Month: January 2015

Goa Governor blames Western tourists for causing ‘social diseases’ in state

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Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday warned people against the onslaught of certain “social diseases” in the coastal state brought in by tourists and asked citizens to exercise caution against the possible excesses of their culture.

Goa Governor Mridula Sinha on Monday warned people against the onslaught of certain “social diseases” in the coastal state brought in by tourists and asked citizens to exercise caution against the possible excesses of their culture.

India, Pak troops exchange sweets on R-Day

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Indian and Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) today exchanged sweets at three places in Jammu and Kashmir on the occasion of Republic Day.

A unit of 12 Infantry Brigade of the Army exchanged sweets with their Pakistan counterparts at Kaman Post in Uri sector on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road, defence sources said.

They said sweets were also exchanged with Pakistani troops at Teetwal in Tangdhar sector of Kashmir and at Chakan-da-Bagh in Poonch Sector of Jammu region.

Republic Day celebrations: First all women march by army, navy and air force personnel

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India witnessed the first march by women army, navy and air force personnel at the 66th Republic Day parade on Monday.
File Photo AFP photo
India witnessed the first march by women army, navy and air force personnel at the 66th Republic Day parade on Monday.

The Republic Day celebrations started with the unfurling of the national flag by the President. Thereafter, the national anthem was played and President Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Hamid Ansari and other dignitaries paid respect to the tri-coloured flag.

India’s cultural heritage, military might on display on Republic Day

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Multi-hued images of India’s rich cultural diversity and military might as well as achievements in diverse fields unfolded on Monday at the 66th Republic Day parade, which had a US President–Barack Obama–as the Chief Guest for the first time.
Reuters
Multi-hued images of India’s rich cultural diversity and military might as well as achievements in diverse fields unfolded on Monday at the 66th Republic Day parade, which had a US President–Barack Obama–as the Chief Guest for the first time.

WB tableaux not allowed in R-Day parade despite requests: TMC

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Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien today said the Centre did not allow West Bengal’s tableaux, depicting the “path breaking Kanya Shree initiative”, to participate in the Republic Day parade in the capital despite repeated requests by the state government

“Bengal tableaux for Republic Day depicting path breaking Kanya Shree initiative was not allowed. We requested, but no…,” Brien told PTI.

Malaysian airlines’ website hacked with ‘404-Plane Not Found’ message on front page

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The website of Malaysian Airlines has been taken over by hackers who have uploaded a picture of a lizard on the front page along with a message which read “404 – Plane Not Found”, an apparent reference to the missing flight MH370.

According to the Mirror, the front page was replaced by the picture of a lizard wearing a black tuxedo, a monocle and a pipe.

A rap song also plays when one accesses the site that seems to refer to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

The hack is done by Lizard Squad, a group known for so-called denial of service attacks.

Terrorism/LWE big challenges to development: Governor

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Appealing to Maoists to shun the path of violence, Jharkhand Governor Syed Ahmed today said terrorism and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) were big challenges to the progress of the state and the nation.

Unfurling the tri-colour on the 66th Republic Day celebrations here, Ahmed said the state has taken a strong initiative in rooting out LWE.

Lauding the initiatives in linking security strategies with progressive works in Jharkhand, Ahmed said now the security personnel could participate in developmental works along with anti-Naxal operations.

Padma Shri came as a pleasant surprise: Mithali Raj

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Surprised at being selected for the Padma Shri, Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj says she was not expecting the prestigious honour with some men’s team superstars also in the race.

“Honestly when I was pitted against Virat Kohli, I gave up because when you compare us with men’s cricket then we think that we may not get it. So I was not expecting it, but it came as a pleasant surprise,” Mithali told PTI from her Hyderabad home.

Acharya urges Nagaland people to work for better future

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Nagaland Governor P B Acharya today called upon the people of the state to work together towards realising the vision for a better future for themselves and posterity.

“As we embark upon the journey of another year of our Republic, it is time to take stock not only of our achievements but also of the challenges that lie ahead,” said the Governor while addressing the 66th Republic Day parade after unfurling the National tri-colour at Secretariat Plaza here.

Modi wears colourful Rajasthani turban for R-Day

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi adorned a colourful Rajasthani bandhani turban at the Republic Day celebrations today, having addressed the nation wearing a similar headgear on the Independence day.

While he wore a bright-red bandhani turban during his address on Independence Day, the Prime Minister had put on a Rajasthani ‘safa’ as he took part in the Republic Day celebrations this morning.

Chendur Pandian is Minister without portfolio

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Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today divested Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments portfolio held by ailing Minister P Chendur Pandian and allocated it to Minister for Food R Kamaraj.

Chendur Pandian will, however, continue to be a minister in the Panneerselvam Ministry, a communique from Raj Bhavan here said.

Pandian is undergoing treatment since January 12 in a private hospital.

Pak arrests 9,000 suspected militants

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Pakistani authorities have arrested at least 9,000 suspected militants, including over 3,000 clerics, as part of a massive crackdown launched by security forces on militants and their sympathisers.

The arrests were part of the National Action Plan (NAP) to eliminate militancy after Taliban last month attacked a school and killed 136 students.

Up to 3,100 clerics of various seminaries and mosques in Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad have been picked up so far.

One killed in road mishap in UP

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A 40-year-old man was killed and another got injured when their jeep was hit by a speeding truck on Utraula road in city area here, police said today.

The incident took place yesterday when the speeding truck hit the jeep due to which it fell into a roadside ditch killing driver Rampal Yadav on the spot while injuring passenger Virendra Singh.

Singh has been rushed to a hospital, where his condition was stated to be stable, they said.

According to police, an FIR has been registered in the matter and no arrests have so far been made in this connection.

Chewing gum can remove millions of oral bacteria

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Just 10 minutes of chewing gum can remove 100 million bacteria from your mouth, according to a new study which suggests chewing gum may be as good as flossing.

Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands found that chewing gum can trap and remove bacteria from the oral cavity.

In the study, five biomedical engineering students were recruited to chew two different standard types of spearmint gum for various lengths of time ranging from 30 seconds to 10 minutes.

Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif holds talks with China’s military top brass

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Amid Indo-US bonhomie, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Sunday met China’s military top brass here with the two sides agreeing to enhance long-term bilateral defence collaboration, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Amid Indo-US bonhomie, Pakistan Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif on Sunday met China’s military top brass here with the two sides agreeing to enhance long-term bilateral defence collaboration, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism cooperation.

Telangana debuts at R-Day parade

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Telangana made its debut at the Republic Day Parade this year, displaying the state’s illustrious festival ‘Bonalu’ in the tableau.

Telangana, which came into existence in June 2014 as the 29th state of India, showcased Golkonda Fort in its tableau from where the festival starts. Goddess Mahankali is celebrated during the Bonalu festival.

As musicians played traditional tunes, women, who were attired in traditional dress showcased the culture of the newly carved-out state.

Participants played musical instruments like Dappu, Kommu, Tasha and Pagadam.

R-day celebrated peacefully in Odisha

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The 66th Republic Day was celebrated across Odisha with gaiety and enthusiasm amid tight security today with the state government affirming its commitment to make the state prosperous.

Governor S C Jamir unfurled the tri-colour at the main function on the majestic Mahatma Gandhi Road in the state capital, while Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik did so at the historic Barabati stadium in Cuttack.

`Birdman`, `Orange Is the New Black ` win big at SAG Awards

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‘ Birdman’ won the award for the best ensemble cast in movies at recently held SAG Awards whereas ‘Orange Is the New Black’ took home the award for best ensemble cast and best female actor.

Eddie Redmayne from ‘The Theory of Everything’ was awarded with the outstanding performance by a male actor in a leading role and Julianne Moore from ‘Still Alice’ won the award for the best actress, Deadline.com reported.

‘Downtown Abbey’ won the award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.

Clarke powers through wet training session at SCG

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Australian skipper Michael Clarke braved the pouring rain, powering through a wet training session at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here Monday to continue his race against the clock to be fit for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

According to Cricket Australia (CA) website, the inured skipper ran lap after lap at a good pace and appeared unimpeded on his surgically repaired hamstring.

Clarke must be fit and available for selection for Australia’s second World Cup group stage clash against Bangladesh Feb 21 or he will be replaced in the 15-man squad for the remainder of the tournament.

Afghan economic crisis looms as foreign aid dollars depart

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Afghanistan’s fragile economy has lost around a third of its value in the past year as international aid organizations that poured in cash for more than a decade have drastically scaled back after Western forces effectively ended their 13-year war against the Taliban.

Assuming power in September amid a continuing Taliban insurgency, President Ashraf Ghani inherited a moribund economy and an electorate weary of endemic corruption and soaring unemployment.

‘Jerky eyes’ can help diagnose anorexia with 95pc accuracy

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Researchers were recently revealed that people with anorexia subtly move their eyes in a jerky fashion, which can help in diagnose the disease with 95 per cent accuracy.

Melbourne researchers have discovered a new biomarker that could be used to help diagnose Anorexia, News.com.au reported.

Researchers from Swinburne University, The University of Melbourne and St Vincent’s Hospital found people with anorexia displayed eye movements called square wave jerks which, they said, only a small number of healthy individuals have.

Taste of ‘umami’ may prove beneficial for health

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Umami taste, which is one of the five basic tastes, could also prove beneficial for health, says a new research.

Despite the widely held belief that monosodium glutamate (MSG) was an unhealthy addition to food, researchers from Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, Japan, show that the taste it triggers, umami, is important for health, especially in elderly people.

Having heartburn for three weeks can be sign of `cancer`

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A new study has recently revealed that heartburn for three or more weeks can be sign of oesophageal or stomach cancer.

A national Be Clear on Cancer campaign launch coincides with results of a new survey commissioned by Public Health England, whichreveals only one in two people would visit their doctor if they had heartburn most days for three weeks or more, the Mirror reported.

Having heartburn for three weeks can be sign of `cancer`

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A new study has recently revealed that heartburn for three or more weeks can be sign of oesophageal or stomach cancer.

A national Be Clear on Cancer campaign launch coincides with results of a new survey commissioned by Public Health England, whichreveals only one in two people would visit their doctor if they had heartburn most days for three weeks or more, the Mirror reported.

Google marks R-Day with tableau doodle

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Google paid tribute to 66th Republic Day with a special doodle done up as a tableau, showcasing the stretch of the ceremonial boulevard from Raisina Hill to India Gate, the centrepiece of the traditional parade.

The doodle shows a tableau rolling down the Rajpath with people in traditional Indian dresses waving to the crowd. The word ‘Google’ is embossed on its side matching with the colours of the majestic buildings on the two ends.