The Kaiser presided over the Grand Council yesterday [October 3]. Evidence that the deliberations dealt with the retreat from the west is furnished by inspired articles in the German Press preparing the public for the evacuation of the Belgian coast, notably “Kreuz Zaitung” which says: “The Bulgarian treachery will have …

In India, salt is a necessity of life even to the humblest, and the total quantity consumed is very great. In normal times, large amounts are imported and with the cutting off of foreign supplies, due to shipping shortages, India was at one time faced with serious prospect of salt …

The Konark temple case shows some penal provisions are handy tools of harassment The Supreme Court’s observations, while denying bail to defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra, to the effect that he incited religious feelings in a video posted on social media, were out of place in what was a bail hearing. …

India needs to stand firm on its deep engagement with Russia in coming months India-Russia summits have traditionally been short on time and ceremony and big on productivity. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s 22-hour visit to Delhi last week was no exception. On Friday, the two countries announced a number of …

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has embarked on an all-out caste mobilisation drive in Uttar Pradesh, even though the prospect that it might face a united Opposition in the State in 2019 remains far-fetched. Facing resistance from Dalits and being precariously placed vis-à-vis upper castes, the party is aware that …

The cancellation of Registration Certificate issued to Daily Desher Kathacould have a chilling effect All judicial functionaries, starting from sub-divisional magistrates, should be given a copy of John Milton’s 1644 booklet, Areopagitica . It was a passionate plea to Parliament in England to reject censorship. Milton wrote: “As good almost …

In its choice for Peace Prize this year, the Nobel Committee has empowered the narrative against sexual crimes In conferring the 2018 Peace prize, jointly, to Nadia Murad, a former sex slave of the Islamic State (IS), and Denis Mukwege, a Congolese gynaecological surgeon who helps raped war survivors, the …

Chinese President Xi Jinping is arguably the most powerful leader of his country since Mao Zedong. During the 19th Party Congress last October, the ‘Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era’ was inscribed into the party charter. Earlier, in 2016, the party accorded him special …

The attacks on girls and women every day are symptomatic of a deep malaise Where curriculum designers fear to tread, film directors take relaxed, bold strides. Few will consider ghosts and witchcraft as suitable topics for a textbook. Killing of women on the suspicion that they are practising witchcraft occasionally …

Neanderthals passed on viral defences to humans Modern humans inherited genetic defences against viral diseases like hepatitis from Neanderthals, when the two species interbred 50,000 years ago, a study has found. Many modern Europeans and Asians harbour about 2% of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes.PTI Source :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/modern-humans-inherited-viral-defences-from-neanderthals/article25152190.ece

NASA’s Voyager 2 probe is approaching interstellar space and has detected an increase in cosmic rays that originate outside our solar system, the U.S. space agency said. Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is a little less than 17.7 billion km away from the earth.PTI Source :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/nasa-probe-nearing-interstellar-space/article25152188.ece

Scientists have developed a new test that can reveal the amount of DNA people shed, a tool that could be used by forensic experts to nab criminals using genetic clues left at crime scenes. A single tap of a finger on items like door handles, glass or even shaking hands …

The devices will be ‘biodegradable’ Scientists have developed a thin, flexible semiconductor, partly using organic materials, that can efficiently convert electricity into light and could help make bendable smartphones. The invention, by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU), also opens the door to a new generation of high-performance electronic …

They can catch and destroy BPA, a synthetic chemical commonly used to coat the insides of food cans Scientists have created tiny spheres that can catch and destroy bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used to make plastics that often contaminates water. BPA is commonly used to coat the insides …

In simulations, robots move around by exploring, observing and drawing from previous experiences As robots may struggle with navigational concepts, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a new way to help them navigate environments more as humans do. The novel motion-planning model lets …