich family, without realizing that she would end up behind the bars.

Spot those Bird Prints and be a trend setter

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Give your wardrobe a chirpy makeover by taking some inspiration from the skies!

Hello! we’re talking about avian prints and bird motifs on clothes, accessories and bags that have become one the top favourite prints on the runway this season.

You can go one step ahead and wear delicate birds like swallows, placed on cherry blossom branches!

Gold, silver fall on global cues

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Gold prices fell by Rs 150 to Rs 27,100 per ten gram in the national capital on stockists selling on Saturday, tracking a weak global trend.

Silver also dropped by Rs 375 to Rs 40,625 per kg due to reduced offtake by industrial units.

Traders said stockists selling in tandem with a weak global trend and low demand from jewellers mainly led to the fall in the precious metals prices.

Gold in New York, which normally sets price trend on the domestic front, fell by 0.1 per cent to USD 1,252.50 an ounce and silver by 0.5 per cent to USD 18.99 an ounce.