The global average temperature for July 2023 was the highest on record and likely for at least 120,000 years, the UN weather agency and partners said on August 8. Samantha Burgess, Deputy Director at the European Commission’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, said that the month is estimated to have been around 1.5 degree Celsius warmer than the average for 1815 to 1900, so the average for pre-industrial times. Speaking to media in Geneva, Burgess noted that July had been marked by heat waves in multiple regions around the world. Based on data analysis known as proxy records, which i
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first ever pill for treating postpartum depression, called Zurzuvae (zuranolone). The makers of the new pill, Sage Therapeutics and Biogen Inc. have said that the drug will be commercially available in the fourth quarter of this year, as soon as October. A potentially life-threatening condition, postpartum depression affects hundreds of thousands of new parents across the US every year. It will have an impact on one in seven people who give birth in the weeks after delivery, and can seriously disturb the health of the parent and child
The Australian government has welcomed the draft decision from UNESCO not to list the Great Barrier Reef “in danger.” While a UNESCO heritage committee on August 1 stopped short of listing the reef in its danger list, it warned that the world’s biggest coral reef ecosystem remains under “serious threat” from pollution and the warming of oceans. The Great Barrier Reef contributes about A$6 billion ($4 billion) to the Australian economy and supports 64,000 jobs. Australia has been lobbying for years to keep the reef off the endangered list, as it could lead to losing the heritage s
Russia has introduced an “e-visa” system effective from August 1 this year, to simplify the visa process for travellers visiting the country. The facility is available to 52 countries, including India, allowing travellers from these nations to apply for the e-visa. The Ministry of Public Security of Russia has established the e-visa system to “simplify visa applications.” The e-visa can be used just like any other regular visa, avoiding the need to check with embassies or any other associations. It facilitates entry into the Russian Federation for purposes, such as business trips,
President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa in July signed legislation into law to recognise sign as the country’s 12th official language, in a bid to empower people with disabilities in the country. Only 41 countries globally recognise sign language as an official language and four of these countries – Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe – are in Africa. At the signing ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the seat of government, Ramaphosa said that South African Sign Language (SASL) will empower those living with disabilities. A number of learners with hearing impairme
Mohamned Adil Khan, an Indian architect working in Dubai, has been named the first winner of a new mega prize in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and will receive more than Rs. 5.5 lakh every month for the next 25 years. Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Khan was named the mega prize winner of the FAST 5 draw at a press conference held on July 27. Working as an interior design consultant for a real estate company in Dubai, he stands to get Dh25,000 (Rs. 5,59,822) a month for 25 years after winning the lottery. While Khan was grateful for winning the money, Paul Chader, Head of Marketing, Tycher
A sudden marine heat wave off the coast of Florida has sent water temperatures soaring to unprecedented highs, threatening one of the most severe coral bleaching events the US state has ever seen. The bleaching is already happening in the Florida Keys, which is home to 6,000 individual reefs. Eleven observations of partial bleaching were confirmed by the Mote Marine Laboratory in June. Experts said they expected that number to grow exponentially in the weeks to come. Sea surface temperatures have reached the highest levels on record since satellites began collecting ocean data, alarming
A UNESCO report has warned of a ‘negative link’ between excessive use of digital technology and student performance, calling for a ban on smartphones in schools. The move will help tackle classroom disruption, improve learning, and help protect children from cyberbullying, recommended the report. The UN’s education, science and culture agency, UNESCO, has said that there was evidence that excessive mobile phone use was linked to reduced educational performance and high levels of screen time had a negative effect on children’s emotional stability. The UN experts said the call for
A Norwegian woman and her sherpa guide climbed Mount K2 in Pakistan on July 27 - their 14th highest mountain in just over three months - becoming the world’s fastest climbers to climb all peaks above 8,000 metre (26,246 feet) in the shortest time. Kristin Harila, 37, and Nepal’s Tenjen (Lama) Sherpa, 35, scaled K2, which is the world’s second highest peak at 8,611 metres (28,251 feet) with eight other guides, Tashi Lakpa Sherpa, said an official of their Nepali organising company, Seven Summit Treks (SST) in Kathmandu. They had scaled Shishapangma in Tibet region of China on April 26
The pioneering conservation initiative Project Tiger has helped India secure 70 percent of the world's tigers, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 28. In a video message to the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Ministerial Meeting in Chennai, the Prime Minister said that Project Lion and Project Dolphin are in the pipeline. Under PM Modi’s leadership, India launched the International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) at Mysore University in Karnataka, on the 'Commemoration of 50 years of Project Tiger' in April this year. The IBCA aims to conserve seven big cats on our planet. T