'Damn Pleased': Omar Abdullah Opens Kashmir Marathon, Runs 21 Km In 2 Hours

SRINAGAR, Oct 20: Days after taking oath as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today hit the streets for the Kashmir marathon and recorded a personal milestone by running 21 km. The National Conference leader took to X to share the update and visuals from his impressive run.

"I'm so damn pleased with myself today. I completed the Kashmir Half Marathon - 21 KM at an average pace of 5 min 54 sec per KM," he said in the post.

"I've never run more than 13 KM in my life & that too only ever once. Today I just kept going, propelled by the enthusiasm of other amateur runners like myself. No proper training, no running plan, no nutrition. Picked up a banana & a couple of khajoor along the way. The best part was running past my home with family & others out to cheer me on," the 54-year-old added in his post.

The Chief Minister recorded himself running with other participants in the marathon along the scenic Dal Lake.

In another post, Mr Abdullah said he clicked lots of selfies along the way and even received appointment requests. What's more, some journalists also tried to grab interviews.

"It was such fun running with others. Lots of selfies & videos along the way. I even had a few requests for appointments and one or two job related problems highlighted along the way. Let's not forget the enterprising journalists who tried to run along side in the hope of grabbing an interview," he said.

Abdullah also advised people to try running to beat stress. "You don't need drugs to feel good or beat stress. A good run, whether a kilometer or a marathon, is enough to clear the cobwebs & achieve a natural feeling of euphoria & enthusiasm. Try it, you won't regret it. Let's start running for a drug free J&K," he posted.

The Chief Minister also responded to an ANI post in which a Delhi half-marathon participant complained about the national capital's air quality. "Come and run in the Kashmir marathon next time, air quality will be better & the scenery is pretty good too," he said.

Abdullah today flagged off Kashmir's first-ever International Marathon from Srinagar's Polo Stadium. Actor Suniel Shetty was also present.
"People want to come to Kashmir, and an event like this gives a message to the entire world that people from all over the world are coming here to participate and it's a big thing... It's a paradise for the world," Shetty told the media.

Abdullah has started his second term as Chief Minister after the National Conference-Congress alliance recorded a victory in the first Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir after it lost its special status and statehood. The alliance won 48 seats in the 90-member Assembly, followed by the BJP which recorded a score of 29.

Japanese Organisation Nihon Hidankyo Wins 2024 Nobel Peace Prize

GENEVA, Oct 11: Nobel Peace Prize 2024 has been awarded to the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo of survivors of the World War II atomic bombings.

“Hibakusha is receiving the Peace Prize for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a statement.

Witnesses to the only two nuclear bombs ever to be used in conflict have dedicated their lives to the struggle for a nuclear-free world.

“The Hibakusha help us to describe the indescribable, to think the unthinkable, and to somehow grasp the incomprehensible pain and suffering caused by nuclear weapons,” the committee said.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has regularly put focus on the issue of nuclear weapons, most recently with its award to the ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, who won the award in 2017.

The Norwegian Nobel Institute said 286 candidates were registered to be considered for this year’s prize, of which 197 were individuals and 89 were organizations.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 11 million Swedish crowns, or about $1 million, is due to be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards, opens new tab in his 1895 will.

Iranian human rights activist Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 for “her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all”.

Nobel Prize In Literature Goes To South Korean Author Han Kang

GENEVA, Oct 10: South Korean writer Han Kang, was awarded 2024 the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life."

The prize is awarded by the Swedish Academy and is worth 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

Han Kang was born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1970. She comes from a literary background, her father being a reputed novelist. She made her literary debut as a poet by publishing five poems, including "Winter in Seoul", in the winter issue of Munhak-gwa-sahoe (Literature and Society) in 1993.

She began her career as a novelist the next year by winning the 1994 Seoul Shinmun Spring Literary Contest with "Red Anchor". She published her first short story collection entitled Yeosu (Munji Publishing Company) in 1995. She participated in the University of Iowa International Writing Program for three months in 1998 with support from the Arts Council Korea.

Her publications include a short story collection, Fruits of My Woman (2000), Fire Salamander (2012); novels such as Black Deer (1998), Your Cold Hands (2002), The Vegetarian (2007), Breath Fighting (2010), and Greek Lessons (2011), Human Acts (2014), The White Book (2016), I Do Not Bid Farewell(2021). A poem collection, I Put The Evening in the Drawer (2013) was published as well. Han Kang won the International Booker Prize in 2016 for 'The Vegetarian'.

Her most recent novel 'I Do Not Bid Farewell' was awarded the Medicis prize in France in 2023, the Emile Guimet prize in 2024.

Han Kang's work is characterized by this double exposure of pain, a correspondence between mental and physical torment with close connections to Eastern thinking, the committee said.

Han Kang confronts historical traumas and invisible sets of rules and, in each of her works, exposes the fragility of human life. She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose, the Nobel Prize committee said.

IIT Delhi Offers Design Thinking And Innovation Certificate Programme, Check Details

NEW DELHI, Oct 9: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi is offering a five-month online certificate programme in Design Thinking and Innovation. The programme is set to begin on December 20. It is designed for managers, senior executives, entrepreneurs, business consultants, and product developers.

Candidates are required to pay a fee of Rs 1,10,000 plus Goods and Services Tax (GST). The fee can be paid in two installments:

Installment 1: Rs 55,000 plus GST, to be paid within 5 days of selection
Installment 2: Rs 55,000 plus GST, to be paid by January 17, 2025

The official notification states: "Participants will be awarded a certificate of successful completion from IIT Delhi upon scoring at least 60% in each evaluation component (Assignments, Quizzes, & Capstone) and completing the capstone project. Participants who fail to score at least 60% in each evaluation component will receive only a participation certificate."

Last Date to Apply: October 10. Shortlisted Candidates Will Be Informed by: October 16Last Date to Submit the Fee: Within 5 days post-selection
Eligibility

Candidates must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

Graduates or diploma holders from a recognized university in any discipline. A minimum of 50% marks in the most recent qualification. At least 1 year of work experience as of December 20, 2024. Experience can be in any sector, including Private, Government, NGO, Entrepreneurship, or Self-employment.

Application Requirements

Candidates need to submit the following documents:

Consolidated graduation or post-graduation marksheet (all semesters).

Any government-issued photo ID (e.g., PAN Card, Driving License, Passport).

Passport-size photo (mandatory)Relieving letter from the current organization (if applicable).

Current salary slip or a bonafide certificate from the HR department

Ratan Tata Passes Away At 86

MUMBAI, Oct 9: Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India's biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, has died at 86. On Monday, the industrialist in a social media post had dismissed speculation surrounding his health and had said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age.

"It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation," said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, in a late night statement.

"For the Tata Group, Tata was more than a chairperson. To me, he was a mentor, guide and friend. He inspired by example. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, the Tata Group under his stewardship expanded its global footprint while always remaining true to its moral compass," said Chandrasekaran.

Remembering Tata's contribution to philanthropy, Chandrasekharan said "from education to healthcare, his initiatives have left a deep-rooted mark that will benefit generations to come".

Ratan Tata became chairman of the $100 billion steel-to-software conglomerate in 1991 and ran the group founded by his great-grandfather more than a hundred years ago until 2012.

He founded telecommunications company Tata Teleservices in 1996 and took IT company Tata Consultancy Services public in 2004.

In a role reversal in 2004, Tata Group, an Indian company, having acquired iconic British car brands - Jaguar and Land Rover - found itself cast as reverse colonialists.

In 2009, Ratan Tata fulfilled his promise to make the world's cheapest car accessible to the middle class. The Tata Nano, priced at ₹ 1 lakh, became a symbol of innovation and affordability.

Tata was twice the Chairperson of the Tata Group conglomerate, from 1991 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2017. Although he stepped back from the company's day-to-day running, he continued to head its charitable trusts.

Cyrus Mistry, who succeeded Ratan Tata as chairman of Tata Sons but was later ousted in India's most high-profile boardroom coup, died in a car crash in 2022. The bitter feud between the two remained unsolved.

After stepping down, Ratan Tata became chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, Tata Industries, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.

Long after retirement, Tata remained a popular figure on social media, with heartfelt posts about animal rights (particularly dogs) and appeals to Indian citizens.

Carrying on a tradition dating back to the time of Jamsetji Tata, Ratan Tata ensured that Bombay House, the Tata group's headquarters, remained a haven for stray dogs.

With over 13 million followers on X and nearly 10 million on Instagram, he was the 'most followed entrepreneur' in India, according to the 360 ONE Wealth Hurun India Rich List 2023.

Born in 1937, Ratan Tata was raised by his grandmother, Navajbai Tata, after his parents separated in 1948.

He studied architecture at Cornell University, and followed it up with a management course at Harvard.

By his own account, the bachelor industrialist came close to getting married on four occasions.

He once admitted that he fell in love while working in Los Angeles. But because of the ongoing 1962 Indo-China War, the girl's parents refused to let her move to India.

In 2008, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second- highest civilian honour. He had received the Padma Bhushan, the third highest, in 2000.

The largest shareholder in Tata Group is another Parsee businessman Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, whose 18% stake is worth 5 billion pound. His son-in-law, Noel, is also Ratan Tata's half brother.

AI scientists John Hopfield, Geoffrey Hinton win 2024 physics Nobel Prize

GENEVA, Oct 8: John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton have won the Nobel Prize in physics 2024 for their pioneering work in the field of machine learning.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said on Tuesday the scientists were honoured “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks”.

Hopfield, whose research is carried out at Princeton University in the United States, was recognised for creating an associative memory that can store and reconstruct images and other types of patterns in data.

Hinton, who works at the University of Toronto, invented a method that can autonomously find properties in data, allowing it to perform tasks such as identifying specific elements in pictures.

“This year’s two Nobel Laureates in physics have used tools from physics to develop methods that are the foundation of today’s powerful machine learning,” the Nobel committee said in a media release.

“The laureates’ work has already been of the greatest benefit. In physics we use artificial neural networks in a vast range of areas, such as developing new materials with specific properties,” said Ellen Moons, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

Such networks have also “become part of our daily lives, for instance in facial recognition and language translation,” she added.

However, the committee also noted the global concerns surrounding machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“Collectively, humans carry the responsibility for using this new technology in a safe and ethical way for the greatest benefit of humankind,” Moons added.

Hinton has previously acted upon such fears. He quit a role at Google so he could more freely speak about the dangers of the technology he helped create.

He reiterated his doubts on Tuesday as he told the committee by phone that he was “flabbergasted” by the award.

The researcher said that he continues to worry “about a number of possible bad consequences” of his machine learning work, “particularly the threat of these things getting out of control”.

However, he added that he would still do it all over again.

2024 Nobel Prize In Medicine Goes To US Scientists For microRNA Discovery

GENEVA, Oct 7: Scientists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of microRNA and its role in gene regulation, the award-giving body said on Monday.

The winners for medicine are selected by the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute Medical University and receive a prize sum of 11 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million).

As every year, the medicine prize is the first in the crop of Nobels, arguably the most prestigious prizes in science, literature and humanitarian endeavour, with the remaining five set to be unveiled over the coming days.

Created in the will of Swedish dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel, the prizes have been awarded for breakthroughs in science, literature and peace since 1901, while economics is a later addition.

Different institutions award the prizes in the various fields, with Peace being the only one awarded in Oslo rather than Stockholm, possibly as a result of the political union that existed between the two Nordic countries when Nobel penned his will.

Last year's medicine prize was awarded to the runaway favourites Katalin Kariko, a Hungarian scientist, and U.S. colleague Drew Weissman, for discoveries that paved the way for COVID-19 vaccines that helped curb the pandemic.

Past winners of the Nobel medicine prize include many famous researchers such as Ivan Pavlov in 1904, most known for his experiments on behaviour using dogs, and Alexander Fleming, who shared the 1945 prize for the discovery of penicillin.

Steeped in tradition, the science, literature and economics prizes are presented to the laureates in a ceremony on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, followed by a lavish banquet at Stockholm city hall. Separate festivities attend the winner of the peace prize in Oslo on the same day.

NASA's Webb Telescope Detects Carbon Dioxide On Surface Of Pluto's Largest Moon Charon

NEW YORK, Oct 2: Scientists utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope have made a groundbreaking discovery on Charon, Pluto's largest moon. For the first time, researchers have detected carbon dioxide on Charon's frozen surface, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

Led by the Southwest Research Institute, the team found traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the moon, which is roughly half the size of Pluto. This breakthrough discovery builds upon previous findings of ice, ammonia, and organic compounds on Charon.

The study explains that hydrogen peroxide forms when ice is broken down by charged particles, releasing hydrogen and oxygen atoms that combine. This highly reactive compound is commonly used in bleaches and disinfectants.

The presence of the chemical suggests Charon's icy surface is altered by ultra-violet light and solar wind from the distant Sun, according to the study. The discovery sheds new light on Charon's composition and chemical processes, offering valuable insights into the Pluto system's mysterious and icy landscape.

"The detection of carbon dioxide was a satisfying confirmation of our expectations. The detection of hydrogen peroxide on Charon was unexpected. I honestly did not anticipate finding evidence of it on the surface," said Silvia Protopapa, lead author of the study.

"Every small body in the outer solar system is a unique piece of a larger puzzle that scientists are trying to put together," Protopapa added.

Pluto, once hailed as the ninth and final planet in our Solar System, underwent a reclassification in 2006. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) convened to establish a formal definition of a planet, resulting in Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet status.

Charon was first discovered in 1978 by James Christy and Robert Harrington at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. This moon is remarkably similar to Pluto, earning it the nickname "Pluto's smaller twin." Measuring approximately 1,200 kilometres in diameter, Charon is half the size of Pluto, making it the largest known satellite relative to its parent body in our Solar System.

Charon and Pluto's orbital dance is unique. While Charon orbits Pluto, the pair also spins around a central point, resembling a double dwarf planet system. This contrasts with the Earth-Moon system, where the Moon orbits Earth without affecting its position. Pluto's failure to clear its orbit due to Charon's gravitational influence contributed to its reclassification as a dwarf planet.