Tag: their

India by train — with dogs? One couple shares their story

Loknath Das

(CNN) — It’s a cool November morning, and my husband and I are waiting at a crowded railway station in New Delhi, India, about to set off on yet another journey with our furry travel companions, Marco-polo and Tigress. Now accustomed to train travel, the dogs are eager to board the first car they see. A sea of people stares at us, some asking why we are traveling with them, laughing at us. Others question us about the dogs’ breeds — a mixed coonhound and an Indie. More people come over to join the…

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Long weekend: Delhiites spending in lakhs to make the most of their extended break

Loknath Das

There are many ways to celebrate Independence Day, but this year’s long weekend has allowed Delhiites to celebrate the day by opting for international getaways with their families. This weekend, which is followed by Janamashtami (on August 14) and Independence Day (August 15), is allowing people four days off on which they are planning exotic trips. Travel agents in the city say that Dilliwallahs are spending around a lakh, at least, to plan their getaways People with high budgets are going to places like Europe, Australia and South Africa, spending…

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Three students who battled all odds to make their Delhi University dream come true

Loknath Das

Getting a coveted seat at a Delhi University college is dream come true for many. With sky high cutoffs and even greater competition, those who make it have already proved their worth. But for some students, this can seem like a bigger feat than others. Visually impaired Dev Narayan Prajapati, albino Roshan Kumar Sharma and government school educated Neha Gautam are three of the 50,000 students who had made their way to Delhi University colleges on Thursday for their first day of college. What sets them apart is the circumstances they…

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Why dogs are friendly – it’s written in their genes

Loknath Das

Dogs evolved from wolves tens of thousands of years ago. During this time, certain genes that make dogs particularly gregarious have been selected for, according to research. This may give dogs their distinctive personalities, including a craving for human company. “Our finding of genetic variation in both dogs and wolves provides a possible insight into animal personality, and may even suggest similar genes may have roles in other domestic species (maybe cats even),” said Dr Bridgett vonHoldt of Princeton University. The researchers studied the behaviour of domestic dogs, and grey…

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Nissan and Datsun to offer special discounts and offers on their cars

Loknath Das

The Indian car market is going through a phase of price mark-downs and concessions, thanks to the GST. And the latest to join this discounts bandwagon are Nissan and Datsun. Their discount is applicable upon the entire portfolio of Nissan and Datsun and the company is offering exchange bonuses, corporate discounts and an exclusive offer for government employees. Nissan Micra Nissan is offering a three-year finance scheme with 8.99 per cent interest rate on the Micra and Micra Active. The manufacturer is offering an attractive exchange bonus of ₹ 10,000 and…

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What education policies should the parties put in their election manifestos

Loknath Das

Ross Sargent, parent and governor, early years centre, Cambridgeshire All the evidence suggests the more funding the better at the early years stages, and that represents the greatest return on investment. So the first thing has to be a promise not to cut in early years. I would love to see the people who are genuinely experts in education in charge of what goes into our kids’ education – it doesn’t feel that way now – and the focus placed on the importance of teachers so they have the time…

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Elon Musk’s OpenAI and Google’s DeepMind release their AI playgrounds to everyone

subhadip

Artificial intelligence developed by the likes of Google’s DeepMind and Elon Musk’s OpenAI is taught within the confines of game worlds – including navigating around mazes, dodging deadly cliffs, playing laser tag and flying through space. In a mission to build a general AI capable of solving any problem put in front of it, DeepMind is open-sourcing its game code to everyone. The software and 14 levels from DeepMind Labs will be put on GitHub later this week. And, not to be outdone, Elon Musk’s own OpenAI is also releasing…

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Drug-resistant bacteria tricked into dropping their shields become vulnerable once again

subhadip

Bait-and-switch might just be the oldest trick in the book, but maybe it’s time to start kickin’ it old school. At least a little bit. In search of another way to manage the endless slog against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, scientists just figured out how to bait bacteria into developing an Achilles’ heel. Not all drug resistance works the same: It depends on the type of antibiotic the bacteria have evolved to resist. Some antibiotics do their work by impeding bacterial cell division. Others, like the -cillins, disrupt cell walls. Drugs like…

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Meet the Aussie couple raffling off their tropical oasis

subhadip

AN AUSTRALIAN couple who spent their existence financial savings constructing a motel on an idyllic Pacific island is giving their tropical oasis away — thru a bet. Doug and Sally Beitz moved their young own family from the Gold Coast to the Micronesian island of Kosrae in 1994 and have spent the beyond many years growing a rewarding waterfront hotel and scuba diving enterprise there. Now looking to return to Australia to turn out to be “expert grandparents” to their young granddaughter, the Beitz plan to hand over their island…

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Parents are underestimating their children’s ability to learn language, claims report

subhadip

Too many parents are underestimating their children’s ability to learn language, according to a report. A poll of parents by charity Save the Children revealed nearly half of those polled (47 per cent) had low expectations of their children’s ability to learn  reckoning they would know 100 words by their third birthday – just half the number recommended by the Government. As a result, the children struggle to learn when they start school and could be behind in class throughout their school years. Figures show there are 130,000 children struggling…

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