Month: January 2015

Indian made Dhruv helicopters suffer Eucadorian crisis; hit by spate of recent accidents

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Ecuadorian Air Force had bought seven Dhruv helicopters from state-run HAL in 2009 under a deal estimated to cost about USD 45 million. Two of them had crashed earlier while two suffered accidents recently, in a span of about a fortnight.

“Three aircraft have had their operations restricted because they are undergoing a complete check,” Security Minister Cesar Navas was quoted as saying by El Universo newspaper after the accident on January 27.

Assam CM Tarun Gogi to contest 2016 Assembly Elections from Titabar constituency

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On reports about his detractors, those above 70-years of age and non-performers being denied a Congress party ticket, Gogoi said, most of the contestants will be from among the existing 79 MLAs with some new faces.
Tarun-Gogoi Tarun Gogoi (File photo)
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said he will contest in the 2016 Assembly elections from the Titabar constituency in Jorhat district.

Ahmed Shareef Library to be taken over by Urdu Academy

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Waqf Board plans to hand over the Ahmed Shareef Library located at Hajj House to Urdu Academy to ensure its preservation. Action will soon be taken in this connection. The land on which Hajj House is presently located was previously the Razzaq Manzil, in whose mansha-e-Waqf a library was also included. Hence after the construction of Hajj House Ahmed Shareef Library was established fulfilling the mansha-e-Waqf but library authorities didn’t pay required attention to it. The rare books were locked in shelves and no one was allowed to read the books.

ISIS-linked group kills 25 soldiers in Egypt’s North Sinai

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Twenty-five soldiers were among 26 people killed when militants struck multiple security posts in Egypt’s North Sinai in a series of attacks, involving car bombs and mortar rounds, one of the deadliest assaults claimed by a group that recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

Rahul Gandhi never interfered in functioning of any ministry: Moily

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Terming the allegations made by former union minister Jayanthi Natarajan as false, senior Congress and former law minister M. Veerappa Moily on Friday stated that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi never interfered in the functioning of any ministry.

“Allegations made are absolutely false to the ground and Rahul Gandhi or Sonia ji at no point interfered with the discharge of the duties of any minister, including the Prime Minister [Manmohan Singh],” he told ANI here.

Saradha scam probe: Mukul Roy claims no wrong-doing

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Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, Mukul Roy, on Friday appeared before investigators to face interrogation in connection with his alleged involvement in a multi-million dollar investment scam, but denied any wrongdoing.

Emerging from the CBI building, Roy said he cooperated with the investigators.

ODI tri-series Scoreboard: India vs England

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Scoreboard of an ODI tri-series match between India and England at the WACA here Friday:

India:
Ajinkya Rahane c Buttler b Finn 73
Shikhar Dhawan c Buttler b Woakes 38
Virat Kohli c Root b Ali 8
Suresh Raina c Woakes b Ali 1
Ambati Rayudu c Buttler b Broad 12
Mahendra Singh Dhoni lbw b Anderson 17
Stuart Binny c Bell b Finn 7
Ravidra Jadeja c Finn b Broad 5
Axar Patel c Bell b Finn 1
Mohit Sharma not out 7
Mohammed Shami c Buttler b Woakes 25
Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6
Total (all out in 48.1 overs) 200

FBI investigating into fake Twitter bomb threats targeting US airlines

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The FBI is investigating into the rising number of fake bomb threats via Twitter that target specific flights in the United States

According to Sky News, an FBI spokesperson said that the threats need to be taken seriously.

The threat mails have affected at least 20 planes since Saturday.

American Airlines flight 1192 from Los Angeles had to land in Chicago on Wednesday following a tweet that said that there was a bomb in the plane.

The spokesperson also said that these threats were serious federal crimes and that they were disruptive for passengers and businesses.

England beat India by 3 wickets

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England booked a berth in the final of the ODI tri-series against Australia, courtesy a three-wicket win over India at the WACA here Friday.

India, put in to bat, were bowled out for 200 in 48.1 overs.

England were reduced to 66 for five but a 125-run partnership for the sixth wicket between James Taylor (82) and Jos Buttler (67) helped them score 201 for seven in 46.5 overs.

(IANS)

Modi, memories and Mumbai at India Art Fair

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Amid the maze of galleries representing modern and contemporary works, and art connoisseurs thronging the spacious venue of India Art Fair, a few artworks stand out for their theme, quirkiness and vision.

The exhibition is being held at NSIC Exhibition Grounds, Okhla, here.

Mumbai-based artist Viveek Sharma has paid an ode to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a painting titled “Sons of Same Soil”. The artist has placed the image of Modi, Mahatama Gandhi and the people of India in such a way that it looks like the Indian flag.

‘Centre committed to realising dream of Digital India’: PM Modi

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Taking his innovative use of social media and latest technology to the next level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday addressed the 18th National Conference on e-Governance through Twitter and added the Centre is committed to realising the dream of a Digital India.

This is the first time such an address has taken place through Twitter.

“Centre is committed to realising dream of a Digital India, with a vision to make India a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy,” tweeted Prime Minister Modi.

Amitabh Bachchan’s compliments brought tears to my eyes: Akshara Hassan

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Akshara Haasan did not have any plans to turn actor but when the offer to star in ‘Shamitabh’ came her way, she could not say no.

The 24-year-old actress, the younger daughter of Kamal Haasan and Sarika, worked as an assistant director for four years but never felt the need to shift to acting. It was while working with an ad agency, she met Balki and felt she was ready to switch and become an actress.

Van Ass, Thornton to coach Indian hockey teams

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Former Dutch national coach Paul van Ass and Anthony Thornton of New Zealand were Friday named the new coaches of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams, respectively.

The names were finalised at a special selection committee meeting headed by secretary sports Ajit Sharan, Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Batra, high performance director Roelant Oltmans, Olympian Harbinder Singh among other Sports Authority of India (SAI) officials.

Let truth be revealed: Mukul Roy after CBI grilling

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Trinamool Congress general secretary Mukul Roy, who was grilled for around four and a half hours Friday by the CBI in connection with the Saradha ponzi scam, said he wanted the truth to come out and the investigation to move in the right direction.

“Let the truth be revealed. Let the investigation move in the right direction,” Roy told media persons after coming out of the Central Bureau of Investigation office in the afternoon.

The former railway minister promised to come to the agency’s office and talk to the investigators if they call him for the sake of the probe.

Texas executes prisoner with alleged intellectual disability

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The US state of Texas executed convicted killer Robert Ladd who was jailed for the murder of a woman in 1996 after the Supreme Court rejected the defence’s last minute argument of intellectual disability.

Ladd, a 57-year-old African-American, was declared dead Thursday after receiving a lethal injection at Huntsville prison, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Witnesses to the execution were two people who Ladd had exchanged correspondence with during his imprisonment.

Sensex closes 499 points down; bank stocks plummet

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A benchmark index of Indian equities markets closed Friday’s trade down 499 points or 1.68 percent, as banking, automobile and consumer durables stocks declined.

The markets plunged after scaling a new high of 29,844.16 points in the morning trade session. It surpassed the previous high of 29,786.32 points touched Jan 28.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 29,801.60 points, was trading at 29,182.95 points, down 498.82 points or 1.68 percent from the previous day’s close at 29,681.77 points.

20 killed in Shia mosque blast in Pakistan

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At least 20 people were reportedly killed and 55 injured in an explosion inside a central imambargah — mosque affiliated with Shia Muslims — in Pakistan’s Sindh province Friday.

Over 55 people were injured in the blast that was heard several kilometres away. Children are also reportedly among the dead and injured, The News International reported citing Shaukat Memon, medical superintendent of Civil Hospital in Shikarpur.

The imambargah is located in Lakhi Dar area of Shikarpur district and the explosion occurred just after Friday prayers.

Congress man who took DPCC website down joins AAP

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Days after he quit Congress and created a controversy by taking down the website of the party state unit, Sanjey Puri on Thursday joined Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) along with scores of Janakpuri block Congress workers.

Puri, who was the Computer and Research Department head of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC), was reportedly unhappy over being denied a ticket for the upcoming Assembly elections from the Janakpuri constituency.

Anjuman-e-Islam to present Urdu Ramayana, Gita, Hanuman Chalisa

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The Ramayana, Gita, Hanuman Chalisa and Mahabharata, are the epic Indian mythological texts which are a given in almost every Hindu household.

What if these texts are revealed their Persian and Urdu avatar to the writers and littérateurs?

Come Saturday, and the Karimi library hall, housed in the 140-year-old educational institute Anjumani-I-Islam in CST will offer a digital presentation of these books that date back to the post 1857 period.

Cate Blanchett ‘goes commando’ at AACTA Awards in Australia

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Cate Blanchett has walked the red carpet at the 2015 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards at Sydney’s The Star in a full-length pink and black Alexander McQueen gown with kimono sleeves and with no underwear on.

As the 45-year-old actress posed up a storm for photographers, she admitted that she was not wearing any knickers as she obviously didn’t want to run the risk of sporting a VPL, E! Online reported.

Other big names at the AACTAs included Rose Byrne and boyfriend Bobby Cannavale, Mia Wasikowska and Geoffrey Rush. (ANI)

Oprah celebrates 61st b’day with Beyonce, Ellen DeGeneres’ special wishes

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Oprah Winfrey has celebrated her 61st birthday with some special wishes by many big shots on social media.

Beyonce posted a black-and-white image of the famed media personality as a little girl on Instagram and wished her happy birthday, whereas Ellen DeGeneres blessed Winfrey to have a special day just like she has it everyday, on Twitter, the Us Magazine reported.

The 61-year-old talk-show host seemed to be enjoying her special day, as she shared a picture of herself holding baskets of fresh veggies, on Instagram.

BSL jawans open fire on teenagers

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A security guard of Bhushan Steel Limited (BSL) at Meramundali opened fire on a group of boys playing near a tank close to steel plant’s boundary wall, leaving three boys injured on Thursday afternoon.

The injured boys have been identified as Amar Nayak (15), Laxmidhar Nayak (16) and Manoj Nayak (17) of Talabahal village.

Angry villagers hit the road soon after the news spread, Protesting against the firing and demanding compensation for the victims. They demanded the action against the BSL authorities and the security guards who are responsible for this.

Reddit’s first transparency report reveals only 55 requests for user data received in 2014

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Reddit has released its first transparency report, revealing that the link-sharing website received only 55 requests for user data in 2014.

According to Mashable, the report reveals that Reddit, which boasts more than 174 million users, turned over data for only 32 (58pc) of those requests.

The figure seems irrelevant when compared to that of Google and Facebook , which received 32,000 and 35,000 similar requests, respectively

The company said in its report: “At Reddit, we believe transparency about our privacy practices encourages trust and more user expression.”

Better diet and nutrition critical in maintaining mental health

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Scientists claim that a good diet and proper nutrition is essential in maintaining mental health.

A new international study led by the University of Melbourne and Deakin University has stated that as with a range of medical conditions, psychiatry and public health should now recognise and embrace diet and nutrition as key determinants of mental health.

Twitter cofounders come to CEO Dick Costolo’s aid amid criticism from investors, analysts

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Twitter cofounders have come out in support of the social networking site’s CEO Dick Costolo amid a series of criticisms of his performance by investors and analysts.

According to Mashable, Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s cofounder and current CEO of Square, issued a lengthy tweetstorm on Thursday in which he praised the progress of the social network and offered a firm endorsement of Costolo’s leadership.

Demonstrating its support for Costolo, Twitter later went on to promote Dorsey’s tweets.