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Kamal Haasan posts message on elder brother's demise | Actor Kamal Haasan took to Twitter to post a message after the demise of his elder brother Chandrahasan (82) on Saturday night. "He was a friend, philosopher, brother and a good father. I've failed to fulfil even half of his dreams that he had for me," wrote Haasan. Notably, Chandrahasan was in charge of Kamal's home production Raajkamal Films International. |
China warns India over invite to Dalai Lama to Buddhist meet | Following India's invite to Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama to an international Buddhist seminar in Bihar, China on Monday warned India not to go against its "core concerns" to avoid disruption in bilateral ties. "China is strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed to it," China added. Recently, China had also objected to India letting Dalai Lama visit Arunachal Pradesh. |
4,000 Maha doctors go on mass leave in protest over attacks | Over 4,000 resident doctors in Maharashtra's government hospitals stayed away from duty on Monday, according to reports. This comes after two incidents in the state where relatives of patients attacked the doctors-in-charge. The doctors' association, meanwhile, claimed that at most of the hospitals, some senior resident doctors looked after the daily health check-ups of the patients. |
BJP's UP win validates Modiâs policies: Chinese state media | The Uttar Pradesh election results were a validation for both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his decisions like demonetisation, Chinese state media has said. "The result of the UP election would substantially influence the political balance in India and has always been seen as the signpost of the voters' attitude across India," it added. |
Russian fans taunt BBC by calling it 'Blah Blah Channel' | Spartak Moscow fans displayed a banner reading, "Blah Blah Channel", taunting the BBC during their Russian Football Premier League derby match with Lokomotiv Moscow on Saturday. The banner was displayed in reference to BBC's documentary 'Russia's Hooligan Army' that aired last month. The documentary reportedly portrayed Russian football fans in a bad light. |
French cops share photo of drunk thief stuck in shop window | The French police recently shared a photo of a drunk thief stuck in a shop window. The incident took place in Mauléon-Licharre in southwest France last week, and firefighters were called to free the man, who was later arrested. The photo was shared with the caption "Drunk, he robs a store but gets stuck...in the window before being arrested! #ThugLife." |
Indian-Americans hold rally against hate crimes outside WH | Indian-Americans held a peaceful demonstration outside the White House seeking President Donald Trump's intervention in the aftermath of a series of hate crime incidents against the community. "What is happening against the Indian-American community is a result of xenophobia, Islamic phobia and the anti-immigrant statements that have come out from the administration," a protester said. |
FBI confirms probe on Russian interference in US elections | FBI Director James Comey has confirmed an investigation into Russian interference in the last year's presidential election. He also said the FBI is looking at possible links and coordination between President Donald Trump's presidential campaign and the Russian government. "This will include an assessment of whether crime was committed...We will follow the facts wherever they lead," Comey added. |
Chinese maths textbooks to be translated for UK schools | Publishing company HarperCollins has signed an agreement with China's publishers to translate Chinese mathematics textbooks and publish them for use in UK classrooms. The textbook deal is aimed at improving British students' performance in maths. Notably, China produces some of the world's top-performing maths students, while British students rank far behind their Asian counterparts. |
JP Duminy withdraws from IPL 2017 over personal reasons | South African cricketer JP Duminy, who plays for the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, has withdrawn from the 10th edition of the tournament, which begins in 16 days. "It has been a very difficult decision for me to make, but it was for purely personal reasons," Duminy said about the withdrawal. |
US diplomat expelled from New Zealand amid police inquiry | A US diplomat has been expelled from New Zealand after the US embassy refused to waive his diplomatic immunity during a police investigation. The diplomat was allegedly involved in a serious crime which happened on March 12 but the police could not question him due to the immunity. He has reportedly left with a broken nose and a black eye. |
Deutsche Bank seeks â¹56,000 cr by selling shares at discount | Banking major Deutsche Bank said it will raise $8.6 billion (over â¹56,000 crore) by selling stock at a 35% discount in a bid to shore up its finances and boost growth. The company will issue over 68 crore new shares for the sale. The bank has cut costs by cutting a thousand jobs last year, and is raising money. |
Australian MPs' private phone numbers published online | Private phone numbers of a large section of Australian MPs were mistakenly made available online for three months after a government department failed to ensure they were properly deleted from a report. The only excluded numbers were those of the Prime Minister, Treasurer, Attorney General and a few other senior figures. |
Uttarakhand HC recognises Ganga as India's 1st living entity | The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday recognised river Ganga as the first living entity of India. Following the order, India's longest river will now enjoy all rights provided by the Constitution of India as a living person. This reportedly makes Ganga the world's second river after New Zealand's Whanganui River to be given such a status. |
EC files affidavit in SC seeking life ban on tainted leaders | The Election Commission has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that convicted netas should be barred from contesting elections for life and sought speedy disposal of cases pertaining to politicians. At present, a person convicted in a serious criminal case is barred from contesting polls for six years and a lawmaker stands disqualified in the event of conviction. |
MakeMyTrip launches MMT ASSURED HOTELS with 24x7 Hotline | MakeMyTrip has launched MMT Assured Hotels to provide consumers with hand-picked hotels to choose from. MMT Assured Hotels guarantee an amazing stay experience with awesome rooms and great service. The consumers can also benefit from 24x7 hotline that will resolve any issue within 60 minutes, else they get a free stay. |
UK to trigger Brexit process on March 29 | UK PM Theresa May will trigger the two-year process of leaving the European Union on March 29, UK ambassador to the EU Tim Barrow formally notified the EU President Donald Tusk on Monday. Adding that the UK expects to receive a response from the EU within 48 hours, May's official spokesperson said, Britain will exit EU on March 29, 2019. |
Tim Cook had no clue who I was when we 1st met: Oppo Founder | Duan Yongping, who co-founded smartphone brands Oppo and Vivo, believes that Apple CEO Tim Cook didn't have a clue who he was when they first met. âI've met Tim Cook on several occasions. He might not know me but we've chatted a little," Duan said, adding, "I like him a lot." However, Apple hasn't confirmed Duan's meeting with Cook. |
Bihar University cancels ex-Delhi law minister's LLB degree | Bihar's Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University has cancelled former Delhi Law Minister Jitender Singh Tomar's Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. He was sacked by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for possessing the fake law degree. Tomar had previously confessed that he had procured his BSc and LLB degrees from agents in Delhi and Munger. |
Filmfare doubting my marriage affected my family: Nawazuddin | Nawazuddin Siddiqui has said that Filmfare magazine raising questions about his marriage was an invasion of privacy and affected his entire family. The 42-year-old actor has accused the magazine of defamation in a legal notice. An article in Filmfare reportedly featured Siddiqui with an unknown woman, and claimed that he and his wife have split. |
I was taught to pray the gay away at Jesus camps: Katy Perry | Singer Katy Perry revealed that as a teenager she was taught to "pray the gay away at Jesus camps". Katy added, "I'm just a singer-songwriter, honestly. For instance, I kissed a girl and I liked it. Truth be told, I did more than that." She said this while accepting the National Equality Award at the 2017 Human Rights Campaign Gala. |
Reliance, Airtel shares plunge over Vodafone-Idea merger | Shares of Indian telecom companies, including Airtel, fell on Monday following the announcement of a merger between Vodafone and Idea. While Idea shares fell as much as 20% in intraday trade, Bharti Airtel fell by 1.6%, and Reliance Industries, which owns Reliance Jio, plunged 1.1%. Notably, the Vodafone-Idea group would be Indiaâs largest telecom operator with almost 40 crore customers. |
What was in the Koffee Hamper on Koffee with Karan season 5? | Karan Johar has revealed the contents of the 'Koffee Hamper' which was given out to the winners of the rapid fire round during season 5 of 'Koffee with Karan'. The hamper included a Koffee mug, a coffee French Press, personalised roasted coffee, and champagne. It further comprised levitating orbital speakers and a â¹5 lakh voucher from a home furnishing brand. |
Video shows Mahira pleading with Ranbir at an event in Dubai | A video shows Pakistani actress Mahira Khan pleading with actor Ranbir Kapoor while backstage at the Global Teacher Prize ceremony in Dubai. Although the video has no sound, Mahira is seen with her hands folded while interacting with Ranbir. Another video from the event also surfaced where she was seen discussing something seriously with Ranbir. |
IT firm Cognizant to lay off 6,000 employees: Reports | Information technology giant Cognizant Technology Solutions is likely to lay off at least 6,000 employees, according to reports. The company is expected to cut down its employee count by as much as 2.3% in order to remove workforce for their non-performance. The move comes at a time when automation is making several jobs redundant in the Indian IT sector. |
Duo holds world record for covering car in 120 kg human hair | A Fiat 500, owned by Maria Lucia Mugno and Valentino Stassano from Italy, is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the 'hairiest car'. The interior and exterior of the car were covered using 120 kilograms of natural human hair in over 150 hours. The record was established in March 2014. |
My son Taimur is not the only star kid in town: Saif | Actor Saif Ali Khan has said that Taimur, his first child with wife Kareena Kapoor, is not the only star kid in town. He added, "Some sections of the press pay too much attention to star kids...it is hard (for them) to be normal." Saif further said that he hopes Taimur grows up to be a good guy. |
Clerics who went missing in Pak working against India: Swamy | BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Monday said that the government has independent information suggesting that the two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan are working against the country. "They are lying in order to defend themselves and get sympathy. They are saying that they were portrayed as RAW agents. We can't trust them," he added. |
Ivanka Trump's brand sued over 'unfair competition' | The clothing and accessories brand founded by US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump was sued by a San Francisco-based retailer over "unfair competition". The lawsuit says Ivanka's brand got boost in sales because of the publicity provided by the President and his counsellor Kellyanne Conway. Notably, Ivanka's brand registered a 346% increase in sales from January to February. |
Australia bat out a draw against India in the third Test | The Australian cricket team became the first visiting team since 2010-11 to bat out a draw after trailing in the first innings in India, following their draw in the third Test in Ranchi on Monday. Australia's Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb put on 124 runs for the fifth wicket in the second innings to help Australia salvage a draw. |
Modi is the leader Nostradamus had predicted: BJP MP Somaiya | BJP's Lok Sabha MP Kirit Somaiya on Monday said that PM Narendra Modi is the leader who "will emerge in the East, and take India to new heights", as predicted by the French soothsayer Nostradamus. Interestingly, Nostradamus is said to have predicted several historic events, including the rise of Hitler and the collapse of the World Trade Center in 2001. |
Mumbai's expulsion as BCCI Full Member a joke: Ravi Shastri | Former cricketer Ravi Shastri has slammed the move of Mumbai being stripped of its Full Member status according to the new BCCI constitution. "It's a joke. I feel sad that the glorious history, tradition and contribution of the association to Indian cricket went unnoticed," Shastri said. Notably, Mumbai has been one of the most successful sides with 41 Ranji titles. |
US told us there's no significant change in H-1B visas:âGovt | The United States has conveyed to India that there is no significant change in the H-1B visa regime, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. "They (US authorities) are saying their current priority is to deal with the illegal immigrants," Sitharaman added. The Minister further said India is articulating its concerns regarding the visa policy with the new US administration. |
IPL 2017 schedule changed due to elections in Delhi | With the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections scheduled for April 22, the home and away fixtures for Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians have been interchanged. The match between Delhi and Mumbai on April 22 will be played in Mumbai at 8 pm instead of 4 pm in Delhi while Pune and Hyderabad's match will be played at 4 pm. |
Tamil Nadu beats Bengal to win its 5th Vijay Hazare Trophy | Tamil Nadu has won the Vijay Hazare Trophy after beating Bengal by 37 runs in the final of the 2017 edition on Monday. With the win, Tamil Nadu has become the only team to win the tournament five times (one of them was shared with Uttar Pradesh in 2004-05). Dinesh Karthik was adjudged Man of the Match for his century. |
Football World Cup's trophy was stolen on March 20, 1966 | The 1966 Football World Cup's trophy, which was being exhibited in the Methodist Central Hall in Westminster, London, was stolen on March 20, 1966. The next day, an anonymous caller phoned the Football Association's chairman, demanding approximately â¹12 lakh for returning the trophy. The trophy was later found by a dog named Pickles on March 27, 1966. |
Messi's brace helps Barcelona register 4-2 win over Valencia | Argentine forward Lionel Messi scored twice as La Liga champions, Barcelona, saw off Valencia with a 4-2 win on Sunday. Manchester City loanee Eliaquim Mangala, who was sent off in the 44th minute, headed Valencia in front in the 29th minute, before Luis Suarez' 34th-minute equaliser. Messi scored in the 45th and 52nd minute to help Barcelona sail past Valencia. |
Manchester City salvage draw against Liverpool | Manchester City salvaged a 1-1 draw against Liverpool in their English Premier League fixture on Sunday. The draw left City 12 points adrift of the league leaders Chelsea. Liverpool midfielder James Milner scored with a penalty in the 51st minute before Manchester City's Argentine striker Sergio Agüero equalised in the 69th minute. |
BSP leader Mohammed Shami shot dead in Allahabad | Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mohammed Shami was shot dead in Uttar Pradesh's Allahabad area on Sunday night by two unidentified gunmen who came on a motorbike. The incident took place when Shami was going towards his car parked outside his office. As per reports, the accused fled from the spot after the deceased fell down.⨠|
What will be the impact of the Vodafone-Idea merger? | The merger of telecom major Vodafone with the Aditya Birla Group-led Idea would create a company with nearly 40 crore users. The merger between India's second largest operator, Vodafone and its third largest operator, Idea could command a market share of 43%, thereby taking over current leader Bharti Airtel. Further, the merger would create India's largest telecom company. |
Aussie player Shaun Tait becomes Overseas Citizen of India | Australian bowler Shaun Tait took to twitter to announce that he has become an Overseas Citizen of India. Tait is married to Indian model Mashoom Singha, tying the knot in 2014 after a four-year courtship. As an Overseas Citizen of India, Tait will get the same privileges as an NRI, except the right to vote or hold public offices. |
Norway replaces Denmark as world's happiest country | Norway has replaced Denmark as the world's happiest country, according to a UN-launched initiative's World Happiness Report released on Monday. Iceland, Switzerland and Finland completed top five, while the US and UK were ranked 14 and 19 respectively. The 155-country report, based on factors like absence of corruption in the government, ranked India 122nd and Central African Republic last. |
Nose shape affected by climate also, not just genes: Study | Researchers studying various nose shapes globally have found nose shape is strongly correlated with a location's temperature and humidity rather than just genetic traits. Wider noses are more common in warm-humid climates, while narrower noses are more common in cold, dry climates, as the nose's purpose is to condition inhaled air so that it is warm and moist, researchers said. |
Sushil Modi should shave head to look like Yogi: Lalu | RJD chief Lalu Prasad has asked senior Bihar BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi to wear a saffron robe, pierce his ears and shave his head to look like Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Claiming that by doing so he may derive benefits from the party, Lalu further mocked him for not being invited to Adityanath's swearing-in ceremony. |
Jaipur hotel sealed after complain of beef being served | Hotel Hayat Rabbani in Jaipur has been sealed after nearly 100 cow vigilantes protested outside the hotel on Sunday night alleging that beef was served inside. It was also alleged that the hotel staff threw the remnants of the non-vegetarian food in the nearby park. The Jaipur Municipal Corporation claims to have sealed the hotel for not discarding garbage properly. |
Big B pens blogpost after demise of Aishwarya Rai's father | Actor Amitabh Bachchan wrote a post on his blog titled 'Death...the inevitable end', following the demise of daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai's father Krishnaraj Rai on Saturday. "That call you wait anxiously knowing that it will come, and come it does to end all other calls...glimpses of reactions in the mind, of the lost one...," read a part of Bachchan's post. |
Shouted at Sunil for the first time in 5 years: Kapil Sharma | Comedian Kapil Sharma, while reacting to reports of him assaulting Sunil Grover on a flight, admitted that the two had an argument and he shouted at him for the first time in five years. "Itna to chalta hai bhai...sometimes it happens in family.. its our family matter.. we'll sort this out..," wrote Kapil in a Facebook post. |
Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos pilots a 13-foot-tall robot | Jeff Bezos, the Founder and CEO of Amazon, piloted a giant 13-foot-tall robot at MARS, an annual invite-only technology conference on Monday. Bezos was seen waving around the robot's arms at the conference. The robot named 'Method-2' is made by South Korean robotics company Hankook Mirae Technology and resembles the bipedal robots showed in the movie 'Avatar'. |
UP CM Adityanath asks ministers to declare assets in 15 days | In his first decision as Uttar Pradesh CM, Yogi Adityanath has asked all his ministers to declare their income and assets within 15 days. The details have to be shared with the CM's office and BJP's state unit. PM Modi worked for 18 hours a day and the same work culture would be promoted in Uttar Pradesh, state ministers said. |
Bhutan measures growth by happiness index instead of GDP | Bhutan measures its growth through the Gross National Happiness (GNH) index, instead of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) index. The concept was introduced in the 1970s to provide a balance between material and mental well-being. It further implies that sustainable development should take a "holistic approach" towards progress and give equal importance to non-economic aspects. |
Declaring properties to be compulsory for U'khand MLAs: CM | Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday asserted that his government would make it compulsory for MLAs to provide details of their properties. "During BJP government, it was compulsory for ministers, MLAs... I will implement it again," he said. Rawat further asserted that his government will effectively implement the law on "Gauvansh Sanrakshan" (cow protection). |
Idea stock rose 14% just after Vodafone merger announcement | Shares in Idea rose as much as 14.25% immediately after the approval of its merger with Vodafone India on Monday. However, the stock reversed course to fall as much as 14.6% amid concerns about how the merged entity would value Idea's stake. Notably, the merged entity would form the largest telecom company in India. |
In Pictures: Gum wall in the US | The Market Theater Gum Wall is a brick wall covered in used chewing gum in Washington, United States. The tradition began in 1993 when theatregoers stuck gum on the wall and placed coins on them. In 2015, the wall was completely cleared for the first time in 20 years, but people began sticking gum on the wall soon after. |
RSS had no role in Yogi Adityanath's appointment: Naidu | BJP on Monday asserted that the RSS had nothing to do with Yogi Adityanath's appointment as the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister. "The RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) never interferes with the selection of chief ministers," BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said. He further said it was unfair to criticise the appointment without giving Adityanath a "fair opportunity" to govern. |
Wawrinka jokingly calls Federer 'a**hole' after losing final | Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka jovially called his compatriot and friend Roger Federer 'an a**hole' after losing the Indian Wells Masters' final to Federer on Sunday. Wawrinka added that when Federer was playing in the final of Australian Open 2017, he was still his biggest fan despite having lost some 'tough ones' against Federer throughout his career. |
South American tribe has least heart disease risk ever seen | US-based researchers have found a 'Tsimane' tribe in Bolivia to have the least risk of heart disease ever recorded. A study of 705 individuals showed 85% had no blood vessel blockages whatsoever. Researchers said that the hunter-gatherers had a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with lots of physical activity leading to an 80-year-old Tsimane having the "vascular age" of a 50-year-old American. |
India's Vidya Pillai wins silver at Women's World Snooker | Indian cueist Vidya Pillai won a silver medal at the Women World Snooker Championship in Singapore on Sunday. Vidya, an eight-time women's national snooker champion, lost the final to Hong Kong's Ng On Yee, a former world champion, after gaining an early lead in the match. She previously won a gold at the IBSF World Team Snooker Championship in 2013. |
Union Cabinet clears GST supplementary legislations | The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday approved four supporting drafts for Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bills, which will now be introduced in Parliament during the ongoing Budget session. These supporting drafts will help in the rollout of the singular indirect tax reform, which the Centre plans to do from July 1 this year. |
'Chanakya of Odisha Politics' Mohapatra passes away at 77 | Former Rajya Sabha MP and President of Odisha Jana Morcha Party, Pyari Mohan Mohapatra, passed away on Sunday following prolonged illness. The 77-year-old leader was also known as the 'Chanakya of Odisha politics'. Mohapatra was a former IAS officer of the 1963 batch and also served as the Principal Secretary to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. |
German building demolished by 250 kg of explosives | An 18-storey building complex in Germany was demolished on Sunday in a controlled explosion. Over 250 kg of explosives were used to demolish the 60-metre Bonn-Center complex, which had towered over the city of Bonn for almost 50 years. The construction of a new Bonn-Center complex is set to begin in 2018. |
Romania and Italy unite to halt abuse of women migrants | The Romanian government has agreed to collaborate with Italian authorities to stop abuses against women migrants in Italy. This comes after an investigation found that thousands of Romanian agricultural workers were being sexually exploited by their Italian employers. The women are afraid to speak out, for fear of losing their jobs and being sent back home, the investigation added. |
I carry four devices including an iPhone: Oppo, Vivo Founder | Chinese smartphone brands Oppo and Vivo's Co-founder, Duan Yongping, has said he needs "a really big pocket" because he carries four devices including a heavily-used iPhone. "Apple couldnât beat us in China because even they have flaws. Theyâre maybe too stubborn sometimes," he added. "Apple is an extraordinary company. It's a model for us to learn from," he said further. |
Rare genetic condition makes iris' muscles to fold | China-based doctors found a rare case of eye muscles resembling a circular peeling edge in a 37-year-old woman. The condition "protruding iris collarette" is believed to be genetic and occurs when iris muscles fold over on exposure to bright light. However, doctors reassured the patient of the condition as a "normal variant" which doesn't affect vision and requires no treatment. |
Ocean's 8 makers hire therapist to prevent actresses' fights | The producers of 'Ocean's 8' have reportedly hired a therapist to prevent fights among its female cast, including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway. According to sources, there've been a few arguments on sets nand the makers want to finish the film on a good note and set the stage for promotions. The film will release in 2018.nn |
Kumar Mangalam Birla to be Chairman of Vodafone-Idea entity | Following the announcement of the merger between Vodafone India and Idea, Kumar Mangalam Birla has been appointed as the entity's Chairman. "I am pleased and honoured to be the chairman of the new company," he said. The new entity is expected to create India's largest telecom operator. The merger reportedly values Vodafone at $12.4 billion and Idea at $10.8 billion. |
I fear I may not be welcome in Trump's US: Stephen Hawking | Talking about plans on visiting the US, British physicist Stephen Hawking said, "I would like to visit again and to talk to other scientists, but I fear that I may not be welcome." He added that the country had taken a "definite swing to a rightwing, more authoritarian approach". The 75-year-old Cambridge scientist also raised concerns over Trump's environment policy. |
Disney workers once fought for right to clean underwear | Disney employees were not allowed to wear their own underwear under costumes until 2001, after which workers were given the right to clean undergarments. Under the negotiation, employees were allowed individual undergarments, which they could take home each night to wash. Earlier, they had to wear Disney-issued undergarments and the workers reportedly complained about dirty and stained clothes. |
Pak newspaper posed us as RAW agents: Indian Sufi cleric | One of the Indian Sufi clerics who had gone missing in Pakistan on Monday alleged that a Pakistani newspaper had printed the false news of them being RAW agents. "There is a newspaper Ummat which has printed false statements and photos," Nazim Nizami said. The two clerics, who safely arrived in Delhi on Monday, also thanked the Indian government. |
Slapped a man who touched my thighs: TV actress Pankhuri | Television actress Pankhuri Awasthy has revealed that she slapped a man in Bengaluru who tried to touch her thighs. She added, "Earlier, I didn't have the courage... Now I stop there and say a few bad words when somebody tries to tease me." Pankhuri is known for playing Razia Sultan in a TV series of the same name. |
Wireless tech based on infrared rays offers 40 Gbps speed | Netherlands-based researchers have developed a wireless network based on harmless infrared rays. A download speed of 42.8 Gbps was achieved per ray of infrared signal that was over 100 times more than commercial WiFi that uses radio signals. The higher data capacity was possible as the frequency of infrared is thousands of times higher than radio signals, researchers said. |
Manipur's 1st BJP CM Biren Singh wins floor test | Manipur's first BJP Chief Minister Nongthombam Biren Singh, won the floor test in the 60-member state Assembly on Monday. Notably, Congress had emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats. However, BJP with 21 seats, formed the government with the help of four NPP, four NPF, one LJP, one TMC and a Congress MLA who later joined the BJP. |
Alcohol, cocaine found in Paris airport attacker's blood | Blood tests have revealed that the gunman who attacked soldiers at Orly airport in Paris on Saturday had consumed alcohol, cannabis and cocaine. The attacker was killed after he put a gun to a soldier's head, saying he wanted to "die for Allah". France is on high alert following terrorist attacks that have claimed over 230 lives in two years. |
Beijing toilet gets face scanner to fight toilet paper theft | One of the busiest public toilets in Beijing has introduced a face scanner in response to elderly residents stealing toilet paper to use at home. People must stand before the facial recognition dispenser for three seconds before a 60-centimetre ration is released. They must wait nine minutes before using it again and will be denied if they come too often. |
Flight attendant dances to Britney Spears' 'Toxic' on plane | A flight attendant on Malaysian airline AirAsia, Assraf Nasir, recreated Britney Spears' 'Toxic' music video aboard a plane. The video was originally shared by Nasir's co-worker and has been viewed over 9 million times across various platforms. It was later shared by AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, with the caption "love it that staff can just have fun and be themselves". |
Snapdeal names Jason Kothari as FreeCharge CEO, invests $20M | Snapdeal has committed to invest $20 million in online recharge platform FreeCharge and appointed Snapdeal's Chief Strategy and Investment Officer Jason Kothari as the CEO of FreeCharge. Kothari will continue with his role at Snapdeal but will also join FreeCharge's board. In 2015, Snapdeal had acquired FreeCharge for an estimated â¹2,400 crore. |
Firefighter claims to have taken Dhoni's phones by mistake | A police official has said that the firefighter, from whom former Indian captain MS Dhoni's mobile phones were recovered, had taken them inadvertently and was unaware that they belonged to Dhoni. The phones went missing after Dhoni, staying at the WelcomHotel with the Jharkhand team, had to evacuate the hotel after a fire broke out in the hotel's vicinity. |
Ex-England captain takes a dig at Australian cricket team | Former England captain Michael Vaughan took a dig at Australia's performance in the ongoing Ranchi Test against India, through a tweet on Sunday. Vaughan tweeted how his weekend was not going well but there was "always Aussie cricket to brighten it up". Under Vaughan's captaincy, England regained the Ashes in 2005, 18 years after they had last won it. |
Completion of Delhi-Meerut expressway delayed again | The completion of the Delhi-Meerut expressway has been further postponed to March 2018, an official has said. The official added that 15% of the construction work in segment one has been finished but the bidding process for the second construction package has not been completed yet. The Delhi-Meerut Expressway will reduce travel time from two hours to around 45 minutes. |
Philippine Prez asks European MPs to mind their own business | Deriding the European Parliament for passing a resolution condemning his plans to revive the death penalty for his war on drugs, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte asked the Parliament to "mind its own business" and stop interfering in the country's affairs. "Why do you have to fuck with us, goddamn it?â Duterte added. |
NIT Warangal student commits suicide | A final-year student of NIT Warangal in Telangana allegedly committed suicide by jumping from the fifth floor of his hostel building on Sunday. Identified as Sanketh Kumar Suryavamsi, the 22-year-old civil engineering student hailed from Latur in Maharashtra, police said. According to media reports, Sanketh had slashed his wrists before jumping from the building. |
Three-fold increase in rape cases in Kerala in 9 yrs | Kerala police data has shown a three-fold increase in the number of rape cases in the last decade, from 500 in 2007 to 1,644 in 2016. Cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act also increased to 2,093 in 2016 from 1,002 in 2013. However, only 53 accused were convicted under POCSO in the last 3 years. |
New glass bridge opens in China | A new glass bridge has opened on Mount Langya in Hebei, China. The bridge, located nearly 1,500 feet above a gorge, leads visitors to a 5,015-square-feet circular observation deck that is capable of accommodating up to 200 people. Visitors can reach the bridge and observation deck via a three-hour hike. |
Germany threatens legal action at WTO if US hikes import tax | Germany has threatened to file a litigation at the World Trade Organisation against US President Donald Trump after he warned that the US would impose a 35% border tax on BMW vehicles, produced at a new plant in Mexico. "You're not allowed to take more than 2.5% taxes on imports of cars," German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries said. |
Gulen was not behind failed Turkish coup: Germany | German intelligence has said that there is no evidence that self-exiled US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen was behind the failed 2016 military coup aimed at ousting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Turkey tried to convince us at every level, but...didn't succeed," Intelligence added. Turkish authorities blame Gulen for the attempted coup in which at least 265 people were killed. |
Idea, Vodafone to merge to form Indiaâs largest telecom firm | Idea Cellular's board has approved merger with Vodafone India to create country's largest telecom company both in terms of revenues and subscribers. While Vodafone will hold a 45.1% stake in combined company, Idea will hold a 26% stake and remaining stake will be held by public. The merger reportedly values Vodafone India at $12.4 billion and Idea at $10.8 billion. |
279 institutes and 23 universities in India are fake: UGC | As many as 279 technical institutes in India are offering engineering and other technical courses without permission and don't have the authority to grant degrees, according to University Grants Commission. It added that 23 universities in the country are fake. Delhi has 66 fake institutes, the highest for any state in India. |
Uber President quits within six months of joining | Uber's President Jeff Jones has quit within six months of joining citing differences in beliefs and approach towards leadership. In an email to employees, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said, "It is unfortunate that Jeff's exit was announced through the press". The top-level exit comes after Kalanick confessed he needs leadership help and announced to hire a COO. |
Five Indians in WEFâs 100 Young Global Leaders list | Five Indians have made it to the World Economic Forum's list of 100 Young Global Leaders under 40 years of age. These include Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Blippar app's Founder Ambarish Mitra, journalist Hindol Sengupta, Swaniti Initiative's Rwitwika Bhattacharya and The Tamara Coorg hospitality's Shruti Shibulal. All the people in the list are entitled to a five-year leadership journey. |
Boston schools introduce new 'equal area' world map | Public schools in US' Boston have introduced the Gall-Peters projection, an "equal-area" map that distorts the shape of nations but accurately scales surface areas. It differs from the Mercator projection, which has been used for 500 years. The Mercator projection, accused of being "eurocentric," wrongly portrays South America and Europe as the same size and western Europe in the centre. |
Aaj Kal main sirf Highway par Tamasha karta hoon: Imtiaz Ali | Actor Shah Rukh Khan shared a picture of Imtiaz Ali riding his bike while sharing how the filmmaker said, "Aaj Kal main sirf Highway par Tamasha karta hoon." Imtiaz's statement was a reference to his three films 'Love Aaj Kal', 'Highway' and 'Tamasha'. SRK, who was following Imtiaz in his car, tweeted, "Late night discussions with my director Imtiaz." |
Reaching temp of -273.15ºC proven mathematically impossible | London-based researchers have proved that achieving 'absolute zero' or -273.15°C temperature for any system is mathematically impossible. 'Absolute zero' (0 Kelvin) is a state at which energy, entropy, and enthalpy of a cooled ideal gas reach its minimum value, taken as 0. Researchers proved no real system will ever reach absolute zero in a finite number of steps and time. |
Italy named world's healthiest country | Italy has been ranked the world's healthiest country by Bloomberg Global Health Index, with a citizen expected to live up to 89 years. Italy is followed by Iceland, Switzerland, Singapore and Australia. Americans, Canadians, and Brits were found to be suffering from higher blood pressure, cholesterol, and poorer mental health compared to the Italians. |
Difficult to separate where I end and Ron begins: Rupert | Hollywood actor Rupert Grint, known for his portrayal of the character Ron Weasley in the 'Harry Potter' film franchise, has said that he finds it difficult to separate where he, as an individual, ends and the character Ron begins. He added, "I had a weird relationship with that character because after that we kind of merged into the same person." |
A man once auctioned his forehead as ad space for ââ¹24 lakh | Andrew Fischer from Nebraska, United States, auctioned his forehead on eBay as an advertising space for a month in 2005. Fischer sported a temporary tattoo of the logo of a company called SnoreStop, in exchange for the winning bid of overâ â¹24 lakh ($37,375). Fischer has since continued to use his forehead as an advertising space for numerous companies. |
Dangal actress Sanya choreographs Aamir in Secret Superstar | Actress Sanya Malhotra, who played Babita Phogat in 'Dangal', has choreographed a song featuring Aamir Khan in the upcoming film 'Secret Superstar'. Talking about the experience, Sanya said, "Not in my wildest dreams could I've imagined doing something so wonderful." Aamir has an extended cameo appearance in the film which is about a teenage girl aspiring to be a singer. |
â¹46.5 lakh in demonetised notes seized from Muzaffarnagar | The police seized demonetised banknotes of â¹1,000 and â¹500 denominations with the face value of â¹46.50 lakh from a car in Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, a senior official said. The notes were recovered from a car with three people in it, who were taken into custody for interrogation, the police official added. |
Roger Federer wins record-tying 5th Indian Wells title | Swiss tennis player Roger Federer defeated compatriot Stan Wawrinka 6-4, 7-5 to win the Indian Wells Masters for the fifth time, tying Novak Djokovic's tournament record. With the win, 35-year-old Federer became the oldest player to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. This was Federer's 90th career title, putting him third on the all-time list in the Open era. |
If the jokes on me stop coming, I will be upset: Alia Bhatt | Actress Alia Bhatt said that if the jokes on her stop coming, she will be upset. She added, "I'm either relevant or irrelevant. If I'm crossing your mind at any point of the day, I am relevant." Significantly, Alia was trolled on social media after she said that Prithviraj Chauhan is India's President on a Koffee with Karan episode. |
BCCI rejects states' 'unjustified' demand of â¹30L for IPL | BCCI CEO Rahul Johri has rejected demand of â¹30 lakh by 10 state associations for IPL. In a letter, Johri said their demand for funds on "ASAP basis" was "not justified". "The said amount can only be released after you have duly performed in full and at each match...taken all steps to ensure that IPL is conducted smoothly," wrote Johri. |
Turks stab oranges in protest against Netherlands | Following the diplomatic spat between Turkey and Netherlands, supporters of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan were seen stabbing and squeezing the fruit orange in protest. Notably, orange is the national colour of Netherlands. This comes after Netherlands blocked Turkish ministers from holding rallies in Netherlands in support of President Erdogan's plans to change the Turkish constitution. |