Bringing Ottoman Istanbul to life – courtesy Kolkata and Dan Brown

Bringing Ottoman Istanbul to life – courtesy Kolkata and Dan Brown

Inspired by great writers’ depiction of grand cities, British historian Jason Goodwin sought to immortalise the Ottoman Empire’s imposing capital, which not only straddles continents but also cultures and eras, in fiction and found recreating the ambiance of 19th century Istanbul owed as much to a stint in Calcutta of the 1980s as contemporary accounts. […]

Cuba first country to eradicate mother-to-child HIV transmission: WHO

Cuba first country to eradicate mother-to-child HIV transmission: WHO

Cuba on Tuesday became the first country in the world to eradicate the transmission of HIV and syphilis from mother to newborn, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The WHO announced in a press release that it validated Cuba’s success in eliminating mother-to-child transmission. “Eliminating transmission of a virus is one of the greatest […]

Facebook a hub for learned discussions: Study

Facebook a hub for learned discussions: Study

High school and college students are increasingly engaging in vigorous, intelligent debate about scientific issues in a voluntary Facebook forum, says a study. Such informal learning not only could supplement the content knowledge students acquire in class, but also connect them with professionals and experts in the field, spur interest in careers and inspire civic […]

Bobby Jindal sued over order to protect same-sex marriage opponents

Bobby Jindal sued over order to protect same-sex marriage opponents

A gay rights advocacy group and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana are suing Louisiana’s Indian-American governor Bobby Jindal for issuing an executive order aimed at protecting opponents of same-sex marriage. Jindal signed the religious freedom executive order in May hours after the Louisiana Legislature refused to pass a bill that would have implemented […]

Chinese military research academy praises India’s Arjun tank

Chinese military research academy praises India’s Arjun tank

India’s indigenous main battle tank (MBT) Arjun, which was developed after years of delays and cost-overruns, came in for praise from a top Chinese military research academy here that concentrates on the engineering requirements of the armed forces. Senior Colonel Liu Degang, deputy commander of the Beijing-based academy, said that the MBT is “very good” […]

5.6-magnitude quake jolts Pakistan, Afghanistan

5.6-magnitude quake jolts Pakistan, Afghanistan

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale jolted parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday, media reported. The epicentre of the quake was recorded at the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department. The tremors were felt across Punjab province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the capital city of Islamabad, Geo News reported. Tremors […]

Will beat terror threat, says Cameron after ‘Bloody Friday’

Will beat terror threat, says Cameron after ‘Bloody Friday’

Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday promised a “full spectrum response” to Islamist extremism, after British tourists were killed in attack on “Bloody Friday” on a Tunisian beach resort. The killings were “absolutely horrific”, but the terror threat would be beaten. “This is, I think, going to be the struggle of our generation and we […]

India-Pakistani designers to share stage at ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’

India-Pakistani designers to share stage at ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’

Huma Nassr, widely known as the first Pakistani entrepreneur in India, is set to launch a ‘Shaan-e-Pakistan’ event at the country’s high commission here where fashion designers from the two countries will share the stage in a cross-border cultural exchange rising above starchy political and official ties between the two countries. “Designers from India and […]