Month: July 2013

Bats fly using recycled energy stored in biceps and triceps

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A new study on fruitbats used cutting edge technology to see how these small mammals move through the air.

According to Dr Nicolai Konow (Brown University, USA), who led the research, “Energy is stored in the triceps tendon, which is used to power elbow extension – in essence, elbow extension happens using ‘recycled’ energy. State of knowledge, and our results, indicates that bats are unique among small mammals in stretching their tendons, as small mammal limb tendons are thought to be too thick and stiff to be stretched.”

Savita’s husband to initiate medical negligence proceedings

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The husband of Indian dentist Savita Halappanavar, who died last year in Irealnd after being denied abortion, plans to initiate medical negligence proceedings in the High Court there against the Galway University Hospital.

There were multiple grounds to initiate medical negligence proceedings including, “failing to treat, failing to diagnose, failing to chart, failing to do tests, failing to follow up blood tests, failures at every level”, Praveen Halappanavar’s solicitor Gerard O’Donnell told The Irish Times.

Three arms smugglers held

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Three arms smugglers were arrested and some firearms seized from their possession in Basti district, police said today.

Acting on a tip off, the smugglers were nabbed yesterday from Nagar Bazar village and one .38 bore revolver, two 32 bore pistols, some live cartridges and a motorcycle were recovered from them, they said.

The trio, when interrogated later about their modus operandi, revealed that they used to bring arms from Bihar and
sell it in Basti and its surrounding areas at high rates.

A case has been registered against them, police added.

———————–PTI

Nitish Kumar will be taught lesson: Narendra Modi

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today launched a ‘virtual’ election campaign in Bihar making a veiled attack against his bete noire Nitish Kumar saying those who ‘betrayed’ BJP will be defeated by people of the state.

“There is a 1974-like anti-Congress wave prevailing in the country now. The mandate of the people of Bihar was for NDA.

Like then (in 1974), those who betrayed the people’s mandate in Bihar will be taught a lesson,” Modi told party leaders without taking the name of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Egypt’s interim prez meets army chief, 36 killed in violence

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Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour today held talks with the army chief and interior minister to discuss ways to ensure security amid violent clashes between supporters and opponents of deposed President Mohammed Morsi
that claimed at least 36 lives.

Mansour, who was sworn into office on Thursday, met with army chief and Defence Minister General Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi as well as Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the police, at the Ittihadiya presidential palace.

Flood fury continues in Assam, nearly one lakh people hit

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The rain-fed mighty Brahmaputra and its tributaries flowing above the danger level across Assam have hit nearly one lakh people inundating human habitations and farm land in ten districts with Dhemaji being the worst-hit.

Incessant rainfall in the catchment areas of the state’s upper reaches and neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh has
raised the water level of the Brahmaputra throughout the state and it was flowing above the danger level at Nematighat in Jorhat, official sources said.

Bengali actor Rituparna Sengupta detained at Toronto airport

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Bengali actress Rituprna Sengupta today said she was detained for five hours at the Toronto airport allegedly for not carrying valid visa.

Sengupta, who was on her way to attend the premiere of Bengali film “Mukti” in Toronto tomorrow, was allowed in the country after Indian embassy intervened.

I went through a big trauma as the Toronto airport authorities were denying me entry yesterday. I had come here
for the premiere of ‘Mukti’,” Sengupta told PTI from Toronto.

Moily in Iraq to expand cooperation in energy sector

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Oil Minister M Veerappa Moily arrived in Baghdad today with a high level delegation as India looks
to expand cooperation in energy and other sectors with post-war Iraq.

Moily is leading a 28-member delegation to take part in the 17th India-Iraq Joint Commission on Economic and Technical Cooperation tomorrow.

The delegation comprises of senior officials from the ministries of petroleum, power, steel, railways, agriculture, education, along with the representatives from all the nine oil sector PSUs.

Admission to HIV-positive kids prompts protest in Guj village

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Admission of 26 HIV positive girls to the government primary school at Amboli village in the district has triggered protest by parents of other children.

As the parents have threatened to pull out their wards if these admissions are not cancelled, officials are trying to dispel their fears about HIV infection.

“Over 210 students and their parents, majority of them from Halpati and Vasava communities, are currently staging a sit-in outside the primary school,” said Ali S Joban, husband of the village sarpanch Hameeda Ali.

SP, BJP have a political understanding: Beni Prasad

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Days after being asked by Congress leadership to refrain from attacking Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Union steel minister Beni Prasad Verma on Saturday again hit out at his one-time colleague, alleging the SP and the BJP have long had a tacit political understanding.

Interacting with a select group of journalists, on a brief stopover on way to his parliamentary constituency Gonda, Verma also dared the SP chief for an open debate on the Babri demolition.

ULFA ultra held with arms and ammunition

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A hardcore insurgent of the anti-talk Paresh Baruah faction of ULFA was arrested in Golaghat district with arms and ammunition, police said today.

A pistol, seven live bullets, a detonator and several extortion demand notes were recovered from the extremist
identified as Arpan Jyoti Asom alias Ananta Bora who joined the outfit in 1996, they said.

The militant was held during a search operation by a joint team of police, Army and CRPF at Borjan last night,
they added.

————————-PTI

Rayalaseema leaders soften stand on Telangana

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With the Congress High Command looking inclined towards formation of Telangana State, several leaders from Rayalaseema region appears to have softened their stand with regard to Samaikhyandhra or united Andhra Pradesh.

TDP is not against Telangana, reiterates Naidu

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Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday reiterated that his party was not against the formation of Telangana.

Participating in the TDP’s regional conference at Kompally here, Naidu said that the TDP has clarified several times that it was not against granting statehood for Telangana region. He said that party has clarified its stand both before the public and the Centre on several occasions.

Dalit youth’s death: Probe transferred to police

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An autopsy performed on the Dalit youth who was found dead along a railway track, has revealed that he died of a “serious head injury,” even as the probe was transferred to local police.

“The post-mortem report, which was done late last night, declared that the boy died of a serious head injury,” police said.

Digvijay Singh submits T-report to Sonia

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AICC General Secretary and in-charge of AP Affairs Digvijay Singh on Saturday submitted a detailed report on Telangana issue to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Digvijay Singh submitted the report during his half-an-hour long meeting with the Congress chief on Saturday morning. According to sources, the report contains the overview of opinions expressed by leaders of different regions with regard to Telangana issue. Further, it Digvijay has reportedly made his own observations on the Pro’s and Con’s of granting statehood for the region.

Missing girl’s body found in neighbour’s sink

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More than a month after an eight-year-old girl went missing, officials today exhumed her body under the sink of the kitchen of her neighbour .

Revenue and police officials demolished the sink after people in the area raised suspicion about the stink coming
from the neighbouring house and they complained to police, who noticed new construction under the sink.

Tahsildhar Kurichi Muthu and Inspector Sivakumar said the body of the girl was found in sitting posture bound with steel wire.

The neighbour Amalraj, who was running a tea shop, was absconding for the last few weeks.

SRK receives elderly couple’s blessings

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A comedy show usually leaves one with laughter, but superstar Shah Rukh Khan went through an emotional moment on “Comedy Nights with Kapil” when he received blessings from an elderly couple on the set.

While everybody in the audience was mesmerised by the 47-year-old’s charm, one couple in the crowd got up and blessed him.

Shah Rukh became emotional especially since they day of the shoot, July 1, coincided with actor’s late mother’s birth anniversary. Shah Rukh’s parents had passed away when he was quite young.

Iran ascends in FIFA rankings

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Iran has moved up 15 places to 52nd spot in the latest FIFA monthly rankings.

The Iranians earned the place with 596 points after they recorded three consecutive wins over Qatar, Lebanon and South Korea in the World Cup qualifiers, reports Xinhua.

Spain continues to lead the way atop the rankings ahead of Germany.

Brazil has surged to ninth spot in the FIFA rankings after winning the Confederations Cup, rebounding from its historic low standing of 22nd.

———–IANS

Death toll in Egypt’s clashes rises to 32

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At least 32 people were killed and more than 1,100 injured overnight in Egypt during clashes between opponents and supporters of deposed Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, officials said Saturday.

“Thirty-two people were killed and 1,138 were injured in Friday’s clashes in 19 governorates, of whom 1,076 were moved to hospitals,” Mohamed Sultan, head of the Egyptian Ambulance Organization, told Xinhua.

According to the health ministry, seven people were killed in the capital Cairo and 12 in Alexandria. Hundreds were injured in violence across the country.

Glad to play a strong character in ‘Gulab Gang’: Madhuri Dixit

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Actress Madhuri Dixit is elated to play a strong, no nonsense character in her upcoming film “Gulab Gang”.

The film will see Madhuri’s return to a full-fledged role after a gap of almost six years. She was last seen in an item song with Ranbir Kapoor in “Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani”.

I am happy that I am a part of a film which doesn’t portray women as avenger or victim anymore. It’s quite a

26/11 trial of Pak suspects adjourned till Jul 20

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The trial of seven Pakistanis, including Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi, charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks was today adjourned till July 20 as four witnesses in the case could not appear before the court.

Anti-Terrorism Court judge Kausar Abbas Zaidi today held the hearing in Islamabad and adjourned the case after four witnesses – Hamza Bin Tariq, Muhammad Ali, Mohammad Saifullah Khan and Umer Draz Khan – who were summoned by the court for cross examination did not turn up.

BJP to revoke Art 370 after coming to power: Shahnawaz Hussain

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The BJP after coming to power at the Centre would revoke the Art 370 of the Constitution giving special status to Jammu and Kashmir, senior party leader Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said today.

Hussain announced this while attending a programme at Mandirtala in Howrah district to inaugurate a statue of Jana Sangh founder Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee.

He said Dr Mukherjee had given his life for the cause of Kashmir.

On the ‘communal’ tag given to BJP by various political parties, Hussain said both Trinamool Congress chief

Minor’s rape case: Order on charge frame on July 11

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A Delhi court today fixed July 11 for giving its order on whether to frame charges against two persons, arrested for allegedly raping a five-year-old child in a rented accommodation here.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg, who is presiding over special court under the POCSO Act, will pass its order in the case in which accused Manoj Shah, 22, and Pradeep Kumar, 20, were arrested for their alleged involvement in the crime.

Young brides prefer platinum over gold, diamonds

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Over-the-top ‘rani haar’ and gawdy gold jewellery is passe for young brides. Designers say brides now like to keep their accessories simple yet stylish, and so, they go for platinum instead of diamonds or gold.

A trend report by Platinum Guild India (PGI) on jewellery retailers across India, indicates an increase in the number of customers opting for platinum jewellery as part of their bridal trousseau.

Ishrat Jahan case: D. Raja asks Congress, BJP to maintain sobriety

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Amid the ongoing war of words between the ruling Congress Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja on Saturday said there should be some amount of sobriety on the part of these political parties, and added that this kind of public discourse is not good for pursuing the case impartially and objectively. “There was an encounter and people were killed in that encounter (that) was a fake encounter because unless there was counter, there cannot be an encounter.