New rates on both sides will go into effect on September 24 The trade rivalry between the U.S. and China escalated to an unprecedented level on Tuesday, with both countries announcing new tariffs on imports from each other. The U.S. has announced 10% tariff on $200 billion of imports from …

An estimated 6.3 million children under 15 years of age died in 2017, or one every five seconds, mostly of preventable causes, according to the new mortality estimates released by UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Division and the World Bank Group on Tuesday. The report …

The Secretary of the Bengal Branch of the Anglo-Indian Empire League, in a letter [from Calcutta] to the Governor, says that on the whole his Council are of opinion that the reform scheme is suited to the present needs of India. After thanking H.E. the Viceroy and the Secretary of …

With a view to popularise the Y.M.I.A. and bring the members into closer bonds of friendship with each other, the Executive Committee have arranged for a series of social gatherings and lectures. The first of these was held yesterday evening [September 17] in the Gokhale Hall [in Madras]. In response …

Beer-brewing practices existed earlier than assumed How important was alcohol to early humans? Since when did human beings think it worth investing time and energy in preparing it? Was humanity genetically primed to enjoy alcohol? A 2014 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences argued that a …

The politicians conducting Brexit negotiations are as ill-informed and ignorant as the rest of the population British attitudes to international affairs have changed greatly in the past half century and the current plans to leave the European Union represent a crucial element of that change. Those plans also reflect British …

India must fix its lines of communicationwith Nepal and arrest the drift in ties Despite several attempts at a reset, ties between India and Nepal continue to be a cause for concern. The disconnect between the two governments was most visible at the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral …

As a first step, the capacity of treatment plants along all rivers must be urgently expanded The finding of the Central Pollution Control Board that the number of critically polluted segments of India’s rivers has risen to 351 from 302 two years ago is a strong indictment of the departments …

Cooperation among governments and tolerance among citizens will help us find a solution to the refugee crisis A large number of people in the world today are stateless and are thus deprived of the rights that the majority enjoy. This problem is particularly significant in the Indian context now — …

Enacting just laws is more desirable than tinkering with personal laws for the sake of ‘uniformity’ In a consultation paper released recently, the Law Commission of India has boldly said that a uniform civil code (UCC) is neither feasible nor necessary at this stage. The response must come as a …

Political parties in Tamil Nadu today must heed Periyar’s message in rejecting Hindutva overtures In 1944, an unusual meeting took place between the pre-eminent leader of the non-Brahmin movement, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy, and a major leader of the Hindu Mahasabha, Balkrishna Shivram Moonje. Periyar and Naidu’s friendship On September 19 …

India risks going down the ‘slippery slope’ of becoming a U.S. acolyte in conflicts not of its choosing The much heralded 2+2 Dialogue between the U.S. and India finally fructified on September 6. The 2+2 format, involving the Defence and Foreign Ministers of the two countries, unconventional though it may …

Artificially intelligent (AI) machines can easily learn racism and sexism from each other, say scientists. Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cardiff University showed that groups of autonomous machines could demonstrate prejudice by simply identifying, copying and learning this behaviour from one another.PTI Source :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/ai-robots-can-develop-prejudice-on-their-own/article24972495.ece

Says a study involving over 19,000 people Taking aspirin daily does not reduce the the chance of heart attack or stroke and has no benefit in prolonging life free of disability, a study has found. Aspirin-related compounds have been used for the treatment of pain since the 16th century B.C., …

Scientists measure their reaction when exposed to oil and natural gas in the water French researchers hoping to get an early warning on pollution in the ocean have found an unlikely ally in a mollusc more often destined for the dinner table. Their findings reveal that much like canaries in …

It uses fuel cells that produce electricity through a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, leaving behind water and steam Germany on Monday rolled out the world’s first hydrogen-powered train, signalling the start of a push to challenge the might of polluting diesel trains with costlier but eco-friendly technology. Two bright …

‘As much as Rs. 36,551 cr. cash recovered’ The Finance Ministry said on Monday that the stock of non-performing assets (NPAs) in public sector banks (PSBs) reduced in the April-June quarter. In a presentation, Rajiv Kumar, Secretary, Financial Services, said the stock of NPAs is ‘no longer rising’ as it …

India better in staff engagement: study The presence of automation in the workplace is making work environments “more human,” according to a global study released on Monday. Firms that invest in robotic process automation or Artificial Intelligence (AI) are witnessing higher performance returns, especially if they also invest in people, …

Century Plyboards (India) Ltd. (CPIL) is looking to cut costs and boost profitability by harnessing solar power at its units. It has already set up a one MW power plant at Chennai and is planning to add 4 MW across its various plants. Sajjan Bhajanka, chairman, CPIL, said in a …

Firm’s total water purifier capacity to cross 10 lakh units Kent RO Systems, a healthcare products firm, is planning to set up a second manufacturing plant at Noida at an investment of more than Rs. 150 crore. The facility will be ready in 4-5 years. “Our next expansion would happen …