Month: February 2015

PTI vows to unite two Kashmirs

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The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) will fight for the rights of the Kashmiri people on all fronts under the leadership of Imran Khan, a party leader has said.

“The Kashmiris should be given the right to self-determination in accordance with the UN resolutions,” PTI general secretary Jehangir said while addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarabad Thursday, Dawn reported.

He vowed that the PTI would “unite Pakistan-held Kashmir and Indian Kashmir” after coming to power.

14 swine flu cases detected in Bihar

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At least 14 cases of swine flu have been detected in Bihar till now, an official said Friday.

“With six more cases testing positive in Patna Thursday, the total number of swine flu infected people has gone up to 14,” Principal Secretary (health) Brajesh Mehrotra told reporters here.

He said about 80 suspected cases have been tested for swine flu across the state so far.

Health Minister Ramdhani Singh said that an alert has been issued and officials have been asked to take measures to treat such patients.

Rajnath downplays Pak ‘warning’, says India’s borders are secure

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday downplayed Pakistan Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif’s ‘warning’ to India with regards to alleged ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), stating that India is ready to defend her borders.

“India has no response [to General Sharif’s statement]. Pakistan can say whatever it wants to say, but India is ready to defend her borders. I want to assure the citizens that India’s borders are secure,” Singh told mediapersons.

Believers in God could be biggest risk-takers

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A new research has revealed that people who blindly believe in God are the biggest risk takers as they view him as a security provider against potential negative outcomes.

The research conducted by Association For Psychological Science explained that thinking about God might have a different effect in relation to risks that have no moral connotation, since people tend to view God as a source of protection and security.

S M Iqbal proposes 954 Cr. for Minority Welfare in Andhra Pradesh

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Minority Welfare Department Andhra Pradesh has recommended allocating 954 Cr. for Minority Welfare in Andhra Pradesh. Special Secretary Minority Welfare Mr. Shaikh Mohammed Iqbal sent proposals to Finance Minister Andhra Pradesh Y Ram Krishnudu regarding the minority budget for the year 2015-16. He requested government to pay attention to sanction additional budget for educational and economic development of minorities. It must be noted that Andhra Pradesh government had allocated a budget of 370 Cr for the current year.

Siasat news

Blood test can predict whether young kids will be future diabetics

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A new study has found that by measuring the presence of autoantibodies in the blood of young children could detect the development of type 1 diabetes.

The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young (TEDDY) study conducted by Lund University explained that with the early detection it would be possible to predict whether the immune system in children has begun to break down the body’s own insulin cells or not.

‘Jihadi John should be caught alive’

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The widow of a man killed by a masked Islamic State (IS) militant known as ‘Jihadi John’ has said that she wants him caught alive, a media report said Friday.

Dragana Haines says the “last thing” she wants for the man who killed her husband, British aid worker David Haines, is an “honourable death”, BBC reported.

“That’s the only moral satisfaction for the families of all the people that he murdered, because if he gets killed in the action, to put it that way, it will be an honourable death for him and that is the last thing I would actually want for someone like him.

Consolidated Economic Survey Highlights

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Highlights of the Economic Survey for 2014-15 tabled in parliament on Friday by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley:

* Growth rate of over eight percent expected in 2015-16

* Double-digit economic growth trajectory now a possibility

* Infrastructure growth of eight core industries higher than industrial growth since 2011-12

Sreesanth was attacked with knife in jail: Family

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Former Indian fast bowler S. Sreesanth was attacked with a knife while he was in jail after being arrested for his alleged involvement in IPL spot-fixing in 2013, his family said Friday.

He is currently facing trial in a Delhi court.

His sister’s husband Madhu Balakrishnan made this revelation to the media here.

“After he (Sreesanth) returned home following 26 days in Tihar jail in May 2013, he revealed this,” said Balakrishnan, a popular playback singer.

Urban movement linked to social activity

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A recent study by researchers uses a new method to infer that most of the urban movement is social, a finding that is applicable consistently in multiple cities.

The study used anonymised phone data from South America and Europe that, unlike most data in the field, provides information that can be used to reconstruct both people’s locations and their social networks.

In order to estimate movement in a city, the social component has to be taken into account.

Otherwise, the estimates are going to be off by about 20 percent, showed the study.

EC to connect voter identity cards with Aadhar

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The Election Commission (EC) will connect voter identity cards with Aadhar, Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said Friday.

Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said the process will take some time as Aadhar numbers have not yet been given to all citizens.

“The Election Commission is trying to link the EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Centre) card with Aadhar. Of course as far as Aadhar is concerned, it is not completed all over the country, but still step-by-step this will be taken into consideration,” said Gowda.

–IANS

No film with Saif as of now: Kunal Kohli

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Filmmaker Kunal Kohli has denied rumours that he has signed actor-producer Saif Ali Khan for his upcoming production.

Kunal, who is making his acting debut in “Phir Se” with TV star Jennifer Winget, took to Twitter Friday to shoot down the rumours.

“Reg rumors. While I would LOVE to direct, produce or act in a film with Saif, as of now there isn’t one, in the near future hopefully,” Kunal, whose “Phir Se” is scheduled to release in May, tweeted.

Resident doctors protest over security issues

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Resident doctors working in government hospitals Friday staged a protest following the delay in improving security conditions in hospitals here.

As a part of the protest, they have also decided to refrain from any kind of clinical work in the hospitals they work in.

“We are no more going to wait for the government’s reply. It has been proved that they consider our problem too tiny to be taken seriously. This is shameful,” said Balwinder Singh, president, Federation Of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA).

One killed, three hurt in Bengal explosion

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One person was killed and three grievously injured in an explosion in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, police said Friday.

The incident took place Thursday night in the Ilambazar police station area in the district.

“One man has been killed and three others seriously injured in an explosion. According to preliminary reports, the explosion occurred while they were making crude bombs,” an officer of Ilambazar police station said.

No arrest has been made in this connection so far.

–IANS

Altering brain’s food sense may achieve healthy ageing

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Tweaking the brain in order to alter the perception of feeding state and achieve low-calorie intake may promote healthy ageing, finds an interesting study.

According to researchers from Harvard University’s school of public health, manipulating the energy-sensing pathway in the central nervous system can cause organisms to perceive their cells to be in a low-energy state, even if they are eating normally and energy levels are high.

The study led by Kristopher Burkewitz and senior author William Mair focused on a molecule called “AMP-activated protein kinase” (AMPK).

Sri Lanka urged to press ahead with rights reforms

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Sri Lanka’s new government should advance a reform agenda to address past and ongoing human rights problems in the country, Human Rights Watch said Friday.

The government has already undertaken important new initiatives such as reviewing cases of detainees under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, lifting restrictions on media reporting, ending Internet censorship, and removing NGOs from defense ministry oversight.

However, many important human rights concerns still need to be addressed, the US-based body said in a letter to new President Maithripala Sirisena.

Popularity comes with work, not via social media: Boman Irani

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He has ‘followers’ galore–over 2,300,000 on Twitter and almost 42,000 on Facebook. But Bollywood’s endearing actor Boman Irani says that while social media presence is vital, it’s not a “yardstick” for an artiste’s popularity.

“I genuinely believe that popularity comes as a result of one’s work. I have never felt the need to be active on social media to stay popular. If it was so, I would be far more regular and regimental in the way I post (online),” the 55-year-old told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

‘Any other alliance in J-K would have been violation of mandate’: Jitendra Singh

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Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh on Friday said that the joining of hands between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to form the government in Jammu and Kashmir should be seen as a ‘historic opportunity, adding that any other alliance would have been the violation of the mandate given by the people.

“This is a historic occasion and a historic opportunity. This is the best decision that could have happened, given the kind of mandate that has been thrown by the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Singh.

Neuroscientist claims first ever human head transplant may be possible by 2017

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A neuroscientist has claimed that the first ever human head transplant could take place in 2017.

According to New Scientist, Sergio Canavero, from the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group, who first proposed the idea in 2013, wants the surgery to be used to help extend the lives of people who have suffered degeneration of the muscles and nerves or those who have advanced cancer .

Mr Canavero said he would expect the patient to be able to move and feel their face when they awoke, they would speak with the same voice and they should be able to walk within a year.

Postmortem report reveals Reuters’ bureau chief died due to ‘shortage of oxygen’

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A report has said that Maria Golovnina, the Pakistan and Afghanistan bureau chief of Reuters based in Islamabad who was found dead in her office on February 23, died due to a “shortage of oxygen.”

A postmortem report prepared by Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), said that the journalist had marks on her neck when her body was found, reported the Dawn.

Messaging app Viber makes games services available to users wordwide

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Chat app Viber has reportedly opened its games services to all users across the world.

According to Tech Crunch, the company, which was bought by Rakuten for 900 million dollars a year ago, initially launched three games for users in Belarus, Malaysia, Israel, Singapore and Ukraine in December 2014.

The games titled Viber Candy Mania, Wild Luck Casino and Viber Pop are apparently standalone apps with links to Viber.

Asian herb derivative may help fight against Ebola

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A new research has revealed that a compound found in an Asian herb may help in treating Ebola.

Dr. Robert Davey, scientist and Ewing Halsell Scholar in the Department of Immunology and Virology at Texas Biomedical Research Institute announced that a small molecule called Tetrandrine derived from an Asian herb has shown to be a potent small molecule inhibiting infection of human white blood cells in vitro or petri dish experiments and prevented Ebola virus disease in mice.

Six accused acquitted in post-Godhra riots case

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A special trial court in Himmatnagar, Gujarat, on Friday acquitted six people accused of killing four persons, including three British nationals, during the 2002 riots.

As per reports, Imran Dawood and his British relatives, Saeed Dawood and Mohammad Aswat, were allegedly attacked in North Gujarat, two days after the Godhra incident.

The victims were returning to south Gujarat from Jaipur when they were allegedly attacked by a mob, reports add.

The case was being investigated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the Supreme Court in 2008. (ANI)

De Villiers smacks fastest 150 in ODI history during Windies blitzkrieg

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South African swashbuckling skipper AB de Villiers ripped up the record books again as he smacked the fastest 150 runs in ODIs, off just 64 balls against the West Indies during their World Cup Pool B tie in Sydney.
De Villiers surpassed the previous quickest set by Australian all-rounder Shane Watson, who reached this figure in 83 deliveries against Bangladesh at Mirpur in 2011.

De Villiers remained unbeaten on 162 as he steered his side to post a mammoth total of 408 runs. (ANI)

Sultan, the first engine Indian Railway

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On 16th April, 1853 the first railway on Indian sub-continent ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane.
The train consisting of 14 carriages was hauled by three locomotives named Sultan, Sindh and Sahib with 400 VVIPs.
Indian Railways had no toilets for 60 years, later toilet facility was provided since 1902.
Indian Train Network Service is on 4th number in the world.
Number of railway stations including big and small are 7500.
16 lakh people work in Indian Railways which is considered as the biggest department of India.