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Why seat-sharing for 2019 Lok Sabha polls in UP could be an uphill task

5 hours ago  
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'Our families would be killed': Rohingya brace for monsoon

5 hours ago  
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Marooned on a dusty slope in the world's largest refugee camp, Osiur Rahman looked to the hill where a Rohingya girl was buried in a landslide just days earlier and contemplated his chances should the earth give way beneath his feet. "Our families would be killed. There are children everywhere around here. We constantly fear that rain could trigger a landslide," the 53-year-old told AFP on the steep embankment where he lives with nine family members in a bamboo shack. For the 700,000 Rohingya Muslims who have fled to southeast Bangladesh in the past nine months, the approaching monsoon season poses the most serious threat since they were violently expelled from Myanmar. Close to one million of the stateless Muslim minority live in the Cox's Bazar district but the new arrivals, stranded on unstable hills in bamboo and plastic shacks, are especially vulnerable. A massive operation to shore up the camps against disaster is in overdrive, with bulldozers levelling hills and refugees .....
                 

Porter no. 15: Life of first woman coolie at Jaipur railway station

5 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Manju Devi stands tall in her fraternity, being the first woman porter of the North-West Railways, in a profession that is considered a male bastion. She has been the sole breadwinner for her three teenage children. She lost her husband 10 years ago. After overcoming family disputes and psychological hurdles and encouraged by her mother Mohini, Devi acquired her deceased husband Mahadev's porter license no. 15 and took to the demanding task of hauling luggage of passengers at the Jaipur Railway Station. Authorities initially told her there were no women porters and hence it would be difficult for her. But she persisted and eventually given the badge number, she had said. It took her a while to get a grasp of the realities of her job and the challenge included designing her own uniform. Now, clad in a red kurta and white salwar, she sets out every day to work in multiple shifts, to make ends meet for her family. Manju was among 112 women who were felicitated by the Ministry of Women .....
                 

Cleanliness drive organised at Dimapur railway station

5 hours ago  
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British music festival cancelled after two deaths

5 hours ago  
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PM slams Oppn for stalling development work

5 hours ago  
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lashed out at the Congress and other opposition parties for joining hands with an aim to 'break' the ruling the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 'act as obstacles in development' of the country."Those who worship a family can never worship democracy. They even deny the courage of the Indian Army for conducting the surgical strike. When international agencies praised India, then also they ran behind them to take a stand," Prime Minister Modi said here while inaugurating the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal (KGP) expressway, also known as the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE).Further taking on the Congress, Prime Minister Modi said: "Congress makes a joke out of whatever work is done for the poor Dalits and backward classes. They create obstacles in the development work and even treat that with disrespect. They think creating toilets for women is a joke, 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' is a joke, providing free LPG connections is a joke, making bank accounts is a..
                 

Delhi Metro: South Campus, Moti Bagh among 10 stations renamed

5 hours ago  
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Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus and Sir Vishweshwaraiah Moti Bagh stations on the Delhi Metro Pink Line did not carry the name of the two personalities in the original plan and they were rechristened on the recommendations of a panel, which had suggested renaming of eight other names on the network, according to sources. Durgabai Deshmukh South Campus station, named after the freedom fighter, social worker and educationist, is a part of the Pink Line corridor inaugurated in mid-March, and Sir Vishweshwaraiah Moti Bagh station, expected to open soon, intends to fortify the legacy of the legendary engineer-scholar. Both places are among the 10 stations whose names were changed following recommendations of the committee set up for reanaming metro stations, the sources said. "The other stations include Tughlakabad (changed to Tughlakabad Station), Okhla (to Harkesh Nagar Okhla), Badarpur (to Badarpur Border) on Violet Line; Okhla-Phase III (to Okhla NSIC) on Magenta Line and Ghevra (Ghevra..
                 

Man shot in Bhiwandi tehsil

5 hours ago  
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Man, nephew buried alive under sand mound in Rajasthan

5 hours ago  
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Tata Trusts signs MoU with govt to provide dev support in Naxal-hit districts

5 hours ago  
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The Tata Trusts has joined hands with the government to help it in development initiatives in eight worst Naxal-affected districts in Chhattisgarh, which were covered under the "transformation of aspirational" districts programme. The Home Ministry officials said the Tata Trusts, the philanthropic organisation started by the promoters of the Tata group, has signed an MoU with the government to provide technical and human resource assistance to the special development programme launched by the NITI Aayog. As per the pact, the Tata Trusts will help the government in conducting surveys and providing ground level and technical support in raising the living standards of citizens and ensuring inclusive growth for all,a home ministry official said. The eight worst Naxal-hit districts, which were chosen for the programme and would be helped by the Tata Trusts are Rajnandgaon, Kanker, Bastar, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma. Two more districts of Chhattisgarh are also part ...
                 

Watch and learn before mordernising IT prospect: Nasscom's Chairman Premji

5 hours ago  
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125-year-old jeans sell for nearly $100,000

6 hours ago  
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We have got justice for Savita", says grieving father while thanking Irish voters for historic referendum on abortion

6 hours ago  
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The still-grieving father of Savita Halappanavar, the 31-year-old Indian dentist who died of sepsis in 2012 after being denied an abortion during a miscarriage, has welcomed the result of Ireland's landmark referendum to overturn the abortion ban, saying "we have got justice for Savita". Savita's death was a catalyst for the movement to repeal the eighth amendment, paving the way for new legislation to allow for the termination of pregnancies in the predominantly Catholic country. The Eighth Amendment grants an equal right to life to the mother and unborn, is now set to be replaced. In the referendum held on Friday and results announced last night, people in Ireland voted overwhelmingly to overturn the abortion ban by 66.4 per cent to 33.6 per cent. Hundreds of People chanted Savita's name soon after the outcome of the referendum was announced. Ireland's Indian-origin Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, who campaigned in favour of liberalisation, said it was "a historic day for Ireland," and..
                 

IIT Delhi in HC against coupling of its name with FIIT-JEE at metro station

6 hours ago  
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The Delhi High Court has sought the response of DMRC on a plea by the IIT against coupling of its name with that of coaching centre FIIT-JEE at the metro station near the engineering institute. Justice Rajiv Shakdher, before whom the matter came up for hearing, has issued notice to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and FIIT-JEE and sought their stands on IIT's plea that the 'co-branding' has misled people to think that both have partnered together. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in its plea has sought directions to the Delhi metro to not use its name in conjunction with that of FIIT-JEE, claiming it is tarnishing the image of the premier engineering institute. The institute, in its plea, has said that due to the coupling of the names, it has been receiving queries and complaints from aspiring candidates, parents and even alumni, asking if FIIT-JEE was the 'official' coaching partner for those aspiring to gain entrance to IIT. The Delhi metro has been since 2014 .....
                 

Ex-ISI chief reveals why Pakistan does not want to act against Hafiz Saeed

6 hours ago  
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My grandmothers didn't tell me stories: Ruskin Bond

6 hours ago  
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Many children had their granny as their first storyteller but author Ruskin Bond says neither of his grandmothers told him any tale while he was a kid. As a boy, the author was very fond of reading and wanted to emulate his favourite authors and be one of them himself. He read everything he could lay his hands on - from Charles Dickens, P G Wodehouse, Somerset Maugham to Graham Greene. "I read everything from detective stories to the classics. It all made a difference. The books, the authors you read in the formative years are the ones that have the most impact," says Bond, who turned 84 on May 19. The prolific writer says the love of language and literature has kept him going. And he is also inspired by nature and the streams, hills and trees. "Many people had their grandmothers to tell them stories but nobody told me any. I started reading early and thus I read my own stories," he says. "One of my grandmothers was a very silent woman, the other one used to scold me a lot. So I don't..
                 

OYO forays into holiday packages, targets 10% sales from this

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Hospitality company OYO has made a foray into the holiday packages segment with 'OYO Total Holidays' and expects 10 per cent of its total revenues to come from this over the next five years, a top company executive said. "With the leisure segment growing rapidly, we find people taking several short breaks in a year providing a huge opportunity in the holiday package segment. So launching OYO Total Holidays two months back was a natural progression beyond hotel rooms. Now we will offer one-stop travel solution across the country and select overseas destinations," OYO chief operating officer Abhinav Sinha told PTI here. "In this segment, we will provide end-to-end travel solutions including, hotels, inter and intra travel facilities, sight seeing, tourist guides, all meals and for select locations flights tickets and visa facilities," Sinha added. The company, he said, is expecting OYO Total Holidays to contribute up to 10 per cent of the total revenue in five years, he ...
                 

Counseling for pregnant women gets personalized

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
New chromosome study can lead to personalised counseling of pregnant women, claims a team of researchers.Fetuses with a so-called new balanced chromosomal aberration have a higher risk of developing brain disorders such as autism and mental retardation than previously anticipated. According to a study conducted by the University of Copenhagen, the risk is 20 percent for fetuses with these types of aberrations.These chromosomal aberrations are seen in the fetus in one out of 2,000 pregnant women. Until now, when such an aberration has been found, the medical doctors have told the pregnant woman that the fetus' risk of developing congenital malformations is 6-9 percent."We have identified all the people who, as fetuses, were diagnosed with such a chromosomal aberration in Denmark, and we can see that they more often have developed a disease. The previous study, which found a risk of 6-9 percent, mainly looked at congenital malformations and did not include neurocognitive diseases such ....
                 

PM Modi stresses on Fit India, Yoga Day in 'Mann Ki Baat'

6 hours ago  
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the country's response to his 'Fit India' initiative, saying that he did not anticipate the kind of response it garnered from the country.Addressing the nation on the 44th edition of the monthly radio programme, 'Mann Ki Baat', he said, "My dear countrymen, especially my young friends, just a couple of months ago, when I mentioned 'Fit India', I did not think it would draw such a good response; that a large number of people would come forward to support it. When I say 'Fit India', I believe that the more we play, the more we will inspire the country to come out and play.""People are sharing videos of Fitness Challenge on social media; they are tagging each other to spread the challenge. Everybody is now getting connected with this Fit India Campaign. People from the film fraternity, from the world of Sports, common citizens of the country, members of the armed forces, school teachers or even those toiling in fields and farms, their rising ...
                 

PNB fraud: ED to seek immediate confiscation of Nirav Modi's 70-bn assets

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Editor's Pick  
                 

Petrol prices rise for 14th straight day; cross Rs 78 mark in Delhi

6 hours ago  
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Blake Lively drove husband to hospital during childbirth

6 hours ago  
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Gorakhpur's terracotta products to get Geographical Indication tag

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The famed baked clay or 'terracotta' product made from special soil found in Bhathat area of Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur district is all set to get the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. Terracotta products are also the major source of income for the residents of Aurangabad area in this district. "The process of GI certification for terracotta products is underway. It will benefit the artists and those involved in its trade in national and oversees market," Puja Srivastav, assistant commissioner commerce and trade, said. Terracotta was selected under the 'One District One Product' scheme of the Uttar Pradesh government and will soon get the GI tag. Rajnikant of Human Welfare Organisation, who is assisting terracotta artisans to get the GI tag with the help of NABARD, said the news has brought hope among the poor artisans of Aurangabad. "After the work of many years, terracotta artists will get the recognition," he said. Terracotta artist Devideen Prajapati said, "I do not know since when..
                 

PM pays homage to Nehru on his death anniversary

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid homage to Jawahar Lal Nehru on his death anniversary and hailed the contribution of Veer Savarkar for disapproving suggestions that events in 1857 were merely a "sepoy mutiny". "...today is May 27, the death anniversary of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru ji. I render my pranam to Pandit ji. Memories of this month are also linked with Veer Savarkar," he said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address. He recalled that in May 1857, Indians had displayed their strength against the British. "It is indeed sad that we kept on calling the events of 1857 only as a rebellion or a soldiers' mutiny for a very long time. In fact, May 1857 was not only evaluated as a minor historical incident but was also an attempt to dent our self-respect. "It was Veer Savarkar who boldly expostulated by writing that whatever happened in 1857 was not a revolt but was indeed the first war of independence," he said. Modi recalled that Savarkar, .....
                 

Imtiaz yet to lock the script and cast for his next: spokesperson

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Reports have been doing the rounds that filmmaker Imtiaz Ali will collaborate with either Ranbir Kapoor or Shahid Kapoor for his upcoming film, but the spokesperson of the director today refuted the rumours saying he is "yet to finalise" the script for his next project. The spokesperson said Imtiaz has also not taken a final call on the casting of his forthcoming film. "Imtiaz has many stories in his mind and is yet to finalise the one that he wants to make next. So at this point there is no question of casting for it. We'd like to categorically state that no actor has been finalised for his next film as yet. "The official announcement which will be made as an when we are ready," the spokesperson said in a statement. Imtiaz's last directorial venture was 2017 film "Jab Harry Met Sejal", featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharma...
                 

Traditional sports fading away: PM

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Stay fit, play games but do not forget the traditional sports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today, highlighting the role of physical and mental fitness for all-round development. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast, he said he was overwhelmed by the response to his 'fit India' campaign. "For me, it's heartwarming that the captain of the Indian cricket team Virat Kohli has included me in his challenge... I too have accepted his challenge. I believe this is gainful and this kind of a challenge will inspire us to be fit alongwith others, as well," he said. But at the same time he expressed concern over "fading away" of traditional sport such as 'kho khho', 'pitthu', 'lattu' and 'gulli-danda' "to the point of extinction". "...it will be the loss of the spirit of childhood," he said and recalled a poem which talked of end of childhood and the games and the fun associated with it. "It is crucial that today schools, neighbourhoods and youth congregations come forward and .....
                 

Twitter was down for a while on Saturday

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Hillary Clinton says she wants to be Facebook CEO. Is Zuckerberg listening?

6 hours ago  
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Centre in HC against CIC order on Khemka's deputation

6 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Centre has moved the Delhi High Court against a CIC order asking it to inform whether IAS officer Ashok Khemka, known for cancelling Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's alleged illegal land deal in Gurgaon, was considered for the post of joint secretary in the Centre. The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) in its plea has also challenged a single judge's order upholding the January 2017 decision of the Central Information Commission (CIC). The CIC in its order had directed DoPT to disclose whether the name of Khemka, an IAS officer of 1991 batch of the Haryana state cadre, was placed before the Civil Services Board (CSB) for deputation as joint secretary to Government of India under the Central Staffing Scheme of 2014. The matter is expected to be heard by a bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and A K Chawla in July. The appeal by the DoPT, moved through advocates Rahul Sharma and C K Bhatt, has claimed that the information sought by Khemka, also known for the numerous..
                 

DRI seizes 6 kg ivory worth Rs 35 lakh in Assam

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized 24 pieces of ivory weighing about six kilograms collectively from two persons, including a contractual employee of the railways, near the Guwahati Railway Station. The duo was to smuggle out the ivory to Nepal. It has been confirmed by wildlife officials that the tusks were extracted after killing at least five adult and subadult elephants. Since the ivory has been sourced from Hojai, it is believed that the elephants were in all likelihood killed in the Karbi Anglong region of Assam, the DRI said in a statement issued today. The interception took place yesterday as the recipient of the ivory, Suraj Kumar Das, hailing from West Bengal was in the process of receiving the package from one Mohammad Badrul Hussain, hailing from Hojai district of Assam, it said. Das is working as a coach attendant of Saraighat Express, the agency said. Interrogation of the two has revealed that Hussain had picked up the package containing ivory from ...
                 

TCS spent Rs 15 bn on R&D & innovation in FY18, up 17% over last year

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Editor's Pick  
                 

World Cup official anthem: Will Smith's 'Live It Up' fails to enthuse fans

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

India delighted to host World Environment Day: PM Modi

7 hours ago  
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed his happiness over India officially hosting this year's World Environment Day.Addressing the nation on the 44th edition of 'Mann Ki Baat', the Prime Minister said, "On the 5th of June, our nation will officially host the World Environment Day Celebrations. This is a very important achievement for India and also a recognition of India's growing leadership in the direction of tackling climate change."The Prime Minister spoke about this year's theme- 'Beat Plastic Pollution' and appealed to the citizens to not use low-grade polythenes, plastics and try to curb the negative impact of plastic pollution on the environment, wildlife and health.He also urged people to set a target of achieving record plantation of trees with the onset of the rainy season and maintain the saplings till they grow.Speaking about the dust storms that had engulfed the country earlier this month, the Prime Minister said that 'the calamities are basically the result ....
                 

People raise concern over promulgation of Gilgit Baltistan Order, 2018

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Several political leaders and general public in Gilgit-Baltistan have raised concern over the promulgation of Gilgit Baltistan Order, 2018 replacing the Gilgit Baltistan Empowerment and Self-Governance Order of 2009.Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018, which essentially seizes the powers of Gilgit Baltistan Council and entrusts Prime Minister of Pakistan with indisputable authorities vis-a-vis Gilgit- Baltistan, was officially promulgated on May 21.The unilateral decision has drawn the disappointment and ire of civilians and political leaders cutting across party lines, alike.All have categorically condemned the decision citing it discriminatory, authoritative and suppressive in nature. They have also termed it devastating to the future of Gilgit-Baltistan.The lawmakers have alleged that the order that boasts of empowering the people of the region by giving them unprecedented liberty to exercise their fundamental rights across the country is, in reality, another document of deceit and .....
                 

Modi urges citizens to include yoga in life

7 hours ago  
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Ronaldo casts doubt on Real future, says now time to enjoy

7 hours ago  
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NASSCOM launches one more digital Plaza in China to provide market access to Indian IT firms

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
India's National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) today established one more Digital Collaborative Opportunities Plaza platform in China, in an effort to provide market access to Indian IT firms in the huge Chinese market. China's Guiyang Municipal government and the NASSCOM) today announced RMB 25 million (USD 39,13,342.50) worth of agreements between Chinese customers and the Indian service providers. The pilot projects were launched on the Sino-Indian Digital Collaborative Opportunities Plaza (SIDCOP) platform which would be executed over the next year, NASSCOM said. Last December, the NASSCOM established its first SIDCOP platform in the Chinese port city of Dalian which is India's first IT hub in China. India's top IT firms have a big presence in China, specially multi-nationals and IT Corridor at Dalian which were expected to provide a gateway for the Indian IT-small and medium-sized enterprises. The platform in Guiyang intends to create online and offline..
                 

'I really feel for him' -- Klopp agony as Karius howlers condemn Liverpool

7 hours ago  
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Devastated Jurgen Klopp admitted he was shell-shocked by Loris Karius's costly mistakes in Liverpool's 3-1 Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid on Saturday. Liverpool goalkeeper Karius played a huge role in his side's misery in Kiev as he gifted Madrid two goals. The 24-year-old handed Karim Benzema the opening goal when he threw the ball against the France forward and it rebounded into the net. Then, with Liverpool hoping to snatch a late equaliser, Karius let Gareth Bale's long-range effort slip through his grasp and into the net. Karius was in tears afer the final whistle, but tellingly not one of Liverpool's shattered players went over to immediately console him. Only Madrid's jubilant stars acknowledged the German's angst before, still sobbing uncontrollably, he went toward Liverpool's supporters to hold his hands up in an attempt to apologise for his blunders. While he wouldn't publicly condemn Karius, Reds boss Klopp made it clear the difference in the match was .....
                 

Bale steps out of Ronaldo's shadow to finally shine for Real

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
After a season dominated by injuries and disappointment at dropping down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu, Gareth Bale showed why he was once the most expensive player in the world to win a third consecutive Champions League final for Real Madrid. Bale came off the bench to score twice, including a stunning overhead kick with his first meaningful touch, as Real ran out 3-1 winners over Liverpool to secure a 13th European Cup in Kiev. Yet, despite the euphoria, Bale refused to commit his future to Madrid after being left on the sidelins from the start, just as he had for last season's final in his native Cardiff. "Obviously I was very disappointed not to start the game, I felt I deserved it but the manager makes the decisions," said Bale. "I have to sit down with my agent in the summer and discuss it." The Welshman didn't waste any time in making an impact with an acrobatic bicycle kick that will live long in the memory as it looped over the helpless Loris Karius, on a .....
                 

Ronaldo's future casts cloud over Real's historic treble

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Cristiano Ronaldo cast a shadow over Real Madrid's third consecutive Champions League triumph by suggesting he could have played his last game for the Spanish giants in Saturday's 3-1 win over Liverpool in Kiev. Ronaldo, 33, has now won five European Cups in all, but failed to score in a fourth final as Gareth Bale was the hero for Real after coming off the bench to score twice. "I am going to enjoy this moment and in the next few days I will give an answer to the fans, who have always been at my side," Ronaldo told BeIN Sports Spain. "It was very nice to be at Real Madrid. In the next few days I will speak." Ronaldo later admitted his immediate post-match comments had been ill-timed. "It wasn't the perfect time. I don't want to take away any credit from what Madrid have done. To win three consecutive Champions Leagues is a unique moment, he added. "Personal situations are not important at this moment." Ronaldo's comments appeared to target Real president Florentino Perez for a lack ....
                 

Zidane place in pantheon of great coaches secure as Real win again

7 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
He was one of the all-time greats as a player, and Zinedine Zidane now merits consideration as one of the game's great managers after making history with Real Madrid in Saturday's Champions League final. His team's 3-1 win over Liverpool on a dramatic evening in Kiev allowed Zidane to become the first coach ever to win the Champions League in three consecutive seasons, with Real becoming the first team to achieve that feat in more than 40 years. Less than two and a half years after being promoted from his position as coach of Real's second team to his first managerial role at the highest level, the Frenchman has become only the third coach in the history of the game to lift the European Cup three times. Leaving behind contemporaries Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, Zidane has equalled former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley and Carlo Ancelotti, the man he used to serve as an assistant. "I need to congratulate the players as it is not at all easy what they are doing," Zidane said after .....
                 

New element with magnetic properties discovered

7 hours ago  
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Scientists have discovered that the chemical element ruthenium (Ru) is the fourth element to have unique magnetic properties at room temperature. The discovery, led by researchers at the University of Minnesota in the US, could be used to improve sensors, devices in the computer memory and logic industry, or other devices using magnetic materials. The use of ferromagnetism, or the basic mechanism by which certain materials (such as iron) form permanent magnets or are attracted to magnets, reaches back as far as ancient times when lodestone was used for navigation. Since then only three elements on the periodic table have been found to be ferromagnetic at room temperature - iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), and nickel (Ni). The rare earth element gadolinium (Gd) nearly misses by only 8 degrees Celsius. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, opens the door to fundamental studies of this new ferromagnetic Ru. Magnetic materials are very important in industry and modern .....
                 

Wi-Fi adds wing to BharatNet, data usage jumps 190% in villages

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The launch of Wi-Fi hotspots under the rural broadband project 'BharatNet' has seen 190 per cent jump in data usage to 95 terabyte in six months of the service, as per an official report. A DoT report said that as on April 30 this year, "190 per cent increase in data consumption has been recorded during the last six months in rural areas where broadband internet is provided through Wi-Fi hotspots running on BharatNet Infrastructure". The government has completed the roll out of the BharatNet project in over 1 lakh gram panchayats and aims to cover the rest of 1.5 lakh GPs by the end of this year, it said. "While the first half of last twelve months saw a data consumption of around 33 TB, the second half witnessed a consumption of around 95 TB," the report said. The government is providing Wi-Fi hotspots service, known as (Wifi Choupal) in 7,183 gram panchayats (GPs) under the BharatNet project in 12 states and Union Territories -- Bihar, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, ...
                 

Tax Dept to sell Cairn Energy's attached shares at 'appropriate time'

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Tax Department will sell at an "appropriate time" the shares owned by British firm Cairn Energy plc which were attached following a Rs 10,247-crore tax demand, a senior tax official said. The tax department had in January 2014 used a two-year-old retrospective tax law to raise a Rs 10,247-crore demand on alleged capital gains made by Cairn Energy on a decade-old internal reorganisation of India business. This was followed by attaching the company's residual 9.8 per cent shares in its erstwhile subsidiary, Cairn India. Cairn India was subsequently merged with its new parent Vedanta Ltd, in which Cairn Energy now holds about 4.95 per cent stake. These shares continued to be attached for four years but the tax department had earlier this year got them transferred to it. "We will sell the shares at an appropriate time," the official of the tax department said. The tax department had come close to selling the shares in March but aborted the move at the last moment. Cairn Energy has .....
                 

BJP confident of Kairana by-poll victory, slams Opposition for 'misleading voters'

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha by-poll in Uttar Pradesh's Kairana, BJP candidate Mriganka Singh along with other party leaders has slammed the Deobandi Ulema for 'misleading voters', especially Muslims, in the respective constituency.Earlier, Deobandi Ulema from Saharanpur took a jibe at BJP, accusing the latter of flaring up communal disharmony and appealing to the voters to elect Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hassan."People of Kairana are very much aware of all this.They will vote for development and good governance. They are not going to come under anybody's influence. They are misleading voters," Mriganka told ANI.Deobandi Ulema accused the BJP of creating communal disharmony. He said that the BJP has not been able to benefit the voters of the country and has only created an atmosphere of communal disharmony.BJP leader Ashok Pradhan also hit out at Deobandi Ulema while alleging that the opposition doesn't want peace in the area."All this will become the reason behind their loss. ....
                 

Modi congratulates tribal students for scaling Mount Everest

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Yavatmal embraces 'farm pool' scheme with enthusiasm

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The construction of over 6,000 'farm pools' by cultivators to meet the irrigation demand in Maharashtra's drought-prone Yavatmal has set an example for other districts. With the digging of these pools, around 6,000 hectares of land will get "protected irrigation", raising hopes of a better rabi crop, an official said. A farm pool or pond is dug out to harvest rainwater and store it for future use. Since the inception of the state government's ambitious 'farm pool on demand' scheme two years back, the farmers in this district, located in the Vidarbha region, have constructed 6,200 farm pools, the official said. Agriculture is the principal occupation in Yavatmal, which had earlier been in news over a spate of farmer suicides. The district is spread over an area of13,51,966 hectares, of which 9,60,500 hectares is under crop production. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the rainfall in the state has decreased in the past few years, thus adversely affecting ....
                 

Charging less than Rs 10/km, Indian airlines among world's cheapest five

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ Latest News  
                 

IPL Final: SRH to secure 2nd title, or will CSK triumph again?

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Mumbai's Wankhede stadium is all geared up to witness another cricketing extravaganza as Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will be looking to beat two-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League Final (IPL) on Sunday.Having failed to beat the former India skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led team in both the group stage meetings as well as the first Qualifier match this season, the Sunrisers are going to have to produce something out of the blue if they are to beat CSK on the fourth attempt and lift their second title today.However, the Sunrisers will be more than optimistic about their chances of emerging winners as they have the meanest bowling attack in the league, with the lowest economy rates among all teams, boasting the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, and 19-year-old Afghanistan sensation Rashid Khan.They also have an inconsistent but formidable batting line-up, with captain Kane Williamson being the top run-getter this far this season.Also, their .....
                 

George Michael's ex to challenge his will

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

All arrangements made for Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll: CEO

8 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
All arrangements have been made for the peaceful conduct of the bypoll to the lone Lok Sabha seat in Nagaland tomorrow, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said. A total of 11,97,436 electorate, comprising 6,07,589 men and 5,89,847 women voters, are eligible to exercise their franchise, the CEO told reporters here yesterday. The counting of votes will take place on May 31. Out of the 2196 polling stations, 260 are declared as "critical" and 211 as "vulnerable", Sinha said. Voting in 1855 polling stations will start at 7 am and end at 4 pm while in 309 booths it was end an hour ahead, he said, adding that 253 polling stations would have all women polling teams while two polling booths in Wokha district would be manned by only differently abled polling personnel. The CEO said that 225 polling stations would have live web screening and 257 off-line videography. He said that 3196 EVMs and 3075 VVPAT machines had been dispatched for all the polling stations. A total of 40 .....
                 

GMR, GVK in race for Philippines airport O&M contract

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Infra majors GMR and GVK among other firms are in the race for Operations and Maintenance (O&M) contract of Clark International Airport (CIA) in Philippines. According to an official release from Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) of Philippines, a Pre-Bid Conference was held on May 21, at the Mind Museum Auditorium in Taguig city, which was attended by prospective bidders. A total of 30 firms attended the Pre-Bid Conference, BCDA said. Clark International Airport, formerly known as the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, is about 100 km from the capital Manila. A GMR group company along with its partner, Manila-based Megawide was in December last year awarded the USD 250 million Clark International Airport EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contract in the southeast Asian nation. The EPC project scope involves design, construction, testing and commissioning of a new terminal with a capacity of eight million passengers per .....
                 

India, Russia conclude negotiations for S-400 Triumf deal

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
India has concluded price negotiations with Russia for a nearly Rs 40,000 crore deal to procure S-400 Triumf air defence missile systems for the Indian Air Force, officials said. They said the two countries are now trying to find a way out to evade the provisions of a US law that seeks to punish countries and entities engaged in transactions with the defence or intelligence establishment of Russia. "The negotiations for the missile deal have been concluded. The financial component has been finalised," a top official involved in the negotiations for the deal with Russia told PTI. The official said both Russia and India are likely to announce the deal before an annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in October. Two other officials said both sides are now looking at ways to insulate the deal from the sanctions announced by the US against Russia under its Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). The issue is .....
                 

'Paltan' trailer to release in mid-July: Harshvardhan Rane

9 hours ago  
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Pondy CM, Bedi drag chariot at temple festival

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

Scientists identify new magnetic element

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

UN experts asks India to protect journalist Rana Ayyub from online hate campaign

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
A group of UN human rights experts has expressed concern over continued threats to journalist Rana Ayyub, calling on the Indian government to urgently take steps to protect her and ensure the threats against her are promptly and thoroughly investigated. "We are highly concerned that the life of Rana Ayyub is at serious risk following these graphic and disturbing threats," said the UN experts. Ayyub is an independent journalist and writer whose work has included investigations into alleged crimes committed by public and government officials. The experts recalled the murder of another Indian journalist, Gauri Lankesh, who had also received death threats for her work. Lankesh, who was shot dead in September last year outside her home in Bangalore, had written critically about religious fundamentalism, the governing party and right-wing politics, as well as the caste system. The UN experts are Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Agnes Callamard, Special .....
                 

Afghanistan NSA to visit Pakistan today

9 hours ago  
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Afghanistan National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar is set to visit Pakistan on Sunday.High-level representatives of the Afghan Army are to accompany him on the invitation of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.Atmar is scheduled to meet Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa. The aim of the meeting would be to discuss regional security and bilateral relations of the neighboring countries, according to Geo News.Last month, Abbasi visited Kabul on the invitation of Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. The two leaders then promised to work together on regional security.Ghani and Abbasi discussed how both the countries can work together on peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, return of Afghan refugees, bilateral trade and regional connectivity.Abbasi announced a gift of 40 thousand tons of wheat for the Afghan people and waiver of additional regulatory duty on Afghan export to Pakistan.The two sides also discussed exchanging of .....
                 

Cash rewards better than e-cigarettes at helping smokers quit

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Cash incentives are three times more effective to help smokers kick the butt than smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine patches, chewing gums or e-cigarettes, a study has found. Many corporate wellness programmes offer free smoking cessation aids to help employees quit smoking. However, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania in the US showed that merely offering such aids for free does not help employees quit, whereas supplementing them with financial incentives is three times more effective. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, provides the first large-scale evidence that offering e-cigarettes to known smokers is not effective at helping smokers stay smoke-free. "Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US, and nearly all large employers offer wellness programmes aimed at getting people to quit," said Scott D Halpern, an associate professor at University of Pennsylvania in the US. "But, these programmes vary considerably, and ...
                 

Korean leaders trying to salvage Singapore summit, says US media

9 hours ago  
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As South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held a surprise two-hour meeting, the mainstream US media said that the two leaders are trying to salvage the June 12 Singapore summit that was abruptly cancelled by President Donald Trump. Moon and Kim met yesterday in the Panmunjom village of the demilitarized zone. This was the second meeting between the two leaders in less than a month and the fourth ever between the leaders of the two countries. They met two days after Trump abruptly cancelled the summit with the North Korean leader on June 12 in Singapore and blamed Pyongyang's "tremendous anger" and "open hostility" for his dramatic decision. "The rapidly arranged meeting between the two countries reflects how urgently the two leaders are trying to salvage the US-North Korea summit, originally scheduled for June 12 in Singapore," The Washington Post said. The meeting is "the latest attempt by the two Korean leaders to keep recent engagement efforts on .....
                 

Andhra CM asks aqua farmers to prioritise environment protection

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday met aqua farmers and exporters in Amravati and asked them to give priority to the environment protection.Naidu also asked the aqua farmers to focus on regulating the diseases to the aqua product in an eco-friendly manner while adding that "the use of antibiotics without discrimination is not good for the ecology.""Aqua farmers should focus on regulating the diseases to the aqua product in an eco-friendly manner, and reduce input expenditure. Aquaculture without registration is not correct. All those should be careful and register immediately, otherwise they have to face a ban from the center," said Naidu.He further said that the state government has been encouraging aqua sector in coastal region and horticulture in Rayalaseema region."We have reduced power tariffs for aqua farmers. They can get a good price for their produce when they cooperate with those who come forward to set up the processing units. Aqua farmers and .....
                 

TCS spent Rs 1,500 cr on R&D, innovation last fiscal

9 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
India's largest IT services firm TCS increased its spending on research and development and innovation initiatives by over 17 per cent to Rs 1,500 crore in 2017-18, compared to the previous year. Its total R&D and innovation expenditures stood at Rs 1,278 crore in 2016-17, as per the company's annual report. Of its expenditure in FY18, Rs 298 crore was spent on R&D, while Rs 1,202 crore was directed towards innovation centres, it added. This is about 1.2 per cent of TCS' total turnover for the fiscal. A crown jewel of the salt-to-software services conglomerate Tata Group, TCS had a consolidated total income of Rs 1,26,746 crore in FY2017-18, while its profit for the fiscal was at Rs 25,880 crore. The company has a workforce of about 3.94 lakh people. TCS has Innovation Labs located in India and other parts of the world. The R&D centres, certified by Department of Scientific & Industrial Research (Government of India), function from Pune, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, ...
                 

Existing research not comprehensive, does not address all principles of ecotourism in India: Study

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Existing research is neither comprehensive nor does it equally address all the principles of ecotourism in India, claims a new study. Titled Trends and pathways for ecotourism research in India", the study identifies research gaps requiring immediate attention in terms of scientific data and analysis of the economics and conservation around ecotourism in India. Authors Mahi Puri and Krithi Karanth, from the Wildlife Conservation Society India Program, analysed and reviewed 30 peer-reviewed studies on ecotourism published since 2005. The studies were categorised into three broad themes - those that assessed the potential for ecotourism at specific sites, examined impacts of the existing tourism model, and those that evaluated ongoing ecotourism initiatives. The authors also identified the prominent reasons to adopt ecotourism, evaluated whether principles of ecotourism had been incorporated in scientific research, and identified gaps in research. "The study found that existing research..
                 

All macroeconomic parameters improved in last 4 years: NITI Aayog

10 hours ago  
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NITI Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar today termed the performance of the Modi government as 'miraculous' saying that all the macroeconomic parameters including growth, inflation and fiscal deficit have shown considerable improvement in the last four years. The government has done well on all fronts considering that the country plunged into a state of policy paralysis and was on a standstill mode during the closing years of the UPA regime. Narendra Modi took over as the 15th Prime Minister of India four years ago, on May 26, 2014. "In 2014, the economy was on decline, non performing assets (NPAs) of banks had risen already. Plus there was a complete policy paralysis, the government was on standstill. With that kind of legacy, it is quite miraculous that we have come to where we are at this moment in terms of macroeconomics," Kumar told PTI in an interview. He further said that inflation is down now, foreign exchange reserves are high, fiscal deficit is in control and growth has .....
                 

Arrow eyes over 20% sales growth in 4-5 years

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Formal wear brand Arrow is targeting over 20 per cent year-on-year sales growth in the next 4-5 years, and plans to open 55 exclusive brand outlets this fiscal to expand its footprint in tier II and tier III cities. "We will continue to see growth upwards of 20 per cent in the next 4-5 years. We don't see this growth slowing down," Arvind Lifestyle Brands Chief Operating Officer - Heritage Brands Division Sumit Dhingra told PTI. The brand, however, does not disclose its financial numbers. Dhingra expects demand for work wear as a category to continue to grow in the foreseeable future. "However, the way people dress up for work is changing so we have three sub brands within Arrow to meet that need," he said. "We plan to open 55 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) and 250 shop-in-shops this fiscal. One of the big initiative of this year is to enter tier II and tier III markets," he said. We are well represented (with stores) in top 6 cities. Bulk of our expansion this year, will happen in .....
                 

Economy on recovery path, investments likely to pick up: CII

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Industry chamber CII today said businesses across several key sectors are seeing firm growth in sales and orders, indicating that the economy is on a recovery path and investments will pick up. CII President Rakesh Bharti Mittal said the impact of sustained structural reforms is now being felt on the ground as a mammoth economy is turning around. "Businesses across several key sectors are experiencing firm growth in sales and orders, indicating better capacity utilisation and higher investment expectations," Mittal added. Sectors like consumer non-durables, two-wheelers and tractors are witnessing strong rural consumption. Prudent macroeconomic management has encouraged growth and investments for capacity expansion are being planned as demand conditions recover, CII said in a statement. "With several major development campaigns such as Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat, Clean Energy and others gaining traction, as well as recovery in the global economy and expectations of a ...
                 

Complete canal work of Konar irrigation project by June: CM

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
                 

GST to be levied on goods stored in customs warehouse only on final clearance: CBIC

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has asked its field offices to levy GST on goods in customs warehouse only at the time of final clearance. The move is aimed at ensuring ease of doing business for importers, experts said. In a circular to principal chief commissioners and chief commissioners, the GST policy wing of the CBIC said, "transfer/sale of goods while being deposited in a customs bonded warehouse" is a common trade practice whereby the importer files an 'into-bond' bill of entry and stores the goods in a customs bonded warehouse. The importer then supplies such goods to another person, who then files an 'ex-bond' bill of entry for clearing the said goods from the customs bonded warehouse for home consumption. The CBIC said that the Customs Tariff Act has been amended with effect from March 31, 2018, to state that the valuation for the purpose of levy of Integrated GST (IGST) on warehoused imported goods at the time of clearance for home consumption would ...
                 

AIIMS gets green nod for developing Rs 2,163 cr super-speciality blocks

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has received green nod for developing super-speciality blocks at Jai Prakash Narayan Apex Trauma Centre (JPNATC) in the national capital at a cost of Rs 2,163 crore. State-owned NBCC will be implementing the proposed project that will come up in an area of 60,500 square metre in the JPNATC campus-II at Safdarjung Enclave. The construction work is expected to be completed in four years. In a letter to NBCC, Union Environment Ministry said that it has given the environment clearance to the AIIMS' proposed project with certain riders. The clearance has been given after taking into account the recommendations of an internal expert committee. The land acquisition has been done for the proposed site. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 2,163 crore. As per the proposal, the project will comprise of constructing five blocks with 184 beds. Maximum height of the building will be 38 metre. The building will accommodate various departments..
                 

Digital transformation in tech sector to add 5 mn positions worldwide: Report

10 hours ago  
Business / Business Standard/ General News  
Digital transformation in the tech sector is increasing the demand for professionals with specific skills in areas like cybersecurity, cloud and data analytics and these verticals will add more than 5 million positions worldwide by 2027, says a survey. According to a survey by market intelligence firm IDC sponsored by Cisco, there is a significant skill shortage for many of these roles and thus prospects are strong for IT professionals with specific skills and certifications. The "most significant roles as per the survey report span various IT functions like data management/analytics, cybersecurity, IT infrastructure, software/applications development and digital transformation. Region-wise, Asia Pacific will gain 2.9 million 'most significant' positions in the next decade, while North America will gain 1.2 million such positions and Latin America 0.6 million positions. "Digital transformation is driving the industry and creating demand for new roles. The economic opportunities are .....