Month: July 2014

Statting that the Budget is a mixed bag for the cement sector, industry players today expressed the hope for revival in demand on government’s focus on infrastructure but said they were saddened by no tinkering in tax rates.

“Cement sector can certainly look forward to revival of growth in its consumption which has been languishing for the last 3-4 years at very low levels,” said Shailendra Chouksey, Vice President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA).

Indian medium-pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar feels he and his bowling colleagues need to adopt a “patient” approach on a lifeless Trent Bridge wicket if the visitors want to bowl England out twice and win the the first cricket Test here.

The Trent Bridge pitch has come for some flak from many quarters for its flat nature and Bhuvneshwar too was of the view that Indian bowlers will have to produce a disciplined performance to make in roads into the English batting line-up.

Govt of Andhra Pradesh has released Rs. 28.47 crore for June to August in connection with the implementation of schemes under various minority institutions.

Special Secretary Minority Welfare Syed Omer Jaleel issued 6 separate G.Os in this connection. The fund was released for the construction of Urdu Ghar and function halls, Hajj Committee, Waqf Board, CEDM, Urdu Academy, mass marriages, bank linked subsidy scheme, Survey Commissioner Waqf and to review implementation of programmes related to the social and economic situation and progress of minorities, etc.

Siasat news

IT major Infosys today reported a healthy 21.6 % increase in consolidated net profit to Rs 2,886 crore for the quarter ended June 30 on growth in business from Europe and improved operational efficiency.

The Bangalore-based firm had reported a net profit of Rs 2,374 crore in the year-ago period, it said in a BSE filing.

The consolidated revenue for the reported quarter was up 13.3 % to Rs 12,770 crore from Rs 11,267 crore in the year-ago period.

For FY’15, the country’s second-largest software services firm expects revenues to grow 7-9 % in USD terms and 5.6-7.6 % in rupee terms.

The rupee lost six paise to 60.25 against the US dollar in early trade today at the Interbank Foreign Exchange market due to appreciation of the American currency against other currencies overseas.

Sustained demand for the dollar from importers also weighed on the local currency but a higher opening in the domestic equity market limited the rupee’s losses, forex dealers said.

Moving in tandem with equities, the rupee yesterday tumbled 44 paise, posting its biggest drop in nearly a month, to end at 60.19 against the dollar.

Huma Qureshi has shed those extra pounds, is looking much leaner and has become the cover girl of Femina. She says she has achieved all that by making healthy choices.

If she wowed everyone with her performance in “Gangs of Wasseypur”, her curvy figure started a new trend.

But shedding weight hasn’t altered her fondness for food.

“I am still a foodie and every 10 days my trainer gives me a break and lets me eat whatever I want to and that’s how I manage. I don’t believe in starving, I am just making healthy choices,” said Huma.

Sudden, acute episodes of low back pain are not linked to weather conditions such as temperature, humidity, air pressure or wind direction, new research shows.

Many patients believe that weather impacts their pain symptoms.

“Our findings refute previously held beliefs that certain common weather conditions increase risk of lower back pain,” said Dr Daniel Steffens with the George Institute for Global Health at the University of Sydney, Australia.

For the present study, 993 patients seen at primary care clinics in Sydney were recruited.

A thimble-like device that sits at the end of your finger and allows you to interact with the virtual world in three dimensions may render the indispensable computer mouse obsolete.

The way in which humans interact with computers has been dominated by the mouse since it was invented in the 1960s.

However, when we use the device, we’re limited to two-dimensional movements.

Egypt today opened its Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula to allow the evacuation of the wounded Palestinian people.

“North Sinai hospitals announced the state of emergency and (are) ready to receive the injured from the Strip. We also provided many fully medical equipped ambulances to help and transport them to hospitals,” Major General Abdel Fattah Harhor, Governor of North Sinai, told a TV channel.

England all-rounder Stuart Broad has lamented the Trent Bridge pitch, saying Indian tracks are faster than the wicket on offer during the first cricket Test here.

English bowlers had to toil hard for nearly two days to bowl India out but not before the visitors had on board a commendable 457 in their first innings.

At stumps, England were 43 for one, still trailing India by 414 runs with three full day’s play remaining in the match.

A young Indian mathematician, Nikhil Srivastava, has been named a joint winner of the prestigious George Polya Prize for finding proof of a riddle that had eluded mathematicians for more than half a century.

Srivastava of Microsoft Research India and Adam W. Marcus and Daniel A. Spielman from Yale University will be presented the 2014 George Pólya Prize at the July 7-11annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), in Chicago.

NRI businessmen in the Gulf region have hailed India’s budget as forward-looking and growth-oriented.

“The Budget of 2014-15 affirms the vision of the government to bring about all-round development in the country, with emphasis on manufacturing, job creation, and skill development,” said NMC Healthcare CEO B R Shetty said.

Yusuffali MA, Managing Director of LULU Group, called it a realistic budget with long term view rather than relying on quick fix remedies or populist soaps.

Former glamour model Katie Price has revealed that she would be naming her fifth child Electra.

The 36-year-old model, who is expecting her second child with husband Kieran Hayler, said she is a big fan of the former ‘Baywatch’ actress Carmen Electra.

“Carmen Electra is a fine filly. Rolling back the years, she recently did a shoot in a swimsuit at 42 and she’s still the ultimate professional in modelling.

“I worked with Carmen many years ago and I love it – I still have a Poloroid from the shoot. Oh, and I like Electra as a possible name for my baby,” she added.

‘Basic Instinct’ star Sharon Stone has revealed that she is ready to date again.

The 56-year-old actress said she was more focused on her two children earlier and is now more comfortable with trying to find a new relationship, reported Contactmusic.

“What’s happened is my kids have reached the age where I feel comfortable to date. I didn’t want to date when they were little. Who needs a bunch of people running in and out of their lives? Now I feel comfortable dating… I am available for dating,” she said.

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Friday gained 114.10 points or 0.45 percent as IT stocks surged.

Good buying was observed in IT, auto and capital goods sectors, while selling pressure was seen in metal sector.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 25,488.86 points, was trading at 25,486.85 points (at 09.33 a.m.) in the early session, up 114.10 points or 0.45 percent from the previous day’s close at 25,372.75 points.

The Sensex touched a high of 25,548.33 points and a low of 25,323.23 points in trade.

Pop star Miley Cyrus is reportedly dating her music producer Mike Will Made.

The ‘Wrecking Ball’ singer, who was first linked to the star following her split from fiance Liam Hemsworth in September 2013, is said to have been secretly dating him for nine months, reported Daily Mirror.

“Their romance is getting pretty serious and all of her friends are believed to have known about it for a while. We’re not sure how she’s kept this one under wraps, but we want Miley to get back on the relationship bandwagon. She’s started hanging out with her animals too much,” a source said.

Ian Mckellen shared the first look of his character of an ageing Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming film with his fans on Twitter.

The film, which was previously titled ‘A Slight Trick of the Mind’ will see McKellen channeling his inner detective to solve a cold case from years ago.

“Over 70 actors have previously played Sherlock Holmes. Now he’s 93 years old and it’s my turn. #MrHolmes,” wrote the actor.

Delhi has become the world’s second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million, according to a UN report.

The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects launched yesterday said that India is projected to add the highest number of people to its urban population by 2050, ahead of China.
The Indian capital is expected to retain the spot of the world’s second most populous city through at least 2030, when its population is expected to rise swiftly to 36 million.

Gary Oldman skipped the New York premiere of ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ because of a family emergency.

The James Gordon in Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” trilogy had flown into New York for the special screening, but had to fly out the same day due to the unexpected situation which was not disclosed.

Oldman, 56, also missed several planned TV appearances, reported New York Post.

Meanwhile, Oldman’s co-stars Andy Serkis and Keri Russell were on hand for the premiere hosted by the Cinema Society at Williamsburg Cinemas.

Neymar has urged his Brazilian team-mates to rescue some of their battered pride after their humiliating World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany by beating the Netherlands in tomorrow’s third-place play-off in Brasilia.

It is the one game that no team ever wants to take part in, but the encounter at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium took on extra significance after the hosts’ dream of lifting the trophy at the Maracana 24 hours later was ended by their record 7-1 loss against the Germans.

Three Panchaloha idols have been recovered at Vairamangalam in the district, officials said.

A 1.5 feet tall idol of Lord Vishnu and idols of Sri Devi and Bhoodevi (one feet in height) were unearthed while digging operations, as part of renovation work, were on near the Sri Vaira Perumal temple yesterday.

Special poojas were conducted for the idols and Archaeological department informed, officials said.

Some days ago, three sculptures of Ramanujar and two other Alwars were recovered, Hindu Religious Endowment Board they added.

After three sessions of losses, the benchmark BSE Sensex staged a strong comeback to trade 167 points higher in early trade today, following gains in IT stocks, after Infosys reported a rise of 21.6 per cent in Q1 net profit at Rs 2,886 crore.

Besides, expectations of encouraging IIP data for May to be released later in the day, also supported the upside.

Brokers said a slew of measures proposed in the Union Budget to revive economic growth and investor confidence also influenced the sentiments.

Fasting during Ramadan is a personal choice for diabetes patients and should be done only under medical supervision, according to doctors.

Experts recommend a diabetes assessment during Ramadan which would make patients aware of risks, based on which they could be advised to minimise the risks.

“Fasting during Ramadan requires a person to take two meals a day with long gaps in between. Modifying consumption patterns leads to changes in body metabolism and diabetics should adjust their treatment plan accordingly,” says Dr Shehla Shaikh of Mumbai’s KGN Diabetes & Endocrinology Centre.

A 63-year-old woman was today arrested here after she was found in possession of 20 kg of ganja valued at Rs 1.5 lakh, police said.

The woman, a native of Dindigul, had arrived at the bus-stand here in the wee hours and police checked her luggage on suspicion and found the contraband.

She was arrested under the Narcotics Act, police added.

The NDA Government is committed to have housing for all by 2022, by extending additional tax incentive on home loans to encourage people, especially the young, to own houses. It has also proposed to set up a Mission on Low Cost Affordable Housing to be anchored in the National Housing Bank.