Blame it on the weather. Swine flu continues to hover over Maharashtra, with health authorities attributing 60 deaths to the lethal H1N1 virus since January this year. While this year has seen fewer casualties than last, say doctors and health officials, a less-dominant, non-lethal strain of the virus, called H3N2, …

Last week, a Jet Airways flight from Mumbai to Jaipur had to return within 45 minutes, after the pilots reportedly “forgot” to turn on the bleed air switch which helps in maintaining cabin pressure. This led to a sudden drop in air pressure inside the aircraft. The situation was scary: …

Have we always been this curious about others’ reading, or has this obsession to keep an eye out for random reading lists been fattened by the ease of sharing pictures and updates on social media? At one level, it’s a bit of stylised production, as people share their neat lists …

The belief that 40% of Indians may be infected with the bacterium is based on a ‘misunderstanding’ You have tested positive for tuberculosis (TB) but not shown any symptoms for two years. Are those germs likely to persist and make you sick years later? Most likely not, suggests a study …

Being teleported to a different time without my laptop, phone, or TV felt good The other day I ran into a perfect storm. The friend I’m staying with in London left for a long trip to India early that morning. Half awake, with the Uber growling outside, he grabbed my …

On August 2, 1914, Franz Kafka wrote in his diary, “Germany has declared war on Russia. Went swimming in the afternoon.” The war he referred to was World War 1, which went on to kill 15-16 million people over the next four years, precipitated the end of the Ottoman Empire …

The battery is made from lithium metal, carbon and an electrolyte that the researchers designed Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new battery made partly from carbon dioxide captured from power plants. While still based on early-stage research and far from commercial deployment, this battery could …

Animal poop may seem inconsequential but it supplies scientists with precious information: from a tiger’s identity to elephant stress levels. Most recently, faeces of Royle’s pika – a small rabbit-like mammal found in India’s Himalaya – reveal that these animals survive almost entirely on specific plants that grow only in …

A study points out that corneal blindness may no longer be the leading cause A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report has estimated that, across the world, 19 million children are visually impaired and 1.4 million among them are legally blind. According to the National Program for Control of Blindness, …

“Not the last station from the South, but the first station towards the North”, reads a signboard at the Unification Platform of Dorasan station, hardly 650 metres from the southern border of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Dorasan is on the Gyeongui Line that connects North Korea with the South. …

This column writer recently had a severe attack of very bad cold and cough, and no amount of swallowing antibiotics and vitamin C helped. His wife, Shakti, then recalled her mother’s traditional treatment, ground up a little jaggery and raw ginger, and asked him to have it three times a …

By allying with Ajit Jogi, Mayawati signalsthe BSP can’t be taken for granted Things are never as easy as they seem from a distance. If the Congress entertained hopes of being at the centre of a national-level alliance against the Bharatiya Janata Party, then it was relying heavily on the …

The government must explain why it cancelled the Swaraj-Qureshi meeting Within 24 hours of announcing a meeting between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in New York next week, India called it off. The reasons cited for this overnight flip-flop are recent attacks in …

Without an alliance, the Congress may find the going difficult in Rajasthan Going by the electoral trend of the past 25 years in Rajasthan, it should be the turn of the Congress to form a government in Rajasthan after the Assembly elections later this year. The people of Rajasthan have …

A year after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his new Afghanistan policy, the stalemate continues Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani was in New Delhi on September 19 for a day-long working visit. A short press release indicates the low-key nature of the visit. The reason is simple — the growing sense …

First detected in Karnataka only in May this year, the fall armyworm, a native of the Americas, has already spread as far as West Bengal and Gujarat, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. Priyanka Pulla reports on the deficiencies in India’s quarantine regime It is a hot day …

Woman goes to court over passport A Saudi court has ruled in favour of a woman who challenged her father’s decision to not let her have a passport, media reports said, stirring an online debate on the contentious male guardianship system. The conservative kingdom requires women to seek permission from …

Museum celebrates weird inventions A gadget to “translate” dog barks for humans, a “babypod” that plays music inside the mother’s vagina for unborn babies and the world’s first self-colonoscopy method were among the whacky inventions on show Friday at a new Tokyo exhibition. The museum celebrates weird and wonderful inventions …

Smart speaker boasts improved sound and design From the kitchen to the car, Amazon is seeking to make its Alexa digital assistant and online services a bigger part of people’s lives with an array of new products and partnerships launched on Thursday. Updates to the Internet giant’s Alexa-infused Echo smart …

Vox Patris will be housed in a tower in Brazil One of the largest swinging bells in the world was unveiled in the Polish city of Krakow on Thursday ahead of being installed at a major pilgrimage site in Brazil. It weighs 55 tonnes. The “Vox Patris” bell, four metres …