As per reports, North Korea will not hold talks with Seoul under the current diplomatic situation, calling South Korean officials "ignorant and incompetent" a day after the hermit state abruptly cancelled planned inter-Korean discussions.
A high-level meeting between the two neighbours had been scheduled for Wednesday, but the North pulled out early that morning over joint military exercises between the US and the South.
Trump Attacks China
US President Donald Trump hit out at China for fleecing his country with hundreds of billions of dollars every year, even as high-level delegations from the two countries were holding intense negotiations in Washington over a series of trade disputes between them.
Work Permit to Spouses of H-1B Visa Holders
A bipartisan group of 130 US lawmakers led by influential Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has urged the Trump administration to continue granting work authorisation to certain dependent spouses of non-immigrant workers holding H-1B visas, the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.
The Trump administration is planning to end the Obama-era rule allowing spouses of H1-B visa holders to work legally in the US.
Reliance Power has pulled out of the special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up to develop an ultra mega power project in Jharkhand.
Reliance Power has transferred its entire holding of 1,49,900 equity shares of Rs. 10 each, aggregating to Rs. 14,99,000, held in Jharkhand Integrated Power Limited, a SPV created for development of Tilaiya UMPP, to Jharkhand Urja Vikas Nigam Limited.
Dai-ichi Life Acquires Stake in Union AMC
Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc., a Japan-based financial services holding company has acquired 39.62% stake in Union Asset Management Company.
The entity acquired the stake through investment in compulsorily convertible preference shares. Union Mutual Fund would now be co-sponsored by Union Bank of India and Dai-ichi Life.
Domestic Air Traffic Grows
As per government data, domestic air traffic grew at a robust rate of 26% in April with various airlines together ferrying 11.5 million passengers, up from 9.1 million in the same month last year.
Budget airline SpiceJet was at the top position yet again in terms of seat utilisation per aircraft with (95.5%) followed by IndiGo (91.9%), GoAir (89.5%), Vistara (88.8%), AirAsia (87.5%), Jet Airways (85.6%) and Air India (84%).
In a first, US scientists have grown miniature human brains or human brain organoids, in the skulls of mice, a breakthrough that could boost stem cell research as well as provide insight into neurological disorders such as autism, dementia, and schizophrenia.
Over several decades, Harley Davidson bikes have created a niche for themselves.
Not everyone can perhaps afford the rather high price tag. And that price tag recently became outrightly exorbitant when a gold-plated Harley was unveiled in Switzerland.
The bike is priced 1.5 million Euros or Rs. 12 crore.
It is not outrightly for sale and there is only one in the world.
The ruling Triamool Congress (TMC) swept West Bengal's panchayat polls held earlier this month. The BJP, which appeared to be a distant second, made its presence felt in districts like Purulia and Jhargram in the State's Jangalmahal region by putting up some resistance to the ruling party.
A total of 31,814 seats went to the polls at the gram panchayat level.
Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant
India has bolstered its second strike capability by operationalising submarine-launched nuclear and conventional missiles which can hit targets over 700 kilometres away. Only four other countries - United States of America (USA), Russia, China and France - have such a strategic capability at present. But with Indian Navy's nuclear submarine INS Arihant getting the K-15 Sagarika (B05) nuclear-tipped missiles in its arsenal, the country has joined a select club.
India and Pakistan to Revive Joint Judicial Panel
Pakistan has responded positively to India's proposal to revive a mechanism of a joint judicial panel which looks into humanitarian issues of fishermen and prisoners in each other's custody.
The ministry said that names of members of the reconstituted committee from the Indian side have been communicated to Pakistan.
The committee was first formed in 2007.
It consists of retired judges of the higher judiciary who visit and meet prisoners in each other's jails.
The committee met seven times. The last meeting was hosted by India in October 2013.