Month: November 2014

4.3 magnitude quake shakes Costa Rican capital

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A 4.3 magnitude earthquake shook the Costa Rican capital of San Jose early Saturday morning, with no initial reports of casualties or damage.

The quake struck at 1:23 am (0723 GMT) with an epicenter near the town of Alajuelita, in the southern San Jose metropolitan area, the country`s National Seismological Network said.

Despite its strength, initial reports have cited no major injuries or damage to buildings, although residents in the capital area told local radio that house and car alarms had been triggered.

Digvijay wants Rahul to take over, Cong distances

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Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh today stirred a controversy by saying that time has come for Rahul Gandhi to take charge of the party from his mother Sonia Gandhi, a statement that was described as his “personal views” by the party.

“It’s a general feeling of Congress workers that Congress has always encouraged younger people to lead the party. Therefore, now I think the time has come when Rahul Gandhi should take charge,” Singh told reporters here.

Chandigarh court issues notice to Aamir Khan

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A court here has issued notice to Bollywood actor Aamir Khan seeking his response by December 19 on a petition alleging that he promoted homosexuality on his popular TV show ‘Satyamev Jayate’.

Admitting the petition by advocate Mandeep Kaur, the court of civil judge Jaswinder Singh yesterday had issued notice to Aamir Khan to file a reply by December 19.

In her petition, Kaur alleged that Aamir Khan’s conduct on his show ‘Satyamev Jayate’ was a violation of the Supreme Court order on homosexuality.

Climate change threatens global health security: UNEP

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The rapid propagation in recent years of infectious diseases such as Malaria, Chikungunya and even Ebola is one more example of how climate change threatens global health security.

“Climatic changes also affect temperatures and regional climates, the conditions on which, for instance, in the continent of Africa, mosquitoes may spread from one region to another,” Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) , told Efe news agency Friday in a telephone interview from Nairobi.

Anne Hathaway’s hubby proposed just moments after she agreed to go bald for ‘Les Miserables’

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Anne Hathaway has recently revealed that her husband, Adam Shulman, had proposed to her just moments after she told him she was balding her head for the role of ‘Fantine’ in ‘Les Miserables.’

The ‘One Day’ star, who looked absolutely stunning on her wedding day in September 2012, wore a headdress designed by Valentino, the Daily Express reported.

Hathaway also mentioned that cutting up all her hair was her suggestion because as it raised the stakes for the audience, however, when the cutting began she started feeling weird and nervous. (ANI)

Haryana districts to have ‘CM window’ for grievance redressal

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Haryana government will set up a ‘CM window’ in each district of the state for grievance redressal of the people.

“A CM-Window would be set up at every district headquarter to redress grievances of the people so that they don’t have to come to Chandigarh for the same,” Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar was quoted as saying in a statement here.

The Chief Minister also exhorted the officers and officials to be punctual and reach their offices on time.

An app to avoid smartphone distraction

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Getting distracted by your smartphone? An app called Offtime helps you get rid of apps and notifications at a time when you need to focus on important work.

The app also prevents people from contacting you unless in an emergency.

Offtime was developed by a Berlin-based psychologist Alexander Steinhart, who recently commissioned a study on smartphone usage at the Humboldt University’ Institute of Psychology.

Sri Lanka accuses UN rights body of bias in report about Tamil students’ murder

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Sri Lanka has accused the UN’s Human Rights Committee of bias in its report on the investigation into the murders of five Tamil students in the eastern port town of Trincomalee in 2006.

Sri Lankan information minister and government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said that the UN body had singled out Sri Lanka while overlooking many atrocities committed by the LTTE during the island’s brutal three-decade civil war.

New credit transfer system to be presented on Nov 11: Smriti Irani

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Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani Saturday said that a new credit transfer system from class 9 up till the Ph.D level will be presented Nov 11.

“You will be pleased to know that on Nov 11 we will be presenting to the nation a credit transfer system from class 9 onward up to PhD, which…gives you enough credits to get back into the university system…,” she said.

Irani was addressing a gathering of student leaders at Lead On, an inter-school leadership summit organised at the Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar here.

Lanka hunt for landslide victims continues

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The search for victims buried in the deadly landslide in central Sri Lanka is still ongoing, the military said today.

Local army commander Major General Mano Perera said the military rescue teams have been helped by better weather in the central hill district of Haldummula.

“We are experiencing clear weather today which is drying out the dampness,” Perera said.

Troops dug out the sixth dead body today since the tragedy struck on Wednesday morning.

Perera said the body of a middle aged woman was found.

China launches erectile dysfunction drug less than half the price of Viagra

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A Chinese brand has launched a new drug that will help erectile dysfunction, which is about 60-percent cheaper for every tablet than sildenafil-based foreign products.

Guangzhou Baiyuanshan Pharmaceutical Holdings Co has officially launched China’s first sildenafil-based medicine for erectile dysfunction, named ‘Jin’ge,’ which literally translates as “golden spear,” the China Daily reported.

It was a generic drug similar to the US-based company Pfizer’s Viagra, whose patent in China expired in May.

Somali pirates free 7 Indian sailors held hostage for 4 years

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Somali pirates have reportedly released seven Indian sailors who were held hostage for nearly four years.

According to News 24, Somali officials and a maritime monitoring group said on Friday that the sailors were freed in exchange for an undisclosed ransom

The sailors, who were taken captive after the pirates hijacked the Panama-flagged ship MT Asphalt Venture in September 2010, were freed on Thursday.

The pirates had earlier released eight of their colleagues along with the ship in April 2011 for a ransom.

Nine killed in Afghanistan suicide bombing

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Nine security personnel were killed while 20 civilians were injured in a suicide car bombing in the eastern Afghan province of Lowgar Saturday, the provincial government spokesman said.

“One militant set off an explosives-laden vehicle at an Afghan Local Police (ALP) security checkpoint at around 12 noon. As a result six ALP personnel and three Afghan army soldiers were killed and 20 civilians, including six children, sustained injuries,” spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish told Xinhua.

‘Chicken Tikka Masala’ becomes new favorite takeaway for French

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The French are ditching their sumptuous home dishes for Chicken tikka masala.

Marks and Spencer’s head of international food, Jill Bruce, said that the dish had become their top selling ready meal in Paris, and had given a big boost to the chain, the Daily Star reported.

She added that the brand had 10 stores in Paris, with its flagship food court in Beaugrenelle, close to the Eiffel Tower, shifting 70,000 Indian takeaway boxes each year.

We have right to develop areas along China border: Rijiju

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Brushing aside China’s reservations to its plans to develop infrastructure along the border, government today said it has every right to undertake such projects in Indian territory and no one can stop it.

“We will do certain infrastructural activities which have not been done in the last 60 years. The Chinese should not have a problem with my statement…. They cannot stop me from doing my work,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told reporters here on the sidelines of a function here.

India resume World Cup build-up against ‘under-cooked’ Sri Lanka

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Their World Cup build-up halted by West Indies team’s sudden mid-series pullout, India would resume the preparations for the mega-event when they square off against under-cooked sub-continental rivals Sri Lanka in a hastily-arranged ODI series starting here tomorrow.

A series against the depleted Lankans on surfaces totally different from those on offer in Australia and New Zealand may not be the ideal launchpad but it would certainly give the reigning world champions an opportunity to test their bench strength under stand-in skipper Virat Kohli.

Odisha imposes fishing ban for turtle nesting

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The Odisha government Saturday imposed a seven-month fishing ban along its coast to protect endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles which come to the state beaches for mass nesting every winter, an official said. Reuters file photo
The Odisha government Saturday imposed a seven-month fishing ban along its coast to protect endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles which come to the state beaches for mass nesting every winter, an official said.

Drugs to abet cancer cells suicide found

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British scientists have found a drug combination that can trigger the self-destruct process in lung cancer cells — paving the way for new treatments.

The combination of two drugs, called TRAIL and a CDK9 inhibitor, forced the cancer cells to self-destruct, the findings showed.

When healthy cells are no longer useful, they initiate a chain of events culminating in self destruction.

But cancer cells swerve away from this suicide path and become immortal. This means that cells grow out of control — causing tumours to form.

Music Composer Yuvan Shankar Raja embraces Islam

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Popular music composer Ilaiyaraja’s younger son, Yuvan Shankar Raja, has converted to Islam.

Though the rumour was going around for quite some time, Yuvan, a music composer, confirmed this in a tweet.

There were rumours that Yuvan, who was married twice, was now going to marry a Muslim woman.

However, he has denied the rumours.

Yuvan got married to his longtime friend Sujaya in 2005. But they got divorced in 2007.

In 2011, he married Shilpa. But the second marriage also went through turbulence.

Bakers cook up 600-feet long cake to celebrate 131st anniversary of cake baking in India

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Bakers in Kerala have created a record by making the longest eggless cake to celebrate the 131st anniversary of cake baking in India.

The 600-feet long cake has been recorded by the officials of Limca Book of Records and certified as the “Longest ever made eggless cake in India”.

The cake weighing around 3120 kilogram has been imprinted with 720 photos of historic people, political leaders, well-known personalities, cultural art forms, temples, churches and even famous captive temple elephants of Kerala are printed using edible digital printing technique.

Clarke fights as Australia crumble in second Test

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Skipper Michael Clarke held firm amid a wicket slide as Australia crumbled to 120-5 on the third day of the second Test in Abu Dhabi today.

Resuming at 22-1, Australia lost four wickets, two each to paceman Rahat Ali and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar as Pakistan tightened their grip after posting a big first innings total of 570 at Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Clarke was unbeaten on 34 with Mitchell Marsh on eight as Australia, trailing the series 0-1, need another 251 runs to avoid the follow on.

‘Happy Ending’ is a spoof on Bollywood, says actress Kalki Koechlin

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Actress Kalki Koechlin is returning to the big screen after a year-long gap with ‘Happy Ending’, which she says is a spoof on Bollywood romantic comedies.

The film helmed by ‘Go Goa Gone’ fame director duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK, also stars Saif Ali Khan, Govinda and Ileana D’Cruz.

In ‘Happy Ending’, the 30-year-old actress, whose last release was ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ in 2013, plays an America-returned girl obsessed with Saif’s character.

1984 riots anniversary: Human rights groups demand justice for victims

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Human rights groups took out a protest march through the national capital on Saturday to seek justice for the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots on its 30th anniversary.

“Today, human rights groups have come together to demand justice for the victims of 1984 and also for punishment to the guilty. They are also demanding that wherever there has been communal violence and the people are killed in the name of religion or caste, the guilty should be punished, and the government should sternly deal with it,” said senior advocate H.S. Phoolka, who also participated in the protest.

All colleges in India should be disabled friendly, says Bombay High Court

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The Bombay High Court has directed Chief Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities at the Centre and in Maharashtra to instruct all educational institutions in the country to provide a barrier-free environment for disabled students by March 2015.

The direction was given yesterday by a bench headed by Chief Justice Mohit Shah on a petition filed by Akanksha Vardhaman Kale, a handicapped student in Pune.

The judges directed the government to file a compliance report by December 15 saying that such arrangements had been provided or were being made.

BJP welcomes move to challenge death sentence awarded to Tamil Nadu fishermen

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The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday welcomed New Delhi’s decision to legally challenge the death sentence awarded to five fishermen from Tamil Nadu by a Sri Lankan court for alleged drug trafficking.

“In keeping with the struggle of the five fishermen who have been awarded death sentence in Sri Lanka, the spokesperson of MEA has maintained that the Indian Government would continue with legal and consular assistance to these five Indian fishermen. This is a welcome step,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.