LOCAL NEWS

An Arctic seed vault on Norway’s Spitsbergen island received new samples last week from the largest number of depositors since 2020, reflecting fear about the threat of conflict and climate change to food security, a custodian of the facility said recently. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, set deep inside a mountain to withstand disasters from nuclear war to global warming, was launched in 2008 as a backup for the world’s gene banks that store the genetic code for thousands of plant species. Billed as a doomsday vault protected by permafrost, the deposit has received samples from across the world, and played a leading role between 2015 and 2019 in rebuilding seed collections damaged during the… Read More »Doomsday Arctic Vault, The World’s Backup Gene Bank, Sees Surge In Samples

<p>In the 2023-24 American financial year, which concluded on 30 September, approximately 1,100 Indian nationals who had been residing illegally in the United States were repatriated to India through a combination of charter and commercial flights, according to Royce Murray, Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy, US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Murray made the remarks on Tuesday during a virtual briefing that addressed the US DHS’s cooperation with the Indian government on irregular migration.</p> <p>Murray confirmed that a charter flight on 22 October, which carried a batch of deported Indian nationals, had landed in Punjab. She noted that no minors were on this flight, clarifying, “These were all male and female adults.&rdquo; However,… Read More »1,100 Indian Nationals Repatriated From US During 2023-24 Financial Year, US Homeland Security Official Says

The BJP today issued a scathing criticism of the candidature of Nawab Malik, one of the key leaders of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, who was backed by the party at the last minute for the Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar seat in the coming assembly election in Maharashtra. Mr Malik, accused in an alleged money laundering case involving mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates Chhota Shakeel and Tigar Memon, had filed two nominations. One of these was as a member of the NCP and the other as an Independent. But after the party backing, he called himself the official candidate. “The BJP’s stance is very clear. All the parties in the… Read More »BJP Criticised Nawab Malik’s Candidature Again. Why Ajit Pawar Backed Him

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI is in talks with investors for a funding round that would value the company at around $40 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. xAI hopes to raise several billion dollars in the new funding round, WSJ said, adding that the cash raised would be added to the $40 billion valuation. The funding discussions are in the early stages, which means that terms could change or the talks could fall apart, the report said. Elon Musk did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The startup raised $6 billion in series B funding in May, reaching a post-money valuation of $24… Read More »Elon Musk’s xAI Aims For $40 Billion Valuation As Grok Challenges OpenAI

<p>Ahead of Diwali, Delhi’s air quality on Tuesday was recorded in the ‘poor’ category, with an <a title=”Air Quality Index” href=”https://news.abplive.com/aqi” data-type=”interlinkingkeywords”>Air Quality Index</a> (AQI) of 268, a decrease from 304 noted a day earlier. As part of efforts to curb pollution, 377 teams have been deployed across the national capital to enforce a ban on firecrackers. Delhi’s Environment Minister, Gopal Rai, announced that 19,005 kg of firecrackers have been seized in raids so far, with 79 cases filed against violators.</p> <p>According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi&rsquo;s 24-hour AQI was measured at 268 at 4 pm, down from the ‘very poor’ status recorded on Monday. Experts have indicated that fluctuations… Read More »Delhi Air Quality Remains Poor Ahead of Diwali, Minister Gopal Rai Says 377 Teams To Enforce Firecracker Ban