Month: October 2013

Motivation key to keeping memory sharp during retirement

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Researchers have suggested that motivation is a key factor to keep your memory sharp after you retirement.

The new study found that the more a person seeks out and enjoys cognitively demanding activities, the less likely they are to experience cognitive decline later in life.

Another finding of the study is that doing a variety of different cognitive activities helps boost brainpower post-retirement.

And lastly, people exhibiting even mild signs of depression are more likely to show a decline in brainpower once they leave the office for good.

Excessive weight gain during pregnancy raises obesity risk in kids

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Children with mothers who gain excessive amounts of weight during pregnancy have an 8 percent increased risk of obesity by the age of 12, a new study has revealed.

David S. Ludwig , MD, PhD, director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, who conducted the study on 41,133 mothers and their children in Arkansas, said that excessive weight gain during pregnancy may have a potentially significant influence on propagation of the obesity epidemic.

Depression ‘not associated’ with risk of cancer

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Researchers investigating whether depression is linked to developing a cancer found that there is no significant association between the two.

The results of the study by Cedric Lemogne, a member of the team headed by Marie Zins -INSERM’s Mixed Research Unit, did not indicate any significant association between a person experiencing the symptoms of depression during their lifetime and their subsequently contracting cancer.

Zins, who monitored 14,203 people between 1994 and 2009, including 1119 who developed cancer as diagnosed by a doctor.

Rahul proves Singh isn’t king; Ordinance goes to dustbin

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The Union Cabinet today decided to withdraw both the controversial ordinance and the Bill that sought to protect convicted parliamentarians and legislators.

According to television and other media reports, the Cabinet met for about 20-25 minutes this evening, and decided to send a formal letter to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha soon with a request to withdraw the Bill.

Cabinet withdraws ordinance, bill

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The union cabinet Wednesday decided to withdraw the controversial ordinance and the bill to protect convicted lawmakers, days after open criticism by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, took the decision to withdraw the ordinance in a 20 minute sitting.

“The union cabinet met today and it was unanimously decided that both the ordinance, with regard to certain sections of the Representation of Peoples Act, as well as the bill would be withdrawn,” Union Minister Manish Tewari told reporters after the meeting.

In Modi company, Naidu calls Manmohan a Sonia tool

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TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu Wednesday dubbed Prime Minister Mamohan Singh as a “tool” of Congress president Sonia Gandhi while praising BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Speaking at an event here, Naidu shared the stage with Modi as he denounced what he said was a “drama” by the Congress on the ordinance on convicted parliamentarians.

“We saw the drama around the ordinance on convicted lawmakers. They brought the ordinance, then Rahul Gandhi spoke against it,” Naidu said.

“Even the prime minister is just a tool in the hands of Sonia Gandhi,” he added.

Shameful act; Man Rapes Injured Cow

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A village man has been arrested for raping an injured cow using coconut oil as lubricant.

Village man Muthu, aged between 50 to 55, was seen raping the animal, which was lying injured on a railway track in southern India. The incident took place in the state of Tamil Nadu.

According to local police officer Jayavelu confirmed Muthu has been arrested under unnatural sexual offence act.

Muthu has confessed to the crime and is in police custody.

The ghastly rape was seen by representatives of Blue Cross of India (BCI), an NGO working for animal welfare.

Narendra Modi, Chandrababu Naidu share stage, Rajnath denies BJP-TDP link

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Amid reports that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is cosying up to NDA, party chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday shared the stage with BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi at a programme in New Delhi and heaped praise on the erstwhile Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

He joined Modi and Rajya Sabha MP Ram Jethmalani at a programme organised for college students.

Addressing the gathering, Naidu held the Congress-led UPA government responsible for the slowdown in the economy and the falling rupee.

Temple in Ayodhya ‘eternal issue’ for Hindus, says Prasad

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Dropping ample hints that BJP may rake up the issue of Hindutva during the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, senior party leader Ravishankar Prasad on Wednesday said construction of a temple in Ayodhya was an “eternal issue for millions of Hindus across the world”.

“I am proud to say that I happened to fight the Hindus’ case in the Ayodhya title suit on which the Allahabad High Court gave its historic judgement in our favour.

Gandhi Jayanti celebrated in UK

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Mahatma Gandhi’s 144th birth anniversary was marked with Bhajans and Vedic prayers at his iconic statue at Tavistock Square in London today.

The Indian High Commission organised the event that was attended by the Deputy Mayor of Camden, Councillor Lazarro Pietragnoli, British Indian MP Virendra Sharma and other senior representatives from Indian organisations based in Britain.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad condemns Shinde’s statement in favour of muslim youth

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Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) today took exception to Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s appeal to Chief Ministers to ensure that no innocent Muslim youth is wrongfully detained in terror cases.

The organisation said that it will sow bad seeds among communities.

“This is irrelevant and destructive. It will sow bad seeds among various communities,” VHP state president Ramakant Dubey told reporters here.

“Such statement will definitely damage the national interest and encourage the extremist elements who have become a big concern for the nation,” he said.

Stardom will never consume my soul: A.R. Rahman

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He is one of the few Indians to have won two Grammy awards and two Academy Awards, yet he retains the humility of a common man. Celebrated Indian singer-composer A.R. Rahman, also known by the sobriquet ‘Mozart of Madras’, says he can never let stardom consume him.

“I was a common man and I will always remain a common man. No amount of stardom will ever consume my soul. Money comes, money goes. Fame comes, fame goes. I believe every human being is a celebrity in their own right,” the 46-year-old told IANS in an email interview.

Manmohan a tool in Sonia Gandhi’s hand: Chandrababu

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Chandrababu Naidu Wednesday dubbed Prime Minister Mamohan Singh as a “tool” of Congress president Sonia Gandhi while praising BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Speaking at an event here, Naidu shared the stage with Modi as he denounced what he said was a “drama” by the Congress on the ordinance on convicted parliamentarians.

“We saw the drama around the ordinance on convicted lawmakers. They brought the ordinance, then Rahul Gandhi spoke against it,” Naidu said.

“Even the prime minister is just a tool in the hands of Sonia Gandhi,” he added.

Wanted to become a soldier, became cricketer: Dhoni

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Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni aspired to be a soldier but says, destiny intervened to make him a cricketer.

“Since childhood I wanted to join the Army. Seeing the soldiers, I thought that one day I’ll be the same,” Dhoni told ‘Aaj Tak’ while spending a day with the Parachute Regiment in Ranchi.

In fact, Dhoni, who has led India to both the Twenty20 and the 50 Over World Cup trophies, said the uniform helped him overcome his fear of height.

“The uniform is something special. Maybe this is all in uniform, that I was not afraid,” he said.

Eating healthy breakfast helps increase fertility in women

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Eating more calories in the morning breakfast can have a positive impact on women with problems of infertility, a new study has revealed.

Research, conducted by Prof. Oren Froy from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Prof. Daniela Jocabovitz and Dr. Julio Weinstein from Tel Aviv University and Wolfson Medical Center, showed that a big breakfast increases fertility among woman who suffer from menstrual irregularities.

Miranda Kerr says models are some of the most insecure people she’s ever met

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Miranda Kerr, who is the world’s second-highest paid supermodel, has revealed that models are some of the most insecure people she has ever met.

Talking about launching her modelling career at the age of 13, the former Victoria’s Secret Angel told Cosmopolitan that there was a lot of rejection in the beginning, Stuff.co.nz reported.

In a video, where she gave a behind-the-scenes look at her latest Cosmopolitan cover shoot, Kerr said that the models are constantly told that they’re not good enough and they have to practice loving themselves.

U.S. military commander says ‘close watch’ needed on N. Korean leader Kim Jong Un

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An outgoing commander of U.S. military forces has said close watch si needed on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The commander on the Korean Peninsula said Jong Un has successfully consolidated power, even as he has dashed international hopes that he might turn out to be a reformer.

Army General James D. Thurman, who is retiring and will leave his post this week as the commander of 28,500 U.S. troops in South Korea, said that it is clear that he’s in charge of North Korea, adding that the US military got to keep a close watch on him, every day.

If I was in PM’s place, I would have resigned: Badal

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Taking a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said had he been at his place, he would have preferred to quit than face embarrassment.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by Sri Ram Navami Utsav Committee here, he said if he was faced with a situation in which any of his party office bearers had belittled him on a decision taken by his cabinet, he would have preferred stepping down, than face humiliation.

Ministers arrive for Union Cabinet meeting at PM’s residence

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Ministers have begun arriving at the 7 Race Course Road official residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for a crucial Union Cabinet meeting that is expected to decide on withdrawing a government ordinance aimed at protecting parliamentarians and legislators with criminal cases registered against them.

Earlier, Prime Minister Singh met President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan here for almost an hour on Wednesday, and reportedly briefed him about the Congress Core Group’s latest decision on the controversial ordinance on convicted parliamentarians.

Six Indian schools to come up in Abu Dhabi

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Six new Indian schools are to open in Abu Dhabi in the next two years after education authorities in the UAE capital shut down a number of private Indian schools for violating land use norms.

India’s Ambassador M.K. Lokesh said that the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has given an assurance that the interests of the students of the Indian schools facing shut-down would be taken care of, the Gulf News reported Wednesday.

Seven Indian schools face closure after the ADEC launched a drive against villa schools or schools that are run pivately on residential plots.

Governor, CM others pay homage to Gandhi

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Governor ESL Narasimhan, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Ministers, Legislators and Congress and other party leaders were among those who have paid homage to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi at the Bapughat at Langer House in the city, on Wednesday, on his 144th birth anniversary.
BJP National Vice-President Bandaru Dattatreya also paid homage to the Mahatma. They all participated in the all-Religious prayers held on the occasion. (NSS)

Renuka slams KCR for “traitors” remarks

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Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhary on Wednesday slammed TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao for calling Seemandhra people as “traitors” of Telangana.

Talking to reporters here, Renuka Chowdhary said that KCR had no right speak as a representative of Telangana people. Alleging that KCR was never serious about formation of Telangana State, she said that the TRS chief was afraid of losing job if the region gets statehood. Therefore, she alleged that KCR was issuing provocative statements to vitiate the atmosphere.

The Congress MP advised KCR to restrain from issuing such statements. (INN)

Dr. JP asks Telugu people to live in harmony

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The Lok Satta Party national President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan on Wednesday appealed to people engaged in a fight for and against Telangana to remember Mahatma Gandhi’s adage that “An eye for an eye makes all of us blind” and resolve to work harmoniously to find a solution.