Author: Rahul M

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — It’s a bookworm’s idea of heaven: 18 days of nonstop reading.In a restaurant in Nigeria’s Lagos, three men and two women have been reading books for over 431 hours in an attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest marathon of reading aloud, part of a campaign to promote literacy in Africa’s most populous country.Throughout the daunting task, dozens joined the group, some online via a live stream, cheering them on.By Saturday, when the attempt ended, the reading marathoners had read 79 books authored by Nigerians, taking turns to continuously read out loud literary…

Banka, PurneaSeptember 1, 2025 07:01 PM IST First published on: Sep 1, 2025 at 07:01 PM IST As the claims and objections period of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar goes on, some Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) are still uploading papers using the “Any other document” option on the BLO app, including documents such as Aadhaar, Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), and ration cards. These are not in the list of 11 documents the Election Commission (EC) is seeking from voters, though the Supreme Court has asked it to consider Aadhaar after initially suggesting it take all…

When it comes to toning arms, most people think of heavy dumbbells and push-ups. But yoga can be just as effective in strengthening and sculpting the upper body. Regular practice not only reduces arm fat but also improves flexibility, posture, and stamina. If you’re short on time, just 10 minutes of yoga daily can help you notice a difference. Here are 10 yoga poses you can include in your quick routine to lose arm fat. 1. Plank Pose (Phalakasana) This foundational pose engages your arms, shoulders, and core. By holding your body weight, it burns fat and builds endurance in…

Suyun Ham can’t take his eyes off a scanner. “Lower the sensors a little bit more,” Ham urges an assistant. Then a barrage of data floods in, filling computer screens for a diagnosis.But Ham isn’t a medical doctor. Nor is his “patient” a living creature. An engineering professor from the University of Texas at Arlington, he is experimenting with a novel approach in bridge inspection: Magnetic Resonance Imaging-like scanners.Ham’s mobile-scanning system is part of efforts to make U.S. infrastructure more heat-resilient. Unlike floods and tornadoes that can quickly destroy bridges, extreme heat is a silent killer that harms them over time,…

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Dozens of voters in Guyana stood in line by dawn on Monday to participate in what many say is the South American country’s most consequential election in decades given that whichever party wins will oversee $10 billion in annual revenue from offshore oil and gas production.In recent years, Guyana has transformed from a country traditionally dependent on gold, sugar, rice, bauxite and timber to one reaping the windfall of nearly 900,000 barrels of oil produced daily.The World Bank has noted that Guyana has the world’s fastest growing economy with gross domestic product increases averaging around 15%…

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday hit back at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his ‘hydrogen bomb’ remark, with senior leaders dubbing his ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ as “toxic” and even labelling it the “Bihar Badnam Yatra”. BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan told news agency ANI, “Rahul Gandhi’s toxic yatra filled with hate bombs of vulgar abuse and lies has really poisoned and polluted the public discourse in our country. Also, the people of Bihar are now labelling this yatra as ‘Bihar Badnam Yatra’ because Rahul Gandhi, in the most insensitive way, invited and paraded DMK leaders in Bihar when…

A Bengaluru woman who recently went missing in Udupi district has been found dead. The police suspect that the woman either died by suicide or may have drowned in the Souparnika River in Kollur. The deceased has been identified as Vasudha Chakravarthy, 45, a resident of Thyagarajanagar in Bengaluru. Chakravarthy’s mother, Vimala, had informed the police that she had gone missing. According to the police, Chakravarthy travelled alone in her car to Kollur and parked her vehicle at a guest house of Sri Mookambika Temple on August 27. After parking the vehicle, she did not return. Vimala tried to contact…

Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champion, dispatched German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in just one hour and 49 minutes to advance to the quarter-finals of the US Open 2025 on Sunday. The 38-year-old Djokovic has now reached the US Open quarter-finals for the 14th time.   Notably, Djokovic has faced physical concerns and tough on-court tests at the ongoing US Open 2025 during his tricky opening week. Once again, he received multiple visits from ATP physiotherapist Clay Sniteman but whatever was bothering the 100-time tour-level titlist did not hinder his play.  “I don’t know how many more I’m going…

PM Modi-Chinese President Xis meeting reflects pragmatic approach from India, China Tianjin, September 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China’s Tianjin reflected a pragmatic approach from India and China of prioritising dialogue, confidence-building measures, and regional engagement. The two leaders agreed that “mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity” must form the foundation of future ties, a report in India Narrative detailed. PM Modi and Xi Jinping discussed measures to maintain stability along the disputed borders. The two sides announced that direct flights between India and…

Latam-GPT is new large language model being developed in and for Latin America. The project, led by the nonprofit Chilean National Center for Artificial Intelligence (CENIA), aims to help the region achieve technological independence by developing an open source AI model trained on Latin American languages and contexts.“This work cannot be undertaken by just one group or one country in Latin America: It is a challenge that requires everyone’s participation,” says Álvaro Soto, director of CENIA, in an interview with WIRED en Español. “Latam-GPT is a project that seeks to create an open, free, and, above all, collaborative AI model.…