CL: Madrid Held to a Goalless Draw by City at Etihad

EFT Report, Manchester: Zinedine Zidane’s Madrid and Manuel Pellegrini's City played out one of the most dullest Champions League semis of recent times at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, as Los Blancos were held to a 0-0 draw by Manchester City in their first leg encounter. With no Cristiano Ronaldo, due to a thigh problem, in the starting eleven for the 10 time European Champions, Madrid clearly lacked the finishing touch. The Portuguese superstar have 16 Champions League goals to his credit this season.

Madrid Held to a Goalless Draw by City

The opening 45 minutes saw both sides struggle to create chances with City enjoying more of the possession. Benzema had the best opening in the final minute of the half, but the France international blazed his effort over Hart's goal. City playmaker David Silva limped off before the half after appearing to tweak a hamstring, he is likely to miss the return leg. Benzema, a pre-match doubt with a knee problem, was replaced at half-time by Jese. Sergio Aguero was a no-show with Ramos and Pepe not giving an inch to the Argentine through-out the 90 minute play. Casemiro and Pepe were both denied a late winner by Hart's heroics as it ended all squad at the Etihad.

The second leg of the Champions League semi-final takes place at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, May 4 with everything to play for.

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iPhone 7 to ditch 3.5mm jack; Apple to release wireless headphones

EFT Report, Mumbai: If rumors are to be believed, Apple may ditch 3.5mm headphone jack on the iPhone 7. According to an allegedly "confirmed" information from iPhone supply chain, Apple will release wireless earphones alongside.

Citing people in the iPhone supply chain, Andrews Forum reports that the iPhone 7 will not have a 3.5mm jack. This, however, doesn't mean that your existing EarPods won't be compatible with the iPhone 7. The report adds that Apple will make available a Lightning "convert up" to allow headphones with a 3.5mm outlet to be used with the Lightning connector.

Last year, a report claimed that Apple was planning to ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in an attempt to make the iPhone thinner by 1mm. The new report has corroborated he reasoning, adding that Apple also plans to promote its wireless headset. The previous report also claimed that the Lightning connector will retain the same size, and will also come with a digital-to-analogue converter for backwards compatibility with wired headphones.

The removal of headphone jack might not sit well with users. Almost every smartphone, tablet, desktop, laptop currently ships with this audio port. But considering Apple's past record, removal of the 3.5mm port doesn't seem unlikely. The company ditched the compact disk drive from its computer lineup with the MacBook Air, and soon many rival manufacturers were doing the same. Last year, the company launched the MacBook which has just one USB Type-C port for data transfer and power input.

Besides, the Cupertino-based company has been hinting at its dislike towards the 3.5mm jack for a while now. In 2014, the company introduced the MFi (Made for iPhone) program specifications to allow third-party manufacturers to make earphones that could be connected to the iPhone or iPad via a Lightning cable. Philips Fidelio NC1L, which features battery-free active noise cancelling technology, connects to an iPhone via a Lightning cable.

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International walking festival in China on Dec. 26

EFT Report, Beijing: An international walking festival will be held on December 26 in Xiamen city in China's Fujian province, organisers announced on Thursday.

China's freestyle skiing world champion Guo Dandan and swimming world champion Zhao Jing were named the official brand ambassadors to promote nationwide the fitness programme, Xinhua news agency reported.

The festival, which will feature 30 km professional group walking, 15 km amateur group walking and 5 km family group walking, will attract about 10,000 walkers from China and all across the globe, including a number of Olympic champions, the organisers added.

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Land Rover launches luxury SUV 'Range Rover Evoque'

EFT Report, Mumbai: British car maker Land Rover on Thursday launched its latest luxury SUV, 2016 model new Range Rover Evoque.

"This luxury SUV has been setting benchmarks in the industry since its launch and with the introduction of the 2016 model, we are confident of its continued success," said Rohit Suri, president, Jaguar Land Rover India Limited (JLRIL), in a statement.

Starting from Rs.47.1 lakh (ex-showroom, pre-Octroi in Mumbai), the new model is available in four variants with the highest variant going up to Rs.63.2 lakh, the statement said.

The models are Range Rover Evoque Pure, Range Rover Evoque SE, Range Rover Evoque HSE and Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic.

The SUV is powered by a 2.2-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine which delivers 140 kW at 3,500 rpm and produces a maximum torque of 420 Nm at 1,750 rpm.

New Gesture tailgate function, which allows automatic opening and closing of the tailgate by waving a foot under the car's rear bumper, and customer configurable mood lighting with a range of 10 colours are 2016 model new Range Rover Evoque's noteworthy features.

Other top features include surround camera system, 17 Speakers, 825 watts Meridian surround sound system, rear seat entertainment, nine speed automatic transmission, LED day time running lights, and head up display.

In India, Land Rover vehicles are available through 22 retail outlets in major Indian cities.

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Actor Charlie Sheen is HIV-positive

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen reportedly only discovered he is HIV-positive "long after" splitting from former porn star Bree Olson.

The 50-year-old, who was diagnosed with the virus four years ago, insists the former porn star ended their relationship via text message before doctors gave him his test results in 2011 even though she claims they were living together around the same time, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Sheen's manager Mark Burg told people.com: "Bree Olson is all over Howard Stern but the truth is she wasn't in Sheen's life when he was HIV-positive and so there was no reason to tell her anything."

A source close to the “Anger Management” star also told gossip website TMZ.com that he is aware many of his sexual partners are lining up to sue him for allegedly exposing them to the disease. But Sheen claims Olson, 29, doesn't have a case because he only found out after he returned to Los Angeles from his Violent Torpedo of Trust US tour, which ended on May 3, 2011, almost two weeks after she broke up with him.

While Olson has been given a clean bill of health from her doctors, she has branded her ex-boyfriend "a monster" for allegedly putting her life at risk.

She told “Inside Edition”: "He is a monster, and he put my life in jeopardy along with hundreds -- or potentially thousands -- of other women's lives."

Sheen, who has five children from three different relationships, told his eldest daughter Cassandra, 30, about his diagnosis before going public with the news, but decided not to discuss it with daughters Sam, 11, and Lola, 10, or six-year-old twins Bob and Max.

A source close to the star told UsMagazine.com: "He didn't tell the kids because they are so young and wouldn't understand."

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APEC Summit 2015 kicks off in Manila

EFT Report, Manila: The 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting got underway here on Wednesday. World leaders joined hands at the inaugural, signifying boost to regional cooperation, Xinhua reported.

The summit, themed "Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World", is tasked with four priorities: Enhancing the regional economic integration agenda; fostering small-and medium-sized enterprises' participation in regional and global markets; investing in human capital development; and building sustainable and resilient communities.

During the two-day gathering, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to expound China's policy on cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region and brief other leaders about the implementation of the consensus reached at 2014 APEC meeting in Beijing.

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David Beckham is 2015's sexiest man alive

EFT Report, London: Global football star David Beckham of Britain was on Wednesday named this year's "Sexiest Man Alive" by People's magazine.

British heartthrob and former Real Madrid midfielder said it was a huge honour and he was pleased to accept it.

"It's a huge honour. And I'm very pleased to accept," Beckham was quoted as saying by the magazine.

The football icon and a dad of four said he isn't sure he's even deserving of the mantle.

"I never feel that I'm an attractive, sexy person. I mean I like to wear nice clothes and nice suits and look and feel good, but I don't ever think of myself that way," he said.

When the 41-year-old shared the news with his wife, Victoria Beckham, she was totally on-board.

"I would hope that she (Victoria) feels this way about me all the time anyway!" he said with a shy smile.

"But she said, 'Congratulations!'"

"We kind of laughed about it with the boys and the boys kind of laughed at me and said, 'Really?! Sexiest man alive? Really?'", the former England national team captain said.

Father of Brooklyn, 16, Romeo, 12, Cruz, 10, and Harper, 4, Beckham said he's getting the most teased from his eldest, "Brooklyn was the one who was like, 'Are you sure it's not me that's meant to be there today?'".

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New Zealand rugby great Lomu dies at 40

EFT Report, Auckland: New Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu died aged 40 here on Wednesday.

Lomu played 63 Test matches for the All Blacks in a celebrated career from 1994 through to 2002.

He burst onto the global stage at the 1995 Rugby World Cup when he scored seven tries in four matches, including four tries in the semi-final against England.

He had been diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney condition by 1996.

It forced him to quit the game and he had a kidney transplant in 2004, but the organ stopped functioning in 2011.

"We’re all shocked and deeply saddened at the sudden death of Jonah. We’re lost for words and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Jonah’s family. Jonah was a legend of our game and loved by his many fans both here and around the world," said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew in a statement.

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Epica launches glass free 3D TV, tab, mobiles

EFT Report, Kochi: Sharjah headquartered Epica, the animation, VFX and 3D division of the Aries Group, has launched glass-free 3D products - Epica 3D TV, Epica 3D Tab and Epica 3D Mobile Phones - in Kerala.

The USP of these products is not just the 3D visual experience but also the 3D immersed sound system, developed in partnership with Belgium-based Auro Technologies.

The products have been developed jointly by Epica and Dimenco, with the IP of Philips.

"Epica 3D TV is currently aimed as a professional B2B 3D monitor, which can be used for commercials, out-of-home advertisements, training, medical and engineering educational content display. We hope to redefine the advertising scenario with our LED 3D display and replace 2D displays across the world and facilitate the ultimate glasses free 3D viewing experience," said Sohan Roy, chief executive officer of Aries Epica.

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Maradona undergoes second bypass surgery

EFT Report, Maracaibo: Football legend Diego Maradona underwent a second gastric bypass operation here after his doctor warned that the 55-year-old is 75 kg over his ideal weight.

Maradona had his first gastric bypass 10 years ago, but has since gained weight and developed complications.

"He (Maradona) told me he was feeling fine, that he wasn't in any pain," the 1986 World Cup champion's doctor Carlos Felipe Chaux was quoted as saying by BBC.

He will stay in the city for at least eight days before travelling to the capital Caracas to complete his recovery.

Maradona led Argentina to World Cup triumph in 1986 with a series of virtuoso performances, before finishing as runners-up four years later.

Apart from his weight problems, he has also struggled with obesity and alcohol addiction.

The football legend travelled to England to support Argentina in the Rugby World Cup last month, cheering on the Pumas in their pool match against Tonga in Leicester and semi-final defeat by Australia at Twickenham.

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Marriott acquires Starwood to create world's largest hotel chain

EFT Report, New York: Marriott International Inc announced an agreement to buy competitor Starwood Hotels and Resorts in a $12.2 billion transaction that will create the world's largest hotel chain.

Starwood stockholders would receive 0.92 Marriott Class A share and $2 in cash for each share, Efe cited the companies as saying in a joint statement.

The combined company will be the world's largest hotelier, with 1.1 million rooms in more than 5,500 facilities across over 100 countries and an annual turnover of $2.7 billion.

The deal, subject to approval from both companies' shareholders and from regulators, is expected to close by mid-2016, the statement said.

Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson will head the combined company, whose headquarters is to remain in Bethesda, Maryland. Three Starwood directors will join an expanded 14-member board.

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Steven Spielberg to get Presidential Medal of Freedom

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, singers Barbra Streisand, Gloria Estefan, James Taylor and composer Stephen Sondheim are among the recipients of this year’s Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honour.

It will be presented to the awardees at the White House by the US President Barack Obama on November 24.

Other recipients include veteran activist Bonnie Carroll, music producer Emilio Estefan, former representative Lee Hamilton, NASA mathematician Katherine G. Johnson, baseball legend Willie Mays, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), conductor Itzhak Perlman, and former EPA administrator William Ruckelshaus, reports variety.com.

Posthumous honours will go to Yogi Berra, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman elected to Congress; Indian treaty rights activist Billy Frank Jr., and human rights leader Minoru Yasui.

The list of recipients of each year’s Medal of Freedom usually includes a handful from entertainment. 

Actress Meryl Streep and musician Stevie Wonder were among the recipients in 2014.

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Paris attacks: Prince, U2, Bono, Foo Fighters, Motorhead cancel concerts

EFT Report, Paris: Prince has become the latest act to cancel his European concert tour following the Paris attacks, his French production company confirmed today.

The tour -- entitled "Prince Spotlight: Piano and a Microphone" -- would have begun on November 24 in Vienna, Austria, and would have included dates in Britain and Sweden.

The 57-year-old American was expected to be in Paris on December 11 to play two shows at the historic Palais Garnier opera house.

"In light of the tragic events in Paris, the organisers decided to cancel the European tour," said Interconcerts, a ticket company.

A similar message was posted on the site of Vienna's concert hall.

The tour was believed to be the first since Prince's rise to stardom in which he would have performed with such stripped-down instrumentation.

A number of rock bands have also cancelled tour dates in France since the attacks, including U2, who cancelled some of their concerts.

Bono and the rest of the band members paid their respects in person at a makeshift memorial set up near the 1,500-seat Bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed.

The California rock group Eagles of Death Metal was performing at the venue when gunmen burst in. Members of the band escaped unharmed and have returned to the United States.

Other acts who have cancelled tour dates in Paris are the American rock band Foo Fighters, who were due to perform in Paris today at the 20,000-capacity AccorHotels Arena.

Veteran English rock band Motorhead were also scheduled to perform in Paris on Sunday and have cancelled.

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Farah Khan to be honored at Cairo Film Festival

EFT Report, New Delhi: Choreographer-director Farah Khan will be honoured with the Faten Hamama Award for excellence in cinema at the 37th Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF). Her 2007 film "Om Shanti Om", starring Shah Rukh Khan, will also be screened there.

"I feel that it's an honour for the Indian film industry to take our movie or a director to give an award at an international film festival. I think it's great for the entire industry. 

"In Egypt, they love our hardcore commercial Bollywood films and I think there is no better example than 'Om Shanti Om'. They are premiering it over there. Also, I represent the women of our country and in that way, it's a dual award," Farah told IANS over phone from Mumbai. 

She will be honoured on Wednesday and the movie will get a special screening outside the venue.

Asked how special "Om Shanti Om" is for her, Farah said: "All my movies are special for me. I think 'Om Shanti Om' somewhere down the years, stands for the quintessential Bollywood film. 

"It is special for me in many ways. I was pregnant with my babies and shooting at the same time. Also, it was a very happy time as the whole industry came to do a song in the film. It was my most critically acclaimed film."

Farah launched actress Deepika Padukone with the 2007 film, which is based on reincarnation.

Produced by Shah Rukh's wife Gauri Khan, "Om Shanti Om" also features Arjun Rampal, Shreyas Talpade and Kirron Kher. 

Over 40 Hindi movie stars appear in the course of the film, including 30 of them in the "Deewangi deewangi" song alone. 

The ongoing 10-day film festival will conclude on November 20.

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FIFA bans Nepal, Laos football chiefs for corruption

EFT Report, Zurich: FIFA on Monday banned the Nepal football chief for 10 years and the president of the Laos federation for two years for corruption.

All-Nepal Football Association president Ganesh Thapa was implicated in bribery at elections to choose Asian delegates on the world football governing body's executive committee, reports Xinhua.

Thapa "committed various acts of misconduct over several years, including the solicitation and acceptance of cash payments from another football official, for both personal and family gain", according to a FIFA statement.

On top of the ban, he was fined 20,000 Swiss francs ($19,850) by the ethics committee's adjudicatory chamber.

In another case, Laos Football Federation president Viphet Sihachakr was suspended from soccer for two years by FIFA's ethics committee. 

Sihachakr was found to have sought and accepted a payment from another official relating to the 2011 election for a place on FIFA's executive committee. He was fined 40,000 Swiss francs ($39,700).

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Oil drops below $40 after 11 years

EFT Report, New Delhi: International crude oil prices plunged to fresh lows with the price of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) basket of twelve crudes going below the $40 a barrel level for the first time in 11 years.

The new OPEC reference basket of 12 crude oils closed at $39.21 a barrel on the previous trading day on Friday, the organisation's secretariat said. On Thursday, the price stood at $40.21. The last time it fell to $39 was in 2004.

Oil prices have been under pressure for several months due to concerns over oversupply, but the slump has deepened in the recent period.

Crude-oil production has remained robust despite the large drop in prices in the last year, as US producers continue to cut costs and members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries continue to produce at full tilt.

The Indian basket, comprising 73 percent sour-grade Dubai and Oman crude, and the balance in sweet-grade Brent, plunged to $41.39 on Friday.

Meanwhile, state-run Indian Oil Corp on Sunday announced a hike in the price of petrol by 36 paise a litre and of diesel by 87 paise at Delhi, effective Monday.

"The current level of international product prices of petrol and diesel and INR-USD exchange rate warrant an increase in prices, the impact of which is being passed on to the consumers with this price revision," Indian Oil said in a statement here.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa on Monday termed the reason for fuel price hike as unjustifiable when there is no change in the international price of crude oil.

While the latest fuel hike was part of the routine fortnightly price revision exercise by oil marketing companies, it should be considered that the Indian basket price in the preceding fortnight ranged between $44-46 a barrel.

The latest drop in global prices could possibly be reflected in the next fortnight's price revision.

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Bieber wins Hall of fame at 2015 HALO Awards

EFT Report, London: Pop star Justin Bieber has won the inaugural Hall of Fame award at the 2015 HALO Awards in New York, for his charitable work.

The awards honours young people in the US who are responsible for "helping and leading others" and Bieber was chosen for his work with the Make-A-Wish foundation and Pencils of Promise, a charity which builds schools and increases educational opportunities in the developing world.

The 21-year-old singer used his acceptance speech to pay tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks, in which more than 120 people died, reported Female First.

"There's been some sad things happening in the world right now, and I think that we should all honour that and just take one moment of silence for that, if you guys could," he said.

It was recently revealed that Justin has made over 250 wishes come true so far through Make-A-Wish.

Nick Cannon hosted and Joe Jonas and his band DNCE performed at the ceremony, which will air on Nickelodeon on November 29.

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Reliance Infra inks deal with Canada's PSP Investment

EFT Report, Mumbai: Reliance Infrastructure on Monday said it has signed a non-binding Term Sheet with Canadian pension fund management major Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments).

With this, the Canadian firm will acquire 49 percent equity stake in Reliance Infrastructure's integrated power generation, transmission and distribution business in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

The specified business is to be carved out on a going concern basis into a separate Special Purpose Vehicle, in which Reliance Infrastructure will own the controlling 51 percent stake and PSP Investments will own the rest 49 percent, the company said in a statement.

Reliance Infrastructure's Mumbai power business (known as Reliance Energy) distributes power to nearly three million residential, industrial and commercial consumers in the suburbs of Mumbai, covering an area of 400 square km and catering to a peak demand of over 1,800 MW, with revenues of Rs.7,700 crore in the 2014-15.

"The parties have entered into an Exclusivity Agreement valid till March 31, 2016. The proposed transaction is subject to due diligence, definitive documentation, applicable regulatory and other approvals and certain other conditions. 

"Accordingly, there can be no certainty that a transaction will result. Further announcements will be made at an appropriate stage," the statement said. As on March 31 this year, PSP Investments has Canadian $112.0 billion of net assets under management. 

"Reliance Infrastructure has recently entered into the defence sector. It has also announced the proposed acquisition of Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd. (PDOC), which houses India's largest dry dock facility to build warships and other naval vessels.

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'Young' Cameron Diaz's nude photos released

EFT Report, Los Angeles: Before baring her body in 2014 comedy film "Sex Tape", actress Cameron Diaz had a full-frontal photoshoot back in 1999 and the images have now been released.

Loaded magazine has released Diaz's nude photographs that they claimed to be the only full-frontal photoshoot she had ever done. 

Diaz, 43, was 26 years old when she did the photoshoot in a swimming pool. She didn't seem to be reluctant to bare herself naked in front of the camera. In the vintage photographs, the actress didn't change much compared to her current look, reports aceshowbiz.com.

In an interview with the magazine back then, the "Bad Teacher" actress said she never considered herself beautiful. 

"No, I never did. I've got a nose that's been broken three times and as a teenager I was so skinny at school that they nicknamed me Skeletor," she confessed. 

The publication posted on Twitter about the photographs: "Give thanks for our nude Cameron Diaz photoshoot that broke the internet." 

Furthermore, the publication wrote on its article: "She made a big deal of it when the moment came, but it was a severe disappointment, as Diaz ended up stripping for the crapocalyse that was 'Sex Tape'." 

“But in February 1999, aged 26 and flush with success from her role in 'The Mask', she happily stripped and went for a swim with Loaded, making it her only ever topless magazine shoot,” the article read.

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UN launches International Year of Pulses

EFT Report, Rome: The UN on Tuesday launched the International Year of Pulses 2016, aiming to raise awareness of the many benefits of pulses, boost their production and trade, and encourage new and smarter use throughout the food chain.

Pulses are plants which produce legumes such as peas, beans, or lentils and "are important food crops for the food security of large proportions of populations, particularly in Latin America, Africa and Asia, where pulses are part of traditional diets and often grown by small farmers", said UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva at the launch ceremony here.

"They have been an essential part of the human diet for centuries," he said, adding: "Yet, their nutritional value is not generally recognized and is frequently under-appreciated."

He also highlighted how the nitrogen-fixing properties of pulses improve soil fertility, which extends the productivity of farmland and eliminates dependency on synthetic fertilizers. 

This in turn leads to a smaller carbon footprint and indirectly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

"Pulses can contribute significantly to addressing hunger, food security, malnutrition, environmental challenges and human health," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a written statement.

In a symbolic gesture following his address, the director general planted a number of fava beans in a planter full of soil as he proclaimed the international year officially begun. 

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