13 million Chinese students face ‘world’s toughest’ exam, first after online classes end.
Millions of Chinese students sit for notoriously tough college entrance exams on Wednesday, the first since the country lifted zero-Covid rules that forced classes online for months on end.China's education ministry says nearly 13 million students, a record, are registered to take the "gaokao" exams -- billed by state media as the "world's toughest" -- this year."I've been waking up at 4 am every day, except on Sundays, to study for the past four years," Jesse Rao, a 17-year-old high school senior...
US mission gears up for record Indian student visa applications.
The US mission in India is gearing up for a record number of student visa applications in 2023, with consular officers from New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewing early 3,500 applicants on Wednesday.“Last year, a record-breaking 125,000 Indians were issued student visas, which is more than were issued to any other nationality. In fact, one out of every five student visas was issued in India last year,” said Brendan Mullarkey, the acting minister counsellor for consular...
Protesting farmers block NH-44 in Haryana over sunflower seeds row.
Farmers protesting against the Haryana government’s decision not to buy sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP), on Tuesday blocked the National Highway-44 near Shahbad in Kurukshetra district, following which the police resorted to baton-charge and sprayed water cannon to clear the blockage.Led by Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni, hundreds of farmers laid seize to the Delhi-Chandigarh highway around 1pm by breaking police barricades and parking their tractor-trailers...
Global airlines call for emissions help in long-haul to net-zero.
Global airlines called on Tuesday for broad co-operation to reach "very tough" emission targets and pledged to release interim climate targets next year as the industry aims for a goal of net-zero by 2050.Aviation, which produces around 2% of the world's emissions, is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), grouping 300 airlines and representing about 80% of global traffic, said governments, planemakers and regulators must all help."We...
Germany plans to build 6 new submarines in ₹43,000 crore deal with India.
Germany on Tuesday pitched for building six advanced submarines in India under the government’s strategic partnership (SP) model, to boost the Indian Navy’s undersea strength, during talks, between defence minister Rajnath Singh and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, aimed at bolstering bilateral defence cooperation with a sharp focus on stronger industrial partnerships, people aware of the matter said.The project, called P-75 India, is one of the biggest Make in India programmes.“The...
71 Russian, 3,715 Ukrainian soldiers killed in 3-day battles.
At least 71 Russian soldiers and 3,715 Ukrainian others were killed in the battles took place in the past three days, Russia’s Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday. Some 210 Russian soldiers were wounded in attacks launched by the Ukrainian forces, he said in a statement aired by the Russian TV, referring to the destruction of 15 Russian tanks and 10 canons.He added that the Ukrainian forces sustained the losses of 52 tanks, 207 armored vehicles, 134 military vehicles, five warplanes,...
Russia, China hold joint air patrol amid Asia-Pacific tensions.
China and Russia conducted a joint air patrol on Tuesday over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea for a sixth time since 2019, coinciding with an increase in military manoeuvres and drills by the United States and its allies in the Asia-Pacific.The patrol is part of the two militaries' annual cooperation plan, China's defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.In China's last joint aerial patrol with Russia in November, South Korea scrambled fighter jets after Chinese H-6K bombers...
Insurance coverage for train travel: Claim rules & process during accident.
The tragic triple-train accident in Odisha's Balasore on June 2, resulting in the loss of 288 lives, serves as a stark reminder to exercise caution when making travel plans. If passengers wish to opt for train travel insurance, Indian Railways provides them with the opportunity to choose the 'Optional Travel Insurance Scheme' while booking tickets on the official website of the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC).The premium for this insurance is “ ₹0.35 per passenger (effective...
Russian-occupied Ukraine city ‘flooded’ after Nova Kakhovka dam breach.
The Russian-occupied city of Nova Kakhovka in southern Ukraine -- home to the dam that Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of targeting -- is "flooded", officials told Russian media Tuesday."The city is flooded," Vladimir Leontyev, the Russian-installed head of the city administration, told Russian media.Source- Hindustan Times.
Assam launches New Education Policy in Higher Educational Institutes of State; considers it historical for state.
At a ceremony held at Guwahati University, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020 for the higher educational institutes of the state."Adoption of New Education Policy marks a historic day for Assam", said CM Sarma.Further, speaking about the policy, he said, "The NEP was envisioned under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of preparing our youth for the future and its adoption marks a historic day for Assam. As a part of the policy, we should focus...