Sydney, Aug 12 (IANS) Climate change-driven heat extremes have wiped out 25-38 per cent of tropical bird populations since 1950, according to a study involving Australian scientists. The study found that while shifts in average temperature and rainfall have some influence, the biggest climate threat to birds, particularly in tropical regions, comes from exposure to extreme heat, according to an analysis released Tuesday on the University of Queensland website.Australian and European researchers …

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) Trinamool Congress General Secretary and the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, Abhishek Banerjee, said on Tuesday that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) proposed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was acceptable only if the current Parliament is dissolved. “If I agree with you that SIR was necessary since there were manipulations in the voters’ list, then you will also have to accept that the last Lok Sabha elections were conducted with that manipulated v…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Tuesday reacted to the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, calling it a step backward from decades of humane, science-backed policy. Taking to social media platform X, LoP Gandhi said, “The SC’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.”He added, “These voiceless souls are not ‘problem…

Kolkata, Aug 12 (IANS) The Meteorological Department on Tuesday said that several districts in South Bengal are likely to receive more rain from Thursday onwards, with a low-pressure area expected to form over the north Bay of Bengal in the coming days.Some south Bengal districts have been witnessing light to moderate rains for the last few days, with the day’s highest temperature increasing above normal at many places.The combination of high temperatures and humidity has made conditions uncom…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) As the Opposition parties under the INDIA bloc continued their protest against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal launched a sharp attack, accusing them of “lying, running from accountability, and engaging in hit-and-run politics”.Responding to the INDIA bloc MPs protesting at Makar Dwar in Parliament on Tuesday over alleged voter exclusion and vote theft, Pal questioned the opposition’s refusal to attend a sched…

Chandigarh, Aug 12 (IANS) The Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the alarming condition of government schools in Hisar district. As per a media report of August 7, though buildings or major portions of 27 government schools have been declared “unsafe” by the Public Works Department (PWD), classes continue in them. Students are reportedly being taught in open verandahs, sealed rooms, laboratories and staff halls, often sitting on the floor.The ongoing mons…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) India has expanded the list of imports from Bangladesh that are banned from entry through any land port on the border by including more jute products amid deteriorating relations with the neighbouring country. These additional goods, which have been banned with immediate effect, include bleached and unbleached woven fabrics made of jute or other textile bast fibres; twine, cordage, and rope made of jute; twine, cordage, rope, and cables; as well as sacks and bags made of…

New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday announced a three-member panel to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma, who has been at the centre of controversy since burnt cash was found on March 14 in an outhouse of his official residence allotted to him while he was serving in the Delhi High Court. The three-member panel includes Justice Aravind Kumar of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Maninder Mohan of the Madras High Court, and senior advocate B.V. Acharya.“Th…

New York, Aug 12 (IANS) At a high-level UN Security Council debate on maritime security held in New York, India strongly reaffirmed its commitment to a free, open and rules-based maritime order, grounded in international law and guided by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The debate, chaired by the Permanent Mission of Panama, brought together global stakeholders to address pressing challenges in maritime governance and security.Addressing the sessio…

Hyderabad, Aug 12 (IANS) AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday condemned Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir’s threats against India and demanded that the Modi government raise the issue with the US.The Hyderabad MP took to the social media platform ‘X’ to react strongly to the Pakistan Army Chief’s threats.“Pakistan Army Chiefs threats & language against India are condemnable. That he did this from the US soil makes it worse. It deserves a Political response from th…