A S Kashyap

Women are going crazy about a bizarre new social media trend, where they have to balance coin on their collarbone to prove how good their figure is.

The challenge has taken off on Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, and has gained over 34 million hits within a day since it appeared on June 16, with thousands of women posting selfies and flaunting their bone structure piled with coins, the Daily Star has reported.

Though on an average women are seen holding around 20 coins on a single collarbone, Chinese actress Lv Jiarong shared a snap balancing a total of 80 coins on hers.

The Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Bajwa has asserted that the country’s National Action Plan (NAP) is proving to be effective in cutting off funds for terrorist groups operating in the Islamic Republic.

Major General Bajwa pointed out that few of the most vital achievements of the action plan included military operations in parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), intelligence-based operations across the country and the choking of funds of terrorist groups, reported the Dawn.

Saturn’s moon Titan’s atmosphere is even more Earth-like than it was previously believed.

Scientists at UCL have observed how a widespread polar wind is driving gas from the atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan. The team analysed data gathered over seven years by the international Cassini probe, and found that the interactions between Titan’s atmosphere and the solar magnetic field and radiation, create a wind of hydrocarbons and nitriles being blown away from its polar regions into space. This is very similar to the wind observed coming from the Earth’s polar regions.

The Central Railways on Friday said that they have started moving long distance trains which were stopped due to excessive rain and water logging on tracks in Mumbai, adding that the call on resumption of local trains would be taken after the high tide recedes.

Astronomers recently observed quasars in their teenage years, when they are emerging quickly and all messed up with the help of Hubble Space Telescope.

They used the Hubble Space Telescope’s infrared vision to uncover the mysterious early formative years of quasars, the brightest objects in the universe. Hubble’s sharp images unveil chaotic galaxy collisions that give birth to quasars by fueling their energy source: a supermassive central black hole devouring infalling material.

Venus and Jupiter, the second and fifth planets furthest from Sun respectively, are to converge on June 30.

Every week since winter in 2014, the two planets have been drawing closer to each other and are due to reach their closest point at the end of the month.

At the beginning of June, the two planets were 20 degrees apart in the sky, about twice the width of your fist held at arm’s length.

Musicians don’t just hear in tune, they also see in tune, according to a new research.

Vanderbilt University researchers designed a scientific experiment to puzzle out how the brain creates an apparently seamless view of the external world based on the information it receives from the eyes.

Researcher Randolph Blake said that the brain is remarkably efficient at putting people in touch with objects and events in visual environment, indeed so good that the process seems automatic and effortless.

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Anandpur Sahib on Friday to observe the 350th founding anniversary of the holy Sikh city.

The two leaders shared the stage with Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was invited for the event, was unable to attend due to his meeting with visiting Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje also excused herself from the celebrations, citing health problems.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj maintained silence and refused to offer any comment on resignation speculations or the Lalit Modi issue on Friday.

Senior officials of the government, including National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, politely told television channel reporters to move away and refrain from asking the minister any questions.

Swaraj has denied the allegations and said on social media she was helping Lalit Modi, who is presently based in London, on “humanitarian” grounds as he needed to visit his “ailing wife” in Portugal.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India would extend its cooperation to Tanzania in various sectors, including counter-terrorism, natural gas and maritime security and added that New Delhi would shortly extend e-tourist visa scheme to the nationals of the African nation.

Former Odisha chief minister Giridhar Gamang who had resigned from the Congress Party last month, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Thursday.

According to reports, his son Sisir has also joined the BJP in the presence of party’s organisational secretary Ramlal, two Union ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan, party state president K V Singhdeo and other senior leaders.

Gamang served as the chief minister of Odisha from February 18, 1999, to December 6, 1999. (ANI)

Caitlyn Jenner has thanked American actress Laverne Cox for publically supporting the reality star on her transition.

The American TV personality took to Twitter to thank the ‘Orange Is The New Black’ actress for her work in the trans community at large, People Magazine reports.

The 65-year-old former Olympian even wrote that the TV star was fierce and fabulous and her support meant the world.

Cox previously said referring to Jenner that it was brave to stand in one’s truth. (ANI)

Kumar Sangakkara and Kaushal Silva scored well constructed fifties as Sri Lanka ended the second day at 178-3 in the first test against Pakistan in Galle.

Silva and Angelo Mathews were unbeaten at 80 and 10 runs respectively when the umpires decided to call off the day because of bad light.

The start of the first session on the second day was also delayed after the first day was completely washed out.

NASA’s mission to search for signs of life on Jupiter’s moon Europa has crossed its first major milestone and has now moved to the development phase.

NASA’s mission concept – to conduct a detailed survey of Europa and investigate its habitability – has successfully completed its first major review by the US space agency and is now entering the development phase known as formulation.

Veteran actor Dharmendra says if a biopic on him is ever made, then superstar Salman Khan should star in it as he finds many similarities between them. Dharmendra, 79, who is known to be humorous in real life, said Salman has “gone on him”.

“I think he (Salman) can do it (biopic). Salman is a darling… He has some habits like me… You all know Salman and his habits well. He has gone on me,” the actor said.

The legendary actor said he tried to speak to Salman, 49, when he was going through the court trial in 2002 hit-and-run case last month,

In the first verdict in the sensational solar panel scam which hit Kerala two years ago, a lower court on Thursday sentenced prime accused Saritha S Nair and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan to three years jail and imposed a hefty fine after finding them guilty of cheating and forgery.

The verdict was delivered by Judicial First Class Magistrate R Jayakrishnan on a complaint by NRI Baburaj that the accused had swindled about Rs 1.19 crore from him by offering a share in their company “Team Solar” and the post of Director. Both the convicts were present in the court.

England suffered a 5-0 Test series defeat by Australia in 2013/14 when the Ashes were last up for grabs, with the fall-out from that thrashing leading to the international exile of star batsman Kevin Pietersen.

However, Australia have not won the Ashes in England since 2001, with England triumphing on home soil in 2005, 2009 and 2013 against their oldest rivals.

This season’s Ashes starts in Cardiff on July 8.

“The squad for the first Test will be announced within a few of days of returning from the camp,” said former opening batsman Strauss.

Maharashtra government should repeal the CrPC amendment that makes it compulsory for magistrates to check if a prior sanction from the authority has been obtained before ordering probe against public servants, an NGO working for political reforms urged on Thursday.

M. Sreedhar Reddy, Commissioner, Customs Calicut, inaugurated the Workshop on ATA Carnet organised by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in association with Malabar Chamber of Commerce, Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Kerala Chamber of Commerce here today.

Highlighting the importance of the workshop for the local export community, Deepak L. Aswani, Co-Chairman, FICCI, Kerala State Council, stated, “The workshop is a great initiative by FICCI in educating people on the use of Carnet and appreciating the value it brings to the export community.”

Beno Zephine, first visually impaired IFS officer from Tamil Nadu, on Thursday said that efforts should be made for the availability of books, meant for competitive exams in accessible formats in terms of audio and Braille.

Kylie Jenner’s boyfriend Tyga’s latest single ‘Pleazer’s’ lyrics has created a buzz as it’s about catching a felony for having sex with his girlfriend.

The ‘Rack City’ rapper’s latest track with Boosie BadAzz goes like “I hit her, she backwards, lickin’ her a—–e, my d-k is the password, T nasty, ’bout to catch a felony for it” and it is rumored that the rapper feel like being in a felony as Jenner is 17-year-old, Daily Star reported.

Audi India launched on Thursday the face lifted quarter three.

The price range starts at Rs 28.99 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi).

The car has four variants and comes with a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed S-tronic automatic gearbox.

Power is derived from a 2.0 litre, 4 cylinder TDI diesel, which was also available in the old model.

The engine is capable of churning out 177 BHP at 4,200 rpm.

In terms of pulling capacity, the car can churn out 380 Nm of torque.

The new car comes with an all new LED lamp cluster with integrated dynamic turn signals.

Bollywood actress Juhi Chawala, who was recently spotted on the location of her forthcoming flick ‘Chalk N Duster’, pointed out the role and value of teachers in the society.

Talking about the flick, the 47-year-old actress said that ‘Chalk N Duster’ is a film based on school life and will remind people of the contribution made by the teachers in their lives.

Highlighting the importance of education, Juhi asserted that the value of education is realised when one does not have it.

“Those who could not get beyond working the menial jobs know the real value of education,” she added.

The Miho-no-Matsubara, which is a seven-kilometer seashore area lined with pine trees along the coast of Miho Peninsula in Japan, was added to the UNESCO’s World Heritage List as part of the Fujisan Cultural Site.

However, the pine trees in the area start dying because of pine wilt disease, spread from the import lumber trees.

Spices Board has embarked on launching a clutch of signature shops that showcase the country’s choicest spices and their value-added products, including lifestyle and personal care, under one roof.

Two showrooms, under the brand name ‘Spices India’, were opened in the national capital last evening-one on the arterial Janpath road and the other at Dilli Haat, a fashionable open air plaza for ethnic products in Janakpuri.