Author Archives: Arun Kumar N

About Arun Kumar N

Arun has been associated with India International Times since 2018 and he has been a key reporter in covering science and space related stories. He can be reached at arunKnn@indiainternationaltimes.com.

Japan Behind Amelia Earmart Disappearance in 1937? Not Convincing!

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First woman pilot Amelia Earhart who disappeared in her 1937 flight around the world still remains a mystery. Eighty years after, on July 4, 2017, when the United States was celebrating its Independence Day, news channels are abuzz with new evidence blaming Japan for her disappearance.

A newly surfaced photo from the National Archives shows Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan with a lable “Jaluit Atoll,” an area in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, with the Japanese ship Koshu in the background.

“We have no evidence anywhere that she crashed into the ocean, even though that’s been the common narrative for so many years,” Shawn Henry, former FBI officer, told Today Show. “I think we have a lot of evidence that she lived and survived in the Marshall Islands.”

The photo was discovered while working on a project for History Channel special “Amelia Earhart: The Lost Evidence,” and the project producer Gary Tarpinian alleged in the TV show that the Japanese took Pilot Amelia Earhart to Saipan in the Mariana Islands and imprisoned her until death.

Earhart was last seen on July 2, 1937, taking off from New Guinea to travel to Howland Island as part of her Around the World Flight. The theory put forward by the makers of the documentary for History Channel is that the aircraft crashed and both Earhart and Noonan were captured alive by the Japanese and held them caprive for spying.

However, the evidence of a photo unearthed from the American Archives is not convincing. Had it been from the Japanese archives, then there is a story to be excited about. Contrary to the Marshal Islands story, a representative from the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, told The New York Times that they believe Earhart landed on the island of Nikumaroro after sending distress signals and was ultimately stranded.

The History Channel crew, however, suggest that Japan hand behind Earhart’s disappearance may have been covered up by government officials though it holds no strong connection. Why should government officials hold back the truth? Earhart was neither a spy nor a political leader worth ransom for the Japanese to confine her.

Secondly, neither US nor Japan had any inclination to capture citizens, let alone imprison them on spying charges as no signs of World War Two were prevalent as of July 1937.

Thirdly, Japan had no strong reason to imprison Earhart secretly for so long as it could have established her identity easily in a month or two and returned her. Moreover, Japan was totally pre-occupied with its adventures in Manchuria to bother about the American presence in Marshall Island.

But for a July 4th show, it’s worth watching.

Job Loss Bigger Blow Than Divorce: Study

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In a new research for Bloomberg, the University of East Anglia and the What Works Center for Wellbeing, an independent body set up by the U.K. government, have revealed that it is worse to loose a job than loosing a spouse in a divorce.

The shock from the fact of getting fired in a job is more painful and impacts on mental health, self-esteem and satisfaction with life, said the data. Unemployment hovers around for years to come and people continue to become increasingly unhappy over the next few years, it said.

“After someone loses a partner, take a big dip and then, on average, it’ll get back to previous levels. But with unemployment, we just don’t see that happening,” said Tricia Curmi of the What Works Center for Wellbeing.

While it took two years to get over loss of spouse, job loss could torment them for more than four years, and men are more vulnerable to mental depression than women from this shock, pointed out the study.

“To have meaning in your life in this society means to be working, contributing, and to have that status,” Curmi said. It is not merely the salary but also the social mixing at the workplace and support from co-workers which keeps men going at the workplace than at home or leading a solo lifestyle.

Extroverts may bounce back quickly but incase of introverts, the suffering will last longer even for years, said another report. Many people who seek divine inspiration get to overcome such problems, Curmi said. “People who regularly attended church had a buffering effect from the impact of unemployment,” she noted.

West Bengal Governor Threatened Me, Alleges Mamata Banerjee

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The communal riots in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Tuesday night over a Facebook post have resonated in Raj Bhavan.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi in a meeting in Raj Bhavan had “threatened” her over the communal clashes and described his behaviour like “a BJP block president” and not as governor. Tripathi, a former BJP veteran, served as Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Assembly and was appointed West Bengal governor in 2014.

The Raj Bhawan in its explanation said, “the Hon’ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator of the affairs in the state.” It added further saying, “The talks between the Hon’ble chief minister and the Hon’ble governor were confidential in nature and none is expected to disclose it.”

Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district witnessed a mob fury over the arrest of a person. Shops in Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia markets were shut down over the clashes, the police said.

However, after her meeting with the governor, Mamata said she felt offended that “I once even thought of leaving (quitting as chief minister)”. She told media: “Someone had posted something objectionable on Facebook. He was arrested. Where is the fault of my government.”

“I told police to stop it. They should have blocked the Facebook account. But, how many Facebook accounts can be blocked? If the police had opened fire, 200 people would have been killed.”

Lady Gaga Comes to Ed Sheeran’s Rescue over Twitter Saga

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The singer and song writer Ed Sheeran had a harrowing time for his remarks published in a na interview in “The Sun” magazine on Monday. The singer had said he would cease to be active on Twitter, the social media platform in a huff until Lady Gaga herself came to his rescue.

In her typical rescue mission, Lady Gaga shared her support for Ed Sheeran. “What an incredible talented artist I LOVE ED @edsheeran deserves all our love and respect like all humans do,” she said in her Instagram post.

“I wish all people on the internet would be positive and loving and apart of creating an online community that is kind and empowering, not hateful and mean. No reason to tear down an artist simply because they are on top. Work harder to be kinder everybody. That should be your first duty to humanity,” she said, showing the singer what humility means despite stardom.

Sheeran, the “Shape of You” singer, was not new to making accusatory remarks to media. In January, he told Beats Radio 1 that he would like not to be like other artists, indirectly hinting at the top Lady Gaga and others. “You’ve seen them become the biggest artists in the world, and then suddenly they will say, ‘I know everything!’ And just after, they are no longer at the top,” Sheeran said in the interview.

Soon the fans of Lady Gaga had set off a trolling tirade against the singer on Twitter and other social media, forcing him to get out of the Twitter blaming that the Twitter base was only assuming things and targeting him.

Sheeran, who is currently on tour in North America, said he would ask his team to communicate in general and on Twitter or his father would do the direct talk now. “I have people like my dad who will have a conversation with me,” he said. “I don’t have to have someone calling me a whatever.”

Sheeran, 26, rose to fame with in 2011 with his debut album and has since been certified seven-times platinum in the UK. The album contains the single “The A Team”, which earned him the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically. He also won the Brit Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act in 2012.

In the US, he made a guest appearance on Taylor Swift’s fourth studio album, Red and his “The A Team” was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2013 Grammy Awards, where he performed the song with Elton John.

His second studio album, x (read as “multiply”) in 2014 went on to become a big hit in the UK and the US. In 2015, x won the Brit Award for Album of the Year, and he received the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year. His single from x, “Thinking Out Loud”, earned him two Grammy Awards in 2016 in categories of Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

Sheeran’s third album, ÷ (read as “divide”), released in March 2017, became a hit as number one in the UK, the US and other major markets. The first two singles from the album, “Shape of You” and “Castle on the Hill”, were released in January 2017 and broke records in a number of countries, including the UK, Australia and Germany.

India Cites Salahuddin’s Claim as Proof of State-Sponsored Terrorism

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In a response to the interview by global terrorist Syed Salauddin, the Pakistan-based self-styled head of the United Jihad Council and Chief of internationally designated terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, telecast by a Pakistan TV Channel on 2 July 2017, India said it was a clear example of terrorists being given shelter in Pakistan.

The official Spokesperson said:”The brazen admission by Syed Salauddin of perpetrating terrorist attacks on India and having the capacity to carry out such attacks at any place and time in India is a further proof of Pakistan’s continuing policy of cross border terrorism.”

He said the confession affirms the complicity of Pakistan’s state mechanism in using terrorist proxies as a matter of policy against the neighbours. The interview clearly “highlights the unabashed manner in which terrorist organisations and leaders enjoy freedom of operations in Pakistan, including access to terror financing and procurement and supply of weapons for terrorism,” he said.

Indian spokesperson also said that it is a matter of deep regret that senior Pakistan functionaries continue to justify and defend the activities of such internationally designated terrorist entities and leaders. These terrorists are responsible for killing thousands of innocent civilians over the past three decades, he added.

“Pakistan must give up its policy of cross-border terrorism, fulfill its obligations under international resolutions and stop all activities of terrorists from the territory under Pakistan’s control,” sid the spokesperson in a ministry briefing.

India, Pakistan Exchange List of Prisoners as Per 2008 Agreement

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As part of the 2008 agreement, India and Pakistan have recently exchanged, through diplomatic channels, at New Delhi and Islamabad, the lists of nationals, including civil prisoners and fishermen of each country lodged in the jails of the other country.

The exchange of information is part of the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between India and Pakistan, which was signed on 21 May 2008. The agreement provides that a comprehensive list of nationals of each country lodged in other country’s jails has to be exchanged twice each year, on January 1 and July 1.

India’s External Affairs Ministry said in a statement, “India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India’s custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation.”

India has reiterated that Pakistan should grant full and early consular access to the Indian nationals lodged in the custody of Pakistan, including Hamid Nehal Ansari and Kulbhushan Jadav.
“India once again requests Pakistan for the early release and repatriation of Indian Prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats whose nationality has been confirmed by India,” said the statement.

Cyberattacks Traced to Ukrainian Servers, Seized Now

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The massive cyberattacks around the globe last week have been traced to an Ukrainian servers used by an accounting software firm and seized by police suspecting them of spreading a malware virus that crippled computer systems.

Ukraine’s Cyber Police head Serhiy Demedyuk told Reuters that the servers of M.E.Doc, an accounting software firm had been seized as the initial infections were spread via a malicious update issued by M.E.Doc. However, the company denied the allegations.

Premium Service, an official dealer of M.E.Doc’s software, posted on its Facebook that the searchers were still scrutinising the software firm’s servers and services. Police said the attack had been planned months in advance by highly-skilled hackers, which forced Ukraine to extedn tax filing deadline in view of cyber attacks.

Slovakian security software firm ESET said theere was a “backdoor” behind the mishap. “We identified a very stealthy and cunning backdoor that was injected by attackers into one of M.E.Doc’s legitimate modules,” ESET senior malware researcher Anton Cherepanov said in a technical note, reported Reuters. “This was a thoroughly well-planned and well-executed operation,” he said.

Oleg Derevianko, board chairman at Ukrainian cyber security firm ISSP, told Reuters that an update by M.E.Doc in April delivered a virus to the clients which instructed computers to download 350 megabytes of data from an unknown source on the internet.

Later, the virus exported 35 megabytes of company data to the hackers, he said explaining that the 35 megabytes data could exfiltrate anything beginning with emails from all of the banks to deciphering user accounts, their passwords and all other information.

M.E.Doc software is used by around 80 percent of companies in Ukraine. Earlier, the Ukrainian officials suspected that a Russian hand was behind the cyber attacks, which wass deneied by Kremlin spokesman as “unfounded blanket accusations”.

How Did Romans Make Such Solid Concrete 2000 Years Ago? Secret Unveiled

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A 2,000-year-old concrete harbor structure, made from volcanic ash, lime and seawater by Romans that has remained a puzzle for long has been cracked by minerologists using X-ray and Advanced Light Source (ALS).

A team of researchers working at the Berkeley Lab used X-rays to study samples of Roman concrete at microscopic level to learn about the mineral cements. The Lab’s Advanced Light Source (ALS), an X-ray research center known as a synchrotron, found that crystals of aluminous tobermorite, a layered mineral, was the key in strengthening the concrete as they grew in relict lime particles.

The finding will provide a wider adoption of concrete manufacturing techniques with less environmental impact than modern Portland cement manufacturing processes, which require high-temperature kilns. The new technique can also reduce industrial carbon dioxide emissions, they said.

“At the ALS we map the mineral cement microstructures,” said Marie Jackson, a geology and geophysics research professor at the University of Utah who led the study. “We can identify the various minerals and the intriguingly complex sequences of crystallization at the micron scale.”

Advanced Light Source scientists Nobumichi Tamura, left, and Camelia Stan, right, work with Marie Jackson, center, a University of Utah professor, to study Roman concrete samples at the microscale using X-ray Beamline 12.3.2.CREDIT: Berkeley Lab

Jackson said that lime exposed to seawater in the Roman concrete mixture reacted with volcanic ash early in the history of the massive harbor structures and the aluminous tobermorite crystallized in the lime remnants during a period of elevated temperature.

The ancient observation by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, who explained it saying, “as soon as it comes into contact with the waves of the sea and is submerged, becomes a single stone mass, impregnable to the waves and every day stronger.”

In fact, the Romans relied on the reaction of a volcanic rock mixture with seawater to produce the new mineral cements, including underwater volcanoes, such as the Surtsey Volcano in Iceland, that produced the same minerals found in Roman concrete.

“Contrary to the principles of modern cement-based concrete, the Romans created a rock-like concrete that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater,” said Jackson, who is working with a geological engineer to rediscover the Romans’ complex recipe for concrete.

She is mixing seawater from the San Francisco Bay and volcanic rock from the Western United States to find the right formula, and also studying the production of tobermorite and other related minerals at the Surtsey volcano in Iceland.

The concrete industry is about $50 billion industry in 2015. The new study was published in American Mineralogist.

Wiped out Dinosaurs Gave New Life to Frogs: Study

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The dinosaurs wiped out from Earth gave rise to most of the frogs alive today.

A new study by Chinese and American biologists shows that if the calamity had not wiped the planet clean of most terrestrial life 66 million years ago, 88 percent of today’s frog species wouldn’t be here. Nearly nine out of 10 species of frog today have descended from just three lineages that survived the mass extinction.

The findings to be published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that frog evolution pinpointed the blossoming of the main frog lineages to about 35 million years earlier, in the middle of the Mesozoic era.

The new analysis of 95 genes from frogs within 44 of 55 living families shows that these three lineages started to take off precisely at the boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods — the K-Pg boundary, formerly called the KT boundary — when the last mass extinction occurred, and not 100 million years ago.

According to herpetologist and co-author David Wake, a University of California, Berkeley professor of the graduate school and a curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, new frog species likely radiated rapidly throughout the world because so many environmental niches were available after the animals occupying them disappeared.

“We think the world was quite impoverished as a result of the KT event, and when the vegetation came back, angiosperms dominated. That’s when trees evolved to their full flowering,” Wake said. “Frogs started becoming arboreal. It was the arboreality that led to the great radiation in South America in particular.”

Trees are an ideal habitat for frogs not only because they allow them to escape from terrestrial predators, but also because their fallen leaves provide protection while the frogs are on the ground, breeding habitat and plenty of food, such as insects. Trees and other flowering plants took off in the late Cretaceous, and were ready for exploitation by frogs after they recovered from the extinction.

Another adaptation that became popular was direct development, that is, producing young without a tadpole stage, which is standard for about half of all frog species today.

“The majority of the frogs that thrive now are thriving because of direct development of eggs in terrestrial situations,” he said. “It is a combination of direct development and use of arboreal habitat that accounts for a great deal of the radiation.”

Two of the three surviving lineages came out of Africa, which remained intact as the continents shifted around over the ensuing eons, with the breakup of Pangea and then Gondwana to form the continents.

Today’s frogs, comprising more than 6,700 known species are, however, under severe stress around the world because of habitat destruction, human population explosion and climate change, possibly heralding a new period of mass extinction, says the new study.

38 Natural World Heritage Sites Facing Threat, Warns IUCN

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Two-thirds of the 57 natural World Heritage sites are affected this year by illegal fishing, logging and poaching, said the monitoring body International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), sending alarm bells over the risk faced by some of the world’s most precious and unique ecosystems and species.

On the eve of its 41st session of the World Heritage Committee meeting starting this Sunday in Kraków, Poland, IUCN recommends listing Mexico’s Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California on the List of World Heritage in Danger to avoid illegal gillnet fishing, which threatens the vaquita with imminent extinction.

IUCN also raises concerns over continued impacts of illegal activities, including logging and poaching, on the unique biodiversity of Madagascar’s Rainforests of the Atsinanana and on Bia?owie?a Forest – one of Europe’s last remaining primeval forests located in Poland and Belarus.

“It is alarming that even our planet’s greatest natural treasures are under pressure from illegal activities,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “World Heritage sites are recognised as the planet’s most unique and valuable places, for nature and for people. If destroyed, they are lost forever.

Illegal wildlife trade is threatening the vaquita – the world’s smallest porpoise – with extinction. The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California became a World Heritage site in 2005 for its unique marine biodiversity. It hosts a third of the world’s cetacean species. The vaquita’s swim bladder fetches high prices in Asian markets.

Despite Mexico’s extensive efforts to combat the illegal gillnet fishing, the vaquita’s survival remains at severe risk, with only about 30 individuals left to survive in the wild. IUCN recommends placing the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger to mobilise urgent action to protect the site, besides calling for a permanent ban on gillnets.

Madagascar’s Rainforests of the Atsinanana, a key habitat for endangered lemurs, acquired ‘in danger’ status in 2010 – only three years after being listed as a World Heritage site – due to illegal logging of ebony and rosewood. IUCN recommends stronger efforts to address the threats, including increased cooperation between countries along trading routes.

If Poland continues to undertake wood extraction and logging in Białowieża, one of the first World Heritage sites shared between Poland and Belarus covering a total area of 141,885 hectares. It remains primeval forest and home to the iconic European Bison and hosts more than 250 bird and over 12,000 invertebrate species.

IUCN is the official advisory body on nature to the World Heritage Committee, recommending new sites to be included on the World Heritage list.

These are rainforests of the Atsinanana, Madagascar – Lemur Sifaka. CREDIT: IUCN Geoffroy Mauvais

 

 

Islands and protected areas of the Gulf of California, Mexico fishing port. CREDIT: IUCN Elena Osipova

SBI Probationary Officers Exam 2017 Main Results Declared

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The State Bank of India (SBI) has declared the SBI probationary officers (PO) mains examination result for the test conducted on 4th June, 2017.

The SBI PO result 2017 results are available at the online portal of SBI at sbi.co.in and the candidates can check them providing their name, roll number and date of birth in specified space.

Thos who have qualified will get a call to attend for group discussion and personal interview by the HR team. SBI is the largest Indian bank and its probationary officers will pave the way for candidates one of the best avenues to carft their future banking career.

The bank had 2,313 vacancies when it invited applications in February 2017. The exam is at least once in a year by the SBI at the national level to hire probation officers.

To check results at sbi.co.in, open the website at https://www.sbi.co.in/careers/ and click on ‘Recruitment Results & Archive’ link, which will take the user to the page https://www.sbi.co.in/careers/recruitment-result.html with drop down menu.

Select ‘Probationary Officers’ from the drop down and click on ‘Recruitment of Probationary Officers in State Bank of India’ and select ‘Main Exam Marks’. Once page opens, enter your Roll Number and Date of Birth or Registration Number and Date of Birth. Do not forget to enter the string shown in the image before pressing the ‘Submit’ button.

Age of Father in IVF Births Crucial: Study

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Men, unlike women, do not have a menopause to say they cease to help in fertility but a recent study has found that the chance of natural conception can be affected by the age of the male partner, particularly in the genetic health of sperm cells.

Despite a wide belief and celebrity examples of Charlie Chaplin or Luciano Pavarotti, which have kept alive the notion that male fertility goes on forever, the new study in IVF couples shows quite clearly that live birth outcome is clearly affected by the age of the male partner.

“Our study found an independent effect of male age on the cumulative incidence of live birth,” said investigator Dr Laura Dodge from Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. He will present the study’s results on Tuesday at the 33rd Annual Meeting of ESHRE in Geneva.

The study was an analysis of IVF cycles performed at an IVF centre in Boston between 2000 and 2014. About 19,000 cycles performed in 7,753 couples were analyzed. The female partners were stratified in four age bands: under 30, 30-35 years, 35-40 years, and 40-42. Men were stratified into these same four age bands, with an additional band of 42 and over.

As expected, the cumulative live birth rate was lowest in those couples where the female partner was in the 40-42 age band, and in this group the age of the male partner had no impact. In other bands of female age, the cumulative incidence of live birth was significantly affected by male partner age and was found to decline as the man grew older.

For example, in couples with a female partner aged under 30, a male partner aged 40-42 was associated with a significantly lower cumulative birth rate (46%) than a male partner aged 30-35 (73%). Similarly, in couples with a female partner aged 35-40 years live birth rates were higher with a younger than with an older male partner.

“Generally,” explained Dr Dodge, “we saw no significant decline in cumulative live birth when women had a male partner the same age or younger. Where we see significant decreases in the cumulative incidence of live birth is among women with male partners in the older age bands.”

Dr Dodge noted that in natural conceptions increasing male age is associated with a decreased incidence of pregnancy, increased time to pregnancy, and increased risk of miscarriage. The mechanisms are unclear but may include impaired semen parameters, increased DNA damage in sperm, and epigenetic alterations in sperm that affect fertilisation, implantation, or embryo development, she said.

 

This is the first study to calculate the cumulative incidence of live birth while jointly stratifying on multiple bands of both male and female age.

Bees Have Third Eye, Applicable for Drones’ Night Vision: Study

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Machine vision in drones is similar to human vision and cannot see colours clearly owing to light reflection and day and night difference but bees are different with a third eye, said a new study suggesting revamp of vision techniques in cameras, robots and drones.

A Melbourne-based researchers team has studied how bees have three special eyes on top of their head, in addition to two main eyes at the front. “The three eyes point skyward, and they directly sample the colour of the light above us,” said Dr Adrian Dyer of RMIT University in Mebourne, Australia.

The bee brain knows what kind of lighting conditions are in the surroundings and adjust accordingly when looking for a flower. The ability to distinguish colours in day and night or in a cloudy sky allows bees to find the best flowers to collect food, said researchers.

The third eye of bees, called ocelli, contains two colour receptors that are perfectly tuned for sensing the colour of ambient light and the information is integrated with the colours seen by the two front eyes, they explained.

Dr. Jair Garcia, Professor Marcello Rosa and Associate Professor Adrian Dyer. CREDIT: Monash University

To prove this was happening, the researchers from RMIT University, Monash University, University of Melbourne and Deakin University mapped “neural tracings” sent from the ocelli, showing how they feed into the areas of the bee’s brain that processes colours.

The findings were being published in the scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Extrapolating the findings, Dyer said a revamp of vision techniques in cameras, robots and drones will help deal with a major problem for machine vision – how to make reliable decisions when the colour of the light changes.

Based on a mathematical algorithm, drones can now fly around an orchid, even at night, and accurately detect the colour of different fruits. Same technique could be used by drones to inspect bridges or to analyse mineral sands, he suggested.

“These ideas have been around for a while, but the problem has been how to judge colour accurately,” Dr Dyer said.

President Greets America on Independence Day, July 4, 2017

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President of India, Mr Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the United States of America on the eve of their Independence Day (July 04, 2017).

In a message to Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States of America, the President has said, “On behalf of the Government, the people of India and on my own behalf, I extend warm greetings and felicitations to Your Excellency and to the people of the United States of America on the occasion of your nation’s Independence Day.”

The strategic partnership between the two nations – the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy – is based on shared values and the growing convergence of our strategic interests, he noted and added, “Today, our multi-faceted strategic partnership spans almost every aspect of human activity and has a critical global significance.”

MrMukherjee also said that India attaches high priority to further expanding and deepening its relations with the United States in view of  the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United States and his discussions with President Trump. He said the talks provided “greater opportunities for our two countries to take our mutually beneficial co-operation to greater heights in the years to come.”

I take this opportunity to convey to you our best wishes for your good health and well-being as well as for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of the United States of America”, said the Indian President.

ADB Provides $220 Million to Rajasthan for Highways

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India on Monday signed a $220 million loan for improving connectivity in Rajasthan building efficient state highways.

The loan is the first tranche of the $500 million Rajasthan State Highways Investment Program, approved by ADB Board in May 2017, that will upgrade about 2,000 kilometers of state highways and major district roads to two-lane or intermediate-lane standards to meet road safety requirements.

Mr. Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, signed on behalf of the Government of India, and Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signed for ADB. The project agreement was signed by Mr. S. L. Sharma, Chief Engineer and Additional Secretary, Public Works Department, the Government of Rajasthan.

Raj Kumar said that the project will help improve State Highways and major district roads in Rajasthan and also enhance the capacity of the State public works department in the areas of road asset management, road safety and project management.

After signing the loan Agreement, Mr. Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission said that one of the focus areas of the program is to attract private sector financing through government capacity building on public private partnership (PPP) development.

He said that ADB will finance part of the construction costs for the annuity-based PPP concessions and engineering procurement construction (EPC) contracts, enhance the stability of contract regime, and ensure good governance during project implementation.

The first tranche loan will improve about 1,000 kilometers of State Highways and major district roads. It will have a 25-year term, including a grace period of 8 years, and carry an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s London interbank offered rate-based (LIBOR) lending facility. The total cost of the project is $1.415 billion, with the government contributing $465 million and $450 million coming from the private sector and other concessionaries.

No Religious Bias in GST Law, Clarifies Finance Ministry but Silent on Exemption

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Following uproar in social media that the Good s and services tax (GST) rolled out on July 1, 2017 was against the interests of temple trusts as taxes them heavily while obliterating the presence of Waqf Boards and Churches, the government has clarified that there is no such religious bais in GST.
“There are some messages going around in the social media stating that the temple trusts have to pay the GST while the churches and mosques are exempt. This is completely untrue because no distinction is made in the GST Law on any provision based on religion. We request to people not to start circulating such wrong messages on social media,” said the government in a statement.
Ironic but the ministry did not clarify whether Hindu temples, Sikh Gurudwaras, Mosques and Churches are expemted from GST for the services, especially for free food to pilgrims they provide. Secondly, the GST is silent on temple trusts or boards whose income was in the past exempted in several forms.
Otherwise, GST clearly states that Puja Samagri is exempt from taxation. The provision in GST reads:”Puja samagri including havan samagri will be under the Nil category. However, exact formulation for the same is yet to be finalized.” Taxation on temple trusts, waqf boards and churches will be finalized by the ministry soon.
The government has rolled out the GST from July 1 with a view to introduce uniform indirect taxation system throughout the country, while concessions are given to States in certain areas like entertainment tax that has led to closure of cinema theatres in Tamil Nadu.

Modi Visit to Israel Peaks India’s Shift in Foreign Policy

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel culminates 25 years of painful rebuilding of relations between the two nations bonded by one common chord — victims of terrorism.

When Israel was allowed to open its cultural office in Mumbai in the mid-1990s, the move had raised several eyebrows among the diplomats and academics alike, while many news outlets failed to notice the underlying shift in India’s foreign policy, barring the Times of India.

An ardent supporter of the Palestine cause at the international fora throughout, India began to handshake with Israel to focus on bilateral cooperation in agriculture and defence supplies to begin with, and now it has reached its peak with the upcoming visit of PM Narendra Modi to Israel from July 4 to 6, 2017.

Though Modi’s visit to Israel was combined with a visit to Hamburg in Germany, to attend the G-20 summit from July 6th to 8th, Israel takes away the world attention, as the Indian Prime Minister is paying his first official visit to the country, which was instrumental in dividing the Post-War world.

“I will be visiting Israel on 4-6 July, 2017 upon invitation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As the first Indian Prime Minister to do so, I am greatly looking forward to this unprecedented visit that will bring our two countries and people closer. This year, India and Israel are marking 25 years of our diplomatic relations,” said Modi in his Facebook post.

Besides the common challenge of terrorism, both leaders will discuss the full spectrum of partnership and strengthening it in diverse fields including defence supplies. On the economic side, “I will join with leading Indian and Israeli CEOs and start-ups to discuss our shared priority of expanding business and investment collaboration on the ground,” he said.

PM Modi will visit the Yad Vashem Memorial Museum to honour the memory of the victims of the holocaust and also pay tribute to the courageous Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during the liberation of Haifa in 1918 during the World War One.

India Israel relations date back to Sept. 17, 1950, when India recognised the formation of Israel. But the renewal of formal diplomatic relations began with the setting up of an office in Mumbai in 1992, with defence cooperation taking the centre stage between the two nations.

The visit to Israel by Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Indian Navy, last month paved the way for greater cooperation in defence relations. Prior to that, a parliamentary delegation led by SS Ahluwalia visited Israel while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too paid a visit that paved the way for PM’s visit.

Tamil Nadu Theatres’ Strike Big Hit to GST, 10 Lakh Livelihoods at Stake

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With both Tamil Nadu state and centre vying for share in Goods and Services Tax (GST) at abnormal rates of 30% by the state and 28 % by the Centre, theatre owners have finally called it a day to protest and prepare for a long shut-down of about 1,000 cinema halls across the state.

Announcing the decision, Tamil Nadu Cinema Theatre Owners Federation president Abirami Ramanathan on Sunday evening said the decision on double taxation was forced upon them unilaterally without prior consultations. “A GO was passed on Friday, declaring that in addition to GST, the state will levy 30% entertainment tax which will be collected by local bodies,” Ramanathan said.

The move has sent producers and cinema industry scurrying for cover as it involes huge losses for more than 10 recently released films, especially ‘Ivan Thanthiran’ released on Friday the last. It director R. Kannan said the film will suffer major loss.

“They announced the strike without prior notice,” he said and wondered, “How will I pay back loans I took to make this film?” Tamil Films Producers Council president Vishal has appealed for at least a week’s notice but the theatre owners association has gone ahead with the strike as even one week would mean compliance that will be forced upon them eventually.

Tamil Nadu is the only state in the country that has imposed a separate tax in addition to GST, and the total tax now comes to 68%, leaving only 32% for theatre owners, who are already facing extinction in a fiercely competitive and TV-dominated cinem industry.

More than that, 10 lakh people will lose their jobs and livelihood, which they say would not have happened had late CM J.Jayalalithaa been alive. Jayalalithaa was from the Tamil film industry before she entered politics.

GST Impact: LPG Cylinder to Cost Rs.32 More Now

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LPG consumers will be in for a shock with the GST regime rolled out as the prices of new cylinder will shoot up by Rs.32 from July 1, as GST removes the 5% tax bracket for domestic LPG cylinders.

However, the new price varies from state to state depending on VAT imposition which ranged from 2 to 4% earlier. Another add-on for LPG cylinders is the increase in credit card service charges which will be 3% more than earlier and the so-called payback of Rs.7.50 for those using credit cards will be offset with the GST tax.

So, all the consumers who pay in full and get subsidy amount back in their accounts will now get Rs.20 to 30 less, making the indirect effect on consumers not felt immediately. However, for commercial or business users, the GST will provide 5% tax benefit under the new rules, reflecting the pro-business class GST tax structure.

While the move is apparently to dissuade diversion of household gas for commercial use, the measure is a typical one slap for all. With the international prices for natural gas rising, it is unlikely that the LPG household consummers will get reprieve in the near future.

With the GST tax compliance online getting murkier with too many forms and ambiguity, the government machinery is currently bogged down with more technical problems than worry about the high tax regime rolled out on ordinary consumers.