A tweet with this image and the words “Go home train, you’re drunk” was retweeted thousands of times A tweet containing a bizarre picture of a train being transported through the town of Barmouth in Wales has been retweeted more than 2,100 times. Chris Applegate posted the photo along with the line “Go home train, you’re drunk” at 10:36 GMT on Friday. As well as being retweeted by the likes […]

Executions were rarely carried out in India, but in the last two years, India has carried out two hangings India’s Supreme Court has commuted the sentences of 15 death row prisoners to life in jail on the grounds of delay. Those affected include three men convicted of killing former PM Rajiv Gandhi, and four associates of the notorious bandit Veerappan. Campaigners have welcomed the ruling, saying it will impose new […]

People attend a demonstration in Madrid on June 16, 2013 against austerity policies and record high unemployment.   STORY HIGHLIGHTS Michael Marmot says austerity has increased youth unemployment in Europe Marmot argues that unemployment is bad for mental and physical health He says resulting social marginality, poverty and homelessness harm health Unemployment should be a key consideration in macro-economic policy, Marmot says Michael Marmot has led research groups on health […]

Leaked pictures ‘show evidence of starvation, beatings and strangulation’ There is clear evidence that Syria has systematically tortured and executed about 11,000 detainees since the start of the uprising, a report by three former war crimes prosecutors says. The investigators examined thousands of still images of dead prisoners reportedly smuggled out by a defector. The report says the evidence implicates “agents of the Syrian governments”. Damascus has denied claims of […]

The less than gentle joke in Maharashtra is that Sharad Pawar “Saheb” has enough personal wealth to run Delhi for five years. Pawar disagrees The formal statement he has filed before the Election Commission on oath indicates that Pawar is so poor that he might barely manage to buy a mid size flat in one of the slightly better neighborhoods of Delhi He is worth just Rs 3.6 crores.  Even a casual chat […]

Iran has begun curbing uranium enrichment under a deal which will also see international sanctions eased, the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA) says. Earlier, centrifuges used for enrichment were disconnected at the Nantaz plant, Iranian TV reported. The move is part of a nuclear deal reached with the US, Russia, China and European powers last November. By the end of the day, Iran should be able to resume petrochemical and other […]

Indian minister Shashi Tharoor, whose wife was found dead in a Delhi hotel room on Friday, has called for a swift investigation so that the truth “emerges at the earliest”. He has appeared before a magistrate probing the death of Sunanda Pushkar. An autopsy found “injury marks” on Ms Pushkar’s body, but did not say if they were linked to her death. The couple became embroiled in a row on […]

 This week, Google announced plans for smart contact lenses that will help people with diabetes track their blood glucose levels. Right now, many of the 347 million people who have diabetes worldwide monitor their blood sugar levels by pricking their fingers and testing the blood. Google wants to replace needles and blood with a contact lens and tears. Here’s everything we can figure about how Google’s contacts might work: In […]

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Sunday came out with his vision for a new India ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, pledging to project the country as a brand worldwide if a BJP government was voted to power. Modi promised to develop 100 smart cities and set up IITs, IIMs and AIIMS in every state, saying “urbanisation should no longer be seen as the […]

The police ordered a shutdown of four Metro stations from 9 am to 1 pm in the wake of AAP’s protest on Monday. NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and seven of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs on Monday will go ahead with ‘dharna’ in protest against the Delhi police despite prohibitory orders by the cops banning unlawful assembly in the area. However in a setback to the commuters […]