Union Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu has stressed the need to find a way to successfully address conflicting interests, motives and ideologies to preserve and strengthen Multilateral Trading System. Addressing the World Trade Organization's Ministerial Meeting of Developing Countries in New Delhi yesterday, Mr Prabhu said, Multilateral Trading System is a collective responsibility and the countries have stakes in it. 

He said the principles of non-discrimination, predictability, transparency, the tradition of decision-making by consensus and the commitment to development, are too valuable to lose.

He said, there is need to explore ways to address the substantive issues and concerns regarding the functioning of the Appellate Body while preserving its independence and impartiality. 

Japan has started testing its fastest-ever bullet train — capable of reaching 400 kilometres per hour (249 mph) — as it continues to develop the revolutionary mode of travel.

The ALFA-X version of the Shinkansen train began three years' worth of test runs on Friday.

Once it enters operation sometime around 2030, it will run at speeds of up to 360 kph (224 mph), comfortably making it the world's fastest bullet train.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport has been declared as the eighth best airport in the world. In the 2019 annual rating report by AirHelp, an organization that specializes in air traveller rights, Doha's Hamad International Airport, Tokyo Haneda International Airport, and Athens International Airport have retained their top three positions in the list, since the ratings began in 2015.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad is ranked right after Singapore's Changi Airport, which has been acknowledged as one of the newest state-of-art airports in the world. The Hyderabad airport attained a rating of 8.27 out of 10, while the first-ranking Hamad International Airport received 8.39 on a scale of 10.

In 2017, the Hyderabad airport was also recognised as Asia Pacific's first airport to turn carbon neutral.

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu held talks with Vietnamese Prime Minister Xuan Phuc in Hanoi yesterday. The two leaders discussed a wide range of issues and underscored the importance of strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two nations to ensure peace and security in the region. 

During his talks, the Vice President reiterated that cordial and friendly relations between India and Vietnam have been strengthened by bonds of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Referring to the growing cooperation between two nations in different fields, Mr Naidu informed Mr.Xuan Phuc that India is ready to partner with Vietnam in satellite construction, both for civilian and non-civilian uses.

Top seed Novak Djokovic of Serbia beat Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 6-4  yesterday to win his third Madrid Open title. 

The world number one was able to improve on his epic 7-6, 7-6 semifinal win over Dominic Thiem of Austria for a more straightforward victory over Tsitsipas, who is still searching for his first Masters 1000 title. 

Djokovic lifted the title in Madrid after progressing through the week without losing a set and has now won 33 Masters 1000 titles - the same number as Rafael Nadal and five more than Roger Federer.

Djokovic got the decisive break in the ninth game of the set to move 5-4 up and then held his serve to add the 2019 Madrid Open title to those he won in 2011 and 2016.

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial meeting of developing countries will begin in New Delhi today. 

The two-day meeting is being held at a time when the multilateral rule-based-trading system is facing serious and grave challenges. 

The meeting will provide an opportunity for the Ministers to discuss various issues and the way forward. Today, on the first day, there will be a meeting of senior officers of the participating countries. Tomorrow, the Ministerial Meeting will be held.

Ireland's parliament has become the second after Britain's to declare a climate emergency, a decision hailed by Swedish teenage environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg as "great news". 

An amendment to a parliamentary report declaring a "climate emergency" and calling on parliament "to examine how (the Irish government) can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss" was accepted without a vote late Thursday. Irish Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, who moved the amendment, called the decision "historic". 

Thunberg, the 16-year-old activist who has spearheaded protests across Europe and is becoming one of the most passionate voices of the green movement, urged more nations to follow suit. "Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?" Thunberg tweeted.

Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. 

The agreement was signed in Kathmandu today in the presence of Indian Ambassador Manjeev Puri and Nepal's Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport  Madhusudan Adhikari.

Each train set will comprise of one driving power car, three trailer cars with one air-conditioned, one driving trailer car with standard accessories. 

The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The 34 kms Jayanagar-Kurtha Railway Link has been built by IRCON with Government of India financial grant under India-Nepal Development Partnership programme. 

Noted novelist and Sahitya Akademi awardee Thoppil Mohamed Meeran, 74, died at his residence at Veerabahu Nagar in Pettai near here at around 1.30 a.m. on Friday.

He is survived by his wife Jaleela and two sons Shameem Ahmed and Mirzad Ahmed.

Born in the coastal hamlet of Thaengaaipattinam in Kanniyakumari district on September 26, 1944, Mohamed Meeran authored the novels Oru Kadalora Graamaththin Kathai, Thuraimugam, Koonan Thoppu, Saaivu Naarkkaali and Anju Vannam Theru between 1988 and 2011. Of these, Saaivu Naarkkaali (The Reclining Chair), released in 1995, bagged him the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997.

Supreme Court has refused to regularise the services of nearly four lakh contractual teachers of Bihar and set aside the Patna High Court ruling that they were eligible to get equal pay for equal work. 

A bench of Justices Abhay Manohar Sapre and U U Lalit allowed the plea of the Bihar government challenging the October 31, 2017 high court order and declined to treat contractual teachers at par with regular educators. 

The apex court said, Bihar government is justified in having two different streams or cadres for teachers and there has been no violation of the rights of contractual teachers nor has there been any discrimination against them.