Month: May 2013

Instagram launches photo tagging feature

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Instagram has launched a new feature that allows users to add names to their photographs, just like Facebook.

Instagram announced the change on its blog on Thursday, writing, “photos are memories of the people, places and moments that mean the most to us.”

The company posted that they have always sought to give users simple and expressive ways to bring their stories behind their images to life.

The tech firm said that users’ captions and hashtags capture the “what?” and their Photo Map answers the “where?” but until now they were never quite able to answer the “who?”

RoboBee makes first controlled flight

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In culmination of more than a decade’s work, an insect-sized robot took its first controlled in a Harvard robotics laboratory.

Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leapt a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air.

Graduate student Pakpong Chirarattananon immediately captured a video of the fledgling and emailed it to his adviser and colleagues subject line, “Flight of the RoboBee.”

New image released by ESO shows turbulent birth of stars

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The European Southern Observatory, or ESO, released an image Thursday that shows the intense activity that occurs inside an interstellar cloud when stars form.

The image was captured by the 1.54-meter Danish telescope at the ESO’s La Silla Observatory in Chile and shows the intense activity inside an interstellar cloud.

Govt examining all possibility to raise FDI ceiling: Rajan

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Chief Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan on Friday said the government is examining all possibility of raising foreign direct investment ceiling in various sectors to help increase inflows and prop up economic growth.

“We are examining all possibilities for FDI,” Rajan said when asked on the sectors he would like to see investment coming in.

RBI brings cheers to borrowers, cuts repo rate by 0.25%

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Sticking to its cautious stance, the Reserve Bank on Friday cut the key interest rate by just 0.25 percent to 7.25 percent and kept the liquidity enhancing cash reserve requirement unchanged, disappointing the industry and stock market.

The RBI in its annual monetary policy statement said there would be modest improvement in the country’s economic growth to 5.7 percent in the current fiscal, as against the decade’s low of 5 per cent in 2012-13.

10 injured as bomb explodes near MQM office in Karachi

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A bomb blast targeted an electoral office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) near Pakistan’s commercial hub Karachi, injuring 10 people ahead of the May 11 general elections.

Initial reports suggest the political office, set up for election campaigning in the city’s NA-250 constituency, was the target of suspected terrorists. Several party activists are among the injured.

Pak police arrests Pervez Musharraf over killing of Baloch leader

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Pakistani police on Thursday arrested and interrogated beleaguered former President Pervez Musharraf over the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation, one of three high-profile cases that have dogged him since he returned to the country from self-exile.

A team of Balochistan Police arrested the former military ruler and grilled him for nearly four hours at his farmhouse on the outskirts of Islamabad, which was declared a “sub-jail” by authorities.

’73 insurgents killed in North Caucasus in 2013′

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Law enforcement personnel in Russia have killed 73 alleged Islamist insurgents in the North Caucasus region over the first three months of 2013, police said.

Eighty-seven alleged militants were slain over the same period of 2012, police said at the time.

Another 88 militants were detained in the first three months of 2013, and six others turned themselves in, a police spokesman said in the southern city of Pyatigorsk.

Last year, 133 suspected terrorists were arrested over the same period.

US lifts visa ban on Myanmar

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Considering the decisions taken by its government as part of economic and political reforms, the US has decided to lift the visa ban on Myanmar, but will continue with the national emergency against the country for one more year.

“The steps acknowledge important change the government of Burma has made. They encourage and empower government and people to continue on the path of political and economic reform,” a senior administration official said after President Barack Obama issued necessary orders in this regard.

The United States identifies Myanmar with its previous name Burma.

First woman in FBIs most wanted terrorists list

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The FBI has put a woman on its most wanted terrorist list for the first time, announcing a reward of USD 1 million for information leading to her arrest.

Joanne Chesimard, a member of the extremist group Black Liberation Army, was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper 40 years ago during a routine traffic stop.

She has been on the run since 1979 when she escaped from prison in Clinton, New Jersey, where she was serving a life term for murder.

The state has added its own USD 1 million on top of the million dollars already offered by the FBI for her capture.

Release ‘jailed’ American man: US tells N Korea

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The United States has urged North Korea for an immediate release of a Korean-American man, who has been sentenced to 15 years of hard labour for alleged anti-government crimes. Kenneth Bae, also known as Pae Jun-ho, was detained last year after entering North Korea as a tourist, the reports said on Friday.

The BBC News quoted State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell as saying that the US has urged North Korea to grant amnesty and immediate release to Bae as he has gone through a legal process.

Somalia famine killed nearly 2, 60,000 people: UN

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Over a quarter of a million people, including young children died in a famine in Somalia between October 2010 and April 2012 because the international community did not act quick enough, according to a UN report.

The report was commissioned by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning Systems Network.

The study estimates that 4.6 percent of the total population and 10 percent of children younger than five (about half of 258,000 Somalis) died in southern and central Somalia, the reports said.

AAP joins Sikh protest against Sajjan’s acquittal

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In support of the Sikh community’s protests over the acquittal of Congress leader Sajjan Kumar in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday joined the hunger strike for a day at Jantar Mantar in central Delhi.

“We are joining hands with our Sikh brothers to protest against the acquittal of Sajjan Kumar. We will join the protest of the family of Nirpreet Kaur, who began her indefinite hunger strike from today (Friday),” said Manish Sisodia, senior AAP member.

Sharad Pawar won’t contest 2014 General Elections: NCP

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Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar will not contest the 2014 General Elections.

Pawar’s party also said here that he had no prime ministerial ambitions.

NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said that despite NCP workers’ demand that Pawar should contest the General Elections, he had firmly refused to go back on his decision made earlier.

Delhi braveheart’s friend’s interview no evidence: SC

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The Supreme Court has ruled that the interview of the friend of 23-year-old Delhi braveheart, who was gangraped in a moving bus in the national capital on December 16, cannot be used as evidence in the case.

With this decision, the apex court set aside an order of the Delhi High Court, which had allowed the interview to be used as evidence in the trial of the case.

Khurshid briefs Mulayam on Chinese incursion issue

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Against the backdrop of sharp attack by the Samajwadi Party on the government over the Chinese incursion, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Friday briefed its party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav about the government’s stand and strategy to deal with the issue.

Khurshid, along with Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy, met Yadav in Parliament House on Friday morning.

Delhi faces tough competition in match against Sunrisers

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Two teams which have only recently recovered from poor form will square off when Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad clash here tomorrow in a Pepsi IPL match with both sides aiming to continue the winning run and stay alive in the event.

The match is crucial for both the teams are in the lower half of the points table with Delhi being second last right now.

DD have six points from 10 matches, while SH have bagged 12 from the same number of matches.

The Sunrisers have enjoyed a dream run at home, winning all the matches played here so far.

Kerala top woman cop’s poem lands her in trouble

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A top woman Indian Police Service official has landed in a soup on account of her literary skills: A poem she wrote depicting politicians, the media and the bureaucracy in poor light is in the eye of a storm.

Additional Director General of Police B. Sandhya has been asked to explain her Malayalam poem, which appeared under a title that translated to English would read, “I can only be thus”.

The poem was published in a magazine.

Director General of Police K.N. Balasubramanian has issued two letters to the ADG seeking an explanation for the poem. A reply is awaited.

Alia Bhatt prefers acting advice from Karan Johar than family

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Alia, who is the sister of actor-turned-director Pooja Bhatt and cousin of actor Emraan Hashmi, says she doesn’t take any acting tips from them.

Newcomer Alia Bhatt, daughter of renowned filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, says she prefers to consult her mentor Karan Johar regarding her career over her family.

Johar had launched Alia with ‘Student of the Year’ last year.

Sarabjit Singh’s security was compromised: Pakistan rights watchdog

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His lawyer Awais Sheikh had alerted authorities of threats to his client following the hanging in Delhi of Afzal Guru over the 2001 terror attack on Indian parliament.

Sarabjit Singh could not have been fatally attacked within the prison “without the knowledge and support of prison guards and the authorities”, Pakistan’s leading rights watchdog said.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan demanded action against “all those who played any part in the assault” on Sarabjit, who died in Lahore’s Jinnah Hospital after being comatose since the brutal assault on April 26.

Salman Khan’s NGO comes to aid of drought-hit Maharashtra districts

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The foundation will provide 2,500 water tankers with a storage capacity of 2,000 litres each to the drought affected districts of Marathwada from May 6 to 31.
Salman Khan

Bollywood star Salman Khan’s ‘Being Human’ foundation has come forward to offer help in the drought-hit Marathwada region of Maharashtra.

The foundation will provide 2,500 water tankers with a storage capacity of 2,000 litres each to the drought affected districts of Marathwada from May 6 to 31, according to an e-mail received recently by the Aurangabad Divisional Commissioner from Salman’s ‘Being Human’ Foundation.

Pakistan takes up issue of attack on prisoner Sanuallah with India

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The attack on Sanaullah comes a day after the death of Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh after a murderous attack on him in a Lahore prison.

Pakistan has raised with India the incident in which one of its nationals lodged in a Jammu jail and sought immediate consular access to him.

“Pakistan High Commission has shown serious concern. It has taken up with Ministry of External Affairs the attack on Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah in Kot Bhalwal Jail in Jammu,” the Press attache in the High Commission said.

India as a knowledge society can emerge as world leader: P Chidambaram

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Stressing that the government is keen on promoting a uniquely inclusive model for innovation, the minister said it is willing to leverage on new approaches to innovation in technology platforms, connectivity and collaboration through National Innovation Council (NIC).

Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday pitched for a greater use of knowledge and technology to meet the challenges of economic growth and improve the plight of people at bottom of pyramid.

Kiran Kumar Reddy woos voters with more populist schemes

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With less than a year to go for assembly elections, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is announcing populist schemes fast and furious to woo the voters and also to consolidate his position in the ruling Congress party.

After ‘Mana Biyyam’ (Re.1 a kg rice), ‘Amma Hastam’ (a monthly basket of nine essential commodities for Rs.185), ‘Indiramma kalalu’ (sub-plans for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes), the chief minister has now announced ‘Bangaru Talli’, a new scheme for the welfare of girls from poor families.