Asian News International

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

IIT Guwahati leads India into top 100 global university rankings

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The prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati has taken India into the world’s top 100 university rankings for the first time with an entry at No. 87.

IIT Guwahati is the only Indian educational institute in the 2014 league table of ‘100 Under 50’ institutions released by the ‘Times Higher Education’ (THE) magazine here today.

The IIT shares the 87th rank on the list with Portugal’s New University of Lisbon and Australia’s University of Western Sydney.

Amitabh Bachchan inaugurates Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

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With ‘Sholay 3D’ as its opening selection, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) was launched here today by Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the presence of Victorian minister for Tourism and major events Louise Asher and the festival director Mitu Bhowmick Lange.

Announcing the launch of the 11-day long festival at a jam packed press briefing, Bachchan said, “I am delighted that Melbourne is hosting this festival. I am very honoured.”

Rose Falooda

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Ingredients:

2 Cups milk
1 Packet falooda sev
2 tsp Rose water
1/2 tsp Soaked tukmuri seeds

How to make Falooda:

Boil the sev in water for 20 minutes.
After the sev gets softened, drain the excess water.
Boil the sev in some milk over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Now, add ice to cool down the boiled sev.
Put the sev in glasses.
Add rose water and soaked tukmuri seeds.
Pour in milk and add ice.
Top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Falooda is ready to be served.

Actor Bob Hoskins dies at 71

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Actor Bob Hoskins has died following a battle with pneumonia. He was 71.

The “Hook” actor died Tuesday. His family was by his side before he took his last breath, reports contactmusic.com.

Hoskin’s wife Linda and children Alex, Sarah, Rosa and Jack have issued a statement asking for privacy and thanking those who have sent messages of condolence.

Health benefits of cheese and milk among obese adults revealed

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Researchers have found that whey protein, which is found in milk and cheese, could have health benefits for people who are obese and do not yet have diabetes.

The study examined how different protein sources affect metabolism.

Lars O. Dragsted, Kjeld Hermansen and colleagues point out that obesity continues to be a major public health problem worldwide. In the U.S. alone, about 35 percent of adults and about 17 percent of children are obese, a condition that can lead to a number of health issues, including cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes.

Men experience bliss with sex, women chocolates

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A new poll has revealed that while both Frenchmen and women consider sex and food as catalysts of happiness, women prefer chocolates while for men sex brings them bliss.

According to the Harris Interactive poll, female poll participants said they would rather cut back on sex than to cut back on food as it’s the key to felicity for them, whereas French men believe sex is the surest route to happiness, the New York Daily News reported.

The poll also found that women more often cited chocolate or strawberries and men more often plumped for meatier options like foie gras and steak.

Five child labourers rescued from roadside eatery

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Five child labourers were rescued by locals from a roadside eatery in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, an official said Thursday.

The children aged between 12-14 years were made to clean tables and utensils at the eatery at Jhumpura village, about 250 km from state capital Bhubaneswar, for the past many weeks, district official Ranjan Behera told IANS.

The matter came to light after the eatery owner allegedly denied food and abused them for not doing work properly.

Summer beauty trend 2014: Bright eyeliner

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The soft, muted, pastel shades of spring-summer wardrobe are being contrasted with bright make-up and pink and orange lips, but don’t shun bright eyeliner either as it is in vogue like never before.

It’s an easy way to inject some colour into your summer look, and bright eyeliners are of lower maintenance than a lip colour.

Also, applying a good eyeliner can make you ready from morning till night, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Wait till fifth date before heading to bed with her!

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In love? Wait till your fifth date before you can expect her to follow you in bed!

According to research, a girl is not prepared to have sex with a new partner until the fifth date.

So what happens in first four dates?

“Some soul searching via a 10-point mental checklist that a girl has,” said a survey by the dating site singles247.com.

She needs four dates to judge the suitability of a potential new boyfriend, the survey, that included 2,000 women, found.

Is he trustworthy? Do we click? Can he make me laugh? Such questions dominate her mind.

Kristin Stewart impressed by Karl Lagerfeld

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Actress Kristin Stewart was amazed by Karl Lagerfeld’s “voracious” passion and creativity when she got to know the designer ahead of one of the shoots.

The “Twilight” star features in Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collections annual campaign, which showcases the craftsmanship at work in the French fashion house’s ateliers, and got to know Lagerfeld first hand before the shoot, reports contactmusic.com.

The 24-year-old actress was surprised by how approachable the designer was and praised his intelligence and passion, which she feels is often eclipsed by his image.

EC issues showcause notice to Punjab CM for making statement on fund raising

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The Election Commission has issued a showcase notice to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for allegedly making a statement asking for funds from people.

At an election meeting in Jalandhar, Badal had asked people to give funds to the party secretly for campaigning.

The EC, in its notice to Badal, has said, “The Commission is, prima facie, of the opinion that by making such statement you have violated the above said provision of Model Code of Conduct and also incited others to violate the law.”

Maruti Suzuki India April sales decline 11% to 86,196 units

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest carmaker, today reported 11.4 per cent decline in total sales in April to 86,196 units, against 97,302 units in the same month last year.

The company said its domestic sales declined by 12.6 per cent during the month to 79,119 units as against 90,523 units in April 2013.

Sales of mini segment cars, including M 800, Alto, A-Star and Wagon R, declined 25.4 per cent to 26,043 units as against 34,927 units in the year-ago month, MSI said in a statement.

Prince Harry denies splitting with Cressida Bonas for being too ‘clingy’

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Prince Harry has denied claims that he broke up with his girlfriend of two-years Cressida Bonas because she was “too needy”.

A palace source told the Daily Star that it was actually the 25-year-old beauty who ended their relationship because she feels too young for marriage and wanted to focus on her showbiz career.

According to the insider, the 29-year-old Prince felt he needed her more than she needed him.

And though the pair has called it quits, they intend to remain “best of friends” as the split was very “amicable”, added the insider. (ANI)

Afghan Taliban, Haqqani Network continue to find safe haven in Pakistan: US report

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Terror groups such as the Haqqani Network and the Afghan Taliban continued to find ‘safe haven’ in Pakistan in 2013, the State Department has said.

The claim was made by the Department in its annual global report on terrorism that it submitted to the Congress on Wednesday.

In the report, the Department also accused Pakistani authorities of not taking ‘significant military or law enforcement action against these groups,’ the Express Tribune reports.

US Sikh barred from jury duty for refusing to remove ‘religious’ dagger

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A Sikh in California has been barred from jury duty after he refused to remove a dagger he is supposed to wear under strict religious beliefs.

Gursant Singh was told that he could not bring the dagger, known as a kirpan, into a Sutter County courthouse in Yuba City due to security concerns.

According to CBS News, Singh said he would like to be a juror, but would go to jail rather than deny his religious beliefs.

Singh and dozens of supporters demonstrated outside the courthouse this week, demanding that they be allowed inside while wearing their ceremonial daggers, the report said.

‘Bhoothnath Returns’ now tax free in Uttar Pradesh

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The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to make Amitabh Bachchan’s latest Bollywood film “Bhoothnath Returns” tax free across the state, an official said Thursday.

A decision to waive off tax on the film was taken at the highest level, he added. The film, co-produced by Ravi Chopra and Bhushan Kumar, is currently being shown at 200 places in the state.

With the tax free dole, the government said, it hoped that more and more people will be able to view the film, which promotes voting.

Now, fly in a plane powered by garbage

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British Airways has an ambitious plan to convert municipal waste into 120,000 tonnes of jet fuel.

By 2017, they say, the first factory in the world to turn garbage into jet fuel will be up and running. Waste-fuelled transatlantic flights could come soon after.

According to ClimateWire, it’s all part of a plan that will make flying a little more environmentally friendly, Stuff.co.nz reported.

British Airways’ head of environment Jonathan Counsell said that turning trash into biofuel generates twice as much energy as incinerating it for trash.

iBerry to launch smartphone ‘Auxus Nuclea X’

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Technology company iBerry said it will launch a new smartphone named “Auxus Nuclea X” next week that would be sold exclusively through e-commerce portal eBay.

The new phone is priced at Rs.12,990 and the company claimed it is the cheapest in its segment.

“The launch is set on May 5, 2014 and it will be available for booking exclusively on ebay.in,” iBerry said in a statement.

“Auxus Nuclea X would be the cheapest Octa Core ever launched in the Indian market,” it said. “The smartphones would be backed up by over 400+ service centers across India.”

‘Gesture’ keyboard lets you swipe words in air!

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In what could bring about some sweeping changes to the information technology, scientists are now on their way to present “gesture-swipe” keyboards that lets you type messages simply by waving your hands in the air.

Based partly on sensor technology built for the Microsoft Kinect games, the keyboards of the future could let users manipulate data without sitting down and typing in one letter at a time.

These ideas will help doctors use a computer while doing surgery, for example, or just drive a video game race car with an imaginary steering wheel, said researchers.

Jayalalithaa case: Lex’s plea seeking stay on case dismissed by HC

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The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petition filed by Lex Property Developers, seeking stay on the disproportionate assets case against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and three others.

Justice Satyanarayan dismissed Lex’s plea, observing that it was an attempt by the company to delay the main case, in which Jayalalithaa has been charged with accumulating Rs 66 crore wealth disproportionate to known sources of income from 1991 to 1995 when she was Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.

The judge also imposed Rs one lakh penalty on the company.

Potent new anti-HIV proteins found in Australian coral reefs

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Researchers have found a new class of proteins capable of blocking the HIV virus from penetrating T-cells, which has raised hope that the proteins could be adapted for use in gels or sexual lubricants to provide a potent barrier against HIV infection.

Senior investigator Barry O’Keefe said that it’s always thrilling when you find a brand-new protein that nobody else has ever seen before and the fact that this protein appears to block HIV infection makes it truly exciting.

Sonam unveils L’Oreal Paris make-up line

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Actress Sonam Kapoor Wednesday unveiled the latest make-up collection of L’Oreal Paris for the Festival de Cannes 2014. She is excited about flaunting the new looks on the red carpet at the fest, starting May 14.

The collection is inspired by the “gold”, and L’Oreal Paris beauty expert Namrata Soni has created three looks inspired by infusion of gold and exciting spring hues.

Sonam, who will attend the festival May 18-19, is looking forward to the event “because of the exceptional make-up and looks that L’Oreal Paris launches.”

Rock in white a la celebs

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Going bright on a sunny day is a favourite with many. You can lock them up for a while and try something as daring as white overall like the stars.

Celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Lupita Nyong’o have rocked the colour white from head-to-toe. Check out their styles and get inspired, reports eonline.com.

Minogue was spotted in a white dress with crisp collar, lace cutouts and side pockets. The piece should definitely find a spot in your closet.

India became 3rd-largest economy in 2011 from 10th in 2005

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In a matter of six years, India emerged as the world’s third-largest economy in 2011 from being the 10th largest in 2005, moving ahead of Japan, while the US remained the largest economy closely followed by China, latest figures have revealed.

“The economies of Japan and the UK became smaller relative to the US, while Germany increased slightly and France and Italy remained the same,” according to data released today by the International Comparison Program (ICP), hosted by the Development Data Group at the World Bank Group.