Albert Einstein's 1905 theory of relativity is one of the most fundamental pillars of physics - but now scientists say his conclusion that nothing can travel faster than light could be proven wrong.
Protesting against the NSG waiver to India, Pakistan today blocked negotiations on Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT), describing the move as "discriminatory" that will help New Delhi stockpile bomb- making nuclear materials.
India and Brazil raised a trade dispute against the European Union before the World Trade Organization on Tuesday over seizure of generic drugs by EU member countries on high seas.
Though it was not formally declared at the Doha trade negotiations committee meeting today, it is privately admitted that the 2010 deadline will not be achieved, several trade envoys and senior officials told Business Standard.
India would join the World Intellectual Property Organization's Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks this year.
China, for example, filed 7,946 patent applications last year, compared to 761 by India.
On Monday, media giant Thomson Reuters said 'it has appointed Pascal Lamy, director general of the World Trade Organization, to join its board of directors.' Lamy, who has started his second term at WTO that will last till 2013, will act as a trustee of the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles, which govern the way the company carries out business in an ethical manner.
Residents in India and other emerging economies borrowed $34 billion by issuing debt securities in the international market during the last three months ending November, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) has indicated.
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma offered 'four principles' to break the impasse in the stalled-Doha trade negotiations, insisting that only a pronounced shift towards 'development objectives' could enable 'developing countries to bring more to the negotiations'.
The European Union hosted the two-day meeting with participants drawn from the United States, China, India, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and Egypt.
During separate bilateral meetings with Brazil and India in Paris last week, the US conveyed that it was the responsibility of emerging countries to convince their trade and other lobbies on a zero-for-zero tariff elimination for these products, failing which Washington would find it difficult to secure the green light from its powerful industrial and Congressional groups to conclude the Doha talks, Business Standard was told.
The statement has put paid to Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean's "controversial" ideas.
These may weaken India's long-standing demand of easy, flexible rules.
Commercial tensions came to a head on many issues between China and other major western countries.
As raw sugar futures jumped 3 per cent on Monday to 21.55 cents a British pound, traders expect further increases in sugar prices in the coming days, until a clear picture emerges about the magnitude of the shortfall in the Indian sugar crop and production. When India, which is the largest sugar consumer, enters the market, there is bound to be considerable volatility in prices, analysts said, suggesting that the situation is akin to what India had experienced in early 90s.
Last year, India was ranked second in global FDI flows after China. While China continues in the top place, the US climbed up to second place this year, thanks to a surge in investments by Chinese and Indian companies, who acquired several sick American firms.
"Our government is fully committed to an early breakthrough in the Doha agreement based on the December 2008 draft texts in agriculture and industrial goods. It must be a balanced agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of developing countries," Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said.
Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has issued several signals about his government's commitment to conclude the Doha talks, saying it is a priority issue for New Delhi. While many industrialised countries, including some developing nations, praised Sharma for adopting a conciliatory stance to break the 'impasse,' other members in the developing world are apprehensive about New Delhi's stance, especially its discussions with the US trade representative, trade envoys said.
New Delhi has not adhered to the recent G-20 assurances that leaders had agreed at the London meeting last month not to impose protectionist measures, the EU claimed.
The Italian car giant surprised the recession-hit global auto industry with an announcement that it is bidding to take over the GM's struggling Opel brand to consolidate its global base. Though Fiat entered India almost six decades ago, it is facing rough competition from car manufacturers from Japan and South Korea. It tied up with Tata Motors for building a manufacturing plant near Pune to increase its supply capacity in 2007.
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