Month: October 2013

`Daredevil` surfer may have ridden `world’s biggest wave` in Portugal

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A Brazilian surfer has reportedly broken a Guinness World Record by riding what may have been the biggest wave of all time at 100ft off the coast of Portugal.

Carlos Burle is believed to have beaten the world record set by Garrett McNamara from Hawaii, which was 78 feet in 2011, the Mirror reported.

After conquering the ride, Burle told Surfer Today that it was pure luck and he never know when he will be able to catch the wave.

CA to organise `strong opposition` for England in final tour game before winter Ashes

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Cricket Australia (CA) has reportedly agreed to organise a stronger opposition for England for their final tour match before the first Test of the winter Ashes series, in response to pressure from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). The late change to the schedule – swapping a second-string New South Wales (NSW) XI for an Invitational XI packed with batting talent for the Sydney match – gives England a boost in the intensity of their preparations for Gabba Test starting on November 21.

`Sidelined` Kamran Akmal hoping to make `quick comeback` in Pak T20 squad against Proteas

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Sidelined Pakistani wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has said he is hoping for a quick comeback to the national side in the squad for the Twenty games against South Africa. Kamran, who is the eldest of the Akmal brothers to represent Pakistan, last played for Pakistan back in June against India in the ICC Champions Trophy. According to the Express Tribune, Akmal said that he is working very hard on his batting and wicket-keeping in order to make a quick return to the team, adding that he has not yet lost hope of getting selected into the T20 squad for the two-game series against South Africa.

Long-time US couple married for 75 years, die one day apart

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A California couple, who were born on the same day and celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary in 2013, died within a day of each other. They were 94.

Helen died on July 16, while the love of her life and her hubby, Les Brown, died the next day, July 17, Presstelegram.com reported.

The duo’s friends and family asserted that if two people ever were made for each other, then it was Helen and Les.

The pair, from Long Beach, LA, had been born on the same day, Dec. 31, 1918 and were high school sweethearts.

How single word can reveal your creativity

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A team of researchers have claimed to have created a reliable test to measure a person’s creativity from single spoken words.

Michigan State University neuroscientist Jeremy Gray suspects there’s a lot of hard work going on in the brain even when the proverbial light bulb going off feels effortless.

Gray said that they wanted to understand what makes creativity tick, what the specific processes are in the brain.

He said that innovation doesn’t just come for free – nobody learns their ABCs in kindergarten and suddenly writes a great novel or poem, for example.

Left will play key role in govt formation after 2014 polls:CPI

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A strong Left block in the next Lok Sabha would play a key role in the formation of a non- Congress, non-BJP government after the 2014 polls, the CPI said today.

The party would go in for state-specific alliances and seat adjustments in the general elections so as to ensure the emergence of “a strong Left block in the new Lok Sabha that can play key role in the formation of a non-Congress, non-BJP government in the post-poll period”, CPI General Secretary S Sudhakar Reddy told a press conference here.

Indira Gandhi killers families ‘honoured’ by SGPC, demands for another memorial

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After the construction of the controversial memorial dedicated to separatist Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and other ‘martyrs’ of Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple Complex in Amritsar, demands are now being made for another memorial in memory of assassins of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi .

Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC) the premier body of the Sikhs with Dal Khalsa and SAD (Panch Pardani) on Thursday observed the martyrdom day of Beant Singh, who assassinated late Indira Gandhi the then Prime Minister of India 29 years ago on this day.

U.S. using Australian embassies to spy on countries in Asia

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A U.S. institution is said to be using Australian embassies to intercept phone calls and internet data across Asia, according to whistleblower Edward Snowden and a former Australian intelligence officer.

German daily Der Speigel magazine revealed that the top secret Defence Signals Directorate (DSD) operates concealed, secret surveillance facilities at embassies without the knowledge of most Australian diplomats, the Age reports.

Iran appoints first female foreign ministry spokesperson

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Marzieh Afkham has become Iran’s first female Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the first spokes woman for the ministry.

Afkham is a career diplomat with decades of experience in Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ABC News reports.

She has become a recognizable face in her black chador with her fluency in several languages, including English.

President Hassan Rouhani vowed to bring forth women in government affairs.

Earlier, Elham Aminzadeh was appointed as the first female Vice President for Legal Affairs. (ANI)

Iran likely to abandon IP gas pipeline project

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Iran, it seems, will abandon the multi-billion-dollar contract to supply gas to Pakistan under the IP gas pipeline project.

Fars news agency quoted Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh as saying that the contract for supplying gas to Pakistan is likely to be annulled, the Daily Times reports.

However, he did not reveal any other detail, the report added.

Iran was supposed to export 21.5 million cubic meters of gas per day to Pakistan from next year.

The IP gas pipeline project, worth 7.5 billion dollars, has faced repeated delay s since it was conceived in the 1990s.

UP CM says ‘some forces trying to take advantage of incidents like Muzaffarnagar’

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday assured that the Samajwadi Party (SP) Government will ensure a fair probe in the fresh violence in Muzaffarnagar, and said that the guilty will be brought to book.

“Strong action is being taken against all those involved in spoiling the atmosphere in Muzaffarnagar. The Samajwadi Party will not compromise with communal forces who are trying to take advantage of such incidents,” he told media here.

‘India would have been divided into many parts if Sardar Patel was not there’: Advani

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran Lal Krishna Advani on Thursday hailed India’s first Home Minister’s contribution to the nation, saying the country would have been divided into many parts if Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was not in the leadership of India during those days.

“If Sardar Patel was not in the leadership of India during those days, India would have been divided into two parts but many parts,” he added.

IAS officers should not take verbal orders from political bosses: SC

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The Supreme Court on Thursday said bureaucrats will no more take oral orders from their political bosses, as it sought an end to frequent transfers and suggested a fixed tenure to protect them from political interference.

The judgment comes close on the heels of controversies surrounding alleged persecution of Uttar Pradesh IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal and Senior Haryana cadre IAS officer Ashok Khemka.

Poor batting ‘worldwide malaise’, not just Oz’s problem, says Mark Taylor

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Former Australian captain Mark Taylor has said that poor batting is a worldwide malaise, and not just only Australia’s problem.

According to News.com.au, Taylor claimed that only India was producing good young batsmen, saying that even though England youngsters like Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow are not bad players, they are yet not on the same level as Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar.

62 pc South Koreans still regard Japan as military threat

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A majority of South Koreans consider Japan as a military threat, according to a recent survey. The poll conducted by Seoul-based think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, revealed that 62 percent said they feel militarily threatened by Japan.

According to Japan Times, the survey results likely reflect soured ties over territorial and historical issues between Japan and South Korea.

It also reflects Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ‘s eagerness to allow Japan to exercise its right to collective defense, the think tank said.

Michelle Obama announces Sesame Street characters to market vegetables

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Michelle Obama has announced that Sesame Street’s furry characters will be allowed to be used free of charge by the produce industry to help market fruits and veggies to kids.

The idea is to boost consumption of fruits and vegetables among children and shoppers and children who accompany them, can expect to see their favorite Sesame Street characters on bagged, boxed and individual pieces of produce in 2014, CBS News reported.

Syria destroys chemical arms equipment

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Syria has completed destruction of equipment that it used for producing chemical weapons and filling munitions with poison gas.

The revelation was made by an official at the global chemical weapons watchdog Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

According to Dawn News, the announcement made by the official on conditions of anonymity comes one day ahead of the November 1 deadline set by the Hague-based organization for Damascus to destroy all chemical weapon production facilities.

Destruction of the equipment means that Syria can no longer produce new chemical weapons.

Indian beauty Srishti Rana crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013

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Srishti Rana, Miss Asia Pacific 2013 flaunts her Shane and Peacock gown which won her the best costume.
India’s Srishti Rana has been crowned Miss Asia Pacific World 2013 by last year’s winner Himangini Singh Yadu at a glittering ceremony here. This is India’s second win in a row at the Miss Asia Pacific World paegent. The 21-year-old from Faridabad saw off competition from 49 contestants from different countries, which includes first runner up from Egypt- Meriam George and Kazakhstan’s Evgenia Klishina, who was the second runner up.

Hamid Ansari meets Cuban President Raul Castro in Havana

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Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari met Cuban President Raul Castro during his two-day state visit to the country.

During the meeting with Castro here yesterday, the two countries inked four agreements to strengthen bilateral ties.

Ansari arrived in Cuba on Tuesday to hold talks with that country’s leadership on bilateral and multilateral issues.

The two countries signed an agreement on cooperation in broadcasting between India’s government run Prasar Bharti and Cuban Radio and Television Institute.

Congress hits back at Modi, charges BJP of indulging in ‘vote bank politics’

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The Congress Party on Thursday countered Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s secularism pitch, saying it is the main opposition party which is indulging in ‘vote bank politics’.

“Vote bank politics is something which they are indulging in, by indulging into majority vote bank politics. And this, they have been doing so not now, but ever since independence. And this, is what Sardar Patel was against the RSS for,” said AICC General Secretary and Communications Department in-charge Ajay Maken.

Jadeja, Harbhajan, Zaheer not in Indian Test squad for Windies series

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The Indian team for the Test series against West Indies, to be played in November this year, has reportedly been announced by the All-India Senior Selection Committee

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar will play in final and 200th Test at the Wankhede Stadium at his home ground Mumbai, following which he will officially retire from Test cricket.

Ex-Pak spinner Saqlain Mushtaq says Sachin’s retirement will be ‘big loss’ to cricket

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Former Pakistani spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has said that the retirement of Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar from Tests will be a ‘big loss’ to world cricket .

Tendulkar will bid adieu to the game after playing his 200th Test against the West Indies in Mumbai in November.

According to the Daily Times, Mushtaq hailed Tendulkar as a ‘great human being’ and ‘amazing player’, saying that it was an honour playing against Tendulkar and that he enjoyed bowling to the legendary batsman.

Four Indians die in Qatar

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Four Indian nationals in Qatar died after they entered a manhole that was connected to sanitary sewer lines.

The four – Ishaq, 26, Faisal, 30, Muneer, 20 and Mohamed, whose age was not mentioned – entered the manhole in Qatar’s capital Doha on Wednesday afternoon for cleaning, The Peninsula reported on Thursday.

Their bodies were brought to the mortuary at Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha around 9 pm on Wednesday.

All the four deceased were from the south Indian state of Kerala.

India needs Sardar Patel-type secularism, not votebank secularism:Modi

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Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit back at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel belonged to the whole nation and not a particular party and that he favoured Patel’s secularism and not “votebank secularism” practiced by some parties.

Mr. Modi also attacked the Prime Minister on the issue of installing a gate on the Sardar Sarovar Dam which has been pending for a long time. He alleged that Gujarat is being discriminated against by the Centre for political reasons.

PM, Shinde neglecting plight of rain-battered AP: Naidu

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TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for “purposefully neglecting” the plight of Andhra Pradesh, which has been battered by rains, owing to political considerations.

“The prime minister should break his silence and come forward to the rescue of people of Andhra Pradesh who have suffered a huge damage to their properties and crops due to nature’s fury in the form of cyclone ‘Phailin’ and heavy rains of late,” Naidu told reporters here.