Taj Mahal minaret’s pinnacle falls?
Agra, March 28 (IANS) A pinnacle of one of the four minarets of the Taj Mahal fell off on Monday afternoon during repair work, witnesses said. But officials said it was taken out because of…
Books
Unmasking crooked politics behind bonded labour
Title: “Travails of Bangdu”, Author: K.K. Sinha; Translator: Sudip Talukdar; Publisher: Matrix; Pages: 159; Price: Rs.150 “Travails of Bangdu” pulls no punches in unmasking the crooked politics behind bonded labour, which condemns a segment of…
People everywhere use same facial expression for disapproval
New York, March 28 (IANS) Researchers have identified a single, universal facial expression that is interpreted across cultures — whether one speaks Mandarin Chinese or English — as the embodiment of negative emotion. This facial…
National Film Awards: Malayalam filmdom just stays afloat
Thiruvananthapuram, March 28 (IANS) Gone are the days when Malayalam films used to walk away with top honours at the National Film Awards whose 63rd edition was announced on Monday. The Malayalam filmdom just about…
US museum returns ancient Rama statue to Cambodia
Phnom Penh, March 28 (IANS) An American art museum on Monday returned to Cambodia a 10th century Khmer statue of Hindu god Rama reportedly looted from an archaeological site during the 1970s. The sandstone statue…
Dubai Expo 2020 logo unveiled
Dubai, March 28 (IANS/WAM) The official logo of Dubai Expo 2020 was unveiled by vice president and prime minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The new logo is…
President confers Padma awards
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday conferred Padma awards on 56 eminent personalities, including Dhirubhai Ambani (posthumously), actor Anupam Kher and former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai, at…
De-link food from comfort! ‘Don’t Diet’!
By Kishori Sud Title: “Don’t Diet!”; Author: Kavita Devgan; Publisher: Jaico Books; Pages: 242; Price: Rs.350 Often, individuals on the heavy side of the weighing scale follow every theory to the ‘T’, try every tactic…
Syrian army retakes ancient Palmyra city
Damascus, March 27 (IANS) The Syrian army fully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria on Sunday, following days of intense battles against the Islamic State (IS) group. The Syrian army and its…
400 IS militants killed in Palmyra battles
Damascus, March 27 (IANS) More than 400 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in recent battles in Syria’s ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor group reported on Sunday, as the Syrian army fully captured the…
Syrian army retakes ancient Palmyra city
Damascus, March 27 (IANS) The Syrian army fully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria on Sunday, following days of intense battles against the Islamic State (IS) group. The Syrian army and its…
Centuries-old church burnt down in Finland
Helsinki, March 27 (IANS) A large Lutheran church in Ylivieska, northern Finland, was destroyed in a fire lit apparently on purpose. Police detained a local man born in the 1980s, who has initially confessed, Xinhua…
Key to unlock doors through social selling
By Aparajita Gupta Title: You Are The Key; Author: Apurva Chamaria and Gaurav Kakkar; Publisher: Bloomsbury; Pages: 256; Price: Rs.399 Aiming to cope with the changing world, sales methodology has evolved across the world. This…
Four icons who became Hindutva ideologues
By M.R. Narayan Swamy Title: Hindutva: Exploring the Idea of Hindu Nationalism; Author: Jyotirmaya Sharma; Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India; Pages: 240; Price: Rs.299 What was the common thread that united Hindu nationalists Dayananda Saraswati, Sri…
Writing poetry for the common people – and film superstars
By Vikas Datta One problem a layman has with appreciating Urdu poetry is that their vocabulary may not encompass its ornate richness drawn from a variety of languages. Many gems are thus fated to remain…
UP Urdu Academy announces top award to Nida Fazli
Lucknow, March 26 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy announced its awards for the year 2015 on Saturday, with its highest award for contribution to Urdu – the lifetime achievement award – being given to…
Soon, Son et Lumiere at Konark Sun Temple
By Chinmaya Dehury Bhubaneswar, March 26 (IANS) A Son et Lumiere, or a sound and light show, will soon begin at Odisha’s famous 13th century Sun Temple at Konark in a bid to ramp up…
Tooth loss linked to cognitive impairment, dementia
New York, March 26 (IANS) We are often ignorant about loss of teeth but preserving oral health can benefit you in a longer run. According to researchers, loss of teeth is linked to increased risk…
Uncertainty on rate hikes to enter Agra monuments
By Brij Khandelwal Agra, March 26 (IANS) Uncertainty continues to baffle tour operators on the hiking of entrance ticket rates for various Mughal monuments in Agra. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has so far…
Shakespeare’s skull could be missing from his tomb: Scientists
London, March 25 (IANS) Archaeologists who got permission to scan Shakespeare’s grave for the first time believe that the BardÂ’s skull could be missing from his tomb in Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. A team…