London, June 04: The belief that a cup of coffee stimulates the brain and makes drinkers feel more awake is a myth as scientists have found that the so-called “caffeine high” is just a reaction to the body craving the drug.
A study of 379 people showed regular coffee drinkers needed a hit of caffeine to gain the same level of alertness as non-coffee drinkers, The Telegraph reported.
Washington, June 04: India and the US concluded their first cabinet-level strategic dialogue today, pledging to deepen ties between the world’s oldest and largest democracies for mutual benefit and global stability while committing to work to strengthen global legal regimes against terrorism.
London, June 04: UN rights experts have called on the United States and 65 other countries to end the secret detention of alleged terror suspects.
On Thursday, authors of a UN study on secret detentions linked to counterterrorism called for an independent and transparent investigation into all hidden facilities, AFP reported.
The experts on torture, counter-terrorism and enforced disappearances said in the report that the 66 countries they had named in a January report must investigate the covert imprisonment of alleged terror suspects.
Mumbai, June 04: Last month, Deepika Padukone walked the red carpet at Cannes film festival. While for her, it was just a matter of few hours spent.
in an international arena, back home there were widespread conversations around her moment of glory.
Currently stationed in Mauritius for the shoot of ‘Break Ke Baad’, she is modest enough not to get into.
The details of all the calls and messages, most of which have hailed her saree clad look.
Also, she avoids queries that are centred on how she virtually stole the thunder right under.
London, June 04: Did French President Nicolas Sarkozy take kickbacks from an arms deal his country signed with Pakistan in 1994?
The long standing allegation was revived on Thursday after the French media reported that police in the tax haven of neighbouring Luxembourg had named Sarkozy as the man behind a company registered there, which is alleged to have received the illegal payments.
Pretoria, June 04: The World Cup 2010, a historic first for Africa, is set to begin in a few days. For host nation South Africa, it is about football and much more. The recent photograph of 91-year-old Nelson Mandela, caressing the 18-carat gold trophy and beaming with joy, said it all. Regardless of who lifts the World Cup, South Africa is already a winner.
Washington, June 04: Asserting that India is committed to peace and dialogue with Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said there is need to address “trust deficit” between the two South Asian neighbours.
“My Prime Minister has consistently believed in the need for dialogue to seek a future of peace and cooperation with Pakistan,” Krishna told Obama at a reception held in his honour by the Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Krishna said he will meet his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad in July.
Dhaka, June 04: Rescuers called off the search for survivors today as the death toll from one of Bangladesh’s worst fires rose to 108 after flames ripped through a packed neighbourhood of Dhaka, officials said.
The blaze raged for three hours, destroying a row of multi-storey apartment buildings and trapping hundreds of residents in Dhaka’s densely populated Kayettuli area, city police chief A K M Shahidul Haq told AFP.
Mumbai, June 04: Barely a week after a near-miss, a mishap was averted last night at the Mumbai airport where a Kingfisher flight was cleared for landing at a runway on which a Spicejet plane was stationed after a technical fault.
The Mumbai-Chennai Spicejet flight was about to take off at around 11 pm but developed a technical problem at the last minute after which the Air Traffic Control asked it to abort the take-off, airport sources said.
But, at the same time, a Delhi-Mumbai Kingfisher Airlines aircraft was given permission for landing at the same runway.
Busan, June 04: Giving developing countries a bigger say in global economic governance could help the world economy recover more quickly from the crisis, the World Bank said on Friday.
The Group of 20 (G20), bringing together the world’s top developed and emerging economies has emerged as the leading global forum, representing over 80% of the world’s economic activity, but over 170 poorer countries feel left out.
Patna, June 04: A wedding dream turned into a nightmare for a young man in Bihar when the family members of a prospective bride threw acid on him after the marriage talks failed.
Anuj Kumar, 25, who works as a petty contractor for setting up mobile towers in north Bihar, was admitted to Apollo Burns Hospital in Patna on Wednesday and is reportedly fighting for his life. His face and upper portion of the body have been badly burnt.
New York, June 04: New York City anti-smoking signs depicting a decaying tooth, diseased lungs and a damaged brain violate cigarette vendors’ free speech and should be removed, tobacco companies and retailers said in a lawsuit.
Philip Morris USA, Lorillard Tobacco Company and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., plus two major retail trade groups and two convenience stores, alleged in the Manhattan federal court lawsuit that the signs violate the sellers’ rights by imposing the signs on them.
New York, June 04: Citibank is facing an unusual lawsuit in which a woman executive says she was fired last year because her bosses thought she was “too distracting” for male colleagues and supervisors.
“She was punished because her male bosses couldn’t handle their libidos,” alleges the lawsuit by Debrahlee Lorenzana, 33, against CEO Vikram Pandit’s Citibank in a Manhattan court here.
The brunette says she was dressing professionally, but her male bosses found her too steamy and fired her, according to the New York Post.
Tokyo, June 04: Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formally resigned along with his cabinet Friday, two days after declaring he would step down, ahead of a vote for his successor as party chief and premier.
Finance Minister Naoto Kan, a deputy premier, was seen as the front runner to take over as prime minister of the world’s second-largest economy, despite a late challenge for the post.
If Friday’s leadership vote follows expectations, Kan will take over from Hatoyama, who resigned Wednesday in the wake of a funding scandal and a damaging dispute over a US air base.
New Delhi, June 04: Udaipur temple wants to give Rs 1lakh to Delhi inspector for recovering antique statue
AS AN inspector of the Delhi Police’s Central district special staff, apprehending criminals is old hat for Satender Mohan.
And when he and his team nabbed a gang and recovered an antique idol worth Rs 9 crore last week, Mohan didn’t look at the feat as anything more than a closed file.
So, the inspector was left shocked when he was told on Monday that he had earned a reward of Rs 1 lakh — simply for doing his job.
Mumbai, June 04: Kareena Kapoor a.k.a. Bebo has been one of the reigning actresses in Bollywood since the past few years. She has proved herself to be a versatile actress with a wide range of roles that she has performed in space of these few years.
The actress feels that she has now entered a much more mature stage of her career. The news of Mani Ratnam reviving his film Lajjo, which was earlier shelved have surfaced recently. The buzz is that Kareena and Aamir Khan will be playing the lead roles in this movie.
Tokyo, June 04: Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama formally resigned along with his cabinet Friday, two days after declaring he would step down, ahead of a vote for his successor as party chief and premier.
Finance Minister Naoto Kan, a deputy premier, was seen as the front runner to take over as prime minister of the world’s second-largest economy, despite a late challenge for the post.
If Friday’s leadership vote follows expectations, Kan will take over from Hatoyama, who resigned Wednesday in the wake of a funding scandal and a damaging dispute over a US air base.
New Delhi, June 04: The city’s dusty atmosphere is taking a severe toll on the health of its residents. Air pollution levels are at an all- time high owing to storms that create differentsized particles of dust.
The smaller, finer ones can be inhaled and enter the lungs and respiratory tract. They linger in the air for a week or so and pose a health risk for those who have respiratory and other problems.
Coarser particles cannot be inhaled but affect the mouth, throat and nostrils nonetheless.
Mexico City, June 04: Two days before the anniversary of a daycare center blaze that killed 49 children, Mexico’s Supreme Court Thursday held two top government officials and the former Sonora governor partly accountable.
The Supreme Court said its investigation found serious dereliction of duty on the part of Transport and Communications Secretary Juan Molinar, Social Security Institute director Daniel Karam and former governor Eduardo Bours.
Bangalore, June 04: As tropical Cyclone Phet moved across the Arabian Sea towards the coast of Oman, scientists fear that it could leave a short gap in the initial phase of monsoon.
The India Meteorological Department ( IMD), however, hasn’t changed its forecast. According to the IMD, the southwestern monsoon rainfall — through its course from June to September — will be normal.
Dhaka, June 04: The father of a girl who was stalked by a youth in Bangladesh died of a heart attack as he feared media attention.
Saiful Islam Munna, a resident of Bogra town, died outside the police station moments after pleading with journalists not to click photographs and run the story of his daughter being stalked.
The tension proved too much for Munna who feared it would make it very difficult for him to marry off his daughter, a Class 8 student, The Daily Star said.
New Delhi, June 04: After battering the Left in the West Bengal civic body elections, railway minister Mamata Banerjee is preparing to deliver it the knock-out punch. She is learnt to be contemplating stationing herself in the state to consolidate the gains of the civic polls and get the momentum going till the assembly elections next year.
New York, June 04: A leader of the Ahmadi sect pleaded Thursday for international pressure on Pakistan, warning that extremists were bent on wiping out the community after nearly 100 people were killed.
The Ahmadi community in the United States urged Pakistan to repeal laws restricting the sect and to clamp down on hardline Sunni clerics, who it said have waged a campaign of incitement.
Mumbai, June 04: Ajmal Kasab, who was awarded the death sentence by a Mumbai court in the 26/11 case, has sought a lawyer to challenge his conviction in high court. Kasab has written a letter to Free Legal Aid panel.
A special 26/11 trial court sentenced the lone surviving terrorist of the Mumbai attack to death on May 6, 17 months after the mayhem that killed 166 people. Kasab was convicted on more than 80 charges, including waging war against the nation.
—Agencies
Luxembourg, June 04: Europe and the United States on Thursday agreed a common strategy in the fight against terror, presented as a message to Islamabad on the eve of an EU-Pakistan summit.
“This declaration is a message to the Muslim world,” said Spanish Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba, whose country chairs the European Union until the end of the month, after outlining a joint statement of intent.