Indian men, Dr. Ali Irani and Sujoy Kumar Mitra, have set the world record for travelling around seven continents in just three days. The travelers have broken the previous Guinness World Record for the quickest time to visit all seven continents in just 73 hours. The Indian duo completed their journey in 3 days, 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 4 seconds. Dr Khawla Al Romaithi of the UAE formerly held the record, which she set in February 2020, and was 3 days, 14 hours, 46 minutes, and 48 seconds. Beginning on December 4, the Indian men covered Antarctica, South America, Europe, North America, A
The ‘Naatu Naatu’ song of Indian blockbuster RRR has won Best Original Song in the 80th Golden Globe Awards hosted in Los Angeles, US, on Wednesday. Hyderabad-based music composer M M Keeravani accepted the award for the SS Rajamouli-directed Telugu film. With this win, ‘Naatu Naatu’ becomes the first Asian song to win the coveted award. The song, composed by MM Keeravani, features the film’s two protagonists, Jr NTR and Ram Charan, grooving to the happy song with some swift moves. The blockbuster was nominated in two categories. It missed out in the Best Non-English Language Fil
A United Nations-supported scientific panel has said that actions taken under the Montreal Protocol have successfully strengthened the Earth’s ozone layer, helping avoid global warming from 0.5 to 1 degree Celsius by mid-century. The Montreal Protocol is a 1989 international treaty aimed at regulating the production and use of chemicals that contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. In its assessment report, the scientific panel has said that a phase out of nearly 99% banned ozone-depleting substances (ODS) like tropospheric chlorine and bromine contributed significantly to the
The annual Hajj pilgrimage will return to pre-pandemic levels this year after restrictions due to COVID-19 curtailed the annual religious commemoration, say Saudi Arabia authorities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also removed some of the restrictions for the pilgrims, including the limit on the number of foreign pilgrims allowed into the country and the age of pilgrims. The Hajj, necessary for all fit and healthy Muslims once in their life, is one of the world’s largest gatherings of people. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the pilgrimage drew millions each year to the holy city of Mecca,
Bengaluru is projected to be the fastest growing city in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2023, said economic firm Oxford Economics. As per Oxford Economics’ analysis, Bengaluru is expected to grow by over 6% this year. Another South Indian city, Hyderabad is expected to see a similar kind of growth in 2023. The two cities in recent times have attracted remarkable investments in the manufacturing, information and communication sectors. Suggested to be bright spots in a difficult year for cities in the APAC region, Oxford Economics expects cities that are less exposed to weak global t
The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new Alzheimer’s drug that may fairly slow the pace of cognitive decline early in the disease, but also carries risks of swelling and bleeding in the brain. The approval of the drug, lecanemab, which is to be marketed as Leqembi, is expected to generate considerable interest from patients and physicians. The drug is an intravenous infusion administered every two weeks. Studies of the drug suggest that it is more promising than the limited number of other treatments available. Several Alzheimer’s experts, however, said it was un
The US embassy and consulates in India have said they have issued record-breaking visas to Indian students in 2022. The US State Department Spokesperson, Ned Price said that the US issued more student visas in fiscal year 2022 than in any year since 2016. He added that the US embassy and consulates in India, in particular, broke their all-time record for the number of student visas issued in a single fiscal year. “We issued nearly 1,25,000 student visas. We recognise that some applicants may still face extended visa wait times, and we are making every effort to further reduce visa int
Researchers from Japan's National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute have shown that bones and skeletal muscles are strengthened by the load associated with exercise, preventing bone and muscle atrophy. In a study published in the journal Cell Reports, the researchers said that load affects the expression of the peptide osteocrin (OSTN), which increases when load is applied and decreases when it is reduced. The growth of long bones, such as the femur and tibia, is a very complex process controlled by genetic and environmental factors, such as exercise and gravity.
Sri Lanka received over 7 lakh tourists in 2022 in spite of facing the worst economic crisis since its independence. The tourist arrivals in the island nation marks a significant increase from less than 1,95,000 arrivals in 2021. According to Sri Lanka's Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), December 2022 recorded 91,691 arrivals. This is less than the year’s highest number of arrivals of 96,000 in February and 1,06,000 in March. The December arrivals were dominated by over 19,000 from Russia and over 17,000 from India. A total of 719,978 tourists visited Sri Lanka in 2022, according to
Indian Army’s Fire and Fury Corps officer, Captain Shiva Chauhan has become the first woman officer to be operationally deployed at the highest battleground in Kumar Post on the Siachen glacier. In a tweet, the official account of the Fire and Fury Corps celebrated Captain Shiva’s feat with the caption, Breaking the Glass Ceiling. The Indian Army Officer had to undergo arduous training before her posting in Kumar Post located at an altitude of 15,632-feet after a month of gruelling training at the Siachen Battle School. The training included endurance training, ice-wall climbing, avala