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Tuesday, May 31, 2016

2016 UEFA EURO in France - Spain Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has been included in Spain's squad for the defence of their title at Euro 2016.

The right-back has been promoted from the stand-by list after Dani Carvajal suffered a thigh injury in Real Madrid's 2015-16 UEFA CL Final Victory over Atletico Madrid on penalties by 5-3 on Saturday May 28,2016

Midfielders Isco of Real Madrid and Atletico's Saul Niguez were left out.

Juanfran, who missed the crucial penalty in Saturday's Champions League final shootout, made the cut along with the his Atletico team-mate Koke and Real Madrid winger Lucas Vazquez.

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea and Manchester City's David Silva are both in Vicente del Bosque's squad.

Spain, who won the tournament in 2008 and 2012, are in Group D alongside the Czech Republic, Turkey and Croatia.



Spain Squad

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Porto), David de Gea (Man United), Sergio Rico (Sevilla)
Defenders: Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Marc Bartra (all Barcelona), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Bruno (Villarreal), Sergio Busquets, Andres Iniesta (both Barcelona), Thiago (Bayern Munich), David Silva (Manchester City), Pedro, Cesc Fabregas (both Chelsea)
Forwards: Aritz Aduriz (Athletic Bilbao), Nolito (Celta Vigo), Alvaro Morata (Juventus)

2016 UEFA EURO in France - Germany Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


Borussia Dortmund's Marco Reus has been omitted from Germany's Euro 2016 squad but Manchester United's Bastian Schweinsteiger has been included.

Bayer Leverkusen's Julian Brandt, Karim Bellarabi and Hoffenheim's Sebastian Rudy have all been left out.

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can, Arsenal's Mesut Ozil and former Gunners attacking midfielder Lukas Podolski, now at Turkish side Galatasaray, have all been included as the world champions search for their first European title since 1996.



Germany squad:

Goalkeepers: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich), Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Defenders: Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Emre Can (Liverpool), Jonas Hector (Cologne), Benedikt Hoewedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Shkodran Mustafi (Valencia), Antonio Ruediger (Roma)
Midfielders: Julian Draxler (VfL Wolfsburg), Sami Khedira (Juventus), Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mesut Ozil (Arsenal), Lukas Podolski (Galatasaray), Andre Schurrle (VfL Wolfsburg), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United), Julian Weigl (Borussia Dortmund).
Forwards: Mario Gomez (Besiktas), Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich), Leroy Sane (Schalke 04)

2016 UEFA EURO in France - England Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


Manchester United's teenage striker Marcus Rashford was included in England's final 23-man Euro 2016 squad announced on Tuesday May 31,2016 as Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend dropped out.

Marcus Rashford(18)scored within three minutes of his England debut in Friday's 2-1 win over Australia, having netted eight times in 18 games since making his United debut in February.

His emergence was thought to have cast doubt on Daniel Sturridge's place, but the Liverpool player was named as one of five strikers despite missing the Australia game with a calf problem.

Originally named in manager Roy Hodgson's provisional 26-man squad, Leicester City midfielder Drinkwater and Newcastle United winger Townsend made way.

Injury victim Fabian Delph, the Manchester City midfielder, had previously been omitted.



England 23-man squad for Euro 2016

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)
Defenders: Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
Forwards: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, capt), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)

2016 UEFA EURO in France - France Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


France coach Didier Deschamps confirmed his final Euro 2016 squad on Tuesday May 31,2016, including defenders Adil Rami and Samuel Umtiti plus midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin.

The trio replace the injured Raphael Varane, Jeremy Mathieu and Lassana Diarra, a late withdrawal with a knee problem.

Liverpool centre back Mamadou Sakho was not included even though his 30-day provisional suspension for failing a drugs test expired last weekend.

Hosts France geared up for the finals with a 3-2 victory over Cameroon in Nantes on Monday. They take on Scotland in Metz on Saturday.

Les Bleus face Romania in Group A in the opening game of the tournament on June 10 before playing Albania and Switzerland.



France squad

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Olympique de Marseille), Benoit Costil (Stade Rennais)
Defenders: Samuel Umtiti (Olympique Lyonnais), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Manchester City), Adil Rami (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Lucas Digne (AS Roma), Christophe Jallet (Olympique Lyonnais)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Juventus), Blaise Matuidi (Paris St Germain), Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United), N'Golo Kante (Leicester City), Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United)
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Dimitri Payet (West Ham United), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Andre-Pierre Gignac (UANL Tigres)

2016 UEFA EURO in France - Portugal Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


Any sliver of a doubt over whether Cristiano Ronaldo would lead Portugal into the Euro 2016 was erased on Tuesday May 31,2016 when he was named in their 23-man squad for the finals.

The 31-year-old forward, who scored the decisive penalty as Real Madrid won their 11th European Cup on Saturday May 28,2016 beating Atletico Madrid 5-3 on penalties after the scires read 1-1 at fill time, will skip Portugal's friendly against England at Wembley on Thursday.

Cristiano Ronaldo is merely recharging his batteries on holiday in Ibiza after a long season, however, and will join up with the squad in plenty of time for their opening fixture against Iceland on June 14 in Saint Etienne.

Coach Fernando Santos, whose team will also meet Hungary and Austria in Group F, was able to confirm the squad he announced on May 17.



Goalkeepers: Anthony Lopes (Olympique Lyon), Eduardo (Dínamo Zagreb), Rui Patricio (Sporting)
Defenders: Bruno Alves (Fenerbahçe), Cedric (Southampton), Jose Fonte (Southampton), Eliseu (Benfica), Pepe (Real Madrid), Raphael Guerreiro (Lorient), Ricardo Carvalho (Monaco), Vieirinha (VfL Wolfsburg).
Midfielders: Adrien Silva (Sporting), Joao Mario (Sporting), William Carvalho (Sporting), Andre Gomes (Valencia), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Renato Sanches (Benfica), Joao Moutinho (Monaco)
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Lille), Nani (Fenerbahce), Rafa (Braga), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas)

2016 UEFA EURO in France - Italy Squad Announced Tuesday May 31,2016


Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo missed out on his second straight major tournament due to injury on Tuesday May 31,2016 while Daniele De Rossi was included in Italy's 23-man squad for next month's European Championship in France.

The party was announced during a two-hour extravaganza on state broadcaster RAI entitled 'Blue Dream' where the players and coach Antonio Conte were brought up on stage and interviewed one by one.

AC Milan captain Montolivo, denied a place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil  after breaking his leg in a friendly, suffered a calf injury last week

Experienced playmaker Andrea Pirlo was not included, having also been left out of the provisional group

The squad included two other Brazilian-born players, midfielder Thiago Motta and forward Eder.


Italy have been drawn with Belgium, Sweden and Ireland in Group E at Euro 2016.



Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Federico Marchetti (Lazio), Salvatore Sirigu (Paris St Germain)
Defenders: Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini (all Juventus), Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham United), Federico Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Matteo Darmian (Manchester United), Mattia De Sciglio (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi (both AS Roma), Emanuele Giaccherini (Bologna), Thiago Motta (Paris St Germain), Marco Parolo (Lazio), Stefano Sturaro (Juventus)
Forwards: Eder (Inter Milan), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Graziano Pelle (Southampton), Simone Zaza (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (AS Roma).

Riteish-Genelia Deshmukh Blessed With a Baby Boy Wednesday June 01,2016


Actors Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh welcomed their second child this morning.

The couple, who're already blessed with a son named Riaan have been blessed with another baby boy.

Riteish shared his happiness on Twitter by posting a photograph of Riaan and captioned the image as, "Hey guys, my Aai & Baba just gifted me a little brother.

Now all my toys are his...- Love Riaan". The couple is definitely in a happy space right now.

Videocon Launches in India New 4G VoLTE-enabled Smartphone at Rs 10,000


Videocon has launched a new affordable smartphone - Krypton3 V50JG - that comes with 4G VoLTE capabilities at a price of Rs 10,000.

The Krypton3 V50JG comes with a 5-inch HD IPS screen with scratch resistant DragontrailX Glass layered on top. Under its hood is a Mediatek 64-Bit 1.3 GHz quad-core processor coupled with 2 GB RAM.

The phone is powered by Android Marshmallow 6.0 and features a 13 megapixel rear camera with dual LED flash and a 5 megapixel front camera with LED flash.

It further includes 16 GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card.

The phone draws its juice from a 3000mAh battery with 20 per cent faster charging capability.

The phone is dual SIM and is available in Royal Blue and Space Grey colour choices.

2015-16 UEFA Champions League Final Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid in Milan,Italy Saturday May 28,2016

Real Madrid wins 2015-16 UEFA Champions League 5-3 on penalties

After the match ended in a 1–1 draw after 120 minutes. Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 5-3 on penalties
Goal Scorers
For Real Madrid - Sergio Ramos(15)
For Atletico Madrid -Yannick Carrasco(79)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty kick after Juanfran failed to find the net.
In the shootout, Lucas Vazquez, Marcelo and Gareth Bale scored for Real, with Griezmann, Gabi and Saul Niguez replying to make it 3-3.After Sergio Ramos stepped up to make it 4-3, Juanfran hit the post, leaving Ronaldo with the chance to win the cup.
The competition's all-time leading scorer kept his composure to win it - his third individual Champions League triumph following on his from his successes with Manchester United in 2008 and Real in 2014.

This was Real Madrid's 11th European title

  • Atletico have now contested more European Cup/Champions League finals without winning the trophy than any other club (three).
  • This was the eighth Champions League final to go to extra-time, and the seventh to go to a penalty shootout.
  • Zinedine Zidane is the second man (after Miguel Munoz) to win the European Cup/Champions League with Real Madrid as both a player and a manager.
  • Zidane is the first French manager to win the Champions League.
  • Sergio Ramos became the fifth player to score in two different Champions League finals, and the first defender to do so (also Raul, Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo).
  • Indeed, Ramos joins Messi and Eto'o as one of three players to score in his first two Champions League finals.
  • Antoine Griezmann became the first player since Arjen Robben in 2012 to miss a penalty in the Champions League final (excluding shootouts).
  • Only Marcello Lippi (three) has lost more Champions League finals as a manager than Diego Simeone (two).

 

2016 French Open Women's Singles - Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Tsvetana Pironkova Tuesday May 31,2016



Second seed Agnieszka Radwanska crashed out in the French Open last 16 on Tuesday May 31,2016 after losing 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria.

2016 LPG Price Revision Wednesday June 01,2016

Non-subsidised LPG cylinder price hiked by Rs 21

Non-subsidised cooking gas (LPG) now costs Rs 548.50 in Delhi as against Rs 527.50 previously. 

The hike comes on the back of a Rs 18 per cylinder increase in price on May 01,201
Subsidised LPG costs Rs 419.18 per 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi.

Yu Yunicorn Launched in India at Rs 13,499


Yu Televentures, a wholly owned subsidiary of Micromax, launched its new smartphone in India.

Named Yunicorn, the new phone is priced at Rs 13,499.

The phone, however, will be available for a special price of Rs 12,999 for the first month.


The Yunicorn will initially go on sale via Flipkart, and will be later available in offline stores.

The phone will be available in two colours - Rush Silver and Graphite


The highlight of the phone is its 4000 mAh battery, which the company claims can last for four full days on a single charge. 

It also supports quick charging.

Talking about other specs, the Yunicorn has a 5.5-inch full HD display, 13 megapixel rear camera and a 5 megapixel front camera.

At its heart is an octa-core MediaTek processor coupled with 4 GB of RAM.

On the storage front, the Yu Yunicorn comes with 32 GB of built-in memory. This dual SIM 4G phone has a hybrid SIM slot, which means it can either accommodate two nano SIMs or one nano SIM and a microSD card.

Running the Yunicorn phone is Yu’s new OS, which the company has named - Android On Steroids. Some of the features of the OS include quick music toggles, vertical app drawer, integrated search bar and one-tap back up.

It also has a fingerprint sensor - a feature that is becoming a standard in phones under Rs 15K. According to Yu, this fingerprint sensor lets you unlock the phone in 0.2 seconds.

The Yunicorn will compete against the likes of the Redmi Note 3, ZUK Z1 and the Moto G4 Plus.

Yu has also announced a special edition version in Rush Gold which will be available for a limited period.


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to Host First Ever Facebook Live With Astronauts in Space Wenesday June 01,2016


Pushing the boundaries of Earth and Space with the help of technology, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will host a live chat with astronauts aboard the International Space Station.

The live Facebook chat will be hosted on June 1 at 10:25 PM (IST). Zuckerberg has invited users to post their questions on the event's page and that he would try to ask as many as possible.

Mark Zuckerberg in his post reveals that it would be the first ever Facebook Live from space and that he will be going live from Facebook HQ with astronauts on the International Space Station.

Facebook Live - the social networking giant's newest features - lets any user across the site to go live in real-time on video.

 Many public figures and celebrities have started using the feature to connect better with fans and followers

Dell Launches World's First 17-inch Hybrid Laptop

At this year's Computex, taking place this week in Taipei, Dell is launching a new range of Inspiron PCs including what it claims is the world's first 17-inch 2-in-1 laptop.

The Inspiron 17 7000 2-in-1, to give it its full name, boasts an aluminum exterior shell, a sixth-generation Intel Core processor and a full HD display with a wide viewing angle.

Standard features include a backlit keyboard, an infra-red front-facing camera that's compatible with Windows Hello (i.e., using facial recognition instead of passwords and logins), Waves MaxxAudio Pro audio software to make the most of multimedia content consumption and creation.

The device also uses USB Type C ports which in turn can serve as adapters for HDMI, VGA Displays, backup batteries or simply a hub of USB 3.0 ports for connecting to typical peripherals like printers.

And of course, being a 2-in-1, it has a screen that rotates through 360 degrees for tablet, laptop and ‘tent' modes.

The 17-inch device is intended as the flagship 2-in-1, but Dell hasn't scrimped on the other five 11-, 13- and 15-inch models that will sit below it in the range

As for pricing and availability, the Inspiron 7000 series 2-in-1 computers (13-, 15- or 17-inch display) will start at $749 when they go on sale in June in the US.

The 5000 series (13-inch or 15-inch) will start at $529, while the aforementioned Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 will cost from $249 when it goes on sale on June 2.

2016 Petrol Price Revision Tuesday May 31,2016

Petrol price hiked by Rs 2.58 per litre, diesel by Rs 2.26

For the third time in a month, oil companies on Tuesday hiked the prices of petrol by Rs 2.58 while it also hiked the prices of diesel by Rs 2.26 a litre. The new prices will come into effective from midnight of May 31-June 01,2016

Earlier on May 17, oil companies had hiked the prices of petrol and diesel by 83 paisa a litre and Rs 1.26 per litre respectively.
Prices of petrol and diesel were also hiked on May 1 by Rs 1.06 a litre and Rs 2.94 a litre respectively.

With this change, the price of petrol in Delhi will be Rs. 65.60 per litre (including State levies), while one litre diesel will cost Rs. 53.93

State-owned oil companies IOC, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) revise the rates on the 1st and 16th of every month based on the average oil price and the foreign exchange rate in the preceding fortnight

 

 

 

Service Tax Hiked from 14.5% to 15% wef June 01,2016

The effective rate of service tax will go up to 15% from June 01,2016 due to the introduction of the Krishi Kalyan Cess (KKC) at 0.5 % on the value of taxable service
has proposed to impose a Cess, called the Krishi Kalyan Cess, @ 0.5% on all taxable services. The new effective service tax could henceforth be 15%.

has proposed to impose a Cess, called the Krishi Kalyan Cess, @ 0.5% on all taxable services. The new effective service tax could henceforth be 15%.

While presenting the Budget 2015, the FM had increased the Service Tax Rate from 12.36% to 14%. This new rate of Service Tax @ 14% was applicable from 1st June 2015. Moreover from 15th Nov 2015, Swachh Bharat Cess @ 0.5% also got applicable. Therefore the effective rate of Service Tax is currently at 14.5% with effect from 15th Nov 201 ..

has proposed to impose a Cess, called the Krishi Kalyan Cess, @ 0.5% on all taxable services. The new effective service tax could henceforth be 15%.

While presenting the Budget 2015, the FM had increased the Service Tax Rate from 12.36% to 14%. This new rate of Service Tax @ 14% was applicable from 1st June 2015. Moreover from 15th Nov 2015, Swachh Bharat Cess @ 0.5% also got applicable. Therefore the effective rate of Service Tax is currently at 14.5% with effect from 15th Nov 201 ..

Wednesday, May 25, 2016

England and Leicester City star Jamie Vardy to marry his fiancee Rebekah Nicholson Wednesday May 25,2016


England and Leicester City star Jamie Vardy is set to marry his fiancee Rebekah Nicholson in a lavish ceremony on Wednesday May 25,2016 in Cheshire.

The wedding ceremony takes place this Wednesday, May 25 at 2pm.



The final preparations are being made at Peckforton Castle in Cheshire where the couple are due to tie the knot.


The 29-year-old has already postponed his nuptials three times to avoid his footballing commitments but will miss England's friendly against Australia on Friday.

He said: "It will be a very quiet night on Wednesday. Obviously I hope all the guests have a good time but I will have a quiet one.

"I've not got a curfew but at the end of the day I'm a professional and understand what has to be done, so I will be making sure I get plenty of sleep ready to come back in."

Tamim Iqbal Becomes First Bangladesh Batsman to Score 6,000 List A Runs Tuesday May 24,2016

Left-handed opening batsman Tamim Iqbal has knocked past 6,000 List A runs in the Dhaka Premier League.

The Abahani skipper reached the landmark on his way to 55 against Gazi Group Cricketers at BKSP-3 on Tuesday May 24,2016 , reports bdnews24.com.

Asked to bat first, Tamim opened the innings 38 runs shy of the milestone.

He hit Saeed Anwar Junior for back-to-back boundaries in the 18th over to become the first Bangladeshi to sign into the 6,000-run club - in 187 List A innings that included eight centuries and 41 fifties.

Tamim has 4,713 runs in One-Days; 4,899 in the national team List As including warm-ups.

The 27-year-old has notched 326 runs in eight matches in the league this year.

His national teammate Mushfiqur Rahim, the captain of Mohammedan Sporting Club, also had the opportunity to reach the milestone on Tuesday.

But the Test skipper, who needed 97 runs to join Tamim, got out for a duck against Prime Bank in Mirpur.

Ace all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has 5,276 runs in List A cricket

Eurozone ministers reach deal on Greece debt relief Tuesday May 24,2016

Eurozone finance ministers have reached a deal with Greece to start debt relief for the country as demanded by the International Monetary Fund, and to release 10.3bn euros ($11.5bn) in bailout funds.

The 19 ministers from the countries that use the euro met on Tuesday May 24,2016 two days after Greek Parliament passed yet another round of spending cuts and tax increases demanded by its creditors.

After reaching a deal at late night talks in Brussels, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Eurogroup chief and Dutch finance minister, said the ministers had achieved a "major breakthrough"

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, Eurogroup chief and Dutch finance minister, said the ministers had agreed to release the 10.3bn euros, the reward for completing the first formal review of its 86bn euro bailout programme agreed in July 2015

Greece's creditors would pay a first 7.5bn-euro tranche in June and the rest in a series of later disbursements.

Income Tax Department to name all category of taxpayers who have a default of Rs. one crore and above in this finanical year 2016-17

The Income Tax department, beginning this financial year, has decided to ‘name and shame’ all category of taxpayers who have a default of Rs. one crore and above. 

The department has begun publishing the names of tax defaulters in leading national dailies since last year and has named 67 such defaulters till now with their addresses, contacts, PAN card number and shareholders in case of companies. 

The earlier exercise was restricted to people with huge defaults to the tune of about Rs. 20-30 crore

2016 Tamil Nadu Assembly Election Results - AIADMK lost Deposit in two constituencies Thursday May 19,2016

Though the ruling AIADMK got a clear majority in the just-concluded Assembly elections, an analysis of constituency-wise data has revealed that two AIADMK candidates had forfeited their deposits, polling less than one-sixth of the total votes cast

Vilavancode constituency
In Vilavancode constituency in Kanniyakumari district, where the AIADMK was routed in all seats, party candidate Nanjil Domenic Savio George came fourth behind the Congress, BJP, CPI (M), polling 24,801 votes. Consequently, he lost his deposit.
The seat was retained by S. Vijayadharani, who was elected in 2011, thanks to the alliance with the DMK.
Thalli constituency
Similarly, in Thalli constituency in Krishnagiri district, AIADMK candidate C. Nagesh came third polling 31,415 votes, thereby forfeiting his deposit. While the DMK’s Y. Prakaash won the seat, CPI candidate T. Ramachandran, who represented the constituency during 2011-16, was the runner-up

Scoot, a low-cost medium-haul arm of Singapore Airlines launches Chennai-Singapore daily service Tuesday May 24,2016




Scoot, a low-cost medium-haul arm of Singapore Airlines, launched its Chennai-Singapore daily service on Tuesday May 24,2016 with a promotional offer of ₹5,300 (one way, all inclusive). 

This will be valid for a week, and thereafter the price will be ₹5,900, said Bharath Mahadevan, Country Head, India, Scoot.

The fare to Sydney or Melbourne from Chennai will be ₹13,500, he told newspersons.

“We will be 40 per cent cheaper than a full-service carrier. We are not going to compete with others but create a new market for ourselves,” he said, adding that the main target segments are business and leisure travellers.

Scoot takes over the Singapore-Chennai daily service from Tigerair, expanding capacity to Chennai for the SIA Group with its new Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner. While Tigerair was operating A320 aircraft with 180-seat capacity, the Dreamliner will have 335 seats, said Leslie Thng, Chief Commercial Officer, Scoot.

The airline also commissioned its service from Singapore to Amritsar today. 

It has restarted this route for the SIA Group, Indians living in the US and Australia.

 It begins with weekly three services now, with an additional Monday service from July 2016

Slice of Trouble

Your daily bread could well have excess of possible carcinogenic and thyroid-disorder causing chemical agents says a new study

Where do UN peacekeeping funds & troops come from?

Major funding for UN peacekeeping activities comes from the developed world, but the manpower often comes from developing countries.

 Here's what the contribution of funds and troops looks like.

Scotland midfielder Kim Little voted the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2016




Scotland midfielder Kim Little has been voted the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2016.

Kim Little was Seattle's leading scorer, and second overall in America's National Women's Soccer League, with 10 goals as she helped the Reign top the league in 2015

The Seattle Reign player topped a supporters' poll to become the second winner of the BBC World Service award.

She beat a shortlist of Gaelle Enganamouit (FC Rosengard, Sweden), Amandine Henry (Olympique Lyonnais), Carli Lloyd (Houston Dash) and Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City).

"I'm surprised to win, I'm extremely humbled to win," Little, 25, said.

Kim Little is presented with her trophy by former USA player Shannon MacMillan

 Kim Little was named the FA's Women's Player of the Year in 2010 and was the first recipient of the PFA Women's Players' Player of the Year award in 2013.

Cuba legalises small and medium private businesses

Cuba's government has announced that it is legalising small and medium-sized private businesses.

It is the latest stage of reforms begun when President Raul Castro took over from his brother, Fidel in 2008.

Raul Castro has been trying to stimulate Cuba's stagnant economy but has faced resistance from Cuban Communist Party hardliners.

With the restoration of relations with the US last year, Cuba is also opening up to foreign investment.

The government currently allows self-employment in several hundred job categories from restaurant owners to hairdressers.

The Cuban economy has been stimulated by many of these becoming small businesses and employing other workers.

The latest reforms were published in a 32-page document detailing the party's plan for economic development, and approved by Congress.

It did not specify what the new status for "private businesses of medium, small and micro size" would entail.

Neither did it mention if businesses would be given additional rights such as the ability to import supplies or export products.

2016 US Presidential Election - Primaries in Washington state Tuesday May 24,2016

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump each won primaries in Washington state Tuesday May 24,2016

Donald Trump's win helps him inch closer to clinching the GOP nomination for president. 


Donald Trump is within 41 delegates of the number needed to become the Republican nominee.

Hillary Clinton's win might give her some momentum, but it won't get her any delegates. 

There were no delegates at stake in the Democratic primary. 

Washington Democrats already awarded their delegates based on party caucuses.

Selena Gomez Shares Vogue Brasil Cover with Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere

Selena Gomez is a successful actress and singer.

And Selena Gomez recently teased a possible venture with one of the top fashion labels in the world.

The 23-year-old singer took to Instagram on Tuesday May 24,2016 to show off her Vogue Brasil cover where she cuddles up with Louis Vuitton creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere.

Selena Gomez(23)had another cover where she wore a body clinging emerald green jumpsuit with orange panelling


Twitter relaxes 140-character limit for tweets Tuesday May 24,2016


Twitter said Tuesday May 24,2016  it was easing its 140-character limit for tweets, allowing users to add links, attachments and some other features within the short messages.

The move comes as Twitter's efforts to increase its user base and engagement have been sputtering, raising questions about its growth trend.      

"Over the past decade, the tweet has evolved from a simple 140-character text message to a rich canvas for creative expression featuring photos, videos, hashtags, Vines and more," Twitter product manager Todd Sherman said in a statement.         

"So, you can already do a lot in a tweet, but we want you to be able to do even more. In the coming months, we'll make changes to simplify tweets, including what counts toward your 140 characters."   

2016 VIVO IPL Season 09 - Fan parks across 8 cities to showcase IPL play-offs

After successfully hosting Indian Premier League (IPL) fan parks during the league phase, Jaipur and Belgaum will showcase the eliminator and second qualifier while Sunday`s final will be screened live in Ranchi, Mathura, Aurangabad and Mysuru.

The fan parks have registered a record turnout during the league phase every weekend with Patna shattering all records with more than 50,000 fans watching the games last week.

"As many as 300,000 cricket fans have witnessed the IPL 2016 matches through the IPL Fan Park initiative. Bilaspur, Amritsar, Baroda, Meerut, Kangra, Nadiad, Saharanpur, Bhopal, Dehradun, Surat, Allahabad, Gwalior, Panipat, Nashik, Hubli, Lucknow, Gurgaon, Solapur, Warangal, Muzaffarpur, Kolhapur, Vijayawada, Patna, Kota, Goa and Guntur have witnessed huge turnout and the response has been overwhelming," an IPL statement said on Tuesday May 24,2016

"Durgapur and Mangalore will host the IPL Fan Parks to showcase Qualifier 1 between table toppers Gujarat Lions and Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 24. The Qualifier 2 match between the Loser of Qualifier 1 and Winner of Eliminator will be screened at Jaipur and Belgaum on May 27,2016

"The season final on May 29,2016 will be screened at Ranchi, Mathura, Aurangabad and Mysuru," it added.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Newly elected AIADMK MLA SM Seenivel passes away, hours before oath-taking ceremony

Hours before the first session of the 15th Tamil Nadu Assembly, AIADMK leader S M Seenivel died in Madurai on Wednesday May 25,2016

Seenivel (65) was elected to the Tamil Nadu Assembly from Tirupparankundram constituency.

He is survived by wife, three daughters and a son.

He died at Vadamalayan Hospital at 7 am today.

Seenivel died due to stroke, his son S Selvakumar said.

In this temple, people worship a Royal Enfield Bullet



The OM Banna or Bullet Baba Temple is one of the most unusual temples in India.

 Located near Pali district, about 50 kilometres from Jodhpur in Rajasthan,India the OM Banna temple has a 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet as its main deity.

The temple is dedicated to Om Singh Rathore, a man who lost his life in a fatal accident while riding on the bullet on December 2, 1988.

He apparently lost his balance and his bike collided with a tree. He died on the spot and the two-wheeler fell into a ditch.

The local police took the bike to the police station but the next morning, the vehicle went missing. It was spotted at the site of the accident.

The police took it back and emptied the fuel tank. But what happened next shocked everyone.

The bike vanished again and was found at the spot where OM Banna breathed his last.

Since the occurrence was not natural and the bike kept moving back to the same spot, people believed that OM Banna’s spirit continued to live.

Message For Prime Minister Narendra Modi On Fields Of Madhya Pradesh: Encourage Grow In India


A group of artist and farmers came together in Madhya Pradesh's Paradsinga village to create a massive crop art which has a message for Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Encourage youth to become farmers and launch 'Grow in India'  on the lines of 'Make in India'

Farmer Shweta Bhattad said: "Art is as powerful as the pen. PM Modi has been stressing on Make in India. We urge him to make Grow in India a campaign. The farmers today are facing problems and youngsters don't want to be farmers. So they need encouragement."

The crop art -- spread over 7,200 square feet -- is probably the largest crop art in the country.

It took the farmers and artists over 3 months to create the portrait of Prime Minister Narendra Modi using crop and the message -- "Dear Prime Minister Please Grow on India".

The farmers have also written a letter to the Prime Minister about their concerns like vanishing local seeds, lack of pesticides and need for organic farming over GM crops.

Farmer Vasant Futaane said: "I have been doing organic farming for the last 3 decades. We are finding it difficult to get local seeds. The Prime Minister should so something about this."

The 7,200 sq ft crop art is attracting many visitors. Its creators hope the PM also notices it and takes steps to make farming profitable.

2016 Honda Activa-i Launched With New Colours; Priced at 46,596

Introducing its 7th model for the 2016 calendar year,Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India  (HMSI) has launched the updated Activa-i  with prices starting at 46,596 (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The updated scooter gets 3  new colour options including -

 Pearl Trance Yellow and Candy Jazzy Blue on the standard variant




 whereas the Deluxe version is now available in Imperial Metallic Red.

The existing 3 colours - Pearl Amazing White, Orchid Purple Metallic and Black continue to be on sale alongside the new ones. 

Power comes from the same 110cc single-cylinder, air-cooled engine that is tuned to produce 8bhp of power at 7500rpm and 8.74Nm of peak torque at 5500rpm. 

The motor is paired to a V-Matic transmission. 

The scooter is equipped with Honda Eco Technology (HET) for improved fuel efficiency

Pinarayi Vijayan to be sworn in as Kerala Chief Minister today Wednesday May 25,2016



Pinarayi Vijayan to be sworn in as Kerala Chief Minister today

Of the total 19 ministers,CPM will have 12 including the Chief Minister;CPI will have 4  and Janata Dal (S),NCP and Cong(S) - one each

Of the total 19 ministers in the state cabinet, CPM will have 12, including chief minister, CPI four...

Read more at: http://english.manoramaonline.com/in-depth/kerala-assembly-elections-2016/news/cpm-cpi-kerala-election-rejig-cabinet-ministers-new-faces.html

12 CPI(M) and 4 CPI legislators appointed ministers will also be sworn in
Mathew  T Thomas,the MLA from Tiruvalla will be the minister from Janata Dal(S)

Kerala's first cabinet will meet shortly after the swearing in

The new government will be sworn in at 4 pm today at the Central stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and people from various walks of life would attend.

CPI(M) General Secretary, Sitaram Yechury and the party's member, Prakash Karat, will attend the swearing-in ceremony.

Kerala chief minister-designate Pinarayi Vijayan submits a list of  19 Council of Ministers to Governor P. Sathasivam in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday May 25,2016



Note

CPI(M)-led left Democratic Front (LDF) came back to power in Kerala after five years, winning 91 seats in the 140 member Assembly, while UDF won 47 seats.

For the first time in the history of Kerala Assembly, the Bharatiya Janata Party opened its account winning one seat.


2016 UEFA Euro in France June 10 - July 10,2016 - Adil Rami to Replace Injured Raphael Varane in France Euro 2016 Squad Tuesday May 24,2016

France's Euro 2016 hopes suffered a setback on Tuesday May 24,2016 when first-choice centre back Raphael Varane was ruled out of the tournament through injury.

The French federation said in a statement that Varane, who has earned 29 caps since making his debut in 2013, was suffering from a thigh muscle injury that would have sidelined him for too long.

Raphael Varane, who picked up the injury playing for Real Madrid earlier this month, has been replaced in the squad by Sevilla's Adil Rami, who had already been called up as a reserve.

France are already without Liverpool centre back Mamadou Sakho, who is suspended after failing a dope test last month.

Tech Mahindra Too Quits Payments Bank Race, Cites Margin Concerns Tuesday May 24,2016

Tech Mahindra on Tuesday May 24,2016 became the third entity to drop out of the payments bank race, saying business profitability would take longer time due to "aggressive posturing" by many deep-pocketed players.




Tech Mahindra is the third applicant to abandon the plan to set up payments bank after Cholamandalam which quit in April 2016 and Dilip Shanghvi-IDFC Bank-Telenor combine on Friday May 20,2016

"Over a period of time, we have realised that the amount of aggression that has come into the marketplace only erodes the margins," Tech Mahindra managing director and chief executive CP Gurnani told reporters, after its board decided not to pursue the opportunity.

Wax Figure of Neymar Unveiled by Madame Tussauds Tuesday May 24,2016


Neymar couldn't help but laugh in amusement after taking a long look at the newly unveiled wax figure of himself.

Neymar gingerly adjusted the hair of his lookalike, and then posed by it, imitating the goal-scoring celebration that had just been immortalized on the figure created by Madame Tussauds.

Neymar said it felt like he was looking at his "twin brother."

Neymar chose the figure's pose to reflect his celebration of a goal at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which he called "the most important moment" of his career.

The waxwork, wearing a Brazil national team kit that was donated by Neymar, was unveiled at a private event at Barcelona's training center on Tuesday May 24,2016

It will be on display at Madame Tussauds in Orlando, Florida.