Nations adopt historic pledge to guard against pandemics in future
May 21, 2025, at 03:35 pm
After three years of negotiations sparked by the COVID-19 crisis, countries have adopted the world’s first-ever international agreement to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to future pandemics.
Southwest monsoon set to arrive in Kerala early; could be earliest onset since 2009
May 20, 2025, at 10:37 pm
New Delhi: The southwest monsoon is likely to make an early arrival in Kerala within the next four to five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday, potentially marking one of the earliest onsets over mainland India in over a decade.
New study reveals waist-to-height ratio predicts heart failure incidence
May 20, 2025, at 07:00 pm
Waist-to-height ratio predicts heart failure incidence, according to research presented today at Heart Failure 2025, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).
New study shows 1.5°C target too high for polar ice sheets and sea level rise
May 20, 2025, at 06:09 pm
Efforts to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C under the Paris Climate Agreement may not go far enough to save the world’s ice sheets, a new study revealed.
Setback for ISRO's PSLV-C61 launch, loses EOS-09 satellite minutes after liftoff
May 18, 2025, at 12:06 pm
Sriharikota/IBNS: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its 101st satellite, EOS-09, on Sunday aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61). However, the mission failed minutes later.
Antonio Guterres sounds alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt, urges immediate action
May 17, 2025, at 09:23 am
The United Nations Secretary-General warned on Friday that Himalayan glaciers are “caving in,” urging immediate action to address the climate crisis, especially in the world’s most fragile ecosystems.
Hypertension is a silent killer: Anjan Siotia
May 17, 2025, at 01:37 am
A prominent Kolkata-based Cardiologist has warned that high blood pressure is a 'silent killer' and if kept unchecked, it can increase the risk of suffering heart attack, brain stroke and even kidney disease.
Scientists warn climate change could bring bigger storms and waves to UK and Ireland
May 16, 2025, at 05:01 pm
A new report led by the UK's National Oceanography Centre (NOC) highlights that the UK and Ireland could face more very severe winter storms in the future.
Life expectancy worldwide fell by 1.8 years between 2019 to 2022: WHO
May 16, 2025, at 04:20 pm
In just two years, between 2019 and 2021, life expectancy worldwide fell by 1.8 years – the largest fall in recent history according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Two zones of Ranthambore tiger reserve closed after tigress kills forest ranger
May 14, 2025, at 03:09 pm
Jaipur/IBNS: Two forest zones of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan were closed after a tigress killed a forest ranger last Sunday, media reports said.
Scientists predict life on Earth will end due to oxygen scarcity in one billion years: Study
May 14, 2025, at 12:34 am
A supercomputer simulation study by researchers at Toho University, using NASA planetary modelling, had predicted that Earth's oxygen will disappear in approximately one billion years, making the existence of life impossible on the planet, said reports.
PM Modi reviews status, progress of TB elimination programme
May 13, 2025, at 10:37 pm
New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level review meeting on the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) at his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Vijaya Diagnostic Centre launches facility in Barasat near Kolkata with region’s first 3T MRI
May 13, 2025, at 01:30 am
Kolkata/IBNS: Vijaya Diagnostic Centre has opened an advanced diagnostic facility in Barasat near Kolkata, reinforcing its commitment to accessible, high-quality diagnostic services across India.
South Kashmir: The costs of coexisting with predatory wildlife
May 12, 2025, at 02:24 pm
A new study across three protected areas in southern Kashmir recorded 92 livestock losses in two years from predators like the Asiatic black bear and the leopard, resulting in major financial strain for households in the buffer zones. While many respondents in the study expressed a generally positive attitude toward wildlife, without timely compensation and improved livestock protection, there is a risk of retaliatory killing. Habitat restoration, better grazing management, and strong community involvement are key to lasting coexistence. Mongabay India correspondent Sneha Mahale reports
UN alerts copper shortage risks slowing global energy and technology shift
May 10, 2025, at 04:20 pm
A looming global copper shortage could stall the world’s transition to clean energy and digital technologies unless smarter trade and investment strategies are adopted, the UN’s trade and development body, UNCTAD, has warned.
Kolkata's Desun Hospital conducts mock drill to test emergency preparedness amid India-Pak conflict
May 10, 2025, at 01:03 am
Kolkata/IBNS: Desun Hospital, India’s only hospital with an operational rooftop helipad, conducted a comprehensive mock drill on Thursday to evaluate its emergency preparedness and ability to manage critical patient scenarios effectively.
FAO calls for action amid foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks
May 06, 2025, at 02:36 pm
Greater awareness and action are needed as Europe and parts of the Middle East grapple with fresh outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which can have devastating impacts on both animal health and regional economies, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday.
India's DRDO conducts flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform
May 04, 2025, at 03:12 pm
The Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of Stratospheric Airship Platform from Sheopur Trial site in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday.
7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes off coast of Chile and Argentina, tsunami warning issued
May 02, 2025, at 09:22 pm
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck off the southern coasts of Chile and Argentina on Friday, the US Geological Survey stated.
Israel: Jerusalem hills wildfire brought under control, thousands evacuated
May 02, 2025, at 05:18 pm
Thousands of people were evacuated after a massive wildfire broke out on the outskirts of Jerusalem in Israel, media reports said on Friday.
Anthrax outbreak compounds security crisis in DR Congo, says UN
May 02, 2025, at 03:40 pm
An anthrax outbreak is compounding the worsening security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), driving up humanitarian needs and further limiting access to basic services.
Sariska Tiger Reserve: A maharani recognised
May 02, 2025, at 12:58 pm
An upcoming memorial to a tigress for singularly repopulating the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan is a first of its kind, but it also raises questions about proper conservation efforts. Rakhee Roytalukdar reports
Study shows heart disease deaths worldwide linked to chemical widely used in plastics
May 01, 2025, at 11:57 pm
Daily exposure to certain chemicals used to make plastic household items could be linked to the more than 356,000 global deaths from heart disease that occurred in 2018 alone, a new analysis of population surveys shows.
UN health experts feel more action is needed to beat malaria
Apr 25, 2025, at 05:06 pm
Although strong global collaboration has helped to save nearly 13 million lives from malaria over the past 25 years, more action is needed to stamp out the disease.
Sleep deprivation tied to mosquito menace in Eastern India, reveals survey
Apr 25, 2025, at 12:30 am
Kolkata: A staggering 87% of people in Eastern India believe that sleep disturbances, particularly among children, are directly affecting the health and well-being of families, according to a new survey released ahead of World Malaria Day by Goodknight, a household insecticide brand from Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL).
Climate crisis driving surge in gender-based violence, UN report finds
Apr 23, 2025, at 07:24 pm
Without urgent action, climate change could be linked to one in every ten cases of intimate partner violence by the end of the century.
Turkey: Magnitude 6.2 earthquake shakes Istanbul, no casualties
Apr 23, 2025, at 05:12 pm
An earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale hit Turkey's most populous Istanbul city, triggering panic and forcing people to flee their apartments on Wednesday.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit returns to Earth on his 70th birthday
Apr 20, 2025, at 11:32 pm
NASA astronaut Don Pettit's 70th birthday was not an ordinary one since he returned to Earth after concluding his seven-month science mission aboard the International Space Station
New study shows gut microbes release Cancer-fighting bile acids that block hormone signals
Apr 20, 2025, at 10:47 pm
Bacteria naturally present in the human intestine, known as the gut microbiota, can transform cholesterol-derived bile acids into powerful metabolites that strengthen anti-cancer immunity by blocking androgen signaling, according to a preclinical study led by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The study was published on April 15 in Cell.
Indian astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla set to fly to International Space Station in May
Apr 18, 2025, at 09:21 pm
New Delhi/IBNS: In a huge milestone for India, the Centre on Friday announced that Gaganyatri, or astronaut-designate, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will fly to the International Space Station (ISS) in May.