Sinead O'Connor missing: Pop singer found in US

Wilmette Police told the BBC she had been located, after earlier saying they were "seeking to check the well-being" of the 49-year-old.

Police were alerted after she went on a bike ride at 06:00 local time (11:00 GMT) on Sunday, and did not return.

O'Connor became a global star in 1990 with the worldwide hit Nothing Compares 2 U, a song written by Prince.

Local media report that she had been staying with friends in the Chicago suburb for the past several weeks.
She has recorded 10 solo albums but has also made headlines with controversial outbursts throughout her career.

In 1992, she ripped apart a photo of Pope John Paul II during a live television broadcast and has been a strong critic of the Catholic Church over its handling of the child abuse scandal.

Source: http://www.bbc.com

Let's Make You Investigating Officer, Nitish Kumar Snaps At NDTV Reporter

Nitish Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, was unable to keep his legendary cool today as he confronted questions about why powerful politicians linked to his government appear to have central roles in recent big crimes.

When I asked the Chief Minister today about this, referring to Manorama Devi, the woman leader from his party who has gone underground because the police wants to arrest her, Mr Kumar snapped, "You tell me where Manorama Devi is. I will make you the investigating officer."

Last week, Manorama Devi's son, Rocky Yadav was arrested for shooting a Class 12 student dead in Gaya in Bihar. Mr Yadav, 24, was allegedly unable to bear that the student, Aditya Sachdeva, had overtaken him. Though it took two days to locate Mr Yadav, hiding in a factory owned by his family, his mother has been charged not with helping to orchestrate his temporary escape, but because liquor was found in her home. Bihar is a dry state.

"I am not obsessed with prohibition," the Chief Minister told reporters today, retaliating to the opposition's charges that his administration's focus on ensuring alcohol is not sold in Bihar has come at the cost of maintaining law and order. "It's not all jungle raj in Bihar," the Chief Minister said, referring to the opposition BJP's accusation that Bihar is being torn apart by lawlessness.

On Friday night, senior journalist Rajdeo Ranjan was shot dead in Siwan in Bihar.  Mr Ranjan, the bureau chief for Hindi-language daily Hindustan, was travelling on his motorcycle when a group of men shot him five times. Mr Ranjan, 46, had reported extensively on criminal Mohammed Shahabuddin, in jail since 2005 for a series of murders. Mr Shahabuddin maintains close links to Lalu Yadav, whose party co-governs Bihar with Mr Kumar's Janata Dal United or JDU. It was during Lalu's stints as Chief Minister of Bihar that the term "jungle raj" became a top descriptor for the state.

The police have arrested a man named Upendra Singh, seen as a right-hand aide of Mr Shahabuddin, Read more ndtv.com

Live: Chennai recorded lowest polling in TN

 Tamil Nadu witnessed brisk polling in 232 Assembly constituencies with over 25 per cent voters exercising their franchise by 11 a.m. Over 300 companies of paramilitary personnel are involved in election duty. The polling will continue till 6 p.m. today.

There were also reports of polling machines developing technical snags in Tirunelveli and Theni districts.

Stalin demands CBI inquiry into distribution of money

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam treasurer M.K. Stalin demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged money distribution in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur constituencies where the election have been postponed. Mr. Stalin alleged that a senior minister including Chief Minister Jayalalithaa were involved in the irregularities.

 Rajinikanth ducks query on cash distribution

Superstar Rajinikanth urged people to vote, saying it is the duty of all citizens to exercise their franchise.

 Live updates:

6.22 pm: Harbour constituency posted lowest turnout -- 53 per cent.

6.21 pm: Police arrested a man who attempted to damage ballot unit with a rival in a polling station in Ramnad district but polling was not disrupted.

6.20 pm: One person was arrested with Rs. 10,000 cash for trying to distribute cash to voters, says EC.

6.19 pm: 'Exit polls can be released after 6 pm today.'

6.18 pm: One polling officer died during polls. A presiding officer was changed in Madurai contituency.

6.17 pm: Polling by and large peaceful in the State, says EC

6.14 pm: Pennagaram has recorded the highest voting in the state -- 85 per cent.

6.13 pm: Actual polling percentage expected to be known by 8 pm, says Mr. Lakhoni.

6.11 pm: TN EC chief Rajesh Lakhoni addresses the press. Chennai has recorded lowest polling.

Overall turnout in Tamil Nadu till 5 p.m. 69.19 per cent.

6.00 p.m.: Voting ends in 232 constituencies. Those who reached the queue by 6 p.m. were issued tokens to cast their votes.

5.49 p.m.: Turnout till 5 p.m.: Coimbatore district: Mettupalayam 73 pc, Sulur 74 pc, Coimbatore South 58.94 pc, Valparai 69.80 pc, Thondamuthur 57.93 pc.; Coimbatore north 57 pc; Singanallur 59.80 pc.

Madurai district voter turnout till 5 p.m. 67.68 p.c.; Tiruppur district 69.17; Tirunelveli district 67.86; Namakkal district 77.63 per cent;

Source: thehindu.com

Yoga, meditation may reduce Alzheimer's risk: study

Yoga and meditation practise may help minimise the cognitive and emotional problems that often precede Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

Researchers found that yoga and meditation are even more effective than memory enhancement exercises like crosswords. They found that a three-month course of yoga and meditation practise helped minimise the cognitive and emotional problems that often precede Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia - and that it was even more effective than the memory enhancement exercises that have been considered the gold standard for managing mild cognitive impairment.

"Memory training was comparable to yoga with meditation in terms of improving memory, but yoga provided a broader benefit than memory training because it also helped with mood, anxiety and coping skills," said Helen Lavretsky from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in the US.

People with mild cognitive impairment are two-and-a-half times more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, researchers said. The study is the first to compare outcomes from yoga and meditation with those from memory training, which incorporates activities ranging from crossword puzzles to commercially available computer programmes.

The research of 25 participants, all over the age of 55, measured changes not just in behaviour but also in brain activity. Researchers studied participants who had reported issues with their memory, such as tendencies to forget names, faces or appointments or to misplace things. Subjects underwent memory tests and brain scans at the beginning and end of the study.

Out of the participants, 11 received one hour a week of memory enhancement training and spent 20 minutes a day performing memory exercises - verbal and visual association and other practical strategies for improving memory, based on research-backed techniques.

The other 14 participants took a one-hour class once a week in yoga and practised meditation at home for 20 minutes each day. After 12 weeks, there were similar improvements among participants in both groups in verbal memory skills - which come into play for remembering names and lists of words. But those who had practised yoga and meditation had better improvements than the other subjects in visual-spatial memory skills, which come into play for recalling locations and navigating while walking or driving.

Source: http://www.dnaindia.com

WHO clears air: Delhi no longer most polluted, that’s Zabol in Iran

DELHI IS no longer the world’s most polluted city, says WHO. The national Capital is now the 11th most polluted city in the world, based on average annual PM 2.5 readings of 3,000 cities in 100 countries, according to the WHO’s latest urban air quality database for 2016.

Released on Thursday, the database shows that the annual PM 2.5 levels for Delhi were down from 153 micrograms per cubic metre in the WHO’s 2014 report to 122 micrograms per cubic metre.

The 2014 report was based on 2010 data while the latest report includes data from 2012, 2013 and a part of 2014 for India, a year before the new AAP government took charge in Delhi. As for other global cities, the data spans a period of 2008-2013, depending on the numbers available from those locations. The report states that global urban air pollution levels increased by eight per cent, despite improvements in some regions.

The latest PM 2.5 level rankings show Iran’s Zabol topping the list with 217 micrograms per cubic metre followed by Gwalior with 176 and Allahabad with 170. Patna at sixth place (149) and Raipur on seventh spot (144) are the other Indian cities in the top 10. In total, the top 20 global cities with highest PM 2.5 levels includes 10 Indian cities, including Kanpur, Ludhiana and Firozabad.


Source: http://indianexpress.com/

IPL 2016: Despite talk about DD's youth, SRH were beaten by their experience

During the telecast of Delhi Daredevils' game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday, Simon Doull interviewed team mentor Rahul Dravid. In the interview, Doull asked Dravid about the franchise's combination. "It is an interesting mix. We had 13 players from last season's squad and 13 new players coming in; a balance of youth and experience. We have looked to find the right balance," Dravid replied.

A lot has been said — and written — about the Daredevils' set-up this year. Most of it have been about how the youngsters have been brought in, with Dravid an obvious choice to lead them, hand-in-hand with Paddy Upton. It has worked so far; Karun Nair has looked good in the middle-order, Sanju Samson has started scoring runs again, Rishabh Pant has created waves in his few outings, while Quinton de Kock has been rock-solid at the top.

Shreyas Iyer's loss of form is a complete reversal of his Ranji fortunes, but it is the quintessential sinusoidal curve of any cricketer’s life. As such, only Pawan Negi has been a failure under this new regime, and most of it is because of that immense price tag and subsequent high expectations.

These have more or less been the main talking points, and they have superseded talks about Zaheer Khan's brilliant leadership, JP Duminy's revival, Amit Mishra's wrong ones, Chris Morris' all-round play, the excitement of Sam Billings' knocks and the sheer power in Carlos Brathwaite's sixes.

In a way, Billings, Brathwaite and de Kock do belong to that youngster classification. And it makes sense for the discourse to be about the youngsters, for the Daredevils climbed as high as second in the points table thanks to their performances. The seniors played a guiding hand in the first half of the season, until the team management decided to ring in unnecessary changes. Back-to-back losses against Rising Pune Supergiants and Kings XI Punjab saw them lose momentum.

Thursday night's game in Hyderabad assumed significance, as Delhi had a fight on their hands to stay ahead of the curve in the race for knock-outs. Mumbai Indians had started to catch up, while Kolkata Knight Riders, Gujarat Lions and the Sunrisers themselves were looking to pull out a gap. It was in this setting that the seniors in the Daredevils camp put their hands up, collectively, and made a firm impression.

The game started in a pattern that is becoming increasingly synonymous with their think-tank. Chop and change, whether out of necessity or not. Against the Sunrisers then, there was some sharp use for the former as Zaheer pulled out. Duminy was leading once again, and may yet do so for a couple more games. Against a strong batting order led by the explosive David Warner, they obviously felt the need to bolster the pace attack, and brought in Nathan Coulter-Nile. Billings and Brathwaite were dropped.

While it seemed a bold — and blind — decision at first, the Daredevils made it work. As such, for this stupendous victory over the table-topping Sunrisers, they have their seniors to thank who brought out their best performance of the season yet, that too collectively.

Duminy was as bold as Zaheer with his bowling changes. Never mind that Warner was setting the field ablaze once more, he persisted with Jayant Yadav up top and got the wicket he was looking for. The ball turned just enough to beat Warner's mighty swing and crashed into his stumps. The score read 67/1 in the 9th over, and that moment was the difference between Hyderabad ending up with 146 and not 20 runs more.

Of course, it is not to say the other batsmen were not up to scratch. But it has been well documented that Hyderabad  are mighty dependent on Warner, and play around him. Despite their high-flying standing, and the return of both Kane Williamson and Yuvraj Singh, they haven't yet found that pivot in the middle-order that they can revolve around in the latter half of the innings.

This is the weakness that Mishra and Morris exploited. In the early part of the season, the leg-spinner started off as their go-to man after the powerplay ended. As time progressed, he has been better utilised in the middle stages, and bamboozled the batsmen once again with a clever mix of googlies and slower leg-breaks. However, the two wickets he got were both of quicker ones, two seam-up deliveries that turned late into leg, both backed up by good fielding efforts.

So often, the word "platform" is used for batsmen as they lay charge in the death overs. On this instance, Mishra's spell laid the stage for Morris and Coulter-Nile. The leggie had put immense pressure on the batsmen to get a move on, struggling at 113/3 with five overs to go. Both the Australian and South African were right on the money with their bowling, at the start and the end of the innings. To say that they put on the squeeze on Sunrisers' scoring would be an understatement, as they came away with combined figures of 4-28 in their four overs. With Mohammad Shami coming to the party as well, Sunrisers were never allowed to get away.

It was then no surprise that their young batting polished up the chase with ease, never mind the shocking decision that went against de Kock.

With the business end of the season now taking off, Delhi needed this win to get their challenge going again after two consecutive defeats. And the handsome manner in which they won underlined that they have the wares to fight the tough battles ahead, both in terms of youth and experience.


Source: http://www.firstpost.com

Nargis Fakhri takes a month off for health reasons

Nargis Fakhri is out of country to address her health issues and not because of either a rumoured calling-off of a wedding with Uday Chopra or a decision to quit showbiz, the actress' spokesperson has said.

Nargis' sudden disappearance from showbiz -- even the promotions of her film "Azhar" -- has left fodder for gossip mongers.

There are media reports that Nargis was all set to announce her wedding with actor-producer Uday, but he called it off. Rumours were also rife that following the apparent relationship hitting rock bottom she had a 'nervous breakdown' and left the producers of all her upcoming films in a lurch.

However, the "Rockstar" actress' spokesperson has a different story to tell.

"Nargis has been extremely overworked working on three films simultaneously over the last year. For someone who is used to doing one film at a time, this was quite a bit for Nargis.

"In addition, she has been unwell right through the 'Azhar' promotions with multiple injuries - torn hamstring, anterior knee ligament thinning and mild socket dislocation along with burning of the stomach lining due to lead and arsenic poisoning.

"Due to these multiple issues and her overall exhaustion, she had a fever of about 101 degrees right through her promotions," read the official statement by the spokesperson.

The representative added that it is due to Nargis' deteriorating condition that she had to request Sajid Nadiadwala -- producer of her next film "Housefull 3" -- and "bow out of its promotions to go back home to New York for a month to address all her medical issues and recuperate".

In "Azhar", Nargis portrays Mohammad Azharuddin's second wife Sangeeta Bijlani. Next up, she will be seen in "Housefull 3" and "Banjo", and she will be back in action soon.

"She has no plans to leave B-Town and will be back to sets to complete the pending patchwork for her film 'Banjo' in the second week of June.

"In addition, she has already verbally agreed to two other projects for 2017 before she left and will complete the paperwork when she's back. That coupled with her brand commitments that extend over multiple years, is testament of her being here to stay for good," the spokesperson added.

Confirming that Nargis left mid-way through the work for "Housefull 3" due to her health, Nadiadwala said: "Our priority is Nargis's health. We do hope that she recuperates fast and can be there around the release of the film as she is an integral part of 'Housefull 3' team."

SOurce: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com