$100-million worth elephant tusks go up in flames in Kenya

President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya set on fire a huge pyre of elephant tusks worth $100-million to show to the world that his country is serious about ending the illegal trade in ivory which is threatening to push wild elephants to extinction.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 1 May 2016.

Heavily armed poachers, using military tactics, have wiped out tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of elephants across Africa. They are killed for their tusks which, then, enter an underground pipeline to Asia, especially China, where there is a huge demand for ivory. It is used to make eyeglass frames, combs, statuettes and other trinkets.
In the opinion of wildlife experts, the street price of a kilogram of ivory is around $1,000. And, Kenya set fire to 105 metric tons of ivory. It was a stockpile of confiscated and recovered tusks and was the most amount of ivory ever destroyed at one time - it represented 6,000 to 7,000 dead elephants.


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For people of Somalia it is either death from drought or from hyenas

The people in the East African state of Somalia are in the grip of the worst drought in living memory - a result of successive poor rainy seasons made worse by El Nino conditions in the Horn of Africa. Because of such conditions, there are cases coming to light of women collapsing from hunger and being set upon by starving hyenas. The women are malnourished, and do not have the power to fight back or resist and are then set on by the animals.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 29 April 2016.

The severe weather conditions have already finished off thousands of goats and cows and the risk of wide-spread famine looms large. Even camels - which are more drought-resistant - are dying. Moreover, malnourished mothers are unable to breastfeed their babies, and farmers are feeding cardboard boxes to their animals since there is no grass left for grazing. Families who used to have 500 or more animals three months ago, and now are left with 20 or fewer.
The United Nations has launched a £72m appeal and has informed that 1.7 million people need aid in Somaliland and neighboring Puntland - both are self-declared states in northern Somalia. Drought has already killed more than 250,000 people in southern Somalia in 2011.


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Soon post offices in Jamshedpur to sell Ganga jal, toothpaste etcetera

Once upon a time, the post offices used to be a busy place selling post cards, stamps and sending telegrams or money orders. But, with the advent of an electronic lifestyle and the entry of the internet, those days of dependence on manual service has gone. Today, it is the age of e-mails and SMSs. Hence, the initiative taken by Jamshedpur, the Indian Posts is turning over a new leaf. It will be selling Ganga jal and products like toothpaste.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 30 April 2016.

The latest news is that Bistupur head post office in Jamshedpur, under the Singhbhum Circle of India Post, would begin to retail Gangajal from Haridwar in bottles of different quantities. The holy water would be in bottles of 100ml, 350ml and 450ml and would be priced at Rs 12, Rs 18 and Rs 22, respectively. Moreover, a few Patanjali products like chyawanprash, toothpaste, rosewater, dalia and amla candy would be on the shelves. The post office has already started selling eco-friendly solar lamps and, from May, it will offer more services like accepting energy bills and selling judicial and non-judicial stamp papers.


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Entry of tourists banned in Bhitarkanika National Park for 3 months from 1 May

A 3-month ban from 1 May has been imposed on tourists to the Bhitarkanika National Park. This ban to the wetland sites is because this period is the breeding season of salt-water crocodiles. Human interference disturbs the reptiles and they often turn violent and attack intruders during this period. The ban period will continue till July 31 and, tourists would not be allowed access to crocodile-infested areas of Bhitarkanika, Dangamala and Ragadapati forest blocks.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 30 April 2016.

The sound of mechanized boats ferrying tourists and forest officials disturbs the crocodiles. The females lay eggs near the waterbodies in the mangrove forests and guard them till the hatchlings emerge. However, locals illegally enter the forest areas to collect honey and wood. The park has vast expanse of mangrove cover and wetland spots and is considered to be an ideal eco-tourism destination for camping, trekking and picnics. The major attractions are its saltwater crocodiles and migrant avian species and the tourists enjoy boat rides to the mangrove-covered waterbodies. Incidentally, as per a census carried out in January 2016, there are 1,671 salt-water crocodiles in the Bhitarkanika river system. And, nine years ago, the world' s largest crocodile (23feet) was found here and it made its way into the Guinness Book of World Records.


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Daytime cooking banned in parts of India to prevent accidental fires

Daytime cooking is banned in Bihar and some other parts of India to prevent accidental fires because, sizzling temperatures have already claimed over 300 lives this month in India. The ban on daytime cooking in some parts of the drought-stricken country is an attempt to prevent accidental fires that have killed nearly 80 more people.
This has been reported in nzherald.co.nz dated 30 April 2016.

The step to ban daytime cooking between 9am and 6 pm has been taken by the eastern state of Bihar this week after accidental fires combined with dry, hot and windy weather swept through shantytowns and thatched-roof houses in villages and killed 79 people. The dead included 10 children and five adults who lost their lives in a fire that happened during a Hindu prayer ceremony.
The people have, instead, been told to cook at night. Officials have also banned burning of spent crops or holding religious fire rituals. Anyone who defies the ban would risk a jail sentence of up to a year.
India is faced with drought conditions that have decimated crops, killed livestock and nearly 330 million do not have enough water for their daily needs. Rivers, lakes and dams have dried up in parts of the western states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and the groundwater reservoirs are at just 22 per cent capacity. In some areas, the Government had to send tankers of water for emergency relief.


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IPL9 - Mumbai beat Kolkata - Pollard hits an unbeaten 50 in just 17 balls

It was yet another exciting T20 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai when the home team beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 6 wickets with 2 overs to spare. Keiron Pollard hit the third fastest IPL fifty, off just 17 balls, while Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma carried his bat through the innings. Thus, Mumbai Indians successfully chased down the 175-run target set by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 24th match of IPL9.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 April 2016.

Mumbai won the toss and sent in KKR to bat first. Its captain Gautam Gambhir scored third fifty of the season and put on 69 runs for the opening wicket with Robin Uthappa to help KKR post a competitive 174/5.
However, it was not enough when there are hard hitters like Keiron Pollard in the MI team. He hit six huge sixes and two fours to score an unbeaten 51 off just 17 balls. Rohit Sharma playe through the innings to remain not out on 68 off 49 balls, which included two sixes and eight fours.
The two of them added 72 runs for the fifth wicket in just five overs as they finished off with six wickets and two overs to spare.
Rohit Sharma was adjudged the Man of the Match.


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SpaceX to land a robot Dragon on Mars in 2018

Mission Mars is set to happen earlier than expected because SpaceX has readied plans to send an unmanned Dragon spacecraft to Mars as early as 2018 and, it would be a first step in achieving founder Elon Musk's goal to fly people to another planet. If successful, SpaceX will beat all other world space agencies in landing a new robot on Mars.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 28 April 2016.

NASA aims to send human mission to Mars in the 2030s and it will provide technical support for SpaceX's first foray, known as Red Dragon. However, it will not extend any financial assistance to SpaceX's Mars mission. However, SpaceX is upgrading the capsules to carry astronauts, with test flights to the station scheduled for 2017, under a separate NASA contract worth up to $2.6 billion.
NASA has indicated that SpaceX could provide valuable entry, descent and landing data for NASAs journey to Mars. The SpaceX program is intended to develop technologies needed for human transportation to Mars, a long-term aim for Musk's privately held company. It will make available details of its Mars program at the International Astronautical Congress in September.
The Dragon 2 is designed to land anywhere in the solar system and the Red Dragon Mars mission is the first test flight. SpaceX, at present, transports cargo versions of its Dragon capsule to and from the International Space Station under a $2 billion resupply services contract with NASA.


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Drought forces cancellation of annual mango festival in Telangana for 2nd successive year

Drought forces cancellation of annual mango festival in Telangana for 2nd successive year The current drought, believed to be one of the worst in recent times in Telangana has seriously affected the production of mango by at least 30% and it has forced the cancellation of annual mango festival for 2nd successive year.
It has also compelled many farmers to stay away from cultivating the water-intensive crop. In their, the situation is not likely to improve. The glut can be understood from the fact that while 70 lorries of mangoes used to enter Hyderabad daily, the preset receipts are nearly half. Moreover, the stocks that are arriving are not fully ripe.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 28 April 2016.

The horticulture department's annual mango festival showcases popular varieties like the Daseri, Himayat, Imam Pasand, Pedda Rasalu and Chinna Rasalu. The state usually produces about 25 lakh metric tons of mangoes during this season starting from March to May. But, the shortage has pushed the prices up - the fruit is being sold for prices as high as Rs 100 per kg and this could go up further.
The fruit is cultivated in 12 lakh hectares in the state, but this year the acreage extent has been badly hit. It is feared that the people of Hyderabad may miss out on their favorites like Totapari and Benishan (Banginapalli), because these are water intensive varieties and farmers are not willing to cultivate these due to water shortage.


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Prime Minister Modi to flag off a fleet of 11 e-boats in Varanasi to make the city pollution free

Prime Minister Modi to flag off a fleet of 11 e-boats in Varanasi to make the city pollution free Varanasi is the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and, in order to make the holy city free of pollution and also free from congestion, he will be dropping in on the city to distribute e-boats to the boatmen – it will be a first for the country.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 28 April 2016.

The move is being seen as PM Modi's first direct outreach to the famed boatmen of the holy city. He will flag off a fleet of 11 e-boats on May 1. Before the flagging off, he will have an interaction at one of the Ganga ghats with boatmen from the nishad community.
Ultimately, all the traditional row boats in Varanasi will be replaced by 3,000 medium-sized battery-operated boats within the span of a year. The batteries would be solar powered and the boatmen can steer the boats with ease. At the end of the day, boats will be 100% green with diesel engines gone. Moreover, the e-boats will be noiseless.


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Obesity among Chinese kids is due to junk foods - findings of a 29-year-old survey

Obesity among Chinese kids is due to junk foods - these are the findings of a 29-year-old survey conducted on kids in China's eastern Shandong province. It has been revealed that 17 percent of boys younger than 19 were obese in 2014, and that of girls was nine percent - these are up from under one percent for both genders in 1985. Obviously, the researchers have raised the red flag hinting at an obesity explosion among children in rural China. This is attributed to a Western-style diet that is high in both sugar and carbohydrates.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 27 April 2016.

The data is based on six government surveys of some 28,000 rural school children (aged 7-18) in Shandong. It is seen that the percentage of overweight boys had grown from 0.7 percent to 16.4 percent, and girls from 1.5 percent to nearly 14 percent. The study had used different measures of Body Mass Index (BMI) for overweight and obesity as compared to the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard.
The experts of Shandong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention have indicated that China has experienced rapid socioeconomic and nutritional changes in the past 30 years. In China, people have got into the habit of eating more and are, also, less physically active than they were in the past. Moreover, the traditional Chinese diet has changed to embrace one that is high in fat and calories and low in fiber. A caution has been sounded that the popularity of the Western lifestyle will cost lives because of an escalation of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
In the opinion of WHO - being overweight brings about a major risk factor for heart disease apart from stroke, diabetes, and some cancers.


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IPL9 – Pune finally scripts a win against Hyderabad, thanks to Ashok Dinda

Rising Pune Supergiants has finally managed to script a win in the IPL9 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Hyderabad – thanks to a beautiful display of bowling by Ashok Dinda who was rightly adjudged Man of the Match.
This has been reported in indianexpress.com dated 27 April 2016.

Sudden showers had delayed the start and M S Dhoni won the toss for RPS and decided to bowl first. Whether it was the failure pf the SRH batsmen or the superb bowling of RPS, the fact was that SRH were bowled out for just 118 runs. It was a very poor score and, even though Ajinkya Rahane failed to deliver this time, the other two Steve Smith and Faf DuPlessis played a determined knock and put together 75 runs before DuPlessis fell. It was the turn of M S Dhoni to show some fireworks – but, he fell cheaply. And – the rains played spoilsport to bring the match to an early close.
Finally, RPS won by 34 runs by D/L method. It was a big relief for RPS who have match winning players in their side but are unable to deliver the goods when needed. If RPS is able to maintain the winning momentum, they could enter the top four instead of languishing at the bottom of the points table. Let us hope the tide has turned.


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Solar Impulse 2 creates history - crosses the Pacific Ocean after 62-hours non-stop flight

Solar Impulse 2, the solar-powered aircraft piloted by Pilot Betrand Piccard has completed a crossing of the Pacific Ocean after a 62-hour non-stop flight and has landed in Mountain View outside San Francisco - it had traveled from Hawaii on the latest stage of its journey around the world.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 24 April 2016.

Solar Impulse 2 had started its journey from Abu Dhabi in March last year and had made stops in Oman, Myanmar, China and Japan. However, the Pacific leg was the most dangerous part of the journey since there was lack of places to make a landing in an emergency.
Anyway, before landing, the solar powered aircraft carried out a fly-by over the Golden Gate Bridge and the pilot Betrand Piccard proudly announced - 'I crossed the bridge. I am officially in America.'
The normal speed of the plane is around 28mph (45kph) but it can reach double that speed when the sun's rays are strongest. Moreover, the wings of the carbon-fibre aircraft stretches wider than those of a Boeing 747 and are covered with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. At night, it runs on stored energy.
The Solar Impulse 2 had arrived in Hawaii in July but had to stay put there because the plane's battery system had sustained heat damage on its trip from Japan and had to undergo repairs.


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Restaurants asked to give tap water free to its customers to check obesity

Restaurants have a habit of offering tap water to customers only when requested for and offer sugary drinks which leads to obesity - therefore, restaurants are being urged to "take responsibility" and offer tap water freely to families so they can they need not consume sugary drink.
It seems the existing trend is to offer tap water on request even though there is a legal requirement that licensed premises must provide it. This has been revealed in a survey for the Local Government Association, which represents more than 370 councils. As per the poll, eight out of 10 people usually drink tap water at home, but, when dining out, only a third do so.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 23 April 2016.

Other findings are - 15% of those who usually drink tap water at home never think of asking for water in cafes or restaurants, while 13% said it made them feel awkward. Therefore, the LGA wants the Government to use its forthcoming childhood obesity strategy to encourage restaurateurs to offer parents and children the choice of tap water.
Childhood obesity can be tackled by offering tap water to families. A glass of tap water should not be something one has to ask for but, it should be by default because water brings with it important health benefits and keeps people hydrated.
Children will take it as an alternative to a sugary drink, and the adults might take the tap water instead of another alcoholic drink.


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Spanish Talgo - another high-speed train on the horizon from Delhi to Mumbai

India badly wants high-speed trains and, while Japan has bagged a contract for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and China appears to have lost out, a new entrant has descended in the field. It is the Spanish train maker Talgo which is well-known for its high speed and light trains. It promises to cover the 1200-kilometers Delhi-Mumbai journey in just 12 hours as compared to over 17 hours at present.
It has already despatched nine state-of-the-art train coaches and these have arrived in Mumbai and will undergo crucial test run by the Railways next month. They had been sent in a cargo ship from Barcelona on March 27 and will now be put on trial on the existing tracks for validation test.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 23 April 2016.

Talgo has offered to test run its lighter and faster trains free of cost on the existing Indian Railways network. The plans drawn up is in 3 stages - the first Talgo train trial will be conducted between Bareilly and Moradabad rail route at a maximum speed of 115 kmph for oscillation test. Then will come a second trial between Palwal and Mathura route at a maximum speed of 180 kmph. Finally, the 3rd trial - it will be carried out between Delhi and Mumbai at a maximum speed of 200 kmph.
It seems Talgo trains can run at speeds varying between 160-200 kmph on the existing infrastructure without any upgrade. And, in addition, its lighter trains consume 30 per cent less energy which will help railways reduce the power bill as well.


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China eyes Mars Mission by 2020

China has drawn up plans to send a rover to Mars around 2020 to explore the Red Planet and, also, launch 150 long range carrier rockets in the next five years as a part of its ambitious space missions. Director of the National Space Administration has indicated that the Mars probe will orbit the red planet, land and deploy a rover all in one mission - it is expected to be a mission difficult to achieve.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 22 April 2016.

India has already earned accolades for becoming the first Asian country after it sent Mangalyan to the red planet and, thus,entered the august league nations like the US, European Union and Russia which have sent successful missions to Mars. China did make an attempt to launch its Mars probe Yinghuo-1 in 2011 along with Russian Fobos-Grunt from Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan but, unfortunately, it was declared lost.
Along with the Mars mission of 2020, China has plans to launch about 150 of its Long March carrier rockets over the next five years. It will be a part of its 13th five-year plan period (2016-2020). In that period, there will be about 30 launches (of the Long March series) every year. This has been announced by assistant president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
He indicated that there were 86 Long March missions in the five years from 2011 to 2015, and 48 from 2006 to 2010. Obviously, it can be said that China is fast catching up with other countries after being a relative latecomer in human space endeavours.
Incidentally, it has launched the SJ-10 retrievable scientific research satellite earlier this month - it was to mark the 226th mission of the Long March rocket family. Incidentally, the pace of launches is accelerating because, while the first 100 Long March missions took 37 years, the next 100 came within just seven years.
Moreover, China's second orbiting space lab, Tiangong-2, will be launched in fall this year and it is scheduled to dock with manned spacecraft Shenzhou-11 in the fourth quarter.


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IPL9 - Dhoni has lost his magic touch - Pune loses to Bangalore by 13 runs

It is gradually becoming clear that M S Dhoni, the captain of Rising Pune Supergiants is losing his magic touch because it was yet another loss - this time to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 13 runs at Pune. RPS won the toss and asked RCB to bat first. The openers AB de Villiers (83) and Virat Kohli (80) posted a sizeable total of 185 for three. In reply, Ajinkya Rahane (60), MS Dhoni (41) and Thisara Perera (34) did put up fighting knocks, but ended up on the losing side - they fell short by 13 runs.
This has been reported in cricbuzz.com dated 22 April 2016.

RPS had lost the previous two matches batting first after winning the toss and their inability to put up a defend able score. This time they again won the toss and opted to field first - the result was no different. The reason - dropping a vital catch by Ravichandran Ashwin, the trusted fielder in the slips, in the first over of Ishant Sharma - Ishant had a miserable day conceding 47 runs in just 4 overs without a wicket. RCB managed to put up a huge formidable score that required more than 9 runs from the word go.
To make matters worse, RPS opener Faf DuPlessis gifted away his wicket, Kevin Pieterson twisted his ankle after facing the first ball and Steven Smith got run out trying to steal a single.
In the end, it was another loss for RPS - they are now placed at 7th position in the table of 8 teams in the IPL9 points table. Obviously, RPS has to rework its strategies and go in for a change in team composition. A B deVilliers was declared the Man of the Match.



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Earth Day (22nd April) is to remind you that the World is dying, we must save it

The 22nd of April has been identified as Earth Day to remind the inhabitants of planet Earth that the world must be saved. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970 - it was the beginning of the modern environmental movement and was meant to create awareness about our environment among the masses. The common practice is to plant trees in a bid to help preserve and save the planet.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 22 April 2016.

Apart from planting trees, there are many other activities to make for a better environment. Planting a tree is the most popular method that you care because, while trees are being cut down, there is a need to replace the lost ones. It is a tall task because no one can bring back a tree that is 100-years old. Still, trees clean the air, soil and water, and make the earth a better place to live in.
Do not use the car but, walk to work, or cycle or take the public transport.
Pick up litter/some earth-bags at your surroundings. There are more than 1.9 billion tons of litter that end up in the ocean every year and is a threat to marine life.
Replace old light bulbs with energy saving fluorescent bulbs. This will help you save on your energy bill and will last longer as well.
Try to store rainwater and use it to water your lawn.
Try shortening your shower by just a minute - you could save 150 gallons/month (not a joke)!
Unplug appliances, including light bulbs, when not in use. The reason is that, even when turned off, they still consume a large amount of energy. It is not just a costly affair for you but adds to consumption of precious resources.
Skip the bottled water as plastics water bottles are an environmental epidemic.
Go in for paperless activities like netbanking – try to register for e-bill to receive your credit card bills, phone bills via mail.
And - remember to turn off your computer when you go to sleep.


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Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

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IPL9 - Sunrisers Hyderabad on a roll - beat Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets

Sunrisers Hyderabad are on a roll - they beat Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets and moved up the ladder of IPL points table - with this second successive win, they are now at the fourth position. This was possible by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4/29) and Mustafizur Rahman (1/19) who bowled exceptionally well to restrict Gujarat Lions to just 135/8 Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
In reply, the SRH openers Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner shared an unbeaten 137 run stand to help their side notch up their second win on the trot.
This has been reported in cricbuzz.com dated 21 April 2016.

David Warner scored his 26th IPL fifty off 29 balls and his second successive too. He led from the front and played an unbeaten knock of 74 off 48 balls - it included nine fours. Shikhar Dhawan, his partner, scored a disciplined 40-ball half-century to guide his team. He hit five boundaries in his 41-ball 53 knock.
Earlier, sent in to bat first, skipper Suresh Raina hit a spirited knock of 75 off 51 balls that included nine boundaries and surprisingly not a single hit over the park. He along with Brendon McCullum added crucial 56 runs for the second wicket to build up the Lions innings before McCullum was dismissed by Bipul Sharma for 18 that came in 17 balls with the help of one four and a lone six. They raced to 50/1 after six overs of Powerplay.
But, their batsmen failed to counter the quality bowling attack of the Sunrisers - this is evident from the fact that they could score only 11 fours and one six in their innings and, only three batsmen managed to cross double-figure mark.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up three prize wickets in the form of Raina, Akshdeep Nath and Dale Steyn while Mustafizur bowled a superb 19th over, conceding only four runs.


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Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


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Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

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Kolkata Metro stations to have kiosks for fast foods like momos and pizzas

Kolkata Metro stations will soon acquire a new look with the introduction of food stores that will be serving momos and pizzas. Names that have cropped are Wow Momo and Domino's Pizza - they will be among the 19 food stores at 16 stations. A soft drink company is also expected to open an outlet.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 21 April 2016.

Wow Momos have already opened its first kiosk at Kavi Nazrul station about a week ago and another 13 more are on the anvil across nine stations that include Tollygunge, Rabindra Sarovar, Kalighat, Esplanade and Shyambazar. The chain will offer a limited menu across their steamed, fried and pan-fried platters.
Domino's Pizza plans to open three kiosks in the Metro stations, each spread across 50-110sq ft. Two of these will come up in three months time. It will have a set menu offering two vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties. The pizzas will be brought in from the nearest outlet of the company.
Metro stations do not have any food kiosks, and it would be convenient for the commuters to have food on the go but, passengers will not be allowed to take food to the platforms - that is to to prevent littering.


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Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

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Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

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National Zoological Park in Delhi installs watercoolers and mini water pools for its inmates

Animals have to, like their human counterparts, beat the summer heat of Delhi and, therefore, the Delhi Zoo has installed giant coolers and mini water pools apart from adding electrolytes in drinking water and providing loads of cooling fruit like cucumber and water melons to its inmates. The objective is to ensure that the scorching summer heat does not hit its animals.
This has been reported in news18.com dated 21 April 2016.

As an authority of the National Zoological Park has indicated - in view of the intense heat this year special arrangements have been made for over 60 species of birds and beasts it houses. Generally the preparations for summer begin on April 23 every year, but this year, due to the excess, the process has been started three weeks in advance.
The arrangements include mini water pools for animals apart from giant coolers that will work round the clock in the enclosures. There will also be adequate provision of water to avid dehydration of the animals.
The zoo sees footfalls of around 5,000-7,000 on weekdays and between 10,000-12,000 during weekends.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

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Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage

Birds in India are gradually going extinct due to loss of habitat

India is home to at least 1,168 bird species and has been ranked the ninth in the global list of bird wealth. Kerala, one of its southern states, boasts of some 500 species and, 24 of them come under the various threatened categories. This has been revealed in a book "Feathers of Vellayani" - it is a publication of the Kerala State Biodiversity Board and it says that the largest threat to Indian avian diversity was habitat destruction.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 21 April 2016.

The blame for depleting bird resources is attributed to the loss of forests, plains and other natural systems to agriculture, mines, urban development, draining of swamps and other wetlands - all these are factors that reduce potential habitat for many species.
Moreover, unfair alteration in habitat due to introduction and invasion of exotic species is another major threat to birds while path-barriers claim millions of migratory birds every year.
Notwithstanding these, there are poaching, predation, weather and other natural and anthropogenic barriers that prove detrimental for birds. In short, the bird population is threatened as never before.
Vellayani Kayal is a lake that is a vast picturesque rain-fed lake surrounded by lush greenery and situated to the southeast of the Kerala capital. It has birds like Lesser Whistling Duck, Blue Rock Pigeon, Asian Koel, Indian Cuckoo, White Breasted Waterhen, Great Cormorant, Painted Stork, Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Pacific Golden Plover, Common Sandpiper, Greater Spotted Eagle, Brahminy Kite, Barn Owl, Small Bee-eater, Lesser Pied Kingfisher, Amur Falcon and Rose-ringed Parakeet.
The uniqueness of the lake is its topography which is always water logged and the vast expanse of wetlands bordering the lake has marsh, ponds, swamps and fields. In the opinion of experts, there are more than 125 species of birds, including migratory ones, that frequent the Vellayani lake and adjoining wetlands.


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Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

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World Heritage Site Hampi loses out on tourists due to severe heat

World Heritage Site Hampi is losing out on tourist inflow due to the severe heat that has reached reaches 40 degree celsius in many places. Its Utsav had been cancelled in the wake of the drought and series of elections this year and these have affected the arrival of tourists for the past three months. With rising temperatures, many foreign and Indian tourists are shying away from visiting Hampi.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 21 April 2016.

It is understood that the number of visitors drastically decreased on weekdays after Sankranti and, some techies from Bengaluru, Pune and other cities arrive on weekends. They visit temples in the morning and then stay in their rooms due to the heat. As to Indians, they are visible on weekdays only at Virupaskhweshwar Temple - their purpose is to attend marriage ceremonies of relatives or friends.
Moreover, the hike in entry fee at Lotus Mahal, Virupakshweshwar and Vijay Vitthal Temples is another reason for the fall in numbers. The Archaeological Survey of India has hiked the entry fee from April 1. Foreign tourists have to now pay Rs 500 and Indians Rs 30. Foreign tourists, who once used to be seen in thousands in and around Hampi, are negligible now. It seems many of them changing their itineraries due to the weather. Like Goa - many tourists stay back in Goa and enjoy the cool sea breeze instead of coming to the scorching Hampi.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Didi wants to move around fast and wants a solution (satire)

Lord Shiva intrigued by the writing on the walls (satire)

Moody hates hotels and feels more at home in his aircraft (satire)


Taj Mumbai welcomes Prince William and Kate, the fourth generation of British monarchy

Huge 26ft python found in Penang - could become a new a Guinness Record holder

Lok Sabha ethics committee probing Narada sting feels the videos are genuine


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


James Cameron, writer director of Avatar, promises his fans four sequels

'Deadpool' sequel planned and in the pipeline with Ryan Reynolds

Indonesian pop star dies after being bitten by a cobra on stage