Boko Haram mocks plea to free 200 Nigerian schoolgirls and pledges support for Iraqi jihadists in new video

AFP PHOTO / BOKO HARAMA screengrab taken on July 13, 2014 from a video released by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram and obtained by AFP shows the leader of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, centre. The head of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists has voiced support for the extremist Sunni Islamic State militant group, which has taken over large swathes of Iraq and Syria, in a new video seen on July 13.

Boko Haram issued a new video Sunday mocking the social media campaign that highlighted the plight of the 223 schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamists in north-east Nigeria.


In a broadcast apparently marking the girls’ third month in captivity, Abubakar Shekau, the Boko Haram leader, said they would not be freed until the government released the “army” of the group’s fighters held in Nigerian jails.

Shekau also claimed responsibility for three bombings last month and voiced support for Islamic State, the extremists who have seized much of northern Iraq.

The video served as a direct snub to Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl and women’s rights campaigner who arrived in Nigerian capital, Abuja, over the weekend to voice support for the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

Ms Yousafzai, 17, who moved to Britain after being shot by the Taliban, met parents of the missing girls yesterday and was also expected to hold talks with Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s president.

As she did so, serious doubts emerged about the girls’ chances of ever being rescued. In briefings with The Daily Telegraph over the weekend, Western diplomats said that, despite international publicity, the efforts to find the hostages were little further on than they were in May, when Britain, America and France began to help. With neither a prisoner swap or a rescue considered likely, there was little real prospect of any “breakthrough” in the foreseeable future, they said.

One diplomat said: “It is hard to see this being resolved either by a rescue or a prisoner swap deal, although that is also true for a lot of other girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in recent months and years, who are now bush wives. What may happen is that from time to time, some may seize a chance to escape, or a deal may be done with one particular local faction that is holding some of the hostages. Over the course of a few months or years they may begin to reappear.”

The diplomats’ gloomy assessment is likely to dismay the girls’ families, whose hopes of being reunited with them have been sustained largely by the scale of the international response. On Sunday, Malala, described the girls as “sisters” and said she was going to “speak up for them until they are released”.

Diplomats say the reality is that even if the girls could be located – which is hard, given that the area being searched is “twice the size of Belgium” – it would be impossible to mount a rescue without Boko Haram killing a large number first.

SOURCE:http://news.nationalpost.com/

World Cup 2014 : I told Mario Goetze 'show the world you are better than Messi': Germany coach Loew

Joachim Loew revealed he told Mario Goetze to "prove he's better than Lionel Messi" before Germany's "miracle boy" hit the extra-time goal to win Sunday's World Cup final.

Germany's forward Mario Goetze kisses the World Cup trophy as his team celebrate winning the 2014 World Cup final football match between Germany and Argentina 1-0 following extra-time in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. AFP photo

Goetze came off the substitutes bench to score a stunning 113th-minute goal as Germany beat Argentina 1-0 at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.

"I told Mario Goetze, 'go out and show the world you are better than Messi'," said Loew.

"Goetze is the miracle boy, he is the wonder who can play in numerous positions, he is the decider who can come on and make a difference and that is what he did today." 

The German coach meanwhile basked in his team's historic win, the first by a European team in South America.

It came after four consecutive near-misses in major tournaments stretching back to 2006.

"We have been together for 55 days, we have started this project years ago and this is the culmination of a lot of hard work," Loew said.

"We have been able to improve our performances, we believed in it and worked a lot for it. This team really deserves it with the likes of Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Lukas Podolski and Per Mertesacker."

"We have had disappointment in the past having gone close despite playing good football. I think we put in the best performances over all the seven matches of all the teams here."

Loew said the tournament triumph was forged on team spirit.

"This team has developed an unbelievable team spirit and has developed a marvellous mental capacity," he said.

"And we are proud to become the first European country to win the title in south America. In Brazil, In Rio is this football-loving country and that makes us very proud." 

"This deep joy and happiness will last forever, the team gave all they had lead by the marvellous Bastian Schweinsteiger in midfield and Philipp Lahm, who ran a number of kilometres.

"I told the team before kick-off that they would have to give more than they had ever given before, because they wanted to achieve something we had never previously achieved."

Loew said one of the highlights of his career had been Germany's 7-1 semi-final hammering of hosts Brazil last Tuesday, but the reaction of the host country's football-crazy supporters had taken him by surprise.

"It is one of the highlights of my career that after we beat Brazil, although the disappointment was enormous, the Brazilians applauded us," said Loew.

"The drive took an hour to the airport, but we had Brazilians cheering us on the sidewalks.

"When we were about 10 minutes from our World Cup base in Bahia, we saw people welcoming us with flags and banners and that really got under our skin.

"I told the team we are going to a foreign country and we are representing 80 million Germans, but I wanted the local people to feel that the team were focused on their football, but enjoying themselves.

"The people supported us with joy and love and I want to say 'Thank You, Brazil'." Loew also praised his side for nullifying the threat of Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi, who was voted player of the tournament, but failed to breach the German defence.

Germany's forward Mario Goetze scores. AFP

"Both teams had their chances, but we had the better part of the game and possession," said Loew.

"In extra-time, we had the sufficient energy, we didn't want penalties and we wanted to decide the match before.

"Argentina had the mind to wait and then counter-attack, when they got the ball, players like Messi were fed possession up front.

"We had players who went straight to Messi as soon as he got the ball and it meant he was never able to get running, we did that a couple of times and it worked well."

SOURCE:http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Indian Engineers are building the World's highest railway bridge

Indian engineers are toiling in the Himalayas to build the world's highest railway bridge which is expected to be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower when completed by 2016.



The arch-shaped steel structure is being constructed over the Chenab river to link sections of the spectacular mountainous region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The bridge is expected to be 359 metres (1,177 feet) high when completed — surpassing the world's current tallest railway bridge over the Beipanjiang river in China's Guizhou province, which stands at 275 metres high.

It is a part of project that will connect Baramulla and Srinagar to Jammu via Udhampur-Katra-Qazigund covering the entire route in about seven hours. Currently, it takes exactly double the time - 13 hours - to reach Jammu from Baramulla in northern Kashmir, which is 60 km from Srinagar. Indian Railways has undertaken the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (JUSBRL) mega-project construction which has been declared a national project. The alignment is a combination of a large number of tunnels and bridges. The alignment crosses a deep gorge of the Chenab River, near Salal Hydro Power Dam, which necessitated construction of a long span bridge.


The bridge will have a lifespan of 120 years and will contribute to the economic development, better transportation accessibility to the state and the country.The height of Chenab Bridge is 390 meters exceeding the current tallest bridge on France’s Tarn River (tallest pillar rises 340 meters while the actual height at which trains run on the bridge is 300 meters). The construction of the JUSBRL was started in 2003 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister.

SOURCE:http://www.younews.in/

LeBron picks Cavs: King James returns to Cleveland

The best player in the NBA doesn’t become a free agent very often, and that is what LeBron James has been dealing with the past few days, however after careful consideration, he has decided to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The news broke on Friday morning in an exclusive by Sports Illustrated.


When James opted out of his contract with the Heat, it seemed like a foregone conclusion, he and the rest of the big three would return to the Heat. Most believed they were simply looking for more security and were hoping that Heat president Pat Riley could add to an aging roster that obviously needed some tweaks.In the case of LeBron James, he has now been an unrestricted free agent twice in his career. Back in 2010, James famously left the Cleveland Cavaliers to sign with the Miami Heat in a nationally televised show called The Decision. Since then James has enjoyed great success, leading the Heat two four Eastern Conference Championships, four appearances in the NBA Finals and two NBA Titles. James has been named MVP of the league twice with the Heat and was named MVP of the Finals in both of the Heat’s victories. All in all, James seems to have made the right decision. However, with the Heat falling to the San Antonio Spurs in what was a relatively easy victory for the Spurs, winning in five games, James has taken the offseason to think about his future.

As the days went on and James remained silent, more and more reports began to surface that James was legitimately interested in a return to Cleveland. One reporter even labeled it a “90% chance” James was returning to Cleveland. On Wednesday, the Cavaliers completed a three team deal that sent swingman Sergey Karasev and point guard Jarrett Jack to the Brooklyn Nets and big man Tyler Zeller and a future first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics. That deal gave the Cavaliers the cap space required to sign James to a max contract.

Since losing James in 2010, the Cavaliers have added three number one overall picks (They selected point guard Kyrie Irving, who recently agreed to a max extension with the Cavaliers in 2011, forward Anthony Bennett in 2013 and used the top-overall selection on swingman Andrew Wiggins just last month), two fourth-overall picks (They took big man Tristan Thompson in 2011 and guard Dion Waiters in 2012) and still have a favorite of James, big man Anderson Varejão.

The Cavaliers are also reportedly in the mix to acquire Minnesota Timberwolves’ power forward Kevin Love.

James averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 56.7% from the field, 37.9% from three and 75.0% from the charity stripe last season. In his storied career, James has averaged 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 49.7% from the field, 34.1% from beyond the arc and 74.7% from the free throw line.

Source:http://fansided.com/

Alexis Sanchez agrees to join Arsenal, leave Barcelona

Alexis Sanchez has agreed to join Arsenal from Barcelona on a long-term contract for an undisclosed fee.

The 25-year-old Chile international completed his medical in London on Thursday, and will join up with his new teammates at the end of July after spending some time on holiday following the World Cup.

Sanchez, who won the 2013 Primera Division title and 2012 Copa del Rey with Barca, is likely to make his first appearance for his new club at the Emirates Cup over the weekend of August 2-3.

The Gunners are also expected to bring in France defender Mathieu Debuchy from Newcastle, as manager Arsene Wenger looks to build on last season's FA Cup final success.

Bringing in Sanchez, who also had interest from Liverpool and Juventus, will present something of a personal coup for Wenger, who is understood to have spoken to the player face to face while working for French television at the World Cup in Brazil, convincing him Arsenal was the right place to further his career.

"As many people have seen during the World Cup this summer, Alexis is a fantastic footballer and we are delighted that he is joining us at Arsenal Football Club," Wenger told the team website. "Alexis will add power, creativity and much quality to our squad and we are all looking forward to him joining up with us in a few weeks.

"He has consistently produced top-quality performances at the highest level for a number of seasons now and we are all excited to see him integrate into the Arsenal squad. I'm sure all Arsenal supporters will join me in welcoming Alexis to our club."

Sanchez scored 39 goals over three seasons with Barca, having joined the Catalan side from Udinese. He has netted 24 goals in 71 appearances for Chile and helped his country reach the last 16 of this summer's World Cup, where they were knocked out on penalties by hosts Brazil.

"I'm so happy to be joining Arsenal - a club which has a great manager, a fantastic squad of players, huge support around the world and a great stadium in London," the player said.

"I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy."


The Gunners continue to work on bringing in other reinforcements to mount a long-overdue sustained assault on the Barclays Premier League title, having been clear at the top in January only to fade away and finish fourth.

While Debuchy will represent a Premier League-ready replacement for Bacary Sagna, who left on a free transfer to Manchester City, Wenger also has his mind on further additions.

QPR forward Loic Remy, rated at around £8 million, is a potential target, having spent last season on loan at Newcastle, along with Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender.

Reports have also linked Arsenal with Real Madrid's Germany midfielder Sami Khedira, although any possible move could well hinge on the personal terms.

Arsenal also need a goalkeeper, with number two Lukasz Fabianski having joined Swansea. Midfielder Mikel Arteta has no intention of leaving the Gunners, according to his agent, with reports linking the Spaniard with Fiorentina.

Wenger will return to Arsenal after the World Cup final, ahead of a trip to New York at the end of the month. After the Emirates Cup, Arsenal take on Premier League champions Manchester City at Wembley in the Community Shield.

SOURCE:http://msn.foxsports.com/

Liverpool confirm Luis Suárez’s £75m move to Barcelona pending medical

Liverpool have confirmed that they have agreed to sell Luis Suárez to Barcelona.

The Uruguay forward will travel to Barcelona to complete a medical after the two clubs agreed a fee of around £75m. Suárez has signed a five-year contract. Barcelona will unveil officially the striker on Wednesday.

A Liverpool statement said: “Liverpool FC confirms that Luis Suárez will be leaving the club after a transfer agreement was reached with FC Barcelona. The player now has permission to complete the usual formalities, which will then conclude the transfer.

“We would like to thank Luis for his contribution and the role he played in helping bring Champions League football back to Anfield. Everyone at Liverpool Football Club wishes Luis and his family well for the future.”

Suárez told Liverpoolfc.com: “It is with a heavy heart that I leave Liverpool for a new life and new challenges in Spain. Both me and my family have fallen in love with this club and with the city. But most of all I have fallen in love with the incredible fans. You have always supported me and we, as a family, will never forget it, we will always be Liverpool supporters.

“I hope you can all understand why I have made this decision. This club did all they could to get me to stay, but playing and living in Spain, where my wife’s family live, is a lifelong dream and ambition. I believe now the timing is right.

“I wish Brendan Rodgers and the team well for the future. The club is in great hands and I’m sure will be successful again next season. I am very proud I have played my part in helping to return Liverpool to the elite of the Premier League and in particular back into the Champions League.

“Thank you again for some great moments and memories. You’ll Never Walk Alone.”

A statement from Barcelona said: “FC Barcelona and Liverpool FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Luis Suárez. The Uruguayan will be travelling to Barcelona next week for a medical, to sign his five-year contract and to be officially presented to the media and fans as an FC Barcelona player.” Suárez will wear the No9 shirt at the Camp Nou.Liverpool’s attempts to persuade the Barcelona forward Alexis Sánchez to move to Anfield held up Suárez’s transfer to the Camp Nou. Sánchez eventually chose to join Arsenal on Thursday, paving the way for Suárez to sign for Barcelona in a straight cash deal.

Rodgers said it was with a heavy heart that his side was losing a player of Suárez’s quality. “Luis is a very special talent and I thank him for the role he has played in the team in the past two years, during my time at Liverpool,” he told the club’s website. “I think he would be the first to accept he has improved as a player over that period, along with the team, and has benefited from being here as we have benefited from him.

“The club have done all they can over a sustained period of time to try to keep Luis at Liverpool. It is with great reluctance and following lengthy discussions we have eventually agreed to his wishes to move to Spain for new experiences and challenges. We wish him and his young family well; we will always consider them to be friends.”

He added: “We are focused on the future, as we strive to continue with the progress we have made and build on last season’s excellent Barclays Premier League campaign.

“I am confident we will improve the team further and will be stronger for this coming season, when we will be competing on all fronts; domestically and in the greatest club competition in the world, the Champions League.

“If there is one thing the history of this great club teaches us, it is that Liverpool FC is bigger than any individual.

“I hope our supporters continue to dream and believe that we are moving forward and with continued improvement and progression, together we will bring the success we all crave and deserve.”

SOURCE:http://www.theguardian.com/

Time to Wish the Humble Mouse Goodbye?

A thimble-like device that sits at the end of your finger and allows you to interact with the virtual world in three dimensions may render the indispensable computer mouse obsolete.



The way in which humans interact with computers has been dominated by the mouse since it was invented in the 1960s. However, when we use the device, we're limited to two-dimensional movements.

Anh Nguyen and Amy Banic from the University of Wyoming in the US have created an intelligent thimble that can sense its position accurately in three-dimensions and respond to a set of preprogrammed gestures that allow the user to interact with objects in a virtual three-dimensional world.

According to MIT Technology Review, Nguyen and Banic aimed to create a cheap device that works as a universal input for more or less any computing device. They want to make it as small and unobtrusive as possible so that it can be easily transported.


The 3DTouch sits on the end of a finger, equipped with a 3D accelerometer, a 3D magnetometer and 3D gyroscope.







That allows the data from each sensor to be compared and combined to produce a far more precise estimate of orientation than a single measurement alone.

The 3DTouch also has an optical flow sensor that measures the movement of the device against a two-dimensional surface, exactly like that inside an ordinary mouse.

For now, the device is hooked up by wire to an Arduino controller which combines the data from all the sensors. The fused data is then streamed to a conventional laptop.






"This wired connection later could be replaced by a wireless solution using a pair of XBee modules," researchers said.


Researchers have also built in a number of mouse-like gestures that allow a user to interact with 3D objects, by selecting and dragging them.



They have tested their new device to measure its pointing accuracy and say that it is reasonably good.






SOURCE:http://www.indiatimes.com/

Veteran Bollywood actor Zohra Sehgal dies at 102

New Delhi: Legendary actress Zohra Sehgal, who essayed character roles with aplomb in a career spanning both theatre and cinema, died here today at the age of 102.

A Padma Vibhushan awardee, Sehgal breathed her last at Max hospital here around 4:30 PM.

"She died of a cardiac arrest this afternoon. She was unwell for last three-four days," daughter Kiran told PTI.

Sehgal would be cremated tomorrow at 11 AM at the Lodhi Road crematorium.

The news was broken in the night by historian Irfan Habib who tweeted, "Just confirmed that Zohra Aapa is no more..."

In another tweet, he said, "Extremely sad to know about d passing away of Zohra Sehgal, a woman who lived a full life on her own terms. Great loss to art and culture. RIP."

Prolific & full of life, Zohra Sehgal made a mark through her acting, which is admired across generations. Saddened on her demise.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
July 10, 2014

Sehgal, a vivacious personality, started her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935. She had appeared in many Bollywood films as a character actor as well as in English language films besides television series and plays.

Often called the grand old lady of Bollywood, she last appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Saawariya" in 2007.

A Padma Shri awardee, she also received the Padma Vibhshan in 2010.

Zohra Sehgal, was also an active member of Anhad (Act Now for Harmony and Democracy), an Indian socio-cultural organization established in March 2003, as a response to 2002 Gujarat Riots. Shabnam Hashmi, a relentless fighter at Anhad and one of very close friends of Zohra 

said, “I know her for more than 25 years and our relation got stronger as she would always come for the program. Even at this age, she was always enthusiast about attending them. My husband, Gauhar, Raza, on her 101st birthday shot a documentary with her and he too had a lot of interaction with her during that time. She was full of live and I have very rarely seen a woman like her, a fine actress and dedicated to her work till her last breathe. She could recite long poems and would remember all her lines. She was meticulous in everything she did. It’s a big loss for the cultural life of the country.”

When asked Shabnam on what were the things that worried Zohra she said, “She was most worried about growing communalism and curbing down of freedom of expression.”

“I am 53, and I have started to feel that how long can one go but she was always active, full of ideas and never lost her cool.”

Some of the personalities that were in touch with Zohra were Shubha Mudgal, Nandita Das, Sharmila Tagore and Naseeruddin Shah.


Prolific & full of life, Zohra Sehgal made a mark through her acting, which is admired across generations. Saddened on her demise.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi)
July 10, 2014
102 years of greatness. I will always love you Zohraji. RIP
#GrandOldLady of #IndianCinema #ZohraSehgal

— Dia Mirza Jasoos (@deespeak) July 10, 2014


102 n a legacy that will always be a part of Indian cinema.It was an honour to know #ZohraSehgal and to b a part of films while she was.RIP
— PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra)
July 10, 2014


Worked with her as an assistant on the sets of Kal Ho Naa Ho. She was definitely the youngest person on set then. RIP Zohra Sehgalji :(
— Punit Malhotra (@punitdmalhotra)
July 10, 2014


RIP Zohra Sehgal.....what a life....it's that moment when you truly celebrate the end of such a legendary and glorious era....
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar)
July 10, 2014


T 1541 - Zohra Sehgal passes away at 102 yrs ..what a journey and what an immensely loveable co star ! Prayers for her blessed soul !!
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 10, 2014

SOURCE:http://www.deccanchronicle.com/

Sensex Has Biggest Weekly Loss Since 2011 as Indian Banks Drop

Indian stocks declined for a fourth day, with the benchmark index posting its steepest weekly loss since December 2011, amid concern the rally that drove the market to a record has outpaced the outlook for earnings.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), the country’s top producer of power equipment, plunged the most in 11 months. State Bank of India had the biggest drop since September. Larsen & Toubro Ltd. (LT), the best performing stock on the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex (SENSEX) this year, lost 4.9 percent. Infosys Ltd. (INFO) led software exporters higher after reporting profit that beat estimates.

The Sensex dropped 1.4 percent to 25,024.35 at the close, taking the weekly loss to 3.6 percent. The gauge’s valuation climbed to 16 times projected 12-month earnings on July 7, the most expensive since April 2011, after the measure climbed to an all-time high. The MSCI Emerging Markets Index trades at a multiple of 11, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

“The rally had gone beyond the valuation comfort zone,” Chokkalingam G., managing director of Equinomics Research and Advisory Pvt., said by phone in Mumbai. “At the end of the day, earnings must support stock prices.”

Bharat Heavy tumbled 8.4 percent, taking this week’s loss to 15 percent, the most on the Sensex. The stock had surged 48 percent this year through last week. Larsen decreased the most in about 11 months, paring this year’s gain to 47 percent.

State Bank lost 4.7 percent, the most since Sept. 23. Bank of Baroda tumbled 5.2 percent, while ICICI Bank (ICICIBC) retreated for a fifth day to its lowest price since May 8. A gauge of lenders decreased 2.7 percent to its lowest level in two months.

The S&P BSE MidCap Index of 238 companies declined to a one-month low, reducing this year’s gain to 32 percent.

Deficit Target

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, two months into power after winning India’s biggest election victory in three decades, outlined plans yesterday to retain the deficit target at the lowest level since 2008 while unveiling tax breaks for power utilities and property investment trusts to spur economic growth from near a decade low.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s speech lacked details on how the reduction in the budget gap will be achieved, Moody’s Investors Service said in a statement yesterday.

“Nothing will change fundamentally in the next three to six months nor will you see substantial improvement in earnings in the next one-to-two quarters,” Prashasta Seth, chief executive officer of India Infoline Asset Management Co., told Bloomberg TV India today.

The Sensex has increased 18 percent this year, the best performance among the world’s 10 biggest markets, as foreigners bought $11 billion of shares on optimism Modi’s landslide win will help him fix India’s $1.8 trillion economy. Gross domestic product expanded 4.7 percent in the year ended March 31, after a decade-low growth of 4.5 percent the previous year.

Underperform

Indian equities may “underperform” in the near term, BNP Paribas SA analysts led by Manishi Raychaudhuri wrote in a note dated today. Indian stocks have trailed Asian equities outside of Japan in 70 percent of “post-budget episodes” in the past seven years, they wrote.

Infosys added 1 percent, ending three days of declines. Net income rose 22 percent to 28.9 billion rupees ($480 million) in quarter ended June, beating the 26.5 billion-rupee median of 33 analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Infosys maintained its full-year forecast for sales growth.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. (TCS), India’s largest software services exporter, rose 1.8 percent, while Wipro Ltd. (WPRO) gained 1.5 percent.

SOURCE:http://www.bloomberg.com/

Amul to sponsor India for CWG, Asian Games

India's dairy major Amul will be sponsoring the Indian contingent for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow starting July 23 and the Asian Games in Incheon Sep 19-Oct 4.

Amul and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the sponsorship deal.

IOA treasurer Anil Khanna said the deal is worth around Rs.1 crore and would be distributed among the athletes. Talks are also going on with Amul for cash awards for medal winners.

IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta, who signed the MoU with Amul's managing director R.S.Sodhi, said that Commonwealth Games ticket worth Rs.3 lakh would be given to the sponsors.

"This support to the Indian sports will go a long way and further strengthen the bond between Amul and IOA and leave a longer lasting impact on the sports lovers and sportspersons," said Mehta.

Sodhi said that Amul was committed to strengthening the support to sports in various forms and encourage young generations from all corners of the country to take up sports.

"I take great pleasure and pride in announcing our sponsorship of the Indian contingent to the XX Commonwealth Games and the XVII Asian Games," he said.

SOURCE:http://www.business-standard.com/

Boozers dare for Bottoms Up..!

A Scottish brewery has come up with the "world strongest beer", with ABV of 67.5 per cent. The experts have confirmed that Brewmeister's 'Snake Venom' carries a warning on the neck of the bottle and is produced using two different yeast strains - ale and champagne - and is freeze-concentrated to boost its alcohol content, the Daily Star reported.

Boozers have been warned to not guzzle the drink, but savour it and take sips. Lewis Shand, managing director of Brewmeister, said that Snake Venom is not like other beers and they would not recommend drinking a whole bottle in one go. The tipple, produced in Scotland at Keith, Banffshire, is being sold through the company's website for 50 euros.

source : ANI

Indian mathematician solves Knotty Riddle : wins Polya Prize

A young Indian mathematician, Nikhil Srivastava, has been named a joint winner of the prestigious George Polya Prize for finding proof of a riddle that had eluded mathematicians for more than half a century. The Pólya Prize named after a Hungarian mathematician credited with fundamental advances in combinatorics, numerical analysis, number theory, and probability theory, is presented by SIAM every two years.

Srivastava of Microsoft Research India and Adam W. Marcus and Daniel A. Spielman from Yale University will be presented the 2014 George Pólya Prize at the July 7-11th annual meeting of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM), in Chicago. The trio had announced the proof of what is known as the Kadison-Singer conjecture, first proposed by Richard Kadison and Isadore Singer in 1959, pertaining to the mathematical foundations of quantum mechanics about a year ago.

Nikhil Srivastava (extreme left), Adam W. Marcus, and Daniel A. Spielman

winners of the 2014 George Pólya Prize 

Citing an email received by Srivastava, Inside Microsoft Research blog said the selection committee wanted to recognize him and his colleagues "for the solution to the Kadison-Singer problem." "Not only have Marcus, Spielman, and Srivastava proved an important conjecture, which has consequences in various areas of mathematics, but their elegant methods promise to be applicable to a broad range of other problems, as well," the citation continued.

In a post written by Srivastava on the Windows on Theory blog shortly after the conjecture was proved, he emphasised the discrepancy-theoretic nature of the new result and explained its application for partitioning graphs into expanders. "It is definitely inspiring and motivating to be put on a list with so many great mathematicians," Srivastava was quoted as saying

Winning awards is rewarding, but for Srivastava, the true reward for his research is in extending its relevance, "My focus is mainly to better understand the techniques that went into this proof," he said. "I suspect it is an instance of much more general phenomena, rather than a one-off."

The Kadison-Singer problem asks, at its core, if unique information can be extrapolated from a scenario in which not all features can be observed or measured, according to Yale News. The idea is particularly relevant to abstract fields, including quantum physics, operator theory, complex analysis, graph theory, signal processing, and finite-dimensional geometry, it said.

source : abplive.in

Obama cuts line at fast food joint, paid for lunch of 2

US President Barack Obama apologetically jumped the queue at a famous barbecue joint in Austin, where no one cuts the line, so he could order takeout for his official travel party and paid for the two people he jumped ahead of.

It's common practice to let a president cut to the front of the line at a dining establishment. After all, the president arguably has the busiest schedule on the planet. Owner of this ten-year-old joint, Aaron Franklin said no one is allowed to cut the line at his restaurant, but he made an exception for the president.

Franklin and his daughter took a picture with the president. Apologising to two people at the front of the line for cutting in front of them, Obama offered to buy them lunch -- along with a big order of takeout to take on Air Force One.

The total order came to over USD 300. "I feel real bad, but I’m gonna cut," Obama said. "Because these folks were in front of me, I'm buying for them," he told the workers behind the counter. The President ordered around 8 pounds of meat, 6 pounds of which went for Bruce Finstad of Houston and his daughter Faith Finstad of Austin, the lucky pair at the front of the line, and their two seated companions.

source : PTI

Street food in India safer than other tourist restaurants

Dispelling the common misconception that street food available in India is 'unhealthy and unhygienic', a well known Australian culinary historian has said that she found street foods safer than restaurants catering to tourists. Charmaine O'Brien, the author of the recently released 'The Penguin Food Guide to India', was talking during a discussion on 'Its not Curry - Eating India' at the University of Melbourne based Australia India Institute (AII) here yesterday. She said the thousands of small regional food vendors or hawkers across India mostly sold freshly cooked meals using fresh ingredients during her culinary tour to the country.

However, she suggested dodging Delhi belly after eating street food in India could vary from person to person and that one should follow their own instincts. Her latest book, launched earlier this year at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi, is the first comprehensive documentation of Indian regional food and could be read as a literary reference work on Indian food history and culture. The book, a result of four years of extensive research, has illustrated evolution and development of regional cuisines across India.

Elaborating on Indian food cuisine and culture, O'Brien said Indian regional food was most complex and offered a diverse cuisine unlike known to outside world. "Indian food is laden with history, culture, religion, economic conditions as well as weather," she said. Even trade affected the development of Indian cuisines, she said adding ‘In Madurai, the Chettinad cuisine has expensive spices like fennel, coriander, clove, cinnamon which reflected that people were wealthy and trade happened, O'Brien said.

"In desert like Kutch, there was an extensive use of millet as it was locally grown and was fast to grow so the Kutchi cuisine developed with very limited ingredients which were easily available there," she said. "People of Kutch were mainly animal herders so they produced and used dairy products like Ghee which also suited the climatic conditions," she said. O'Brien said that there were many regional sweet dishes where traces of Middle eastern origin could be found, apparently from Arab traders who came into India, she cited. "There are different varieties of Halwa similar to Turkish delight which probably evolved because of Arab traders there," she said.

O'Brien said despite enormous variety of Indian food across all four corners, outside India including in Australia there was a very limited knowledge about it. "Indian Restaurants and eateries overseas have been mostly serving similar dishes like Chicken tikka or Spicy curries that has reflected that India had a homogeneous national cuisine," O'Brien said.

source : abplive.in

UN chief warns of risk of 'all-out escalation' in Israel

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned of the "risk of an all-out escalation in Israel and Gaza," urging Israelis and Palestinians to find common ground for a return to calm and a cease-fire understanding. "We are now several days into a dangerous escalation in and around Gaza," Ban told an emergency meeting he called Thursday of the UN Security Council on the Middle East.

Over the past several days, the Palestinian factions Hamas and Islamic Jihad have fired a barrage of more than 550 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel, and the Israeli Defence Forces have launched more than 500 air strikes on Gaza, Ban said. "Today, we face the risk of an all-out escalation in Israel and Gaza, with the threat of a ground offensive still palpable -- and preventable," Xinhua quoted the UN chief as saying, adding that "it is now more urgent than ever to try to find common ground for a return to calm and a cease-fire understanding". Civilians are paying the price for the continuation of conflict, Ban said, noting that his "paramount concern is the safety and well-being of all civilians, no matter where they are". "The excessive use of force and endangering of civilian lives are also intolerable," he said. "It is unacceptable for citizens on both sides to permanently live in fear of the next aerial attack."

The UN chief said he has been engaging with world leaders, including the king of Saudi Arabia, the emir of Qatar, the president of Egypt, the heads of the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the US Secretary of State and European Union High Representative. "I have also spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel and President Abbas of Palestine," Ban said. "I called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint, show statesmanship and to weigh the risks of further escalation."

Calling the current situation one of the most critical tests the region has faced in recent years, the secretary-general said: "More than ever, the situation calls for bold thinking and creative ideas. We must strive to restore, not only calm today, but a political horizon for tomorrow." He urged the parties concerned, regional partners and the international community to do everything possible to resume meaningful negotiations towards a viable two-state solution."

Tensions have been rising in the region since Israel conducted a wide-scale crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank searching for three missing Israeli teens who were kidnapped and killed allegedly by suspected Palestinian militants last month. Soon afterwards, a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem was abducted, tortured, and murdered in an alleged revenge killing, further fuelling animosities and clashes. As of Thursday afternoon, the Israeli Air Force struck down about 800 targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 81 Palestinians. More than 500 people were injured in the attacks. Since the operation started, hundreds of rockets and mortars were launched towards Israel, including cities in Israel's central, south central plain and the northern plain area, as well as in the Jerusalem greater area and southern communities.

source : abplive.in

Men lose sex appeal at 39 !

Men are viewed as father figures rather than sex symbols as they reach 39 even if their looks have not faded, according to a new study. The research found that men start becoming 'invisible' sexually to younger women when they approach their 40s.

This was due to a number of factors - not all concerned with ageing, the 'Daily Express' reported. According to the 1,000 people polled, the first flecks of grey hair and the emergence of a double chin are the biggest turn offs in older men.

The most obvious sign of the change is when a man is no longer eyed up by women when he goes out.
In the study, conducted by Crown Clinic in Manchester, over half of the people questioned said men start to loose their allure to the opposite sex as they approach 40. However, it is not just a matter of age. Six out of 10 women assume that most men in their late 30s are attached by that age and are not worth approaching, the report said. "Turning 40 is key turning point and it is the most popular age for men to seek a hair transplant," surgeon Asim Shahmalak from the Crown Clinic said.

Women like comfortable, while men prefer 'flesh-flashing' undies

A survey revealed that men and women share different tastes over perfect lingerie for females, as the former want something comfortable, while the latter prefer flesh-flashing innerwear.

According to the poll by lingerie Company, Bluebella, 62 per cent of men are turned on by sections of lace, cut-outs, sequins and bows, while 58 per cent of women prefer smoother, practical bras, as they sit better under blouses and T-shirts, the Daily Star reported.

The findings also revealed that 78 per cent of men are driven wild by stockings and a suspender belt, while 54 per cent of females find them a faff to put on and wear.

Emily Bendell from Bluebella said that from these results it seems that men associate lingerie with the delights underneath, so they like skimpy pieces, lace, sheer fabrics, plus obvious ties and bows that they can undo but women wear it all the time - so they want to combine comfort, adaptability and performance as well as fabulous aesthetics.

source : ANI

Modi accepts Obama's invitation; to visit US in September

Extending a formal invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to the US, President Barack Obama has expressed keenness to work closely with him to make the bilateral relations a "defining partnership" in the 21st century. Modi also accepted the formal invitation.

Thanking Obama for the invitation, Modi said he looks forward to a result-oriented visit in September with "concrete outcomes" that impart "new momentum and energy" to the strategic partnership.

Obama's letter of invitation was handed over to Modi by Deputy Secretary of State William Burns when he called on him here. In his letter, Obama reiterated his invitation to Modi to visit Washington in September and to work closely with him to make India-US relations a "defining partnership" for the 21st century, a PMO statement said today. While receiving the letter, Modi said he looked forward to a "result-oriented visit with concrete outcomes that impart new momentum and energy to India-US strategic partnership", the statement said.

The Prime Minister was of the view that re-energising the partnership between India and the US would send an important message to the region and beyond. Articulating his vision for India-US relations, Modi said that the relationship between the world's oldest and largest democracies should not only be for the benefit of the two countries, but "should emerge as a powerful force of good for peace, stability and prosperity in the world".

Burns conveyed Obama's desire to strengthen economic relations, including in next generation technologies and manufacturing sector; cooperate in enhancing energy security; deepen security cooperation, including in maritime security, counter-terrorism and intelligence exchange; expand consultation and coordination on Afghanistan; and, work more broadly for security and prosperity in Asia.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh, US Charge d'Affaires Kathleen Stephens and Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal were also present in the meeting.

source : abplive.in

HTC One (E8) and Desire 616 now in India

Taiwanese smartphone giant HTC has launched its plastic-bodied flagship One (E8) and mid-range Desire 616 in India at Rs 34,900 and Rs 16,900 respectively. The company has said that the more expensive of the two devices will go on sales at the end of July, while the Desire 616 will start selling as off immediately.

The One (E8) in India will support dual SIMs and feature the same Dual Curve design of the more expensive One (M8). The device however will lack the all-aluminum unibody in exchange for a high quality plastic shell. More importantly the device features the same 5-inch Full HD display is powered by a 2.5GHz Snapdragon 801 processor coupled to 2GB of RAM.

One (E8)

The phone runs on Google's latest Android 4.4 KitKat, with HTC's propitiatory Sense 6 UI loaded on top. In terms of imaging the One (E8) ditches the finicky depth-sensing Duo Camera of its more expensive sibling for a regular 13MP shooter. However it does retain the 5MP front facing camera which is so perfect for those selfies.

The Desire 616 was touted to be a China-only device, but has now made its way to Indian shores. The smartphone features a 5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display and is powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core MediaTek processor coupled to 1GB of RAM. Internal storage stands at a miniscule 4GB, but is expandable up to 32GB via a microSD card.

Desire 616

Unlike the Desire 816 which was launched in India a few months ago, the 616 runs on the outdated Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with Sense 5 UI loaded on top of it. An 8MP primary camera sits on the rear while the front gets a 2MP shooter. In terms of connectivity the device supports dual SIMs, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

source : techtree.com

Delhi Second; Mumbai Sixth Populous City

Delhi has become the world's second most populous city in 2014 after Tokyo, more than doubling its population since 1990 to 25 million (2.5 crore), according to a UN report. The 2014 revision of the World Urbanisation Prospects launched yesterday said that India is projected to add the highest number of people to its urban population by 2050, ahead of China.

The Indian capital is expected to retain the spot of the world's second most populous city through at least 2030, when its population is expected to rise swiftly to 36 million. Tokyo topped UN's ranking of the most populous cities in 2014 with 38 million inhabitants and while its population is projected to decline, it will remain the world's largest city in 2030 with 37 million people.

Mumbai, which ranks sixth on the list of the world's most populous cities in 2014, is projected to become the fourth largest city in 2030 when its population would grow to 28 million from the current 21 million.

Tokyo and New Delhi were followed by Shanghai with 23 million, and Mexico City, Mumbai and Sao Paulo, each with around 21 million inhabitants in 2014. The report said that the largest urban growth will take place in India, China and Nigeria between 2014 and 2050, with the three countries accounting for 37 per cent of the projected growth of the world's urban population.

India's major cities Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmadabad, Pune and Surat will add a total of 27 million people to its population in 2030. Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad will be among the world's top 30 cities by 2030.

source : PTI

Microsoft planning to launch three phones

A schedule has leaked out, thanks to famed @EvLeaks, that shows three new handsets from Microsoft waiting to be announced this year. The handsets have been positioned for launch at two different time frames, but not too far apart. One will be out in July itself, while the other two can be expected in the month of September.

The first one, which is technically scheduled for launch this month, shows up on the roadmap as the RM-1017 which in all probability is the Lumia 530. The handset had leaked via a Windows Phone buying guide and has since then been pulled down from the website. Clearly, Microsoft is hiding something.

The next two tagged as the RM-984 and the RM-1028 have both been scheduled for an announcement as per the roadmap, in the month of August. We have no clue what these two handsets could be. The RM-984 may be the Lumia 820’s successor which showed up online a few days ago. While the RM-1028, could be the flagship ‘McLaren,’ which has been in the rumour mill for quite sometime now and is slated to introduce 3d touch to the Windows Phone platform.

One factor that seems certain, is that all of these handsets will come with the new ‘Nokia by Microsoft’ branding instead of just Nokia. Rumours do tell us its high time that Microsoft made a move regarding the brand name which recently also made an appearance on the rumoured Nokia Lumia 830 handset’s render.

source : abplive.in

Government to come up with Biometric Identification

The new technologies of biometric identification and mobile phone payments for various subsidy schemes will lead to poverty reduction, India's Economic Survey for 2013-14 said Wednesday.

"The new technologies of biometric identification and payments through mobile phones have created a range of new possibilities for the design of programmes. These would lead to a reduction in poverty at lower cost when compared with the present subsidy programmes," said the survey, presented in parliament by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley a day ahead of the general budget for 2014-15.

According to the survey, the new technologies will make it increasingly feasible to identify households below the poverty line and give them cash. "Programmes such as food subsidy have huge overhead costs. In other cases, such as fertiliser subsidy, the expenditures generate a distorted resource allocation that hampers productivity. Besides, not all the money put into a subsidy scheme reaches the poor," added the survey.

CDRC fines Torrent Power with 50 lakhs

The Consumer Disputes Redressal Cell (CDRC) of Gujarat has imposed a fine of Rs 50 lakh on the Torrent Power Ltd for alleged illegal recovery of a hefty amount from a user by cutting off electric supply. Torrent Power Ltd is private electricity discom (distribution company) supplying electricity to consumers in Ahmedabad and Surat cities.

"It has been proved that the company (Torrent Power Ltd) threatened to cut the power supply of a consumer. Later, it was cut to recover a hefty amount of Rs 78,000. This is only a tip of the iceberg and other such incidents would have occurred," the CDRC order said. "Under such circumstances, the company is directed to submit a fine of Rs 50 lakh to the Consumer Welfare Fund within two months," the order said.

The CDRC quorum comprising judicial member M T Unadkat and member Nandini Thaker acted upon the appeal of Torrent Power in which they challenged the Surat district Consumer Forum's judgement in which the company was asked to reimburse Rs 78,000 to a consumer.

A Surat-based travel agent Rajendra Sharma had moved the District Consumers' Forum alleging that Torrent Power recovered Rs 78,000 for allegedly damaging cable wires and in addition to that the company also cut power supply until the hefty amount was paid. The company had alleged that Sharma had dug the road by JCB machine and while doing that power-cables were damaged, which resulted in power cut in Puna -Kumbharia road of the city.

However, Sharma had tried to convince the company that his business has nothing to do with road-digging and he was asked to pay Rs 78,000 for the alleged damage he made. When he did not pay the amount, Torrent Power first threatened to cut and later cut the electricity supply of his travel agency's office after that he was imposed to pay Rs. 78,000. The CDRC has mentioned in the order that the recovery of the said amount was done without any basis or any supportive evidence. "As per the norms of the Electricity Act, the company was bound to give a notice to its consumer 15 days before cutting the power supply," the order said. The CDRC found that the company has failed miserably in giving service and committed a serious error while adopting a unreasonable business policy.

source : PTI

Happiness Blanket : changes colours according to mood

To make flying and sleeping on its flights even more relaxing, British Airways is testing a hi-tech blanket that monitors brain waves and change colors based on the passenger's mood. The 'happiness blanket', which is woven with fibre optics, uses neuro-sensors to measure a person's brainwaves and changes colour, from red to blue, to show when they're at their most relaxed and meditative.

The airline hopes monitoring a person's sleep and relaxation patterns during a flight will help to improve aspects of the in-flight service; from changing the timing of meals, what food is served and even the types of films shown - to make flying and sleeping on British Airways flights even more relaxing.

A group of volunteers on board the BA189 Dreamliner service from Heathrow to New York, were among the first to try out the hi-tech 'happiness blankets' for themselves and report on their experiences. Frank van der Post, British Airways' managing director, brands and customer experience, said: "This is the first time this technology has been used by any airline to help shape how service is delivered on board an aircraft. "Using technology like the British Airways 'happiness blanket' is another way for us to investigate how our customers' relaxation and sleep is affected by everything on board, from the amount of light in the cabin, when they eat, to what in-flight entertainment they watch and their position in the seat," he said.

source : PTI

Vizag : New tourism hub in Visakhapatnam

The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to develop the picturesque and heritage-rich port city of Visakhapatnam and the district as a tourism hub.

Rao said the district has a number of natural beaches and is also rich in culture and heritage. "It (the district) has Buddhist centres, the picturesque Araku valley, Borra caves and Erramatti Dibbalu (red sand dunes) which could be developed as tourists places," he added. The minister also said that Visakhapatnam city has a lot of potential to be developed like Singapore.

"The state government had already started work to develop beaches between Bheemili and Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 50 crore, which will be completed soon," HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao told reporters yesterday after flagging off the ‘leisure night package tour' bus launched by the state Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) here. The bus covers places like Submarine Museum, Rishikonda, Kailasagiri Hill and Shilparamam Jatara in the city.

source : PTI

Kamla Beniwal : New Mizoram Governor

Dr Kamla Beniwal was on Wednesday sworn-in as the 12th Governor of Mizoram, hours after her predecessor Vakkom B. Purushothaman left the state. On behalf of Gauhati High Court Chief Justice Abhya Manohar Sapre, Justice B.K. Sharma administered the oath of office to the first woman governor of Mizoram at the Durbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan here.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla and his cabinet colleagues, Assembly Speaker Hiphei, MLAs and top government officials. Beniwal, who was Governor of Gujarat before taking over the gubernatorial position in the north eastern state, was born on January 12, 1927 at Gorir village of Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district.

She became the first woman minister in Rajasthan in 1954 at the age of 27 years and later became the deputy Chief Minister of the state. A few hours before Beniwal's oath taking, Purushothaman left the state after a hurriedly organised farewell at the Lengpui airport.

source : PTI

Nargis Fakhri dreams to do a movie with Salman Khan

Nargis Fakhri dreams to do a movie with Salman Khan but right now she has to be content with an item song with him in "Kick". But this does not make her jealous of the film's leading lady Jacqueline Fernandez.

"I am not jealous of Jacqueline because even I am getting an opportunity to be part of an item song. Of course, in future I would love to work with Salman in a film...that would be a dream and I hope it comes true," the "Rockstar" fame actress told IANS.

"Kick" marks producer Sajid Nadiadwala's directorial debut. Talking about her dance number with Salman, she said: "It's very underground, edgy and sexy dance number. I was a little worried what if I missed out on steps, but he ended up being the best person ever and I had so much fun. "He has great energy and great sense of humour and I think his energy was making me feel very comfortable and happy. Overall it's an amazing experience."

source : IANS

Iron Man's wife expecting a Daughter

'Iron Man' star Robert Downey Jr is set to become a father again as his wife Susan is pregnant with a baby girl. The 49-year-old actor announced the baby news himself on his social media sites like Twitter and Facebook, revealing the gender of the baby and when it's due. "Yo. Susan. Me. Baby. Girl. November. Scorpio?" he posted.

Robert later posted a longer message on Facebook, "Um. I don't know if it's a 'man's world,' but I'm certain women run it. Susan and I are therefore delighted to announce we are expecting a baby. Girl. November." The couple met on the set of 'Gothika' in 2003 and married in 2005. They welcomed their first son Exton Elias Downey on February 7, 2012. He is also a father to 20-year-old son Indio from his first marriage to actress Deborah Falconer. Indio was arrested for cocaine possession last week.

source : PTI

Grand reception awaits NaMo

The Indian-American community will accord a grand reception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he travels to the US in September to attend the annual General Assembly session in New York and a White House meeting with US President Barack Obama.

Leading organisers of the proposed reception have been searching for past few weeks a venue that can accommodate between 60,000 and 80,000 people.

However, the two most desired venues - Yankee Stadium in New York, that can accommodate over 60,000 people, and Giants Stadium in New Jersey with a seating capacity of 80,000 are already booked for the last week of September, when Modi would be in the US, Bharat Barai, one of the organisers of the event told PTI.



While the dates of Modi's trip are yet to be announced officially, Barai said that his public reception is expected to take place on September 28. "Given Modi's popularity, we are expecting thousands of people to attend the historic reception hosted in his honour," said Barai.

Overseas Friends of BJP's president Chandrakant Patel said hectic preparations for holding a massive public rally of Indian diaspora for Modi in the New Jersey/New York area is being done at the national level.

"OFBJP is working along with the leaders of all prominent Indian and ethnic organisations locally and at the national level to make this historic event a grand success in which about 1,00,000 people are expected to attend," Patel said.

source : PTI

Actor Riteish Deshmukh replaces Kapil Sharma in 'Bank-Chor'.

Kapil Sharma, who was slated to make his Bollywood debut with Yash Raj Films' "Bank Chor", was out of the project, the production house had revealed via an official statement last Thursday. It was a mutual decision.

‘Bank Chor’ is scheduled to go on the floors immediately and is planned for an early 2015 release. The actor, known for his comedy films, was seen in a dark character of 'Rakesh Mahadkar' in the romantic thriller ‘Ek Villain’ which is doing well at the Box Office.

"Loved the script. Loved the character. Loved the team. I've always liked to push the envelope with the choices I make. This film allows me to potentially rip it apart. Watch out there's a new Bank-Chor in town," Riteish was quoted in a Times of India report.

There were reports that Kapil was caught in a quandary over how to balance his show and film. But it wasn’t clear why Kapil was no longer a part of "Bank Chor", a comic-caper.
The film tells the story of three men trying to rob a bank, how they choose the wrong day for the robbery, and how they're inadvertently caught in the cross fire between cops, industrialists and corrupt politicians.
Produced by Patil, the project will be helmed by Bumpy.

source : abplive.in

Your Partner fakes Satisfaction; May Be NOT !

If you think your partner generally fakes sexual satisfaction, you may be wrong. According to fascinating research, people who report better sexual communication with their partners have a more accurate perception of their satisfaction. Even when sexual communication within the relationship was poor, those with good emotional recognition fared better in gauging their partners' satisfaction, the study found.

"The results do not necessarily speak to 'faking it' per se in terms of faking orgasm," said lead author Erin Fallis, a doctoral student at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. "But they do help us understand how well people do at gauging, like is their partner generally fairly satisfied with their sexual relationship or maybe not so satisfied with that sexual relationship," Fallis said.

To reach this conclusion, researchers asked 84 committed couples to answer questions about both their own levels of sexual satisfaction and that of their partners. When they compared self-reports of satisfaction to partners' perceptions of satisfaction, they found that on average, both sexes were fairly good at gauging their partners' sexual satisfaction.

The next on researchers' mind is to figure out if an accurate perception of partner's sexual satisfaction bode well for the overall sex life.

Casual Sex boosts Well-Being

Do not let that depression mount over your head if you have had a casual fling recently. Casual hookups are actually good for your overall well-being, researchers say.



"If you want to have casual sex, you definitely should. If you do not want to have casual sex, you should not," said researchers from New York University and Cornell University. The effects of casual sex depend on the extent to which this behaviour is congruent with one's general personality tendencies, they explained.

For the study, they chose a group of students who kept a weekly diary over the course of 12 weeks documenting casual sex and its effect on their overall well-being. The team found that socio-sexually unrestricted students reported higher well-being after having casual sex compared to not having sex.

The research appeared in the journal Social Psychology and Personality Science.
Source : IANS

Helen Wood admits to using sex toy with punter on Big Brother

‘Big Brother’ star Helen Wood has revealed that she used a sex toy to perform an X-rated act with a punter.


When Wood’s Big Brother housemate Steven Goode asked her about her most unique sexual experience Helen added that she will never do it again, the Daily Star reported.

Wood, who once had a threesome with football ace Wayne Rooney also confessed that she had been hired by several celebrity clients.

A show source said that there will be a guessing game as to who this man was, although Wood gave no clues.




source : abplive.in

Indonesia's Widodo declares victory in presidential race

Jakarta governor Joko Widodo declared victory today in Indonesia's tightest and most divisive presidential race since the downfall of dictator Suharto, which has pitted him against ex-general Prabowo Subianto. It came after unofficial tallies from polling agencies showed him leading with around 53 per cent of the vote against Prabowo's 47 per cent.

Flanked by members of his Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle in the capital, Widodo said: "We would like to greatly thank all the Indonesian people... as well as party members who worked hard from morning to evening."

There was no immediate reaction from Prabowo. It came after a bitterly fought campaign that saw long-time favourite Widodo's lead shrink dramatically, voters in the world's third-biggest democracy have faced a choice starkly different candidates. A former furniture exporter from a humble background, Widodo, known by his nickname Jokowi, is the first serious presidential contender without links to the authoritarian past. Should he win, he is seen as likely to usher in a new style of leadership and consolidate democracy.



Prabowo, a former son-in-law of Suharto who has admitted ordering the abduction of democracy activists before the strongman's downfall in 1998, has won support with promises of firm leadership in a country where many yearn for a strong figurehead.

But critics fear he may shift Indonesia back towards authoritarian rule. Earlier, Widodo was mobbed by hundreds of journalists and supporters as he voted at a polling station near the Jakarta governor's residence in the centre of the capital. Prabowo was also greeted by an enthusiastic crowd as he voted at a polling station near his countryside house outside the capital, arriving in a jeep and escorted by two mounted policemen.

"I'm very optimistic, and God willing we will get support from people everywhere," said the 63-year-old after voting. "My hope is that the election went well and smoothly, with no fraud and no intimidation."

Some 190 million voters were eligible to cast ballots across the sprawling archipelago of more than 17,000 islands that spans three time zones. Polling stations closed across the country, from eastern Papua, to the main island of Java and jungle-clad Sumatra in the west, closed at 1:00 pm and no major disruptions to voting were reported.

Several months ago Widodo looked to be on a smooth course to lead the country. But, after a polarising campaign, his once-huge lead has shrunk. The Jakarta governor was targeted by smears, including a claim that he is an ethnic Chinese Christian and not a Muslim, a deeply damaging charge in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.


source : abplive.in