Month: April 2014

49 militants, 5 soldiers killed in eastern Afghanistan

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At least 49 Taliban insurgents and five soldiers were killed following a massive attack by the militants in eastern Afghan province of Paktiya, a defence ministry official of the country said Tuesday.

“More than 500 insurgents attacked army after an operation was launched in Paktiya province. 49 militants and five soldiers have been killed,” Xinhua quoted Mohammad Zahir Azimi, a defense ministry spokesman, as saying in his twitter account.

One army soldier was held captive. Several foreign militants were also involved in the clash, he said.

Insulin-producing cells derived from cloned human embryo

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In a pioneering research involving stem cells, researchers in the US have successfully used a cloning technique to make insulin-producing cells with the DNA of a diabetic woman.

A team led by regenerative medicine specialist Dieter Egli at the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute derived embryonic stem cells from a cloned embryo containing the DNA from a 32-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes.

The researchers also succeeded in differentiating these ES cells into insulin-producing cells – opening a new pathway for treating diabetes by replacing pancreatic cells.

New York pilot claims to have found online image of MH370 wreckage

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A New York pilot reportedly claims that he has found an online image of the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 in an unbroken state.

According to News.com.au, Michael Hoebel, 60, said he had found an image of what appeared to be the plane in one piece in the Gulf of Thailand, the exact point where the plane made its last communication with air traffic control before vanishing off the radar on March 8.

Hoebel used the online satellite imagery website TomNod to find the jetliner and was taken aback after he discovered the plane in an unbroken state.

U.S. debating future posture in Afghanistan

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As the two frontrunners in the Afghan presidential elections – Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani – prepare to best each other in the second round of voting, the Obama Administration is keeping a careful distance from the process, at least in public, to avoid any taint of trying to wield influence.

Aussie exploration firm claims it may have found MH370 debris

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An Australia based marine exploration company has reportedly claimed that it may have located the debris of the missing Malaysia Airline MH370, some 3,000 miles away from the target area.

The Adelaide-based company GeoResonance has implied that the authorities could be looking for the wreckage of the plane in the wrong place.

The company says its own private research has identified elements on the ocean floor in the Bay of Bengal consistent with material from a plane, Mirror reports.

Rupee up 8 paise against dollar

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The rupee recovered by 8 paise to 60.57 against the dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market on selling of dollars by exporters and banks.

A higher opening in the domestic equity market and a weak dollar against euro overseas also supported the gain in the rupee, forex dealers said.

The rupee had closed 5 paise lower at 60.65 against the dollar in yesterday’s trade on sudden demand for the US currency from importers, mainly oil refiners.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex recovered by 45.03 points, or 0.20 per cent, to 22,676.64 in early trade today.PTI

UK firm plans to establish 100 eco-friendly hotels in India

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An NRI-founded hotels company plans to set up 100 eco-friendly hotels in India in the next eight years, its founder and Chief Executive said Saturday night.

Noting that the Eco Hotels UK Plc has developed the world’s first carbon neutral hotel brand, The Eco and Ecolodge, Suchit Punnose, the CEO of Red Ribbon Asset Management said: “The first market we are targeting is the growth market of India which has one of the largest demands for hotel rooms in the market.”

Sensex drops over 130 points on sustained selling pressure

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The benchmark S&P BSE Sensex pared initial gains to drop 130.97 points on sustained selling pressure in metal, banking, capital goods, FMCG and auto sectors amid cautiousness following slowdown in foreign institutional inflows.

The Sensex opened higher at 22,654.28 and advanced further to 22,681.89 before declining to 22,470.43.

It was quoting at 22,500.64 at 1005 hrs, showing a loss of 130.97 points, or 0.58 percent, from its last close.

The NSE 50-share Nifty also fell 38.15 points, or 0.56 percent, to 6,723.15 at 1005 hrs in early trade.

Wal-Mart spent $334 mn in severing ties with Bharti

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US retail giant Wal-Mart, which ended 6-year-old joint venture with Bharti Enterprises last year, spent USD 334 million to break ties with the Indian firm.

The Bentonville-based firm said it “paid and forgave” debt of approximately USD 234 million in connection with the agreements related to the Bharti retail business.

Another USD 100 million was spent in buying out the Indian partner’s stake from the erstwhile 50:50 cash-and-carry joint venture — Bharti Walmart Pvt Ltd.

Always eat before runway shows: Cara Delevingne

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Models Cara Delevingne and Suki Waterhouse have shared their best pre-catwalk tips, including eating before runway shows, stretching and drinking lots of water.

The British models, who helped launch Burberry’s new store in Shanghai this month, have given tips to upcoming catwalk stars on how to prepare for shows and insist a model should never take to the runway on an empty stomach, reports contactmusic.com.

“Drink a lot of water, and make sure you’ve eaten enough. And know where you’re walking. That’s always a hard one,” said Delevingne.

Over 50 online daters more at risk of phishing scams: Study

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A new survey suggests that the largest group searching online for a potential mate are singles who are 50 and older.

However, according to a 2013 PEW Research study, unlike tech-savvy 20- and 30-something online daters, the plus-50s are less aware of the perils that lurk on the web.

One member of that group, who asked that her identity be withheld, is a recently divorced 51-year-old mother of three who told Fox News how she met a man on a popular dating website – but that in a matter of a few days, their online courtship went offline.

President approves dissolution of Andhra Pradesh Assembly

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President Pranab Mukherjee has given his approval for the dissolution of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and a fresh proclamation of central rule in the state.

The Union Cabinet on Friday recommended dissolution of Andhra Pradesh Assembly and extension of the President’s rule there beyond 30 April.

This decision was taken after a report was submitted by the Andhra Pradesh governor ESL Narasimhan to the centre about the prevailing situation in the state.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

EU bans Alphonsos, 4 vegetables

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The 28-member European Union has temporarily banned the import of Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, and four vegetables from India from May 1, sparking protests from the Indian community, lawmakers and traders.

The recent decision by the grouping’s Standing Committee on Plant Health came after 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India imported into the EU in 2013 were found to be contaminated by pests such as fruit flies and other quarantine pests.

Modi has no knowledge about Kashmir: Meem Afzal

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Reacting to the spat between National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress leader Meem Afzal on Tuesday said that Modi had no knowledge about Kashmir and was bringing up its issues due to approaching elections in the state.

“Tomorrow, elections are going to be held in some parts of Kashmir and that is the reason why the BJP is saying all this and bringing up issues related to Kashmir. Otherwise everyone knows that the BJP has no say and no power in the state,” said Afzal.

Minor fire breaks out at PMO; no damage reported

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A minor fire broke out at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) early morning on Tuesday.

“An electrical accident in PMO building today set off the fire alarm and fire services reached the spot. No damage and no injuries reported,” the Prime Minister’s media advisor Pankaj Pachauri tweeted.

“The incident was due to a UPS short circuit. There has been no damage to any other equipment or property,” he further tweeted. (ANI)

Lok Sabha polls: 89 seats in 7th phase to go to polls tomorrow

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Eighty-nine Lok Sabha seats spread over seven states and two Union Territories will go to polls in this phase on Wednesday.

These include all 26 seats in Gujarat, and all 13 in Punjab; 17 seats in Andhra Pradesh, 14 in Uttar Pradesh, nine in W. Bengal , seven in Bihar and one each in Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

President approves dissolution of AP Assembly

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President Pranab Mukherjee has given his approval for the dissolution of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and a fresh proclamation of central rule in the state.

The Union Cabinet on Friday recommended dissolution of Andhra Pradesh assembly and extension of the President’s rule there beyond 30 April.

This decision was taken after a report was submitted by the Andhra Pradesh governor E.S.L. Narasimhan to the centre about the prevailing situation in the state.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Youth sets himself ablaze, hugs BSP leader

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A youth set himself on fire and embraced a BSP leader in Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur town during a live TV debate on the Lok Sabha election, police said Tuesday.

The incident occurred Monday night during Doordarshan’s ‘Janmat 2014’ programme that was being shot at Tikonia Park.

A debate was taking place between leaders of various political parties. Suddenly a young man drenched in petrol stepped out and set himself on fire.

He then rushed towards Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Kamruzzama Fauji and embraced him. The man and the BSP leader sustained serious burn injuries.

Facebook is your new classroom teacher!

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Facebook may not be all that bad for your kids. According to a study, university students who used a Facebook group as part of a large sociology class did better on course assignments and felt a stronger sense of belonging.

“Although some teachers may worry that social media distracts students from legitimate learning, we found that our Facebook group helped transform students from anonymous spectators into a community of active learners,” explained Kevin Dougherty, an associate professor of sociology at Baylor University’s college of arts and sciences.

‘Love hormone’ promotes social behavior among infant rhesus monkeys

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Researchers have suggested that the hormone oxytocin appears to increase social behaviors in newborn rhesus monkeys.

Working with infant rhesus monkeys, the NIH researchers, the University of Parma in Italy, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, found that oxytocin increased two facial gestures associated with social interactions- one used by the monkeys themselves in certain social situations, the other in imitation of their human caregivers.

Mexican Pizza

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Ingredients:

1 Corn Meal Pizza Crust

1 cup Salsa

2 Tomatoes, finely diced

110 gm chopped Green Chilies

1/4 cup chopped Onions

1 cup Shredded Low-Fat Cheddar Cheese

Method:

Top the cornmeal pizza crust with salsa, tomatoes, chilies, green pepper, onion, and cheese.

Until the cheese melts, bake the pizza at 350 degree F for about 10 minutes,

Ready to eat.

Younger siblings likelier to follow older sibling’s path of crime

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Researchers have said that if a sibling commits a violent criminal act, the risk that a younger sibling may follow in their footsteps is more likely than the transmission of that behavior to an older sibling.

In the study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University and Lund University in Sweden, researchers examined a series of national databases from Sweden linking full sibling pairs and criminal conviction.

Y chromosome’s loss linked to shorter life expectancy and higher cancer risk for men

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Researchers have shown a correlation between a loss of the Y chromosome in blood cells and both a shorter life span and higher mortality from cancer in other organs.

Men have a shorter average life span than women and both the incidence and mortality in cancer is higher in men than in women. However, the mechanisms and possible risk factors behind this sex-disparity are largely unknown. Alterations in DNA of normal cells accumulate throughout our lives and have been linked to diseases such as cancer and diabetes.

Extreme wet and dry events ‘increasing risk of drought and flood in central India’

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Researchers have identified significant changes in the patterns of extreme wet and dry events that are increasing the risk of drought and flood in central India, one of the most densely populated regions on Earth.

The discoveries are the result of a new collaboration between climate scientists and statisticians that focused on utilizing statistical methods for analyzing rare geophysical events.

These new approaches reveal that the intensity of extremely wet spells and the number of extremely dry spells during the South Asian monsoon season have both been increasing in recent decades.

Battery powered passenger jets expected in 15 years

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Move over electric cars. Plan a family trip on a private electricity-powered jet instead!

France-based aircraft maker Airbus is ready to foray into making passenger jets powered by hybrid electric engines.

The planned plane can take off and land using electric power, and carry about 70-90 people.

“The full-fledged plane can hit the tarmac between 15 and 20 years,” Jean Botti, Airbus Group chief technology officer, was quoted as saying in media reports.