Washington, January 25: The momentum of Taliban has been broken and remaining al Qaeda operatives are scrambling to escape from the US’ reach, President Barack Obama has said.
This decisive blow against these extremist organisations has been mainly because of the focused approach and end of war in Iraq, US President said in his State of the Union address to the Congress.
Lucknow, January 25: A woman named Maya , who loves her solid- gold sandals and has a pet elephant, is the lead character of a play being staged in Lucknow. Not for long. Local officials say the drama has to take a break because of similarities to the Chief Minister, Mayawati, whose party symbol is the elephant.
Uttar Pradesh votes soon; the model code of conduct is in place. That means parties cannot announce any policy that could influence voters, and the party in power cannot use public platforms for promotion.
New Delhi, January 25: The Supreme Court has asked the committee headed by ex-SC judge to look into encounter killings from 2003 to 2006 in Gujarat.
SC has asked chairman of monitoring authority, Justice (retd) MB Shah, to submit a report in three months.
The apex court also asked the monitoring authority to get instances of encounter killings either by appointing officers from Special Task Force or from outside.
—PTI
Washington, January 25: The head of the World Bank urged Germany on Tuesday to take the lead in resolving the euro zone’s debt crisis, warning in a Financial Times commentary that simply trying to muddle through was dangerous.
“No other country can lead Europe out of crisis and into revival,” World Bank President Robert Zoellick wrote in an opinion piece in the Financial Times. “Germany must now point the way.”
Tokyo, January 25: Asian shares rose Wednesday, underpinned by strong earnings from US technology giant Apple, stabilizing European money markets and falling eurozone debt yields, with investors shifting their focus to the Federal Reserve from Europe.
The MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.4 percent while Australian shares firmed and the Australian dollar ticked up after data showed the nation’s fourth-quarter headline consumer price index
was unchanged on the quarter against a rise of 0.2 percent forecast.
Lausanne, January 25: India`s Olympic body faces possible IOC sanctions over its continuing links with the disgraced head of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Suresh Kalmadi was released on bail last week, after spending nine months in prison following his arrest over alleged corruption connected to the over-budget event in New Delhi.
It`s unclear whether Kalmadi has formally left the Indian Olympic Association after 15 years as president.
Adelaide, January 25: 12:36 p.m. Over 21 End of the day’s play. India are 61/2 with Gambhir (30*) and Tendulkar(12*) on crease.
Scorecard: India Vs Australia »
11: 41 a.m Over 7 : Hilfenaus strikes, India lose their second wicket in quick succession. For the ninth time in 11 innings Rahul Dravid gets bowled. Hilfenhaus gets his first scalp.
11: 32 a.m. Over 6 Peter Siddle held on to a return catch from Sehwag to dismiss the Indian captain early. Sehwag was earlier dropped on 6 but couldn’t make use of the opportunity to depart at 18.
Washington, January 25: The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is preparing to welcome the space shuttle Discovery into its collection.
Smithsonian Secretary Wayne Clough (cluff) says the shuttle will be flown to Washington Dulles International Airport on the back of a Boeing 747 in April. A flyover is planned above the nation’s capital before Discovery makes its final home at the museum’s massive hangar in northern Virginia.
Stockholm, January 25: A storm from the broiling sun turned the chilly northernmost skies of Earth into an ever-changing and awe-provoking art show of northern lights on Tuesday.
Even experienced stargazers were stunned by the intensity of the aurora borealis that swept across the night sky in northern Scandinavia after the biggest solar flare in six years.
“It has been absolutely incredible,” British astronomer John Mason cried from the deck of the MS Midnatsol, a cruise ship plying the fjord-fringed coast of northern Norway.
Hyderabad, January 25: The ‘All India Urdu Kitab Mela’ organised in Mumbai on 14th to 22nd January concluded with grand success.
Book lovers thronged the stall of Huda Book distributors, Hyderabad.
The books which caught much attention on the stall of Huda Book distributors are, Glimpses of the Nizam’s Dominion, Andaz-e-Bayan Aur (Mr. Zahid Ali Khan), Hyderabad Shaher-e-Nigaran (Allama Aijaz Farrukh), Zawal-e-Hyderabad, Suqut-e-Hyderabad, writings of Mr. Mujtaba Husain, Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani and Abid Moiz and others.
Siasat news
Washington, January 25: Individuals suffering from stable cardiovascular disease can safely engage in sexual activity, according to a newly released statement.
The American Heart Association scientific statement contains recommendations by experts from various fields, including heart disease, exercise physiology and sexual counselling.
“Sexual activity is a major quality of life issue for men and women with cardiovascular disease and their partners,” Glenn N. Levine, lead author of the statement and a professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, said.
Riyadh, January 25: Ayed Al Dousari of Saudi Arabia is facing a serious problem that no one else would wish to have. His society looks at him as a man but he is convinced that he is a woman and is appealing for help to restore his real gender.
Ayed started to feel that he is a female when he was a child. His mother used to sneer at him, telling him these were only illusions.
When Ayed grew up and became an adult, he realized that he was right and his mother was wrong for his body began to take a female shape.
New York, January 25: The iodide dye used in heart scans and other medical imaging might damage some people`s thyroid glands, which could cause important health problems later on, researchers say.
In a new study, they found patients who had signs of thyroid disease were between two and three times as likely to have had a scan using iodide as a comparison group of people without thyroid problems.
The findings aren`t ironclad proof that the dye itself is responsible, but experts agree that`s a likely explanation since high doses of iodide are known to throw the thyroid off balance.
Islamabad, January 25: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for enhancing two-way trade between Pakistan and Myanmar and establishing a preferential tariff arrangement leading to the culmination of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement, it was reported here.
Zardari arrived in Myanmar Tuesday on a two-day official visit.
New York, January 25: Many older adults like to take a dip a pool, and now a small study suggests it can be good for their blood pressure.
Researchers found that among 43 older men and women, those who started swimming a few times a week lowered their systolic blood pressure — the “top” number in a blood pressure reading.
On average, the swimmers started the study with a systolic blood pressure of 131 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Three months later, it was 122 mm Hg.
Islamabad, January 25: Two pilots were injured Wednesday when a training aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force crashed in Punjab province, a media report said.
The aircraft crashed in Mianwali area, reported Xinhua citing a TV report.
——IANS
Washington, January 25: Chemical compounds widely used in fast-food packaging, waterproof clothing and non-stick frying pans were linked in a study out Tuesday to lower immune
response by young children to routine tetanus and diphtheria immunisation shots.
The study, in yesterday`s Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), is the first to show how perfluorinated compounds can negatively affect the response to vaccines.
PFCs can be transferred to children before birth via the mother, or after birth from exposure in the environment, according to the report.
Washington, January 25: Having pets like dog or cat help women with HIV/AIDS manage their chronic illness and stay healthy, researchers say.
The human and animal bond in healing and therapy is being recognized in a study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.
“We think this finding about pets can apply to women managing other chronic illnesses,” said Allison R. Webel, instructor of nursing and lead author of the article
Mumbai, January 25: There are plenty of couples in the B town who have decided to tie the knot in 2012. Amongst others, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D`Souza will begin the year with a private wedding affair.
There was a pre-wedding bash for the lovely couple Tuesday, hosted by Sajid Nadiadwala and Fardeen Khan at Royalty Bandra.
“Riteish and Genelia are lovely couples. Their seven years of relationship is very strong and I admire it. The celebrations will begin from Jan 29,” Nadiadwala told reporters.
Mumbai, January 25: Manisha Koirala, who recently made the decision to divorce her businessman husband Samrat Dahal, was recently spotted in a drunken state at the launch party of a newly opened restaurant lounge at Versova, Mumbai.
Manisha Koirala was snapped by photographers when she was leaving the restaurant, completely drunk. It’s being said that Manisha was invited at the launch party of the restaurant by her ex-boyfriend Prashant Chaudhari, who is the owner of the place.
On-lookers say that Manisha Koirala was dressed in black-grey casuals and looked extremely dull.
Mumbai, January 25: Ranbir Kapoor’s song ‘Wake Up, Sid’ has been chosen by the government to attract youth of the nation, asking them to come out and vote.
As a build-up activity to the National Voters’ Day, which falls today, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer launched a youth-based campaign, ‘Wake Up & Vote’.
Tehran, January 25: Despite fresh EU sanctions against Iran’s oil exports, China has shown interest in Iran’s oil with hiring at least two supertankers to ship oil from the country.
Clarkson Research Services Ltd., a unit of the world’s largest shipbroker, announced the two supertankers were booked to carry about 2 million barrels of crude from Iran’s Khark Island to China.
Qi Lian San, a large crude carrier anchored near Singapore, was booked to load 270,000 tons of crude at Khark Island from Feb. 3 to Feb. 5 and carry the cargo to China, Clarkson said.
Washington, January 25: US President Barack Obama has once again renewed threats against Iran, saying that Washington will maintain pressure on the Islamic Republic over its nuclear program.
“America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal,” Obama said in his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The United States and Israel have repeatedly threatened Tehran with the “option” of a military strike based on the allegation that Iran’s nuclear program may consist of a covert military aspect.
New Delhi, January 25: A 13-year-old schoolboy Varun Jain died after a fall from the second floor of Rishabh Public School in Mayur Vihar on Tuesday.
His classmates said, Varun had forgotten his book inside the classroom and at school break in the afternoon, he rushed to his classroom and while rushing down the stairs, he slipped and fell on the ground floor from the railing. He fell unconscious.
He was sent to Jeevan Anmol Hospital in Mayur Vihar, from where he was referred to Kailash Hospital, Noida, where he succumbed to injuries.
Chennai, January 25: One of India’s best-known scientists, G Madhavan Nair, who also headed the Indian Space Research Organization or ISRO, has been blacklisted for government jobs. The government’s decision is based on Mr Nair’s alleged role in allotting valuable and scarce S-band spectrum to a private company named Devas. The contract with Devas was signed during Mr Nair’s term as ISRO chief, a tenure highlighted by India’s maiden moon mission, Chandrayaan-1.