Indian Police Team Bags 11gold, 6 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals at the World Police Games

   At the XV World Police & Fire Games 2013 being held at Belfast Indian Police Team has  displayed a strong performance by winning 8 Gold , 4 Silver  and 4 Bronze Medals so far.

Japan launches talking humanoid robot 'astronaut' Kirobo into space

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the first talking humanoid robot   Kirobo "robot astronaut" into orbit from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as part of nearly 3.5 tons of supplies and equipment to resupply the space station's six-person crew.  Kirobo was put through a series of zero-gravity and other safety tests prior to sending him into space. Kirobo is 34 centimetres tall and can speak Japanese. It will provide emotional support for people in space.

Kirobo — derived from the Japanese words for hope and robot

Malayalam poetess Sugathakumari gets Saraswati Samman 2012

Renowned Malayalam poetess and social activist Sugathakumari was conferred with prestigious Saraswati Samman award for 2012, instituted by KK Birla Foundation. Sugathakumari was honoured for her collection of poems in Malayalam entitled Manalezhuthu (the writings on the sand) published in 2006.


Sugathakumari social and environmental activist, who has been at the forefront of environmental and feminist movements in Kerala, South India.

Music director V Dakshinamurthy passes away at 94

Venkateswaran Dakshinamoorthy, the veteran  veteran carnatic musician and music director died on 2 August 2013 at his residence in Mylapore, Chennai. He was 94. He has set scores for the songs in over 125 films. He has to his credit as many as 859 songs composed over a period of 50 years. He dominated Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi films, predominantly in Malayalam films.

Russia Granted Asylum to Edward J. Snowden

 Russia granted temporary asylum to Edward Joseph Snowden , an American computer specialist, who worked for the CIA and the NSA and leaked details of several top-secret United States and British government mass surveillance programs to the press.

He left  the United States prior to the publication of his disclosures to Hong Kong. Mean time,

United States federal prosecutors charged Snowden with espionage and theft of government property.  He later moved to Russia where he was given temporary asylum and moved to undisclosed location

Dadra and Nagar Haveli celebrates 60th liberation day

 Liberation day’ marks the anniversary of the liberation of Silvassa from the Portuguese on August 2, 1954. Silvassa serves as the capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.  A series of programmes were organized including cultural programmes and the felicitation of the freedom fighters amid the presence of Administrator of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Bhupinder Bhalla and tens of hundreds of residents. 
 
Dadra and Nagar Haveli was merged into the Indian Union in 1961.

Disinvestment of 10 percent paid up equity capital of IOC Ltd

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in accordance with the Government of India`s disinvestment policy, has approved the disinvestment of 10 percent paid-up equity in the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), out of its equity capital holding of 78.92 percent. The disinvestment will be through Offer for Sale (OFS) method in the domestic market according to the SEBI rules and regulations. After this disinvestment the Government of India shareholding in the company would come down to 68.92 percent.

The paid up equity capital of the company, as on 31st March, 2013 was Rs. 2,428 crore. The Government of India holds 78.92 percent of the paid up capital in IOCL.