There was speculation that Zac Efron's well-toned body in the trailer of forthcoming film Baywatch is fake, but Indian actress and his co-star Priyanka Chopra has vouched for how real it is.

The actress added that she initially had her doubts, but was shocked to know the abs were real.

"I didn't think it was real initially. (I thought) there's gotta be some air brushing or paint brushing or whatever people… I can vouch for them. I have seen them for real. They are real and I was shocked," Priyanka said.

The Quantico star, who will be making her Hollywood debut with Baywatch this year, talked about Efron's physique in an interview with E! News when she became a part of ongoing CinemaCon here. The video is doing the rounds on social media platforms.

She was joined by her co-stars Dwayne Johnson, Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrbach and Jon Bass.

When asked by the interviewer whether Efron is human to have such a perfect body, she said: "Human beings have them."

"He is forever training. I watched him and I ate. I was always eating whenever Zac was training. I don't know why I always got hungry seeing him work so hard," Priyanka added.

Baywatch has been adapted from the 1990s' popular TV series of the same name and is slated to hit the screens in May. Priyanka will be seen in a negative role.

A South Korean court on Thursday ended the longest-ever hearing here on a warrant to arrest ousted President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached earlier this month.

For security reasons, Park was driven in the early forenoon to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' office, a building next to the Seoul Central District Court, where she appealed to a judge, Xinhua news agency reported.

The special investigation headquarters of the Seoul prosecutors' office, in charge of the probe into a corruption scandal embroiling Park, 65, said that the former leader will wait for the court's decision at a temporary detention unit on the 10th floor of the office.

The decision is widely forecast to be made early on Friday as a number of charges were levelled against Park.

Prosecutors have already identified Park as an accomplice to her longtime friend Choi Soon-sil, who is now in custody, for multiple charges including bribery, abuse of authority, coercion and the leakage of confidential documents.

Park was grilled by prosecutors last week as she lost immunity from criminal prosecution while in office. 

She was permanently removed from office on March 10 in a historic ruling to uphold the impeachment motion against her.

Prosecutors sought to arrest Park earlier this week. 

If issued the arrest warrant, Park would be the third South Korean former leader to be taken into custody. 

Warning that wheat blast could be "catastrophic" for South Asia, scientists from Bangladesh, which was ravaged by an outbreak of the disease in 2016, have offered to help their Indian counterparts tackle the deadly fungal foe, reported here for the first time this year.

Following the first sightings of wheat blast in India in Bengal, experts at the Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) in the state have sought to fully understand the pathogen in collaboration with scientists at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU) in Bangladesh, given their experience in the matter.

"Through the collaboration with scientists from Bangladesh, we can step ahead as they are already continuing their studies from 2016. So their experience will help us. This kind of research will help even other countries of Southeast Asia where the disease is predicted to occur," Sunita Mahapatra, Assistant Professor, Plant Pathology, BCKV, Nadia, told IANS.

Mahapatra is waiting for the go-ahead from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

Wheat blast is caused by a fungus known as Magnaporthe oryzae although scientists are still debating its exact identity.

Mahapatra says the disease, that periodically devastates crops in South America, has been detected in wheat in the Bangladesh-bordering Murshidabad and Nadia districts of Bengal in February. Wheat on at least 1,000 hectare in the two districts has been riddled with the fungus.

"ICAR, Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research and the Agriculture Department of the state government took immediate measures and decided to burn all the infested fields to stop its spread as well as its survival for the next season," Mahapatra said, adding initial investigations have confirmed the presence of the fungus.

Now, with the wheat harvesting season knocking on the doors, there is an urgency to "know the enemy".

Wheat blast was first sighted in Brazil in 1985. In February 2016, the disease emerged in eight districts of Bangladesh and became an epidemic — the first reported outbreak outside South America. In Bangladesh, the fungus led to yield loss of up to 90 per cent in more than 15,000 hectares of crops last year.

In its aftermath, Md. Tofazzal Islam and his team at BSMRAU developed a convenient and rapid molecular diagnostic tool for detection of wheat blast in seeds, asymptomatic plants and alternate hosts.

"Indian researchers are welcome to collaborate with us for precisely determining the genetic identity and origin of wheat blast in India. We are ready to help them analyse Indian samples by field pathogenomics analytic methods and molecular diagnosis that we have developed," Islam, Professor and Head of the Department of Biotechnology at BSMRAU, told IANS.

Pathogenomics refers to genomic research on pathogenic micro-organisms.

"This pathogen causes a destructive disease on rice and it would be disastrous if the same situation arises now in wheat," he warned.

Through genomic analysis and bioinformatics studies, Islam and 31 researchers from 14 institutes spanning four continents collaborated to trace the lineage of wheat blast in Bangladesh to South American Magnaporthe oryzae.

British and Bangladeshi teams are making raw genetic data for the wheat blast pathogen available on the Open Wheat Blast website. One of the key collaborators is Sophien Kamoun of Britain's The Sainsbury Laboratory in Norwich.

"Our ultimate goal is to develop a durable blast-resistant wheat variety for the farmers," Islam explained.

Mahapatra said genetic studies are crucial to strengthen (disease) resistance research and strategies.

"We also need to find out the ancestor of the pathogen, from where it came, study pathogen behaviour, distribution of the pathogen, immunity in the host or resistance and so many other aspects that we need to solve before the next season of wheat harvesting — as soon as possible . So, if we work together, then our work will be faster as well as fruitful," reasoned Mahapatra.

Islam believes spores (reproductive units) of the fungus, that can travel via wind for six km or more, were responsible for the spread of the disease in Bengal.

Similarity of weather in the Bengal districts and across the border also favoured its dissemination, Mahapatra felt.

"Wheat blast needs no passport or visa for crossing geographical borders. It poses serious threat to future food and nutritional security of South Asia. If delayed, wheat blast can be catastrophic in South Asia," added Islam.

According to data on the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) website, South Asia is home to 300 million undernourished people and inhabitants consume over 100 million tonnes of wheat each year.

Railways announced ex-gratia payment of Rs.50,000 in case of grievous injury and Rs.25,000 for those with minor injuries in the Mahakaushal Express derailment on Thursday.

While the UP ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhary said 52 passengers were injured in the mishap, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said 21 were injured, including one seriously.

Railways has ordered an inquiry into the derailment of the Jabalpur-Nizamuddin Mahakaushal Express in the wee hours today near Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh.

Prima facie, a crack in the rail tracks seems to be the cause of the derailment.

The mishap disrupted rail traffic on the route with services of 14 trains disrupted, railway officials said.

Railways announced ex-gratia payment of Rs.50,000 in case of grievous injury and Rs.25,000 for those with minor injuries in the Mahakaushal Express derailment on Thursday.

While the UP ADG (Law and Order) Daljit Chaudhary said 52 passengers were injured in the mishap, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said 21 were injured, including one seriously.

Railways has ordered an inquiry into the derailment of the Jabalpur-Nizamuddin Mahakaushal Express in the wee hours today near Mahoba in Uttar Pradesh.

Prima facie, a crack in the rail tracks seems to be the cause of the derailment.

The mishap disrupted rail traffic on the route with services of 14 trains disrupted, railway officials said.

Gorakhpur, the constituency of new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is fast becoming popular ever since the controversial figure, a Hindu hardliner, came to power in the state. News of his coming into power as a state chief minister shocked not only the Indian media but also the international media. And, probably, his own people might never have thought that this son of the soil would shake the country's politics to an extend that it would make world news.

And, it did not take long for the man in power now to set new orders and rules and he continued to hog the limelight. First, it was the crackdown on illegal abattoirs and setting up of the Anti-Romeo Squad to whip eve-teasers. He claims that the squad was formed to ensure protection of women, though many sees it as a part of the 'love jihad' which he launched some years ago.

Well, seen as the Robinhood of the region, even before he became the 21st chief minister of UP, Adityanath did bring about a lot of changes to the place, and he did it his way. Five-time MP from Gorakhpur before he became CM, Adityanath has an appeal that attracts the youth. He could reach out to them and transformed many goons for the welfare of the region. He changed the names of many roads in his home town, from Arabic and Urdu to Hindu names. He also runs morcha and small systems in Gorakhpur for the welfare of the people there. Be it against a certain cmmunity or for the welfare of his people, the steps that he took often created controvies and made headlines.

After the crackdown on meat sellers, he made big news again with the attempt to reach out to them and abattoir owners, as meat crisis troubles his state.

As the media continues to feed on the news of Adityanath. we bring you glimpses of the little known place that has brought forth a figure hard to accept, yet hard to ignore.

Where is Gorakhpur?

The city is about 273 km away from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It lies close to Nepal border, along the Rapti river banks in the northeastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is said that Lord Buddha renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to move on to his spiritual journey.

The meaning of Gorakhpur

The name Gorakhpur originated from the Sanskrit word Gorakshapuram, meaning the abode of ancient saint Gorakshanath.

What is Gorakhpur famous for?

Life in the city centers around Gorakshanath Temple or Gorakhnath Math, a place of worship of the Nath tradition founded by Guru Matsendranath. Various cultural and social activities are carried out in the temple.

The people and community

It has a population of 673,446 (2011). Majority of them are Hindus and Muslims. Christians and other communities are a minority there.

Historical relevance of Gorakhpur

The ancient Gorakhpur comprised the districts of Basti, Deoria, Azamgarh and some parts of Nepal Tarai. These region called as Gorakhpur-Janpad was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilisation. It holds a connection with Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to proceed on in the quest of truth in the year 600 BC. It is also associated with 24th Tirthankar Lord Mahavir, founder of Jainism.

Gorakhpur during British Raj

On February 4, 1922, the infamous Chauri Chaura incident took place in Gorakhpur district. This made Mahatma Gandhi call off the Non-Cooperation Movement. The fight between police and civilians took an ugly turn and caused the halt of this major movement.

Gorakhpur, the constituency of new Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is fast becoming popular ever since the controversial figure, a Hindu hardliner, came to power in the state. News of his coming into power as a state chief minister shocked not only the Indian media but also the international media. And, probably, his own people might never have thought that this son of the soil would shake the country's politics to an extend that it would make world news.

And, it did not take long for the man in power now to set new orders and rules and he continued to hog the limelight. First, it was the crackdown on illegal abattoirs and setting up of the Anti-Romeo Squad to whip eve-teasers. He claims that the squad was formed to ensure protection of women, though many sees it as a part of the 'love jihad' which he launched some years ago.

Well, seen as the Robinhood of the region, even before he became the 21st chief minister of UP, Adityanath did bring about a lot of changes to the place, and he did it his way. Five-time MP from Gorakhpur before he became CM, Adityanath has an appeal that attracts the youth. He could reach out to them and transformed many goons for the welfare of the region. He changed the names of many roads in his home town, from Arabic and Urdu to Hindu names. He also runs morcha and small systems in Gorakhpur for the welfare of the people there. Be it against a certain cmmunity or for the welfare of his people, the steps that he took often created controvies and made headlines.

After the crackdown on meat sellers, he made big news again with the attempt to reach out to them and abattoir owners, as meat crisis troubles his state.

As the media continues to feed on the news of Adityanath. we bring you glimpses of the little known place that has brought forth a figure hard to accept, yet hard to ignore.

Where is Gorakhpur?

The city is about 273 km away from Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh. It lies close to Nepal border, along the Rapti river banks in the northeastern part of Uttar Pradesh. It is said that Lord Buddha renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to move on to his spiritual journey.

The meaning of Gorakhpur

The name Gorakhpur originated from the Sanskrit word Gorakshapuram, meaning the abode of ancient saint Gorakshanath.

What is Gorakhpur famous for?

Life in the city centers around Gorakshanath Temple or Gorakhnath Math, a place of worship of the Nath tradition founded by Guru Matsendranath. Various cultural and social activities are carried out in the temple.

The people and community

It has a population of 673,446 (2011). Majority of them are Hindus and Muslims. Christians and other communities are a minority there.

Historical relevance of Gorakhpur

The ancient Gorakhpur comprised the districts of Basti, Deoria, Azamgarh and some parts of Nepal Tarai. These region called as Gorakhpur-Janpad was an important centre of Aryan culture and civilisation. It holds a connection with Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism, who renounced his princely costumes at the junction of rivers Rapti and Rohini to proceed on in the quest of truth in the year 600 BC. It is also associated with 24th Tirthankar Lord Mahavir, founder of Jainism.

Gorakhpur during British Raj

On February 4, 1922, the infamous Chauri Chaura incident took place in Gorakhpur district. This made Mahatma Gandhi call off the Non-Cooperation Movement. The fight between police and civilians took an ugly turn and caused the halt of this major movement.

Members of the ruling Congress party and opposition AIADMK (Amma) on Thursday hit out at Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in the Assembly for "disrespecting" the government, MLAs and delaying development works and demanded that the Centre recall her.

Participating in a debate set in motion by AIADMK's A Anbalagan after the Vote on Account Bill was passed by voice vote on the opening day of the two-day Assembly session, the MLAs wanted the House to adopt a resolution to urge the Centre to recall Bedi.

Anbalagan alleged that the Lt Governor delayed the approval of cabinet decisions once they were placed before her and added that this affected the development works in the union territory.

Congress legislators K Lakshminarayanan and RKR Anandaraman also criticised Bedi and urged for a resolution to persuade the Centre to recall the former IPS officer.

The members also sought action against Municipal Commissioner R Chandrasekar, who they alleged was acting on Bedi's "directives" to "disrespect" them and the government.

Recently, a meeting was held by the commissioner with the members of self-help groups in Mudaliarpet without informing AIADMK's A Baskar, the local MLA.

The commissioner had also lodged a police complaint against Baskar after he raised questions about the meeting.

Anbalagan said the MLA has approached the Privileges Committee seeking action against the commissioner for holding the meeting without informing him.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said whenever any such event was held, it was the duty of the officers to inform the legislator concerned and associate him or her with it.

In response to the appeal for a resolution to urge the Centre for recalling Bedi, Speaker Vaithilingam asked Anbalagan to table it in the House for consideration.

Regarding the Municipal Commissioner approaching the police with a "false complaint" against a legislator, he directed the government to replace him and keep him under compulsory wait till the privilege issue was disposed of.

Members of the ruling Congress party and opposition AIADMK (Amma) on Thursday hit out at Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi in the Assembly for "disrespecting" the government, MLAs and delaying development works and demanded that the Centre recall her.

Participating in a debate set in motion by AIADMK's A Anbalagan after the Vote on Account Bill was passed by voice vote on the opening day of the two-day Assembly session, the MLAs wanted the House to adopt a resolution to urge the Centre to recall Bedi.

Anbalagan alleged that the Lt Governor delayed the approval of cabinet decisions once they were placed before her and added that this affected the development works in the union territory.

Congress legislators K Lakshminarayanan and RKR Anandaraman also criticised Bedi and urged for a resolution to persuade the Centre to recall the former IPS officer.

The members also sought action against Municipal Commissioner R Chandrasekar, who they alleged was acting on Bedi's "directives" to "disrespect" them and the government.

Recently, a meeting was held by the commissioner with the members of self-help groups in Mudaliarpet without informing AIADMK's A Baskar, the local MLA.

The commissioner had also lodged a police complaint against Baskar after he raised questions about the meeting.

Anbalagan said the MLA has approached the Privileges Committee seeking action against the commissioner for holding the meeting without informing him.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said whenever any such event was held, it was the duty of the officers to inform the legislator concerned and associate him or her with it.

In response to the appeal for a resolution to urge the Centre for recalling Bedi, Speaker Vaithilingam asked Anbalagan to table it in the House for consideration.

Regarding the Municipal Commissioner approaching the police with a "false complaint" against a legislator, he directed the government to replace him and keep him under compulsory wait till the privilege issue was disposed of.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday introduced a a stricter amendment bill in the state assembly for safety of doctors on duty in the hospital.

The bill seeks to make the offence of attack on them cognizable and non-bailable and will be taken up for discussion later during the session.

Introducing the Himachal Pradesh Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property), Amendment Bill, 2017, Health minister, Kaul Singh Thakur said that the previous Act (2009) in this regard provided that any offence committed under this Act shall be cognisable and bailable.

However, the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers has demanded that the offence under the Act should be cognizable and non-bailable in view of the increased incidence of violence against Medical Officers on duty and also damages to the government property.

The demand of the Association has been considered and it has been decided to make the offence under the said Act cognizable and non-bailable, punishable with imprisonment up to three years, as also to provide safeguards so that the provisions of the Act are not misused,” said the minister.

The issue of doctors in government hospitals being attacked by the attendants of patients had snowballed into a major controversy few months back and the doctors in the entire state had resorted to pen down strike. They pressed for their demand to make the Act stricter, seeking foolproof security while on duty.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Thursday introduced a a stricter amendment bill in the state assembly for safety of doctors on duty in the hospital.

The bill seeks to make the offence of attack on them cognizable and non-bailable and will be taken up for discussion later during the session.

Introducing the Himachal Pradesh Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property), Amendment Bill, 2017, Health minister, Kaul Singh Thakur said that the previous Act (2009) in this regard provided that any offence committed under this Act shall be cognisable and bailable.

However, the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers has demanded that the offence under the Act should be cognizable and non-bailable in view of the increased incidence of violence against Medical Officers on duty and also damages to the government property.

The demand of the Association has been considered and it has been decided to make the offence under the said Act cognizable and non-bailable, punishable with imprisonment up to three years, as also to provide safeguards so that the provisions of the Act are not misused,” said the minister.

The issue of doctors in government hospitals being attacked by the attendants of patients had snowballed into a major controversy few months back and the doctors in the entire state had resorted to pen down strike. They pressed for their demand to make the Act stricter, seeking foolproof security while on duty.

Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, who bagged the Best Indian Act trophy at the European Music Awards last year, will perform live with Delhi-based band The Local Train here on Friday.

Kuhad specialises in folk genre and has songs like Kho gaye hum kahan, Dil beparvah and Tune kaha to his credit, and The Local Train is an independent rock band known for their hit singles and edgy music videos.

The artistes will be performing here at High Street Phoneix's monthly music event Awestrung, read a statement. 

"This month we wanted to focus on the Indie Pop Rock music which is gaining immense popularity worldwide. These artists are recreating the indie rock music scene in India and are also taking it internationally which gives them a lot of credibility," Rajendra Kalkar, President (West), The Phoenix Mills Limited said.

Singer-songwriter Prateek Kuhad, who bagged the Best Indian Act trophy at the European Music Awards last year, will perform live with Delhi-based band The Local Train here on Friday.

Kuhad specialises in folk genre and has songs like Kho gaye hum kahan, Dil beparvah and Tune kaha to his credit, and The Local Train is an independent rock band known for their hit singles and edgy music videos.

The artistes will be performing here at High Street Phoneix's monthly music event Awestrung, read a statement. 

"This month we wanted to focus on the Indie Pop Rock music which is gaining immense popularity worldwide. These artists are recreating the indie rock music scene in India and are also taking it internationally which gives them a lot of credibility," Rajendra Kalkar, President (West), The Phoenix Mills Limited said.

National Institute of Fashion Technology has finally declared the NIFT results 2017 for the candidates applied for NIFT entrance examination on the official website nift.ac.in. 

NIFT entrance examination took place on February 12, 2017 at different centers. Candidates who have successfully passed the examination need to get ready for ST, Group Discussion and personal Interview.

Candidates trying to get a copy of NIFT entrance exam results 2017 have to visit the official website nift.ac.in and after entering the official website candidate need to follow the instruction and fill the blank space with the required details including roll number, date of birth to get the results.

Due to the huge number of visitors on the NIFT results website candidates may face technical issue and may take more time to get the result, so the candidates are advised to refresh the website in a short interval of time to get the results.

National Institute of Fashion Technology has finally declared the NIFT results 2017 for the candidates applied for NIFT entrance examination on the official website nift.ac.in. 

NIFT entrance examination took place on February 12, 2017 at different centers. Candidates who have successfully passed the examination need to get ready for ST, Group Discussion and personal Interview.

Candidates trying to get a copy of NIFT entrance exam results 2017 have to visit the official website nift.ac.in and after entering the official website candidate need to follow the instruction and fill the blank space with the required details including roll number, date of birth to get the results.

Due to the huge number of visitors on the NIFT results website candidates may face technical issue and may take more time to get the result, so the candidates are advised to refresh the website in a short interval of time to get the results.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was picked for a record-highest bid of Rs.14.50 crore by Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for the fresh season, said that his stint with the Pune side will add "elegance" to his cricketing career.

“Playing for Rising Pune Supergiant is going to be a high point of my career. This is a chance, where I will work towards my team’s advantage with stalwarts like  MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Ravichandran Ashwin and Steve Smith,  to learn and  enjoy the games at the same time,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

The 25-year-old cricketer is set to make his IPL debut with just a-year-old T20 team RPS.

“I am glad to be roped in by Pune team at the auction. I am hopeful to live up to the high expectation from fans in Pune as well as India,’’ Stokes added.

Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, RPS concluded the 2016 edition, placed second last in the final rankings.

This time, Australia's Steve Smith will be leading the side that is scheduled to face Mumbai Indians in their opening match on April 6.

"I am looking forward to my new responsibility with much integrity and fervor. My experience of playing in India has been wonderful so far," Smith said.

Hailing the most expensive all-rounder in the history of IPL, the RPS skipper added that Stokes will bring the right dose of experience and skill in the squad.

"High and orderly performance with good bowling, fielding and batting will be the benchmark for judging the team. We hope to make Pune proud with good cricket,” the 27-year-old added.

England all-rounder Ben Stokes, who was picked for a record-highest bid of Rs.14.50 crore by Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) for the fresh season, said that his stint with the Pune side will add "elegance" to his cricketing career.

“Playing for Rising Pune Supergiant is going to be a high point of my career. This is a chance, where I will work towards my team’s advantage with stalwarts like  MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Ravichandran Ashwin and Steve Smith,  to learn and  enjoy the games at the same time,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

The 25-year-old cricketer is set to make his IPL debut with just a-year-old T20 team RPS.

“I am glad to be roped in by Pune team at the auction. I am hopeful to live up to the high expectation from fans in Pune as well as India,’’ Stokes added.

Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, RPS concluded the 2016 edition, placed second last in the final rankings.

This time, Australia's Steve Smith will be leading the side that is scheduled to face Mumbai Indians in their opening match on April 6.

"I am looking forward to my new responsibility with much integrity and fervor. My experience of playing in India has been wonderful so far," Smith said.

Hailing the most expensive all-rounder in the history of IPL, the RPS skipper added that Stokes will bring the right dose of experience and skill in the squad.

"High and orderly performance with good bowling, fielding and batting will be the benchmark for judging the team. We hope to make Pune proud with good cricket,” the 27-year-old added.