Physicist Thanu Padmanabhan on Sunday received the M P Birla Memorial Award 2019 for his contributions to the world of cosmology.

Padmanabhan, a professor of Inter-university Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, received the award at a programme held at M P Birla Planetarium here, a statement said.

In his memorial lecture, ‘Gravity and the Cosmos’, the Padma Shri-recipient scientist spoke about the role gravity in shaping the Universe, it said.

Veteran Bollywood actor Viju Khote has died. The actor best is remembered for his role as Kalia in the cult classic Sholay.

The actor, who worked in a number of Hindi and Marathi films, has been working in film since 1964. Apart from Sholay, he is remembered for his roles in films like Andaz Apna Apna, in which he starred as Robert. The actor is related to veteran actors Shubha Khote and Durga Khote. 

Even as Viju immortalised Kalia as one on the most memorable characters of Indian cinema, he actually had just two scenes in Ramesh Sippy’s film. Talking about the popularity of his character, Viju told The Times of India in 2015 that he enjoys the love he has got. “It signifies the tremendous popularity of the movie. And that people liked Kaalia as a character,” he said.

Airport Council International (ACI) has recognised Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) as the best airport in terms of services it offered to passengers.

CIAL was ranked amongst the best airports in the 5-15 million category in the Asia Pacific region for the year 2018 based on annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey conducted by the ACI.

The award was presented to the authorities of Cochin International Airport at the second Annual ACI Customer Experience Global Summit held at Bali, Indonesia.

"The Airport Service Quality Awards celebrate the achievements of airports in delivering the best customer experience and they represent the highest possible accolade for airport operators around the world," ACI World Director General Angela Gittens said.

Air Marshal HS Arora has been appointed the Vice Chief of Indian Air Force. He will succeed Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria who will take over as the Chief of Air Staff on September 30. The Cente on September 19 appointed Air Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria the next chief of the India Air Force (IAF). Bhadauria, who is currently Vice Chief of Air Staff, will take over the charge as the Chief of Air Staff after his predecessor and the incumbent IAF Chief BS Dhanoa retires on September 30.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal B Suresh has been appointed as Western Air Commander of the Air Force. He will succeed Kargil war hero Air Marshal Raghunath Nambiar on October 31.

Centre has approved construction of 1.23 lakh more houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). The 47th Central Sanctioning And Monitoring Committee approved 630 proposals from participating states for construction of 1.23 lakh houses with an overall investment of 4,988 crore rupees.

An official release said the commitment from government as central assistance will be 1,805 crore rupees.

Former President Jacques Chirac, a political chameleon who dominated French politics for decades and strived to make France's voice heard in Europe and beyond, died on Thursday at the age of 86.

Chirac was president from 1995 to 2007. He shaped his style in the mould of post-war leader Charles de Gaulle, seeking to strengthen France's status as a player on the world stage.

The National Assembly interrupted a sitting to hold a minute's silence. President Emmanuel Macron cancelled a public engagement and scheduled a televised address later on Thursday. Chirac passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones, his son-in-law Frederic Salat-Baroux told Reuters.

Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat will take over as the new Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on Friday, succeeding Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, who retires from service on September 30.

Rawat, the first Army Chief to hold the post since Gen Bikram Singh (2013-14), could possibly be the last in the post as Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that his government will go ahead and appoint a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who will replace the present tri-service committee.

The Army chief is also slated to retire at the end of 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the leaders of the Caribbean Community and Common Market during the first-ever India-Caricom leaders' summit in New York last night. The meet focused on fighting climate change and increasing India's participation with the grouping.

A statement released by External Affairs Ministry said that Mr Modi announced a 14 million US dollar grant for community development projects in the Caricom and another 150 million line of credit for solar, renewable energy and climate change related projects. Leaders and representatives including from Antigua & Barbuda, Guyana,  Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago attended the meeting. Mr Modi invited them to join the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.

Bulgaria's Kristalina Georgieva has been selected as the new head of the International Monetary Fund(IMF). She is the first person from an emerging market economy to lead the IMF. The economist succeeds Christine Lagarde for a five-year term from October.
 
In a statement, she said, it is a huge responsibility to be at the helm of the IMF at a time when challenges to global economic growth and trade tensions persist. Georgieva said, her immediate priority is to help countries minimize the risk of crises and be ready to cope with downturns. 

Popular Telugu actor Venu Madhav, 39, breathed his last on Wednesday at a private hospital in Secunderabad, Hyderabad. He has been suffering from kidney-related ailments for a while now.

Telugu film PRO Vamsi Kaka took to Twitter to share news of Venu’s demise.

He wrote, “Actor Venu Madhav Passed away today at 12.20 pm. Both the family members and doctors confirmed it. May his Soul Rest in Peace. #RIPVenuMadhav”