State :
Tamilnadu :
Tourist arrivals to Puducherry hit a record high in 2017
- Statistics compiled by the Tourism Department showed that around 1.31 lakh foreigners visited Puducherry in 2017 as against 1.17 lakh foreign tourists in 2016. The year saw as many as 16,63,379 tourists flocking the town. This was the highest ever recorded tourist footfall here
Over 50 women come together for the cause of art
- A group painting show featuring about 50 women artists at Indigo Gallery, Cholamandal Artists’ Village, bristled with variety. The exhibits ranged across realistic, semi-realistic, abstract, semi-abstract, contemporary and terracotta works as well as sculptures.
- Artist G. Sridalaadevi, founder-secretary Pondicherry Art Akademy, which hosted the event, said 54 women artists participated in the 4th National Painting Exhibition (Women Artists’ Group).
PIMS laboratory gets NABL accreditation
- The Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences has received certification from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for its 24-hour laboratory.
kerala :
36 Bangladeshis freed from jail after 5 months
Karnataka :
Unseasonal rain brings relief from forest fires
- Unseasonal rain, moderate to heavy, in Nagarahole and Bandipur Tiger Reserves and in most parts of Kodagu district since Wednesday has brought temporary relief from forest fires.
PG medical seats: MCI opposes State’s notification
- The Medical Council of India (MCI) on Thursday opposed a notification issued by the Karnataka government making a minimum 10-year study in the State mandatory to qualify for government seats in PG medical courses.
MCC issues advisory on use of water
- G. Jagadeesha, MCC Commissioner, said it was “unpardonable” if people wasted drinking water for watering lawns, washing courtyards, overflowing overhead or underground water tanks, leakage from water meter chamber or non-installation of bib taps.
Andhra Pradesh :
TDP cuts ties with NDA, to move its own no-confidence motion against Modi govt
- The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Friday decided to pull out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
New website of Indian Naval Placement Agency
- Indian Navy has launched a new placement portal for naval veterans, widows and their dependants. Silver Touch developed the new website, Weiden and Kennedy gave it the creative look.
- /INPA , said an official press release from Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam.
India :
Stephen Hawking said Vedas had a ‘theory’ superior to Einstein’s thesis, says Harsh Vardan
- Dr. Vardhan was speaking at the 105th edition of the Indian Science Congress, organised at the Manipur University and said that “We recently lost a renowned scientist, cosmologist Stephen Hawking. He emphatically said on record that our Vedas might have a theory superior to that of Einstein’s E=mc2,” Dr. Vardhan said in his address.
Redefine ‘R&D’ as ‘Research for Development’ of nation
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the time is ripe to redefine ‘R&D’ as ‘Research for Development’ of nation. He was speaking at the inauguration of the 105th Session of Indian Science Congress in Manipur University, Imphal.
Government paid ₹1100 crore more per Rafale: Rahul Gandhi
- After repeatedly asking the NDA government to reveal the actual price of the Rafale fighter aircraft deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday put forward figures and claimed the Modi government paid ₹36,000 crore more than what the UPA had agreed to. He said the amount was equivalent to 10% of India’s defence budget .
‘Over ₹3,600 cr. released in 3 years for cleaning Ganga’
- The government has released ₹3,633 crore between 2014-15 and 2016-17 for cleaning the Ganga and beautifying ghats along it, the Lok Sabha was informed. Construction of 228 ghats completed, says Union Minister.
World :
South Africa finally hits Zuma with arms deal corruption charges
- Former South African president Jacob Zuma was charged with corruption on Friday over a $2.5 billion state arms deal, a stunning judicial ruling on a continent where political ‘Big Men’ rarely face their day in court. Mr. Zuma will face 16 charges relating to 783 instances of alleged wrongdoing, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesman said.
Trump has decided to sack McMaster, says report
- U.S. President Donald Trump has decided to sack National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, in what would be the latest in a string of high-profile White House departures, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Canada’s Sikh tycoon donates ₹50 crore
- Canada’s top Sikh tycoon Bob Dhillon has donated Canadian $10 million to the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. The university has renamed its business school after him. It will henceforth be called the Dhillon School of Business.
U.S. announces expanded sanctions against Russians
- The U.S. slapped sanctions on 19 Russian individuals and five groups, including Moscow’s intelligence services, for meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and malicious cyberattacks, the Treasury Department said on Thursday
Business :
₹10,000 crore of GST refunds sanctioned: Govt.
- The government on Friday sought to debunk reports carrying unverified estimates of pending GST refunds, terming these figures “highly speculative and mostly inaccurate.” So far, the government said, ₹10,000 crore of refunds had been sanctioned by the Central Board of Excise and Customs and the States.
Grocery start-up Grofers raises ₹400 crore from SoftBank, others
- Online grocery start-up Grofers has raised ₹400 crore in a fresh funding round led by SoftBank, the Japanese tech-to-finance conglomerate. Other existing investors, including the U.S.-based Tiger Global and Russian billionaire.
‘India’s steel imports from S. Korea, Japan may rise’
- India is likely to witness an increase in steel imports from South Korea and Japan in the near term due to global readjustment of trade patterns after the U.S. imposed a 25% import tariff on the commodity, rating agency ICRA said in a note.
Edelweiss calls off Religare deal
- Edelweiss Financial Services has decided to call off its proposed acquisition of Religare Enterprise Ltd.’s securities business as the latter failed to secure necessary regulatory approvals. The deal, valued at about ₹250 crore, was announced in December
Sports :
Sindhu enters All England semifinals after thrilling win over Okuhara
- Olympic silver medallist shuttler P.V. Sindhu produced a top-notched performance to eke out a thrilling three-game victory over 2016 champion Nozomi Okuhara of Japan to progress to her maiden semifinal at the USD 1000,000 All England Championship in Birmingham on Friday.