Page 184 - Environment
North Korea warns of food crisis ahead of Trump-Kim meet
North Korea has warned that it is facing a food shortfall and issued an international appeal for help to combat it as the country has been forced to cut rations after drought and floods led to a poor harvest, worsening the impact of UN sanctions.
Photographer captures ecology integrated in human life, development
For photographer Juhi Saklani, life can persist in most unexpected places, like a grand tree braving traffic, pollution, and dirt of a busy Delhi road, what she exclaims as almost a "national monument". Displayed in 2019 Habitat Photosphere on 'Bhu/Earth', among many others, the trees photograph reminds humans of their oneness with nature.
Indonesia to host MotoGP on earthquake-hit island
Indonesia is set to host a MotoGP street race from 2021 on the island of Lombok, which was rocked by deadly earthquakes last year, the country's tourism development agency said. The project is intended to help Lombok, a beauty spot adjacent to Bali, recover from the quakes that killed more than 500 people in July and August, a senior official said previously. The premier motorbike race will be held on a new circuit which will reportedly be 4.32-kilometres (2.68 miles) long with 18 corners, and will double as a regular street at other times. A three-year deal was reached between MotoGP promoter Dorna Sports and the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation, the state-backed agency said late Thursday. "(The site) will be designated as a sports tourism destination and the plan is to build a MotoGP circuit there by 2021," tourism ministry spokesman Guntur Sakti told AFP Friday. French company Vinci Construction will lead the building project, according to ITDC director Abdulbar ...
Touring Exhibition from Indo-German Development Cooperation to conclude at Kochi
Celebrating 60 years of Indo-German Development Cooperation, a Touring Exhibition was launched in Delhi in November 2018. As part of the travelling plan, the next touring exhibition was organised in Bengaluru in January 2019 followed by Chennai in February 2019. The Touring Exhibition will now conclude in Kochi at Municipal Corporation Town Hall on Monday, 25th February 2019.Indo-German Development Cooperation laid the roots of its long-standing relationship in 1958. The goal was to achieve sustainable global development and to foster a spirit of progressive partnership and trust. During the course, we've hit several milestones like the launch of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras in 1959, the launch and success of the Polio Immunisation Programme in 1996 and the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna in 2008 and setting up a 125-MW solar power plant in Sakri, Maharashtra, to name a few.The touring exhibition has been jointly developed by the German development agencies Deutsche ...
Poeir Jets launches heavy lift hybrid drones
Poeir Jets Friday launched what it said is India's first 'Heavy-lift Hybrid Drones', that are fundamentally unmanned aircraft with fully customisable payload options. Following the successful launch of the country's firstMicrojet Engine series, Poeir moved on to develop India'sfirst Heavy lift Hybrid drones, which was launched at the ongoing Aero India 2019 here, the company said. With the launch, the company aims to establish itself as industry leaders in providing propulsion solutions to UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems), company officials said. Poeir Jets is a brand promoted by M/s Poeir Jets Pvt Ltd, an R&D subsidiary of Intech DMLS that claims to be India's first private firm that has developed Jet Engines. The Heavy-lift Drones are suitable for a wide variety of professional applications, from law enforcement to search and rescue operations, Poeir Jets said in a release. Heavy-lift drone models developed by the company include, Hybrid Drone DRE 4, a Hexacopter ...
New Tyrannosaur species helps explain rise of T rex
Scientists have discovered a new species of tiny tyrannosaur which helps explain how the dinosaurs evolved from small, speedy hunters, into the bone-crushing apex predators that we know. The species called Moros intrepidus is a small tyrannosaur who lived about 96 million years ago in the lush, deltaic environment of what is now Utah during the Cretaceous period. The tyrannosaur, described in the journal Communications Biology, is the oldest Cretaceous tyrannosaur species yet discovered in North America, narrowing a 70-million-year gap in the fossil record of tyrant dinosaurs on the continent. "With a lethal combination of bone-crunching bite forces, stereoscopic vision, rapid growth rates, and colossal size, tyrant dinosaurs reigned uncontested for 15 million years leading up to the end-Cretaceous extinction -- but it wasn't always that way," said Lindsay Zanno, paleontologist at North Carolina State University in the US. "Early in their evolution, tyrannosaurs hunted in the shadows .
Australia seeks to calm investors over China coal ban
SYDNEY/BEIJING (Reuters) - Australia's prime minister sought to ease fears on Friday of a further rift in ties to China following a ban on coal imports at the northern port of Dalian that knocked coal exporters and the local dollar.
Australia plays down reports of Chinese coal ban
Canberra played down Friday reports a major Chinese port had banned coal imports from Australia, amid fears worsening diplomatic tensions were damaging the nations' crucial trading relationship. Industry experts have noted recently that China appeared to be delaying customs clearances for Australian coking coal used in steel-making, but a report late Thursday that Dalian Ports had specifically banned Australian coal shipments sent the Aussie dollar plunging. China is Australia's biggest trading partner and coal is the resources-rich country's most valuable export. Australian officials were unable on Friday to confirm the import ban, initially reported by Reuters, and said the country's ambassador in Beijing was seeking clarification. But Treasurer Josh Frydenberg played down the reports, insisting no coal import ban had been put in place and suggesting the offloading slowdown was related to "testing systems" that have been imposed on imports in the past. "Our ambassador will be making
Google remembers Irwin, the crocodile hunter
Google on Friday dedicated a doodle celebrating wildlife conservationist and television personality Steve Irwin's life and legacy, whom many grew up watching wrestling giant crocodiles in the Australian wilderness.
Australia seeks to calm investors over concerns at China coal ban
SYDNEY/BEIJING (Reuters) - Australia's prime minister sought to ease fears on Friday of a further rift in ties to China following concerns of a ban on coal imports at the northern port of Dalian, as coal stocks pared early losses and the local dollar steadied.
Japanese spacecraft lands on asteroid, takes samples
A Japanese spacecraft successfully touched down on the asteroid Ryugu on Friday, which is some 340 million km from Earth, to take samples that could provide clues on the origins of the solar system.
UN says North Korea has asked for help on food shortages
The United Nations says North Korea's government has asked for help from international humanitarian groups to combat food shortages. UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Thursday that food production figures provided by North Korea show "there is a food gap of about 1.4 million tons expected for 2019, and that's crops including rice, wheat, potato and soybeans." Dujarric says the UN has "expressed and will continue to express our concern about the deteriorating food security situation" in North Korea. He says the UN "at various levels" is consulting with the North Korean government "to further understand the impact of food security on the most vulnerable people, in order to take early action to address the humanitarian needs.
Ford investigating possible problems with fuel economy, emissions tests
DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said on Thursday it had hired outside experts to investigate its vehicle fuel economy and testing procedures after employees raised concerns, and did not know whether it would have to correct data given to regulators or consumers.
Famers call off stir after assurance by Maharashtra govt
Farmers under the banner of All India Kisan Sabha have called off their agitation after the Maharashtra government assured them that their demands would be fulfilled.In a meeting held between the farmer leaders and Water Resource Minister Girish Mahajan, the state government has sought two to three months of time to fulfill their demands.The farmers were demanding complete waiver of farm loans and implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations among others.On Wednesday, the farmers had started their march from Nashik towards the state Legislative Assembly in Mumbai.The demand of farmers also included withdrawing of cases registered against farmers during farmers' protests, providing land to tribals for farming as per tribal act, and provision of Arabian Sea to them for agriculture.Last year in March, the All India Kisan Sabha had organised a long protest march, led by over 30,000 farmers, from Nashik to Mumbai.
DowDuPont wins final OK for global launch of new GMO soybeans
CHICAGO (Reuters) - DowDuPont Inc has won the final international regulatory approval needed, from the Philippines, for a global launch of a new line of genetically engineered soybeans, the company said on Thursday.
Time will come when people's sentiments will have fulfilment: Rajnath
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said "time will come" when people's sentiments, their desires and expectations will have fulfilment.
10 lakh farmers in Jharkhand will benefit from PM-Kisan scheme: CM Raghubar Das
Ten lakh farmers in Jharkhand will benefit from the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana, which will be launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24 from Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Raghubar Das said here Thursday. "The prime minister will send money directly to the accounts of 1.25 crore farmers all over the country by pressing a button. About 10 lakh farmers of Jharkhand will benefit from the scheme," an official statement said quoting Das. The chief minister said a programme will be organised on February 24 in Ormanjhi town on the outskirts of Ranchi on this occasion, adding that similar programmes will also be organised in all district headquarters and in 264 blocks. Interacting with all district deputy commissioners through video conferencing from the state secretariat here, Das said a certificate of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Yojana will be given to the farmers on the occasion. PM-Kisan, announced by the central government in the interim budget this year, promises to
Rajnath says civic bodies play lead role in waste disposal
Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday said waste disposal should be done properly and municipal corporations will have to play a lead role for it. Inaugurating the "Waste to Wonder" Park under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) here, he said the park has set an example for others as, for the first time, scrap has been used to create 'wealth from waste'. The main attractions of the "Seven Wonders Park" are replicas of the Taj Mahal (20 ft), the Great Pyramid of Giza (18 ft), the Eiffel Tower (60 ft), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (25ft), Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue (25 ft), Rome's Colosseum (15 ft), and New York's Statute of Liberty (30 ft). The seven replicas have been made with the scrap of automobile parts and other metal waste like fans, rods, iron sheets, nut-bolts, bicycle and bike parts, defunct sewer lines and age old appliances gathering dust in the 24 municipal stores. In all 150 ton scrap/waste has been used. The home minister said efforts should be ...
Delhi gets its own 'Wonders of the World' Park
A 60-ft Eiffel Tower and a 20-ft Taj Mahal are among the replicas of the seven wonders of the world built at a theme park here using 150 tonnes of industrial and other waste. Home Minister Rajnath Singh Thursday inaugurated the 'Waste to Wonder Park' which is spread across an area of seven acres in the Sarai Kale Khan area. The replicas are -- Taj Mahal (20 ft), the Great Pyramid of Giza (18 ft), Eiffel Tower (60 ft), Leaning Tower of Pisa (25 ft), Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer (25 ft), Rome's Colosseum (15 ft) and New York's Statute of Liberty (30 ft), SDMC officials said. The park has been built by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) as part of its initiative to process waste under meaningful projects and add aesthetic value to the city. "The seven replicas have been made with the scrap of automobile parts and other metal waste like fans, rods, iron sheets, nut-bolts, bicycle and bike parts, defunct sewer lines and age-old appliances gathering dust in 24 municipal ...
'Flying bulldog': world's largest bee refound
The world's largest bee -- a giant insect roughly the size of a human thumb -- has been rediscovered in a remote part of Indonesia in its first sighting in nearly 40 years, researchers said Thursday. Despite its conspicuous size, no one had observed Wallace's giant bee -- discovered in the 19th century by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and nicknamed the "flying bulldog" -- in the wild since 1981, the Global Wildlife Conservation said. "To actually see how beautiful and big the species is in life, to hear the sound of its giant wings... was just incredible," said Clay Bolt, a specialist bee photographer who snapped the enormous insect. "My dream is now to elevate this bee to a symbol of conservation in this part of Indonesia, a point of pride for the locals there." The bee (full name Megachile pluto), which lives in the Indonesian island region of North Moluccas, makes its nest in termite mounds, using its large fang-like mandibles to collect sticky resin to protect its home .
