JOHANNESBURG: South Africa's great white sharks face the
threat of extinction after a rapid decline in numbers caused by trophy hunting,
shark nets and pollution, according to a study released on Wednesday.The
six-year research project along the country's coastline revealed that only
between 353 and 522 of the sharks are still alive, half the level previously
thought. "The numbers in South Africa are extremely
Finhaut-Emosson (Switzerland) July 21 (IANS) Former French
cyclist Dominique Arnaud has died at the age of 60, after a hard-fought battle
with cancer, his family announced. Arnaud took part on 11 occasions in the Tour
de France and won three stages of the Vuelta a Espana, reports Efe. The French
cyclist died on Wednesday in hospital a few days after he was honored at an
event in his hometown of Les Mees, which
RAIPUR: A new species of gecko "EUBLEPHARIS
SATPURAENSIS" (reptile) has been discovered for the first time in
Chhattisgarh's rich biodiversity forest at Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary in
Kawardha district. The population of the new species looks quite dense and
indicates that the eco-system suits it for further conservation. Earlier found
only in Madhya Pradesh, the species was spotted during tiger census being
Rating agencies Icra and Fitch have said the capital
requirements of state-owned banks are much higher than the government’s Rs
22,915 crore equity infusion because internal generation will be limited by
high credit costs. Icra said public sector banks’ Tier-I capital requirements
would be Rs 40,000-50,000 crore in 2016-17, higher than the government’s
allocation of Rs 22,900 crore. This shortfall could continue to hurt loan
Russia will send their smallest ever Olympic contingent to
the upcoming Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro since the disintegration of the
Soviet Union. On Wednesday, the executive board of Russia's National Olympic
Committee endorsed the membership list of the team. It will file the
application within two days with the International Olympic Committee. The
membership list contains the names of 387 athletes — 201 men
BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Tuesday decided to
celebrate the completion of 200 years of Paika revolt against the British
empire this year by organising a series of events in Odisha and at national
levels. The decision was taken at a high level meeting held under the
chairmanship of Minister of State for Culture and Tourism Ashok Chandra Panda.
The meeting decided to organise a national seminar in Delhi, set
Mumbai: Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple Trust, the
managing body of Mumbai’s famous Siddhivinayak Temple, is telling devotees that
it accepts donations in the form of shares and securities as well, apart from
the traditional cash and gold. “We want to send the message that we accept
shares as well,” Narendra Murari Rane, the chairman of the trust, said at a
press conference held by SBICAP Securities Ltd
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 20 July
2016 gave its approval for installation of Ghatampur Thermal Power Project
(GTPS) of 1980 MW capacity through a Joint Venture Company. The Joint Venture
Company is named as Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (NUPPL). The company is
formed jointly by Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited (NLC) and Uttar Pradesh
Rajya Vidyut Utpadan
Mohammad Hashim Ansari, the oldest litigation in the
Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri title suit, died on 20 July 2016 due to heart-related
complications in the temple city of Ayodhya. He was 95. Ansari, born in
Ayodhya, was one of the seven main litigants from Muslim side in the 1949 Babri
Masjid case regarding placing of Lord Rama idols in the premises. He was the
lone surviving litigant of the case. The other six main
California, July 21 (IBNS): Using NASA’s Hubble Space
Telescope, astronomers have conducted the first search for atmospheres around
temperate, Earth-sized planets beyond our solar system and found indications
that increase the chances of habitability on two exoplanets. Specifically, they
discovered that the exoplanets TRAPPIST-1b and TRAPPIST-1c, approximately 40
light-years away, are unlikely to have
Ankara, July 21 (IBNS): Following a failed coup in the
country, Turkey's President has declared a state of emergency for three months
in the nation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was quoted as saying by
Anadolu Agency: "The purpose of the state of emergency is to most
effectively and swiftly take steps necessary to eliminate the threat to
democracy in our country, the rule of law, and the rights and freedom of
New York, July 21 (Just Earth News): A new global push to end
paediatric AIDS by 2020 was launched on Wednesday at the 21st International
AIDS Conference, the world’s largest forum devoted to any single health or
development issue, said the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
on Wednesday.To achieve this goal, UNAIDS emphasized, “Prevention efforts will
need to be matched by an
The Secretary-General invited world leaders to a special
event on 21 September to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession to the Paris Agreement on climate change. “The next step
in our collective journey to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future is to
ensure the rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement,” Ban said of the
September event, which will be held as part of the annual high-level
Islamabad, July 20 (IBNS): Amid violence in the Kashmir
Valley over the death of militant leader Burhan Wani,Pakistan on Wednesday is
observing 'Black Day'.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said Kashmir is not an
internal issue of India. "Indian brutality in Kashmir is condemnable. No
country is allowed to violate basic human values," he said in his message
as quoted as saying by Geo News. Union Home Minister Rajnath
New York, July 20 (Just Earth News):With some 400 million
people around the world infected with hepatitis B and C, the United Nations
health agency on Wednesday encouraged countries to boost testing and access to
services and medicines for people in need. “The world has ignored hepatitis at
its peril,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, Director General of the UN World Health
Organization (WHO). “It is time to mobilize a global
Kolkata, July 19 (IBNS): Round Table India, the non-political
and non-sectarian organization recently announced and signed author Shiv Khera,
renowned Indian author, motivational speaker and activist, as their Brand
Ambassador of global movement Round Table India at Monotel, Kolkata. The tie up
and initiative was done by Round Table India and Ladies Circle India. Speaking
about the event, Shiv Khera said, “It is
Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 20 (PTI) Leading financial services
firm UAE Exchange India has launched a scholarship programme for the benefit of
over 500 students from economically weaker sections in the country. The company
has allotted Rs 20 lakh for the project during 2016-17 financial year, a
company press release said. Students studying in class 5 to 10 will be eligible
for the scholarship. Making the
Marlon Samuels was named the ODI Player of the Year and
Cricketer of the Year at WICB's annual awards function in Antigua on Tuesday.
Samuels has scored 859 runs in 22 ODIs since 2015, including three centuries.
With 258 runs at an average of 36.85, he finished as the second-highest
run-getter behind Australia captain Steven Smith in the tri-series in West
Indies last month. Prior to that, Samuels had played a
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has launched a live
interactive programme, titled ‘TalkToAK’, aimed at directly engaging with the
Delhi people , where people from across the country can ask him questions over
the phone, by sending text messages and through social media. The move,
intended to reach out to people across the country, comes at a time when his
Aam Aadmi Party is gearing up for Assembly elections in a
The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post-facto approval for a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Switzerland for
cooperation in skill development. Decision in this regard was taken in the
Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. The
MoU was signed in June 2016 during the visit of a delegation led by the Union
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given
its approval for construction of a new dry dock within the existing premises of
Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). The new dry dock will be set up at an estimated
cost of 1799 crore rupees with an objective to augment the shipbuilding and
repair capacity of the country. Key Facts This big sized dry dock at CSL seeks
to tap the market potential of building specialized
India and Japan have signed a Social Security Agreement (SSA)
and will come into force on 1 October 2016. The SSA will benefit Indian and
Japanese professionals and skilled workers working in each other’s country and
will also boost bilateral business linkages. Key Facts The SSA will help avoid
double social security contributions i.e. Indian worker on a short-term
contract in Japan will be exempt from making a
The Union Cabinet has approved The Transgender Persons
(Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016 to protect transgenders from discrimination.
Through this Bill the Union Government has evolved a holistic mechanism for the
social, economic and educational empowerment of marginalized transgenders
community. Key Facts The Bill will benefit a large number of transgender
persons, mitigate the stigma, discrimination and abuse
A Canadian University said on Wednesday it will conduct the
world's first Zika vaccine test on humans as health authorities scramble to
counter the explosively spreading virus. The Zika vaccine that's under development
will be administered to humans "in the coming days," Universite
Laval, based in Quebec City, said in a statement. We're very proud to be part
of the first international team in the world to complete all of
Scientists have developed a new long-lasting vaccine that
protects mice against malaria, a disease that about 3.2 billion people are
currently at risk of contracting. Researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the
CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and Inserm (French
Institute of Health and Medical Research) have experimentally developed a live,
genetically attenuated vaccine for Plasmodium, the parasite
About 1.96 lakh new HIV infections were reported in India
last year, according to a new study which found that about 25 lakh people
worldwide became newly infected in 2015, a number that has not changed in the
past 10 years. The new Global Burden of Disease 2015 (GBD 2015), published in
The Lancet HIV journal, found that about 28.81 lakh people in our country were living
with HIV. The study shows a slow pace of
The Haryana government will no more give subsidy for
constructing toilets but would provide incentives to village panchayats and
municipal corporations for maintaining cleanliness, officials said in Guru Gram
on Wednesday. Additional Chief Secretary of Rural Development Department Navraj
Sandhu said efforts will be made to change the mindset of the people so that
they could feel the need to have a toilet in their
Mumbai Railway Police has successfully traced as many as
4,804 "missing" children and reunited 4,386 of them with their family
under 'Operation Muskan'. Rest of the 418 children were handed to the Child
Welfare Committee (CWC) of the state, figures obtained from Railway Police
said. Out of 4,804 run-away or missing children that were rescued from Mumbai
Railway Commissionerate, about 1,363 were girls. Among
Researchers have discovered a new gene that controls blood
vessel formation, an advance that may not only help in development of
anti-cancer therapies but also prove useful in diabetic eye and heart diseases.
Blood vessels form a network throughout the body to deliver the nutrients
necessary to keep the tissues and organs alive and healthy. The formation of
this network is controlled by a process called angiogenesis, researchers
To address cases of cyber crimes, the West Bengal government
is coming up with an apex body. "I am happy to share with all of you that
today the state government has decided to establish West Bengal Cyber Security
Centre of Excellence (WBCS-CoE) to deal with increasing cyber-offences in the
state," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Facebook. She said it will
be an apex body for dealing with all cyber
Creating a more equal world for people who are differently
abled requires not only out of the box ideas, but also a change of mindset.
Students of University of Vadodara have a lesson for all of us. They have used
their creativity and skills to bring more mobility into the lives of divang
people. The government is running programs for the benefit of the differently
abled or Divang people, including Accessible India mission, so as
People with higher connectivity between different parts of
the brain are more intelligent and creative, scientists who are defining and measuring
human intelligence for the first time have found. Led by Professor Jianfeng
Feng of University of Warwick in the UK, researchers are trying to quantify the
brain's dynamic functions, and identify how different parts of the brain
interact with each other at different times - to discover
NASA celebrated a historical milestone on Wednesday, the 40th
anniversary of the first U.S. spacecraft to land on Mars.On July 20, 1976, NASA
successfully reached the Martian surface with their Viking Lander 1. The Viking
project - comprised of two separate spacecraft - together took more than 65,000
images of the planet and collected overwhelming amounts of data. The primary
goal of the Viking mission was to search
The World Anti-Doping Agency had lifted the suspension of the
Rio's drug testing laboratory. WADA said the reinstatement means Rio officials
can resume testing blood and urine samples this week and that they see no need
for further action against the lab. Around 7,000 samples will be tested by the
Rio lab during the Olympic period. WADA had last month suspended the Rio-based
Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory due
NITI Aayog to organize an Expert Consultative Group Meeting
on Creating a Framework for Operationalizing 500 Atal Tinkering Labs, ATL in
New Delhi. The consultations will provide a platform for exchange of ideas and
knowledge among the experts to help create and put in place a framework for the
500 Atal Tinkering Labs that will be established in schools all across the
country. This meeting will be
Total internet subscribers in India reached 342.65 million in
March with Bharti Airtel leading the chart, Parliament was informed on
Wednesday. As per data shared by Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha in the Lok Sabha
on Wednesday, there were 34,26,54,750 internet subscribers as on March 31,
2016. In the list of 138 internet service providers shared by the minister,
telecom major Bharti Airtel topped the chart with
Cabinet has given its approval for introducing amendments to
the Benami Transactions Prohibition & Amendment Bill, 2015 in Parliament.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in 2015 and was then referred to standing
committee that submitted its report early this year. Under the Benami act those
who declare their
A special court hearing treason charges against former
Pakistani president and army chief Pervez Musharraf ordered the seizure of his
assets on Tuesday after he failed to appear for a hearing in the capital
Islamabad, media reported. Musharraf in March left Pakistan for Dubai to seek
medical treatment, shortly after the country's top court lifted a ban on his
travel. He is facing trial on treason and other charges related to his
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, has backed British PM
Theresa May's decision to wait until next year before starting the formal
process of leaving the EU, despite pressure from others in Europe for a
speedier exit. After their first meeting in Berlin, Merkel gave support to the
new British prime minister, saying it was right and necessary for Britain to
"take a moment" to work out what it wants. She also did not rule out
The fate of Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Govind Singh
Kunjwal, who had disqualified nine rebel Congress MLAs including ex-Chief
Minister Vijay Bahuguna, would be dependent on the judgement on pleas
challenging his action to disqualify the lawmakers, now BJP members, the
Supreme Court said on Wednesday. The caveat came in the order of the bench
comprising Justices Dipak Misra and R F Nariman
Deregistration of 15 to 10 years old diesel vehicles in the
national capital would be carried out in a phased manner, the National Green
Tribunal said on Wednesday while barring entry of such trucks with national
permits in Delhi-NCR. The green panel said that diesel vehicles which are
15-years-old should be de-registered first and will not get No Objection
Certificate for plying outside Delhi-NCR. Only de-registered
The government on Wednesday gave its nod to the establishment
of a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences at Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The Union Cabinet approved the setting up of AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojana at an estimated cost of over one thousand crore
rupees. The Union cabinet also approved a proposal for Ambuja Cements for
acquisition of 24% shares in its holding
The history of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, from its construction
to the lives of its occupants, will be on display in a high-tech story-telling
museum which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi next week when
President Pranab Mukherjee completes four years as the Head of State. The
inauguration of this second phase of museum complex in the 88-year-old
Rashtrapati Bhavan marks the completion of the
Sending out a clear message that it won't tolerate
irresponsible conduct of its party functionaries, Bhartiya Janta Party has
expelled its Uttar Pradesh unit vice president Dayashankar Singh from the
party. BJP state President sacked him from the party, hours after he announced
that Singh had been relieved from all organisational responsibilities.
Expulsion from the party will remain in force for six years in line with the
Election Commission to hold crucial hearing on fate of 21 AAP
MLAs from Delhi in the office of profit case, President had refused to sign an
amendment by Delhi government to accommodate their appointment as parliamentary
secretary. The Election commission had earlier deferred the meeting with AAP
MLAs on July
No comments:
Post a Comment