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World in worse situation because of inaction, says UN climate science panel chief
Climate impacts are unfolding faster than expected and scientists have been surprised by the speed of temperature rise, the chief of the United Nations' climate science panel has said. In an interview with PTI, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Chair Jim Skea said the world was in a worse situation than three years ago due to inaction on climate change. “If you look back over the last, say, five years or so, I think scientists have been surprised by the speed at which temperatures have risen globally and by the very obvious nature of climate impacts we have already seen... wildfires in some parts of the world, floods and more extreme events. So, things do appear to be happening, perhaps more quickly than people expected," he said. The year 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first with the global average temperature 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. According to the World Meteorological Organisation, the past decade (2015-2024) was the 10 warmest years on record.
Only seven countries met WHO air quality standards in 2024, data shows
Only seven countries met World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards last year, data showed on Tuesday, as researchers warned that the war on smog would only get harder after the United States shut down its global monitoring efforts. Chad and Bangladesh were the world's most polluted countries in 2024, with average smog levels more than 15 times higher than WHO guidelines, according to figures compiled by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir. Only Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia and Iceland made the grade, IQAir said.
Switch from rice to cultivating millet & maize could boost farmer incomes: Study
A new study has found that shifting away from cultivating rice to alternative cereals such as millet, maize and sorghum could help tackle production losses related to climate by 11 per cent, thereby potentially boosting farmer incomes. Farmers in India are known to prefer harvesting rice for its economic viability. Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are among the top producers, accounting for a significant fraction of the country's rice production. However, changes in temperatures and rainfall, increasingly driven by climate change, disproportionately affect rice production, thereby threatening food security in a warmer future, a team of researchers, including those from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, said.
Modi presents OCI cards to Mauritian PM Ramgoolam, spouse Veena
In a special gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards to his Mauritian counterpart Navin Ramgoolam and his spouse Veena Ramgoolam. Modi handed over the OCI cards to Ramgoolam and Veena at the beginning of a community event attended by more than 3,500 people, including members of the Mauritius Cabinet, government officials, and National Assembly members. Mauritius is home to 22,188 Indian nationals and 13,198 OCI card holders, reflecting the significant presence of the Indian community in the country. The OCI card grants holders the right to live, work, and study in India indefinitely, while also facilitating visa-free travel and other privileges.
