The Opposition should see in the Karnataka byelection results a goad for united action Karnataka has done it a second time in a year, this year. The coming together of the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular), post-poll in May 2018, and the inauguration of the H.D. Kumaraswamy-led coalition government was …
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Hashimpura’s long wait for justice
The conviction by the Delhi High Court of 16 personnel of the U.P. Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) for a massacre of Muslims committed 31 years ago was seen as bringing closure to one of India’s biggest custodial killings. Omar Rashid reports from Meerut and pieces together an account of the …
Read More »London Big Ben to chime to mark end of WWI
Big Ben, one of the world’s most famous bells, is to ring out on Sunday to mark the end of the centenary celebrations of the end of the First World War. The U.K. Parliament authorities said on Thursday that, despite ongoing essential conservation works, Big Ben, will strike on Sunday …
Read More »‘Don’t compare air pollution to smoking’
Anti-tobacco activists have expressed concern that comparing the ill-effects of air pollution to that of smoking will result in trivialising the catastrophic effects of smoking. They say that such comparisons also promote the theory that it is all right to smoke as the air that we breathe is equally harmful. …
Read More »Most child deaths due to pneumonia in India
India continues to have the highest burden of pneumonia and diarrhoea child deaths in the world, with 1,58,176 pneumonia and 1, 02,813 diarrhoea deaths in 2016. This was stated in the ‘Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report’ released on Friday by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins …
Read More »Hawking auction raises astronomical sum
A copy of Stephen Hawking’s doctorate thesis signed in a shaky hand was the highlight of an auction of the British physicist’s personal items in London, which raised nearly £1.4 million. The copy, one of only five originals of the thesis entitled ‘Properties of expanding universes’, smashed pre-sale expectations four …
Read More »Virtual news presenters vow to ‘work tirelessly’
Chinese state broadcaster unveils world’s first AI anchor China’s state-controlled news broadcasters have long been considered somewhat robotic in their daily recitation of pro-government propaganda and a pair of new presenters will do little to dispel that view. Calling it a “world first”, Xinhua news agency this week debuted a …
Read More »Indonesia’s Toraja tribe live among the dead
Ethnic group has few qualms living in vicinity of corpses Martha Kande’s family lived with her greying, shrivelled corpse at their home in Indonesia for seven months, as they prepared an elaborate funeral that is central to the Toraja people’s centuries-old death rituals. “We keep the body in a coffin …
Read More »Google outlines steps to tackle workplace harassment
Tech giant moves to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week. “We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the …
Read More »RCEP trade ministers to meet on Nov 12-13 in Singapore
A crucial meeting of Trade Ministers of RCEP member- countries, including India and China, will take place in Singapore on November 12-13 amid pressure being mounted on New Delhi to conclude talks for the proposed mega trade deal at the earliest, sources said. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a …
Read More »Plastics exports rise 31.6% in April-Sept.
India’s plastics exports grew 31.6% to $4.59 billion during April to September 2018 (H1 2018-19) as against $3.48 billion in the same period last year. This is a faster pace of growth than the overall merchandise export growth from India, according to the Plastics Export Promotion Council (Plexconcil). During H1 …
Read More »Foundry industry expects growth to double in two years
Plans to increase production to 14 million tonnes by 2021 The Indian foundry industry expects nearly 14% growth in the next two years, from the 5% to 7% now, according to members of the Institute of Indian Foundrymen here. The Indian foundry industry, the third-largest castings producer globally, is looking …
Read More »‘Easing cabotage has not led to cut in coastal shipping rates’
The Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) has disputed the reported claims of Union Shipping Secretary Gopal Krishna that the government’s move to relax cabotage had led to reduction in coastal shipping rates. The Shipping Ministry, had in May this year, relaxed cabotage for foreign-registered vessels to bring down logistics costs. …
Read More »SEBI halves HNI bid quantum in IPO to curb leverage
The capital markets regulator’s revised guidelines effectively cap such bids to 50% of the issue size A small but important amendment to the listing and disclosure regulations will soon see public issues reporting realistic subscription numbers especially in the segment reserved for high net worth individuals (HNIs) that is known …
Read More »Credit growth at 5-year high
Demand from firms, NFBCs drive loan growth; however, deposits grow slower In what could be an indication of a pick-up in private investment, loan growth of commercial banks is at a five-year high on the back of strong demand, latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. According …
Read More »British Minister quits over Brexit plan
Jo Johnson hits out at direction of government negotiations, calls for second referendum The British government was thrown into a fresh round of turbulence on Friday as Jo Johnson, the brother of Boris Johnson and the country’s Transport Minister, resigned unexpectedly and lashed out at the direction of government negotiations …
Read More »Florida races heading for recount
Senate and governor elections are in focus, Georgia governor race remains open With the prospect of vote recounts looming, two of the high profile U.S. midterm races — for State governor and a Senator from the State — continue to stay in focus even after the voting day. On Thursday …
Read More »Trump tightens U.S. asylum rules
Will deny it to migrants who enter country illegally; experts say move will face legal challenges President Donald Trump on Friday invoked extraordinary national security powers to deny asylum to migrants who enter the country illegally, tightening the border as caravans of Central Americans approach the U.S. Mr. Trump is …
Read More »Zika outbreak in Rajasthan under control: NHM
The National Health Mission has said the recent Zika virus outbreak in Rajasthan was under control after the detection of over 150 cases of infection, including those among pregnant women. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/zika-outbreak-in-rajasthan-under-control-nhm/article25459232.ece
Read More »‘No move to seek Rs. 3.6 lakh cr. from RBI’
The rift between the two became public last month after a speech by RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya in which he cautioned that “governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets… ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day …
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