Olive Ridley turtles

On a Panamanian beach long after dark, a group of undergraduate students dug into the sand to excavate a sea turtle nest, their lamps casting a soft red glow as they studied eggs, inventoried the success of the hatch and checked for any surviving hatchlings stuck at the bottom of the nest.
Nearby, armed members of the National Border Service stood watch for protection in an area known for drug trafficking.
The students worked under the guidance of Callie Veelenturf, who founded a group that works to protect leatherback turtles and pushed for a new law in Panama that guarantees sea turtles the legal right to live and have free passage in a healthy environment.
The new law will allow any Panamanian citizen to be the voice of sea turtles and defend them legally, Veelenturf said in a text message as she boarded a plane to Panama City after her group's work near Armila.
We will be able to hold governments, corporations, and public citizens legally accountable for violations of the right

turtle

India's proposal for enhancing protection status to Leith's softshell turtle has been adopted at the ongoing world wildlife conference in Panama, the Union Environment Ministry said on Thursday.
The country also proposed to give a higher degree of protection to the red-crowned roofed turtle or 'Batagur Kachuga' and received wide support from other parties at the 19th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP 19) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) being held in Panama City from November 14 to 25.
The transfer of Leith's softshell turtle from CITES Appendix II to Appendix I would ensure that legal international trade in the species does not take place for commercial purposes, the ministry said in a statement.
"It would also ensure that international trade in captive-bred specimens only takes place from registered facilities and that higher and more proportionate penalties are provided for illegal trade of the species," it ...

Twelve years after an oil spill coated nearly 35 miles of the Kalamazoo River, new research confirms that turtles rehabilitated in the aftermath of the disaster had high long-term survival rates

People in Odisha's coastal Ganjam district, home to a world-renowned community conservation effort to protect endangered Olive Ridley turtles, are extending that legacy to conserve other species

Yaas

Nylon net fencing to prevent tigers from entering human habitations were damaged, breeding centres for crocodiles and Batagur baska - a rare species of turtle were inundated

Yellow turtle

Locals from Sujanpur village in Soro block rescued the unique yellow colour turtle on Sunday

Olive Ridley turtles. Photo: Reuters

In the 2009 blockbuster Avatar, a human remotely controls the body of an alien

Overseas institutions are also a better bet for Adani. Tapping Indian banks, especially state-run lenders, would be a tad cheaper, but might invite greater political scrutiny ahead of general election

Adani, Adani Group

Adani Group on Thursday bagged two contracts worth Rs 13,888 crore from a state-owned discom to install smart meters.
A total of six tenders were awarded by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) to install smart meters, of which two have been bagged by the Adani Group, according to an official communiqu from the discom seen by PTI.
The diversified group, which has a sizeable presence in the power sector and had recently won a Rs 1,000 crore contract to install smart meters in the area serviced by BEST Undertaking in Mumbai, will act as an advanced metering infrastructure service provider for smart prepaid metering in MSEDCL, it said.
The two zones awarded to Adani include Bhandup, Kalyan and Konkan having 63.44 lakh meters, and Baramati and Pune having 52.45 lakh meters, it said.
Letter of Awards have been issued to the successful firms, as per the communiqu.
Officials from Adani Group were not immediately available for comment.
The group's transmiss

Closing Bell on Thursday, September 21: The broad-based selling was led by public sector banks with the Nifty PSU Bank index sliding 2.3 per cent

bear market, sensex, nifty, loss, growth, investment

Tensions have been high since Canadian PM Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar

visa, Canada

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

Manipur

Musk is also set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in California on Monday

Elon Musk

The European Commission is preparing a statement of objections to send to the company, which could come in the next few months, the people said

Microsoft

Here is the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for today

Democracy

Canada said it was expelling a top Indian diplomat Monday as it investigates what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination in Canada of a Sikh activist.
Trudeau said in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies have been looking into the allegations after Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a strong supporter of an independent Sikh homeland known as Khalistan, was gunned down on June 18 outside a Sikh cultural centre in Surrey, British Columbia.
Trudeau told Parliament that he brought up the slaying with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G-20 last week, that he told Modi that any Indian government involvement would be unacceptable and that he asked for cooperation in the investigation.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly said the head of Indian intelligence in Canada has been expelled as a consequence. "If proven true this would be a great violation of our sovereignty and of the most basic

Hardeep Singh Nijjar

No injury or loss of life was reported in the incident, Srinagar Police informed further, adding that the terrorist fled the spot after opening fire at the CRPF vehicle

Gun shooting, mass shooting

The government introduced the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament almost three decades after it was first drafted

Parliament

Former RBI Governor Bimal Jalan said it is better if the person's expertise is considered than whether he/she is a bureaucrat or a private sector executive

TRAI

The fiscal burden of states will increase over time

pensions, funds, retirement, investments, investors, savings

Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins Whatsapp Channel following conclusion of the first day in the new parliament building

PM Modi on Whatsapp Channels (Photo: Whatsapp)

Canada identifies expelled Indian diplomat as RAW station chief in Ottawa, sources say Canadian diplomat expelled from Delhi is intelligence officer

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

More than 10 people were injured when Manipur security forces fired tear gas shells on protesters for trying to storm police stations and court arrest demanding the unconditional release of the five arrested youths on Thursday.
As a precautionary measure, the state government cancelled curfew relaxations in the twin districts of Imphal from 5pm, officials said.
Responding to a call by six local clubs and Meira Paibis demanding the release of the five village volunteers, hundreds of protesters holding placards and shouting slogans tried to enter the Porompat police station in Imphal East and Singjamei police station and Kwakeithel police outpost in Imphal West district.
However, police and RAF personnel deployed at strategic positions fired several rounds of tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
A protester, identified as Th Bimola at Porompat said, "We were left with no option but to court arrest as the government failed to release the five village volunteers. If such village ...

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Thursday advised TV news channels to refrain from giving platform to those belonging to proscribed organisations or facing charges of terrorism and serious crimes.
In an advisory to all private satellite TV channels, the ministry said it has come to its notice that "a person" in a foreign country who faces serious cases of crime including terrorism was invited for a discussion on a television channel.
During the discussion, the person made several remarks detrimental to the sovereignty and integrity of India, its security and friendly relations with a foreign state, the ministry said, without naming the person or the news channel.
The remarks of the person also had the potential of disturbing public order in the country, the ministry added.
While the government upholds media freedom and respects its rights under the Constitution, the content telecast by the TV channels must adhere to the provisions of the Cable Television Networks ...

TRP, tv news channels, viewership, media, entertainment, OTT

In a step towards enhancing last-mile connectivity with public transportation, Delhi govt has invited proposals for the deployment of 3,000 high-speed e-scooters, low-speed e-scooters, and e-cycles

Fire-safety norms for Li-ion battery could push up e-scooter prices by 10%

electric scooters, e-scooters, EV, Electric vehicles

DLF's rental arm DCCDL has raised Rs 1,100 crore through issuance of non-convertible debentures on a private placement basis.
In a regulatory filing on Thursday, DLF informed that the DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) board has approved the allotment of debentures.
DCCDL said that the securities allotment committee of the Board of Directors has approved the allotment of 1,10,000 senior, listed, rated, secured, redeemable, transferable, rupee-denominated NCDs (Non Convertible Debentures) of the face value of 1 lakh each on a private placement basis to eligible investor(s).
The size of the issue is Rs 1,100 crore. These NCDs will be listed on the BSE. The coupon rate is 8.25 per cent per annum. The maturity is August 17, 2033.
DCCDL is a joint venture between DLF and Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC.
DLF holds a 66.67 per cent stake while the GIC has a 33.33 per cent stake in the DCCDL.
DLF holds the bulk of its rental assets (offices and shopping malls) through DCCDL.  DCCD

More than five lakh Ayushman Bharat beneficiary cards have been made in just four days since the launch of the Ayushman Bhav campaign, Union Health Secretary Sudhansh Pant said on Thursday.
He further said that more than 20 lakh ABHA IDs have been generated while footfall of more than 20 lakh have been registered at the Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres and Community Health Centres for availing free treatment and screening services, he said.
The Ayushman Bhav campaign, launched on September 14 by President Droupadi Murmu, is a comprehensive nationwide healthcare initiative that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services in every village and town in the country.
It is being implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' (fortnight of service) which began on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday on September 17 and will continue till October 2.
The three components of the Ayushman Bhav campaign -- Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness ...

This revised health benefit package is expected to be rolled out from November this year, the health ministry said

Heatmap

Turtles

Panama turtles get legal right to live, free passage in healthy environment

India's proposal for enhance protection to Leith's softshell turtle adopted

Study shows how turtles fared decade after oil spill in US' Kalamazoo River

How turtle conservation led to protection for other species in Odisha

Cyclone Yaas: Crocodile, rare turtle breeding centre inundated in Sundarbans

Rare yellow turtle rescued in Odisha's Balasore, handed over to forest dept

Now, humans can control turtles with thought