Month: February 2013

Soaking up the Sun may reduce women`s risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a new study.

Researchers found that women regularly exposed to sunlight reduced their risk of developing the condition by a fifth.

However, using sun creams or covering up to avoid the rays could lessen the protective effects.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation in joints and the main symptoms are joint pain and swelling.

A major 8.0 magnitude earthquake was feared to have flattened villages in the Solomon Islands today, and triggered a tsunami with destructive potential for Pacific nations’ coasts, monitors said.

A small tsunami wave reached part of the Solomons and watches were in effect as far afield as Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre said. New Zealand was also on guard, but monitors said there was no threat to Australia.

The Hobbit’ star Ian McKellen was handed an honorary degree from staff at the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.

The 73-year-old actor was awarded the special honour by his ‘The Hobbit’ co-star James Nesbitt, who is the
university’s chancellor, reported Daily Star online.

McKellen took to the podium and revealed how his family’s Irish roots shaped his own strict religious upbringing.

In puritanical Ballymena (Northern Ireland), it is said the park keepers used to tie up the children’s swings on Sundays to keep the Lord’s Day holy.

Actress Gemma Arterton and singer Paloma Faith have donated designer handbags to charity to raise money for a hospice.

The stars, alongside TV presenters Davina McCall and Zoe Ball, have given up their beloved bags to Handbags for
Hospices, reported Daily Star online.

They will be auctioned off later this month at the Hotel Du Vin in Brighton.

The event will benefit The Martlets Hospice in Brighton which provides care and respite for terminally ill patients
and needs to raise more than 9,000 pounds each day to continue its work.

————————PTI

The biggest hurdle in the formation of separate Telangana state is the Congress Party only in case of an organized struggle against it we can only get Telnagana state.

Model-actress Carmen Electra has cleared out her closet to raise money for charity.

The 40-year-old former Playboy beauty has donated lingerie, evening dresses, coats and shoes to the Closets for
Causes organisation in a bid to generate cash for Hounds of Hope, a dog rescue scheme in Los Angeles, reported Daily Star online.

Shelley Mack, director of Hounds of Hope, said, “We are so grateful to Carmen Electra for her continued support in

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday discussed the crisis in Syria and ways to improve bilateral ties with his Egyptian counterpart Muhammed Mursi during the first visit by the head of the Islamic Republic since 1979 revolution.

Mursi, who gave a red-carpet welcome to Ahmadinejad, discussed ways of boosting relations between the two countries and resolving the Syrian crisis “without resorting to military intervention”, Egyptian state media reported.

South Korean rapper Psy is fronting a campaign to help eradicate polio in Asia and Africa.

The ‘Gangnam Style’ hitmaker has signed up as a celebrity ambassador for the Rotary International humanitarian
organisation and he’s fronting the organisation’s This Close to Ending Polio advertisements, reported Contactmusic.

I grew up in a Rotary family as my father and my late grandfather were Rotary members. My grandfather was very
passionate and dedicated to Rotary. He had a big heart and always inspired me to help others,” Psy said.

—————PTI

Four members of a Sikh family, including two minor children, have died in Atlanta in the US state of Georgia under mysterious circumstances with police terming it as a “murder-suicide”. “While Sartaj (12) and Gurtej (5) died from homicide by sharp force injuries to the neck, their mother Damanjit Kaur Grover (47) died from homicide by blunt force trauma to the head.

The Centre today said one positive thing that emerged from the episode of threats to Kashmir’s all-girl rock band was that the entire political spectrum had backed them and hoped freedom of speech and expression will be allowed to flourish in its entirety.

“In this entire episode, one positive thing that has emerged is that in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape, all political parties have supported the girls and their band and encouraged them,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here.

Singer-actor Justin Timberlake has reportedly earned a whopping USD 3 million for performing at the DirectTV Pre-Super Bowl party and donated the sum to charity.

The ‘Sexy Back’ singer performed an hour-long concert — his first live show in years — backed by a 10-piece band with guest appearances by Timbaland and Jay-Z, reported New York Post.

He didn’t keep a penny of the USD 3 million he was paid for his long-awaited comeback, and decided to give it all
away to Shriners Hospital for Children.

All set to stage a come back in Bollywood with ‘Dedh Ishqiya’ and ‘Gulab Gang’, Madhuri Dixit does not believe she has competition on hand with actresses like Karisma Kapoor and Sridevi returning to films after taking long breaks.

Almost after a gap of 15 years, Sridevi made a comeback with ‘English Vinglish’, which won her accolades while Karisma returned with Vikram Bhatt’s ‘Dangerous Ishq’ last year.

A teenaged Class 9 student fought off a rape bid in her own house here by an electricity contractor who thrust an iron rod into her throat to quell her cries for help.

The matter was reported on Tuesday and the police have arrested the accused.

The victim, 19, who was attacked around 8.30 pm Monday in south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar, underwent a surgery in throat next morning and is said to be in a critical condition.

Anil Kumar, an electricity distribution contractor, tried to rape the victim finding her alone at her house.

Actor Charlie Sheen says he won’t be walking down the aisle again because he does not want to have four failed marriages.

The former “Two and A Half Men” actor said he has learnt his lesson after three failed marriages – to Donna Peele,
actress Denise Richards and socialite Brooke Mueller, reported Daily Express.

In baseball when you strike out three times… It’s a golden sombrero. Four times is a platinum sombrero… I’m not
wearing the platinum sombrero of marriage,” he said.

One Direction singer Harry Styles, who owns an Audi R8 and a Range Rover Sport, has splashed out on a new Porsche for himself and one for his father.

Styles has bought the 100,000 pound car as a birthday gift to himself.

The singer turned 19 on February 1 and marked the occasion by splashing on a red Porsche Caymen S, which is
currently being customised to suit his tastes, reported Daily Star.

Styles was initially buying the car for his father but fell in love with it and so ordered for two.

Coronation Street’ star Shobna Gulati is reportedly dating Tony Brown, who is 17 years her junior.

The 46-year-old actress met Gulati, 29, a few months back when the star appeared on the early-morning programme on ITV show ‘This Morning’, where her beau works.

The couple was seen enjoying a romantic day out in Manchester recently, the Sunday Mirror reported.

They’ve been together for a while now and things are going brilliantly. They hit it off immediately when they met

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has called his Egyptian counterpart Abd-al-Fattah Al-Sisi during which the latter restated his country’s committment to the Peace Treaty with Israel, the Pentagon said.

Minister Al-Sisi restated yesterday the Egyptian Armed Forces’ commitment to the Peace Treaty with Israel, and underscored that his commitment that the Sinai will not be used as a base to threaten Israel,” said the Pentagon Press Secretary George Little after the telephone call between the two leaders.

A powerful earthquake in the South Pacific generated a tsunami Wednesday that prompting warnings to several island nations.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami of .9 meters (3 feet) was measured in Lata wharf, in the Solomon Islands

An official at the disaster management office in neighboring Vanuatu said there were no reports of damage or injuries there.

More than 50 people were killed and thousands lost their homes in April 2007 when a magnitude 8.1 quake hit the western Solomon Islands, sending waves crashing into coastal villages.

A Madhya Pradesh minister has landed at the centre of a controversy by stating that giving protection to girl students wanting to stay in hostels is the responsibility of their parents and not of the government.

In remarks that evoked sharp criticism, Tribal and Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah asked parents of girl students to give in writing that they will take care of their security only after which Government will consider building hostels for them.

While the Hyderabad police received a complaint against VHP’s international working president Praveen Togadia in connection with an alleged “hate speech” he made in Indore last month, a chief judicial magistrate’s court in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh, took notice of a private complaint filed by a local Youth Congress leader against Togadia for “creating hatred between two communities on January 24”.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi on Tuesday said reservation in jobs for SC/STs should be done away with as it is against the interests of general public and in violation of the rights of the deserving.

“I was the only MP to raise voice against reservations,” claimed Gandhi during a function at Hindu College here, adding that there should be no compromise on the level of efficiency particularly in crucial jobs like in the health sector.

BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Tuesday defended party president Rajnath Singh’s directive to party members not to speak on the Prime Ministerial candidate issue and said till now no demand for choosing Narendra Modi for the post has come up before BJP Parliamentary Board.

“He (Singh) has not stopped members from freedom of expression. He has only said they should not speak out on issues on which no opinion has been formed by the party yet. This is discipline of the party and if you are a member, you are bound by the rules,” Joshi said.

A petition filed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad against Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s “Hindu terror” remarks was dismissed by the Allahabad High Court on Tuesday.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Justice Dilip Gupta dismissed in limine the Public Interest Litigation which had sought to make Shinde, the Cabinet Secretary and the Union Home Secretary respondents.

Gujarat Chief Minister and firebrand BJP leader Narendra Modi will on Wednesday arrive in the national capital to interact with students of a leading Delhi University college.

As per reports, the Gujarat Chief Minister will deliver a key note address at the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and also interact with the students and the faculty of the renowned institution.

SRCC has produced a string of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including Arun Jaitley, Vijay Goel, Jagdish Mukhi and Vijay Jolly.

Amid high drama, Arvind Kejriwal, Prashant Bhushan and other members of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were on Tuesday “released” by a Delhi court after they appeared before it following summonses for alleged involvement in rioting cases here last year.

The court released Kejriwal, Bhushan, Manish Sisodia and 23 others on an undertaking that they will appear before it to face trial in the case after they refused to seek bail before it.