13 May 2016

Monthly Science News 2016 Apr

Science News For The Month April

Kolkata witnesses rare ring around Sun

The phenomenon known as the 22 degree circular halo of the sun, occurs when the sun's or moon's rays get deflected/ refracted through the hexagonal ice crystals present in cirrus clouds. The halo was last observed in April 2013 in the suburbs of the city.
2016-04-30

Weasel temporarily shuts Large Hadron Collider

The world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN outside of Geneva, has suspended operations because a weasel invaded a transformer that helps power the machine and set off an electrical outage on Thursday night, a CERN spokesman said.
2016-04-29

El Nino dries up Asia as its stormy sister La Nina looms

Temerloh, Malaysia, April 29, 2016 (AFP) -Withering drought and sizzling temperatures from El Nino have caused food and water shortages and ravaged farming across Asia, and experts warn of a double-whammy of possible flooding from its sibling, La Nina.
2016-04-29

Workers feeling the heat as climate change slashes productivity: report

Geneva, April 28, 2016 (AFP) -Climate change is exposing millions of workers to excessive heat, risking their health and income and threatening to erase more than $2.0 trillion in annual productivity by 2030, a UN report warned Thursday.
2016-04-28

Putin hails first rocket launch from new cosmodrome after delay

Russia launched the first rocket from its new Vostochny cosmodrome on Thursday, with President Vladimir Putin hailing the event after dressing down officials over a delay caused by a technical glitch.
2016-04-28

SpaceX vows to send capsule to Mars by 2018

SpaceX chief Elon Musk announced Wednesday that he will send an unmanned spaceship to Mars as early as 2018, as part of his quest to colonize the Red Planet some day.
2016-04-27

Chinese scientists claim first dogs originated in China

Chinese scientists claimed that dogs have originated in southern China some 33,000 years ago, disputing US research by Cornell University that domesticated dogs evolved 15,000 years ago in Central Asia. They also said Chinese dogs are genetically closest to gray wolves the modern dog's ancestor.
2016-04-27

Saturn's moon Titan has a methane sea, with methane wetlands on shores

Since arriving in the Saturn system, the Cassini spacecraft has revealed that more than 1.6 million square kilometers of Titan's surface -- almost two percent of the total -- are covered in liquid.
2016-04-27

Nasa astronauts prepare for flight on commercial spacecraft

Five years after the last Nasa astronauts flew from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to the International Space Station, a new group is preparing for a trip, this time on a private spacecraft. Test flights are likely to be launched in 2017
2016-04-27

Carbon dioxide making earth greener, reveals new research

Observations by Nasa satellites over the past 33 years show that there has been a steady increase in leaves on plants and trees, which scientists think is because of the higher CO2 levels. Leaves absorb CO2 and combine it with water to produce food for the plants.
2016-04-26

Einstein's theory of relativity faces satellite test

Einstein's theory suggests that in perfect free-fall, the two objects should move in exactly the same way. But if they are shown to behave differently "the principle will be violated: an event that would shake the foundations of physics", Arianespace added.
2016-04-26

Nasa set to put in the sky an array of new X-planes

Nasa scientists are preparing to put in the sky an array of new X-planes or experimental aircraft -including a quiet supersonic jet -to demonstrate advanced technologies that will push back the frontiers of av iation. Goals include showcasing how airliners can burn half the fuel and generate 75% less pollution during each flight as compared to now, while also being much quieter than today's jets -perhaps even when flying supersonic.
2016-04-25

Delay in diagnosis worsens drug-resistant TB in country

The universal DST is a part of the World Health Organisation's strategy to 'end TB by 2035'.Currently, a patient is first tested for simple TB that needs six to nine months of treatment.
2016-04-24

Space project aims for the stars, wants India on board

The $100-million revolutionary space programme Breakthrough StarShot, which envisages sending ultralight nano crafts to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri - 25 trillion miles away - will seek India's participation, executive director of the project S Pete Worden has said. 'Breakthrough StarShot', which will turn sci-fi into reality, involves a ground-based light-beamer pushing ultralight nano crafts-miniature space probes attached to light sails-to speeds up to 100 million miles an hour.
2016-04-24

Wives become less stressed after husband's death: Study

Wemba, born in 1949, was performing at the FEMUA 2016 festival when he collapsed on stage. He died before reaching hospital, a spokesman for the Ivosep morgue in Abidjan said. The new study found that while men suffer negative consequences when their wife dies, women appear to get healthier.
2016-04-24

Mice in space showed liver damage after two weeks

Lab mice that spent just two weeks in orbit showed early signs of liver damage upon returning to Earth, raising concern about what long-duration spaceflight might do to humans, researchers said Wednesday.
2016-04-20

World's oldest message in a bottle discovered

A 108-year-old postcard offering a shilling in exchange for its return to an English marine research institute is now officially the world's oldest message in a bottle after being recovered in Germany.
2016-04-20

Highlights of the climate pact to be signed in New York

Leaders and envoys from more than 160 countries will sign on Friday the climate-change pact the world adopted in principle in Paris last December. The Paris Agreement to try to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius was a stunning political victory for poor countries threatened by climate change. But scientists tasked with explaining how to get there are less than thrilled.
2016-04-20

Cassini captures speeding star dust grain

Alien dust in the solar system is not unanticipated. In the 1990s, the ESA/NASA Ulysses mission made the first in-situ observations of this material. Cassini was able to analyze the composition of the dust, showing it to be made of a very specific mixture of minerals, not ice.
2016-04-15

Zika causes severe birth defects, confirms US

US health officials have concluded that infection with the Zika virus in pregnant women causes birth defect microcephaly and other brain abnormalities in babies."It is now clear that Zika virus does cause microcephaly," said Tom Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2016-04-13

Human cloning with Chinese characteristics

China's top geneticists say the country should set its own standards and regulations on human genome research, state-run media reported Wednesday, as ethical debate erupted over a Chinese study on modified human embryos.
2016-04-13

Russian billionaire, Hawking unveil plan to reach Alpha Centauri

Billionaire Russian investor Yuri Milner and British cosmologist Stephen Hawking on Tuesday announced an ambitious new space initiative for a mission to Alpha Centauri, the nearest star system to Earth.
2016-04-12

SpaceX delivers world's first inflatable room for astronauts

SpaceX has made good on a high-priority delivery: the world's first inflatable room for astronauts. A SpaceX Dragon cargo ship arrived at the International Space Station after launching from Cape Canaveral. Station astronauts used a robot arm to capture the Dragon, orbiting 400km above Earth.
2016-04-11

SpaceX cargo arrives at crowded space station

SpaceX's unmanned Dragon cargo ship, carrying lettuce seeds, lab mice and an inflatable pop-up room, arrived Sunday at a crowded International Space Station where six spacecraft are now docked.
2016-04-10

Nasa's planet-hunting spacecraft enters emergency mode

Nasa's Kepler spacecraft that hunts for Earth-like planets orbiting other stars has gone into emergency mode some 75 million miles from Earth, the US space agency said. This was found during a scheduled contact on April 7.
2016-04-10

North Pole had ice-free summers 6 to 10 million years ago: Study

Within a two-days coring action, researchers took 18 sediment cores from the Lomonosov Ridge. Although the recovered sediment cores were only four to eight metres long, one of them turned out to be precisely one of those climate archives that the scientists had been looking for a long time.
2016-04-09

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition impairs fertility in daughter

This discovery improves scientific understanding of the long-term, generational, effects of obesity and poor nutrition, researchers said. This understanding is the first step toward devising interventions to protect the fertility of females who experienced very difficult womb environments.
2016-04-09

SpaceX lands rocket on water for first time

SpaceX successfully landed its Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean platform for the first time Friday, after launching a load of cargo for the astronauts living at the International Space Station.
2016-04-08

Sanders hopes to meet Pope on Vatican campaign break

Democratic White House hopeful Bernie Sanders said Friday he hopes to meet Pope Francis while attending a conference on social and environmental issues at the Vatican next week.
2016-04-08

Solar storm scientists prepare for geomagnetic event that could destroy technology across the world for years

Many people are still unconcerned or even unaware of the possibility of a geomagnetic storm coming from the sun that could cause huge damage to life on Earth. Such a possibility is referred to as a low probability but high-impact event that is being planned for by agencies like Nasa.
2016-04-08

Anti-ageing pill that could see humans living a decade longer moves a step closer

Experiments with fruit flies which also have the GSK-3 protein found that the molecule could be inhibited by low-level lithium use, which extended their lives by 16%. This has raised hopes that lithium could eventually be turned into a tablet to prolong human life.
2016-04-08

3D mini-retinas grown from human stem cells

Scientists have developed an efficient way to make 3D "mini retinas", which mimic the organ's tissue organisation, from mouse or human stem cells. The research offers new perspectives on the growth, injury and repair of retina the part of the eye that is sensitive to light.
2016-04-04

Rare white dwarf will reveal secrets of star evolution

Researchers from Brazil and Germany have discovered a white dwarf that contains no hydrogen or helium whatsoever. This will enable astronomers to study the exposed core of the star unimpeded by these gases, providing a unique view on the lives of stellar bodies in their final stages of existence.
2016-04-03

Moon plays key role in maintaining Earth's magnetic field

The Moon may play a major role in maintaining Earth's magnetic field that permanently protects us from the charged particles and radiation that originate in the Sun. The magnetic field is produced by the geodynamo, the rapid motion of huge quantities of liquid iron alloy in the Earth's outer core.
2016-04-03

02 May 2016

Monthly Current Affairs 2016 Apr

Uttarakhand crisis: Harish Rawat accepts his 'presence' in sting CD

The sting CD made by the editor-in-chief of a private news channel and circulated by the nine Congress rebels purportedly shows Rawat negotiating a money deal with the journalist to buy the support of MLAs who had revolted against him.
2016-05-01

India ready to clear $6.5 billion of Iran's oil dues

Keen to step up engagement in hydrocarbon sector with Iran, India has conveyed to the Persian Gulf nation that it was ready to clear nearly $6.5 billion of the dues for oil import from that country at the earliest, provided there was clarity on payment channel.
2016-05-01

Why Donald Trump is spooking Indian outsourcers

India's outsourcing industry is in midst of a painful transition & growth has slowed ” industry lobby Nasscom has forecast 12% growth for 2016-17, down from 20% in the 2000s ” even as wildly fluctuating immigration rhetoric in the ongoing US presidential elections has muddied the waters further.
2016-05-01

PM Narendra Modi got a first class in MA from Gujarat university

According to the information available with Gujarat University, Modi was an external student and completed his masters in political science with a score of 62.3 per cent in 1983. His subjects in the two-year course included European Politics, Indian Political Analysis and Psychology of Politics.
2016-05-01

Delhi's a UT, not state: Centre to SC

The home ministry , in an application, said it was possibly an oversight by the apex court to treat Delhi as a state along with Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Nagaland, while it had directed the setting up of the state human rights commissions.
2016-05-01

How soon can a Hindu remarry after divorce

Is remarriage by a Hindu between 30 and 90 days of a divorce verdict a legal marriage? This is a perplexing question which a 39-year-old Hindu woman, now in an advanced stage of pregnancy in her second marriage, faces.
2016-04-30

Debt-ridden Sri Lanka snuggles up to China again at India's expense

China has managed to not just revive its flagship $1.4 billion Colombo Port City project in the strategically-placed island nation, but it is now also engaged in expansion of major infrastructure projects it built in the past and which were seen as impracticable until recently.

Former jihadist recounts ISIS's brutality, paints grim picture

A former jihadist, who fled ISIS in Syria, recalls the grisly beheadings, stonings and amputations in the "caliphate". He also narrates how young boys are made to carry out executions and warns air strikes against the group are driving more to carry out attacks against the West.
2016-04-30

No takers for Kingfisher Airlines brands in auction

Seeking to recover their dues from beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya, lenders initiated an auction of various brands and trademarks of the long-grounded Kingfisher Airlines, including its once-famous tagline 'Fly The Goodtimes' but bidders were hard to come by. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are looking at around 40 companies in which he is said to have a stake, directly or indirectly. Most of these companies are based abroad, and it is suspected that the money Mallya allegedly embezzled from bank loans could have been routed to these companies.
2016-04-30

Investment up 65%, India now 3rd largest source of FDI into UK: Report

India's investments in the UK zoomed nearly 65 per cent in 2015, establishing it as the third largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI) into Britain after the US and France.
2016-04-29

Interest rate on PF deposits increased to 8.8%

The Union finance ministry agreed to increase interest rate on provident fund deposits to 8.8 per cent from the 8.7 per cent decided by it earlier. The Union labour ministry was pushing for 8.8 per cent interest rate.
2016-04-29

Bombay HC orders demolition of Adarsh building

The Bombay High Court ordered the demolition of the Adarsh Housing Society building. The court also directed the state to initiate criminal prosecution against officers involved in the scam and to restore the plot.
2016-04-29

SC orders single entrance test for medical courses

The SC directed the Centre and CBES to go ahead and conduct two-phase single common entrance test for MBBS, BDS and PG courses through the NEET.The apex court said that the AIPMT, which is to take place on Sunday, would be considered as first phase of the NEET.
2016-04-28

Isro successfully launches 7th and last satellite for India's own GPS

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) accomplished the task of developing the country's own navigation system with the successful launch of IRNSS-1G, the last in the series of seven navigation satellites.
2016-04-28

SC's U'khand ruling will be swiftest in history

If the Supreme Court delivers what it promised , then it will go down in history as the apex court's swiftest exercise to determine constitutional validity of central rule in a state, in this case Uttarakhand. A bench of Justices Dipak Misra and S K Singh fixed a tight, 11-day schedule to complete hearings, apply constitutional principles and apex court rulings and render a judgment.
2016-04-27

Chopper deal: Not afraid of anyone, says Sonia

With BJP dragging Sonia Gandhi's name into the AgustaWestland chopper scam, an angry Congress chief retaliated by accusing the ruling party of resorting to a "strategy of character assassination" by directing "false and baseless" allegations against her and party colleagues.
2016-04-27

Former Indian Air Force Chief SP Tyagi had revealed during CBI interrogation in AgustaWestland chopper deal

Former Indian Air Force Chief S P Tyagi, accused of swinging the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal in favour of Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland, had admitted during his interrogation by the CBI in 2013 that he had met middleman Guido Ralph Haschke at a farm house party in Delhi.
CBI had in 2013 registered a case in connection with alleged bribes paid by the firm to Indians to clinch the deal for 12 helicopters to ferry VVIPs. Sources in the Modi government claimed that UPA dispensation had not blacklisted AgustaWestland despite allegations of bribery.
2016-04-27

'Laser walls' activated along India-Pak border

The 'laser walls' or fence are being monitored by the BSF which guards the Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat. These walls have been made operational to plug the porous riverine and treacherous terrain and keep an effective vigil against intruders and terrorists
2016-04-27

President's Rule in Uttarakhand to continue, rules Supreme Court

The Supreme Court declared that President's Rule in Uttarakhand will continue till it pronounces judgment on Centre's appeal against state high court's decision. The top court order implied that there will be no floor test in the Assembly on April 29. The Supreme Court decided to test the Centre's knowledge of the Constitution. It framed seven questions related to the March 27 imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand and sought the Centre's answers to them.
2016-04-27

Paes-Bhupathi can't get wild card for Rio: AITA

The anticipated return of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi as a pair in the men's double event at the 2016 Rio Olympics has been squashed with the All-India Tennis Association reportedly confirming that no country can get a wild card entry for the event.
2016-04-27

Interpol asked to arrest chopper deal middleman

As it becomes clear that Indian officials were paid huge bribes in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers contract during the UPA regime, the CBI has raised the heat on middleman Christian Michel, the most important link who allegedly influenced politicians and officials in Italy and India for the deal.
2016-04-26

Indian service chiefs may earn more than US Gens

For the first time, the Indian Army chief and his counterparts in the IAF and the Navy will draw more salary than the top general and equivalent in the US based on purchasing power parity (PPP) terms when the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission are implemented.
2016-04-26

HC allows Muslim girls to wear hijab for AIPMET

The Kerala High Court granted permission to Muslim girls to wear hijab, a customary religious dress, for the All India Pre-Medical Test-2016 but on condition that they should be present at the hall half an hour before the exam for frisking if necessary.
2016-04-26

Aishwarya supports Salman as Olympics envoy

At an event, it was his ex-girlfriend, the gorgeous Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who openly supported the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor's selection as the Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics.
2016-04-26

Museum of Natural History ” All you want to know

The National Museum of Natural History was destroyed after a fire broke out in the FICCI building that it is housed in. Six firemen were seriously injured while trying to douse the fire. The fire started between 1:30 am and 2 am. There's no word yet on what caused the fire.
2016-04-26

SC to Maharashtra: Better to dance in bars than to beg on streets

The Supreme Court pulled up the Maharashtra government for not granting licence to dance bars and warned it not to overstep its powers by defying the apex court order. "It's better for women to perform in dance bars than begging on streets or indulging in unacceptable activities," the SC said.
2016-04-25

Mallya lives in a $15 million mansion in Britain

Vijay Mallya, who owes Rs 9,000 crore to various banks in the country, has been living at a $15 million mansion in England's Hertfordshire county. The mansion was bought from the father of Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One champion, by a company with offshore links.
2016-04-25

Bengaluru may no longer be 'air conditioned city'

The city surpassed its April 30, 1931 temperature record as the meteorological department officially recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees .The city surpassed its April 30, 1931 temperature record as the meteorological department officially recorded a maximum temperature of 39.2 degrees .
2016-04-25

Uyghur leader blames China for visa cancellation

Dolkun Isa, a leader of World Uyghur Congress, who lives in Germany, had been invited for the conference being organised by US-based 'Initiatives for China'. Isa said, "On April 23, I got a very short note by the Indian side that my visa is cancelled. There was no explanation."
2016-04-25

Islamic State's chief India recruiter killed in US drone strike

Mohammad Shafi Armar, the chief recruiter for Islamic State (IS) in India, was killed in a US drone strike in Syria a few days ago, sources have confirmed. The 26-year-old from Bhatkal in Karnataka is learned to have recruited at least 30 men for the group.
2016-04-24

Space project aims for stars, wants India onboard

The $100-million revolutionary space programme Breakthrough StarShot, which envisages sending ultralight nano crafts to the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri - 25 trillion miles away - will seek India's participation, executive director of the project S Pete Worden has said. 'Breakthrough StarShot', which will turn sci-fi into reality, involves a ground-based light-beamer pushing ultralight nano crafts-miniature space probes attached to light sails-to speeds up to 100 million miles an hour.
2016-04-24

SL cricketer Silva hospitalized after blow on head

Sri Lanka's test opener Kaushal Silva was taken to hospital after being hit on the head by a cricket ball while fielding in a domestic match. Sri Lanka Cricket said that Silva was struck during a match in Pallekele.
2016-04-24

Adding heft to diplomacy, India to send warships to Persian Gulf

After three days in Dubai, the warships will reach Kuwait around May 12 before heading for Manama (Bahrain) and Muscat (Oman) and then finally return to Mumbai by May 27-28.
2016-04-24

'Automatic de-registration' of 15-year-old vehicles on cards

If road transport ministry has its way, then there will be a system in place to rid traffic of all unfit vehicles including private cars 15 years after registration. The ministry has proposed "automatic de-registration" of all vehicles after this period.
2016-04-23

Canal charisma: Bumper crop in dry Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer's crops this year are worth Rs 300 crore, up from Rs 150 crore last year, thanks to a continuous flow of water through the Indira Gandhi Canal, said agriculture officer Ranjeet Singh Sarva.
2016-04-23

Bangladesh professor hacked to death by ISIS

Police said English professor Rezaul Karim Siddique, 58, was hacked from behind with machetes. The police commissioner said they had not yet named any suspects but added that the pattern of the attack fitted with previous killings by Islamist militants.
2016-04-23

China to develop floating nuclear power plants

All the radar systems, lighthouses, barracks, ports and airfields that China has set up on its newly built island chain in the South China Sea require tremendous amounts of electricity, which is hard to come by in a place hundreds of miles from the country's power grid.
2016-04-23

India among 175 nations to sign Paris climate deal

Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement on behalf of India. The agreement aims to take multiple measures to save the world from disastrous consequences of climate change and was adopted by 195 countries in Paris on December 12, 2015.
2016-04-22

By 2050, you may have to live on imported water

Data shows that today the daily per capita groundwater availability in the country has come down to 5,120 litres, about 35% of the 14,180 litres in 1951. In 1991, it was less than half of the 1951 stock. And by 2025, it is projected that the daily per capita availability will be just 25% of the base year.
2016-04-22

UK may take stake in unit of Tata Steel

The UK government said that it could take up to 25% stake in Tata Steel's British units in a bid to save the loss-making mills from shutting down.
2016-04-21

Prince, American pop superstar, dies at 57

Pop superstar Prince, widely acclaimed as one of the most inventive and influential musicians of his era with hits including "Little Red Corvette", `'Let's Go Crazy" and "When Doves Cry", was found dead at his home in suburban Minneapolis, according to his publicist. He was 57.
2016-04-21

Private American firms oppose ISRO launching US satellites

US' private space industry has expressed its opposition to the large scale use of low cost ISRO launch vehicles for putting American satellites into orbits. Such a move, they feel, would be detrimental to the future health of the private sector US space companies.
2016-04-21

NIA seeks US help in Pathankot attack probe

The National Investigation Agency has informally requested the US to help it probe the conspiracy behind the Pathankot terror attack. Sources said, NIA chief Sharad Kumar, during his recent visit to the US, sought from the FBI any further details it may have on the role of top Jaish operatives.
2016-04-21

Donald Trump wins New York primary, moves closer to nomination

Republican front-runner Donald Trump won New York state's presidential nominating contest , moving closer to capturing enough delegates to win the party's White House nomination and avoid a contested convention in July.
2016-04-20

Will be happy to see Nitish as PM one day: Lalu

Likening Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) leader Nitish Kumar to his younger brother, Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad reiterated that said he will be happy to see Kumar become the Prime Minister of India one day.
2016-04-20

Chandigarh to ban short skirts in bars, clubs

In its policy "Controlling of Places of Public Amusement, 2016," which many have termed absurd and ridiculous, the Chandigarh administration has made all provisions for throttling city's nightlife in the name of regulation, citing indecency and sedition as top reasons.
2016-04-19

Marital rape may soon be a crime in India

Women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi said the Centre was considering criminalizing marital rape. When asked if there was an attempt to push for criminalization of marital rape, Maneka replied, Now there is.
2016-04-19

PM returns to US for 4th trip ” this time on state visit on June 7-8

PM Narendra Modi is likely to visit the US yet again in June, his fourth trip to the country in two years. However, this time it will be a state visit in a strictly bilateral context aimed at consecrating ties that President Obama has described as the defining relationship of the 21st century.
2016-04-19

Pak sends back Kirpal's body with organs missing


2016-04-19

Our economy growing fastest, says Jaitley to counter Rajan's remark

Finance minister Arun Jaitley has virtually rebutted RBI governor Raghuram Rajan's remarks that India is 'one-eyed king in the land of blind' saying compared to the rest of the world, the Indian economy was growing much faster and, in fact, the fastest.
2016-04-19

'No change in PF withdrawal norms till July 31'

"The notification (tightening PF withdrawal norms) will be kept in abeyance for three months till July 31, 2016. We will discuss this issue with the stakeholders," Labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya told.
2016-04-19

PF withdrawal allowed for housing, health

The labour ministry eased the planned restriction on withdrawal of contribution to the employees' provident fund. It said withdrawal can be allowed for housing, major medical treatment for self and family members, medical, dental and engineering education of children, and for their marriage.
2016-04-18

Amitabh Bachchan's ˜Incredible India' role stuck in Panama canal?

Amitabh Bachchan's appointment as brand ambassador for the ˜Incredible India' campaign is reportedly on hold, with the report coming days after the veteran actor's name surfaced in connection with the ˜Panama Papers'. The government is scanning details of Indian account holders that have surfaced.
2016-04-18

Sushma talks tough to China: 'Review your stand on Masood Azhar'

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj did some tough talking with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on China blocking India's bid to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN and asked Beijing to "review" its position.
2016-04-18

Kohinoor gifted to Brits, not stolen, so shouldn't ask for it: Govt

The govt told the Supreme Court that the Kohinoor diamond was not stolen by the British but was gifted to them by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
2016-04-18

Sushma raises Masood Azhar veto with China

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj strongly raised with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi the issue of China blocking its bid to have JeM chief and Pathankot terror attack mastermind Masood Azhar designated as a terrorist by the UN.
2016-04-18

First Indian woman gymnast qualifies for Olympics

Her first vault, the much difficult Produnova, gave Dipa 15.066 points, the highest among the 14 competitors. But a poor show in the uneven bars took her points down as she collected 11.700, the second worse among the 14 participants. She secured 13.366 and 12.566 points in beam and floor exercises to be assured of the berth.
2016-04-18

Shah Bano 2.0? Muslim Law Board to oppose scrapping triple talaq‚

In 1985, Shah Bano, a 62-year-old Muslim mother of five from Indore, who was divorced by her husband, had won the right to alimony in the SC. But the then Congress govt of Rajiv Gandhi, under pressure of Islamic orthodoxy, passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986, which diluted the SC judgement, and denied even destitute Muslim divorcees the right to alimony.
2016-04-17

Narendra Modi government to add 2.2 lakh central employees in 2 years

A major reason for the spurt in hiring is that many departments faced acute staff crunch in Group B and C categories due to a moratorium on fresh recruitments for the past several years.
2016-04-17

Mallya takes Rs 1.7-cr pay package from US brewery

More than half of Mallya's total package for 2015 has been paid by California-based Mendocino Brewing Company Inc to him for "promoting" the company's beer brands. Mallya serves as chairman of the board of directors of the company.
2016-04-17

World oil producers meet amid Saudi-Iran row over output freeze

World oil producers gathered in Qatar to negotiate an output freeze to boost prices but a lingering dispute between crude kingpin Saudi Arabia and Iran threatened to overshadow the talks. The producers want to freeze production at January levels in order to curb oversupply until demand is expected to pick up in the third quarter of 2016.
2016-04-17

Australia thrash India 4-0 to win Azlan Shah Cup

Indian hockey team's dismal run against Australia continued as they suffered 0-4 defeat in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. A brace from Thomas William Craig and Matt Gohdes helped Australia clinch their ninth title at the tournament.
2016-04-16

US jury fines Tata $940m in trade secret case

A US grand jury has slapped two companies of Tata group - Tata Consultancy Services and Tata America International Corp - with a $940 million fine in a trade secret lawsuit filed against them. Tatas have also been asked to pay another $700 million in punitive damages.
2016-04-16

Can't pay Rs 53,000 to rent 2,765 sqm house: Priyanka Gandhi

Driving a hard bargain, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra got the Vajpayee government to cut the rent of her sprawling 2,765.18 sq m house from Rs 53,421 a month to a mere Rs 8,888.
2016-04-15

Zuckerberg buys domain name from Kochi student

FB approached Amal for the domain name registered by him as it was the short form of Maxime Chan Zuckerberg, the name of Zuckerberg's daughter. More than the money, Augustine, a final-year electronics student from a Kochi engineering college, says he was thrilled by the fact that FB approached him.
2016-04-15

China's Masood Azhar veto: India questions UN panel's secrecy

India slammed the use of the "hidden veto" and demanded accountability, saying the UN's general members are "never ever" informed of the reason for not acceding to requests for sanctioning terrorists, days after China blocked India's bid to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar.
2016-04-15

China will not allow India into NSG: Pak diplomat

During a bilateral meeting with US Trade Representative Ambassador Michael Froman, Arun Jaitley also underlined the need for early conclusion of Totalisation Agreement which would benefit Indians working in America.
Pakistan is banking on good friend China to block India's chances of making it to the coveted Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a former Pakistani diplomat has said, adding that "chances of India gaining entry into NSG are virtually nil".
2016-04-14

The monk who converted Babasaheb to Buddhism

Looked after by disciples, Bhadanta Pragyanand is confined to his bed for most part of the day.The Buddhist monk, 90, communicates using sign language and sometimes pens his thoughts.
2016-04-13

Gurgaon no more, Haryana govt renames it 'Gurugram'

Gurgaon, Delhi's suburb in Haryana, that became known around the world as being a BPO hub and the country's first mall centre will now be called Gurugram. The Haryana government made this announcement .
2016-04-12

How Panama Papers opened the door to Isis and al-Qaida

There is no obvious link between the revelations in the Panama Papers, the rise of IS and the wars tearing apart at least nine countries in the Middle East and North Africa. But these developments are connected as ruling elites, who syphon off wealth into tax havens, lose political credibility.
2016-04-09

Eyeing China and Pak, India in talks to buy 40 US Predator drones

India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones, officials said, a possible first step towards acquiring the armed version of the aircraft and a development likely to annoy Pakistan.
2016-04-08

Women to be allowed into Shani temple sanctum

Breaking a 400-year-old tradition, women entered the inner sanctum of the Shani Shingnapur temple in Maharashtra and offered prayers. Soon after scores of men forced their way into the inner sanctum of the Shani Shinganpur temple in Maharashtra , the temple trust announced it won't stop women from entering the sanctum sanctorum to worship there.The trust was in a bind after a recent Bombay high court ruling said entry to temples was a fundamental right of women and it was the State's fundamental duty to protect it. Women have never been permitted into the inner sanctum of the temple. So, to keep it that way and circumvent discrimination charges, the trust said a few days ago that now even men wouldn't be allowed into the temple's inner sanctum.
2016-04-08

Modi's 'Make in India' a success: Moody's

Ratings agency Moody's has said that net foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows have hit an all-time high in early 2016, highlighting the success of Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative.
2016-04-08

Panama Papers: Vijay Mallya directly linked to firm in Virgin Islands

Industrialist Vijay Mallya, who has been declared a wilful defaulter by Indian banks, figures in the offshore leaks by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), whose Panama Papers have rocked the world in the last few days.
2016-04-08

Hafiz Saeed runs 'Sharia court' in Lahore to dispense swift justice

Darul Qaza Sharia has been set up by the group in Lahore to provide "easy and swift justice" to the people and deals mostly in civil cases relating to property and monetary disputes. The complaints are addressed to Saeed who later refers them to the Qazi for further proceedings.
2016-04-07

IIT fees increased to Rs 2 lakhs from Rs 90,000‚

The annual fee for undergraduate courses in the IITs will be hiked to Rs 2 lakhs from Rs 90,000, from the upcoming academic session, according to officials of the Human Resource Development Ministry.
2016-04-07

France bans buying sex, not selling it

French lawmakers approved a bill that bans buying sex. The bill however does not ban the selling of sex. Customers will face fines and be made to attend awareness classes on the harms of the sex trade. Prostitution in itself is legal in France ” though brothels, pimping and the sale of sex by minors are illegal.
2016-04-07

Did PM insult national flag? Court to hear plaint

A city court took cognisance of a complaint against PM Narendra Modi for allegedly insulting the national flag last year on the international yoga day and during his visit to the United States.
2016-04-07

SC/STs, Dalits, disabled to get 100% fee waiver at IITs

Union human resource development minister Smriti Irani promised a fee waiver for all SC/ST, Dalit and physically challenged students at IITs. The decision follows a panel clearing a proposal for a three-fold fee hike from the next academic session.
2016-04-06

Unrest in NIT Srinagar, HRD ministry sends team

The Union HRD ministry has said it would send a two-member team to the NIT Srinagar campus, which has been gripped by tension following clashes among students over the Indian cricket team's loss against West Indies in the T20 World Cup last week.
2016-04-06

Iceland PM quits over Panama Papers scandal

The Prime Minister of Iceland has resigned after the Panama Papers revealed that he has been using an offshore firm to allegedly hide investments worth millions of pounds. On Monday, thousands of locals surrounded the Icelandic parliament to demand Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson's resignation.
2016-04-05

Job seekers will become job creators: PM Modi‚

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the "Stand Up India" programme and said the initiative will help job seekers become job creators. "Stand Up India scheme is going to transform the lives of people from the dalit and tribal communities," PM Modi said.
2016-04-05

RBI lowers repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5%

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut its policy interest rate by an expected 25 basis points, bringing it to 6.5%, the lowest since January 2011. With inflation easing to 5.18% in February and a Union budget that kept both borrowing and spending in check, the RBI had room to make its first cut since September, thus resuming an easing cycle that was in full swing last year.
2016-04-05

How the world's media covered Panama Papers

Heads of state, politicians, celebrities and criminals have been named in a huge cache of leaked files exposing almost 40 years of intricate methods to make use of offshore assets.
2016-04-05

High-speed Gatimaan Express flagged off

The new train - that can reach a maximum speed of 160 km per hour - will operate between Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station and Agra Cantonment station. It will run six days a week, except s.
2016-04-05

Nicholas apologizes to Sammy for 'short of brains' comment

Former England cricketer Mark Nicholas tendered an unconditional apology to victorious West Indies captain Darren Sammy and his players for his comments that the cricketers from the Caribbean are "short of brains".
2016-04-04

What are Panama Papers & why are they important

Heads of state, politicians, celebrities and criminals have been named in a huge cache of leaked files exposing almost 40 years of intricate methods to make use of offshore assets.
2016-04-04

Mahindra launches NuvoSport at Rs 7.35 lakh

Mahindra launched the NuvoSport , with prices starting at Rs 7.35 lakh for the base N4 variant, going all the way up to Rs 9.76 lakh for the top of the line N8 with a 5-speed AMT. The NuvoSport replaces the not-so-successful Quanto.
2016-04-04

'Crime of the century' also had Panama link?

Leaked files reveal the law firm has financial dealings with a total of 128 people around the world. An International Consortium of Investigative Journalists analysis of the leaked files found that more than 500 banks, their subsidiaries and branches have worked with Mossack Fonseca since the 1970s to help clients manage offshore companies.
2016-04-04

21 best tech companies to work for in 2016

Google and Facebook have won these sort of best-places to work roundups for eons, for 2016 there's a new champ in town.
2016-04-04

'Panama Papers' show Putin aides, Messi have foreign tax havens

The documents, dubbed "The Panama Papers", reveal links to 72 current or former heads of state and accuse some of them of having vested interests in their own banks and looting their own countries.
2016-04-04

Shahid Afridi quits as Pakistan T20I captain


2016-04-03

GST will be reality soon: PM Modi in Riyadh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a round table conference with top business leaders at the Saudi Chambers of Commerce in Riyadh . He said his government has taken several policy initiatives to spur growth and progress in India, and assured the business leaders that Goods and Services Tax (GST) bill would be passed soon.
2016-04-03

Indian priest in Yemen 'could be freed soon'

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India said a delegation met foreign minister Sushma Swaraj who said the government was working to secure the priest's safe return. Father Tom Uzhunnalil was captured from the southern Yemeni city of Aden by gunmen who killed at least 15 people at an old people's home in an attack that was condemned by Pope Francis.
2016-04-03

NIA officer shot dead in UP, agency terms it 'planned attack'

A National Investigation Agency deputy superintendent of police Mohammad Tanzil and his wife were shot at late last night by unidentified gunmen in Bijnor district of Uttar Pradesh. Tanzil died on the spot, while his wife suffered injuries, who was immediately rushed to a hospital in Noida.Tanzil's wife Farzana has told the investigators that the attack was a planned and that the shooters were professionals and used automatic weapons. The NIA officer was attacked in Bijnor while coming back from wedding; while his wife was injured, his two children escaped unhurt.
2016-04-03

Mumbai cinema turned into mosque

By the early 2000s, however, Alexandra Cinema had graduated from showing Hollywood fare to B and C-grade films interspersed with adult films. It was a time when local residents asked school bus drivers to switch routes so that impressionable school kids weren't exposed to the dirty posters.
2016-04-03

India has ignited new hope in world, says PM Modi

India has strengthened its economy despite the adverse global conditions and has ignited a "new hope" in the world, with some describing it as a "bright star", Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here .
2016-04-02

Delhi to Agra in 100 minutes: India's fastest train to run from 05 Apr

Gatiman Express, the country's fastest train will start plying between Agra and Delhi from April 5. The state-of-the-art train will take one hour and forty minutes to complete the journey. Ironically, on the same route runs a passenger's train which takes around eight hours to cover the 195km distance.
2016-04-02

Srinagar NIT shut after fight over T20 loss

Two groups of students at the institute fought after some of them burst crackers following Team India's loss . A group of students took out a protest march inside the campus , but police prevented the situation from getting out of control.
2016-04-01
Source: Times of India News
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