GS-II

‘We’ll continue efforts to free him’ A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) asked Pakistan to review the death penalty given to former naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, India called upon Pakistan to release him forthwith. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, making a statement in both Houses of Parliament, …

Mediation panel told to submit report by August 1 A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Thursday fixed the Ayodhya title dispute cases for hearing from August 2. It asked the Registry to keep the case records ready and the mediation …

Govt.’s fall appears imminent as Governor sets deadline; rebels to skip session In a shock to the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government in Karnataka, Governor Vajubhai Vala has directed Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to prove his majority by 1.30 p.m. on the floor of the Assembly on Friday.With the rebel MLAs …

It optimises the geometry of the bat Using computer modelling and optimisation algorithms, the world’s best bat and maybe the most affordable could in the near future roll out from a lab to the cricket ground. A high performing ‘Algobat’, closely resembling the finest in the market and at a …

Says it gets undue edge over rivals The European Union’s powerful antitrust authority launched an in-depth investigation into Amazon on Wednesday, amid suspicions the U.S.-based internet behemoth misuses merchant data hosted on its website. The formal investigation opens a new chapter in the European Union’s campaign to address the dominance …

Hijab-clad wrestler uses sophisticated moves to take on her male opponents A hijab-wearing, diminutive Malaysian wrestler known as “Phoenix” cuts an unusual figure in the ring, a female Muslim fighter taking on hulking opponents in a male-dominated world. Dressed in flame-patterned trousers, a black and orange hijab and top, Nor …

Benjamin Netanyahu is set to becomes Israel’s longest-serving Prime Minister as his 13-year rule surpasses that of Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion on July 20. But as he is about to cross the milestone, Mr. Netanyahu faces perhaps his greatest political challenge yet. After failing to form a parliamentary majority …

The Trump administration is proposing to increase merit-based legal immigration to 57% and half of those would be based on family and humanitarian grounds, in an effort to overhaul the existing system. Senior presidential adviser Jared Kushner, who is also the son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump, said having an …

The first time a President has been rebuked by the House in more than 100 years . The House voted on Tuesday to condemn as racist President Donald Trump’s attacks against four congresswomen of colour, but only after the debate over the President’s language devolved into a bitterly partisan brawl. …

However diplomats said that ordering Mr. Jadhav’s release was never really an expectation from the ICJ. “This was a big victory, and as much as India would have hoped for at this stage,” said Gautam Bambawale, explaining that “the ICJ never gives directions beyond its authority as it cannot implement …