Digvijay Singh urges government to stop import of sugar

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said here today that the Government of India must take a quick decision on import of sugar.

Import of raw sugar should be stopped and export of sugar should be opened up and incentivised, he tweeted on Twitter today.

At prevailing prices, the sugar industry is unsustainable, he said, adding that the government of India must act “quickly and decisively”.

IB warns of rise in Naxal activity after ‘peaceful’ polls

With the latest Maoist offensive claiming lives of four CRPF personnel in Bastar, Intelligence Bureau has alerted security forces, asking them to be extra cautious following inputs of major strikes in southern Chhattisgarh after ‘peaceful’ assembly election.

Earlier this week, the state IB had intimated District Superintendents of Police and commandants of armed forces that Maoists are observing “martyrdom week” from November 24-30 in the memory of their slain leader Kishenji during which they may step up their operations.

Malala Yousafzai tops list of 101 most powerful Asians in UK

Pakistani schoolgirl and education activist Malala Yousafzai has topped the list of 101 most powerful British Asians and Asian residents in the UK.

Malala is the only woman to feature in the top ten and has knocked out Labour MP Keith Vaz off the number one spot that he held last year, the Daily Times reports.

Malala went to Britain from Pakistan after she was shot in the head by the Taliban last year for fighting for girls’ rights to education.

Helicopter crashes into pub in Scottish city Glasgow

A helicopter believed to be operated by the police has crashed into the roof of a pub in the Scottish city of Glasgow, causing multiple injuries, lawmakers and witnesses said.

Firefighters, paramedics and police rushed to the Clutha pub after the accident, which happened yesterday while the pub was full of revellers celebrating the start of the St Andrew’s Day weekend.

10,000 protest Ukrainian leader spiking EU deal

Around 10,000 protesters have crowded into the centre of Ukraine’s capital to demand the president’s resignation after he shelved a landmark agreement with the European Union in favour of closer ties with Russia.

An estimated 2,000 police in helmets and riot gear surrounded the demonstrators on Independence Square. There were several small scuffles with police, but no major clashes into the evening.

Six dead as immigrant boat sinks off Turkey

Six people, including a child, has drowned after a boat carrying illegal immigrants trying to reach Greece capsized off western Turkey, according to officials and reports.

The sinking is the latest fatal tragedy in European waters that has sparked calls for action over the vast tide of illegal immigration from the Middle East and Africa.

“Acting on a tip-off at 0600 IST the coastguard seized the boat and recovered five bodies,” Turkish coastguard official Arslan Dede told AFP.

Another body was recovered later yesterday, Turkish media said.

Ban warns over ‘dangerous’ Israel-Palestinian tensions

UN leader Ban Ki-moon warned today of “increasingly dangerous” tensions between Israel and the Palestinians which could threaten peace talks.

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are holding US-brokered peace contacts, but Ban said, “I am alarmed by the increasingly dangerous situation on the ground. There has been an escalation of violence and incitement.”

He highlighted Israel’s settlement surge in the occupied territories as “a cause for very grave concern” in a message for the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Mozambique passenger plane carrying 34 missing: airline

A Mozambican Airlines airplane carrying 28 passengers and six crew members has gone missing en route from Mozambique to Angola, the airline said.

Flight TM470 took off from Maputo at 1456 IST yesterday and had been due to land in the Angolan capital Luanda at 1840 IST, but never arrived, the airline said in a statement.

“Initial information suggests it might have landed in Rundu, in northern Namibia near the border with Botswana and Angola.”

“LAM airlines, aeronautical and airport authorities are trying to establish contact to confirm the information,” it added.

No dismantling of Iran nuclear facilities: Rouhani to FT

Iran will not dismantle its nuclear facilities, President Hassan Rouhani said in an interview with The Financial Times after a historic deal between Tehran and world powers.

Asked by the newspaper, published yesterday, whether dismantling Iran’s atomic facilities was a “red line” for the Islamic republic, Rouhani replied: “100 per cent”.

Israel has bitterly opposed the deal struck in Geneva last weekend, saying that any pact with Tehran must have the sole purpose of dismantling Iran’s nuclear capability.

Talwars may be shifted to Agra Central Jail

Dentist couple Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering their daughter Aarushi and domestic help Hemraj, may soon be shifted to Agra Central Jail from Dasna Jail here.

Dasna Jail Superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma said that as per the rules, a person who has been awarded seven-year imprisonment or more by a court in western Uttar Pradesh, has to be shifted to Agra Central Jail.

New ‘drug’ blocks replication of AIDS virus for first time

In a first, Spanish scientists have designed small synthetic molecules that can block the replication of the deadly AIDS virus.

The newly designed molecules inhibit the output of genetic material of the virus from the infected cell nucleus to the cytoplasm, thus the virus replication is blocked and avoids the infection of other cells.

This achievement has been obtained for the “first time in the world” by a group of researcher led by Jose Gallego from Universidad Catolica de Valencia.

Tehelka case: BJP terms Tejpal’s allegation as ‘baseless’

BJP on Friday termed as “baseless” the charge of former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal that the main opposition and its government in Goa is targeting him and insisted it is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

“We deny the charges made by Tarun Tejpal. These are baseless allegations. Goa police is doing its job meticulously.

“An unscrupulous person who committed rape is levelling charges against us. We will not accept this lie after lie from him,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

Cardiologists strongly back Obamacare, worry over rocky start

American cardiologists appear staunch in their support for President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform, although some fear that its rocky launch could derail efforts to improve preventive care for needy patients.

The broad support for the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, emerged in interviews last week in Dallas with more than 20 cardiologists at the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association. The group has set an aggressive goal of reducing heart disease and deaths from heart disease and strokes in the United States by 20 percent by 2020.

Illegal migration from Bangladesh is on slide: BSF DG

Border Security Force (BSF) on Friday said illegal migration from Bangladesh has come down as close to 75 per cent of border area has been fenced till now.

The chief of the paramilitary, Subhash Joshi, also said the force will be extra vigilant to meet any challenge that may emerge along this border when the neighbouring country goes to polls in January next year.

Ishrat case: SC asks CBI to reply to bail plea of Gujarat Dy SP

The Supreme Court on Friday issued a notice to the CBI on the bail plea of suspended Deputy Superintendent of Police N K Amin who is in jail in connection with the 2004 Ishrat Jahan encounter case.

A bench headed by Justice B S Chauhan issued notice to the probe agency on the plea of Amin that he be granted statutory bail under a CrPC provision as the charge sheet has not been filed within 90 days of his arrest.

“You cannot keep a person in custody for more than 90 days if the charge sheet is not filed,” senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, appearing for Amin, said.

Having better sex life can help you live longer: Study

A new study has revealed that sex can be one of the secrets to good health, youth and a longer life.

The research, which was conducted on fruit flies, found that male fruit flies that perceived sexual pheromones of their female counterparts- without the opportunity to mate- experienced rapid decreases in fat stores, resistance to starvation and more stress. The sexually frustrated flies lived shorter lives.

Mating, on the other hand, partially reversed the negative effects on health and aging.

Brain ‘geotags’ memories with spatial information

A new study has shown how spatial information is incorporated into memories and why remembering an experience can quickly bring to mind other events that happened in the same place.

A team of neuroscientists from the University of Pennsylvania and Freiburg University showed used a video game, in which people navigate through a virtual town delivering objects to specific locations, to discover how brain cells that encode spatial information form “geotags” for specific memories and are activated immediately before those memories are recalled.

Sardar Patel hated Hyderabadi culture: A.G. Noorani

Eminent lawyer and political commentator A. G. Noorani said India’s first home minister Sardar Patel was a “quintessential Hindu nationalist” who treated erstwhile Hyderabad State as a Muslim state and hated its culture.

Noorani, whose book “The destruction of Hyderabad” was released here Friday, said Patel ordered ‘police action’ when the economic blockade was beginning to tell and Nizam would have agreed to accede to India due to pressure from many people.

138 officers pass out of IAF Aeronautical Engg course

Under Training Flying Officers (UTFOs) of 83 Aeronautical Engineering Course, 55 Short Service Commission (Men and Women) graduated today at an impressive ceremony held at Air Force Academy (AFA) here at Dundigal.

The UTFOs, after successfully completing their 22 weeks of basic training at this Academy, they will proceed to the Air Force Technical College, Bangalore for advanced professional training in Aeronautical Engineering (Electronics), and Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical) fields.

Obama predicts US will see woman president ‘very soon’

A woman in the White House? President Barack Obama says that will happen “very soon,” according to remarks released today.

“We have some amazing female [public] servants all across the country and there is no doubt that sometime very soon, we’re going to have a female president,” he said in an interview with broadcaster ABC.

What’s more, “I’m confident that she will do a great job,” he told veteran journalist Barbara Walters.

ABC, which released extracts of the interview on its website before it airs today, did not specify whether Obama mentioned Hillary Clinton in this context.

Salman Khan to appear on ‘Koffee With Karan’

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who is getting ready with the new season of his popular talk show ‘Koffee With Karan’, says the TV programme which will feature Salman Khan for the first time, will be the most exciting yet and offer some great conversations with Bollywood celebrities.

“The new season is going to be the most exciting yet, with a host of new guests, a fantastic set and some great conversations,” Karan said here today.

The fourth edition of the show promises a generous serving of fiery revelations and drama with a side of sauciest gossip Bollywood has to offer.

Tiger kills rhino calf, injures mother

A tiger sneaked into the protected rhino area in Dudhwa National Park (DNP) and killed a 11-month old rhino calf and injured its mother, forest department sources said here.

“The calf was killed while its mother named Sada was injured in the tiger attack,” DNP Deputy Director V K Singh told PTI.

The mutilated carcass of the calf was recovered today from Kakraha Tal when patrolling teams, he said, adding that pugmarks of a tiger were also detected there following which patrolling has been intensified with deployment of half a dozen elephants for the purpose.

Dinesh Karthik engaged to squash star Pallikal

Cricketer Dinesh Karthik has found his match in star squash player Dipika Pallikal as they got engaged in a private ceremony at a city hotel here.

The 28-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman found his lady love, Pallikal, 22, after both ended up training under the same fitness coach here.

After a one-year courtship, both decided to get engaged at the ITC Chola last week.

Though Karthik could not find a berth for himself in the South Africa bound squad, yet, the Tamil Nadu batsman celebrated the occasion with a crafty 133 against Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy match here today.

Cobrapost sting work of Cong’s ‘dirty tricks dept’: BJP

BJP trashed a Cobrapost sting operation made public today as a work of the “dirty tricks department” of Congress and charged the ruling party with stooping so low in the wake of the rising popularity of its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

“BJP completely dismisses the Cobrapost sting operation on use of social media. Congress has stooped to this level and achieved a new low even before the Lok Sabha elections have been announced. It is frustrated by the growing popularity of Modi and the support for him,” party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.