The virus that causes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is slow moving and will not spread across the country as fast as the H1N1 swine flu virus, experts have said. However, the mortality rate among those affected by Congo virus will be far more than H1N1. In an exclusive interview to TOI, Dr A C Mishra, director of the National Institute of Virology, Pune, said different viruses have different characteristics. Influenza viruses...

Death toll rises to nine; several houses in three villages torched Fresh violence erupted along Assam-Meghalaya border areas with miscreants torching several houses in three villages and setting ablaze a truck carrying relief materials on Saturday night and Sunday. Two more persons were killed taking the death toll in ongoing ethnic clashes between the Garos and the Rabhas to nine. Of the nine lives claimed by ethnic violence, five died on Assam side...

Several matches during the upcoming Asian Cup football tournament, which opens in Doha, Qatar, on Friday, will be dedicated to the fight against hunger and poverty, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) announced today. The three matches – the opening match between Qatar and Uzbekistan, as well as two subsequent matches played by the host nation – are part of the Asian Football against Hunger campaign. “A Match Day against...

A sea water farming project and a genetic garden of Halophytes are being launched at Vedaranyam today The year 2010 marks the 80th anniversary of the Salt Satyagraha launched at Dandi by Mahatma Gandhi and at Vedaranyam by Rajaji to establish that sea water is a social resource. A Sea Water Farming project and a Genetic Garden of Halophytes are being launched at Vedaranyam on December 26, 2010 to initiate a...

The government has approved Rs 350 crore scheme to study impact of climate change on agriculture and reduce production losses. Approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the main objective of new plan scheme ‘National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture’ is to assess impact of climate change on agriculture and allied sectors in the country and evolve cost-effective adaptation and mitigation strategies. The scheme will be implemented in the remaining part...