10-year-old Ohio State fan tells cardiac surgeon not to make him a Michigan fan

Ivan Applin, 10, wanted to be sure that his cardiac surgery wouldn't make his repaired heart root for Michigan over Ohio State. (UofMHealthBlogs)

Before undergoing cardiac surgery a 10-year-old Ohio boy asked his Michigan doctor if the staff was going to make his Buckeye-loving heart into a Wolverine-worshipping one.

“He asked if the Michigan doctors were going to make his heart love University of Michigan instead of Ohio State,” Jennifer Applin, Ivan Applin’s mother, told University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital’s blog.

Ivan’s surgeon, Dr. Ronald Grifka, assured him that not only would he wake up still rooting for the Buckeyes, but the procedure would help to better enjoy his favorite physical activities like soccer.

Ivan is one of the first patients in Michigan to receive a newly-FDA-approved device used to repair a heart defect known as atrial septal defect. The condition causes holes in the heart which interferes with blood flow to organs, according to the blog. The device, called Cardioform, is made out of a synthetic, permeable fabric over a thin wire frame and acts like a plug designed to close the holes in the heart.

Grifka and his team performed a cardiac catheterization, placing a small catheter into a vein in Ivan’s leg that allowed it to advance into his heart. He was walking, talking and eating the same day, and was discharged the next. He will be able to return to normal activities within a few weeks.

“We were glad Ivan could benefit from this procedure at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Technology is continuing to evolve to give us greater options that reduce the need for surgical procedures and minimize risk of complications,” Grifka told the blog.

“Our emphasis is always on ensuring our patients have access to the most advance treatments available. We’re pleased to be able to add this device to the array of options we’re able to work with to best meet the needs of patients like Ivan safely and effectively,” he said.

Ivan’s mother told the blog that he’s now focused on reaching his last day of recovery so he can start getting ready for his first soccer practice. - foxnews

Cop, Mayor's Sister Killed, Two Others Stabbed in Sunset, Louisiana

A gunman killed a police officer and fatally stabbed a woman while injuring two others.

                     Police gather at the scene of a shooting Wednesday in Sunset, Louisiana.

Houston, August 27: A gunman killed a police officer and fatally stabbed a woman while injuring two others on Thursday in Sunset suburb in southeastern US state of Louisiana.

The assailant, identified as Harrison Lee Wiley Jr, drove his car to a convenience store in Sunset and barricaded himself inside, St Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said.

Officers threw tear gas and stormed the store when the man refused to leave, St Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby J Guidroz said. He was later overpowered by police authorities and taken in custody, he said.

Sunset police officer Henry Wilson, 51, the first responder, was shot and killed at the scene of a domestic disturbance call where authorities found three women with serious stab wounds, Guidroz said.

One of them, Shameka Johnson, 40, was pronounced dead. Her sister Surlay Johnson, 34, was in critical condition at Lafayette General Hospital. Both are sisters of Shaterral Johnson, interim Mayor of Grand Couteau, a town just to the northeast of Sunset.

The fourth victim —- Courtney Jolivette, Wiley's wife —- was in surgery Wednesday night at Apria Medical Center in Alexandria.

At least 50 local, parish and state officers responded to the incident at the convenience store, and "it went to hell in a hand basket from there," Guidroz said.

Wiley wasn't injured except for tear-gas burns to his face and neck, Guidroz said, adding, it is being suspected that his act was drug-induced.

Indian-American Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal took to Twitter to react to the shooting incident.

"We are monitoring the situation in Sunset as details unfold and are praying," Jindal tweeted.

State police Superintendent Mike Edmonson said troopers were on the way to the scene in Sunset in southwestern Louisiana, about 70 miles west of capital Baton Rouge, after getting a call around 4.45 pm, local time Wednesday.

The incident took place a day after the shocking shooting incident in Virginia state in which a woman TV reporter and a cameraman were killed on live television when a "disgruntled" ex-employee of the TV station opened fire, before succumbing to his injuries from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Guidroz said drugs were suspected. "When people ingest illegal drugs, they get brave, they get stupid," he said.  Sunset and Grand Coteau are neighboring towns about 60 miles west of Baton Rouge, separated by Interstate 49. —PTI

Two US television journalists shot dead live on air in Virginia by 'disgruntled employee': latest news

WASHINGTON: Two US journalists have been shot dead during a live TV report in the state of Virginia, their employer has confirmed, according to chilling television footage of the incident and their network.

WDBJ7 TV reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, were killed during an interview in Moneta, Bedford County, the TV station said. During the live broadcast, shots could be heard, sending the reporter and the woman she was interviewing running.

Police say they are investigating the incident and still searching for the suspect. An unconfirmed report says he is being chased north on the Interstate 81 highway.

Marks said Parker and Ward were "both in love with other members of the team" at WDBJ.

The woman that Parker was interviewing on a balcony at the lakeside Bridgewater Resort in the town of Moneta, near Roanoke, was reportedly wounded.

Parker was talking to the woman about tourism development for WDBJ´s early-morning newscast when the gunman seemingly closed in from behind.

Several shots were heard, as well as screams, as Ward´s camera fell to the floor, capturing a fuzzy image of the gunman, dressed in dark clothing.

On her Facebook page, Parker -- whose birthday was just a week ago -- described herself as the "mornin´ reporter" at WDBJ with an interest in ballroom dancing.

WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst tweeted that he and Parker were "very much in love," adding: "I am numb."

"She worked with Adam every day. They were a team. I am heartbroken for his fiancee," Hurst said.

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe said on Twitter that he was "heartbroken over (the) senseless murders."

"Alison and Adam died this morning at 06:45 shortly after the shots rang out. We do not know the motive or who the suspect or the killer is," the station's president and general manager, Jeffrey Marks, announced on air.

"I cannot tell you how much they were loved by the WDBJ7 team... our hearts are broken," he said.

He added that the station's building was in lockdown, under police protection.

"Police have advised us that as long as this person is on the loose, we should stay in the building. We have police protection," he told the Associated Press news agency.

WDBJ7 anchor Chris Hurst revealed that he and Ms Parker had been in a relationship and had planned to marry. - AFP

New iPhone 6s leak suggests we’ve hit the limit for how thin an iPhone can be

                                                         iphone-6-sim-slot

Apple’s new iPhone 6s handsets are going to be unveiled during a September 9th event, a reliable source revealed not to long ago, and should hit stores by September 18th, with preorders supposedly beginning on September 11th. While Apple is carefully guarding iPhone 6s information, many leaks have so far offered details about the specs and design of the phone, including some images of the handset. 

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are expected to be similar to their predecessors when it comes to overall design but a new report is suggesting the new handsets will differ when it comes to one critical aspect: thickness.

According to German Apple news site iPhone-Ticker.de, the iPhone 6s will be imperceptibly thicker than the iPhone 6. The first protective cases for the handset have apparently been mass-produced in China, and they’re just 0.2mm thicker than similar products made for Apple’s 2014 line of iPhones.

This, however, is a minor increase in thickness and it’s in line with what some previous rumors claimed. One possible explanation for the increased thickness is that Apple’s new iPhones come with support for a new gesture – Force Touch – which requires new display hardware that can tell the difference between touchscreen taps.

Sadly, the increased thickness might not get rid of the protruding camera that was really the ugliest thing about the iPhone 6. Recent leaks have suggested the protruding camera is here to stay.

Even if minimal, that 0.2mm thickness increase might also mean that some of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus cases you have around the house might not fit the thicker iPhones, which means you’d have to buy new ones this fall. - .iphone-ticker

Another huge leak: iPhone 6s specs and release date detailed by wireless carrier rep

Phil Schiller, Senior Vice President at Apple Inc., speaks about the iPhone 6 (foreground) and the iPhone 6 Plus during an Apple event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, Calif., Sept. 9, 2014. (REUTERS/Stephen Lam)

In a few weeks, Apple will announce the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. The brand new iPhones will be available for preorder on September 11th, according to recent leaks, with in-store sales set to begin on September 18th. This launch date has now been further supported by a China Telecom representative, who made several comments about the new iPhones on social media.

According to a post on Weibo, the iPhone 6s will be released at some point between September 18th and September 25th – both these days are Fridays, which is when new iPhones are usually released in retail stores.

Design-wise, the person said iPhone 6s will be identical to the iPhone 6 – which isn’t a huge surprise considering this year’s new iPhones are an “S” upgrade. However, the phone isn’t coming in rose gold, the China Telecom exec said. Alleged iPhone 6s photos have suggested that a pink, or rose gold model, is indeed in the works.

The iPhone 6s will reportedly boast improved specs, including a new 64-bit A9 processor, 2GB of RAM, Force Touch support and an improved camera.

The source did not say anything about memory capacity – some reports say the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will still be available in 16GB versions while others claim that Apple is finally ditching that memory tier from its new iPhone lineup and starting with 32GB of storage in the entry-level models.

Other details about the rear camera on the handset have not been revealed either, but a recent leak said the iPhone 6s will have a five-element lens with a 12-megapixel sensor on the back, which is consistent with what previous reports have claimed. - Reuters

11 Easy Ways to Uncomplicate Your Life

Very good read

Life is actually pretty simple, but we insist on making it complicated.  Here are a few easy ways to un-complicate it:

1.  Learn from the past, and then get the heck out of there!

Past mistakes should teach you to create a wonderful future; not cause you to be afraid of it.  Don’t carry your mistakes around with you.  Instead, place them under your feet and use them as stepping stones.  Never regret.  If it’s good, it’s wonderful.  If it’s bad, it’s experience.  Success is not about where you are standing at any given point in time; it’s about how much you’ve learned and how far you’ve come to get there.

2.  Focus on what’s truly important.

Identify what’s most important to you.  Eliminate as much as you possibly can of everything else.  No wasted time, no fluff, no regrets.

3.  Focus on being productive, not being busy.

Don’t just get things done; get the right things done.  Results are always more important than the time it takes to achieve them.  Stop and ask yourself if what you’re working on is worth the effort.  Is it bringing you in the same direction as your goals?  Don’t get caught up in odd jobs, even those that seem urgent, unless they are also important.

4.  Give what you want to receive.  
You get the best out of others, and every situation, when you give the best of yourself.  Start practicing the golden rule.  If you want love, give love.  If you want friends, be friendly.  If you want money, provide value.  It works.  It really is this simple.

5.  Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Don’t try to be friends with everyone.  Cultivate closer relationships with fewer people.  Start focusing on being everything to someone.  Helping or pleasing everyone is impossible.  But making one person smile can change the world.  Maybe not the whole world, but their world.  So narrow your focus and be yourself.

6.  Do what you know in your heart is right. 
Stop doing immoral things simply because you can.  Start being honest with yourself and everyone else.  Don’t cheat.  Be faithful. Be kind.  Do the right thing!  It is a less complicated way to live. Integrity is the essence of everything successful.  When you break the rules of integrity you invite serious complications into your life. Keep life simple and enjoyable by doing what you know in your heart is right.

7.  Organize your space.  
Start clearing clutter.  Get rid of stuff you don’t use and then organize what’s left.  Keeping both your living and working areas organized is crucial.  If you have a cluttered space, it can be distracting and stressful.  A clear space is like a blank canvas, available to be used to create something great.

8.  Be efficient.

Stop being inefficient simply because you’ve always done it that way.  If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.  Many times we live with unplanned, complex systems in our lives simply because we haven’t given them much thought.  Instead, streamline your life by finding better ways of handling common tasks.  Focus on one system at a time (your cleaning system, your errands system, your paperwork system, your email system, etc.) and try to make it simplified, efficient, and logical.  Then, once you have it perfected, stick to it.

9.  Let things be less than perfect.

Smile every chance you get; not because life has been easy, perfect, or exactly as you had anticipated, but because you choose to be happy and grateful for all the good things you do have, and all the problems I know you don’t have.  You must accept the fact that life is not perfect, that people are not perfect, and that you are not perfect.  And that’s okay, because the real world doesn’t reward perfection.  It rewards people who get GOOD things done.  And the only way to get GOOD things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.

10. Let go of needless drama and those who create it.

Never create unnecessary drama, and don’t surround yourself with those who do.  Choose friends who you are proud to know, people you admire, who love and respect you – people who make your day a little brighter simply by being in it.  Don’t walk away from negative people, RUN!  Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.

11. Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you.  
One of the greatest freedoms is simply not caring what everyone else thinks of you.  Sometimes you need to step outside, get some air, and remind yourself of who you are and what you want to be. The best thing you can do is follow your heart.  Take risks.  Don’t just accept the safe and easy choices because you’re afraid of what others will think, or afraid of what might happen.  If you do, nothing will ever happen.  Don’t let small minds convince you that your dreams are too big.  They aren’t.  - marcandangel

New record energy efficiency for artificial photosynthesis

A new world-record 22 percent conversion efficiency for solar-powered hydrogen production has been claimed by researchers from Australia's Monash University (Credit: Shutterstock)

Figures indicate that the world’s uptake of renewable energy has finally eclipsed its demand for fossil fuel sources, and now a record-breaking solar device made by Australian scientists could mean a whole new category of clean energy production is just around the corner.

As the world moves towards developing new avenues of renewable energy, the efficiencies of producing fuels such as hydrogen must increase to the point that they rival or exceed those of conventional energy sources to make them a viable alternative.

Now researchers at Monash University in Melbourne claim to have created a solar-powered device that produces hydrogen at a world-record 22 percent efficiency, which is a significant step towards making cheap, efficient hydrogen production a reality.

Efficiency records for solar-powered hydrogen production have continued to rise over the years, and much more rapidly as the technology and techniques improve. 

Even as late as December last year Gizmag reported a solar-driven hydrogen record efficiency at the time of just 12.3 percent, so this new record shows a very healthy 10 percent improvement on that and beats out the previous record of 18 percent.

Splitting water using electricity to produce hydrogen and oxygen has been an established scientific technique for many decades. However, the rate at which hydrogen has been produced in this way has not been commercially viable due to the relatively low conversion rates compared to the input energy costs. Ideally, solar-powered water-splitting would be one of the best ways to produce hydrogen as its energy input cost is effectively zero.

On the downside, however, the low efficiencies of past solar devices have kept this technology largely in its infancy. The Monash researchers believe that may all soon change as increased efficiencies in the process and in the devices themselves improve.

"Electrochemical splitting of water could provide a cheap, clean and renewable source of hydrogen as the ultimately sustainable fuel." said Professor Leone Spiccia from the School of Chemistry at Monash who led the research. "This latest breakthrough is significant in that it takes us one step further towards this becoming a reality."

According to the researchers, the breakthrough is significantly attributable to the leading-edge capabilities of the group in which they work and a growing expertise in tuning the processes and materials used in water splitting.

To help achieve the required solar-input efficiencies, the team utilized the very best commercial-grade multi-junction (indium gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide, and germanium) solar cells available to ensure the maximum sunlight to electricity conversion.

However, an even greater contribution to efficiency was on the material side, where the use of expanded foam nickel electrodes increased the available electrolysis surface area with such efficiency that the electrolyte in which they were immersed was simply local river water with the addition of a standard pH buffer (generally a salt solution containing sodium phosphate and sodium chloride).

In this combination of high-efficiency cells and high-yield electrodes, the team claims the 22 percent record for conventional solar-cell to electrochemical production of hydrogen.

What the eventual limit of such technologies is a largely moot point at this stage and largely reliant on the increasing efficiency of solar-cell light conversion factors. 

Advances in such things as perovskite solar-cells may assist in this regard and, compared to some other methods of sunlight-powered water-splitting yet to fully prove their mettle, may achieve the necessary breakthrough point to tip the balance in favor of cheap, abundant hydrogen fuel.

"Hydrogen can be used to generate electricity directly in fuel cells," said Professor Doug MacFarlane, ARC Laureate Fellow and leader of the Energy Program of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science at Monash. "Cars driven by fuel cell electric engines are becoming available from a number of car manufacturers. 

Hydrogen could even be used as an inexpensive energy storage technology at the household level to store energy from roof-top solar cells."

The research is published in Energy & Environmental Science.  - Monash University

Former president Jimmy Carter says cancer has spread to his brain

The former president celebrated his birthday in Atlanta, blowing out three candles representing the past, present and future.

Former US President Jimmy Carter takes questions from the media during a news conference about his recent cancer diagnosis and treatment plans, at the Carter Center in Atlanta, Georgia August 20, 2015.[Photo/Agencies]

ATLANTA - Former US President Jimmy Carter said on Thursday that his cancer has spread to his brain and he will start radiation treatment for it later in the day, adding that his fate was "in the hands of God."

The 90-year-old received the diagnosis after having surgery to remove a tumour on his liver.

"I've had a wonderful life," he said in a press conference. "I had thousands of friends and an exciting and adventurous, gratifying existence. But now I feel it's in the hands of God whom I worship, and I'll be prepared for anything that comes."

Mr Carter said he had experienced only slight pain, and would begin radiation therapy on Thursday on the four "very small spots" of melanoma on his brain.

Mr Carter, a Democrat from Georgia, was elected president in 1976 following the Watergate crisis and the Vietnam War.

His one term in office largely imploded after supporters of the Iranian revolution took control of the American embassy in Tehran in 1979, keeping 52 Americans hostage for 14 months.

Asked yesterday if he had any regrets, Mr Carter said: "I wish I had sent one more helicopter to get the hostages [in Iran], and we would have rescued them, and I would have been re-elected.” He was defeated by Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Carter is the second-oldest living president, separated by just over 100 days in age from George H.W. Bush. Carter, the 39th president, served in the White House from 1977 to 1981.

After his presidency, he has continued his humanitarian and human rights work through the Carter Center. It was for that work that he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

For now, he noted that his cancer treatment will become his "top priority."

"The Carter Center is well prepared to continue on without any handicap," Carter noted .

Several members of Carter's immediate family -- his brother, two sisters, his mother and father -- have all died from cancer.

Beyond his international travel schedule, Carter and his wife of 69 years, Rosalynn, have maintained a life in Plains, Ga., his hometown. He noted that he doesn't expect cancer treatment to halt his usual contributions to his place of worship, Maranatha Baptist Church.

"I plan to teach Sunday school this Sunday -- and every Sunday as long as I'm physically and mentally able," Carter said.

Mr Carter was cheerful yesterday as he reflected on his life and discussed the "new adventure" ahead.  

"I think I have been as blessed as any human being in the world," he said as he listed off his accomplishments - governor of Georgia, president of the United States, and patriarch of a large and harmonious family.

"The best thing I ever did was marrying Rosalynn," he said of his wife and the former first lady. "That's the pinnacle of my life and we've had 69 years together."

He thanked the many people who had sent well wishes, including former presidents Bill Clinton, George W and George HW Bush, as well as president Barack Obama and members of his administration. In a moment of humour, he laughed and said it was the "first time they have called in a long time."

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and current Secretary of State John Kerry have also called to wish him well.

Carter spoke to a full room of journalists, reflecting on -- and occasionally joking about -- his legacy in the White House and as a global humanitarian. - Reuters

Top Mid-range Smartphone Rivals to Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe in India!

Asus recently launched its next flagship smartphone lineup at its ZenFestival 2015 in India. The Taiwan-based company announced around four variants of the Zenfone 2 smartphone and the Zenfone 2 Deluxe is the higher-end among them. 

The Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe sports a 5.5 inch IPS Full-HD display at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels resolution, which translates to 403ppi along with TruVivid features. The company claims that, the display features an ultra-sensitive touch screen with Glove Touch support.

The handset is powered by a 64-bit Intel Quad-Core processor clocked at 2.3GHz along with 4GB Dual Channel LPDDR3 RAM under the hood and will be shipped with Android 5.0 Lollipop platform alogn with Zen UI on top with more than 1000 additional features including tap to wake up and sleep.

Further, on the imaging factor, this device flaunts a 13 megapixel rear camera with dual tone flash, also supports Manual mode like DSLR along with 52 megapixel super resolution. On the front side, it has a 5 megapixel shooter along with PixelMaster support for Low-light mode. 

We have jotted with the industry's best smartphone that can be a better alternative for the Zenfone 2 Deluxe. Take a closer look at the slider below to know more about the rivals of the Deluxe.

OnePlus Two: Buy At Price of Rs 24,999 

Key Features 

• 5.5-inch (1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD IPS In-Cell display, 1500:1 contrast ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass protection  
• Android 5.1 (Lollipop) based Oxygen OS  
• Octa-Core Snapdragon 810 64-bit processor with Adreno 430 GPU 
• 3GB LPPDR4 RAM with 16GB internal storage  
• 4GB DDR4 RAM with 64GB internal memory 
• Dual (nano) SIM 
• 13MP rear camera with dual LED Flash 
• 5MP front-facing camera 
• Fingerprint scanner 
• 4G LTE, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), WiFi Direct 
• Bluetooth 4.1 and GPS, USB Type-C  
• 3300mAh battery  - gizbot

Tata Opportunities Fund to Invest up to $100 Million in Uber

San Francisco-based company’s India President Amit Jain said investment will allow Uber to expand into more cities

An Indian cab driver displays the city map on a smartphone provided by Uber as he drives in New Delhi, India, July 31, 2015. Tata Opportunities is investing between $75 million to $100 million in Uber globally, a person with knowledge of the figures, who asked not to be named, said. PHOTO: SAURABH DAS/ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW DELHI—Uber Technologies Inc. has raised up to $100 million from Indian private-equity firm Tata Opportunities Fund, a person familiar with the matter said, as it seeks to accelerate its ride-hailing business in the company’s biggest market outside the U.S. by cities served.

The San Francisco-based company’s India President Amit Jain on Wednesday declined to say how big the investment would be but said it would allow Uber to “expand and grow into more cities” and to roll out “many more products that are customized to the India market.”

Without confirming the size of the investment, Amit Jain, president of Uber India told TOI that the deal was financial and strategic in nature and that the cab startup would look at opportunities to work with the Tata group going forward. He, however, did not elaborate on these initiatives. 

Tata Opportunities is investing between $75 million to $100 million in Uber globally, a person with knowledge of the figures, who asked not to be named, said.

Late last month, Uber announced plans to pour $1 billion into India, a country where the firm has faced regulatory hurdles to its operations but which it regards as one of its most-important markets.

Padmanabh Sinha, managing partner of TOF's advisory team in India, said this was the fund's first tech investment and was in line with the mandate to back companies across all stages. "Uber has been transformational and is differentiated in many ways. We invest in companies which are in a high cash burn mode but then they have a clear path to profitability drawn up," he told TOI. 

In a prepared statement, Uber's co-founder & CEO, Travis Kalanick, said, "We're particularly focused on building a great service for hundreds of millions of Indians — and Tata's leadership and experience will be crucial in helping us meet this important goal". 

This new financing round which has not been officially announced by Uber yet saw it raise $1 billion from Microsoft Corp. and the investment arm of Bennett Coleman & Co, the publisher of this paper, among others, as per recent media reports. Uber has not confirmed any of the other investor names. 

Recently, Uber announced it will deploy $1 billion in India over the next six to nine month, just like it did in China, to corner market share from Ola. The funding announcement made on Wednesday is separate from the India investment allocation, Jain of Uber said. 

A lot of the $1 billion that's being allocated to India will be used in doling out discounts and promotions by Uber which is presently operational in 18 cities in India. 

Its other strategic partnerships include that with Baidu in China, and AmericaMovil in Latin America. Present across 60 countries, Uber has been constantly embroiled in regulatory issues across the world. Having entered India two years back, Uber has had to make changes to its strategy in order to adhere to the local regulations here.

Starting with introducing new payment methods like mobile wallets and now cash, some of the cab startup's "non-negotiables" had to be reworked to suit the Indian market. Jain said the strategy would be to continue to expand into newer cities from the current 18, launch new products and experiment with different payment options. 

Uber's rival Bengaluru-based Ola, backed by DST Global, Softbank and Tiger Global among others, is in the midst of raising $500 million at a $5 billion valuation which will see a two-part close, as reported by TOI. It claims to be doing as many as 750,000 rides a day while Uber said while announcing its $1 billion investment plan that it is aiming at completing 1 million rides over the next 9 months from the present 2,00,000.

Mr. Jain said Uber was working with regulators in India who are formulating new guidelines to allow app-based transport aggregators to operate. - TNN

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ Announced in India for Rs 57,900: Available from Aug 28!

Last week Samsung announced its phablet flagship Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ at the Unpacked event in New York. And yes! In just a few days, the S6 curved display variant - the Galaxy S6 Edge+ has touched the boundaries of Indian market. 

In a New Delhi event today, Samsung has announced Galaxy S6 Edge+ at a price of Rs. 57,900 and it will be available from August 28th in India.

This S6 Edge variant comes with the bigger variant, RAM and battery backup compared to its predecessor S6 Edge. With this device, the wireless charging feature has been improved, where it can change the phone wirelessly in 120minutes, which is 30 percent reduction on what the company used on the last gen Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.

Moreover, the Galaxy S6 Edge+ comes with a feature called Sidesync is a feature that will help users mirror screen in to a bigger screen. Also, it has the Quick Launch feature lets you launch the camera in less than one second by double clicking the home button, Auto Real-time HDR and new filters. 

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ - Key Specifications

Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+, sports a 5.7" dual-curve Super AMOLED display which works into 518ppi. It is powered by Octa-Core Exynos 7420 processor with 4x Cortex-A53 at 1.5GHz and 4x Cortex-A57 at 2.1GHz with Mali-T760MP8 GPU besides 4GB LPDDR4 RAM.

Moving on to the storage capacity, this device comes with 32GB of built-in memory, with no expansion options. In terms of software, this device is shipped with Android 5.1.1 Lollipop on top of latest TouchWiz UI. And, this also supports the KNOX version.

Further, this flagship flaunts a 16MP snapper with optical image stabilization, f/1.9 aperture, 5MP front shooter for amazing selfies and video conferencing. 

On the connectivity, S6 Edge+ supports LTE Cat.6, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 4.2 with ANT+, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Samsung Pay via Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST). 

The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ is available in Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium colors along with optional keyboard cover at Rs. 4,599 - gizbot

Drinking Coffee Daily May Improve Survival in Colon Cancer Patients

                                Coffee drinkers had a lower risk of the cancer coming back 

Colon cancer patients who were heavy coffee drinkers had a far lower risk of dying or having their cancer return than those who did not drink coffee, with significant benefits starting at two to three cups a day, a new study found. 

Patients who drank four cups of caffeinated coffee or more a day had half the rate of recurrence or death than noncoffee drinkers

.

Researchers from Boston-based Dana-Farber Cancer Institute found that regular consumption of caffeinated coffee improved the chances of a cure in stage III colon cancer patients.

“Two to three cups of coffee daily had a more modest benefit, while little protection was associated with one cup or less,” reported Charles S. Fuchs, M.D., MPH, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber. First author is Brendan J. Guercio, M.D., also of Dana-Farber. 

The patients, all of them treated with surgery and chemotherapy for stage III colon cancer, had the greatest benefit from consuming four or more cups of coffee a day (about 460 milligrams of caffeine).

These patients were 42 per cent less likely to have their cancer return than non-coffee drinkers, and were 33 per cent less likely to die from cancer or any other cause.

The study included nearly 1,000 patients who filled out dietary pattern questionnaires early in the study, during chemotherapy and again about a year later.

“We found that coffee drinkers had a lower risk of the cancer coming back and a significantly greater survival and chance of a cure,” Fuchs added.

In patients with stage III disease, the cancer has been found in the lymph nodes near the original tumour but there are no signs of further metastasis.

Fuchs said these patients have about a 35 per cent chance of recurrence.

The study adds to a number of recent studies suggesting that coffee may have protective effects against the development of several kinds of cancer.

Coffee drinking has also been shown to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

“One hypothesis is that caffeine consumption increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin so less of it is needed, which in turn may help reduce inflammation – a risk factor for diabetes and cancer,” Fuchs explained.

Other than drinking coffee, people can take other measures to reduce cancer risks.

“Avoid obesity, exercise regularly, adopt a healthier diet and eat nuts which also reduce the risk of diabetes,” the authors reported in a paper published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Other than drinking coffee, Fuchs said, people can take other measures to reduce cancer risks – avoiding obesity, exercising regularly, adopting a healthier diet, and eating nuts, which also reduce the risk of diabetes.

Jeffrey Meyerhardt, M.D., MPH, clinical director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Centerat Dana-Farber, is co-senior author of the study.

The research was supported by National Institutes of Health to the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology. Additional support was provided from Pharmacia & Upjohn Company, now Pfizer Oncology. Fuchs and Meyerhardt are supported in part by grants from the National Cancer Institute. -  IANS

Trump proposes finishing wall, denying citizenship to babies of immigrants in US illegally

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to deny citizenship to babies of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as part of an immigration plan that emphasizes border security and deportation for millions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump wants to deny citizenship to the babies of immigrants living in the U.S. illegally as part of an immigration plan that emphasizes border security and deportation for millions.

He would also rescind Obama administration executive orders on immigration.

Trump described his expanded vision of how to secure American borders during a wide-ranging interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press," saying that he would push to end the constitutionally protected citizenship rights of children of any family living illegally inside the U.S.

"They have to go," Trump said, adding: "What they're doing, they're having a baby. And then all of a sudden, nobody knows ... the baby's here."

Native-born children of immigrants — even those living illegally in the U.S. — have been automatically considered American citizens since the adoption of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution in 1868.

The odds of repealing the amendment’s citizenship clause would be steep, requiring the votes of two-thirds of both houses of Congress and support from three-fourths of the nation’s state legislatures. Republicans in Congress have pushed without success to repeal that provision since 2011. Some conservatives believe the provision could be changed without amending the Constitution.

“They’re illegal,” Mr. Trump said, describing native-born children of people living illegally in the US. “You either have a country or not.”

Mr. Trump, who remains a longshot for the White House, has made immigration the focal point of his campaign since announcing his candidacy in June, when he described some Mexican immigrants in the U.S. illegally as “rapists” and “criminals.” His tough stance on immigration has appealed to a segment of the Republican base and helped the former reality TV star vault ahead of the crowded Republican presidential field.

Mr.Trump’s immigration rhetoric has unnerved Republican leaders who want to woo the rapidly growing bloc of Hispanic voters, who have voted overwhelmingly Democratic in recent Presidential elections.

Mr. Trump’s remarks came as his campaign website posted his program for “immigration reform.”

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush recently released his own immigration plan, which calls for the use of forward bases and drones to guard the border, but also backing an eventual plan to legalize the status of immigrant families.

On Sunday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich said he would "finish the wall" but would then work to legalize 11 million immigrants now estimated to live in the U.S. illegally. He spoke on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Indonesia plane with 54 people on board found crashed

A Trigana Air Service's ATR42-300 twin turboprop plane takes off at Supadio airport in Pontianak, Indonesia in 2010. The same type of aeroplane is believed to have crashed carrying 54 people on Sunday. Photo: AP

Jakarta: August 16  The wreckage of a passenger plane which went missing with 54 people aboard in rugged eastern Indonesia today has been found by villagers, an official said, in the latest fatal accident to hit the country's aviation sector.

The plane operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana Air lost contact with air traffic control just before 3 pm (11.30 am IST) after taking off from Jayapura, the capital of Papua province, the search and rescue agency said.

The ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop plane built in France and Italy, was carrying 44 adult passengers, five crew, two children and three babies on the flight, which was scheduled to take about 45 minutes, it said. 

Sito, an officer from search and rescue agency BASARNAS in Jayapura, said all 54 people on board were Indonesians.

President Joko Widodo tweeted his condolences to the victims of the accident. "Let us pray together," he said.xxxx

Ten minutes before it was due to land, the plane contacted Oksibil control tower asking to descend, Captain Beny Sumaryanto, Trigana Air's service director of operations, said.

But the plane never arrived. Half an hour later, Trigana Air sent another turboprop plane over the same route to look for the missing aircraft, he said.

On his Facebook page, Mr Joko posted a report from the minister of transport. It said according to Ludi, the head of the search and rescue agency in the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura, the missing flight had been located at camp three in the Ogbape district of the Bingang mountain regency.

"Locals have informed us that the flight crashed on to Mount Tangok," the update said. Evacuation teams from the natural disaster mitigating agency, along with army officers and police personnel from Oksibil were on their way to the accident scene, it said.

"The plane has been found (by villagers). According to residents, the flight had crashed into a mountain," said the transport ministry's director-general of air transportation, Suprasetyo, who goes by one name.

Officials were still verifying the information from local residents, he said. There was no information about whether anyone may have survived. 

"The weather is currently very bad there, it's very dark and cloudy. It's not conducive for a search. The area is mountainous."

According to the Aviation Safety Network, an online database, the ATR 42-300 had its first flight 27 years ago. ATR is a joint venture between Airbus and Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of Italian aerospace firm Finmeccanica.

Airline blacklisted in Europe

Trigana has been on the EU blacklist of banned carriers since 2007. Airlines on the list are barred from operating in European airspace due to either concerns about its safety standards, or concerns about the regulatory environment in its country of registration.

Trigana has had 14 serious incidents since it began operations in 1991, according to the Aviation Safety Network's online database. Excluding this latest incident, it has written off 10 aircraft.

Indonesia has a patchy aviation safety record and has seen two major plane crashes in the past year, including an AirAsia flight that went down in the Java Sea, killing all on board.

That crash prompted the government to introduce regulations aimed at improving safety.

Indonesia's president promised a review of the ageing air force fleet in July after a military transport plane crashed in the north of the country, killing more than 100 people. — AFP

11-year-old gives birth after being denied abortion in Paraguay

Asuncion, Aug 14: An 11-year-old girl gave birth to a baby girl in Paraguay's capital, in a case that has sparked outrage from numerous observers.

When the case broke earlier this year, it was widely reported that the girl had been raped by her stepfather when she was 10. The man has since been charged and has a court case pending.

The 11-year-old's mother is facing charges of negligence, which will most likely impact her bid for custody of the newborn, reported Xinhua.

However, worse news yet came after the government turned down a petition by the mother on behalf of the pregnant girl for an abortion.

Paraguay takes a very stringent line on abortion, ruling it out in all cases except when the mother's life is in danger.

Following the birth, Amnesty International released a statement, expressing relief that the mother and the child are healthy, but slamming the government.

It said that "the fact she did not die does not excuse the human rights violations she suffered". Teenage pregnancy is rampant in Paraguay, according to a doctor two 12-year-old girls were also awaiting birth.  —IANS

Protests return to Ferguson streets, state of emergency declared

                        Protesters prepare to march in downtown St. Louis. RICK WILKING / Reuters

Ferguson (US), August 11:  Riot police clashed early on Tuesday with protesters in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri marking the anniversary of the police shooting of an unarmed black teen whose death sparked a national outcry over strained race relations.

About 200 demonstrators, some waving flags, beating drums, and shouting anti-police slogans, marched along a street that was a flashpoint of riots that erupted last year after white police officer Darren Wilson killed 18-year-old Michael Brown.

Police carrying shields rushed into a crowd of protesters around midnight, prompting many to scream and run away. Twenty-three people were arrested, some for throwing frozen water bottles and rocks at officers, according to the St. Louis County Police Department.

Authorities declared a state of emergency on Monday for the St. Louis suburb and surrounding areas after police officers shot and critically wounded a man in an exchange of gunfire Sunday night, marring what had been a day of peaceful demonstrations to commemorate the anniversary.

Protesters on the streets beat drums and chanted as bottles and rocks were thrown, while cops used pepper spray as they detained demonstrators during the standoff, which continued into the early hours this morning.

 A police officer holds his weapon as a protester is detained (rear) in Ferguson, Missouri, August 10, 2015.

"Officers are being hit with rocks and bottles. We continue to support free speech, but agitators who ignore orders to disperse risk arrest," tweeted the St Louis County police department.

The protests came after unrest and a shootout in Ferguson Sunday night that led county officials to declare a state of emergency yesterday.

St Louis County executive Steve Stenger said county police would immediately take charge of "police emergency management" in Ferguson and surrounding districts.

"In light of last night's violence and unrest in the city of Ferguson, and the potential for harm to persons and property, I am exercising my authority as county executive to issue a state of emergency, effective immediately," he said in a statement.

His statement was issued as an 18-year-old was charged in connection with the shootout in Ferguson on Sunday, following a day of mostly peaceful protests marking the first anniversary of the fatal police shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.

Tyrone Harris is accused of first-degree assault on police officers, armed criminal action and shooting at a motor vehicle, police said.

Harris, from Northwoods, another section of St Louis County, remained in the hospital yesterday with wounds sustained in the shootout.

In St Louis city center, more than 50 protesters were arrested after climbing the barricade around a federal courthouse during a midday demonstration, local news media reported.

Media reports late yesterday said protesters had blocked a main highway, Interstate 70, just outside Ferguson.

Two anti-police demonstrators walk away from a line of St Louis County police officers during protests in Ferguson, Missouri August 11, 2015.

Demonstrators were also arrested elsewhere in town, including scholar and activist Cornel West, Complex magazine reported.

Early this morning a crowd of about 100 protesters remained on the streets of Ferguson.

Activist groups said the plainclothes officers who shot Harris should never have been deployed to the scene. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon called Sunday's violence "a sad turn of events."

Protester Rayna Martin, 17, who lives in the neighborhood where Brown was shot, said the violence within her community has been made worse by the actions of police. "They kill us, they get away with it. It's crazy," she said.  — AFP

Shots fired in Ferguson amid standoff between police, protesters

Police stand outside the looted Bowen Beauty Supply at the site of last year's riots on the one year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August 9, 2015.

FERGUSON, Mo., Aug 10 (Reuters) - Two people were wounded in gunfire at a rally in Ferguson, Missouri on Sunday marking the first anniversary of the death of Michael Brown near where the unarmed black teenager was shot dead by a white office.

The gunshots rang out as police tried to disperse demonstrators blocking traffic and smashing windows along a street that was a flashpoint of last year's unrest following the slaying of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

The origin of the gunfire and condition of the two people shot was not immediately known, police said. One of the victims, a black male who looked to be a teenager or young adult, appeared in a Reuters photo to have been badly wounded.

Anniversary commemorations for Michael Brown had begun with a quiet march through the St. Louis suburb following a moment of silence for the 18-year-old youth, whose slaying on August 9, 2014, ignited months of demonstrations and a national debate on race and justice. 

The scene changed dramatically after dark with a crowd of dozens of protesters blocking traffic and smashing store windows along West Florissant Avenue, which bore the brunt of last summer's rioting, chanting "Shut it down." 

A phalanx of helmeted police wearing body armor and carrying shields moved in. Protesters briefly fell away before regrouping to confront the line of officers, who ordered them to disperse.

A body could be seen on West Florissant Avenue and a young woman screamed that her brother had been shot. Multiple store windows had been smashed out and police stood atop vehicles surveying the scene, which unfolded around the corner from where Brown was shot a year earlier.

“The St. Louis County Police Department was involved in an officer-involved shooting after officers came under heavy gunfire,” county police spokesman Shawn McGuire said in a statement. He said at least 2 unmarked police cars had been hit by gunshots.

Brown’s death, and a grand jury decision to spare Darren Wilson, the officer who shot him, from criminal charges sparked a prolonged wave of demonstrations in Ferguson last year that boiled over into rioting and arson at times and spawned sympathy rallies across the country.

It also sparked greater scrutiny of racial bias within the U.S. criminal justice system, giving rise to the “Black Lives Matter” movement that gained momentum from a series of other high-profile slayings of unarmed minorities by white police in cities such as New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles and Cincinnati.