PRIME Minister Narendra Modi will host the first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format on January 27 during which the leaders are expected to deliberate on steps to take forward relations to newer heights as well as the evolving regional security situation. The virtual summit will be held with the participation of the five Presidents - Kazakhstan’s Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbekistan’s Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Emomali Rahmon, of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow and Sadyr Japarov ..

SAMAJWADI Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav joined the BJP on Wednesday, asserting that she has always been impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She joined the party in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and its state chief Swatantra Dev Singh. Expressing her admiration for Modi, she also said the nation’s interest has always been a priority for her and praised several schemes of the BJP Government for cleanliness, empowerment ..

THE Enforcement Directorate (ED) has siezed around Rs 10 crore in cash, including Rs 8 crore from premises linked to a relative of Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, during the raids conducted in an anti-money laundering investigation against illegal sand mining operations in the poll-bound border State, officials said on Wednesday. The raids that were launched at a dozen locations in the State on Tuesday were completed early on this morning with the agency also seizing a number..

SATELLITE photos obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday appear to show the aftermath of a fatal attack on an oil facility in the capital of the UAE claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The images by Planet Labs PBC analysed by the AP show smoke rising over an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company fuel depot in the Mussafah neighbourhood of Abu Dhabi on Monday. Another image taken shortly after appears to show scorch marks and white fire-suppressing foam deployed on the grounds of the depot. The Abu Dhabi ..

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held an audio interaction with BJP workers of his Varanasi parliamentary constituency and reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment towards development. Restoration of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, women empowerment, infrastructure and healthcare development were among the topics that came up for discussion during the interaction. Interacting with one of the ‘karyakartas’ (party workers), Prime Minister Modi asked him to expand the reach of the Government’s welfare schemes ..

AMIDST fresh snowfall and two avalanches, the Indian Army and General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) rescued 30 civilians stuck on Chowkibal-Tangdhar road (NH-701) on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday. Two rescue teams comprising of avalanche rescue teams from the Indian Army and a team of GREF reached the NC pass as soon as they received the information of civilians being stuck closer to Khooni Nala and SM Hill on NH 701. “Despite adverse weather conditions compounded by twin avalanches, ..

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to explain why, despite its orders, the intake of women candidates in National Defence Academy (NDA) for year 2022 has been restricted to 19, the figure same as last year. It asked the Centre to place the figures on record about the total number of candidates including women who have appeared in the NDA examination 2021, for entrance tests for Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) and for Rashtriya Military School (RMS)..

THE Republic Day parade at the Rajpath this year will see the “grandest and largest” flypast ever with the participation of 75 aircraft to mark the Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav celebrations, an IAF official said on Monday. The flypast will conclude with seven jaguar fighter aircraft flying in the ‘Amrit’ formation to commemorate the 75 years of Independence. “The flypast this year will be the grandest and largest with 75 aircraft from IAF, Army and Navy flying during the Republic Day parade. This is in ..

THE National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a bounty of Rs 10 lakh in cash for those providing information about Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) operative Jaswinder Singh Multani who is wanted for hatching conspiracy with ISI operatives to carry out terror attack in Mumbai and other parts of India. NIA’s Chandigarh branch issued the reward against Multani days after filing a First Information Report (FIR) against him as his links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence were established in hatching ..

INDIA’S first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant has returned to Kochi harbour after completion of its third sea trials in high seas, a defence spokesperson said here on Monday. “IAC returned from sea trials on January 16 (Sunday), wherein large number of ship systems were operated and tested with training on various equipment fitted onboard,” the spokesperson said, adding that the trial data will now be analysed with mandatory inspections and balance work on the ship. The IAC had begun its ..

KATHAK doyen Birju Maharaj, who took the classical Indian dance form to the world and helped make it accessible for generations of students and audiences, died at his home here in the early hours of Monday. He would have been 84 next month. Maharaj-ji, as he was popularly known, died surrounded by his family and disciples, laughing and smiling till the very end. They were playing ‘antakshari’ after dinner when he suddenly took ill, his granddaughter Ragini Maharaj told PTI. Birju Maharaj, one of India’s ..

RESEARCHERS from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Mandi and the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) have identified phytochemicals in the petals of a Himalayan plant that could potentially be used to treat COVID-19 infection. The research found that phytochemical-rich petals of Rhododendron arboreum found in the Himalayan region, locally called “Buransh” show antiviral activity and fight against the virus. The findings of the research team have been recently ..

     JAIPUR, THE Rajasthan Government on Sunday decided to recommend a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the case of the mentally challenged girl who was found in a distressed condition on a bridge in Alwar wi..

   BENGALURU,THE Karnataka High Court has convicted two representatives of India Awake for Transparency Limited for filing repeated cases against IT major Wipro Limited and its founder and chairman Azim Premji. Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, W..

   NEW DELHI,  THE Navies of India and Russia conducted a passing exercise in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy said on Sunday. Indian Navy’s indigenously-designed and built guided missile destroyer INS Kochi exercised with R..

INDIA added 2,71,202 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,71,22,164, including 7,743 cases of the Omicron variant, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The country saw 1,702 new cases of Omicron variant, the highest in a single day so far, and an increase of 28.17 per cent since Saturday. Experts said it is not possible to undertake genome sequencing of each and every sample, but stressed that this wave is largely being driven by Omicron...

INDIA Meteorological Department (IMD) is looking at conducting a pilot project in 2023 for using drones for weather observations across India. Ever since the Ministry of Civil Aviation notified the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021, in August last year, there have been talks of the immense potential that using drones will have for multiple applications. Although this included talks about observational forecasting by the IMD, it was the Minister for State for Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh, while speaking ..

THE demand for reopening of schools in Maharashtra will be considered after the next 10-15 days as there is a low incidence of coronavirus infection in children and students are suffering education loss, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said here on Sunday. He said the final decision will be taken by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Schools have been shut in Maharashtra till February 15 due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across the State. “Demands are rising from certain quarters for ..

JET fuel or ATF price on Sunday was hiked by 4.2 per cent - the second increase in rates this month warranted by firming international oil prices, but petrol and diesel prices remained unchanged for the 72nd day in a row. Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) price was hiked by Rs 3,232.87 per kilolitre, or 4.25 per cent, to Rs 79,294.91 per kl in the national capital, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. This is the second increase in rates this month. Rates were hiked by Rs ..

THE Rourkela Steel Plant, a unit of Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking SAIL, has received a certificate from the Indian Navy for producing high-strength steel for making submarines, a statement said on Sunday. A high-level Navy delegation led by Rear Admiral R Vishwanathan interacted with S R Suryavanshi, Executive Director (works) and other senior officers of the Odisha-based RSP here on January 13 for commercial production of DMR grade speciality steel, it said. Senior officers of the Chief ..

INTENSE cold wave continued in J&K and Ladakh on Saturday as morning fog covered most parts of Jammu city and its adjoining areas. An official of the Indian Meteorological department (IMD) said cold wave continued in J&K and Ladakh on Saturday as morning fog added to the chilly conditions in Jammu city and its adjoining areas. Srinagar recorded minus 4.5 degree Celsius, Pahalgam minus 11.4 and Gulmarg minus 9.5 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature on Saturday...

THE Sri Lankan Government said that the massive star sapphire cluster found in the country last year has been registered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest ever. State Minister of Gem and Jewellery Related Industries Lohan Ratwatte told the local media on Friday said the stone, weighing over 500 kg, had entered the Guinness Book after it was certified as the largest star sapphire cluster by the Gubelin Gem Lab in Switzerland, reports Xinhua news agency...

A SERIOUS anti-trust complaint in the US has reportedly revealed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were allegedly involved in an ad collusion plot, a charge that both tech giants denied. Attorneys for Texas and other states alleged in newly unsealed court filings that Zuckerberg and Pichai “personally approved a secret deal that gave the social network a leg up in the search giant’s online advertising auctions”, reports Politico. Led by Texas Attorney General ..

INDIAN Army unveiled its new combat uniform at the parade on the occasion of Army Day on Saturday. The new combat uniform for Army personnel is aimed to provide more comfort and sustainability. In a first, the Army Day parade witnessed the new uniform and weapons of different era. The troops will also march donning the same uniform during the Republic Day parade this year. The new uniform is of digital pattern like the troops of the US Army. “The camouflage of the changed uniform is better than its ..

A 42-YEAR-OLD woman showed her presence of mind by taking control of a mini bus, carrying women and children, after the driver suffered a seizure in Maharashtra’s Pune district, an official said on Saturday. A video of the incident, which took place on January 7, has gone viral on social media. The woman, Yogita Satav, was travelling with other women and children after picnicking at an agro-tourism centre in Shirur near Pune. The driver showed signs of a seizure and stopped the vehicle in the middle ..

INDIA’S forest and tree cover has risen by 2,261 square kilometers in the last two years with Andhra Pradesh growing the maximum forest cover of 647 square kilometers, according to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2021 released on Thursday. The biennial report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), an assessment of the country’s forest resources, was released by Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. He revealed that the total tree-and-forest cover in the country includes an increase of ..

THE Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist killed in the encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir has been identified as Babar Bhai of Pakistan who was active since 2018, police said on Thursday. The encounter took place in Pariwan area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday after the security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists there. “Killed JeM #terrorist identified as Babar bhai of #Pakistan, active since ..

INDIA and the UK on Thursday formally launched negotiations for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA), which is expected to help double bilateral trade by 2030 and boost economic ties between the two countries. It was launched by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and UK Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan here. Goyal said that today, the terms of reference of the free trade agreement have been finalised and formally endorsed by both countries. “We are launching ..

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday interacted with Chief Ministers over the COVID-19 situation in the country and stressed on local containment of the virus spread as well as ensuring minimum damage to livelihood while making strategies to deal with the surge in cases due to the Omicron variant. In his remarks at the meeting, the Prime Minister underlined the importance of vaccination and the need to further accelerate the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ programme to achieve 100 per cent vaccination coverage. ..

AUSTRALIAN botanists have assembled the genomic sequence of one of Australia’s most significant and iconic flowers, the New South Wales Waratah. The team of researchers, led by the Australian Institute of Botanical Science, said the sequencing, published in the Molecular Ecology Resources journal on Wednesday, would play a vital role in the future conservation of the plant. The research would allow future varieties of the flowering plant to be bred with protection against pests and disease. It ..

A CRYPTOCURRENCY CEO has become one of the richest people on Earth, CNN reported. Changpeng “C Z” Zhao, who runs the crypto exchange Binance, has joined the ranks of the world’s top billionaires, with an estimated net worth of at least $96.5 billion, according to new calculations from the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Zhao’s projected fortune now is just below that of Oracle founder Larry Ellison and surpasses that of Mukesh Ambani, the Indian tycoon whose fortune has also soared over the last two ..

AMID political turmoil in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is holding a meeting with party’s State core group members for the second day in a row on Wednesday at the headquarters in the national capital. The meeting is also being attended by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, among others. In 10-hour-long Tuesday’s meeting, deliberations were held on probable candidates and all other aspects of State Assembly polls. Shah, who is also party’s ..

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the “sense of responsibility” of the country’s youth and said it manifested in the pace of COVID-19 vaccination in the 15-18 years age group that has covered over two crore children since its rollout this month. Virtually inaugurating the 25th edition of the National Youth Festival here, Modi also said his Government’s recent decision to increase the legal marriage age of women to 21 years was for the betterment of “our daughters” and ensure that they ..

THE Indian Army will continue to deal with the Chinese PLA in a firm and resolute manner in eastern Ladakh and it has been maintaining the highest level of operational preparedness in the region, Army Chief General MM Naravane said on Wednesday. At a press conference ahead of the Army Day, General Naravane said though there has been partial engagement in the region, the “threat by no means has reduced”. “We have continued to maintain the highest levels of operational preparedness while at the same ..

THE Customs officials at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) have seized 970 gram of gold in paste form from a passenger who had concealed it in the bandages tied to calves of both the legs. The gold valued at Rs 47.55 lakh was seized from a male passenger who arrived from Sharjah on Sunday. A case of gold smuggling has been booked against the passenger. On Monday, another passenger arrived from Dubai with 442.6 gram of gold valued at Rs 21.70 lakh...

IN A medical first, doctors transplanted a pig heart into a patient in a last-ditch effort to save his life and a Maryland hospital said Monday that he’s doing well three days after the highly experimental surgery. While it’s too soon to know if the operation really will work, it marks a step in the decades-long quest to one day use animal organs for life-saving transplants. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medical Center say the transplant showed that a heart from a genetically modified animal ..

THE ICMR’s National Task Force for COVID-19 has decided against including antiviral drug Molnupiravir in the Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 as of now, official sources said on Tuesday. The experts of the task force cited safety concerns and argued that Molnupiravir was not of much benefit in Covid treatment to arrive at the decision in a meeting held on Monday. According to the Health Ministry, Molnupiravir is an antiviral drug that inhibits SARS-CoV-2 replication by viral mutagenesis. ..

INDIA on Tuesday successfully test-fired a naval variant of the advanced supersonic BrahMos cruise missile from a stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Indian Navy. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said the missile hit the designated target “precisely”. “Advanced sea to sea variant of BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile was tested from INS Visakhapatnam on Tuesday. Missile hit the designated target ship precisely,” the DRDO tweeted. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the successful ..

THE Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is open to looking at solutions that can enable ‘partial authentication’ where needed, and is keen to get feedback from the industry about the demand for such solutions, its CEO Saurabh Garg said on Tuesday. The Aadhaar-issuing body is also exploring possibilities for the usage of blockchain and quantum computing, as it marches ahead towards the ‘Aadhaar 2.0’ vision. “We are also open to looking at what is called partial authentication. Some people ..

THE Opposition Congress’ ‘padayatra’ demanding implementation of the Mekedatu reservoir project across the Cauvery river entered the second day on Monday, even as the police has booked senior party leaders including Siddaramiah and D K Shivakumar for taking out the protest defying COVID-19 curbs. FIRs have been registered against nearly 30 Congress leaders and others, official sources said. FIRs have been filed against Congress’ State President Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly ..

JANE Campion’s Western drama “The Power of the Dog” was named the best motion picture drama and satirical black comedy “Succession” emerged as the best drama series at the 79th edition of the Golden Globe awards, which was not a starry affair owing to a Hollywood boycott. “The Power of the Dog” also won Campion the golden gong for the best director motion picture and rising star Kodi Smit-McPhee a trophy for best performance by an actor in a supporting role in any motion picture. “Succession”, a much ..

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi has sent 100 pairs of jute footwear for those working at Kashi Vishwanath Dham after coming to know that most of them perform their duties bare-footed as it is forbidden to wear leather or rubber footwear in temple premises, Government sources said on Monday. These include priests, people performing seva, security guards, sanitation workers and others, they added. Modi got the jute footwear procured and sent over to the dham so that those performing their duties don’t ..

AMID the surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant, India began administering ‘precaution doses’ to healthcare, frontline workers and senior citizens with comorbidities on Monday. Beneficiaries have hailed the Government’s decision and said that it is a good initiative. ‘I have got my precautionary booster dose. Everyone should get vaccinated. It is compulsory and it has no side effects. I have got Covaxin,” said Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, a beneficiary at RML hospital. Mahendra Pandey, ..

THE Supreme Court on Monday said it would set up a panel headed by its former judge to probe the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Punjab and stayed the parallel inquiries by committees of the Centre and the State Government into the lapses. Stressing that the apex court was not “undermining the importance of the security of the Prime Minister” and dealing it with “all seriousness”, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana said that the separate ..

THE modest ‘mosambi or sweet lime can now be used to prevent cancer. Researchers at IIT (BHU) claim that the ‘mosambi’ (Citrus limetta) peels can be used to remove heavy metals from water and prevent cancer and other life-threatening ailments. The researchers at the School of Biochemical Engineering, IIT (BHU) have synthesized an eco-friendly and cost-effective adsorbent, which can remove toxic heavy metal ions such as hexavalent chromium from contaminated water and wastewater. Dr Vishal Mishra, ..

PRICES of air conditioners and refrigerators have shot up in the new year as consumer durables makers pass on the impact of rising raw material costs and higher freight charges to customers, while home appliances like washing machines may witness 5-10 per cent price hike later this month or by March. Companies including Panasonic, LG, Haier have already reviewed prices upwards, while other makers such as Sony, Hitachi, Godrej Appliances may take a call by the end of this quarter. According to the ..

THE NEET-PG counselling will commence from January 12, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday. The Supreme Court on January 7, in an interim order, allowed resumption of medical counselling for NEET-PG admissions for the year 2021-22. It also upheld the validity of 27 per cent OBC and 10 per cent EWS quotas. “As assured by the Ministry of Health to the resident doctors, following the order of the Honourable Supreme Court, the NEET-PG counselling is being started by the Medical Counsellin..

MANDARIN Oriental New York, the premium luxury hotel a subsidiary of Reliance Industries is acquiring, is known for its much-in-demand ballroom, five-star spa and eating and drinking venues, including MO Lounge. Liam Neeson and Lucy Liu are among regular guests. Set up in 2003, 248-rooms-and-suites hotel towering over Central Park is an iconic luxury hotel located at 80 Columbus Circle, directly adjacent to the pristine Central Park and Columbus Circle. Mandarin Oriental New York occupies floors 35-54 ..

THE Maharashtra Government will gradually bring curbs at places of worship and other sites, including liquor vends, that attract crowds to control the coronavirus pandemic, State Health Minister Rajesh Tope said on Sunday, a day after the State decided to tighten restrictions in the face of surging COVID-19 cases. Speaking to reporters in Jalna, the Minister said that the restrictions imposed by the Government a day earlier were in the interest of the people. “Curbs in crowded areas like liquor shops ..

A WELL-KNOWN locksmith in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh district along with his wife has made the world’s largest lock. This lock, which opens only with a 30 kg key, will be dedicated by the couple to the Ram temple being constructed in Ayodhya. The picture of Lord Ram has been engraved on this lock which costs Rs two lakh. Sixty five-year-old Satyaprakash Sharma, a locksmith and a resident of Aligarh’s Jwalapuri area, told IANS that it has taken him nearly six months to make this lock which weighs nearly ..