FLIPKART BUYS MYNTRA FOR RS.2000 CRORE!!

In what could be seen as an early phase of consolidation in the ₹62,000-crore e-commerce market, India’s largest online retailer, Flipkart.com, has acquired fashion e-retailer Myntra.com.

Official sources at both the companies said the deal, which will be a combination of both cash and stock, is scheduled to be announced on Thursday.

While the exact deal size could not be ascertained, a few reports have pegged it at ₹1,800-2,000 crore, making it the largest in the space since South Africa’s Naspers, which has a stake in Flipkart, bought RedBus for ₹780 crore last year.

Comparing the deal with that of Amazon’s acquisition of Las Vegas-based fashion portal Zappos.com, market experts said that Flipkart’s purchase reflects a serious and much-needed effort by the company to tap into the online sales of apparel and fashion accessories.

Flipkart has had limited success with apparel and fashion accessories, the largest shopping categories in the online retail space.

According to a Technopak Advisory report, by 2019, the electronics and fashion segment will account for 30 per cent of the sales in the online e-commerce space.

However, it is not yet clear if Flipkart will acquire only the Myntra brand or its overall operations.

“I cannot share further details but Myntra will continue to run as a separate entity,” said a company official. Meanwhile, a statement from Flipkart maintained that it cannot comment on market speculation.

Amazon effect

The buzz about a Flipkart and Myntra deal broke out soon after Amazon’s entry in the Indian market.

According to market experts, the deal will help Sachin and Binny Bansal’s Flipkart garner a larger market share and give tough competition to Amazon, the Seattle-based e-commerce giant.

The transaction is said to have been initiated by common investors, Tiger Global Management and Accel Partners, which are understood to own majority shares in both the companies.

Sources say that while Sachin and Binny own less than 10 per cent of Flipkart, Mukesh Bansal owns around 6-7 per cent in Myntra. The deal could also see an exit by a few investors in Myntra.

source obtained from the link below:

http://news.in.msn.com/business/flipkart-buys-fashion-e-retailer-myntra

eBay asks million users to change passwords after cyber attack

American multinational Internet consumer-to-consumer corporation eBay has asked its users to change their passwords after a cyber attack.

The hack compromised database containing names, passwords and other personal information of millions of users.

According to the BBC, the US firm said a database had been hacked between late February and early March.

The database contained encrypted passwords and other non-financial data, including customers' name, encrypted password, email address, physical address, phone number and date of birth.

The company added that it had no evidence of there being unauthorised activity on its members' accounts.

However, it said that users should change their passwords as it was the 'best practice and will help enhance security for eBay users'.

The California-based company has 128 million active users and accounted for 212 billion dollars worth of commerce on its various marketplaces and other services in 2013.

According to the report, a spokesman added that the firm's engineers were in the process of rolling out a feature that would oblige members to choose new passwords when they next logged in.

source obtained from the link below:

https://in.news.yahoo.com/ebay-asks-million-users-change-passwords-cyber-attack-052948104.html

Bay quake shakes Visakhapatnam and many cities across India

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted Delhi, Ranchi, Vizag, Chennai and parts of eastern and northern India. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to property, but the quake shook up residents.

The quake struck 60 km east of Paradip at a depth of 10 km at 9.52 pm in the Bay of Bengal, said L.S. Rathore, director-general, Indian Meteorological Department.

The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) of the city-based INCOIS said there is no tsunami threat due to the earthquake.
A bulletin issued by the INCOIS said there was no tsunami threat for India due to the earthquake.

Meanwhile, INCOIS scientists said earthquakes of such magnitude have the small potential to trigger tsunamis but sea level gauges near the epicentre showed no tsunami activity.

In Andhra Pradesh, tremors were felt at several places along the coast including Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

A report from Vizag said people rushed out of homes at various places like MVP Colony, Yendada, and Gajuwaka. Vinod Vijayan, a resident of GR Residency, Yendada, said, “I had just arrived home from office when I felt the door shake. I entered and took out a bottle of water from the fridge, I felt the tremors again and also saw water shake. I did not waste any more time and got out of the house,” he said.

Bindu, of Prakashraopet, was sitting on the sofa and did not feel the early tremors. But then she heard the glass case vibrate and immediately rushed out.

A Chennai report said tremors were felt in parts of Nungambakkam, Porur and Triplicane where people rushed out of their homes.

source obtained from the link below:

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140522/nation-current-affairs/article/bay-quake-shakes-visakhapatnam-many-cities

laziest ways to lose weight

What is your excuse for not working out or not losing weight? You don’t have time, you are travelling a lot, you are a foodie, or are you being just plain lazy? Well, now no more excuses are going to work for you, or keep you away from living a healthier life and getting a fitter body. Here is a compilation of the “laziest ways to lose weight” that will make it easier for you to discipline your bulging body.

Even the weirdest reasons not to sweat will be excused and be offered with a remedy. Our ways are simple and effective but they are not to be confused with yielding results similar to running on a treadmill or doing crunches. You will need patience and discipline, and at the end, you will be pleasantly rewarded.

Brush your teeth after dinner

You will be surprised when you read this one; this is not only about your dental hygiene, but for your weight loss too. Brushing your teeth after dinner extinguishes unsatisfied appetite, the same appetite responsible for dessert indulgences and midnight snacking- two of the primary causes of weight gain. Brushing teeth after dinner is a signal for your mind to stop eating.

source obtained from the link below:

https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/photos/easy-weight-loss-tricks-for-lazy-people-slideshow/

6 reasons to drink more water

Scientifically speaking, water is the basis of life, but beyond being essential to your very existence, water serves all sorts of purposes that help you feel your absolute best. No, it can't cure cancer (though it may help prevent it), pay your rent (though it does save you money), or take out the trash, here are six reasons H2O can help solve many annoying day-to-day health issues-and possibly prevent a few big ones-from headaches to those last few pounds.

1. Water boosts metabolism:
Trying to lose weight? Drinking water can boost your body's ability to burn fat. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that drinking water (about 17oz) increases metabolic rate by 30 percent in healthy men and women. The boost occurred within 10 minutes but reached a maximum 30-40 minutes after drinking.


2. Studies also suggest that drinking one or two glasses of water before a meal can fill you up so you naturally eat less, says Andrea N. Giancoli, MPH, RD spokesperson for The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Plus, even mild dehydration will slow down metabolism by as much as 3 percent. 2. It safeguards your heart: Speaking of essential for life…drinking a good amount of water could lower your risk of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people who drank more than five glasses of water a day were 41 percent less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses. Bonus: Drinking all that water may reduce cancer risk as well. Research shows that staying hydrated can reduce risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, bladder cancer by 50 percent, and possibly reduce breast cancer risk too.

3. Water prevents headaches: The most debilitating kind as well: Migraines. In one study published in the journal Neurology, scientists recruited migraine sufferers and divided them into two groups: one took a placebo, the others were told to drink 1.5 liters of water (about six cups) in addition to their usual daily intake. At the end of two weeks, the water group had experienced 21 fewer hours of pain than those in the placebo group, as well as a decrease in pain intensity.

4. Water boosts your brainpower: Your brain needs a lot of oxygen to function at optimum levels, so drinking plenty of water ensures that it's getting all it needs. In fact, drinking eight to 10 cups of water per day can improve your levels of cognitive performance by as much as 30 percent.
The door swings both ways: Research shows that a dehydration level of just 1 percent of your body weight reduces thinking functions, so staying well-hydrated is super important for your mental performance .

5. It makes you rich: Making water your go-to drink saves a lot of money in the long run. Even though 60 percent of the U.S. population buys bottled water , it's still cheaper, on average, than juices, sodas, and Starbucks- especially when you buy it by the case. What's even cheaper: buying a filter and drinking water out of the tap. To put it in perspective, replacing your daily can of soda at lunch with a free-from-the-tap glass of water (or water cooler if you have access to one) can save you about $180 a year.

6. It keeps you alert: Dehydration is the single most common cause of daytime fatigue , so if your afternoon slump is more like a desperate need for an afternoon nap, guzzle a glass of water. It can also make you better at your job, or at least prevent you from being bad at a it-just a two percent dehydration level can trigger short-term memory problems and difficulty focusing on a computer screen or printed page. 
source obtained from the link below:
https://in.lifestyle.yahoo.com/6-reasons-to-drink-more-water.html

Easy ways to keep water clean and cold for this summer

Whenever we came rushing back home in the sweltering heat, my grandmother always insisted on us drinking water from a matka, kept wrapped in a wet bright red cloth, rather than grabbing a refrigerated chilled water bottle. Traditionally, the matkas and other earthen pots have been used to store and keep water cold. Water stored in a matka or a surahi (another earthen pot with a narrow and long neck) gets cooled within a few hours, because they are porous. Thanks to that quality, the air moves in and out of the pot, bringing down the temperature of the water stored inside it.

Water from a matka is comparatively gentler on the throat; hence people who are prone to cough and colds are advised to consume it from such earthen pots than straight from a refrigerator.

Nowadays, you’ll also see jug-shaped earthen pots to store water, they are handy and will also look nice on your dining table. So this summer, bring on those cute looking matkas, delicate surahis, and jugs for refreshingly fresh and cool water. But make sure you scrub and clean them regularly.

Store water in a copper vessel

Ayurveda recommends storing and drinking water from copper vessels. It is assumed that water stored overnight in a copper vessel,

• accumulates traces of copper, which are beneficial in strengthening the muscular system
• purifies the blood and remove toxins
• ,

To attain the above said benefits, the copper vessel should be made of at least 95 % copper and 5 % zinc. Anything less than 95 per cent will not kill the damaging pathogens.

However, storing water in a copper vessel can even prove to be detrimental if the vessel is not cleaned and washed regularly. Make sure that the container is scrubbed and rinsed well and ensure that there are no deposits left in it.

Sometimes the stored water looks and becomes cloudy (turbid) and unclear. Sedimentation is a physical process used to remove such turbidity of water by settling down the suspended particles.

The process of sedimentation can be quickened by adding certain chemicals such as alum or fitkari. To treat and purify the contaminated water at home, a piece of alum can be added and left unstirred for a couple of hours. After some time, the impurities get collected at the bottom of the vessel. After which, transfer the clear water into another container.

Bring it to a boil

Simply boiling the water is the easiest and most effective method of disinfecting the water. It effectively destroys most of the microorganisms such as bacteria, ,viruses, protozoan and other pathogens.

A “rolling boil” for a minimum of one minute is enough to kill most of these disease-causing organisms.

source obtained from the link below:

easy-ways-keep-water-clean-cold-summer

Microsoft markets latest, 12-inch Surface tablet to those who don't want separate laptop

 Microsoft bills its new Surface tablet computer as a laptop replacement — and it means it this time.

The Surface Pro 3 will have a screen measuring 12 inches diagonally, up from 10.6 inches in the previous model. The Pro 3 is 32 percent thinner and 12 percent lighter than October's Pro 2. The company said it customized more than 100 parts and worked closely with chipmaker Intel Corp. to maximize performance in a slim device.

Microsoft had also billed the Surface Pro 2 as a laptop replacement, but Surface executive Ben Reed said technological advances and customer feedback over the past several months led to the device unveiled Tuesday.

The Surface Pro 3 will go on sale this summer, in five configurations ranging from $799 to $1,949. Microsoft will start taking orders Wednesday. Older models will still be available. The starting price of the Pro 2 is $100 more, at $899, but it has a faster processor than the Pro 3's starting model.

A keyboard cover to make the tablet feel like a laptop costs $130 more.

The Surface is an important part of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's mobile-focused strategy. The company is trying to boost sales of Windows tablets and phones to stay relevant with consumers as computing habits change.

Microsoft executives spent much of an hour-long presentation in New York comparing the Surface with Apple's iPad and MacBook Air laptop and tried to make the case for the Pro 3 to replace both.

In an interview, Reed said he believes people want to lighten their bags by carrying a single Surface instead of separate tablet and laptop computers.

Microsoft also faces competition from Samsung Electronics Co., which has a line of large-size Android tablets aimed at professionals.

The first Surface came out in late 2012 to lackluster sales. The debut of second-generation devices last October came with a greater marketing emphasis on tasks people normally tackle on laptops, such as creating documents and editing movies.

In the January-March period, revenue from Surface devices grew more than 50 percent from the year before to about $500 million. But that figure pales in comparison with Apple's reported $7.6 billion in iPad revenue for the same quarter.

In a research note, analysts Daniel H. Ives and James Moore of FBR Capital Markets said the new Surface is progress for Microsoft, but "we continue to believe Microsoft faces an uphill battle versus the likes of Samsung and Apple." The analysts said Microsoft "has been late to the game on the tablet front, and Surface's impact has been underwhelming thus far."

The Surface line is notable for its built-in kickstand. With the Pro 3, the kickstand can be adjusted to a range of positions, much the way a laptop's screen can be opened at various angles.

The Surface line puts Microsoft in competition with some of its own partners — the makers of tablets and laptops that use Microsoft's Windows operating system. Nadella sought to quell concerns by saying the company's goal was to create demand in new types of products and boost the entire industry.

"We are not building hardware for hardware's sake," Nadella said. "We want to build experiences that bring together all the capabilities of the company."

The vision of the Surface, he said, was to design a product that "takes the best of the tablet and the laptop" and enable people to read, create, write, watch and enjoy.

Ryan Giggs playing the best in the history of football?

Alex Ferguson gave us some of the best one-liners in the history of the game. He could eviscerate his rivals – and his friends – with put-downs that were as beautiful as they were blunt. Paul Ince became a "big-time Charlie", Arsène Wenger "a novice", Rafa Benitez "an angry man", Dennis Wise "could start a row in an empty house", Filippo Inzaghi "was born in an offside position" and Manchester City were reduced to "noisy neighbours"

Much of Ferguson's wit was spent on chastising his challengers, but his best line was reserved for praising Ryan Giggs. When Ferguson recalled watching the splindly 13-year-old winger glide across a football field for the first time he said: “He just floated over the ground like a cocker spaniel chasing a piece of silver paper in the wind.”

Giggs is 40 now, but no one has ever summed him up better. Putting his achievements into words is not easy, so here are some numbers:

963 games for Manchester United
672 league appearances
151 Champions League appearances
109 league goals
45 opponents in the Premier League
34 trophies
13 Premier League titles
4 FA Cups
2 Champions Leagues
1 club

Has any player in the history of English football had a better career than Giggs? The numbers look impressive, but what about the devil between the details. He didn't win the Ballon d'Or – unlike Stanley Matthews, Denis Law, Bobby Charlton, George Best, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen and Cristiano Ronaldo. He didn't captain his club for any length of time. He was at United for 23 years, but was he ever the best player in the team? Was he better than Eric Cantona in the mid-1990s, Roy Keane in the late 1990s, Paul Scholes in the early 2000s, Cristiano Ronaldo in the late 2000s, or Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie in the early 2010

His goalscoring record is nowhere near Bobby Charlton's. George Best scored more goals in half as many games; Wayne Rooney, who made his debut 12 years after Giggs, has scored more goals for United. He didn't last as long as Matthews, he didn't score as often as Charlton and he didn't lead his club to all those trophies.

source obtained from the link below:

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/may/21/ryan-giggs-career-history-english-football-manchester-united

Anandiben Patel as the new Gujarat Chief Minister

Anandiben Patel, who succeeds Narendra Modi as the new Gujarat Chief Minister, is seen as a disciplinarian and hard taskmaster who puts a premium on probity, qualities often associated with her predecessor.

The 73-year-old Modi loyalist, the first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat, was seen as a natural heir to the Prime Minister-designate as she headed the group of ministers tasked with the responsibility to run the state's day-to-day affairs during his hectic Lok Sabha campaign.

In Gujarat, Patel and Amit Shah are often described as Modi's "left and right arms".

Patel holds the key portfolios of urban development, revenue and disaster management and was earlier in charge of education ministry, driving successfully some of the key Modi projects, including boosting of female literacy.

The choice of Patel also takes into account the BJP's social arithmetic as the Patel community is the largest and most influential caste in the state and the backbone of its support base for over more than two decades.

Known for her no-nonsense image, she is the longest serving BJP minister who joined the party in late 80s and rose steadily through the ranks.

Married to Mafatbhai Patel, a professor, she has been living away from her family since mid-1990s and they have a son and a daughter.

Mafatbhai had announced his plan to fight Lok Sabha elections on the Aam Aadmi Party ticket but was reportedly talked out of it by their children. He has postponed a trip to abroad, anticipating her appointment as the new CM so that he could attend her oath-taking ceremony.

Patel shot into fame when as a school teacher she jumped into Sardar Sarovar reservoir in 1987 to save two girls from drowning.

Besides winning a gallantry award from the Governor, her heroics also caught the attention of BJP leaders, some of whom were familiar with her husband, who wanted the educated and brave woman to join their party as such a woman leader was almost a rarity at that time.

As a teacher too, she had received government awards. She and Modi worked together in BJP since she joined the party as he as the RSS pracharak would regularly interact with the state party leaders and their career graphs also rose simultaneously.

She was the only woman leader who joined the then BJP President Murli Manohar Joshi in unfurling the tricolour at Lal Chowk in Srinagar in 1992 and was elected as a Rajya Sabha MP two years later.

Always seen as a talented leader in the party, she was asked to contest assembly elections in 1998 and became a minister of state in the then Keshubhai Patel government.

She made no bones about her loyalty to Modi as she maintained her association with him even when he was banished from the state due to internal strife in party.

Modi gave her key portfolios as her stature rose and she was soon seen as his most trusted cabinet colleague.

As the education minister, she is credited with putting in an institutional mechanism to deal with transfers and postings of teachers in place of an ad-hoc regime, which was seen as breeding corruption.

Patel leads a frugal life and travels extensively across the state, monitoring government projects, interacting with officials and people.

One of her limitations, many party leaders say, is her not-so-friendly approach with party leaders and workers but she has often brushed such criticism aside, saying she should be judged not by the smile on her face but her work.

source obtained from the link below :

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/gujarats-first-woman-cm-anandiben-patel-a-disciplinarian-hard-taskmaster/473390-3-238.html

Amity University organizes workshop on impact of natural disasters on wild animals.

Amity Institute of Wildlife Sciences in association with National Institute of Disaster Management flagged a three-day training workshop on "Impacts of Natural Disasters on Wild Animals and Mitigation Strategies" at its Amity Campus here today.

The three day workshop will witness the presence of Forest Officers, Researchers, Academicians and Students. It will educate the participants with key components leading to natural disaster and its impact on wildlife. The participants will be submitting the research paper at the end of the workshop.

Welcoming the guests and participants, Dr. N.P.S Chauhan, Director, Amity Institute of Wildlife Sciences said, "India has a varied and rich wildlife which should be both protected and conserved."

Expressing his concern, he said "there are some valuable species that have become extinct with time due to various causes such as poaching, hunting and natural disasters."

He further added that the workshop would provide an opportunity to discuss and deliberate on the impact of natural disasters on wildlife and the measures to conserve it.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Satendra, IFS, Executive Director, National Institute of Disaster Management said," in India, it the first ever programme which is organized addressing this issue. Referring to Uttrakhand Disaster and Phailin Cyclone Disaster in 2013, he added that India is prone to disasters and such disasters not only affect the mankind but also the flora and fauna."

He said that Rehabilitation is a very important part of Disaster Management. The basic objective of the workshop is to develop some tools to create awareness in society, orient the policy makers and educate the planners that they devise measures to protect and conserve the wildlife from natural disasters, he opined.

During the technical session, P.R Sinha discussed the topic "Man-Made and Natural Disaster and their Impacts on Wildlife". He said that Natural Disasters have caused the extinction of species in the past and man-made calamity act as a trigger to the disasters for such extinctions.

He further mentioned that it is important to create corridor areas in the conservation areas meant for biodiversity because the animals can easily sense the disaster early and through the corridor they can migrate. He insisted that there is a requirement of deeper understanding of the causes and impacts of natural disasters and planning of immediate strategies for action should be done.

Sharing her thoughts, Dr. Balvinder Shukla, Vice Chancellor, Amity University Uttar Pradesh said, "in early years, there was an adequate population of wildlife but due to reasons such as deforestation and expansion of agriculture in certain areas, the wildlife has migrated or became extinct. She also said that animals are often the forgotten victims when natural disasters strike; hence there is a need to do research on the re-creation of forest and protection of wildlife."

She expressed her hope that there will be new learning for everyone during the three day workshop.

During the occasion, Chief Guest P.R. Sinha, Country Representative, IUCN-India, released the study material.

During the three day training workshop, various topics will be discussed such as "Flood Management in Kaziranga" by Mr. B.S Bonal, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority; "Impact of Natural Disaster in and around crucial wild habitats" by Dr. Harendrra Singh Bargali, Deputy Director, Corbett Foundation; "Rescuing wildlife in Crisis and Distress during Natural and Man Made Calamities" by Dr. NVK Ashraf, Senior Veterinarian and COO, Wildlife Trust of India among several others. 

source can be found by the link below:

https://in.news.yahoo.com/amity-university-organizes-workshop-impacts-natural-disasters-wild-155058670.html

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has been sent sent to judicial custody

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has been sent sent to judicial custody till May 23 after he refused to furnish a personal bail bond of Rs 10,000 in connection with a defamation case filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

A Delhi metropolitan court Wednesday ordered former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to be taken into judicial custody.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha fixed Friday as the next date of hearing. Manocha had asked him to furnish a bail bond of Rs.10,000 but the Aam Aadmi Party leader refused.

He has been sent to the Tihar jail.

Protests erupted here against a court's decision as angry AAP supporters of Kejriwal were seen shouting slogans, saying they were with Kejriwal in his fight against corruption.

Appearing before the court, Kejriwal told the judge that he would not furnish a bail bond in the case as it is of a political nature. Instead, he said he would give an undertaking to appear before the court at every hearing.

"I am fighting against corruption. I will not seek bail as I have not done anything wrong," the Aam Aadmi Party chief told metropolitan magistrate Gomati Manocha.

Kejriwal was summoned by the court for describing Gadkari as a "corrupt" person.

The anti-graft crusader's counsel told the court that in earlier defamation cases against him, Kejriwal was granted bail on the undertaking that he would appear before the court at every hearing.

The counsel added that Kejriwal would not flee from justice.

"I completely agree but what is the problem with furnishing bail bond," the court said. it added that furnishing a bail bond is a process of law and told Kejriwal that he was seeking different treatment.

Kejriwal responded by saying that it was a case of a political nature and he would not furnish a bail bond.

"You are representing the Aam Aadmi Party. I request you to behave as aam aadmi (common man)," the court said.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gadkari's lawyer opposed Kejriwal's plea.

Gadkari's complaint said on January 31 Kejriwal released a list of "India's most corrupt" people and it included Gadkari's name.

Gadkari has told the court that "false, baseless, scandalous, defamatory statements" by Kejriwal against him had lowered his dignity.

source can be found in the link below:

https://in.news.yahoo.com/arvind-kejriwal-arrested-after-he-refuses-to-pay-bail-bond-in-gadkari-defamation-case-105746408.html

The RBI eased tough gold import rules

The RBI eased tough gold import rules on Wednesday by allowing seven more private agencies to ship the precious metal, a move that industry officials say could augment supplies and reduce premiums in the peak wedding season.

Gold imports by India, the world's No. 2 bullion consumer after China, could quickly rise from current levels, according to the officials. This would help global prices, which slumped 28 percent last year, partly due to India's import curbs.

Struggling with a ballooning trade deficit, India in 2013 imposed a record high duty of 10 percent on overseas purchases of gold, the second-biggest item in its import bill, and introduced a rule tying import quantities to export levels.

On Wednesday, the Reserve Bank of India allowed "star trading houses", private jewellery exporters which had been barred from importing gold since July 2013, to resume imports, with immediate effect.

As a result, more than 20 entities, including state-run banks, private banks and agencies will now be allowed to import the metal.

"This is a welcome step as it is some sort of relaxation. Supplies will increase in another 8-10 days and premiums will certainly come down," said Bachhraj Bamalwa, director with All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation.

"Some gold that was routed through illegal channels will now be routed legally."

LEGAL IMPORTS

Legal monthly imports may soon increase by another 10-15 tonnes, from the current 20 tonnes, triggering a sharp correction in premiums to $40-50 an ounce on London prices from the current $90, he said. Premiums had hit a record of $160 an ounce in December last year.

The RBI also allowed banks to make gold loans to domestic jewellery makers, a practice that was stopped last year. Without the gold loans jewellers had been forced to take credit to fund purchases, adding to their costs.

"Gold metal loans are of great significance as they are expected to release the cost pressures, which all the jewellery retailers were facing," said Sudheesh Nambiath, India analyst, Thomson Reuters GFMS.

India's incoming prime minister, Narendra Modi, who led the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a decisive victory in a just-concluded election, has indicated his willingness to remove gold curbs.

Modi will be sworn in on Monday and the plan to ease the curbs is ready for his government to take up.

"Once Modi is sworn in, we expect more relaxation on gold imports," said Bamalwa.

source obtained from:https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/rbi-modifies-gold-import-rules-151851021.html

A loss will be the end of the road for Royal Challengers, leaving Royals, Sunrisers and Mumbai Indians to fight for the only remaining playoff spot.

The IPL bandwagon finally rolled into Kolkata on May 20, and with the backing of the country's largest crowd, Kolkata Knight Riders started their home campaign with a rout of Chennai Super Kings, winning their fifth successive game. That result took Knight Riders to fourth place, with 14 points in 12 games, creating a clear divide between the top and bottom halves of the points table. Their opponents for Thursday's game, Royal Challengers Bangalore, are one rung below them with 10 points from 12 games.

With 14 being the most points any team in the bottom half of the table can now aspire to reach, 16 has become the magic number that teams like Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals will want to achieve. If Knight Riders and Royals lose all their upcoming games, and Royal Challengers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians win all of theirs, there could be five teams tied on 14 points, making for a thrilling last leg of the tournament. However, if Knight Riders win this game, they will move onto 16 points, thereby taking some sting out of the tournament. A loss will be the end of the road for Royal Challengers, leaving Royals, Sunrisers and Mumbai Indians to fight for the only remaining playoff spot.

The moods in the two camps will be very different coming into this game. Knight Riders will be upbeat, with five wins on the trot and their last two games at home. Royal Challengers, on the other hand, have won only two of their last five games and will be reeling from the close defeat to Sunrisersin their last outing.

Previous encounter

The previous clash between these two teams could well be dubbed the 'Chris Lynn Show'. Lynn had an 80-run partnership with Jacques Kallis, forging a recovery before Royal Challengers restricted Knight Riders to 150 on Sharjah's mirror-like strip. The Royal Challengers batsmen had all but bagged the game and needed nine runs to win off the last over with AB de Villiers at the crease. Four balls into the final over, Lynn's Fosbury Flop on the boundary line dismissed de Villiers and set up a two-run jailbreak for Knight Riders.

Watch out for...

Robin Uthappa has scored 392 runs in the India leg of IPL 2014, with no other batsman having scored even 300. He has eight 40+ scores in this tournament, of which seven have come in consecutive games. Ending this run of astonishing form is bound to be one of Royal Challengers' biggest tests.

The death overs in this match are likely to throw up a good contest. Royal Challengers' average run rate in the last five overs of an innings in IPL 2014 is 11.01 - every other team scores at less than 10 runs per over during this period. Knight Riders on the other hand, are the most miserly bowling team during this phase of the innings, conceding only 8.12 runs per over.

Stats and trivia

• Royals Challengers' recent IPL record against Knight Riders is poor. They have only one win in the last five games between the two sides.
• Chris Gayle and Jacques Kallis have turned out for both Royal Challengers and Knight Riders in the IPL and they are also the top run-scorers in matches between the two teams. Counting the runs scored for both teams, Gayle has 420, while Kallis has 356.
• Gautam Gambhir has scored the most runs against Royal Challengers in the IPL. Of his 454 runs against them, 169 have come while playing for Delhi Daredevils and the rest for Knight Riders.
• Royal Challengers have found Sunil Narine stifling. While he has taken only six wickets against them in the IPL, he has conceded 4.18 runs per over, while giving away more than five an over against all current IPL teams.
• source obtained from the link below:
• https://cricket.yahoo.com/news/royal-challengers-slim-hopes-line-000000668.html

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Freida Pinto and Mallika Sherawat walking the red carpet at Cannes 2014

Bollywood actresses are surely amongst the prettiest women! They very well know how to grab all the attention. Not only in India but also overseas they can charm everyone with their flawless style! With Bollywood beauties like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Freida Pinto and Mallika Sherawat walking the red carpet at Cannes 2014, here we go listing their looks at the film festival. Go on and have a look at these stunning beauties.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stuns at her first appearance on the red carpet in a golden Roberto Cavalli Fishtail Gown. The actress is not only back in shape and has flaunted her sexy figure but has even silenced the critics who condemned her for her weight gain post the pregnancy.

Fashionista Sonam Kapoor looked stylish in this black Ellie Saab Couture Gown on day 5 of Cannes 2014.

Sexy Sonam Kapoor elegantly poses in pale pink Anamika Khanna sari dress on day 6 of Cannes 2014.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE actress Freida Pinto looked beautiful in this Oscar de la Renta couture gown on day 5 of Cannes 2014.

Freida Pinto poses for the paparazzi in this spectacular gown on day 4 of Cannes 2014!

Bollywood babe Mallika Sherawat looks sensuous as she poses in this white traditional outfit.

Hot Mallika Sherawat graces the Canees 2014 red carpet in this sea green gown.

source obtained from the link below:

https://in.movies.yahoo.com/news/bollywood-beauties-dazzle-cannes-2014-red-carpet-141415856.html

The BSE Sensex snapped a four-session winning streak

The BSE Sensex snapped a four-session winning streak on Wednesday as blue chips, including Larsen & Toubro Ltd(LART.NS), retreated from recent strong gains a day after foreign investors turned net sellers for the first time in about a month.

Foreign investors sold Indian cash shares worth a net 1.04 billion rupees ($17.8 million) on Tuesday, their first selling since April 16, provisional exchange data showed.

Investors took that milestone as an opportunity to take profits in recent outperformers, especially in domestic-oriented sectors that have led a powerful rally in anticipation of a victory for Bharatiya Janata Party and Narendra Modi, its candidate for prime minister.

"I do not think the market would take profit-taking or small sales by FIIs seriously. FII interest in India has increased considerably on hopes that policy bottlenecks would be removed soon," said Arun Gopalan, vice-president of research and fund manager at Systematix Shares.

The benchmark BSE Sensex fell 0.32 percent, or 78.86 points, to end at 24,298.02, retreating from a record closing high hit a day earlier.

The index still remains below the all-time high of 25,375.63 hit on Friday, when the BJP won a clear majority in the country's elections.

The broader Nifty lost 0.31 percent, or 22.60 points, to end at 7,252.90.

Domestic-oriented stocks fell after leading the recent rally on expectations that a Modi-led government would pass major reforms to revive an economy growing at its slowest in a decade.

Among capital goods makers, Larsen & Toubro declined 2.2 percent after marking its highest in 6-1/2 years in the previous session, while Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL.NS) lost 2.4 percent.

UltraTech Cement (ULTC.NS) slumped 3.2 percent, while ACC (ACC.NS) fell 2.9 percent.

The NSE bank sub-index fell 1.1 percent, heading for a second day of falls on profit-taking after making a record closing high on Monday.

State Bank of India lost 2.7 percent, Axis Bank (AXBK.NS) ended down 2.3 percent, HDFC Bank (HDBK.NS) fell 0.8 percent and ICICI Bank (ICBK.NS) ended 0.6 percent lower.

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd SUN.NS fell 1.8 percent after the USFDA said on Tuesday that the drugmaker's response to a U.S. import ban on one of its plants lacked "sufficient corrective actions."

But among the gainers, Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAJA.NS) rose 5.1 percent after the motorcycle maker's management issued a better-than-expected outlook in a conference call with analysts.

source obtained from the link below:

https://in.finance.yahoo.com/news/sensex-edges-lower-foreign-investors-043440527.html

Are you not hitting the gym thinking that weight loss at your age may not be of any help?

Think again as researchers have now found that weight loss at any age in adulthood is beneficial as it could yield long-term heart and vascular benefits.

"Our findings suggest that losing weight at any age can result in long-term cardiovascular health benefits, and support public health strategies and lifestyle modifications that help individuals who are overweight or obese to lose weight at all ages," said professor John Deanfield from University College London (UCL).

The study examined the impact of lifelong patterns of weight change on cardiovascular risk factors in a group of British men and women followed since birth in March 1946.

They showed that the longer the exposure to excess body fat (adiposity) in adulthood, the greater the cardiovascular-related problems in later life, including increased thickness of the carotid artery walls, raised systolic blood pressure, and increased risk of diabetes.

Adults who drop a BMI (body mass index) category - from obese to overweight, or from overweight to normal - at any time during adult life, even if they regain weight, can reduce these cardiovascular manifestations.

"Our study is unique because it followed individuals for such a long time, more than 60 years, and allowed us to assess the effect of modest, real-life changes in adiposity," Deanfield added.

The findings appeared in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

source obtained from the link below : 

are you not hitting the gym thinking that weight loss at your age may not be of any help?