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The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its latest update revealed that among the 1,47,517 listed animal species, 41,459 are threatened with extinction including the King Cobra. The reptile is a threatened species in India and was added to the Red List over a decade ago, in 2011. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) has …

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Key details: The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Arabian Gulf to the open ocean. It is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. …

An investigation revealed that more than half — 16 — of India’s 30 national sports federations do not have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), a legal requirement under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. As many as 16 of the 30 national sports federations of disciplines in which India has …

In the past decade, debt-for-climate swaps have grown relatively popular among low- and middle-income countries. Debt-for-climate swaps allow countries to reduce their debt obligations in exchange for a commitment to finance domestic climate projects with the freed-up financial resources. It was introduced as a debt restructuring device that aims to combat climate change by ensuring that debt-ridden countries do …

An India Habitat Trust team is conducting a survey of the critically-endangered grassland species Bengal Florican at Dudhwa National Park. The Bengal florican: It has not been spotted for last few years now indicating a fall in numbers or extinction. The Bengal florican  also called the Bengal bustard, is a bustard species. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, …

India slips in press freedom index, ranks 161 out of 180 nations In 2022, India was ranked at 150. Comparison with neighbours: In comparison, Pakistan has fared better when it comes to media freedom as it was placed at 150. Sri Lanka also made significant improvement on the index, ranking 135th this year as against 146th in 2022. Norway, Ireland and Denmark occupied the top …

Brazilian government has promised to speed up the expulsion of illegal miners in the country’s largest indigenous territory, Yanomami. Yanomami region stretches across Roraima and Amazonas states in the northwest corner of Brazil’s Amazon. It has been a subject of interest for illegal gold miners for decades. 20 per cent of the Yanomami community died due to violence, the spread of diseases and damage to the …

A host of Cadbury chocolates have been recalled in the United Kingdom over fears of potential contamination by Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes infection with flu-like symptoms. Listeriosis is a serious infection usually caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. The bacteria exists in the environment. It is found in water, soil and some animals’ intestines. While these …

The recent strike by Zomato-owned Blinkit delivery agents has once again brought to the forefront issues plaguing the gig economy in the country. Who is a ‘gig worker’? Gig workers refer to workers outside of the traditional employer-employee relationship. When gig workers use online algorithmic matching platforms or apps to connect with customers, they are called platform …

India’s first undersea twin tunnels in south Mumbai are close to completion. The tunnels start near Girgaon, extend north under the Arabian Sea, Girgaon Chowpatty and Malabar Hill, and end at Breach Candy’s Priyadarshini Park. It is 2.07-km long which are are a part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP) being built by the Brihanmumbai …