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Before and after pics of NASA's Mars Curiosity rover reveal the Red Planet has taken its toll

In images that surfaced online the rover's journey through Mars' landscape is laid bare. One the left is an image taken shortly after Curiosity landed on Mars while the right shows a snapshot from October.




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Osteoporosis sufferers given hope with vibrating 'bathroom scales' developed by Nasa

Marodyne LiV - a vibrating device, resembling a set of bathroom scales - produces gentle vibrations that travel up through the legs, stimulating the growth of new bone cells




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NASA will try and use InSight Lander's robotic arm to 'push' a troubled probe back into position

NASA will try to use a robotic arm attached to its InSight Lander to push down on a probe meant to drill into Martian soil which has struggled to achieve its mission throughout the past year.




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NASA Curiosity rover creates stunning panorama of its home on Mars

NASA shared a high-resolution panorama of 'Glen Torridon' on Mars that is comprised of over 1,000 images and contains 1.8 billion pixels. The images were taken from Nov. 24-Dec.1.




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Organic molecules discovered by NASA Curiosity rover are 'consistent with alien life'

NASA's curiosity rover has identified signs of thiophenes on the surface of the red planet and Washington State University astronomers believe they were formed by biological processes.




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NASA scientists are having to operate the Curiosity rover on Mars from home

The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory team continue to explore red planet despite not being able to go into their California office or use high-end workstations.




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Gas stoves are 'exposing millions of Americans to dangerous pollutants', report finds

About 40 percent of homes in America have a gas stove, but a new report reveals the appliance may be bad for your health. They can cause cancer in adults and asthma in children.




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Repurposing drugs to treat COVID-19 will allow tackle the pandemic faster than developing a vaccine

Any effective vaccine will take over a year to be developed and ready to be brought to bear on the coronavirus outbreak on a large scale, the UK-led team argued.




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'Smell cameras' built to detect explosives could sniff out coronavirus in the air

California-based Koniku partnered with Airbus on the project as the start-up specialises in neurotechnology.




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Households losing out on £5bn to the Big Six, despite cheaper wholesale prices

More than 11million households in Britain are at risk of overpaying £3.5billion on their energy bills this year, simply because the Big Six refuse to give them a better deal, new research claims.




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Raheem Sterling 'closing in on £100m deal to become new face of Puma'

The Manchester City forward, who would become Puma's highest-paid footballer should the deal go through, is also being pursued by rivals Adidas, New Balance and Under Armour.




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Budget will have a positive impact on robotics industry: Pradeep David

Investment in electronics sector will trigger an inspection & assembly related market for robots




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Monstrosity or masterpiece? Modern concrete homes are popping up again

Few other building materials are more vilified than concrete. Philosopher Roger Scruton believes that post-war Britain was almost 'obliterated by ugly deposits of concrete and steel'.




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First-time buyers see costs soar in a year as average deposits reach record of £46k

The average price paid by a first-time buyer in Britain last year was £231,455, up 9% - or £18,252 - on a year earlier, according to research by Halifax.




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House builder says cancer patient MUST buy their home or face losing deposit despite coronavirus.

Craig Aynsley, 46 from Northumberland, has been unable to work for five years after two separate battles with cancer - but thought his life had turned a corner last year after finding his dream home.




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Prime Minister meets Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Leader of the Opposition of the National Assembly of Bhutan [ph]Photo Courtesy: Naveen Jora[/ph]





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D-Street turns positive on PI Industries, UPL, Coromandel as revenues rise

PI Industries, UPL are better placed, given pick-up in global demand after a two-year downturn




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Congress MLA tests Covid-19 positive hours after meeting with Gujarat CM

The MLA from the Khadia-Jamalpur seat of Ahmedabad will be admitted to a designated Covid-19 hospital soon




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BJP accepts Delhi mandate, will act as constructive opposition: J P Nadda

He also expressed gratitude towards BJP workers, saying they worked day and night for the party's victory




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Congress decimated in Delhi election, 63 candidates lose deposits

The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trot under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed to open its account for the second consecutive assembly election in Delhi




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Nepal COVID-19 tally reaches 16 after 2 more test positive

Two out of three members of a family, residing in Kathmandu, have tested positive for COVID-19 a month after they returned from the UK.The family underwent a Rapid Diagnostic Test on Monday when they showed traces of infection. They were then rushed to Patan Hospital and kept in isolation where they underwent PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) method for further confirmation.The Ministry of Health and Population said in a statement, "A family of three residing at Sun City Apartment of Pepsi Cola Town Planning were tested for COVID-19 on April 13 where two persons, a 58-year male, and an 81-year female were tested positive while undertaking RDT procedure and were further tested under the PCR procedure which also confirmed that they were positive for the virus,""Other people who are residing in that apartment also would be tested for the virus and the tracing also has been started for those who came in contact with them," the statement added.The apartment has been sealed off since Monday ..




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Rio de Janeiro governor tests positive for coronavirus

Wilson Witzel, the governor of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro, has been tested positive for coronavirus."On Friday, I began feeling ill and asked for a coronavirus test. Today the result came and it turned out to be positive," Witzel said in a video message posted on his Twitter page on Tuesday evening.The governor said that he had several symptoms of the disease, including fever, sore throat, and fatigue, Sputnik reported."Right now, I feel better and I will continue to work while in self-isolation, following the recommendations of doctors," Witzel further said.Brazil has reported 24,000 cases of coronavirus since the outbreak of the disease.Several political figures, including presidential communications secretary Fabio Wajngarten, have tested positive for the disease during the ongoing outbreak.




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EU underlines its opposition to China's interference in Dalai Lama's succession

The assertion came in response to a question by five MPs of the European Parliament, namely Petras Austrevicius, Ausra Maldeikiene, Hannes Heide, Francisco Guerreiro and Petra De Sutter who had submitted a question to EU Foreign Affairs chief, Josep Borrell, asking about the position of EU on the succession of Dalai Lama and what measures the Union intends to take.The EU parliamentarians said that they expect Beijing to respect the spiritual leader's succession according to the traditional standards of Tibetan Buddhism, according to an independent analyst.In January this year, the US House of Representatives had unanimously passed the Tibetan Policy and Support Act (TPSA) to strengthen policy in support of Tibet, a move that was hailed as "encouraging and empowering" by the representatives of Tibet.The Act intended to, among other things, sanction Chinese officials for interfering in the Dalai Lama's succession.The Dalai Lama institution has existed for more than 600 years, during ...




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US Market ends into positive territory

A ramping up of tensions between the White House and China over the origins and handling of the coronavirus pandemic weighed on markets around the world. The U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he believed that a mistake in China was the cause of the spreading coronavirus pandemic, though he did not present any evidence for the claim.




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Rupee extends losing streak

At 71.3125/3150 per dollar




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Vijaykant's DMDK in danger of losing state party status

DMDK's vote share plummeted to 2.4% in the 2016 Assembly polls from 7.88% in 2011, even as the party failed to return a single legislator




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VP Pence's press secretary tests positive for coronavirus

US Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was "not worried" about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller, who tested positive on Friday, had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. She is married to Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser. The White House had no immediate comment on whether Stephen Miller had been tested or if he was still working out of the White House. Katie Miller had tested negative on Thursday, a day before her positive result. "This is why the whole concept of tests are not necessarily great," Trump said. "The tests are perfect but something can happen between a test where it is ...




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Ivanka Trump's personal assistant tests positive for coronavirus

Ivanka Trump's personal assistant has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, making her the third White House staff member to be infected from COVID-19, a media report said on Saturday. The assistant, who works in a personal capacity for US President Donald Trump's daughter, has not been around her in several weeks, the CNN reported. She has been teleworking for nearly two months and was tested out of caution, the report quoted a source as saying. She was not symptomatic. Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner both tested negative on Friday, the person familiar with the matter told the US news channel. The development comes a day after President Trump confirmed that Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller had tested positive for the coronavirus. "She's a wonderful young woman, Katie, she tested very good for a long period of time and then all of a sudden today she tested positive," Trump said during a meeting at the White House. He said Miller had not come into ...




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Five more test positive for COVID-19, total tally in Assam reaches 58

Five people, who had travelled from Rajasthan to Silchar, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total number of cases in Assam to 58, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Of the total 58 cases, 23 are active, he said. "There are two more COVID-19 patients who travelled in the bus which ferried people from Rajasthan. They are from Cachar district," the minister tweeted. Three other persons tested positive earlier in the day, while four others tested positive on Thursday and another on Wednesday, taking the total number of cases related to this group, who came from Ajmer to 10. The patients have been admitted to Silchar Medical College Hospital. A bus carrying 45 passengers and crew, arrived at Silchar on Wednesday, after being given permission by the Ajmer Deputy Commissioner. Of them 10 have tested positive so far. As the passengers had gone home briefly after screening, several areas in four villages of Cachar district has been declared as containment zones, he ...




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Dental college student tests positive for COVID-19, Assam total at 59

A student of the Regional Dental College in Guwahati tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total number of positive cases in Assam to 59, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday. The student's test report came in on Friday night, following which the number of cases detected in Guwahati since Thursday rose to five. Only one person, a resident of a high- end apartment, was found to be COVID-19 positive in the city prior to that. "These are difficult times. My duty is to give finest attention to all. Following social distancing guidelines of the government, met the girl who tested positive at Regional Dental College and assured her best care," Sarma said. He urged other students of the college not to panic and ensure social distance. The girl was tested after she came in contact with a post-graduate student of the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) who had tested positive on Thursday, an official said. A 16-year old girl was found COVID-19 positive .




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5 Bihar Military Police personnel test positive for COVID-19; count rises to 579

Five Bihar Military Police (BMP) personnel have tested positive for novel coronavirus, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases in the state to 579, a top health official said. All the fresh cases are from Khajpura area of Patna and their infection trail is being ascertained, Health Department Principal Secretary Sanjay Kumar said. Kumar tweeted late on Friday evening, "5 more COVID-19 positive cases in Bihar taking the total to 579. 5-males 30,36,50,52 and 57 years from Khajpura Patna. All are BMP jawans. We are ascertaining their further infection trail." Coronavirus has spread to 36 of the 38 districts in the state, officials said. Five patients have died so far and 307 people are still afflicted with the disease, while 267 have recovered, they said. One death each was reported in Rohtas, Munger, Vaishali, East Champaran and Sitamarhi districts. All the deceased were males and barring one, every one of them was below 60 years of age and with pre-existing medical conditions, the ...




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3 of family test positive for COVID-19

Three members of a family in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday, taking the total number of cases receiving treatment in the district to 15. The three identified are two women, aged 70 and 60, and a 30-year-old man from Kasba village of Bantwal taluk They are relatives of a 69-year-old man of the same family who tested positive for the virus on May 1. The family is related to the 50-year-old woman who died of the disease on April 19. Eight members of the family have been quarantined after the 69-year-old man tested positive. Three of them have now been confirmed with the infection. The source of the infection has been traced to the First Neuro hospital at Padil. A total of 16 coronavirus cases reported in the district has been linked with the hospital so far. An expert medical team has already been formed to find the origin of the infection from the hospital. With three more persons testing positive, the number of COVID-19 ...




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Four more test positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand, tally rises to 67

Four more people tested positive for COVID-19 in Uttarakhand on Saturday taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 67. The cases were reported from Udham Singh Nagar district, a health department bulletin here said. With this, COVID-19 cases in Uttarakhand have risen to 67 out of which 46 patients have been discharged after recovery and one has died. The number of active cases in Uttarakhand currently stands at 20, it said.




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One more person tests COVID-19 positive in Meghalaya, total 13

One more person has tested positive for COVID-19 in Meghalaya, taking the total number of cases in the state to 13, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Saturday. Of the total 13 COVID-19 cases, only two are active including the fresh case in Shillong. "Unfortunately we have another positive case in Shillong. Its a person working in the same house. As a precaution health department was retesting all the primary contacts and in the process we found this positive case. The person is safe and healthy and showing no symptoms," the chief minister tweeted. Senior Health department officials said the person had tested negative twice in the past. Meghalaya has reported 13 COVID-19 cases till date with one death. Ten persons have recovered from the disease. The first COVID-19 positive case in the state was Dr John Sailo Ryntathiang, who tested positive on April 13. The 69-year-old doctor died two days later and eight of his family members and two of his domestic help have also ..




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13 more test positive for COVID-19 in J-K, tally rises to 836

The number of COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir climbed to 836 on Saturday as 13 more people, including two nurses, tested positive for the disease, officials said. While 12 of the fresh cases are from the Kashmir Valley, one is from Jammu, they said. "Thirteen new COVID-19 cases were detected in the union territory on Saturday," the officials said. The total number of cases in Jammu and Kashmir has now reached 836, they said. "Of these, 767 are in Kashmir, while 69 are in the Jammu region," they added. Among the fresh cases detected on Saturday, three are from Super Speciality Hospital, Shireen Bagh here -- including two staff nurses and an attendant of a patient from Shopian, said Dr Salim Khan, COVID-19 nodal officer at Government Medical College, Srinagar. According to the officials, there are 459 active cases in the union territory -- 446 in Kashmir and 13 in Jammu -- and 368 patients have recovered. A total of nine COVID-19 patients have died in Jammu and Kashmir.




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COVID-19 challenges: TN forms panel under ex-RBI Guv Rangarajan to improve fiscal position

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday set up a high-level committee headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor C Rangarajan to examine fiscal challenges facing the state owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and suggest the way forward to improve its fiscal position. The committee, which will also consist of Finance Secretary S Krishnan as coordinator, will submit its report to the government within three months, according to a Government Order. The committee, with 21 members, would assess the overall immediate and medium term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on different sectors of the state's economy including the impact of lockdown, additional costs and implications due to social distancing and their precautionary measures. Also, it would assess the opportunities and threats in the short and medium term, suggest measures required to help the important sectors of the economy to overcome the impact of the virus pandemic. Apart from identifying specific reform measures to ..




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How prepared are we to tackle a human crisis? | Losing our rivers to grand plans | Malnutrition - A national disgrace


The ongoing Syrian and Mediterranean refugee crisis makes us look into our nation's as well as South Asian region's refugee policies in this edition. We also take a look at the widespread malnutrition amongst Indian children, why the proposed National Waterways Bill in its curent form is not a good idea, how Ladakh's cultural heritage and natural resources are deteriorating, the six-decades long suffering of Manipuri women under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts, a panel discussion on Nehru’s India: Essays on the Maker of a Nation a book by Nayantara Sahgal, a review of a newly released movie on the challenges faced by the Parsi community, and much more.

The ongoing Syrian and Mediterranean refugee crisis makes us look into our nation's as well as South Asian region's refugee policies in this edition. We also take a look at the widespread malnutrition amongst Indian children, why the proposed National Waterways Bill in its curent form is not a good idea, how Ladakh's cultural heritage and natural resources are deteriorating, the six-decades long suffering of Manipuri women under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Acts, a panel discussion on Nehru’s India: Essays on the Maker of a Nation a book by Nayantara Sahgal, a review of a newly released movie on the challenges faced by the Parsi community, and much more.




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Silicosis - a 'dusty' tale in Rajasthan


The lung dust that hundreds of thousands of mineworkers in Rajasthan are exposed to takes a severe toll on their health and lives. The rules meant to protect them, however, have yet to be dusted off the shelves. Deepak Malik recounts the history of the mineworkers' plight.




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'Water deposit' revives open wells


Thanks to voluntary water harvesting measures by a few, as well as legislation-led RWH by the others, many of Chennai's open wells have sprung back to life. The bountiful rains of 2005 showed that where conservation efforts are in place, even a single season's rainfall can largely restore water security. Shree Padre reports.




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India's pro-asbestos position sets back international treaty


Held in Geneva last month, the Rotterdam Convention was attended by 500 participants from 140 governments, UN organisations, and NGOs. India sided with Canada and few other nations to prevent the listing of chrysotile asbestos, a known carcinogen. R Sridhar has more.




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Congress faces stronger Opposition, rising dissent in AP

The Congress performance in Andhra Pradesh in the Lok Sabha poll may have been impressive, but party leaders are worried about the results of the assembly election, which turned out to be below their expectations. Though the Y S Rajasekhar Reddy-led Congress swept back to power, winning 157 seats in the 294-seat assembly, the party failed to secure an absolute majority.




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Towards positive change


The the machinery and conduct of elections, is robust and intact. But the 'software' of democracy, the processes by which we are governed in-between elections, is corrupt and corroded, writes Ramachandra Guha.




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Are too many ‘gramasabhas’ posing a challenge to governance?


As the Kerala government takes steps to re-inspire citizens to engage in grassroots level governance, P Mohammad Nizar draws attention to certain critical issues that must be addressed for the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the state to be effectively revitalised.




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Losing India's Greta Garbo


Renowned popular Bengali actress Suchitra Sen, remembered by audiences nationwide for her performances in Hindi films Aandhi and Mamta, passed away recently after years of strict, self-imposed seclusion. Shoma A Chatterji remembers her life and aura.




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RBI frees deposit interest rates


With its recent move to let banks determine their own rates of interest paid to savings account holders, the Reserve Bank of India opens up new turf in the battle between banks for consumers.




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Losing our rivers to grand plans


As per the National Waterways Bill recently introduced in the Parliament, 101 stretches of rivers in the country will be declared as National Waterways. There are many advantages of  waterways but these advantages will be realised only when certain conditions are met, and only under certain circumstances says Shripad Dharmadhikary.




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The 'Free trade' explosion


With the World Trade talks in limbo, the focus remains on aggressively pushing on the bilateral front. What could not be achieved through a multilateral trade regime, is now being pursued by the US through bilateral and regional deals. Devinder Sharma connects the dots.




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Brass metal work losing its shine


Hundreds of artisans in Hajo are finding their livelihoods threatened by a local monopoly and other factors that have driven the prices of raw materials very high. The Assam government is intervening to help, but the beneficiaries wish they were consulted more. Ratna Bharali Talukdar writes.




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River erosion threatens Majuli


Dramatic erosion of embankments, and continuous siltation threaten to wipe away a large island settlement on the Brahmaputra. Residents unhappy with the government's efforts to stem the erosion are now hoping the island's heritage and ecology will attract more attention. Ratna Bharali Talukdar reports.




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HIV-positive or not


Shoma A. Chatterji reviews Tamil film Sila Samayangalil, a touching film on AIDS directed by Priyadarshan.