Month: June 2013

At least 4 U.S. firefighters killed battling hotel fire in Houston

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Washington, June 1 (Xinhua-ANI): At least four firefighters were killed while battling a hotel fire in the fourth largest U.S. city of Houston on Friday, officials said.

A spokesperson for Houston Mayor Annise Parker said at least four firefighters have died, and five others were injured, making this one of the deadliest days in history for the Houston Fire Department, according to local TV channel ABC13.

The fire broke out at the Bhojan Restaurant about 12:09 p.m. local time and engulfed the neighboring Southwest Inn in southwest Houston, according to USA Today.

Cross border trade between India and Pakistan flourishing

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Poonch, June 1 (ANI): Flourishing cross border trade between India and Pakistan provides an impetus to people-to-people contact and gives boost to the confidence-building measure in Jammu and Kashmir.

Basheer Ahmed Lone, the custodian of cross LoC trade in Chakan Da Bagh, said that cross border trade has increased.

Full body scanners removed from American airports over privacy concerns

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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has got rid of its full body scanners, Rapiscan from American airports over privacy concerns. The scanners caused chaos for taking semi-scandalous snapshots of the fliers at security checkpoints. The congressional mandate and various privacy-rights activists likened the scanners to ”virtual strip-search”, reports Fox News.

”How can politicians manage cricket?” asks Raashid Alvi

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Senior Congress leader Raashid Alvi on Saturday spoke on the resignation of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Chairman Rajiv Shukla and posed a question asking how can politicians manage cricket? Alvi said, “I respect his decision. How can politicians manage cricket? It is unfair for the fans, as they want honesty in the game they love.” Earlier today, Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Rajiv Shukla resigned, following the spot fixing scandal over alleged corruption in the IPL.

Srinivasan to put three demands before stepping down

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The beleaguered BCCI president N Srinivasan will face the toughest test in his administrative career in tomorrow’s emergent Working Committee meeting where members are likely to push for his ouster in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked Indian cricket.

While it is all but certain that Srinivasan will have to step down from the president’s post paying heed to the popular demand from the affiliated units, it is learnt that the Tamil Nadu strongman wants three of his demands to be met before he quits.

Need to improve quality of higher education: President

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Stating there was need to improve the quality of higher education in India, President Pranab Mukherjee Saturday expressed concern over Indian universities not figuring among the top institutions across the world.

“Today there in no Indian university amongst the top 200 universities in the world. This situation must be improved,” Mukherjee said the valedictory function of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Dayanand Education Society here.

Infosys recalls Murthy to head the company in challenging days

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In a dramatic development, the country’s second largest software services major Infosys on Saturday re-appointed N R Narayana Murthy as its executive chairman with immediate effect to put the company back on high growth path.

At a meeting held here earlier in the day, the Board approved appointment of Murthy as Executive Chairman and Additional Director with effect from June 1, 2013, the city- headquartered NASDAQ-listed firm said in a statement.

Sibal for hiking fine for breaking radiation norms by telcos

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The DoT may increase the penalty on mobile operators for violating tower radiation rules to Rs 10 lakhs as Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has suggested hiking the fine two times higher, sources said.

Sibal has asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to raise the penalty “two times higher”, sources said

At present, the fine is Rs 5 lakh on every mobile tower or antenna violating radiation norms.

Government had ordered that radiation from mobile towers should not be more than one-tenth of standards prescribed by International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection.

Everest stone installed near Dead Sea in Israel

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A monument with embedded stones from the Mount Everest region has been placed near the Dead Sea in Israel, completing the link between the two extreme points on Earth.

The ceremony was held yesterday at the Ecological Park in the southern part of the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea situated at 422 metres below sea level is known as the lowest point on Earth, whereas the 8,848-metre tall Everest is the highest mountain in the world.

Native Ohioans’ speaking patterns help decipher Armstrong’s famous moon landing quote

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Neil Armstrong claimed he said, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” when he took his first step on the Moon – but many listeners think he left out the “a.”

Now, a team of speech scientists and psychologists from Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing and The Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus is taking a novel approach to deciphering Armstrong’s quote by studying how speakers from his native central Ohio pronounce “for” and “for a.”

Producers and actors don`t like my voice anymore, says Shaan

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With the new crop of playback singers on the music scene, there is very less we get to hear from Shaan and he says it is the producers and composers who are no longer interested to have his voice in their projects.

The singer has churned out hits like `Koi Kahein Kehta Raahein` from `Dil Chahta Hai`, `Chaand Sifarish` from `Fanaa`, `Jab se tere Naina` from `Saawariya`, `Behti Hawa Sa` from `3 Idiots`. But now his songs and offers are dwindling.

BCCI President should take responsibility for IPL fiasco, says Kamal Nath

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Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath on Saturday said Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President N. Srinivasan should take responsibility of the scam, which rocked the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.

“First and foremost, the main responsibility is of the chief of the Indian Cricket Board N. Srinivasan and he should take his responsibility so as to bring a change in the board,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and BCCI member Jyotiraditya Scindia said Srinivasan should resign in wake of the ongoing controversy surrounding the IPL.

Novel approach to create red blood cells, platelets in vitro could reduce need for blood donations

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Researchers have identified a novel approach to create an unlimited number of human red blood cells and platelets in vitro.

The researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine, Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) and Boston Medical Center (BMC), differentiated induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into these cell types, which are typically obtained through blood donations.

World No Tobacco Day: 50% of smokers think limited smoking is not harmful

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Half of the smoking population in the country thinks smoking “within limits” is harmless, a survey by a private general insurance firm has found.

“Half of the smokers continue smoking as they feel doing so within limits does not lead to health issues,” the survey, `ICICI Lombard Smoking Habits 2013`, said.

A large portion of respondents (77 per cent) felt that smoking or limited puffing of cigarettes will not have any adverse impact on their health.

Facebook profiles could raise users’ self-esteem and affect their behaviour

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The test showed that after participants spent just five minutes examining their own Facebook profiles, they experienced a significant boost in self-esteem.

A Facebook profile can provide beneficial psychological effects and influence behaviour, a new study has claimed.

Catalina Toma, a UW-Madison assistant professor of communication arts, used the Implicit Association Test to measure Facebook users’ self-esteem after they spent time looking at their profiles.

Diet and exercise regimen results `predictable`

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It could be possible to predict whether a specific diet and exercise regimen would actually help you lose weight.

Scientists have identified five epigenetic biomarkers in adolescents that were associated with a better weight loss at the beginning of a weight loss program.

Not only could this could ultimately help predict an individual`s response to weight loss intervention, but it may offer therapeutic targets for enhancing a weight loss program`s effects.

Pedometer program effective in motivating people to move more

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Researchers including an Indian scientist have found that a simple program that uses pedometers to monitor how much people move throughout the day is helping them decrease their sitting time and increase physical activity.

Saurabh S. Thosar, an associate instructor at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington and one of the study`s researchers, said that even if somebody works out 30 minutes a day, the fact that they are sitting and not moving for long periods of time for the rest of the day is in and of itself detrimental to their health and well-being, physiologically.

Why people on dialysis are likelier to have heart attack

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Scientists in Japan have discovered why patients, who are suffering from advanced kidney disease, and undergoing hemodialysis are at high risk to heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.

New research findings show that uremic toxins, which are not removed by hemo dialysis, increase heart attack risk.

The same scientists also found what reduces this risk: an oral adsorbent called “AST-120.”

Key protein linked to development of cancers identified

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Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University, who are studying a key molecular player called Hsp70 that is responsible for protein homeostasis have uncovered how it binds together with another molecule responsible for intracellular energy transfer to enhance its overall activity and efficiency.

Heat shock proteins, particularly the 70-kilodalton heat shock proteins, Hsp70, are important for cellular processes such as protein folding and protecting cells from stress.

New HIV cases in Philippines hit record high in April

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New cases of HIV infections in the Philippines was highest in April at 388, the Department of Health (DOH) said Friday.

In its HIV and AIDS registry, the DOH reported that the 388 fresh cases in April was 67 percent higher than the 233 recorded in April 2012.

HIV infections recorded in April brought the total number of new HIV cases in the first four months of the year to 1,477.

Of the 388 new HIV cases, the DOH said 95 percent, or 368 cases, of those infected were male.

I don’t understand the TV game: Karan Johar

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He’s the man behind many a Bollywood hit and has also been a success in his avatars as judge and talk show host on television. But Karan Johar says categorically that he won’t be delving into fiction on the small screen because he can’t find the right connect.

The director, who connected with the young with his first film “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” in 1998 and continues to narrate young stories like “Student of the Year” even after 15 years, says candidly that he’s unable to understand the nitty-gritty of fiction shows and their rating systems.

Jaitley targets Congress over dynastic politics

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Targeting Congress for practising dynastic politics, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that a debate should be initiated on whether only a leader born in a particular family should lead the country.

Without naming Congress Vice President and it’s heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi, Jaitley said, “these days there is a move in the Congress to hand over the reins to him. Is India a dynastic democracy? The BJP should initiate a debate in the country on the issue.”

Jaitley was addressing a meeting of party’s booth-level coordinators here.

Moily launches LPG subsidy transfer scheme

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The central government’s scheme to provide direct cash benefit to the poor for cooking gas got off in 18 districts across the country Saturday with its formal launch by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister M. Veerappa Moily here.

Called the Direct Benefit Transfers for LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), the scheme would benefit over 6.7 million LPG Consumers in these districts. The subsidy on LPG cylinders would be provided directly to consumers in their Aadhaar-linked or Unique Identification Number (UID) bank accounts.

Angelina Jolie to miss aunt’s funeral to promote beau Brad Pitt’s new film

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Angelina Jolie will be promoting Brad Pitt’s 260 million dollars movie World War Z in London instead of attending her aunt Debbie Martin’s funeral on Sunday.

The 37-year-old star’s aunt, who was the sister of the actress’ mother, Marcheline Bertrand, died of breast cancer last week, aged 61.

Debbie’s husband, Ron, told E! News that the funeral is set to be held at noon at El Camino Memorial in Sorrento Valley near her home, the Mirror reported.