US engineers design heating patches that can be sewn into clothes
They claim the patches can replace heating systems and save 47 % of global energy used for indoor heating
Yoga: Modern research shows a variety of benefits to both body and mind from the ancient practice
With its focus on controlling breath, holding postures and meditation, yoga increases how much a person pays attention to the sensations of their …
Fingers crossed: Experts cautious about variant evolution in the wake of China’s COVID-19 tsunami
Any new variant that emerges from the current surge in China may not have the same lethal ability as past ones. But one cannot rule out …
Antonio Guterres to convene climate ambition summit in 2023; says 1.5-degree goal ‘gasping for breath’
World still moving in the wrong direction on climate change, UN chief noted in his end-of-year address
When did modern lizards originate? A beast from the Triassic Period offers answers
‘Cryptovaranoides microlanius’ lived in limestone cracks around Bristol about 250-200 million years ago
Fourth industrial revolution: World Economic Forum advocates it; others fear corporate takeover; who is right
Technology can never exist in isolation; it has to exist within social realities, say critics of 4IR
Deluged Pakistan faces significant health threats, WHO warns
Threats include malaria, dengue fever, polio, diarrhoea, COVID-19 and cholera; Maternal health to be affected and domestic violence will rise, UN says
COVID-19 update: Why did UK call BA.2 a ‘variant under investigation’?
At least 40 countries have detected this omicron sub-lineage since November 17, 2021
Forced migration: Lack of global political will poses challenge for proper response, says report
By the end of 2020, 86 per cent people displaced across borders lived in countries with developing economies.
CoP26 Diary (Nov 8): Fossil fuel lobby larger than delegation of any country, term missing from draft statement
Saudi Arabian delegation blocked efforts to write in greater climate ambition in the document, say reports
COP 26: Water and Climate Coalition stresses on better disaster-warning to buffer water cycle changes
Water dimensions of climate change adaptation and mitigation must be addressed, says letter to global leaders
Merck signs deal with UN-backed MPP for global access to COVID-19 drug
The agreement will help create broad access for the drug use in 105 low- and middle-income countries, including India, subject to regulatory approval
Climate crisis: A quarter of all critical infrastructure in US may become inoperable in 2021
At least 2 million miles of road face the risk of becoming impassable due to floods
World freed from toxic leaded petrol: A global win
While global eradication of toxic lead in petrol needs to be celebrated, this also reminds us how tough it is to undo wrong if the evidence of …
West Africa records 1st death from ‘highly infectious’ Marburg virus
Case fatality rate of the infection is 24-88%
Roasted North: Why record-shattering heatwaves are burning the northern hemisphere
The heatwaves in the northern hemisphere are now frequent, early, intense and last longer as seen in Siberia last year and North America this year
Why we need a road map for ecological restoration in India
Identifying priority areas for restoration, enhancing biodiversity and preventing natural disasters should comprise areas of focus
Global warming caused over a third of heat-related deaths between 1991 and 2018: Study
The highest percentage of heat-related deaths caused by human-induced climate change (more than 50%) were in Iran, Kuwait, the Philippines, …
Accelerate efforts to end malaria: World Health Assembly adopts new resolution
7.6 million deaths, 1.5 billion cases averted since 2000, but global gains levelled off in recent years, flags WHO
Dragon in the room: Why China’s target of carbon neutrality is misleading
China contributed 27% to the world’s overall global emissions in 2019, surpassing the United States
COVID-19 has aggravated challenges to manage forests: UN Report
New UN report calls for greater sustainability and a greener, more inclusive economy to tackle the threats of COVID-19, climate change and …
Measles campaigns suspended in most countries; 140 million lives at stake, mostly children
In many countries the regular measles vaccine campaigns are delayed by over a year due to the pandemic disruptions
Biden’s climate summit: Major polluters ramp up climate ambition
The summit has put climate back on the agenda and forced leaders of major economies to confront the scale of the task ahead
How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns
While current vaccines may not prevent mild symptomatic COVID-19 caused by these variants, they will likely prevent moderate and severe disease, …
International Women’s Day: 10 million more girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19, warns UNICEF
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 100 million girls were at the risk of child marriage in the next decade