Environment/Wildlife

Bid to smuggle African ivory foiled in Dubai (00:56)
Dubai, May 24 (IANS/WAM) Dubai Customs has foiled a bid to smuggle 259 pieces of ivory that arrived from Africa at its Jebel Ali Customs Centre.

Soaring temperatures can affect quality of pills: Doctors (22:04)
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Extreme heat can affect medicines and these can become life threatening for those using them, doctors said Thursday.

'Quadricycles may increase road deaths' (21:12)
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The government's decision to allow quadricycles, a category of four-wheelers on Indian roads, is fraught with the danger of further deteriorating road safety and pollution, a global not-for-profit organisation said Thursday.

Amritsar records 30-year high at 48 degrees Celsius (20:40)
Chandigarh, May 23 (IANS) The Sikh holy city of Amritsar Thursday recorded its highest temperature in over three decades with the mercury hitting a high of 48 degrees Celsius as severe heat wave conditions prevailed over Punjab and Haryana.

Chhattisgarh wilts as mercury rises to 47 degrees Celsius (20:12)
Raipur, May 23 (IANS) Cases of sunburns and heat stroke have jumped in Chhattisgarh as most parts of the state are wilting under maximum temperatures of 47 degrees Celsius.

Thursday Delhi's hottest in May in 10 years (Lead) (19:56)
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The maximum temperature in Delhi touched 45.7 degrees Celsius Thursday, the highest for the month of May in the last 10 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Thursday was Delhi's hottest May in 10 years (18:30)
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The maximum temperature in Delhi touched 45.7 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the highest for the month of May in the last 10 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Wind energy to light up Maoist-hit Bastar (18:02)
Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), May 23 (IANS) If the efforts of the Chhattisgarh government produce results, the day is not far when wind energy would illuminate houses in the Maoist insurgency-hit Bastar district, an official said Thursday.

Intense heat grips Andhra, mercury in Hyderabad touches 44 (17:16)
Hyderabad, May 23 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh sizzled Thursday with the day temperature in most of the towns crossing 43 degree Celsius while the mercury in the state capital touched 44, the season's highest.

Delhi sizzles as mercury soars (10:08)
New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) The heat wave continued unabated in the Indian capital Thursday with the minimum temperature settling five notches above average at 31.4 degrees Celsius and the maximum expected to hover around the 45 degrees Celsius mark.

Bangladesh's Green Radio heralds new era of environment education (09:14)
By Sahana Ghosh
Dhaka, May 23 (IANS) Nature lovers in Bangladesh can tune in to 89.6 FM for their daily dose of green awakening, courtesy a 45-minute programme which aims at bridging the gap between environmentalists and laymen by keeping them abreast of burning topics related to the sector.

Hottest morning in Delhi, mercury to rise Thursday (Lead) (20:02)
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Searing heat Wednesday continued to add to the discomfort of Delhiites with the mercury shooting five notches above average at 44.9 degrees Celsius as the city experienced its hottest morning, Met department said.

'Sector-specific action needed to cut carbon emissions' (Lead) (18:10)
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) India needs to take sector-specific action and develop a mechanism to track the achievements in each area to achieve the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, says a study conducted by WWF-India.

Rare bearcat found in Assam (17:24)
Guwahati, May 22 (IANS) A bearcat, a rare species of climbing mammal, was captured in Assam's Nagaon district and shifted to a rehabilitation centre, officials said Wednesday.

Green Tribunal issues notices for damage to Dadri wetlands (16:16)
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) Concerned over destruction of Dadri wetlands in the National Capital Region (NCR), the National Green Tribunal Wednesday issued notices to the union environment ministry and others for failing to take steps to protect the area.

'Sector-specific action needed to cut carbon emissions' (10:28)
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) India needs to take sector-specific action and develop a mechanism to track the achievements in each area to achieve the goal of reducing carbon emissions, says a study conducted by WWF-India. The Indian government aims to reduce carbon emissions by 20-25 percent from the 2005 levels by 2020.

Delhi records season's hottest morning (10:10)
New Delhi, May 22 (IANS) There was no respite from the heat in the Indian capital Wednesday with the minimum temperature settling four notches above average at 30.3 degrees Celsius, the hottest morning of the season so far. Tuesday was the season's hottest day.

Tornado spanned length of 22 soccer fields (10:02)
Washington, May 22 (IANS) Residents of suburban Oklahoma were returning home as rescue workers neared the end of the search for survivors and the dead after a mammoth tornado - said to be as wide as 22 football fields - flattened countless homes and claimed 24 lives, including nine children.

Heat wave intensifies in Punjab, Haryana (19:54)
Chandigarh, May 21 (IANS) Heat wave condition intensified further across Punjab and Haryana Tuesday with temperatures at some places crossing 46 degrees Celsius Monday, the weather office here said.

Delhi records season's hottest day, no respite ahead (Second Lead) (19:30)
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) With the maximum temperature settling five notches above average at 45.1 degrees Celsius, Delhi recorded the season's hottest day Tuesday and also the hottest May 21 in the last five years. The Met office has forecast hotter days in store.

Delhi records season's hottest day, no respite ahead (Lead) (18:54)
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) With the maximum temperature settling five notches above average at 45.1 degrees Celsius, Delhi recorded the season's hottest day Tuesday and also the hottest May 21 in the last five years. The Met office has forecast hotter days in store.

Sun continues to scorch Himachal hills (17:54)
Shimla, May 21 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh continued to experience hot weather Tuesday with temperatures in some parts touching 44 degrees Celsius and Shimla recording a high of 30.1 degrees Celsius, seven notches above average.

Its time to move to cool hills of Himachal (16:56)
By Vishal Gulati
Shimla/Manali, May 21 (IANS) As life in the plains of northern India has started becoming unbearable with the temperature hovering around 46degree in some places, the the snow-clad peaks of Himachal Pradesh's popular tourist resorts are luring visitors to the state.

Himachal park set for Unesco's natural heritage status (12:18)
By Vishal Gulati
Shimla, May 21 (IANS) India's richest biodiversity site in the western Himalayas, the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Himachal Pradesh, is likely to become the country's seventh natural Unesco World Heritage site, a wildlife official said.

No respite from heat in Delhi (11:00)
New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) It was another scorching day in the capital Tuesday with the minimum temperature settling at 28 degrees Celsius, a notch above average for the season, and the maximum likely to hover around the 45 degrees Celsius mark.