Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to resign as Prime Minister, an office to which he was controversially installed by President Maithripala Sirisena, is the first sign that the dragging constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka is heading slowly towards a resolution. He had also played a part in the unfolding of the crisis …

The pervasiveness of climatic aberrations and the associated socio-economic vulnerability are now widely recognised and experienced across the globe. The Sixth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on “Global Warming at 1.5°C” distinctly propagates the need to strengthen and enhance existing coping capacity and to remain …

After remaining in suspended animation for five months, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly was dissolved by Governor Satya Pal Malik last month. After the November-December 2014 elections to the State Assembly, which produced a fractured mandate, J&K had several years of a Peoples Democratic Party-BJP coalition government, interspersed with a …

For the first time since fleeing to neighbouring Tripura 21 years ago, the displaced Brus of Mizoram exercised their franchise on home soil during the Assembly polls on November 28. Rahul Karmakar reports on the changing dynamic between the minority Brus and the dominant Mizos and the possibility of greater …

Google has developed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model that can detect diabetic retinopathy with a level of accuracy on par with human retinal specialists, the technology giant said. Verily, an Alphabet-owned company, is working on rolling out the diabetic retinopathy initiative in clinics in India. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/google-s-new-ai-model-to-help-detect-diabetic-retinopathy/article25747996.ece

The Dracula ant, located mostly in the tropics of Africa, Australia and Asia, spend most of their lives burrowed into tree trunks or underground. One could easily beat the Dracula ant in a foot race. But one species,Mystrium camillae, has a pair of ingeniously designed mandibles that can snap at …

The insects are vital as they help fertilise three out of four crops around the world Scientists in Finland have developed what they believe is the world’s first vaccine to protect bees against disease, raising hopes for tackling the drastic decline in insect numbers which could cause a global food …

Fintech companies have asked the government to issue a clarification that will allow regulated entities such as banks and non- banking financial companies (NBFCs) to use Aadhaar for eKYC in case of “voluntary submission” by customers. This follows the Supreme Court striking down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, that …

China pressed on with its trade war truce with the United States on Friday, announcing that it will suspend extra tariffs added to U.S.-made cars and auto parts for three months from January 1. The move is another sign that the ceasefire has not been derailed by the recent arrest …

China on Friday rebuked the U.S. Congress over legislation seeking greater access to Tibet, saying American lawmakers “grossly interfered” in Beijing’s domestic affairs. The bill, which passed this week with bipartisan support, demands access to the region for U.S. diplomats, journalists and tourists, threatening to bar Chinese officials responsible for …

The Senate on Thursday voted overwhelmingly, by 56-41, to end the U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. A second resolution, which passed in the Senate unanimously, held Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) personally responsible for journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. The resolutions are the strongest rebuke to …

The Election Commission on Friday cited multiple factors, including the 21% more polling stations than those in the previous polls, for the delay in the counting of votes in Madhya Pradesh. “Right from the first round of electronic voting machine (EVM) counting at 8.30 a.m., the candidates were very particular …

The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed the Centre’s decision to ban the manufacture and sale of oxytocin, a drug which induces labour and controls bleeding during child birth, by private firms. A Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and A.K. Chawla set aside the government’s April 27 notification imposing …

Is a total ban the solution? Making a choice appears difficult as alternatives are not as green as previously thought Bryony Drought was frozen in the fruit section. To her left on a recent shopping trip, the 26-year-old London school teacher saw “normal” bananas, grown using pesticides and chemical fertilizer. …

Governor Satya Pal Malik’s administration in Jammu & Kashmir on Friday approved an amendment to the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), to insert a section to provide for the offence of “sextortion.” Under Section 354E of the RPC, the new law explicitly bans sexual exploitation of women by those in positions …

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has decided to vacate the office of Prime Minister — which he controversially held for seven weeks — paving the way for the return of ousted leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. The move signals an end to the political crisis. Mr. Wickremesinghe will be sworn in …

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to embark on a “fishing enquiry” into the deal to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets merely on the basis of public interest litigation (PIL) petitions spurred by a media interview of former French President Francois Hollande and reports of favouritism shown by the Narendra …

The fourth meeting of the Bombay Engineering Congress was opened yesterday [in Bombay on December 12] in the Board Room of the G.I.P. Railway. Over one hundred members were present from all parts of the presidency including Sind and representing different branches of Engineering. The president, Mr. F.J. Preston, delivered …

Pakistan police to-day [December 13] opened fire at two places in Chittagong in East Pakistan, injuring 12 persons, according to a Radio Pakistan broadcast monitored here [New Delhi] to-night. A violent crowd attacked a food train during the Opposition-sponsored province-wide hartal to-day. When the police interfered, the crowd attacked them. …

In Telangana, the TRS banked on its regional appeal to keep the Congress out again In continuing with its politics of regional identity, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi won a second term in office in India’s newest State, pushing the national party, the Congress, to a distant second. TRS leader K. …