Month: July 2014

Watching porn is what narcissists love to do the most, a new study has found, adding that the more internet porn people watch, the more narcissistic they tend to be.

Earlier research shows that the more control narcissists have over sex, the more gratifying the experience tends to be.

“The use of internet pornography offers this control,” researchers wrote.

For the study, researchers from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, tested narcissism levels on participants using a standard questionnaire.

The government today sought a detailed report from AIIMS on the reported allegation by a senior forensic doctor that he was pressurised to manipulate the autopsy report of Sunanda Pushkar, wife of former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor.

“After I became the Health Minister, Dr Sudhir Gupta of AIIMS had written to our department regarding his promotion. But after TV channels yesterday said that he has made a specific allegation, I have written to the AIIMS Director seeking a detailed information in this regard,” Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

Stating that NCP has won twice the number of seats as compared to Congress in Maharashtra in the recent Lok Sabha polls, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has sought equal number of seats for his party with Congress in the upcoming Assembly polls.

“As NCP’s strength in the state has grown in the recent Lok Sabha polls as compared to Congress, we should get 144 seats, an equal share with our ally Congress in the ensuing Assembly polls,” Pawar said at Palghar last evening while addressing party workers.

An FIR has been filed against Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Tapas Pal for his offensive remarks against women.

Pal had told a gathering in Krishnanagar, “I will send my boys to their (attackers) homes and ask them to rape their women. If any of our Trinamool men are touched I will ensure that the CPI (M) is finished and ensure that their homes are burnt off.”

The statements had led to an outcry against Pal with the National Commission for Women (NCW), along with many other activists and opposition leaders, demanding strict action against the MP for his threats.

The internet spying program of the America’s National Security Agency (NSA) is a “valuable and effective tool” in protecting national security, according to a federal independent watchdog whose members are appointed by the US President.

The iconic Mumbai ‘dabbawalas’ or lunch box carriers, have hiked the costs of their delivery by Rs. 100 a month to cope up with the rising cost of essential commodities.

“We are requesting our customers to support us in the time of crisis, as we will not be able to survive at a time when costs of essential commodities are escalating. We do not want our dabbawalas to commit suicide, when they fail to pay up for the bare minimal comforts of life,” Raghunath Medge, former president of Mumbai dabbawalas Association told PTI.

30-year-old saleswoman was allegedly raped by her employer on the first day of the job at an optical showroom in west Delhi’s Paschim Vihar area in New Delhi, police said today.

Deepak Malhotra (61) who owns two optical showrooms in Paschim Vihar area, the same locality where he stays with his family, has been accused by the woman of offering her a spiked drink following which she fell unconscious and he allegedly raped her, police said.

Malhotra has been taken into custody for questioning and would be arrested if preliminary investigations confirm the allegations, they said.

Bangladesh needs to take more concrete steps to improve safety of its workers before US President Barack Obama could consider revoking its suspension from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) trade benefits, a top US administration official has said.

At the same time, US Trade Representative (USTR) noted that Bangladesh has made some important progress with regard to worker rights and worker safety issues.

Around 500 employees of Commercial Tax department here boycotted their work and staged a demonstration, blaming “pressure” exerted by higher officials for the death of a colleague after a heart attack today.

Sporting black badges, the staff gathered in front of their office and raised slogans against some higher officials for putting their sub-ordinates under “unnecessary” work pressure.

General Secretary of Commercial Tax department Employees Association Aranganathan alleged that Assistant Director Abdul Raheem (57) suffered a cardiac arrest due to over stress at work.

Government is mulling giving punitive powers to arrest, search and seize to National Commission for Women (NCW) in matters of domestic violence, police apathy and sexual harassment at work place and plans to extend NCW’s jurisdiction to Jammu and Kashmir.

The Ministry of Women and Child Devlopment has prepared a Cabinet note which proposes that the jurisdiction of NCW should be extended to the Jammu and Kashmir, sources in WCD ministry said.

The body of a 25-year-old man was found hanging from a tree in a park in Safdarjung Enclave area of South Delhi this morning, police said.

The deceased identified as Shivashish, who worked at a restaurant in Yusuf Sarai area, was apparantly upset over his financial condition, police said.

The body was found hanging from a tree in Deer Park by a jogger around 7 AM, they said, adding that the hands of the deceased were tied up.

Train services in Kolkata Metro were affected tonight for an hour after a crack was noticed in the railtrack in one station, Metro Rail officials said.

After the crack was noticed at Mahatama Gandhi Road station, no train was allowed to move in between 8.50 PM to 9.50 PM.

During this period, trains plied from terminal stations to the ones flanking Mahatama Gandhi Road station.

Services resumed through the station after the crack was repaired, the officials said.

The Centre has constituted a three -member supervisory committee headed by a senior Central Water Commission (CWC) official to supervise the restoration of Full Reservoir Level (FRL) in the Mullaperiyar Dam to the elevation of 142 feet.

The Ministry of Water Resources issued the order yesterday in the wake of a Supreme Court order on May 7, which had allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the water level to 142 feet and ultimately to 152 feet after completion of strengthening measures on the dam.

Irked by angry reactions to his Facebook post on ‘World UFO Day’ today, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley withdrew the message within hours.

Mr Jaitley, who frequently uses Facebook to post official messages and communicate with people, wrote that the day is “dedicated to the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects. This day is celebrated to raise awareness about existence of UFO’s and with that intelligent beings from outer space”.

The message however was withdrawn from the Facebook after it evoked some angry reactions from netizens.

French auto major Renault has hiked the prices of its three vehicles in India, including compact sports utility vehicle Duster, by one per cent to partially offset rising input costs.

The company, which is present in India through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has increased the prices of Duster, mid-segment sedan Scala and hatchback Pulse, across the country from yesterday, Renault India said in a statement.

“The hike is due to swelling inputs cost, which has driven up the cost of components. The prices of Scala, Pulse and Duster will go up by one per cent with this increase,” it added.

Ghaziabad police today said that it would register an FIR against a 19-year-old girl for filing a fake rape case.

The girl had yesterday lodged a complaint with the police alleging that she was abducted by three car-borne youths from outside a posh mall in Vaishali area and raped by one of them in Noida’s Sector 22.

The police today informed that the rape charges made by the girl turned out to be false as her medical report did not confirm any sexual intercourse.

Gold prices eased 0.15 per cent to Rs 27,803 per 10 grams at the futures trade as participants offloaded positions on weak cues from global market.

On the Multi Commodity Exchange, gold for delivery in October declined Rs 42 or 0.15 per cent to Rs 27,803 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 1,832 lots.

Likewise, the metal for delivery in August shed Rs 22 or 0.08 per cent to Rs 27,724 per 10 grams in 1,832 lots.

The Pentagon has notified the US Congress about its decision to sell anti-ship Harpoon missiles to India at an estimated cost of $200 million arguing that it will strengthen India-US strategic relationship and improve security of an important partner.

The entire package under the foreign military sale route includes a dozen odd UGM-84L Harpoon Block II Encapsulated Missiles, 10 UTM-84L Harpoon Encapsulated Training missiles, and two Encapsulated Harpoon certification training vehicles, the Department of Defense’s, Defence Security Cooperation Agency said.

Pakistan People’s Party today condemned as totally unacceptable the US National Security Agency’s snooping over it and asked the government to take up the issue at diplomatic level.

According to media reports the declassified documents show that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was under scanner of the US secret agency.

PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar condemned it and called upon the government to take up the issue at diplomatic level and seek guarantees that such grave violations of international law do not take place in the future.

Pakistan military wanted to launch an operation against terrorists based in North Waziristan three years ago, but the action was delayed as the then army chief was reluctant to do so, a former spokesman for the army said.

In an interview with Dawn.Com, retired Major General Athar Abbas said that country suffered a lot due to reluctance of his former boss who was urged by his officers to launch operation in 2010.

A team of three Indian diplomats sent to US to enhance the understanding of most important and current public policy issues and to strengthen India-US ties have concluded their month long trip.

Improved market sentiments helped mutual funds’ assets under management (AUM) soar by Rs 80,000 crore or nine percent to Rs 9.85 lakh crore in the first quarter of the current fiscal.

The country’s 44 fund houses together had an average AUM of Rs 9.85 lakh crore during April-June quarter of 2014-15, up from Rs 9.05 lakh crore in the preceding three months, according to the latest data available with Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI).

However, AUM had touched a record Rs 10.11 lakh crore at the end of May.

Bangladesh needs to take more concrete steps to improve safety of its workers before US President Barack Obama could consider revoking its suspension from the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) trade benefits, a top US administration official has said.

At the same time, US Trade Representative (USTR) noted that Bangladesh has made some important progress with regard to worker rights and worker safety issues.

The transfer of Syrian chemicals from a Danish container ship to a US vessel was completed in an Italian port, the Pentagon has said.

The transfer of Syrian chemicals from Danish container Ark Futura to the US Motor Vessel Cape Ray is complete, the Pentagon said yesterday.

“Cape Ray departed the Italian port of Gioia Tauro this afternoon for international waters in the Mediterranean Sea, where neutralisation operations will soon begin.

The neutralisation process should take several weeks to complete,” the Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Admiral John Kirby, said.

Animated film ‘Frozen’ has become the biggest-selling soundtrack album since ‘Mamma Mia!’ in the UK.

The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for the Disney film was certified Double Platinum this week, reported Digital Spy.

‘Frozen’ is closing in on NOW 87 as the biggest-selling album of 2014 to date, with the film having already claimed the accolade for the highest-grossing animated film in history.

‘Let It Go’, the lead song from the soundtrack, has spent 28 consecutive weeks in the Top 40 on the Official Singles Chart, and has now been certified Gold in the UK.