Former
President Pervez Musharraf was formally arrested by the Pakistani
investigators over the murder of Benazir Bhutto after an Anti-terrorism
court directed them to include him in the probe into the 2007
assassination. A team of officials from the Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) formally arrested Gen. Musharraf at his palatial farmhouse on the
outskirts of Islamabad, which was declared a “sub-jail” after he was
remanded in judicial custody last week
Showing posts with label april-2013. Show all posts
Showing posts with label april-2013. Show all posts
Monday, April 29, 2013
Shamshad Begum died at the age of 94
Shamshad Begum, who was one of the first playback
singers in the Hindi film industry, died at her residence
after prolonged illness. She was 94.
She had a distinctive voice and was a versatile artist, singing
over 6000 songs in Hindi and the Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Punjabi
languages. She worked with maestros including Naushad Ali,
S. D.
Burman, C. Ramchandra and O. P.
Nayyar. Her songs from the 1940s to
the early 1970s remain popular and continue to be remixed.
Etihad will invest in Jet Airways
The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways will pick up a 24 per in the
Jet Airways, at a cost of Rs. 2,058 crore ($379 million). The foreign direct
investment norms for the airline industry were liberalised in September last
year.
The Board of Directors of the Indian carrier approved the stake
sale in terms of which Etihad will be investing $600 million, including $70
million paid to Jet for its landing rights at London Heathrow airport. Within
the next six months, the gulf carrier will also buy a majority stake in Jet’s
frequent flyer programme, JetPrivilege, for $150 million.
Chinese troops intrusion in Indian territory
Several
dozen Chinese soldiers have set up a remote camp some 10 km (6 miles)
inside the Indian territory in the high altitude Himalayan desert of
Ladakh.
However to reduce tensions between the two countries, New Delhi favours diplomatic strings to get Beijing to revert to status quo prior to this incursion.
India has sent an equal complement of the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel. They are camping 200 yards away from the Chinese in a classic face-to-face posture. A reluctant Chinese side agreed to an Indian request for a second flag meeting in a week to resolve the issue.
In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin basically made three points, besides calling on the Chinese to revert to status quo. He admitted it was now a face-to-face situation, but localised; this was not the first time such an incident has happened and; the accent was on resolving the stand-off peacefully through mechanisms agreed upon by the two sides.
However to reduce tensions between the two countries, New Delhi favours diplomatic strings to get Beijing to revert to status quo prior to this incursion.
India has sent an equal complement of the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel. They are camping 200 yards away from the Chinese in a classic face-to-face posture. A reluctant Chinese side agreed to an Indian request for a second flag meeting in a week to resolve the issue.
In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin basically made three points, besides calling on the Chinese to revert to status quo. He admitted it was now a face-to-face situation, but localised; this was not the first time such an incident has happened and; the accent was on resolving the stand-off peacefully through mechanisms agreed upon by the two sides.
NASA launches three smartphone-powered satellites into space
NASA
has successfully launched three smartphones into space to snap images
of Earth, and the handsets may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites
ever flown into space.
Each smartphone is housed in a standard cubesat structure, measuring about 4 inches square. The smartphone acts as the satellite’s onboard computer. Its sensors are used for attitude determination and its camera for Earth observation.
The smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space on Sunday aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.
The trio of “PhoneSats” is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space. The goal of NASA’s PhoneSat mission is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.
NASA engineers kept the total cost of the components for the three prototype satellites in the PhoneSat project between $3,500 and $7,000 by using primarily commercial hardware and keeping the design and mission objectives to a minimum.
The hardware for this mission is the Google-HTC Nexus One smartphone running the Android operating system.
NASA added items a satellite needs that the smartphones do not have — a larger, external lithium-ion battery bank and a more powerful radio for messages it sends from space. The smartphone’s ability to send and receive calls and text messages has been disabled.
Each smartphone is housed in a standard cubesat structure, measuring about 4 inches square. The smartphone acts as the satellite’s onboard computer. Its sensors are used for attitude determination and its camera for Earth observation.
The smartphones destined to become low-cost satellites rode to space on Sunday aboard the maiden flight of Orbital Science Corporation’s Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Island Flight Facility in Virginia.
The trio of “PhoneSats” is operating in orbit, and may prove to be the lowest-cost satellites ever flown in space. The goal of NASA’s PhoneSat mission is to determine whether a consumer-grade smartphone can be used as the main flight avionics of a capable, yet very inexpensive, satellite.
NASA engineers kept the total cost of the components for the three prototype satellites in the PhoneSat project between $3,500 and $7,000 by using primarily commercial hardware and keeping the design and mission objectives to a minimum.
The hardware for this mission is the Google-HTC Nexus One smartphone running the Android operating system.
NASA added items a satellite needs that the smartphones do not have — a larger, external lithium-ion battery bank and a more powerful radio for messages it sends from space. The smartphone’s ability to send and receive calls and text messages has been disabled.
States have no power to frame a mining policy :Supreme Court
The
Supreme Court clarified that the State government cannot frame policy
for granting mining leases going beyond the scope of the Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957and Mineral Concession
Rules, 1960.
Reiterating this point, the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions filed by the Centre, JSW Steel Ltd and others seeking review of the September 2010 judgment in the ’Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Ltd (SMIOL) vs. State of Karnataka’ case.
Reiterating this point, the Supreme Court dismissed review petitions filed by the Centre, JSW Steel Ltd and others seeking review of the September 2010 judgment in the ’Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Ltd (SMIOL) vs. State of Karnataka’ case.
Chris Gayle hits fastest century in cricket history
Chris
Gayle scored the fastest-ever Twenty20 hundred in 30 balls and the
IPL’s highest individual score 175 not out off 66 balls hiting 17 sixes.
He was playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.
The Jamaican toppled the previous highest Twenty20 score of 158 by Brendon McCullum, also set at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in the first-ever IPL match six years ago.
He was playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League.
The Jamaican toppled the previous highest Twenty20 score of 158 by Brendon McCullum, also set at Bangalore’s Chinnaswamy Stadium in the first-ever IPL match six years ago.
Serbian government approves Kosovo deal
The
Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo reached in Brussels that would
give Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leadership authority over rebel Kosovo
Serbs. In turn, the minority Serbs would get wide autonomy within
Kosovo.
However, the serbs living in northern Kosovo, rejected the agreement, demanded that the EU-brokered agreement be annulled and branded the Serbian officials who endorsed it “traitors”.
Ending the partition of Kosovo between the Albanian majority and the Serb-controlled north —about a fifth of the country — is a key condition of Serbia’s further progress toward EU membership.
However, the serbs living in northern Kosovo, rejected the agreement, demanded that the EU-brokered agreement be annulled and branded the Serbian officials who endorsed it “traitors”.
Ending the partition of Kosovo between the Albanian majority and the Serb-controlled north —about a fifth of the country — is a key condition of Serbia’s further progress toward EU membership.
J.S. Verma passed away
Lalgudi
Gopala Iyer Jayaraman was a well-known and award-winning Indian
Carnatic violinist, vocalist and composer. His disciples included his
two children Lalgudi G.J.R.Krishnan, Lalgudi Vijayalakshmi and the
Academy Award nominated Bombay Jayashri Ramnath.
He declined the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy, Chennai, as it came late, though the institution honoured him with a lifetime achievement award. He kept away from playing for women artistes as his father was against the idea. However, he gave a lot of concerts with his sister Lalgudi Brimanandham.
He declined the coveted Sangita Kalanidhi award of the Music Academy, Chennai, as it came late, though the institution honoured him with a lifetime achievement award. He kept away from playing for women artistes as his father was against the idea. However, he gave a lot of concerts with his sister Lalgudi Brimanandham.
Djokovic won Monte Carlo Masters tournament.
Novak
Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis
tournament 6-2, 7-6(7-1) to win the trophy for the first time. He
stopped Rafael Nadal’s winning streak of the last eight titles here.
Sebastian Vettel won Bahrain Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel extended his lead in this year’s title race when he claimed victory for Red Bull at the Bahrain Grand Prix
It was Vettel’s second win in four races this year and the 28th of his career. The German’s victory saw him move into sixth on the all-time list of Grand Prix wins, taking him past Jackie Stewart.
It was Vettel’s second win in four races this year and the 28th of his career. The German’s victory saw him move into sixth on the all-time list of Grand Prix wins, taking him past Jackie Stewart.
defence ministry finalised a new procurement policy
India’s
defence ministry finalised a new procurement policy under which Indian
public and private sector will be given first priority for military
procurements and will help in plugging loopholes that allow corruption.
Major changes in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry
The government would make all efforts to create genuine level-playing field for Indian manufacturing industries.
The new policy changes will also end the virtual monopoly of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ordnance factories in the defence sector as they will not be automatically nominated for maintenance and repair of systems procured from abroad, as private firms will be allowed to take part in these contracts
The financial powers of the Services chiefs and the chief of the Coast Guard have been enhanced from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 150 crore for capital acquisition cases.
Major changes in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry
The government would make all efforts to create genuine level-playing field for Indian manufacturing industries.
The new policy changes will also end the virtual monopoly of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ordnance factories in the defence sector as they will not be automatically nominated for maintenance and repair of systems procured from abroad, as private firms will be allowed to take part in these contracts
The financial powers of the Services chiefs and the chief of the Coast Guard have been enhanced from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 150 crore for capital acquisition cases.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Former Pak. President Musharraf was arrested
Former
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was arrested from his Chak Shahzad
farmhouse. Musharraf yesterday fled from the Islamabad High Court
after it had ordered his arrest in a 2007 case and remained closeted in
his farmhouse with police blocking access to it
Defective valves delay plant commissioning at Kudankulam
The
commissioning of the Kudankulam atomic power plant has been delayed as
the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board found four valves “deficient” during
tests ahead of firing the reactor. The Nuclear Power Corporation of
India is replacing the components.
Russia launches bio-satellite
Russia
launched an ’orbital Noah’s Ark’ to space — a bio-satellite packed with
an array of mice and other small creatures to study the effects of long
flights on living organisms. Russia’s latest BION-M1 biological
research capsule carrying 45 mice, eight Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos,
snails, fish eggs, micro-organisms and plants blasted off aboard the
modernised Soyuz 2 rocket from the Baikonur launch pad in Kazakhstan.
Former President of the Indian Olympic Association Sivanthi Adityan dead
B.
Sivanthi Adityan, Former President of the Indian Olympic Association
and owner of Dina Thanthi, the largest circulated Tamil daily died after
a prolonged illness.
Sichuan Earthquake killed 157 persons
At
least 157 people were killed and more than 5,700 injured in a
7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck China’s south-western Sichuan
province on Saturday morning. Authorities fear the number of casualties
could rise considering the strength of the earthquake, which was felt in
at least five surrounding provinces.
Djokovic won Monte Carlo Masters tournament.
Novak
Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal at the Monte Carlo Masters tennis
tournament 6-2, 7-6(7-1) to win the trophy for the first time. He
stopped Rafael Nadal’s winning streak of the last eight titles here.
Human computer, Shakuntala Devi dead
Math whiz Shakuntala Devi popularly known as human computer passed away at the age of 80.
Ms. Devi held a Guinness World Record for her lightening-speed calculations. Among her distinctions was her ability to, given a date in the last century, mentally ascertain the day.
In 1977, she calculated the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in just 50 seconds. In 1980, she multiplied two 13-digit numbers given to her randomly by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London.
Ms. Devi held a Guinness World Record for her lightening-speed calculations. Among her distinctions was her ability to, given a date in the last century, mentally ascertain the day.
In 1977, she calculated the 23rd root of a 201-digit number in just 50 seconds. In 1980, she multiplied two 13-digit numbers given to her randomly by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London.
defence ministry finalised a new procurement policy
ndia’s
defence ministry finalised a new procurement policy under which Indian
public and private sector will be given first priority for military
procurements and will help in plugging loopholes that allow corruption.
Major changes in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry
The government would make all efforts to create genuine level-playing field for Indian manufacturing industries.
The new policy changes will also end the virtual monopoly of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ordnance factories in the defence sector as they will not be automatically nominated for maintenance and repair of systems procured from abroad, as private firms will be allowed to take part in these contracts
The financial powers of the Services chiefs and the chief of the Coast Guard have been enhanced from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 150 crore for capital acquisition cases.
Major changes in the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex decision-making body of the Ministry
The government would make all efforts to create genuine level-playing field for Indian manufacturing industries.
The new policy changes will also end the virtual monopoly of the public sector undertakings (PSUs) and ordnance factories in the defence sector as they will not be automatically nominated for maintenance and repair of systems procured from abroad, as private firms will be allowed to take part in these contracts
The financial powers of the Services chiefs and the chief of the Coast Guard have been enhanced from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 150 crore for capital acquisition cases.
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