Asian News International

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

Ford announces new CEO

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Ford Motor Thursday nammed Mark Fields its president and chief executive officer.

He will succeed Alan Mulally,68, who will take retirement July 1, Xihua reported.

Fields,53, has been leading all of Ford’s global business operations and most skill teams, including product development, manufacturing, purchasing, and marketing, sales and service since 2012.

Bill Ford, Ford’s executive chairman said “Mark has transformed several of our operations around the world into much stronger businesses during his 25 years at Ford.”IANS

Three killed in Jammu road accident

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Two women and a child were killed when the public transport vehicle they were travelling in fell into a deep gorge in Udhampur district of Jammu region, an official said Friday.

Three people were also injured in the accident that happened late Thursday when the taxi carrying passengers from Ghordi village went out of the driver’s control and slipped 200 feet down into a gorge in Ramnagar area, police said.

The official said the injured have been shifted to a hospital.IANS

‘Mature’ Veena Malik returns to Pakistan after four years

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Pakistani actress Veena Malik has returned to her home country “as a mature girl” after spending four years abroad.

The 30-year-old star, who married businessman Asad Basheer Khan Khattak in December 2013, said that her time away has increased her love for her country by 1000 times and she wants to do social work in Pakistan now, the Express Tribune reported.

Malik had previously announced that she’s retiring from the film industry.

Her husband also said that the retire ment was Malik’s own decision and said that he would support her in whatever she does. (ANI)

Hyundai’s May sales down 11.8 percent

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Automobile manufacturer Hyundai Motor India Thursday reported a fall of 11.8 percent in its total sales for April at 50,222 units from 56,953 units in the corresponding month of last year.

However, the company said its domestic sales during the month under review grew by 8.8 percent and stood at 35,248 units — up from 32,403 units sold in the corresponding month of 2013.

The company’s exports last month crashed by 39 percent at 14,974 units — down from 24,550 units shipped out during the corresponding month of last year.

Send Narendra Modi to Pakistan: Lalu

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Latching on to a Pakistan Minister’s “destabilisation” remark against Narendra Modi, RJD leader Lalu Prasad today said the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate should be sent to Pakistan and then only any question of destabilisation will arise.

Prasad also said that sending Modi to Pakistan was the “best medicine” for him.
“Send Narendra Modi to Pakistan, then only any question of destabilisation will arise. His people talk about sending others to Pakistan, we should send him instead,” Prasad told reporters.

Every third Mumbaikar skips daily bath

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Despite rising pollution and unhygienic environment besides hot and humid summer conditions, 32 percent Mumbaikars do not take a bath daily, a new survey has revealed.

This has put them at an enhanced risk of contracting infections and diseases, but Mumbaikars do not take the threats seriously, said the National Integrated Medical Association (NIMA), which carried out the survey among a small sample size of 600.

The survey revealed that, besides skipping a daily bath, a large number of people use only beauty soaps as against anti-bacterial soaps.

Why threading a needle is so difficult

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Scientists have shed light on why threading a needle can be such a challenge, even if you do have good eyesight and a steady hand.

According to Dr Stephanie Goodhew of the Australian National University’s Research School of Psychology, it’s got to do with the message your hands send to your brain, Discovery News reported.

It has been known for some time that there is something special about the space around your hands when it comes to vision, Goodhew, who is lead author of the study, said.

She said that visual stimuli are processed differently when they occur near our hands.

At 39, Paltrow began skin care regime

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Actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 41, hasn’t always been devoted to maintaining her looks. She says she started taking care of her skin when she turned 39.

During a Twitter Q&A for Restorsea skincare brand, Paltrow answered a number of questions on beauty and skin care, reports eonline.com.

Asked when she first began taking care of her skin, she said: “39.”

And she thanked her genes for her good skin.

“My great grandmother, my grandmother and my mother (had) lots of water,” Paltrow said.

Yellow dress sales up post Kate Middleton’s royal tour

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The Duchess of Cambridge has made many women fill sunshine in their wardrobe, thanks to her yellow dress worn during her royal tour.

After Middleton’s recent visit to Sydney, Australia, in a yellow frock by designer Roksanda Ilincic, yellow dress sales have shot through the roof, reports eonline.com.

She had joked of the dress saying: “William (her husband) said I look like a banana.”

Nevertheless, many are running out and buying a yellow dress.

eBay reported a 95 percent rise in dress sales since the royal tour, proving that there is no slowing down the “Kate” effect.

India’s GDP growth may rise to 6 percent in 2014-15: Chidambaram

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India’s economic growth is likely to accelerate to six percent in the current financial year from below five percent expansion registered in the previous two years, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Thursday.

“Going forward 2014-15 will be better than 2013-14… I think it’s possible to aim and achieve six percent growth,” Chidambaram said at a media conference here.

However, he clarified that the government has not set any target for economic growth for the current financial year that began April 1.

Men in ‘healthy’ countries have eyes for beauty!

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All the pretty women out there, if wooing a man is what is in your mind, move on to a country where conditions are not that harsh as feminine charm sweeps men living in countries with ‘healthy’ conditions.

A study has found that men living in unhealthy conditions are less attracted to pretty faces than their counterparts living in healthy conditions.

For example, a man living in Nepal or Nigeria finds a woman with large eyes, full lips and a soft jaw not as appealing as a man in Japan or Australia may find her.

UV lamps in nail salons raise cancer risk

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The use of lamps that emit UV radiation in nail salons has raised some concern about the risk of cancer.

Using higher-wattage ultra violet (UV) lamps at nail salons to dry and cure polish was associated with more UV-A radiation being emitted, but the brief exposure after a manicure would require multiple visits for potential DNA damage and the risk for cancer remains small.

The authors tested 17 light units from 16 salons with a wide range of bulbs, wattage and irradiance emitted by each device for their research letter.

Maldives should repeal new regulation on death penalty: UN

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The UN has voiced deep concern over a new regulation in the Maldives that effectively overturns a 60-year moratorium on the use of capital punishment in the country and allows for children as young as seven to be sentenced to death for certain crimes.

“We urge the government to retain its moratorium on the use of the death penalty in all circumstances, particularly in cases that involve juvenile offenders and to work towards abolishing the practice altogether,” spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Ravina Shamdasani said.

Poll battle of heavyweights in Varanasi ‘light’ on assets

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The Lok Sabha polls in this temple town may be high-profile with presence of BJP’s Narendra Modi and AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal but the fight is ‘asset-light’ when it comes to declared wealth of the candidates and it is an Independent who is the richest.

Independent Prabhat Kumar has declared assets worth Rs 3.35 crore — higher than any other candidate fighting from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

Rs 4.52 cr cash, liquor seized during election checks

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Cash over Rs 4.5 crore and liquor have been seized as a part of election raids in various parts of East Godavari district.

“So far, Rs 4,52,90,000 cash, liquor and other material have been seized from various persons as part of election raids in the district. The raids are continuing in the district, and police squads have intensified checking of vehicles at various check posts,” East Godavari District Collector Neetu Prasad said in a statement.

Honey and Fruit Smoothie

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Ingredients:
Honey, 5 tablespoons
Ripe mangoes (Peeled and Chopped), 2
Ripe Bananas (Peeled and Chopped), 2
Ice cubes (Crushed), 8 to 10
Yoghurt, 2 cups
Lemon Juice, 2 tablespoon
Fresh Mint Leaves, to garnish

Procedure:
Refrigerate the mango and banana slices for about an hour.
Once the fruits are frozen, place the fruits, yoghurt and honey in a blender.
Blend everything until the consistency is smooth.
To the mixture, add the crushed ice cubes and blend again.
Pour into individual glasses and garnish the smoothie with mint springs.

Maruti Suzuki sales down 11.4 percent in April

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India’s largest passenger car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki Thursday reported an 11.4 percent decline in total sales, including exports, for April as the figure stood at 97,302 units.

The company had sold 86,196 units in April 2013.

The company’s domestic sales decreased by 12.6 percent to 79,119 units during the month under review as compared to 90,523 units sold in the corresponding month of last year.

However, Maruti Suzuki exported 7,077 units last month, which was an increase of 4.4 percent from 6,779 units sold overseas during the corresponding month of 2013.

Pakistan Army chief backs Taliban talks

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Pakistan’s army chief Gen. Raheel Sharif has extended his support to talks with the Taliban for putting an end to terrorism and restoration of peace in the country.

He also asked the militants to accept the constitution and the law, Xinhua reported.

The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is involved in a peace dialogue with the Taliban, but no progress has been made in the process.

Sonam’s ‘Khoobsurat’ to release Sep 19

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Sonam Kapoor starrer “Khoobsurat”, a remake of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s 1980 romantic comedy of the same name, will release Sep 19 this year.

Co-produced by Disney India and Anil Kapoor Film Company, the fun drama will see Sonam in the lead role of Mili, a vivacious girl who turns the lives of a royal family upside down.

“Disney India’s ‘Khoobsurat’, a wholesome family entertainer produced in association with Anil Kapoor Film Company, will release on Sep 19,” said a statement released by Disney India.

Soon, vaccination to provide immunity against MERS virus

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In a major breakthrough in the field of medicine, scientists have successfully developed a new vaccine that produces immunity against the recently emerged Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV).

The University of Maryland School of Medicine and Novavax, Inc. recently announced that an investigational vaccine candidate developed by Novavax against MERS-CoV blocked infection in laboratory studies.

India to attend ADB’s II World Anti-Crisis Conference in Kazakh capital Astana

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India will attend the first plenary session of the II World Anti-Crisis Conference at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank” at the Palace of Independence in Kazakh capital Astana from Friday (May 2).

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will represent India at the event, which is expected to train its focus on ways to introduce structural reforms to prevent global stagnation, as also to assess how developing countries like India can substantially enhance their roles in facilitating sustainable and balanced growth of the global economy.

Pakistan retained on US intellectual property rights ‘priority watch list’

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Pakistan has been retained on the “priority watch list” in the annual US government report on major intellectual property rights violators.

The report said that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) was working with Pakistan to develop action plans to address the issues discussed in the report.

According to the Express Tribune, the “Special 301” report also placed Pakistan among nations that were highlighted for unauthorized use of software by the government.

Saudi couple living in different countries marry via Skype

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A Saudi man living in the United States married a woman living in Saudi Arabia using video chat application Skype.

Fayez Fawaz Al Nafii, the religious man who officiated the wedding, said he was in the beginning surprised when asked to conduct the marriage between a man in the US and a women in Saudi Arabia.

He said it was the first time in his seven years in service that he was asked to use smart phones to solemnize a marriage .

According to Gulf News, Ayedh Al Naqool, the groom studying in the US, said he was happy everything went well.

Security scaled up for vital installations in TN

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Security has been stepped up at airports, railway stations, bus-terminals and key installations in the state, including the Kalapakkam Atomic Power Plant here, in the wake of the bomb blasts on the Bangalore-Guwahati Express.

Police said security has been beefed up at the airports, railway stations, bus stations and other vulnerable areas.

“As you know Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) and Madras Atomic Power Station (MAPS) are already under security blanket, we have told our security personnel to increase security”, BHAVINI Project Director Prabhat Kumar told PTI.