Month: July 2013

Now, telescopic contact lenses that allow users to zoom in and out

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A new type of contact lenses has been developed, which, when paired with special spectacles, bestow telescopic vision on the wearer.

The contact-lens-and-spectacles combination magnifies scene details by 2.8 times, the BBC reported.

Polarising filters in the spectacles allow wearers to switch between normal and telescopic vision.

The telescopic sight system has been developed to help people suffering age-related blindness.

The contact lens has a central region that lets light through for normal vision.

PCB chief reveals how ‘people’ tried to have Pak’s ICC membership suspended

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Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) acting chairman Najam Sethi has confirmed rumours that there had been efforts to get Pakistan’s membership suspended from the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Refusing to take any names, Sethi said that some people, including former board officials had attempted to get Pakistan suspended, although he added that the board and its new constitution has been supported by the ICC, the Express Tribune reports.

According to Sethi, he will not go into a blame game, but discuss the matter with the concerned people.

Bebo’s founder buys back company at $849m profit

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Michael Birch, the internet entrepreneur, who along with his wife Xochi founded social networking site, Bebo, in the early 2000s, has reportedly paid 1 million dollars to buy back the site.

Bebo, alongside MySpace was one of the challengers to Facebook with 40 million monthly users in the initial years. However, it struggled to stay relevant and was eclipsed by Facebook as well as other sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and, more recently, Google+ and Reddit, BBC reports.

`Dropped` Afridi hoping to be recalled back to Pak squad for West Indies tour

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Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has said that he hoped for a recall back to the national squad after being dropped for last month”s ICC Champions Trophy. Although the veteran of 348 one-day internationals had paid the price for a below-par performance on the tour of South Africa, where he remained wicketless in all five ODIs and scored only one half century, his hopes for the upcoming tour of the West Indies were raised by Pakistan”s humiliating three successive defeats in the Champions Trophy, Sport24 reports.

Sri Lanka add to India”s woes in tri-nation series with thumping win

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Champions Trophy winners India suffered their second straight loss in the tri-nations series in Kingston, Jamaica as Sri Lanka completed a one-sided victory by 161 runs, dismissing the Indian batsmen for a paltry 187 in a chase of 349. For the Sri Lankans, Mahela Jayawardene (107) and Upul Tharanga (174 not out) clicked big time as the nation posted an imposing 348-1 after being put in by India, Sky Sports reports.

Qadir”s son in `tug-of-war` between Pak and Oz following Fawad Ahmed”s citizenship

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The son of legendary Pakistan wrist spinner Abdul Qadir will reportedly be named in the nation”s Test squad for their tour of West Indies despite having no first-grade experience after he became the subject of a tug-of-war for his services between Australia and his native land. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, after the announcement of former Pakistani refugee Fawad Ahmed”s citizenship, senior Australian cricket figures have their eye on Usman Qadir, who is another talented young leg-spinner from the subcontinent with the added bonus of having a famous surname.

Ishrat Jahan encounter: M. G. Vaidya RSS chief says truth will prevail

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader M. G. Vaidya on Wednesday expressed surprise over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not naming any politician in its chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan case, and said the law will hopefully take its course and the truth will prevail.

“Initially there were talks about the civil administration people being involved. The name of the Intelligence Bureau officer who was involved is also missing. Not one politician has been named in the chargesheet. The law will hopefully take its course and the truth will prevail,” Vaidya said.

Pakistan drop Malik, recall Afridi

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Pakistan Wednesday dropped Shoaib Malik and recalled veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi along with Umar Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad for the forthcoming limited-overs series in the West Indies.

Wicketkeeper Rizwan Ahmed, Haris Sohail and Zulfiqar Babar are the green horns in the side.

Malik, a former skipper, was dropped after his poor show in the ICC Champions Trophy, where he scored only 25 runs in three matches.

President Mukherjee to present National Youth Awards

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President Pranab Mukherjee will Thursday confer the National Youth Awards for the year 2011-12 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, an official statement said Wednesday.

“A total of 27 individuals and one organisation will be conferred with the award this year,” a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

The award consists of a silver medal, a certificate and a cash prize of Rs.40,000 for individuals and Rs.2 lakh for voluntary organisations.

Hopes soar for HIV cure after 2 US men cured of virus

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Two American men are believed to have overcome HIV, boosting hopes as they join a handful of people who are said to have been cured of the virus, to find a wider cure.

Doctors from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston announced on Wednesday night that two previously HIV-positive patients no longer had detectable virus levels in their blood or tissue after having bone marrow stem-cell transplants to treat cancer between two and four years ago, the Age reported.

Nawaz Sharif in China on five-day visit

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Nawaz Sharif arrived in Beijing Wednesday on a five-day official visit to China, his first foreign trip in his new term as the prime minister of Pakistan.

Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui received Sharif and his delegation at the Beijing airport.

Sharif is accompanied by Balochistan Chief Minister Abdul Malik Baloch as well as Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal and special assistant to the prime minister on foreign affairs Tariq Fatimi, Dawn reported.

BJP files funds’ misuse complaint against Delhi CM

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BJP leader Vijender Gupta has filed a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit before a special court here, seeking that a case be registered against her for “misusing” government funds in the 2008 assembly elections.

Filing the complaint before Special Judge Narottam Kaushal, Gupta said that Dikshit misused government funds to the tune of Rs.22.56 crore for an advertisement campaign ahead of the 2008 assembly polls.

Gupta said in 2007-08, Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi and also minister in-charge of information and publicity.

Government details steps to insulate CBI from politics

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The appointment of the CBI director by a collegium that includes the prime minister is among the steps taken by the government to insulate the agency from political and bureaucratic interference, the Supreme Court was informed Wednesday.

The collegium would also include the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha and the chief justice of India or a judge of the apex court to be nominated by him, the government said in a 41-page affidavit filed in the court’s registry Wednesday.

It said the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act (DSPE Act) would be amended for this.

Surprised that IB officer not named in chargesheet in Ishrat case: lawyer

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The lawyer of one of the four people killed in a police encounter in the Ishrat Jahan case which the CBI established as fake today expressed surprise that Rajinder Kumar, a Special Director of Intelligence Bureau, was not named in its first charge sheet itself.

Mukul Sinha, lawyer for Javed Shaikh alias Pranesh Pillai, alleged there was political pressure behind Kumar not
being made an accused in the first charge sheet submitted in the 2004 Ishar Jahan encounter case.

I am surprised his(Kumar) name was not there,” he added.

3 Indians killed in Taliban attack from Andhra, Bengal

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Of the three Indians killed in yesterday’s blast in Kabul, two were from Andhra Pradesh and one was from West Bengal.

“I do regret to inform you that yesterday morning in the course of an attack on a housing compound in Kabul which housed foreigners, three Indian nationals were killed. The three were- Gilaji Sandeep, working as a waiter, Gurudi Naveen Kumar, the front office manager (both from Andhra Pradesh) and Chakraborty Kaushik, a laundry manager, from West Bengal,” spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said here.

Ishrat Jahan encounter: M. G. Vaidya says truth will prevail

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader M. G. Vaidya on Wednesday expressed surprise over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) not naming any politician in its chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan case, and said the law will hopefully take its course and the truth will prevail.

“Initially there were talks about the civil administration people being involved. The name of the Intelligence Bureau officer who was involved is also missing. Not one politician has been named in the chargesheet. The law will hopefully take its course and the truth will prevail,” Vaidya said.

Rahul Dravid’s father passes away

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Former captain Rahul Dravid’s father, Sharad Dravid, today passed away here at 4.15 pm at his Indiranagar residence, according to a release issued by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA).

KSCA sources said the senior Dravid had health problems for the last four years. He was 79 years old.

Dravid’s father worked for Kissan, a company best known for producing jam, and thus he was bestowed with the nickname Jammy by his classmates at St Joseph’s Boys’ High School.

Asia’s first electron microscope on display at Kolkata’s SINP

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Asia’s first horizontal type transmission electron built by a team of scientists from the city in the 1940s was opened for public display at the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) here Wednesday.

The unveiling of the microscope to the public marks a two-day international conference of electron microscopy, beginning Wednesday.

“The equipment on display reflects the rich scientific heritage of the country as well as West Bengal,” the convener of the conference, SINP’s Arun Kumar Pal said.

Ishrat case culprits should be brought to book: Congress

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Soon after the CBI Wednesday formally filed charges in a Gujarat court in the Ishrat Jahan alleged shootout case, the Congress said the culprits should be brought to book.

“The murder of an innocent person leaves a trail to the accused. If the CBI charge sheet says the encounter was fake, it shows it. We want the law to take its own course and that the culprits should be brought to book,” Congress spokesperson Meem Afzal told reporters here.

Bangladesh wants to trace 1971 war’s graveyards in India

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Bangladesh wants India’s help to identify graveyards in the Indian territory where slain soldiers of Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War were buried, an official said here Wednesday.

The Bangladesh government is likely to take the remains of the slain soldiers and try to protect the graveyards with the help of India, the official said.

A two-day meeting of officials of Bangladesh and India began in the city to discuss, among other issues, the identification of the burial spots of th 1971 Liberation War.

Tail can’t lead body, Digvijays says on Third Front

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The formation of a Third Front ahead of the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections is not an easy task, because “the tail cannot lead the body”, Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh said here Wednesday.

Singh, recently appointed in charge of the party affairs in Goa, was speaking to reporters after addressing a meeting of key party officials during his first visit to the state since assuming this responsibility.

4-yr girl raped, murdered in UP

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A four year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Talpura locality here, police said today.

The body of the girl, who was missing since yesterday, was found near Ambedkar crossing this morning, they said.

The family of the girl alleged that she was raped before being murdered, following which, local residents went on a dharna near the Avent market.

A case has been registered, SSP, Jhansi, K Angel Rasan, said.

On the information provided by the family members, a man has been picked up for questioning, he said.

India needs ‘man of steel’ as Prime Minister: Rajnath Singh

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Criticising the UPA government at the Centre for the country’s economic situation, BJP president Rajnath Singh today said the nation’s fiscal health was deteriorating despite having an economist as Prime Minister.

“The reigns of the country should be in the hands of a man of steel instead of a ‘man of still’. A person who never speaks should not be the prime minister of the country,” he said in a veiled attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Bengal rape: Court slams CID for incomplete charge sheet

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A West Bengal court Wednesday criticised the state CID for submitting an incomplete charge sheet in the gangrape and murder of a college student in Kamduni in North 24-Parganas district.

Fast-track court Judge Arpan Chatterjee questioned the state police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on why a forensic report was not presented and names of some more accused were missing from the charge sheet.

The court directed the CID to file a complete charge sheet Thursday.

Afridi, Umar make comeback for West Indies tour

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Flamboyant Pakistani allrounder Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal today made a comeback to the national team for the ODI and T20 series against the West Indies while senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal were shown the door for the Caribbean tour starting July 14.

Pakistan will play five one-dayers and two T20 internationals.

After a dismal performance at the Champions Trophy last month, Malik and Kamran had to face the brunt along with opener Imran Farhat, who fared badly in the three group matches.