Indian summer is never easy, is it? But this year definitely tops all the Code Orange records. And if you haven’t been bombarded with the weather conditions across the country, here is a ready reckoner. Delhi and Lucknow touched 47 degrees Celsius, while Mumbai was at a never-before 42. Why, e...
EGYPTAIR CRASH: HUMAN REMAINS SUGGEST BLAST ON PLANE
TRAGEDY// EgyptAir Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo with 56 passengers and 10 crew, crashed over the Mediterranan Sea last month about 130nm north of Alexandria (Egypt) and about 210nm north-northwest of Cairo, when a number of ACARS messages indicating cockpit window temperature sensors faults and ...
US seeks NATO ally status for India
NATO// Ahead of Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s visit to India, and to bolster defence ties, US lawmakers approved amendments to a defence bill that seeks to bring India at par with NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) allies for sale of defence equipment and technology transfer. Over the...
Modi seals Chabahar port deal with Iran
AGREEMENT// On the eve of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Iran, both countries signed the “historic” Chabahar port agreement, which has the potential of becoming India’s gateway to Afghanistan, Central Asia and Europe. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said, “Today, we have...
FOREST FIRES IN UTTRAKHAND DESTROY AROUND 3,000 ACRES OF GREEN COVER
CALAMITY// Beginning February, forest fires have destroyed nearly 4,048 hectares of land in Uttarakhand and killed six people. Forest officials fear wildlife could have faced distress, too. Uttarakhand was reeling under heat wave conditions for over more than a week in May, with most places record...
ISRO test-launches first-ever “space shuttle”
TECHNOLOGY// The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully testlaunched the first “Made in India” space shuttle called the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-TD) early on May 23 morning from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. Although the final version of RLV-TD, which is a scaleddown model...
Tim Cook visits India as Apple CEO
VISIT// Tim Cook’s maiden visit to India as CEO of Apple happened last month. The chief executive met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been trying to galvanise India's manufacturing sector and develop close ties with the Silicon Valley. Cook also met company employees and business partners ...
ASSAM GOES WITH BJP, KERALA WITH LEFT. AIADMK RETAINS TAMIL NADU, DIDI IS BACK IN BENGAL
ELECTIONS// The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history in Assam by ousting Congress, which also lost Kerala to the Left front, while AIADMK and Trinamool Congress retained power in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, respectively, for a second consecutive term. Ending its 15-year rule in the northe...
Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Be the voice that attempts to silence the cozy living room discussions OF LATE, I HAVE found myself being an active (and sometimes passive) participant in discussions pertaining to the political, socioeconomic and developmental landscape in India. ...
Anurag Thakur is in the hot seat as BCCI’s newly-elected president. With someone who believes in plainspeak and is driven, firm yet pliant, however, things at the Indian cricketing body might finally change for the better I am passionate about bringing a change in people’s life. And I am glad...
LG’s recently launched standalone camera Action CAM LTE is the answer to advanced photography on the go Even though premium smartphones come with excellent cameras with large apertures, low-light photography techniques and wideangle lens, most travellers prefer using larger digital cameras to c...
Medal or no medal, Dipa karmarkar has a star following IN INDIA, GYMNASTICS starts and ends with Dipa Karmakar. Literally. At 22, when most gymnasts across the world pack their bags, Dipa Karmakar has become the first ever Indian woman gymnast to qualify for the Olympics. Hailed as one of the fe...
The NDA government needs to do more and get rid of the UPA’s extortionist tax regime This year in February, Vodafone shot off an angry press statement — launching a veiled attack on the government — after it received a notice from the income tax department to pay Rs 14,200 crore tax due or ...
AQUA YOGA. IT’S LOW ON EFFORT, HIGH ON IMPACT You swear and yet you don’t. If you are yet to discover the joy of a workout like this, we’ll tell you where to head. For Radisson Blu MBD Hotel has designed just the perfect workout for you this summer -- Aqua Yoga. What makes this workout spec...
There is more to Shashi Kapoor than his impish grin and naughty trot. The actor-producer never accepted market diktats and followed his passions, even if it meant earning money from starring in movies with tepid scripts and dodgy production What could he be, if not an actor? For Balbir Raj Kapoor...
Apart from obvious decorative advantages, terrace gardens serve utilitarian purposes, offering both environmental and economics benefits BOMBARDED WITH NEW information every day and at times egged on by our neighbours, friends or kin, we juggle our aspirations and limitations to exercise choices ...
THERE’S A NEW SECRETARY GENERAL AT FIFA, AND ONE CAN SENSE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES ARE AFOOT. BUT IS THAT ENOUGH FOR AN ORGANISATION MIRED IN CORRUPTION AND HUBRIS? NOVY KAPADIA// Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal is the first woman and first African to be appointed as the new secretary genera...
Those with disabilities only need an environment that encourages them. EnAble India bridges this gap in more than one way Every day is a new beginning, a new struggle, a new story to be written. Looking at the possibilities and not what is restricting you. These can be words of encouragement for ...
From being an engineering student to an alumnus of National School of Drama to being one of the most versatile and experimental actors, Pankaj Kapur has carved a niche for himself in Bollywood with a career spanning over four decades An acclaimed film, television and theatre actor, Pankaj Kapur, ...
THE LATEST OFFERING from the pen of journalist Jaskiran Chopra Memories of Another Day harks back to times when the author spent her childhood in the Doon Valley. The book is a collection of personal, interesting anecdotes that take you on a nostalgic trip down memory lane. Divided into five sect...
Here’s a tale of a woman coming out of the shadows with sheer grit and determination WE FIND RENOWNED author Vikram Seth doing something he usually doesn’t agree to very easily. After all, it isn’t exactly easy for an author concentrating on a much-awaited work to find time and agree to do ...
A holiday in South Korea will leave you utterly charmed and mesmerised The city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is both — charming and fascinating. There’s so much to discover and explore, and so much to learn. That’s true of any place, you might think. There is, however, something ge...
Experience the ultimate in uber luxury at the MBD Privé Collection at Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida Here’s another benchmark in luxury and exclusivity. Noida’s first five-star deluxe property, The Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida, has established the finest and the most revered hospitality benc...