GS-III

The “hero” dog wounded in the U.S. commando raid that culminated in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is getting a White House homecoming next week, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Mr. Trump revealed that the military dog, a Belgian Malinois, is named “Conan” — …

A rise in average temperatures across India would increase death rates by 10%, translating into an extra million and a half deaths by the end of the century, says a report by researchers based at The Climate Impact Lab, a collaboration of researchers from multiple U.S. universities and organisations. This …

An experimental vaccine proved 50% effective at preventing latent tuberculosis infection from turning into active disease in a three-year study of adults in Africa. Doctors were encouraged because protection declined only a little after two years, and even a partially effective vaccine would be a big help against TB. The …

A young Afghan mother of seven sits on a red woollen rug alongside four other women who are slicing huge slabs of handmade, flowery soap into smaller bars. She is one of about 20 female employees — many of them recovering drug addicts — working part time on an organic …

A village in central Assam’s Kamrup district on Thursday observed a unique ceremony for a bird which, in the folklore of some countries, is fabled to bring home babies. The villagers organised a baby shower for the greater adjutant storks nesting in their neighbourhood. Panchamrit is an Assamese ceremony entailing …

As much as 97% of GST refunds due to MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) as of August 23 has been paid by the government, according to the Finance Ministry. In a status report on the implementation of measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in August and September, the …

Positive momentum continued in the equity markets, with benchmark indices closing with gains for the fifth consecutive day. The BSE Sensex also touched its all-time high of 40,392.22 points before correcting to close at 40,129.05 , up 77 points or 0.19%, on Thursday. The top gainers in the Sensex pack …

Two new departments, with specialised cadre on supervision and regulation within the Reserve Bank of India, will start functioning from November 1, indicating the changes in the central bank’s approach to these two crucial issues of the financial system that has dominated public discourse in recent times. These departments have …

A thick blanket of smog covered the Capital on Thursday with the air quality remaining in the ‘severe’ category for the second consecutive day. The level of PM2.5, which is a chief pollutant, was almost five times (286.7 ug/m3) the safe limit (60ug/m3) in Delhi and NCR at 8 p.m. …

The State government has brought out a new textile and garment policy 2019-24, with the aim to attract investment of Rs. 10,000 crore and generate five lakh jobs. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/new-textile-policy-targets-rs-10000-cr-investment/article29848653.ece

Output of eight core infrastructure industries contracted by 5.2% in September, indicating the severity of the economic slowdown. As many as seven of eight core industries saw a contraction in output in Septe-mber. Coal production fell steeply by 20.5%, crude oil by 5.4%, and natural gas by 4.9%. Output of …

Conservationists fear hundreds of koalas have perished in wildfires that have razed prime habitat on Australia’s east coast. Volunteers are hoping to begin their search of the fire zone for survivors among wildlife on Thursday. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/conservationists-fear-hundreds-of-koalas-died-in-wildfires/article29837496.ece

Waddling up the beach in single file, their heads held high with an almost self-important demeanour, king penguins are a major draw in the Falkland Islands’ tourism industry. Their fluffy brown chicks are nearly fearless of humans, meaning tourists at Volunteer Point, a peninsula on East Falkland Island, might get …

Cheaper imports from Vietnam via Sri Lanka, duty-free, blamed for distress A drastic fall in the price of black pepper and low production owing to climate vagaries are the major concerns of farmers in Kerala and Karnataka, the two major pepper producing States in the country. Black pepper prices have …

Telecom major seeks formulation of a ‘constructive mechanism in the best interest of all parties ‘ Bharti Airtel on Wednesday expressed hope that the government would take a ‘balanced approach’ on the issue of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to ensure long-term viability of the industry. The statement comes a day …

President Sebastián Piñera of Chile said on Wednesday that his country, which has been rocked by a wave of recent protests, was not in a position to host a key UN climate change meeting and major Asia-Pacific trade summit later this year. The announcements underscored how destabilising the recent wave …

Beached dredging vessel Bhagvati Prem is definitely a hazard to environment, ecology and marine life if it continues to remain on the shore, said A. Senthil Vel, Dean, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru. Responding to queries from T he Hindu on the possible impacts of the ship remaining aground, Mr. Vel …

The U.K.’s Royal Mint plans to melt down and recycle the commemorative coins minted to mark Brexit on October 31, after the U.K.’s exit from the European Union (EU) was delayed by three months until January 31, 2020. The concept of a new 50-pence coin, featuring the U.K.’s scheduled departure …

India has emerged as the least active country among 18 countries including the U.S., the U.K., Japan and Singapore, according to a report by fitness solutions firm Fitbit. It said an Indian user walked an average of 6,533 steps daily. Indians were also the second-most sleep deprived after Japan, getting …

Change could not have happened without an exercise some biologists call “extreme conservation”, which has entailed monitoring every single ape in the rainforest Deep in the rainforest of Volcanoes National Park, a 23-year-old female gorilla named Kurudi feeds on a strand of wild celery. She bends the green stalks and, …