Month: February 2015

Clubs looking to bag Ronaldo shall have to dish out 300 mln pounds for Real striker

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Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes insisted that the star striker will end his career at Real Madrid, putting a price-tag of 300 million pounds on the Ballon d’Or winner.

Quashing rumours surrounding Ronaldo’s future at the club, Mendes said that he wouldn’t leave Real Madrid, adding that his buyout clause was one billion and it was impossible to find someone like him, Sport24 reported.

Mendes added that if for any reason the club decides to sell the Portuguese superstar tomorrow for 300 million, someone would pay.

Porsche launches ‘911 Targa’ in India priced up to Rs 1.78 crore

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Luxury car manufacturer Porsche on Tuesday launched latest version of its sports car ‘911 Targa’ in India, priced up to Rs 1.78 crore (ex-showroom Delhi).

The introduction of the modern classic in the country marks the continued progression of the Porsche 911 family, as the new Targa 4 and 4S models join the brand’s product line-up, Porsche India said in a statement.

The car comes in two variants–911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S, priced at Rs 1.59 crore and Rs 1.78 crore respectively (ex-showroom Delhi).

India, Spain to sign MoU to develop Delhi into Smart City

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Spain has come forward to assist in transforming Delhi into a Smart City and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) will be signed shortly between the two countries accordingly.

An understanding to this effect was reached at a meeting between Urban Development Ministry M Venkaiah Naidu and a nine-member delegation led by the visiting Minister of State for Trade of Spain Jaime Garcia-Legaz Ponce.

How Brain keeps distractions at bay

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A new study has provided a deeper insight into how brain can ignore distractions and can achieve such optimal inattention.

The study led by Brown University examined some volunteers to whom they asked to ignore the sensation that will be created in their fingers and toes, and they analyzed the power of brain functions through magnetoencephalography (MEG) scans.

Know how to make the best choice

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Cannot decide which cell phone or car to buy just because there are too many choices? Following a four-step formula can help you make the best decision, says a study.

Divide the options into piles of four; choose the best option from each pile; put the winners from the first round into a new finalist pile and then choose the best option from winners of the earlier four selections, the researchers said.

“We know from all the studies that we’ve done that if you have a smaller choice set, you tend to do better,” said Tibor Besedes, associate professor at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Woman gang-raped in Mumbai, three accused arrested

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A 21-year-old woman has been gang raped in Mumbai late on Tuesday and police arrested all the three accused from the crime scene itself.

The victim was on her way to home when the culprits befriended her at the Reay Road railway station. The four boarded a local train together as the accused promised to drop her home safe.

However, as they de-boarded the train at Cotton Green station, the accused threatened the victim and took her to a truck parking nearby, where they took turns to rape her.

NCERT to publish book on brave heroes, women achievers

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The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has said that it will ask the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to publish ‘Veergatha’, a book on brave heroes, in consultation with the Ministry of Defence.

Disclosing this, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said at the NCERT’s 52nd General Council Meeting in New Delhi, the book’s focus would be on women achievers and freedom fighters.

‘Superfruit’ pomegranate has more ‘health benefits’ than any other fruit

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A new research has proved that pomegranates are super healthy as they have more health benefits than any other fruit.

An analysis of the glut of global interest in the “superfruit” found it fights Type 2 diabetes, bowel and prostate cancers and improves athletic performance, the Daily Express reported.

Bio-medical researcher with consultancy ClickTell, Sepe Sehati, said that when they look at the time and effort invested in studies worldwide, pomegranate is the main focus, adding in a year, 194 studies have been published, more than any other fruit.

Lead transformation of India’s higher education system, President to VCs

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President Pranab Mukherjee opened a two-day conference of vice chancellors of Central Universities (CUs) at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday. This is the third such conference convened by the President since his assumption of office. Vice chancellors of 40 central universities to which the President is the visitor are attending it.

Speaking on the occasion, President Mukherjee said it is important to recognize emerging global trends which are likely to bring sweeping changes in higher education worldwide.

India need bowling heroes to retain World Cup: Harbhajan Singh

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India’s batting line-up led by Virat Kohli can chase any total on a given day but bowlers need to “stand up and be counted” in order to retain the cricket World Cup, feels ace spinner Harbhajan Singh.

“India possess a fabulous batting line-up with Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane forming the core but we would need the likes of Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami to perform like Zaheer Khan, in order to retain the World Cup,” Harbhajan, a key member of the victorious 2011 World Cup squad, told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Indian mission in Kuwait issues rules for compensation claims

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Authorities in Kuwait require legal heirship certificate and Power of Attorney for processing the claim for compensation in case of death of an Indian national in accident, the Indian embassy in Kuwait has said.

In case of death of an Indian national in a road accident, work-site accident and other accident, the embassy has been invariably sending an advisory message through a registered letter to legal heirs of the deceased to appoint it as their Attorney and forward Power of Attorney and Legal Heirship certificate, the mission said in a statement.

City cancer institute launches website on cancer

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A website to create awareness among people about cancer and and educate them about the disease was launched here today by city based Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Oncology.

“By accessing cancerawarenesssrior.Com, anyone can read what they want to know on cancer. The website teaches the public in simple, but elaborate details about what cancer is and its treatment,” Dr P Guhan, Director of the Institute said at the launch.

Kolkatans to get Jupiter view on Friday

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Kolkatans will have a rare opportunity this Friday to watch Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, from close quarters.

The planet comes closest to the earth on its opposition date when earth passes more or less between the Sun and the Jupiter.

This year, the date falls on Friday when Jupiter would be coming within 650 million km of the earth. This would be Jupiter’s closest until 2019.

Vacant Government lands would be used for public good

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Amid the controversy that the “State government will sell off vacant government lands”. Speaking at the TRS extended committee meeting, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday made it clear that vacant lands and buildings available would be used for housing vegetable, fish and meat markets and construct bus shelters.

‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ most pre-ordered game for 2015

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‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ has topped the list of 20 most pre-ordered games for 2015 so far, according to a survey by an online retailer.

‘Batman’ is followed by Zombie thriller ‘Dying Light’ in the list by Amazon, reported the Daily Star.

Open-world fantasy ‘The Witcher 3’, shooter Tom Clancy’s ‘The Division’ and Xbox One exclusive ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ have taken third, fourth and fifth position respectively.

Indonesian plane skids off runway on holiday island

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A passenger jet skidded off the runway as it landed at a holiday island in central Indonesia, a spokesman said today, just weeks after the deadly crash of an AirAsia jet in the archipelago.

None of the 33 people on board were hurt when the turboprop jet belonging to Indonesian flag carrier Garuda slid about 10 metres off the runway into the grass at the airport on Lombok island, said the spokesman.

The ATR 72-600 plane was arriving from the neighbouring island of Bali, also a popular holiday destination, when the accident happened yesterday evening.

1.8 lakh cash, documents stolen at Surajkund crafts festival

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Three tourists were allegedly robbed of around Rs 1.6 lakhs and some important documents were stolen from them at the ongoing Surajkund International Crafts Mela here, police said today.

In her complaint, Pune-based Amarpali Singhania said that Rs 30,000 and some important documents were stolen from her yesterday, a police spokesperson said.

She further said that a sum Rs 50,000 along with USD 500 cash were also stolen from her friends Archana and Meena, who hail from Madhya Pradesh and had accompanied her to the fair.

Another discounted ticket scheme by SpiceJet

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Budget carrier SpiceJet today launched another discounted ticket scheme, offering fares as low as Rs 1,599 across its domestic network for travel beween February 15 and April 15 to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The bookings for the three day offer, “We love you with all our heart,” commences today, SpiceJet said in a release.

Hindu Mahasabha may strike arrow in your V-Day plan

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With only 10 days to go for the Valentine’s Day, the Hindu Mahasabha is back in news and this time the Hindu hard-liners are showing no love for Valentine’s Day.

Hindu Mahasabha had said it will convert inter-religious couples to Hinduism on Valentine’s Day (February 14) across the country.

Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh will be the focus with 200 volunteers recruited for identifying inter-religious couples on V- Day.

Their plan is to target couples found with roses, hugging each other, holding hands or sitting in corners.

Delhi elections 2015: Tearful Kiran Bedi gets emotional during election rally

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BJP’s chief ministerial nominee Kiran Bedi, known for her image as a tough police officer, on Wednesday turned emotional while addressing a roadshow and said she will return the people’s love by serving them.

Overwhelmed with the affection of people who had got tea flasks for her at the roadshow in Krishnanagar constituency from where she is contesting her maiden election, Bedi broke down and was seen wiping her tears.

Sunanda Pushkar’s son to be interrogated by SIT

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Sunanda Pushkar’s son, Shiv Menon, is expected to be interrogated by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Delhi Police today in connection with a probe related to her death in January last year.

” Shiv Menon will be joining our investigation sometime in the afternoon today. He was summoned before, but was out of the country, he will come today,” said Delhi Police Commissioner B.S. Bassi.

Sunanda’s husband and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor , television journalist Nalini Singh and former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh have been interrogated by the SIT so far.

AAP stands for “Arvind Alone Party”: BJP

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Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) spokesperson Sambit Patra on Wednesday said that AAP stands for “Arvind Alone Party” adding that his party is confident about emerging victorious in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.

“Everyone knows that AAP is ” Arvind Alone Party”. BJP will be victorious. Neither are we arrogant nor over-confident, we are just rightly-confident,” said Patra.

Modi working for few industrialists: Rahul Gandhi

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of working for a few industrialists.

Addressing an election rally here, he took a jibe at the suit Modi wore during US President Barack Obama’s visit, which had his name embroidered over it.

“The prices of petrol and diesel have gone down, but the inflation is not coming down. If the benefit of fall in oil prices in international market is not going into your pocket, then where is it going,” he asked.

US court sets date in April for hearing in case against RSS

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A US court here has set a pre-trial hearing in April in the lawsuit filed by a Sikh rights group asking that Indian right wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) be designated as a “foreign terrorist organisation” for alleged violent acts against religious minorities in India.

US District Judge Laura Swain of the Southern District of New York set the pre-trial hearing for April 24 when issues related to the status of the subject application, subject matter jurisdiction, disputed and undisputed facts and other legalities will be taken up.

Main task to fight Modi govt and RSS led Hindutva forces

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Outlining its direction in view of the “changed” political situation, CPI(M) today marked fighting the “right wing” offensive by carrying out political and ideological struggle against BJP-RSS combine as its main task, while also ruling out any truck with Congress.

With the Left party facing major electoral reverses, its Draft Political Resolution, to be presented at the 21st congress at Visakhapatnam in April, also emphasised on building “independent” strength of the party, while working actively to rally other left and democratic secular forces to form a front for united action.