Asian News International

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Over 160,000 dead in three-year Syrian war, says opposition group

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The three-year war in Syria has claimed 162,402 lives, including children, an opposition group has said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the dead included 8,607 children, and civilians, defected soldiers, military members and foreign fighters, among others.

According to CNN, United Nations officials said they stopped updating their death toll in July due to lack of access and the inability to verify information from sources.

Saturn’s collapsing magnetic tail behind auroras on the planet

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Researchers have captured stunning images of Saturn’s auroras as the planet’s magnetic field is battered by charged particles from the Sun.

The team’s findings provide a “smoking gun” for the theory that Saturn’s auroral displays are often caused by the dramatic collapse of its “magnetic tail.”

Just like comets, planets such as Saturn and the Earth have a “tail”-known as the magnetotail – that is made up of electrified gas from the Sun and flows out in the planet’s wake.

‘Invisible’ wireless networks brought to life

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Ever wondered how does the digital network that surrounds us all the time appear and how does it react to human movements?

You may now see the “ghosts” of invisible digital networks as a researcher at Newcastle University in Britain have created images that show the ‘spectres’ of wireless networks sweeping, swirling and swooping around a ghostly figure.

“I call the images ‘spectres’ because wireless networks remind me of ghosts,” he said.

Apple rejects app to facilitate female masturbation

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An app that teaches women how to masturbate has been removed by Apple from its iTunes stores worldwide.

Created by designer Tina Gong, ‘HappyPlayTime’ is a sex education app currently in development that teaches women how to masturbate.

The app uses light-hearted games to teach users about the female anatomy and provides lessons on different masturbation techniques.

“At the heart of our mission is the desire to see more women be vocal about their sexuality – in particular, about masturbation,” Gong said on the HappyPlayTime blog.

Compat rejects DLF plea; upholds Rs 630 cr CCI penalty

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In a setback to DLF, the Competition Appellate Tribunal on Monday upheld the CCI order imposing Rs 630 crore penalty on the realty major for unfair business practices.

In August 2011, the Competition Commission of India had found DLF violating fair trade norms and imposed a fine of Rs 630 crore on it following a complaint by a Belaire Owners’ Association in Gurgaon.

During the hearing today, the tribunal upheld CCI decision to impose Rs 630 crore fine on DLF. It had challenged the fair trade watchdog’s order at the tribunal, Compat.

ONGC Director elected V-Chairman of UN expert group

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Narendra K Verma, Director (Exploration) of Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) has been elected as vice chairman of an UN expert group on resource classification.

The election for Verma came in the 5th session of the Expert Group of United Nations Economic Commission for Europe held in Geneva, the company said in a statement here.

“The Expert Group elected a Bureau to take over from the end of the 5th Session for a term of 2 years. Verma has been appointed to this Bureau as one of the Vice Chairs of this elite Expert Group,” it siad.

Ash to do her own stunts in ‘Jazbaa’

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Now that little Aaradhya has started going to play school, her star mom Aishwarya Rai makes her grand comeback with director Sanjay Gupta’s “Jazbaa”, her first full-fledged action film.

For a while it seemed Aishwarya’s first director Mani Ratnam would be helming her comeback film. But that project has been put on hold. Talk of Aishwarya being in a film directed by adman Prahlad Kakkad also proved to be just talk.

To be produced by Gupta, “Jazbaa” will mark her return to the silver screen after her daughter’s birth in Nov 2011. The film will start rolling early next year.

How will humans look in future?

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Will humans develop gigantic heads and scrawny bodies as depicted in some films?

The answer may vary but the fact that humans are still evolving can not be denied, said Briana Pobiner, an anthropologist at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in the US.

“As long as there are humans, there will be human evolution,” she noted at the two-day conference titled “Future Is Here” hosted by Smithsonian Magazine here recently.

Female CEOs are more likely to be fired than men

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A new survey by researchers at Strategy And, formerly known as Booz and Company, found that women are forced out of chief executive positions more than a third of the time, while only a quarter of men in similar positions suffer the same fate.

The precarious position of women in the highest echelons of power – illustrated last week by the dramatic departures of Jill Abramson and Natalie Nougayrede as the editors of the New York Times and Le Monde – remains a stubborn fact of corporate life.

Twitter considering buying ‘YouTube of music’ SoundCloud

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Twitter is reportedly considering purchasing SoundCloud, one of the internet’s best homes for sharing music.

SoundCloud, which is also known as the YouTube of music, raised a funding round that valued it at 700 million dollars earlier this year, therefore the deal could prove profitable for Twitter.

According to the Verge, content uploaded to SoundCloud is already widely shared on Twitter, and its music files are easily embeddable across the internet.

Drugs that could help in fight against MERS-coronavirus revealed

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Researchers have identified a number of existing pharmaceutical drugs and compounds under development that may offer effective therapies against Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

In the first study, researchers screened a library of 290 pharmaceutical drugs, either FDA-approved or in advanced clinical development for antiviral activity against the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) in cell culture. They found 27 compounds that were active against both viruses including some cancer drugs and antipsychotics.

How testosterone shapes men’s parenting skills

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Researchers have revealed that insights from a highly social fish can help understand how other androgenic steroids, like testosterone , can shape a male’s parenting skills.

According to a recent Georgia State University research study, once bluebanded gobies become fathers, they stay close to the developing eggs, vigorously fan and rub them until they hatch, and also protect them from mothers who would eat them.

By injecting a series of chemicals into the brains of these fathers, the research team temporarily altered their brain androgens and also their level of parental care.

Jennifer Lawrence shares hiccups cure

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Actress Jennifer Lawrence says has discovered unique way to overcome hiccups.

The 23-year-old drinks water and does a hand exercise, reports contactmusic.com.

“The only thing that ever works for getting rid of hiccups for me is when I drink water and raise my arms over my head and lower them very slowly,” said Lawrence.IANS

Newly elected MPs of BJP to meet today to formally elect Modi as its leader

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Party will meet here today to formally elect BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) prime minister- designate Narendra Modi as its leader.

The meeting will be held at the Central Hall of Parliament. This will be followed by a meeting of NDA allies.

After Modi’s election as the Parliamentary Party leader, the BJP-led NDA will stake claim to form a new government at the Centre.

17 killed, 30 injured in J-K road accident

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At least seventeen people were killed and 30 injured in a road accident at Digdol in Ramban district of Jammu region this morning.

The incident took place when a Srinagar bound passenger bus in which they were travelling rolled down into a 400 feet deep gorge on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

According to media reports, helicopter service is being pressed into service to evacuate the critically injured to Jammu.

Further details are awaited. (ANI)

Sensex extends gains, up 224 pts in early trade

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Continuing its winning streak for the fourth straight session, the benchmark BSE Sensex spurted by another 224 points in early trade after stocks of power, capital goods, PSUs and banking sectors rallied on sustained foreign fund inflows amidst a firming trend overseas.

The 30-share Sensex shot up by 224.11 points, or 0.91 per cent, to trade at 24,587,16. The gauge had climbed nearly 548 points in the past three sessions after the BJP-led NDA received a clear mandate in the Lok Sabha polls.

The 50-share NSE Nifty gained 90.10 points, or 1.24 per cent, to quote at 7,353.65.

Insufficient sleep ups obesity and overall body fat among kids

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Researchers have found evidence that children who consistently received less than the recommended hours of sleep during infancy and early childhood had increases in both obesity and in adiposity or overall body fat at age 7.

Lead author Elsie Taveras, MD, MPH, chief of General Pediatrics at MGHfC, said their study found convincing evidence that getting less than recommended amounts of sleep across early childhood is an independent and strong risk factor for obesity and adiposity.

Rupee up 5 paise against dollar in early trade

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Continuing its rise for the fifth straight day, the rupee today edged higher by 5 paise to 58.54 against the US dollar in early trade on sustained capital inflows amidst selling of the American currency by banks.

In the last four trading sessions, the rupee has gained 146 paise.

Forex dealers said sustained foreign capital inflows after a clear mandate for the BJP to form a stable government at the Centre boosted the sentiment.

How olive oil helps prevent hypertension

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Researchers have said that a diet that combines unsaturated fats with nitrite-rich vegetables, like olive oil and lettuce, could help protect you from hypertension.

The Mediterranean diet typically includes unsaturated fats found in olive oil, nuts and avocados, along with vegetables like spinach, celery and carrots that are rich in nitrites and nitrates.

When these two food groups are combined, the reaction of unsaturated fatty acids with nitrogen compounds in the vegetables results in the formation of nitro fatty acids.

Advani’s fantacies under Modi be fullfilled?

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The BJP Parliamentary Party formally elects Narendra Modi as its leader; he was already at work discussing the contours of his Cabinet, the political developments in Bihar, and other troublesome issues, especially the fate of senior leader LK Advani, who is unlikely to join the government.

On May 20 when the MPs meet, the date for Modi’s swearing-in and the contours of the Cabinet will be announce.
Modi drove the short distance from Gujarat Bhavan, on Sunday afternoon, where he is staying, to Advani’s residence on Prithviraj Road. The two leaders were closeted for about 45 minutes.

Hindu polarisation is not the only reason in UP politics

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The outcome of elections from Uttar Pradesh was unprecedented. Was it the self-styled minority appeasement by the Akhilesh Yadav government, the Muzzafarnagar riots, Azam Khan’s remarks, or a blend of all the three that led to the consolidation in Hindu votes in Uttar Pradesh?

Over 42% of the votes go to BJP and that translated into 71 seats for the party – its partner Apna Dal got another two – wipe the floor with even the Ram Mandir wave.

U-turn for looser Cong MP’s, back to offices

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In the past, they were ministers, yesterday they were former ministers, but tomorrow they will be engineers, advocates, doctors, agriculturists and so on.

In the recent general election were the Congress in Seemandhra were defeated, party leaders are now planning to concentrate on their personal lives and work since there will be no major political activity till the next general election.

Former Union minister K. Chiranjeevi wants to return to the film world, which was much kinder to him, and fulfil his wish to act in his 150th film.

BJP will not be controlled from Nagpur

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On Sunday, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said that while it may offer “suggestions if required” to the BJP, it was not acting as a “remote control” and would not interfere in the functioning of the party or the government.

The BJP also made clear that the Sangh has no role in the formation of the Narendra Modi government.

The RSS’ remarks come as the BJP top brass, including PM-designate Narendra Modi, are in hectic parleys with the RSS top brass. Speculation is rife in the BJP that its leaders are discussing key issues, including portfolios, with the RSS.

Minority representation remains minor in new states

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The elections to the Legislative Assembly and Lok Sabha in Andhra Pradesh has been concluded just which has thrown up many surprises. TRS has stormed its way into power in Telangana whereas Telugu Desam edged out YSRC in a straight fight to take hold of the reins in Seemandhra.

The Congress was virtually wiped out in Seemandhra and managed to barely survive in Telangana. All but one of its sitting Lok Sabha members, including former Union ministers and chief ministerial aspirants, had to take a fall.

10 years certain for Education quotas in new states

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On Sunday, Governor E S L Narasimhan approved the expenditure fund for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states for a period of four months, from June 2, 2014.

He also gave his approval to the common admission procedure and continuation of various quotas in higher educational institutions for the next 10 years, beginning from June 2, 2014.

As a result, Andhra Pradesh has been allotted a budget of Rs 34,595 crore and Telangana Rs 26,516 crore.