Month: December 2014

MIT engineers have high hopes for cheetah robot

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It’s a robot unlike any other, inspired by the world’s fastest land animal and controlled by video game technology.

The robot, called the cheetah, can run on batteries at speeds of more than 16 kph, jump about 40 centimetres high, land safely and continue running for at least 15 minutes — all while using less power than a microwave oven.

It’s the creation of researchers at the Massachusetts of Technology, who had to design key elements from zero because of a lack of, or shortcomings in, existing technology.

Iraqi premier sacks 24 interior ministry officials

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Iraq’s prime minister said today that he has retired 24 Interior Ministry officials as part of efforts to restructure the country’s security apparatus and enable it to better confront the threat from the Islamic State militant group.

Haider al-Abadi’s announcement came as fighters with the Sunni extremist group attacked a police checkpoint near Iraq’s border with Syria, killing at least 15 Iraqi officers in an assault that underscored the depth of the country’s turmoil in the face of the IS group’s onslaught.

‘Afghanistan to face more violence but local forces capable’

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Afghanistan will face further violence next year after NATO ends its longest ever combat mission, chief Jens Stoltenberg admitted today, but he insisted local security forces could stem the tide.

Stoltenberg, who meets new Afghan President Ashraf Ghani later today, said a recent surge in attacks in Kabul was timed to grab headlines as the Afghan government met its international backers.

“There are going to be violent attacks also next year but the Afghan national security forces are capable and the time has come to leave responsibility for security to the Afghans themselves,” he said.

US Air Force pilot killed in crash in Mideast

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A US Air Force pilot was killed when an F-16 crashed late last night while returning to its base in the Middle East.

Col Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said the jet developed a problem related to maintenance shortly after takeoff, turned around and crashed before landing. Warren said the pilot apparently turned around before engaging in any combat mission.

The crash is being investigated. Warren said it was too early to say why the pilot was unable to eject.

Church gutted down in Delhi by mysterious fire, foul play suspected

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A substantial part of a catholic church in northeast Delhi’s Tahirpur area was gutted when a fire broke out at its premises on Monday morning with the Christian community suspecting foul play in the incident.

Police have registered a case under section 436 IPC (Mischief) on the complaint of the church authorities.

Syed Kaleemuddin Askar new president of Tanzeem-e-Insaaf Greater Hyderabad

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On the occasion of city conference of Tanzeem-e-Insaaf Greater Hyderabad ex-MP Rajya Sabha Mr. Syed Aziz Pasha announced the name of Syed Kaleemuddin Askar as the new president of Tanzeem-e-Insaaf Greater Hyderabad. He told that after the selection of the new president the ongoing struggle against the injustices to weaker sections would be further intensified. Mr. Syed Aziz Pasha advised the leaders and workers of Insaaf to reach out to the people to get acquainted with the problems confronted by the people on local level.

Not doing ‘Kaththi’ remake: Mahesh Babu

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Superstar Mahesh Babu Sunday said that he really liked recent Tamil blockbuster “Kaththi”, but shared that he’s not starring in the film’s remake.

“I really liked ‘Kaththi’, and I think it has to be Vijay’s best film in recent times. But I’m not doing its remake. I usually prefer not to work in remakes,” Mahesh said.

He was speaking at the fundraiser event Memu Saitham, which is organised for the victims of cyclone victims in Andhra Pradesh.

Republican aide who criticised Obama’s daughters resigns

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The Republican congressional aide who posted a Facebook message criticising the behaviour of US President Barack Obama’s daughters during a White House ceremony has announced her resignation.

Elizabeth Lauten, communications director for Republican Representative Stephen Fincher of Tennessee, said on the NBC television network that her resignation is “in the works”, following the controversy sparked by her comments over the weekend.

1,232 killed in Iraq violence in November: UN

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At least 1,232 people were killed and 2,434 were injured as a result of acts of terrorism and violence committed in Iraq during November, the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said Monday.

The UNAMI said in a statement that 936 civilians were among the victims, including 61 non-militarised police officers and 296 members of the security forces, including Kurdish Peshmerga soldiers and members of militias fighting alongside the Iraqi government.

Syria, Ebola failures highlight UN shortcomings

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The Ebola epidemic and the war in Syria have cast a spotlight on the inadequacies of the United Nations as it tries to operate in a globalised world with a power structure that hasn’t changed since 1945.

To many who know the UN well, the organisation has grown bloated with age, is underfunded and shows few signs of righting itself.

That was evident when an internal report by the UN health agency revealed that cronyism and incompetence in its leadership may have contributed to the spread of Ebola.

Britain rejoins EU arrest warrant system

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The European Union welcomed Britain’s return to a controversial EU-wide arrest warrant system today following a vote by the British parliament.

Britain’s government opted out of all 133 EU police and criminal justice measures last year, but decided to rejoin some of them before that decision came into effect today.

Parliament voted to back that decision in November.

The decision came despite growing questions over Britain’s place in the EU, with Prime Minister David Cameron promising a referendum on its membership in 2017.

Fadnavis unveils slum redevelopment plans for Mumbai

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Monday unveiled a slew of proposals designed to rid Mumbai of its sprawling slums, where 46 percent of the city’s population lives.

“For the allround development of Mumbai, it is imperative to develop the slums which house 46 percent of the city’s population. There are as many as 117 BMC and 96 MHADA slum rehabilitation projects which have been delayed. We will review all projects pending since three years and order them to be restarted,” Fadnavis said.

Oil prices, manufacturing slump weigh on stocks

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Crude oil prices climbed back after hitting five-year lows today, dragging down the share prices of energy companies, while miners were hit by weak Chinese manufacturing data, traders said.

Oil futures tumbled in early trading, extending last week’s sharp sell-off in response to the decision of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to maintain its output level despite a supply glut and slumping prices.

Nursery admission: Plea in HC against quashing of LG’s guidelines

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An appeal was filed Monday in the Delhi High Court, challenging the decision of a single judge bench to quash the Lt. Governor’s guidelines of last year on nursery admissions in unaided private schools in the capital.

NGO Social Jurist filed the appeal against the order which quashed the guidelines issued by Delhi’s Lt. Governor and said the neighbourhood, sibling, and alumni criteria set as per the notification will go. Schools can now set their own criteria according to the 2007 Ganguly Committee guidelines.

Here’s how dogs drink water

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A new study has provided a deeper insight into why dogs splash and spill water while drinking.

Researchers at Virginia Tech and Purdue University found that dogs splash when they drink because they have the cheeks of a predatory quadruped.

As members of the order Carnivora, cats and dogs have incomplete cheeks, which allow them to open their mouths wide to deliver killing blows. But what makes pack hunting possible also makes suction drinking impossible.

Acclaimed Egyptian novelist Ashour dies at 68

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Acclaimed Egyptian novelist and educator Radwa Ashour, who used her often deeply personal writing style to champion human rights issues, has died after a long battle with cancer. She was 68.

She chronicled her fight against cancer in her novel “Heavier than Radwa,” set against the turbulent days of Egypt’s revolution. She died yesterday and her funeral was today.

Three arrested for liquor and narcotics smuggling in Noida

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Three persons were arrested in connection with smuggling of liquor and narcotics here, police said.

One Anil Singh was arrested from near sector 6 last night during checking of vehicles and 20 bottles (180ml) of smuggled liquor was seized from him, police said.

Similarly, Surajpur police today arrested liquor smuggler Rajinder and recovered 240 bottles (180 ml) of liquor in five cartons from a stolen car.

In another incident, Noida Phase 2 police have arrested one Aakash and recovered two kg Doda pusta, a narcotic substance, from him.

Nigeria rocked by new Boko Haram raid and suicide attack

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Boko Haram today launched two separate attacks on state capitals in northeast Nigeria, when two female suicide bombers hit a busy market and fighters launched a major assault on police.

The blasts in Maiduguri and dawn raid in Damaturu came just days after a deadly mosque attack in the northern city of Kano left at least 120 people dead and hundreds more injured.

Almost daily attacks have heightened tensions in Nigeria’s far northeast and sparked fears of unrest beyond the country’s borders.

Blame smartphones for your kids’ daytime sleepiness

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A new study has found that if your children are exhausted and sleepy during the daytime, it’s probably due to use of smartphones and social media.

Dr. Ofra Flint-Brettler at the University of Haifa, who led the study of youngsters said that there was no doubt that these activities disrupted their sleep patterns. They went to bed too late because they stayed awake to watch TV, didn’t sleep enough and got tired quickly.

BJP, Shiv Sena finalize power sharing formula in Maharashtra

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Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena have reportedly finalized a power sharing formula that could see the latter joining the Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra Government as also the government at the Centre.

The power-sharing formula, according to media reports, was arrived at late last night between Shiv Sena and BJP leaders at Fadnavis’s official residence ‘Varsha’ in South Mumbai.

Hong Kong protesters on hunger strike after violent clashes

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Joshua Wong, the teenage face of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, and two other student demonstrators went on hunger strike today, raising the stakes after one of the worst nights of violence to hit the demonstrations.

Wong, 18, and two young female members of his Scholarism student group announced the “indefinite” hunger strike hours after Hong Kong’s leader warned that the two-month-old protests are “in vain”.

Tele-medicine facility at snowbound areas of Lahaul and Spiti

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Tele-medicine facilities will soon be available in the snowbound areas of tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti, giving a relief to the ailing people who remain cut off from rest of the state during the winter season.

The state government has tied up with Apollo Hospital in Delhi for providing the facility with its specialist doctors guiding the local doctors in tribal areas of Keylong and Kaza and giving the prescription.

The patients would get the treatment near their home and they would not be required to be shifted to IGMC, Shimla or other hospitals.

Johannesburg Gurudwara opened after 8-year-long legal battle

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The Sikh-community here finally got its own Gurudwara, modelled on traditional architecture from the religious shrines of Indian state of Punjab, after an eight-year-long battle with their white South African neighbours who were opposed to its construction.

The Johannesburg Gurudwara, set to become a major tourist attraction in the suburb of Parkmore, was officially opened yesterday with hundreds of guests from the community in attendance.