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Federer announces ‘miracle’ birth of second set of twins

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Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer has reportedly announced that his wife Mirka had given birth to their second set of twins, this time boys.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who already has four-year-old twin daughters with Mirka, had announced that he would not be competing at the Madrid Masters this week to spend time with his family in preparation for the birth.

According to Sport24, Federer shared the news on his official Facebook page, saying that he and Mirka are ‘incredibly happy’ at the birth of their sons- Leo and Lenny, which he termed a ‘miracle’.

Why we can’t just eat one potato chip

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Researchers have shown that impulsive behavior is a risk factor for food addiction.

The research was led by Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and conducted in collaboration with the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. It also points out the common mechanisms involved between drug and food addiction.

Modi urges voters to vote in large numbers

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Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today urged the voters to vote in large numbers.

Modi tweeted, “Polling for 64 seats across 7 states is underway. I hope people will vote in large numbers and youngsters will show the way in doing so.”

“I also call upon those voting in Assembly polls in AP and those voting in Assembly by-polls in Bihar, HP, UP and WB to vote in record numbers,” he further tweeted.

Dad was to do cameo in ‘Heropanti’: Tiger Shroff

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Tiger Shroff, who is ready to embark on his Bollywood journey with `Heropanti`, says his father, actor Jackie Shroff was slated to make a guest appearance in the film.

“The makers were contemplating an idea to cast my dad in a guest appearnce, but somehow it was not going well with the screenplay, so we eventually cancelled it,” Tiger said.

However, had Jackie been in the film, it would have made Tiger nervous.

“I was very nervous to share screen space with my dad. But…we didn`t get that chance in this film, unfortunately,” he said.

Large explosion rocks northern Iranian city

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A heavy explosion rocked an industrial city in northern Iran on Tuesday, state television said, saying that no one has been reported killed so far.

It citied Governor Saeed Mirbaha as saying there Left Right Center (only if image is Big) were no deaths in the explosion, but firemen and rescue workers have intensified efforts to control a raging fire that has covered the sky in a large part of Qazvin city.

The city’s emergency department said two rescuers had been badly injured from smoke inhalation.

CIL modifies supply agreement for new power plants

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State-owned Coal India has tweaked the fuel supply pact model for new private power plants providing them an opportunity to amend/supplement the power purchase agreement (PPA) more than once a year.

PPA is a contract between two parties, one who generates electricity (the seller) and one who is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer). “Under the provision of Annual Contracted quantity (ACQ), it was provided that whenever there is any change in percentage of (long term) PPA (s), corresponding change in ACQ shall be effected through a side agreement,” said CIL.

Sensex down 22 pts in early trade on profit booking

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The benchmark BSE Sensex fell by 22 points in early trade today as funds and retail investors preferred to book profits after two sessions of gains amid a weakening global trend.

The 30-share barometer, which had gained 104.53 points in the past two sessions, declined by 21.92 points, or 0.09 per cent, to 22,486.50 with stocks of metals, banking and IT sectors coming under some pressure.

Similarly, the NSE Nifty also traded lower by 4.25 points, or 0.06 per cent, to 6,711.05.

Special CBI court refuses bail to cop in Sadiq encounter case

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A special CBI court refused bail to an accused cop and retired Deputy Superintendent of Police IA Syed here on Tuesday, in connection with the alleged Sadiq Jamal fake encounter case of 2003.

Special CBI court Judge CR Thakkar rejected Syed’s plea seeking regular bail on medical grounds.

On March 18, the CBI court had issued a notice to the CBI, seeking its response to the bail plea filed by IA Syed.

During arguments of the case, Syed relied only on medical grounds, while the CBI opposed his plea referring to his role in the alleged fake encounter.

Merck to sell consumer care biz to Bayer for $14.2 b

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US pharma major Merck will sell its consumer care business to Bayer for $14.2 billion and announced a worldwide clinical development collaboration with the German firm.

The two companies entered into a definitive agreement under which Bayer AG will acquire Merck’s over-the-counter business, including the global trademark and prescription rights for Claritin (anti-allergy) and Afrin (nasal spray), the company said in a statement.

5ft 4inches ‘Pie-scrapper’ becomes world’s first monster sized burger

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A 5ft 4inches tall tower sized burger filled with bacon buttes, sausages, steak pies, pizzas and spaghetti Bolognese has been named the world’s biggest burger.

John Clarkson and his wife Corinne have created a super-sized beast that has 11 and a half pounds of beef with a cheeseburger in-between each layer and has been named ‘ Pie-scrapper’, the Daily Star reported.

Rupee up 9 paise against dollar in early trade

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Continuing its rising trend, the rupee strengthened by another 9 paise to 60.02 against the US dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market as the American currency weakened against rivals overseas.

Besides, increased dollar selling by exporters supported the rupee but a lower opening in the domestic equity market restricted the gains, forex dealers said.

The rupee had gained 10 paise to close at 60.11 against the dollar in yesterday’s trade on fag-end selling of the US currency by banks and exporters.

Samsung planning to launch Galaxy Tab S, with fingerprint sensor soon: Reports

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Samsung is reportedly planning to launch Galaxy Tab S, with high-resolution display and fingerprint sensor.

According to The Verge, the Tab S will include a 2,560 x 1,600 WQXGA display. This time, Samsung will upsize the Super AMOLED technology it’s been putting in smartphones for years, which should lead to deeper blacks and increased color saturation.

The fingerprint sensor will be embedded inside the tablet’s home button.

Galaxy Tab S will include features such as unlocking your device, making payments with PayPal and setting up a private folder.

Facebook, Google users threatened by new security flaw: Report

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Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft and many other online services users have been hit by a serious new security flaw.

The flaw in two widely used security standards could give anyone access to your account information at any of the online services.

According to Fox News, the flaw, dubbed ‘Covert Redirect’ by its discoverer, exists in two open-source session-authorization protocols, OAuth 2.0 and OpenID.

Both standards are employed across the Internet to let users log into websites using their credentials from other sites.

Modi try to steal the slogan of a slain son to woo voters

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Kamal Kanta Batra, diminutive AAP candidate displayed a soldier-like toughness as she walked the Hamirpur hills in Himachal Pradesh.

The “Jai Mata Di” uttered by her son Captain Vikram Batra before he died during a counter attack by Pakistan troops at Kargil on July 7, 1999, is still reverberating in her mind and she has decided to fight for the martyrs’ families.

As AAP candidate from Hamirpur she is taking up demands of riled ex-servicemen, no less than 1.5 lakh in number, along with 2 lakh defence employees.

Honda Amaze, Maruti Swift, Dzire sales decline for the first time in years as rivals turn up heat

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Well-liked car models Maruti Swift, Swift Dzire and Honda Amaze declined for the first time in years in April. Though companies credited the fall in wholesale front to inventory correction and seasonality, analysts pointed to increasing competition from the likes of Hyundai Xcent and Grand.

In April, volumes of compact sedan Amaze slid 30.85% to 3,355 units while its rival Dzire fell 17.67% to 16,008 units. Swift hatchback volumes slipped 4% to 15,874 units.

Only during the strike in Maruti Suzuki factories did the sales of Swift and Dzire fall in the last five years.

Modi’s Remarks disturbed B’desh PM

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Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed concern over the BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi’s statement that Bangladeshi infiltrators in India must revert to their country, enlighting her close aides in a private meeting that the comment was unnecessary and unwarranted.

Such statements do not contribute to bilateral ties and could ruins relations between the future Indian government and Bangladeshi citizens, Hasina said in a meeting at the prime minister’s office on Monday morning.

Narendra Modi should detained, demands Didi

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Mamata Banerjee Chief Minister of West Bengal on Monday sought the arrest of Narendra Modi, accusing him of seeking votes in the name of religion.

This statement came a day after Modi told a rally in West Bengal that Bangladeshi infiltrators allowed in India for “votebank politics” would have to go back to their old ways while the refugees thrown out of Bangladesh on religious grounds would be greeted with open arms.

Singing Ram dhun near Ayodhya brought Modi under EC scanner

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After shirking the Ayodhya issue through the election campaign up till now, Narendra Modi skillfully invoked Lord Ram without any mention of the proposed temple in Ayodhya, which is part of the Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency and the acknowledged birthplace of the divinity.

In Faizabad, while addressing a public rally on the last day of the campaign for the May 7 phase on Monday, Modi asked the crowd if breaking a promise, referring to Congress, in the birthplace of Ram was acceptable.

Quarrel over mutawalli suspension deepens

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Chief mufti of the Islamic seminary Jamia Nizamia Mufti Khaleel Ahmed came to Syed Akbar Nizamuddin, mutawalli rescue by claiming that suspending a mutawalli (manager) of a wakf institution is against the sharia as he not a public servant.

The AP State Wakf Board (APSWB) had suspended Syed Akbar Nizamuddin, mutawalli (manager) of Dargah Hazrat Shah Khamosh in Nampally, for allegedly selling 85 acres of wakf land.
However, the Chief’s statement comes in conflict with Section 101 of the Wakf (Amendment) Act of 2013 which describes the mutawalli as a public servant.

Tight security in Seemandhra ahead of polls

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Election Commission sensing political tension in the Seemandhra region that is going to polls on Wednesday has thrown an unprecedented security blanket over the 13 districts even as campaigning came to a close on Monday evening.

Over 1.2 lakh state police personnel, 272 companies of central paramilitary forces, and 20,000 personnel from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra have been moved to Seemandhra to ensure peaceful polls.
According to Inputs from the intelligence wing the YSR Congress and the TDP-BJP candidates are involved in straight contests in several constituencies.

India’s pvt sector output contracts for 2nd successive month

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Private sector output in India fell for the second consecutive month in April, as manufacturing production rose at a softer rate and service sector output declined further, an HSBC survey said.

The HSBC India Composite Output Index, which maps both services and manufacturing, increased from 48.9 in March to 49.5 in April, but remained below the crucial 50 mark which indicates contraction for the second successive month.

Meanwhile, the HSBC services business activity index inched up from 47.5 in March to 48.5 in April, but this index too remained below the 50 mark.

Want to be known as an actor, not businesswoman: Shilpa Shetty

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Shilpa Shetty’s film career may have taken a back seat at the moment but the Bollywood beauty says she still wants to be known as an actress rather than as a businesswoman.

Shilpa, 38, who is busy promoting her business ventures with husband Raj Kundra and IPL team, said family has taken a precedence over showbiz.

“I will be ever known as an actor first than a businesswoman. I am an actor first who ventured into other segments after marriage. I haven’t bid adieu to showbiz. I am doing TV shows and advertisements.

Kudankulam n-power plant generates 876 MW

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The first 1,000 MW unit at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) touched a peak power generation of 876 MW Monday, said Power System Operation Corporation Ltd. (POSCO).

However, anti-nuclear power activists questioned when the unit would start commercial operations as it is more than six months since the unit was synchronised with the grid.

According to POSCO, the KNPP unit reached peak power generation of 876 MW and the average generation for the day was 810 MW.

Apple reportedly mulling health and fitness service platform

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Apple is reportedly working on a full health and fitness service program that would be modeled on App Store marketplace.

According to TechCrunch, Apple is ramping up its hiring of health tech and hardware experts.

However, Apple’s hiring spree is said to be about talent, not necessarily any specific tech.

It is expected that Apple is building an iWatch, which will reportedly have health-tracking features. The device will be a part of the broad health program.

Meanwhile, rumors have been swirling about Nike dropping its hardware efforts in favor of partnering with Apple. (ANI)