About 27 metric tonnes of ice and snow melt in the Himalayas was prevented by the Indian national lockdown, in place from March 25, 2020, to May 31, 2020, according to a new study. Reduced anthropogenic pollutant emissions during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns decreased snowmelt in the Himalayas, the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Nexus said. Liqiang Zhang from Beijing Normal University, China, and colleagues explored how the sudden, dramatic reduction in particulate pollution in the region affected snow and ice melt, using multiple sate
The National University of Singapore (NUS) has become the first Asian university to rank in the Best 10 of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking. It moved up three positions from rank 11 last year to break into the top 10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),US, topped the ranking for the twelfth consecutive time this year, followed closely by Cambridge University and Oxford University of the United Kingdom. The top 10 global universities also included Harvard University at number four, Stanford University at number five, Imperial College London at number six, ETH
Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, Philippines, and Vietnam are the most positive countries in the world, according to Gallup's latest Global Emotions report. Afghanistan is the least positive country in the world. The survey found that people across the world had more positive experiences in 2022 as compared to 2021. The global rise in negative emotions stalled last year, and positive emotions showed signs of recovery. The Gallup asked adults in 142 countries and areas in 2022 if they had five different negative experiences on the day before the survey. The responses were compiled into an in
"Climate washing" litigation has risen sharply in the last two years as environmental groups and governments grew frustrated with increasing corporate claims about tackling climate change, says a report by London-based Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. The annual report on climate litigation trends released on June 29 defines climate washing as cases that challenge companies, and sometimes governments, over misinformation or misleading green claims. In 2022, 26 climate washing cases were filed against companies globally. It was slightly lower than 27 in
The tropics lost 10 percent more primary rainforest in 2022 than in 2021 – the equivalent of 11 soccer pitches of forest disappearing per minute – according to a global analysis of 2022 tree cover loss data released on June 27. The forest loss was highest in Brazil, Bolivia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Indonesia and Malaysia maintained their recent trend of low rates of tree loss, said the study. The total tropical primary forest loss was 4.1 million hectares, an area about the size of Switzerland. The study based on satellite measurements was done jointly by the University of
About 2 million Muslim pilgrims took part in the annual Hajj pilgrimage that began on June 26, making it the ‘largest’ Hajj pilgrimage in history. This year, Hajj was held between June 26 and July 1, with the celebration of Eid al-Adha on June 28. One of the five pillars of Islam that is mandatory for Muslims to take part, the pilgrimage absolves sins, brings them closer to God, and unites over 1.8 billion followers across the world. In 2023, Hajj returned to full capacity for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic three years ago. This year’s Hajj was also a chal
Infosys’ Co-founder Nandan Nilekani has donated ₹315 crore to IIT Bombay, making his total contribution to the institute to ₹400 crore. The recent grant will be used to enhance world-class infrastructure, foster research in emerging areas, and support a deep-tech start-up ecosystem. Nilekani joined IIT Bombay in 1973 for a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He has donated $38.5 million to his alma mater. IIT Bombay plans to raise $500 million over the next five years and establish centres of excellence in artificial intelligence, green energy and quantum computing. Nileka
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Canada, on June 27 announced that the government will establish an open work-permit stream for 10,000 American H-1B visa holders, to attract skilled workers from the United States and provide them with employment opportunities in Canada. In addition, the program will allow for study or work permits for family members of H-1B visa holders. The official release said that thousands of workers in high-tech fields are employed with companies that have large operations in both Canada and the US, and those working in the US often hol
Doha, Dubai, and Istanbul are the world's most competitive job markets with the highest number of candidates per LinkedIn job posting, according to online resume builder Resume.io. These cities saw an average of 399, 283 and 168 applicants per job, respectively. Other cities with competitive job markets include Johannesburg, Abu Dhabi, Madrid, San Jose, Buenos Aires, San Francisco, and Tel Aviv. With cities like Doha and Dubai topping the List of World’s Most Competitive Job Markets, the study of LinkedIn job postings showed that candidates are flocking to the Middle East and Silicon Val
Prince William has launched a five-year project to end long-term homelessness in the United Kingdom. He plans to use 1,30,000-acre land of his Duchy of Cornwall estate for public housing. William launched the initiative, called Homewards, by visiting pilot projects that have received grants of up to 500,000 pounds ($637,000) each from the Royal Foundation, the charity that supports his and his wife, Kate’s work. All of the initiatives, with more to be unveiled, involve collaborative efforts between local people, organisations and businesses to develop programs built as per the needs o