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2:00 AM

NASA needs more time, money to bring back Mars rocks

NASA is underestimating the amount of time and money it will take to bring Mars rocks back to Earth in the coming decade, an independent panel said Tuesday.

 

The review board suggested that NASA and the European Space Agency consider bumping the next launches in the sample-return effort from 2026 to 2028, given all the technological challenges. These delays will increase costs, pushing the planning budget to $4 billion or more $1 billion more than currently envisioned by NASA, the panel noted.

 

Already more than halfway to Mars, NASA's Perseverance rover will hunt for the best geologic samples, after landing in February. It's aiming for Jezero Crater, believed to be an ancient river delta that may have once harbored microscopic life.

1:57 AM

S&P 500, Nasdaq retreat as tech stocks lose favor

 The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq fell on Tuesday as investors favored sectors that suffered most during the pandemic over those that benefited from virus lockdowns and social distancing due to optimism that a Covid-19 vaccine would help the economy rebound.

 

The heavyweight technology, communication services and consumer discretionary sectors dropped sharply while investors moved to small cap stock indexes and sectors such as energy, industrials and consumer staples.

 

Also chip stocks such as Nvidia were a drag on the technology sector as Apple Inc introduced its first notebook computer with an Apple-designed microprocessor.

1:35 AM

Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house

Apple Inc on Tuesday introduced a MacBook Air notebook and other computers with the first microprocessor designed in-house, a move that will tie its Macs and iPhones closer together technologically.

 

The new chip, called the M1, marks a shift away from Intel Corp technology that has driven the electronic brains of Mac computers for nearly 15 years.

 

It is a boon for Apple computers, which are overshadowed by the company's iPhone but still rack up tens of billions of dollars in sales per year. Apple hopes developers now will create families of apps that work on both computers and phones.

1:34 AM

Hopeful of de-escalation of tension in eastern Ladakh: Army chief M M Navarane

Army chief general M M Naravane on Tuesday said that he was hopeful that the Indian and Chinese militaries will be able to reach an agreement on disengagement and de-escalation of tension in eastern Ladakh.

 

In an address at a seminar, the army chief said senior military commanders of India and China are holding talks to iron out modalities for deescalation of tension in eastern Ladakh.

 

"We are hopeful of reaching an agreement which is mutually acceptable and is really beneficial in keeping with the overarching policy guidelines," he said.

 

The chief of Army staff also said that the situation in eastern Ladakh is quite stable.

12:09 AM

Left parties look to gain in Bihar, bag 13 seats, leading in three more out of 29 seats

11:54 PM

Bihar Assembly polls: Most exit polls miss the mark

The Bihar assembly election results appeared to belie predictions made by most exit polls which had given a clear edge to the Rashtriya Janata Dal-led Mahagathbandhan.

 

The ABP-CVoter exit poll prediction was the closest among all. It had projected 104-128 seats for the NDA and 108-131 seats for the opposition grand alliance.

 

According to the Election Commission's website, as of 10.30 pm, the NDA was ahead with a slender margin. It had either won or was leading in 122 seats while the Mahagathbandhan's tally stood at 113.

11:24 PM

Oil gains as vaccine hopes outweigh lockdown impact

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as hopes that a Covid-19 vaccine could be on the horizon outweighed the expected negative impact on fuel demand from new lockdowns to contain the virus.

 

Brent crude futures rose 65 cents, or 1.5 per cent, to $43.05 by 11:30 EDT (1530 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 68 cents, or 1.7 per cent, to $40.97.

 

Both contracts jumped 8 per cent on Monday, their biggest daily gains in more than five months, after drugmakers Pfizer and BioNTech said their experimental Covid-19 treatment was more than 90 per cent effective based on initial trial results.

11:23 PM

Nearly $2 trillion traded on Covid-19 vaccine news

News of a breakthrough in the race to find a Covid-19 vaccine sparked one of the heaviest trading days since the height of the pandemic crisis, according to early data analysed by Reuters, with nearly $2 trillion (1.51 trillion pounds) changing hands on Monday.

 

Traders stampeded to the riskier plays in equities, foreign exchange and bond markets after Pfizer Inc released positive data on its vaccine trial, while rotating out of safe havens such as technology stocks, Japanese yen and top-rated bonds.

10:49 PM

NCP fails to make mark in Bihar Assembly elections

The NCP, a key player in Maharashtras politics, has failed to make any mark in the Assembly elections in Bihar, where it had fielded more than 100 candidates.

 

The Sharad Pawar-led party has so far failed to win or take lead in any constituency in the Bihar Assembly elections, results of which are being declared on Tuesday.

 

The NCP, which is part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra, contested 110 seats in Bihar, which has a 243- member assembly.

10:47 PM

Delhi-NCR's air quality hits 'emergency' levels

A grey apocalyptic smog enveloped Delhi on Tuesday, blotting out the sun from the sky and smudging landmarks from view as the city's air quality hit "emergency" levels.

 

Delhi recorded a 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) of 476, which falls in the "severe" category. The neighbouring cities of Faridabad (448), Ghaziabad (444), Noida (455), Greater Noida (436) and Gurgaon (427), which fall in the National Capital Region (NCR), also recorded "severe" air quality.

 

It was the sixth "severe" air day on the trot in Delhi. The city witnessed seven "severe" air days in November last year.