The JPC on 2G spectrum scam began examining the telecom policy pursued during the NDA rule as it sought to know the quantum of losses incurred during that period and decided to summon the then Attorney General Soli Sorabjee in this connection.At its second meeting since being set up in February, the JPC headed by Congress leader P C Chacko went into matters related to the telecom policy, allocation of spectrum and its pricing between 1998 and 2008.
Iran on Wednesday dismissed media reports that Teheran has imported technology from North Korea to develop its ballistic missile programme.Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said Iran is completely self-sufficient in the field of defense industry and does not need other countries.According to the media reports, a confidential UN report disclosed regular exchange of ballistic missile technology by North Korea and Iran in violation of UN sanctions. 
As many as 34 pacts including those in the field of IT, pharmaceuticals and hydrocarbons were inked between India and Uzbekistan, which also agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a long term and strategic partnership based on equality and mutual understanding.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Uzbek President Islam Abduganievich Karimov, who is in New Delhi on a two-day state visit, held talks on Wednesday during which they reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and exchanged views on important regional and international issues.
The theme for World Telecommunications Day this year is “Better life in rural communities with ICTs”. This theme is especially pertinent to a country like India, where 70% of the population resides in rural areas. It is an acknowledged fact that in spite of best efforts by the Government, rural areas continue to lack adequate infrastructure in terms of roads, financial services, health and educational facilities, employment opportunities and government services etc. 
There is an imminent need to increase public spending on health and medical care in India, K. Srinivasan, former director, International Institute for Population Sciences, said.It was expected that India would allocate two per cent for health care, but that expectation has not yet been realised. Also, with the increasing trend of public-private partnerships entering health care, it is essential to remember that the government cannot abdicate its responsibility towards providing health services for the citizens. 
Finnish handset maker Nokia plans to introduce a new feature on its mobile phones, ‘Search’, which will enable users to identify a particular locality at the click of a button.The new feature helps customers to identify a place or a shopping mall or a food joint from their mobile phones, Nokia India Director — Operator Channel V Ramnath said.
Nobel laureates and environmental researchers Wednesday resumed discussions on the challenges of climate change and poverty to global sustainability.The 50-strong gathering in Stockholm, in the presence of Swedish King Carl Gustaf, including about 20 Nobel laureates was the third of its kind since 2007.The aim is to influence upcoming international environmental meetings, including next year’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The space shuttle Endeavour arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) for the last time Wednesday, bringing a science experiment and other supplies.The shuttle docked with the ISS at 6:14 am (1214 GMT), at which time the spacecraft were flying about 354 kilometres above and east of Chile, US space agency NASA said.The Endeavour blasted off Monday on its final mission before NASA retires the ageing shuttle fleet later this year.Just one more shuttle mission is planned, with Atlantis due to travel to the ISS in July.The six-member crew of five US astronauts and an Italian are delivering a high-tech particle monitor to the station that scientists hope could provide clues about the formation of the universe.The 2-billion-dollar particle physics detector, known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-2, will allow scientists to measure cosmic rays in the search for dark matter and antimatter.After docking, the astronauts’ first task will be to unload a giant container of supplies for the ISS using the shuttle’s robotic arm.The first of four spacewalks is scheduled for Friday.
An engineer here claims to have invented a device that can tap solar energy more efficiently than a solar panel.The biggest failing of solar panels is that they can only collect about a fraction or just 20 percent of available light but Patrick Pinhero, a University of Missouri engineer, has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light.
The second India-Africa Forum Summit, to be held in Addis Ababa shortly, promises to be a memorable milestone in India's engagement with the “Mother continent.” Overwhelmed by the cricket World Cup, corruption dossier, the Royal wedding and the gripping Abbottabad drama, Indian audiences may have very little time for Africa. But, it is worth noting that energetic endeavours are being made on both sides of the Indian Ocean to strengthen India's multi-layered relationship with Africa, a trend that may have long-term impact. 
Philip Roth, the American author of the 1960s cultural touchstone “Portnoy’s Complaint” and more than two dozen other novels, was named on Wednesday as the winner of the Man Booker International Prize for fiction.The $100,000 prize adds another accolade to Roth’s five-decade career that includes a Pulitzer Prize in 1998, and that shows little sign of slowing.The Man Booker International Prize is awarded every two years to a living writer for overall contribution to fiction. It is connected to, but separate from, the better-known Man Booker Prize for Fiction, which is awarded each year for a specific book. 
Researchers have pioneered a method to patch a damaged heart with an engineered tissue, in a major step forward in combating cardiovascular disease, one of the most serious health problems of our day.Led by Gordana Vunjak—Novakovic, professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia University, researchers developed a novel cell therapy to treat myocardial infarction (damage that follows a heart attack), reports the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.