Discharge of drug-containing effluents can cause drug resistance By studying nine different pharmaceutical active compounds in Yamuna river, researchers have now pointed out that it can “possibly cause chronic toxicity” to aquatic life and to humans who use this water for drinking purposes. As our body does not use the …

The Andaman Islands are well-known for stunning beaches and now, the Sentinelese. Less-known are the colourful sea snakes – banded sea kraits – that also share these beaches. Now, a four-year study has helped shed more light on the mysterious terrestrial life of these amphibious snakes. Banded sea kraits hunt …

Astronomers have observed sunspots on the surface of the Sun for nearly 400 years. It is known that sunspots follow a cyclic pattern of growing in number and disappearing in approximately 11 years, known as the sunspot cycle or the Sun’s activity cycle. We are currently in the 24th sunspot …

Our veterinary institutions might want to think about the feasibility of this idea by choosing, training and deploying animals A few weeks ago, there was an interesting news item which said that dogs can identify a person infected with the malarial parasite, and that they use their superb sense of …

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said U.S. sanctions were “economic terrorism”, as he sought to foster a united front from visiting regional officials on Saturday. Addressing Parliament speakers from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Russia and Turkey, Mr. Rouhani said they had all suffered economic pressure from the U.S. “America’s unjust and illegal …

The month began on a sad note for Sri Lanka’s wildlife enthusiasts, when an 11-year-old tusker was shot dead in Udawalawe National Park, about 160 km southeast of Colombo. The results of the post-mortem examination pointed to a fatal bullet injury in the animal’s head. Caretakers in the park told …

It was mid-summer in 1916. The Indian philosopher-poet, Rabindranath Tagore, opened the window of the Shofukaku or Pavilion of Wind Swept Pines that he was lodging at, in the Sankeien gardens of the Japanese port city of Yokohama. A salty breeze wafted up the bluff that overlooked the ocean, holding …

About a week ago at the G20 meetings in Buenos Aires, over a dinner that featured sirloin steak, caramel-rolled pancakes and glasses of Malbec, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly talked trade, tariffs and fentanyl. The first two have grabbed headlines internationally, but the third has …

The authorities’ plan to turn Tübingen, a small city in southern Germany best known for its eponymous university, into an investment hub for artificial intelligence (AI) met with a hurdle last week when students and activists organised a demonstration. Some of the companies that are making investments in this initiative, …

The Northeast Frontier Railway Construction Organisation has put in place tall piers near Manipur’s Noney for the tallest railway bridge in the world. The bridge, across the valley of river Ijai, is part of the 111 km Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal project. Once completed, it will have a pier height of 141 m. …