Month: July 2014

Oil prices were mixed in Asia today as dealers await the release of a US stockpiles report for clues about demand in the world’s top crude consumer, while upbeat Chinese manufacturing data lent support.

Reuters

Oil prices were mixed in Asia today as dealers await the release of a US stockpiles report for clues about demand in the world’s top crude consumer, while upbeat Chinese manufacturing data lent support.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for August delivery rose one cent to USD 105.35 while Brent crude for August eased 15 cents to USD 112.14 in mid-morning trade.

The benchmark BSE Sensex climbed to a new record-high of 25,732.87 in opening trade today on sustained foreign fund inflows and buying by retail investors after Finance Minister said the government would take bold decisions in the forthcoming Budget to revive the economy.

The 30-share index, which had rallied by 453.68 points in the past three sessions, spurted by another 216.52 points, or 0.84 per cent, to trade at a fresh record high of 25,732.87, surpassing previous record of 25,725.12 reached on June 11.

Indicating that his maiden budget next week will not indulge in ‘mindless populism’, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday said the government would take bold decisions and pursue path of fiscal prudence to revive economy.

Listing out the challenges before the country, he said fiscal deficit is high, inflation is beyond acceptable limits and the fallout of Iraq crisis looms large on the economy.

Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert in comparative constitutional law, has become the first Indian-American dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a top US law school.

Born in Delhi and raised in Toronto, Choudhry, 44, who was the Cecelia Goetz Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and founder of its Centre for Constitutional Transitions, began a five-year term as Berkeley Law’s 12th dean Monday.

Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was seen touring near the international border in Pakistan in Islamkot, Meerpur Khas, Mithi and Kherpur areas, a report said on Tuesday night.

Islamkot, Meerpur Khas, Mithi and Kherpur in Sindh are opposite south west Tanot area of Jaisalmer border.

According to reports, the movement of Jamaat-ud-Dawah leader near the Rajasthan and Gujarat border were tracked for a month.

Saeed, one of the most wanted terrorists in India, has set up terrorist recruitment camps in the area, a news daily quoted BSF sources as saying.

All animals – from elephants to cats – that weigh more than 3 kilogrammes take about 20 seconds to pee, scientists have found.

Even though an elephant’s bladder is 3,600 times larger than a cat’s, both animals relieve themselves in about 20 seconds, researchers found.

The study investigated how quickly 32 animals urinate. It turns out that it’s all about the same. In fact, all animals that weigh more than 3 kilogrammes urinate in that same time span, they said.

Sujit Choudhry, a noted expert in comparative constitutional law, has become the first Indian-American dean of the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, a top US law school.

Born in Delhi and raised in Toronto, Choudhry, 44, who was the Cecelia Goetz Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and founder of its Centre for Constitutional Transitions, began a five-year term as Berkeley Law’s 12th dean Monday.

Armaan Jain, who has teamed up with Deeksha Seth in his debut film ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’, says he was very nervous working with his co-star because of her experience of “seven films”.

Directed by Arif Ali, ‘Lekar Hum Deewana Dil’ hits theatres July 4.

“Initially, I was under a lot of pressure about Deeksha having done seven films. I was nervous about how I was doing? Whether I was good or not? How would I do a certain thing? So, I was breaking my head about everything. So I was very nervous,” the 23-year-old said here Monday in an interview.

US President Barack Obama ignited a new power showdown with Republicans, vowing to improve the economy alone and said his administration created 9.4 million jobs in the last 51 months to “help the middle class” despite facing “obstruction”.

“We went through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, we have climbed back. Since then, we have created 9.4 million new jobs over the past 51 months,” Obama said.

“Corporate profits are up, stock market is up, housing is improving,” he said yesterday in his remarks on economy here.

Most sudden cardiac deaths are caused by abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias and researchers have uncovered new information about genes that may increase the risk of serious cardiac arrhythmias.

The researchers identified several new gene regions associated with variations in the QT interval – a stage in the heart’s electrical cycle that, if prolonged, increases the risk of drug-induced arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has saluted the efforts of the doctor community on Doctors’ Day.

“On Doctors’ Day I salute the efforts of the doctor community and wish them the very best in their efforts to create a healthy India,” Modi tweeted.

The National Doctors’ Day is celebrated on July 1 across India to honour the legendary physician and second chief minister of West Bengal Bidhan Chandra Roy.

He was born on July 1, 1882 and died on the same date in 1962, aged 80 years.

…………..ANI

Reforms by the Modi government are expected to drive the benchmark stock market index to a year-end target of 27,000 points, a US brokerage said.

“We continue to expect reforms to drive markets to our year-end target of 27,000 points though we could see near-term consolidation as it absorbs worries on a poor monsoon and the strife in Iraq,” Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) said in its India strategy report.

While talking about the red tape faced by those who want to start a new factory, Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar recounted a potentially controversial remark during a speech over the week-end.

“An IIM professor told me that a student of his told him during an interaction: ‘If I commit a rape I face one inspector, if I start a small-scale industry, there are 26 inspectors (to face)’,” Parrikar said, addressing the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s annual general body meeting on Saturday.

India yet again produced a listless bowling performance as Derbyshire piled up 326 for five at stumps of the first day of their second tour game ahead of five-match Test series against England, here today.

Billy Godleman (67 not out of 159 balls, 8x4s) and 17-year-old Harvey Hossein (53 not out of 89 balls, 8x4s) were at the crease at the end of opening day’s play.

The only bright spark for the visitors was the first hour of the lunch session when Ravindra Jadeja (2/27) and Ishwar Pandey (1/34) bowled well in tandem to pick up three quick wickets.

The US today asked Iraqi leaders to form a new government as soon as possible to unify the country as it confronts the very serious threat posed by Islamic militants who have captured a swathe of northern territory and declared Iraq and Syria a new Islamic state.

“It was important that Iraq’s new parliament convened today, as they pledged to do,” State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said.

“That was a good thing. But we do hope that Iraq’s leaders will move forward with the extreme urgency that the current situation deserves.”

The United States has asked the countries neighbouring Iraq, particularly Iran, to encourage an inclusive government in Baghdad for stability and peace in the region following a Sunni militant onslaught.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said: “What we would say to all the neighbours is that if you have an interest in reducing tensions inside of Iraq, that you should be encouraging inclusive governance.”

Iran, he argued, could play a role in using their influence to encourage an inclusive process of government formation.

The United States has welcomed the move by Japan to loosen restrictions on its powerful military allowing it to go into battle in defence of allies, saying the step is important for regional peace and security.

“I welcome the Government of Japan’s new policy regarding collective self-defence, which will enable the Japan Self- Defence Forces to engage in a wider range of operations and make the US-Japan alliance even more effective,” said Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel in a statement issued here yesterday.

Actress Olivia Munn works out every morning to combat obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

The ‘Deliver Us From Evil’ actress said she found the daily sessions with a personal trainer help ease the symptoms of the anxiety disorder, reported Contactmusic.

“To combat my OCD, a trainer helps me work out every day 6 am. I don’t know what he does, but it helps. We talked over the weekend,” she said.

The 33-year-old actress also admitted she never brushes her hair and isn’t faithful to using any particular product on it.

Actress Halle Berry agreed to star in new TV show ‘Extant’ because the script was so much better than the movies she was being offered.

The 47-year-old actress, who has children Nahla, six, with ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, and eight-month-old Maceo with husband Olivier Martinez, said she was unimpressed with the movie scripts she was receiving, reported Contactmusic.

“I was being offered parts that I felt like I had done before. They weren’t exciting enough for me to leave my family for four months. I realised some of the best writing especially for women, was on television.

Singer Bruno Mars gave a special performance to a little girl who recovered from car crash incident with the help of his songs.

Zumyah Thorpe was a survivor of a drunk driving incident which took place last year. The car crash killed her pregnant mother and two sisters. Surviving the crash, Zumyah suffered from some terrible brain injury, reported Ace Showbiz.

Her doctors then prescribed Mars’ songs to be played daily during her treatment in the hospital and the therapy seemed to have worked.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has called Afghan President Hamid Karzai and asked him to address the concerns of individual candidates vying to succeed him, amid fears that a poll dispute could lead to instability.

Kerry stressed the importance of national unity and a peaceful political process during his call the Karzai yesterday, a State Department spokesperson said.

The preliminary result of Afghanistan’s presidential election run-off was delayed for days for a recount of ballots in 2,000 voting centres.

On the eve of the most crucial round of talks between Iran and the world powers, the US has said that Tehran has a choice to make in the coming weeks to address concerns about its military nuclear programme.

Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes yesterday called on Iran to make right choices ahead of the talks with the so-called P5+1 nations comprising of the US, France, Britain, Russia, China and Germany.

“Our view here is that Iran now has a choice in the coming weeks. They should be able to demonstrate that their programme is peaceful,” Rhodes said.

Actor Robert Downey Jr. reportedly has been trying to help his son with his drug addiction.

The “Iron Man 3” star, who has battled with substance abuse in the past, has been providing counselling for his oldest son Indio, 20, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
“Because of Robert’s own strugglem, he’s very much in tune with his son’s sobriety. And that has really helped Indio,” said a source.

Indio, whose mother is Robert’s ex-wife Deborah Falconer, has reportedly been in and out of rehab centres for many years, but has managed to stay clean until recently.

Asserting that rivals will not be able to erase the historic role played by National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said his party is the people of the state.

Asserting that rivals will not be able to erase the historic role played by National Conference (NC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said his party is the people of the state.

The Madras High Court has ordered notices to Tamil Nadu and central governments on a PIL seeking a direction to authorities to consider an application by a Sri Lankan refugee girl for admission to MBBS course in the state.

The PIL, filed by woman advocate Sri Priya on the basis of media reports, said the application of T Nandhini, staying with her parents at the Arachalur refugee camp in Erode district, for MBBS course was not considered soley on the ground that she was a Sri Lankan refugee despite scoring 1,170 marks out of 1200 marks in Plus Two.