Month: January 2015

Dr Reddy’s Q3 Net declines 7.09% to Rs 574.53 crore

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Drug major Dr Reddy’s Laboratories on Thursday reported 7.09 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 574.53 crore for the quarter ended December 2014.

The company had posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 618.42 crore in the October-December period of the previous financial year, it said in a BSE filing.

However, consolidated net sales rose 8.75 per cent to Rs 3,843.10 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 3,533.76 crore a year earlier, it added.

Huma Qureshi debuts short haircut

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Bollywood actress Huma Qureshi has bid adieu to her long tresses and gone for a short red hairdo.

Chopping off long locks seems to be the latest fashion fad among B-Town actresses with Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra and Sonakshi Sinha sporting a shorter hairstyle.

“Snip Snip Red!! #newhaircut #nofilter #nomakeup,” Huma posted on twitter alongside a picture of her new look.

The 28-year-old actress is awaiting the release of her upcoming film ‘Badlapur’ in which she shares screen with Varun Dhawan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Divya Dutta, Radhika Apte and Yami Gautam.

Google says YouTube too crammed to keep check on terror related videos

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Google says that its video-sharing website YouTube is overloaded to the point where the staff is finding it difficult to filter terror related content.

The overflowing content on the site is slowing down the task to stop terrorists from uploading propaganda and hostage videos.

According to CBS News, Google Public Policy Manager Verity Harding said that about 300 hours of video material is being uploaded to YouTube every minute, making it virtually impossible for the company to filter all images.

Telangana BJP launches unique tech platform to connect to cadres

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In an innovative technology initiative, the Telangana BJP unit Thursday launched a digital content distribution platform that will help the party headquarters to communicate with party activists across the state.

“Party activists are linked up through mobile phones. 3G technology is not needed. We can send audio, video clippings, they can download. They can get the speeches of Vajpayeeji, Modiji, Centre’s development programmes and also party activities,” Telangana BJP president and MLA G Kishan Reddy said.

Ashok Leyland posts Rs.32 crore profit

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Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland Thursday said it has posted a turnover of Rs.3,361 crore and a net profit of Rs.32.09 crore for the third quarter of the current fiscal.

In a statement issued here, the company said it reported a revenue of Rs.3,361 crore for the third quarter — up from Rs.1,953.21 crore logged during the corresponding period last year.

The net profit, too, increased to Rs.32.09 crore for the period under review from a net loss of Rs.167.21 crore posted during the same period last fiscal.

Tom Brady details wife Gisele Bundchen’s Super Bowl XLIX Game plan

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Tom Brady has revealed about his wife Gisele Bundchen ‘s Super Bowl XLIX Game plan.

Footballer said that his wife, who is at home in Boston taking care of everybody, all the kids, is gonna come out this weekend, E! Online reported.

Brady added that there’s obviously a lot going on with media day and their preparations there, so Bundchen is taking care of the home front.

BJP, PDP close to forming J-K state government

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hinted at the possible formation of a new government in Jammu and Kashmir soon in the wake of an understanding with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Talks are on. We, the BJP are trying to form the government soon so that we can give Jammu and Kashmir a good government and to keep the problems of people at bay. Soon, within a week you will get to hear the good news,” Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hina Bhat said.

Union minister Naqvi gets bail, courts stays conviction

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A district court has stayed the conviction of Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for violating prohibitory orders in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election, and granted him bail.

District judge P K Goyal granted relief to the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Wednesday after his lawyers contended that police action was “politically motivated” and there was no evidence to support their allegations against Naqvi.

Be ready for female Taxi Drivers in Hyderabad

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The first batch of “She Taxis” is set to begin its service from next month.

Well equipped with GPS live tracking system, a dedicated call centre facility, SOS (crisis) button to alert nearby police stations, pepper spray etc, the ‘She Taxi’ will carry out its reliable service.

According to C. Ramesh, the deputy transport commissioner of Ranga Reddy, “Currently, the women drivers are enrolled in a one-month program at the Maruti Training School in Himayathnagar where they are undergoing training through both in-house simulator and on-road practice.”

One labour dead, three injured as building collapses in Delhi

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Three labourers were injured and one died after an under-construction building collapsed in the East Kidwai Nagar area of the national capital on Thursday.

A labourer, Mahesh Kumar, said they died due to collapsing of loose soil on them.

“It has been said that four people were injured. Three are fine but one is dead. They were wearing helmet and shoes. Due to collapsing of soil on them, they died,” said Kumar.

Reportedly, the injured were rushed to the hospital soon after the incident.

Haider role costs Imam his job, sues director for Rs.50 lakh

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Imam Ghulam Hassan Shah who did a cameo in the Bollywood film Haider, which involved reciting the nikah of Gazala Mir (Tabu), is no longer in the position of an Imam as the local mosque accused him of performing an unethical act.

Shah, a resident of south Kashmir area of Qazigund use to discharges his duty as ‘Imam’ for more than seven years has been expelled by the management of Masjide-Baba Dawood Khaki in the old city of Srinagar.

Delhi polls: BJP to eschew manifesto, will issue a ‘vision document’

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday announced that it will eschew a manifesto for the forthcoming Delhi polls and will instead come up with a ‘vision document’.

“BJP will not release a manifesto for Delhi polls but will come up a vision document,” said senior BJP leader Ananth Kumar.

The party’s chief ministerial candidate, Kiran Bedi, however, has shared a blueprint for Delhi’s development on her social media account, beginning with a 25 point action plan for women’s safety.

Modi Government should act on rights pledges: HRW World Report

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government should bring public officials, police, and military personnel who commit serious rights abuses to justice, Human Rights Watch said today in the release of its World Report 2015.

The government, elected in May 2014, should act to fulfill its campaign commitments to implement laws promoting women’s rights, improve access to health and sanitation, end discrimination, and ensure development benefits for the poor and marginalized.

US SC holds 3 executions in abeyance amid drug row

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The United States Supreme Court has reportedly delayed the executions of three prisoners on death row after they claimed that the use of the sedative midazolam in the procedures is cruel.

Justices said Oklahoma could not carry on the executions of Richard Glossip, John Grant and Benjamin Cole by lethal injection using midazolam while the case is pending, reported the BBC.

The prisoners’ lawyers argued that midazolam posed an unconstitutional risk of pain and suffering.

The drug was used in three executions which are seen as botched in 2014.

Microsoft’s Eric Horvitz says artificial intelligence will ‘not’ end human race

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Microsoft head of research Eric Horvitz has said that though machines will eventually achieve a human-like consciousness, they do not pose a threat to the survival of mankind.

Horvitz said in an interview that there have been concerns about the long-term prospect that they lose control of certain kinds of intelligences, but he fundamentally doesn’t think that’s going to happen, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Govt. to sell stake in Coal India

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The Centre on Thursday announced that it will sell up to 10 percent stake in state owned Coal India in order to meet the fiscal deficit.

The decision to sell the stakes was reportedly cleared by a ministerial panel headed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley , with the government seeking to raise Rs 24,000 crores at the current market rates.

According to reports, five percent of the stake shall be divested in the company via the sale and another five percent shall be sold via the greenshoe option.

Bihar CM Jitan Manjhi, Tushar Gandhi attack Shiv Sena over demand to remove ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ words from Preamble

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Shiv Sena’s demand to remove the words ‘secular’ and ‘socialist’ from the Preamble of the Constitution on Thursday drew flak from Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi and Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi.

The two described the demand as “destructive”, “reprehensible” and “contemptuous statement made out of ignorance and bigotry” at a stamp and painting exhibition in the state capital to celebrate 100th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s arrival in India from South Africa.

Implementation of ‘Smart Cities’ projects to commence after talks: Naidu

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Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday stated that the implementation of projects related to the ‘Smart Cities’ initiative will commence after talks are finalised between the Centre and state governments.

Speaking at a conference here, Naidu confirmed that the selection of the cities shall also entail consultations with local and urban bodies.

Samsung sees drop in profits in Q4 2014

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Samsung seems to be losing on profits with the company making an operating profit of 5.29 trillion won (4.87 billion dollars) on 52.73 trillion won (48.6 billion dollars) in revenue last quarter.

According to the Verge, last year, Samsung’s operating profit was 8.31 trillion won from 59.28 trillion won revenue, meaning that these latest results reveal respective dips of 36 and 11 percent.

Despite increased sales of the Galaxy Note 4, the company’s mobile division is still down 64 percent year-on-year in terms of operating profit.

Emma Watson takes HeForShe campaign to Twitter, gives inspiring advice

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Emma Watson has recently taken it to her Twitter page to answer some questions about the HeForShe campaign, during which she delivered advice on the importance of equal rights for men and women.

When a young woman asked the 24-year-old actress on Twitter what she could do to change her dad’s view that engineering was a man’s profession, Watson replied “Become an engineer,” Stuff.co.nz reported.

Japan says ‘highly probable’ new Islamic State message is real

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Japan on Thursday said a fresh message from Islamic militants threatening to kill Japanese and Jordanian hostages was very likely genuine.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told journalists the recording, which demands the release of a failed suicide bomber, seemed real.

“We are in the process of confirming it but it is highly probable that the voice is (Kenji) Goto’s,” he said.

Tokyo is pleading with Amman to help rescue Goto, a journalist who was taken hostage by the Islamic State group.

India tops consumer sentiment chart, sharp turnaround: Credit Suisse

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In India, more people believe this is a good time for making big ticket purchases as average household income increased by around 10% in 2014 after being relatively steady the two previous years.

Consumer optimism in India has seen a sharp turnaround and the country has been ranked first among nine nations surveyed by Credit Suisse, thanks to a stable government and easing inflationary pressures.

According to the Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer Scorecard 2015, India topped the chart, moving up from fourth in last year’s list. India was followed by Brazil and Indonesia.

‘Spooked’ Pakistan all-rounder Harris Sohail finds mention on ESPN’s Keith Olbermann show

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Rookie Pakistan all-rounder Haris Sohail’s ‘ghost encounter’ in his Christchurch hotel room has earned him the tag of ‘World’s Worst Person in Sports’ by ESPN’s Olbermann program, that is hosted by Keith Olbermann.

Sohail had claimed that a ghost shook the bed in his Christchurch hotel room, and was so ‘shaken’ by his alleged ‘supernatural encounter’, that he insisted on switching rooms.

HRW World Report question’s Rajapaksa regime’s legacy of abuse

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Human Rights Watch has in its worls report questioned the previous Sri Lankan government for its legacy of abuse on human rights activists and journalists, particularly those urging justice for past war crimes.

The World Report 2015, which was released hre today, urged the current government of President Maithripala Sirisena to order investigations into arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and killings since the final military operations in 2009.

In the 656-page world report, its 25th edition, Human Rights Watch reviewed human rights practices in more than 90 countries.