Two small islands in South Asia's first marine biosphere reserve have sunk into the sea primarily as a result of coral reef mining, experts say. The islets were in a group in the Gulf of Mannar, between India and Sri Lanka. The Indo-Pacific region is considered to contain some of the world's richest marine biological resources. The group's 21 islands and islets are protected as part of the Gulf of Mannar Marine National...

United Nations body FAO has said the contagious Avian flu virus H5N1, which causes bird flu, still remains firmly entrenched in India and five other countries because of unhygienic trade practises. "...the virus remains firmly entrenched in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Vietnam," Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said in a statement. "Eliminating the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus from poultry in the six countries where it remains endemic will...

While most countries have managed to stamp out bird flu, eliminating the virus from poultry in the six countries where it remains endemic will take at least 10 years, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says in a new report. The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 HPAI), which was reported in 60 countries at its peak in 2006, remains “firmly entrenched” in Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India,...

Civil society groups and organisations on Tuesday condemned attempts to malign co-chairman of the Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee Shanti Bhushan and its member Prashant Bhushan. Expressing “full solidarity,” the organisations said they would oppose all efforts to sideline the central issue of establishing a strong and effective mechanism to tackle endemic corruption in the country. Describing Mr. Shanti Bhushan as “a tireless defender of civil liberties and the rule of law,”...

Setting aside their differences with the Anna Hazare team over the Lokpal Bill, civil society representatives on the Sonia Gandhi led-National Advisory Council (NAC) have come out strongly to oppose they called a systematic attempt to slander the reputation of Shanti and Prashant Bhushan. NAC members and their comrades banded under the National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) with Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander and others endorsing the viewpoint of...