New Kalpakkam N-reactor to be ready in 2 years

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The  Kudankulum nuclear power facility in Tamil Nadu faces stiff opposition from locals and activists on safety concerns, the country's atomic power plant operator today said the 500-mw prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) being set up at Kalpakkam is likely to be commissioned within the next two years.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva; text-align: justify;">The  Kudankulum nuclear power facility in Tamil Nadu faces stiff opposition from locals and activists on safety concerns, the country's atomic power plant operator today said the 500-mw prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) being set up at Kalpakkam is likely to be commissioned within the next two years.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

New Kalpakkam N-reactor to be ready in 2 years

The  Kudankulum nuclear power facility in Tamil Nadu faces stiff opposition from locals and activists on safety concerns, the country...

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NHAI to raise 10 thousand Cr through public issue

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The government announced for the first time, a public issue to raise funds to the tune of 10 thousand crore rupees for the National Highway Authority of India, NHAI for expanding roads in the country.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The proposed NHAI bonds will be tax free and exempted from the income tax act. The face value of the bonds will be one thousand rupees and available for the public from 28th of this month to 11th of next month.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The bonds will carry 8.2 percent coupon rate for 10 years and 8.3 percent for 15 years. The bonds are fully secured and listed in the stock exchanges including BSE, NSE and SEBI. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

NHAI to raise 10 thousand Cr through public issue

The government announced for the first time, a public issue to raise funds to the tune of 10 thousand crore rupees for the National Highw...

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SC appointed panel on Mullaperiyar dam visit dam areas

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In Kerala, the Empowered Committee appointed by the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is on an inspection of different dams including 116 year old Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki district.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Committee comprises of Dr. C.D. Thate, Dr.G.K. Mehta and senior technical officials. Using state-of-the-art machinery, drilling will be done in different points of Mullaperiyar dam on Saturday to procure surki content (the material used to build the dam) to ascertain safety of the structure.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

SC appointed panel on Mullaperiyar dam visit dam areas

In Kerala, the Empowered Committee appointed by the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is on an inspection of different dams includi...

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Govt evolves programme to tackle anaemia

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">To deal with the problem of anaemia, government will soon launch a weekly iron and folic supplementation (WIFS) programme under which the supplements will be provided to nearly 12 crore adolescents. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">As part of its nation-wide programme, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has suggested the states that a fixed day in a week, be earmarked as the day when iron and folic acid tablets are provided to adolescents. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Funding for the scheme to states would be provided under the National Rural Health Mission and states are advised to project their fund requirements in Programme Implementation Plans for 2012-13, so that the scheme can be rolled out in the forthcoming financial year. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The WIFS programme includes administration of supervised weekly iron-folic acid supplements of 100mg elemental iron and 500ug Folic acid, screening of target groups for moderate/severe anaemia and referring these cases to an appropriate health facility, information and counselling for improving dietary intake and for taking actions for prevention of intestinal worm infestation. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Anaemia occurs primarily due to iron deficiency and is the most widespread nutritional deficiency disorder in the country. It is a result of under-nutrition and poor dietary intake of iron and is a nationwide problem, not only among pregnant women, infants and young children but also among adolescents. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Anaemia in adolescents results in poor physical growth, reduced school performance, diminished concentration in daily tasks thus impacting work capacity and work output resulting in diminished earning capacity. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In adolescent girls, it also enhances the risk of preterm delivery and having babies with low birth weight. These babies are more likely to be ill and not reach the age of one year. Anaemia in adolescent girls also increases their risk of maternal deaths. Above 1/3rd of all maternal deaths take place in young women in the age group of 15-24 years. Neonatal mortality is also hugely influenced by maternal health being as high as 54 per 1000 amongst those aged 15-19 years.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Govt evolves programme to tackle anaemia

To deal with the problem of anaemia, government will soon launch a weekly iron and folic supplementation (WIFS) programme under which the...

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Jharkhand to give statehood fighters monthly pension

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda announced in the Assembly that the people who had fought for a separate Jharkhand state would get a pension.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">"The state government will provide pension to people who were involved in the Jharkhand state movement and their dependents will get government jobs. Those who were in jail for more than six months will get Rs.5,000 per month as pension and those who were in jail for less than six months will get Rs.3,000 per month as pension.</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Jharkhand to give statehood fighters monthly pension

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda announced in the Assembly that the people who had fought for a separate Jharkhand state would get a ...

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Turkey suspends bilateral ties with France

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced measures against France after MPs passed a bill criminalising denial of the 1915-16 Armenian genocide.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Ankara is recalling its ambassador and freezing political visits as well as joint military projects, including exercises.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The bill was passed by the French National Assembly yesterday and is due to go before the Senate next year. French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has publicly opposed it.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Under the bill, those publicly denying genocide will face a year in jail and a fine of 58,000 dollars. Armenians say up to 1.5 million people were killed by the Ottoman Turks in 1915-16.</span></span></li> </ul></div>

Turkey suspends bilateral ties with France

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has announced measures against France after MPs passed a bill criminalising denial of the 191...

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Powerful earthquakes hit New Zealand near Christchurch

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">A series of strong earthquakes have struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The 5.8-magnitude quake struck afternoon 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Christchurch at a depth of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers), the US Geological Survey said. The quake was followed by a series of sharp aftershocks, including one with a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of just 1.8 miles (3 kilometers).</span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Powerful earthquakes hit New Zealand near Christchurch

A series of strong earthquakes have struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves ...

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Russia ranked 2nd biggest global arms exporter

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russia became the world's second largest arms exporter after the US in 2011, said Igor Korotchenko, the head of the Moscow-based arms think tank Centre for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT).</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The CAWAT ranking revealed that Russia occupied the second position for world arms sales in 2011 with $11.29 billion in revenues, which accounts for 16.1 percent of all international arms supplies.</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">"The forecast for 2012 is $11.3 billion or 17.3 percent of global arms sales."</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> </span></span><br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The US, however, dominates world arms exports, with over 40 percent of trade globally, or $28.76 billion. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Russia ranked 2nd biggest global arms exporter

Russia became the world's second largest arms exporter after the US in 2011, said Igor Korotchenko, the head of the Moscow-based arms...

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Large Hadron Collider detects new particle

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Large Hadron Collider has discovered a new sub atomic particle called Chi_b (3P), which can provide vital clues about elusive ‘God particle’ or Higgs boson. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Higgs is a theoretical particle which is thought to ‘explain’ why the universe has mass.</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;"> </span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">The Atlas detector, one of the LHC’s two huge particle detectors - captured the particle that physicists had suspected to exist for years, but had never seen ‘in the wild.’</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Chi_b (3P) is LHC’s first confirmed sighting of an all new particle and was detected among data from the trillions of collisions at the LHC. </span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: small;"> </span></li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This new particle is a crucial milestone for the collider and a vital step towards its mission to fill in the gaps in our understanding of physics. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Large Hadron Collider detects new particle

Large Hadron Collider has discovered a new sub atomic particle called Chi_b (3P), which can provide vital clues about elusive ‘God partic...

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Another Soyuz rocket launch fails

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><ul><li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Russia's recent poor launch record has continued with yet another Soyuz rocket failure.</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">This time, a Soyuz-2 vehicle failed to put a communications satellite into orbit after lifting away from the country's Plesetsk spaceport.</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Debris is said to have re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near the western Siberian town of Tobolsk.</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">In August, a Soyuz failure on a mission to resupply the space station led to a six-week suspension of flights.</span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">Rocket  was carrying a Meridian-5 satellite, designed to provide communication between ships, planes and coastal stations on the ground, according to RIA Novosti. </span></span><br /> <br /> </li> <li style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: verdana,geneva;">It was a Soyuz-2.1b, the most modern version of the rocket that has been in service in various forms since the 1960s. </span></span><br /> </li> </ul></div>

Another Soyuz rocket launch fails

Russia's recent poor launch record has continued with yet another Soyuz rocket failure. This time, a Soyuz-2 vehicle failed to put...

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