The Trump administration’s proposal for trilateral arms control negotiations appears to be gaining little traction in Moscow and Beijing, and the era of traditional nuclear arms control may be coming to an end just as new challenges emerge. This is not to say that arms control should be an end in it itself. It provides…

Different pollution control policies, even if they achieve the same emissions goal, could have importantly different effects on the composition of the energy sector and economic outcomes. In this paper, we use the G-Cubed1 model of the global economy to compare two basic policy approaches for controlling carbon emissions from power plants: (1) a tradable…

Serving as a senior member on the National Security Council at the Nixon White House from 1969-1974, Hal Sonnenfeldt was Henry Kissinger’s primary advisor on the Soviet Union and Europe. After Sonnenfeldt’s passing, Kissinger told the New York Times that Sonnenfeldt was “my closest associate” on U.S.-Soviet relations and “at my right hand on all…

Watch the archived video on CSPAN.org » Thirty years ago, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met in Reykjavik, Iceland for a summit devoted to arms control. While a potential agreement—possibly including elimination of all U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons—collapsed over differences regarding ballistic missile defense, the meeting set in motion moves that produced significant reductions in nuclear […]

Image from NASA updated: As many noted, I (idiotically) cited the Montreal Protocol's success here, which has nothing to do with reducing tropospheric ozone -- rather, it has to do with fixing the ozone layer. Thank you commenters, and my apologies for

A breakthrough in controlling yeast with computers gives a glimpse at where science is headed with controlling lifeforms.

Need a helping hand? This self-adjusting piece of furniture comes to you.

But not all locals are happy, saying the mayor is treating the city like a theme park.

Because of course you're thinking about water conservation in your yard in the middle of winter.

It also comes with its own beer dispenser, built-in right in the couch.

It learns your usage patterns but can do a lot more.

In which I try out a smart lighting system in my dumb home.

New research documents that mantises worldwide are eating small birds; in the US, invasive mantis species are devouring hummingbirds.

Got ladybugs? Encourage native ladybugs in your garden instead of buying wild-harvested ladybugs to manage pests.

By controlling portion size and refusing to overeat, particularly in restaurants, we can reduce food waste and remind ourselves of the true value of food.

Excessive population growth presents an immediate environmental danger greater than climate change.

A Czech church was 3-D mapped and made into a one of a kind musical instrument, controlled by visitors' laser pointers.

Excessive screen time is known to be harmful, and tough times don't justify letting those concerns slip.

The latest video from The Story of Stuff dives into the world of privatized water systems and why this impinges on a basic human right.

Here's a building that saves up to 50% CO2 by controlling the sunlight with screens on its facade.

The holidays are a time of joy, happiness, families and... waste? Estimates show that almost 25% of waste produced in the US comes from the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. But we can change that, starting now.

James Albertine, Vice President, Automotive at Stifel Equity Research, discusses CEO Mary Barra's efforts to change how GM handles recalls.

That does it for regular comics for 2019! I'll be running some bonus strips funded by my Patreon supporters through New Year's day, then regular comics will resume. Happy holidays!

Roko tries

Senior health official says virus exposed ‘weak links’ in way country manages epidemics

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

China will reform its disease prevention and control system to address weaknesses exposed by the coronavirus outbreak, a senior health official has said.

China has been criticised domestically and abroad for being initially slow to react to the outbreak, which started in Wuhan. The virus has now infected almost 4 million people around the world, and almost 250,0000 people have died from the Covid-19 disease it causes.

SpaceX’s first crewed launch is planned for 27 May and will be run from a mission control with desks set six feet apart to comply with social distancing protocols

Representational Image

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (NMMC) rodent control is nothing but a lie. According to residents, it's their most convenient way to mint money, because over the years the problem in the area has just got worse. Even after repeated complaints regarding the matter, the civic officials never turned up to solve the issue. However, the civic body claims that they have already killed 6,71,975 rats so far this year, for which Rs 1.46 crore had been allotted.

Trapping rats
According to the civic body's official data, in the period 2016-17, it killed 7,10,555 rats in Navi Mumbai, for which Rs 1 crore was spent. It was less than what they had spent in the year 2015-2016 (Rs 1.22 crore).

Speaking to mid-day about the ways in which rodents are killed, Vaibhav Zunjare, Navi Mumbai rodent control officer, said, "Rats usually lay eight to nine eggs in the holes they stay. After locating the holes, we inject a poisonous liquid that kills them. However, we can count the number of rats killed only when they are trapped in cages. The number for this year is 5,000."

No step taken
Avdoot Chavhan, a resident of Koparkhairne sector 7, where NMMC claims to have killed 1,10,371 rats, said, "I'm living here for the past six years, and till date, I've not seen a single NMMC worker installing a cage to kill rats. Every morning we get the smell of dead rats, that might have been killed by street dogs."

Requesting anonymity, an NMMC official said, "The corporation spends lakhs of rupees every year to repair the furniture of the main office building, as rats damage them."

Team inefficient
When contacted, Santosh Shetty, former Navi Mumbai corporator, said, "The reason for the inefficiency of the rodent control unit is that they don't know how to trap rats. They also don't have even manpower for the work."

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

New Delhi: Instant messaging platform WhatsApp announced the rollout of a number of new features for group chats, in a bid to make the platform more interactive and engaging. Among the new features is group descriptions, wherein a short blurb will appear under the group info tab that allows users to set the purpose, guidelines, or topics for the group.

Furthermore, when a new member joins a group, the description will show up at the top of the chat.

In a move to give group administrators more authority, WhatsApp introduced a new control that will allow the former to restrict who can change the group's subject, icon, and description. Admins can also remove admin permissions of other group participants, while group creators can no longer be removed from the group they started.

Among other features, WhatsApp also introduced a 'group catch up' option, whereby a user, who has been away from a group chat, can quickly catch up on messages that mention or reply to them by tapping on a new @ button that appears at the bottom right corner of the chat.

Group participants can now search for anyone in a group by using the search option on the group info page. WhatsApp also introduced protection controls so users can't be repeatedly added to groups they've left. The new features are being rolled out for Android and iPhone users globally.

The city is shaken up by the brutal murder of a young woman working with an upmarket chain of salons. In what has been dubbed as a case having parallels with the Sheena Bora murder, this beautician's body was kept in a car post the murder and then disposed off in marshy land at Wadala. Police teams are trying to recover the body, but have been unsuccessful so far.

It's time to focus on the reason for this murder. According to the police, two colleagues, who have been caught, killed the young woman because she refused to take back a notice sent to one of the accused because of his shoddy performance at work. Despite their entreaties, the victim had not relented about withdrawing a notice sent to one accused till the last day when his employment may have been terminated.

Both colleagues claim, according to reports, that the murder was done in the heat of the moment. The family of the accused, though, insist they are innocent. What has shocked the city is the triviality of the motive. A life has been lost simply because somebody was going to lose his job. As one tries to absorb this, a much smaller report recently was indication of a society, which is weaned on instant gratification and instant rage. A young gym owner was stabbed to death and his female friend hit with a beer bottle over a quarrel with a Disc Jockey (DJ) over which songs to play.

We have been seeing murders happening over slightest provocations. Bring back regard for human life, which has been cheapened considerably. Cherish patience, logic and encourage our children to think before they act. Put an absolute premium on human life. These seem like knee-jerk murders, where rage consumes the murderers, who are mostly ordinary men and women who have no criminal record. Speed kills and in more ways than one.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

His female fans have missed seeing him on television ever since he announced his sabbatical last year. Now, Nakuul Mehta is back for a date with his admirers, albeit on the web. The actor's latest offering, BAE Control, explores the idea of having the perfect relationship by controlling a partner's emotions through an app. As he wins praise for his act in the sci-fi comedy, Mehta discusses transitioning from TV to digital entertainment.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

A blend of sci-fi and rom-com, the show is a far cry from what you've headlined in the past.
I have spent over seven years in television. So, over the past one year of my sabbatical, I have been trying to explore different mediums. I have been a fan of the work Dice Media has been doing, be it Little Things or What the Folks. Their audience is starkly different from the one I cater to on television. When they narrated the idea about controling another person's emotions through an app, it sounded crazy. But who knows, in the future, this may be the order of the day!

The series seems similar to an episode of Black Mirror. Agree?
The series shows how technology will change the way humans interact in the future. In fact, if one compares [the behavioural patterns] of our parents, our generation and Gen-Z, it is evident how human interaction has changed and not necessarily for the better. People interact not only face-to-face, but also over the dark web. So, [controlling one's partner] could be the future. To me, it all seemed like a Black Mirror episode, but this one has elements of comedy.

Given a choice, would you consider controlling your partner's emotions with an app?
No, relationships are based on trust and have no place for [manipulation]. However, I am old-school in matters of the heart and have never even used a dating app. So, I may not be the right audience for this. On a bad day, when you don't know how to deal with your spouse, you might be tempted.

If this were to happen in the near future, what would be the flipside?
That we would lose touch with each other as human beings. It's ironic that this show has released at a time when we are all under lockdown and craving human interaction. It is making us yearn for our families and friends. If not for this lesson, we would have headed down a road where we were looking for the perfect relationship and finding the perfect app to control the imperfections.

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

New Delhi: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on Thursday said it played a vital role in controlling the gas leakage and rescue operations during the styrene gas leakage in LG Polymers in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam.

The central paramilitary force, in a statement, said the CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam along with one foam tender immediately rushed to the spot and joined the operation with local authorities and the state fire service.

"On Thursday, styrene gas leakage occurred in LG Polymers plant, Gopalapatnam, Visakhapatnam (AP). On receiving information from local police, personnel of CISF Fire Service Wing of VSP Vishakapatnam rushed to the spot and joined the operation," the CISF said in a statement.

It said gas affected 20 people were rescued and rushed to hospital.

"Additional Breathing Apparatus Sets, spare cylinders were sent to the spot for rescue operations by CISF Unit VSP Visakhapatnam. Later at about 9.45 a.m. as per the request of local authorities, the hydraulic platform with additional CISF Fire Service Wing personnel was sent to the spot to join the operation to stop the gas leakage."

It said the CISF Fire Service Wing personnel with foam tender actively participated in the joint operation with local authorities and state fire service to stop the gas leakage.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Pune: Two men working in the canteen of a city-based college were found dead on Wednesday inside their room, which had been fumigated for pest control, police said on Thursday. According to police, their room had been fumigated on Sunday and the duo had gone to their friend's place to stay for two days. They returned to their room on Tuesday night to sleep but were found dead the next day.

Police suspect that they died of suffocation due to the inhalation of poisonous fumes. The victims were identified as Ajay Beldar (20) from Jalgaon and Ananta Khedkar (20) from Buldhana, they said. "Both of them were working in the canteen of the college located in Dhankawadi area of the city. The canteen manager had provided them a room on the campus to stay," a senior police officer from Bharati Vidyapeeth police station said.

"Their room was fumigated for pest control on Sunday, following which Ajay and Ananta went to their friend's place to stay. They returned on Tuesday and after working in the canteen for the day, they retired to their room to sleep at night. We suspect that they suffocated to death while they
were asleep," he said. On Wednesday morning, when both of them did not turn up at the canteen for work, their manager went to their room. When he did not get any response despite repeatedly knocking at the door, he entered the room by breaking the window glass at the back of the room.

The canteen manager then found both of them lying motionless in the room. He, with the help of other people, took them to a hospital, where they were declared brought dead. Police have registered a case of accidental death. "The post-mortem report has ruled out any possibility
of foul play. It indicates that they died of suffocation," the police officer said. "We are now recording the statements of the canteen manager and also the persons who carried out the pest control treatment in the room. Based on these statements, further action will be taken," he said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Metasurfaces can manipulate electromagnetic energy far beyond the limits of natural materials. An EU-funded project has developed a multifunctional and more accessible version that could enable easily programmable, smarter environments.

New mobile connected device can transform data collection say experts.

Novel approach can help facilitate the reduction of the fluid intake during hemodialysis, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the iJournal of Advanced Nursing/i.