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A new portal dedicated to leopards (Panthera pardus) was launched by a predator conservation working group, on International Leopard Day, 2023 to promote and celebrate leopards worldwide. The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the cat family, Felidae. Range: Sub-Saharan Africa Western and …

The Supreme Court agreed to take up Muslim women’s petitions challenging the validity of talaq-e-hasan under the Muslim personal law. What is Talaq-e-Hasan? In Islam, Talaq-e-Hasan is an extra-judicial form of divorce that can be practised by men. Under Muslim personal laws, this form of divorce is revocable. Talaq-e-Hasan is considered to be approved by …

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 …

A government panel that looked into allegations of sexual harassment by some of the nation’s top wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief found that there was no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated by law under the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act. As many as 16 of the …

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 …