Mediterranean diet cuts asthma risk

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New York, June 03: Children who eat a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish have a lower risk of asthma and wheezing, experts have said.

But eating three or more burgers a week can increase the risk, although this may be linked to other unhealthy habits, they said.

Researchers from Germany, Spain and London examined data from 50,000 children aged eight to 12, collected between 1995 and 2005.

The youngsters were from 20 counties around the world, including affluent and poorer nations.

Katrina Kaif signs autograph but not with a pen. Any guesses?

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Mumbai, June 03: Bollywood beauty Katrina Kaif is the current heart throb of the nation with a strong legion of male fans completely smitten by her milkfish looks and mesmerizing charm.

One amongst those millions included Salman Khan who was her boyfriend but owing to personal differences the couple have forked ways.

Obama urges expansion of agenda

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Pittsburgh, June 03: President Obama called Tuesday for sticking with his domestic agenda “even if it’s not always popular” and portrayed congressional Republicans as obstructionists who favor “more tax breaks for the wealthy and fewer rules for corporations.”
Obama sounded at times as if he were kicking off this fall’s campaign for control of Congress during his speech before 350 academic and business leaders at the Carnegie Mellon University campus.

Deepika Padukone Sponsors Indian Village

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Mumbai, June 03: Not only is she a Bollywood babe but Deepika Padukone also has a big heart. The actress showed the world what a do-gooder she truly is when she recently adopted the small village Ambegaon in Maharashtra.

Padukone sponsored the village through a Greenathon campaign and she did it during a crucial time as they are facing a major electricity crisis. Besides monetary support, the Bollywood beauty plans to pay visits to the village to check on the progress it makes over time. She told the press that she did plenty of research about Ambegaon before she made this decision.

Chocolate Milk is a ‘Natural’ for Post-Exercise Recovery

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Washington, June 03: One of the best post-exercise recovery drinks could already be in your refrigerator, according to new research presented at the American College of Sports Medicine conference this week. In a series of four studies, researchers found that chocolate milk offered a recovery advantage to help repair and rebuild muscles, compared to specially designed carbohydrate sports drinks.

Official: Turkish activist planes have left Israel

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Ankara, June 03: Turkey’s foreign minister says three Turkish planes carrying hundreds of activists from a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza earlier this week have left Israel bound for Istanbul.
Ahmet Davutoglu says the take-off was delayed because Turkey “did not want any of its citizens to be left behind.”

Two more air ambulance planes, carrying 17 wounded activists, have already landed at a military base in Ankara.

40% of US teenagers had pre-marital sex

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Washington, June 03: With changing in trends in Non-Islamic countries a shocking survey report claim that 40 percent of unmarried U.S. teenagers or 4.3 million teen males and females have had sex at least once, a new U.S. government report shows.

This continues a flattening trend seen since 2002 and caps a downward trend seen between 1995 and 2002, especially in males, said report author Joyce Abma. The report was issued Wednesday by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

Ugly row over Australia’s Facebook ‘freaks’

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Sydney, June 03: An Australian official’s wife sparked an online controversy after using Facebook to complain about the “ugly… freaks” at a local horse-racing day.

Tegan Crisafulli — who confessed to being no “oil painting” herself — upset residents of the north-eastern town of Mackay with a scathing assessment of their looks.

“I still can’t believe how many freaks were there,” wrote Crisafulli, who is married to David Crisafulli, deputy mayor of Townsville, also in the north-eastern state of Queensland.

Angry passengers attack China airport staff

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Beijing, June 03: Passengers furious about delays last month at a major Chinese airport vented their frustration by attacking about two dozen employees, state media said Thursday.

Torrential rain in the southern city of Guangzhou in May wreaked havoc on flight schedules, triggering 35 incidents at the Baiyun airport, which left 23 employees with minor injuries, the Guangzhou Daily said.

Plastic bag ban moves ahead in California

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California, June 03: It could soon cost California shoppers at the checkout aisle if they forget to bring their own bags to the store under what would be the nation’s first statewide plastic bag ban.

The California Assembly on Wednesday passed legislation prohibiting pharmacies and grocery, liquor and convenience stores from giving out plastic bags. The bill also calls for customers to be charged for using store-issued paper bags.

BP oil spill now threatens Florida beaches

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Florida, June 03: The BP oil slick drifted perilously close to the Florida Panhandle’s famous sugar-white beaches Wednesday as a risky gambit to contain the leak by shearing off the well pipe ran into trouble a mile under the sea when the diamond-tipped saw became stuck.

NATO chopper downed in Afghanistan

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Kabul, June 03: Another NATO chopper has been destroyed in northern Afghanistan following an emergency landing, the second helicopters lost by the US-led force in the past three days.

NATO officials in Afghanistan said one of its helicopters was deliberately demolished after making an emergency landing in the northern part of the country on Wednesday, a Media correspondent reported.

The chopper landed in Baghlan province, according to the officials, due to technical problems and was then destroyed by NATO fighter jets out of fear of falling into the hands of Taliban militants.

No ‘ Reliance’ tag in competing biz

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Mumbai, June 03: The Ambani brother — Mukesh and Anil — will not use the ‘ Reliance’ brand name in any of the competing businesses they may chose to enter.

This is one of the clauses of the new agreement signed by the brothers recently to create an environment of harmony, cooperation and collaboration between the two groups, said a source, who wished to remain unnamed.

Stephen Hawking honored at NYC science gala

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New York, June 03: Luminaries from the fields of physics, opera, poetry, theater, music and dance gathered to pay tribute to British physicist Stephen Hawking on Wednesday, with performances and speeches at a gala in his honor.

After outliving his predicted death from his degenerative disease by more than 40 years, Hawking told the audience filling Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall that he is thinking about what he will leave behind.

Mallika Sherawat courting trouble

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Mumbai, June 03: Mallika Sherawat walked out of Kundan Shah’s Masquerade after a tiff with the director, now IMPAA has instructed her to return half the signing amount to the producers

Mallika Sherawat has a knack for courting trouble. We had reported earlier that Studio 18 had filed a case against Mallika Sherawat at Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association (IMPPA) to return the signing amount that she had taken for Kundan Shah’s Masquerade.

India imp, Pak indispensable in Afghanistan: US

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New Delhi, June 03: The US Wednesday said while India had a very important role in Afghanistan through its development programmes, the action against terrorism in the war-ravaged nation will not succeed without the aid of Pakistan.

“We have strongly welcomed the important role that India has played through its various reconstruction and development projects,” Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake said in a webchat from Washington, relayed through the state department website.

For Rs 50, I lost 1 lakh RS valuables

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Mumbai, June 03: A businessman from Malad fell for one of the oldest con tricks in the book.

Two men stole valuables worth Rs1.26 lakh from Viral Doshi’s car outside Shoppers Stop in Kandivli (West) on Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, Doshi was supposed to meet one of his suppliers near the store at 1pm.

“Doshi reached a little early. He was sitting in his car waiting for the supplier, who lives in a building adjacent to the store,” said S Ghatge, senior inspector, Kandivli police station.

Kareena-Aamir’s Lajjo to be revived by Ratnam

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Mumbai, June 03:Mani Ratnam’s passionate period film Lajjo, set during the Partition with Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor in the lead, is all set to be revived. It was earlier set aside after the songs had been written by Gulzar and composed by AR Rahman because the budget for a Partition film was considered prohibitive.

But now with Aamir and Kareena’s jodi in 3 Idiots proving to be a rage, there were discussions with Mani to look into the project again. According to a source, Mani plans to go into Lajjo before he begins his film with Ranbir Kapoor.

Two Maoists killed

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Munger, June 03: Two hardcore Maoists were killed and a rifle along with forty live cartridges was recovered from one of the ultras during an encounter with police at Baghail forest under Bhim sanctuary in Munger district today.

The encounter ensued when policemen were carrying out a combing operation in the forest to flush out the ultras this morning, Kharagpur DSP, K. Chandra said.

—-Agencies

S.Africa’s Zuma seeks to boost trade links with India

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Mumbai, June 03: South African President Jacob Zuma, in India on his first state visit to Asia since taking office, was due to meet business leaders Thursday in Mumbai in a bid to boost trade ties.

Zuma, who arrived in India on Wednesday, was to jointly launch a bilateral trade forum with India’s commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma and address captains of industry.

The 68-year-old president is accompanied by a 200-strong business delegation as well as key ministers.

Jagan camp still hopeful of party nod for Odarpu

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Hyderabad, June 03: The emphatic instructions from the Congress Central leadership to Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy against resuming his Odarpu Yatra in the State notwithstanding, his camp followers are still hopeful of securing the high command’s goahead for the Srikakulam leg scheduled for June 8.

Talking to newsmen near Jaganmohan’s Banjara Hills residence here, loyalist and Rayachoti MLA Srikant Reddy claimed that “discussions” were taking place with the party high command in this connection. The Kadapa MP would decide on the tour at an “appropriate time”, he added.

Two courses that will help you switch over to science stream

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New Delhi, June 03: Two science courses, BSc mathematical science and BSc computer science, are most sought after in Delhi University ( DU) this time round.

The university authorities said they had received many enquiries for the courses. And this, they said, was because both the courses provide a good option to the students from all the three streams — arts, commerce and science — to enter into the science stream.

Obama to highlight opportunities for Indo-US cooperation

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Washington, June 03: In a special gesture, President Barack Obama will attend a reception to be hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for her Indian counterpart S M Krishna here, during which he will highlight opportunities for increased bilateral cooperation in areas like defence, trade, energy and climate change.