The Daily Brief – 12th September, 2016

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• The Union Government has launched the Urja Mitra Helpline through which customers can get information on power outages from distribution companies by dialing 14401.
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has commissioned a well-equipped offshore patrolling (OPV) vessel named ‘Sarathi’. It is the largest and most advanced new generation off-shore patrol vessel.
• A task force headed by NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Arvind Panagariya has submitted its report to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and suggested setting up of a committee to identify people below the poverty line (BPL). The task force has also has also suggested participation from the States in defining the BPL population.
• The Spanish Talgo train completed its final trial between Delhi and Mumbai in less than 12 hours at a maximum speed of 150 kmph.

• Deepa Malik has become the first ever Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. She won a silver medal at the shot put event in Rio. India has now secured a total of three medals.
• Stan Wawrinka has defeated Novak Djokovic to win the US Open Men’s title. This is Wawrinka’s maiden US Open title and his third major title.
• The world’s first daily driverless bus service has started in Lyon, France, and will run in the city’s Confluence area. The driverless bus service includes two electric shuttles that will transport passengers on a ten-minute route hosting five stops. It has features like LIDAR radar technology and motion sensors will help to avoid accidents.
• The United States marked the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, 2001 when 19 al-Qaeda suicide bombers hijacked four passenger jets, crashing them into the Twin Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
• Scientists at MIT have developed a new technology that can read the pages of a closed book. The system uses terahertz radiation, the band of electromagnetic radiation between microwaves and infrared light, which has several advantages over other types of waves that can penetrate surfaces, such as X-rays or sound waves.

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