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UP bans plastic, thermocol items (25 minutes ago)
Lucknow, Aug 15 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday imposed a blanket ban on the manufacture, stocking, sale and transport of all plastic and thermocol items, an official said.

Modi's major healthcare scheme from Sep 25 (09:46)
New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said a major healthcare initiative to give medical insurance cover to 50 crore Indians will roll out from September 25 -- the 102nd birth anniversary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh founder Deendayal Upadhyay.

Heavy rains hit Kerala, Cochin airport shut (09:26)
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 15 (IANS) Heavy rains again hit Kerala on Wednesday killing four more people and taking the death toll to 43 since August 8.

Will host 'grand' Kumbh in 2019: Yogi (07:48)
Lucknow, Aug 15 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh government is committed to host "a great and grand" Prayag Kumbh in 2019, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday, while greeting the people on the occasion of India's Independence Day.

Evacuation of 5,000 persons begins as Kerala dams' level rises (Lead) (23:38)
Idukki (Kerala), Aug 14 (IANS) With increased water flow into the Idamalayar and Idukki dams in Kerala late Tuesday night due to incessant rains, authorities began to evacuate about 5,000 persons living in and around the two reservoirs, a police official said.

Afforestation fund act to come into force next month: Minister (22:52)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act will be enforced from September 30 after framing of rules and consultations with the stakeholders, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Tuesday.

Make stand clear on firecrackers, curbing pollution: SC to Centre (22:24)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to make its stand clear on steps to curb pollution and about the ill-effects of firecrackers on public health, saying that there was a need to strike a balance between the right to health and the right to carry on a trade or profession.

Army marks Independence Day with oral hygiene camp (22:12)
Jammu, Aug 14 (IANS) On the eve of Independence Day, Indian Army's Tiger Division held an oral hygiene camp at the Tiger Asha School, Satwari Cantt, here, roping in nine doctors, who checked up 62 students in all.

This stretchable 3D smart bandage can help monitor heart signals (22:06)
New York, Aug 14 (IANS) Scientists have developed a stretchable 3D "smart bandage" that can help wirelessly monitor signals, from respiration, to eye movement, to heart and brain activity, as well as a robotic arm.

BIOD Energy to commission 100-tonne bio-diesel plant in Haryana (21:47)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) Private firm BIOD Energy on Tuesday announced that it will commission a 100-tonne bio-diesel manufacturing facility in Bawal in Haryana.

Yamuna again crosses danger mark in Delhi (Lead) (21:42)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) Almost two weeks after the water level in the Yamuna here receded, the river again started swelling up on Tuesday and has breached the danger mark to touch 205.30 meters.

Indian, Pakistani doctors save infant's life (21:30)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) A three-year-old baby Hadia Nesari from Afghanistan has been given a new lease of life by a team of Indian and Pakistani doctors here. The baby suffered from chronic liver disease.

Tribunal awards 13.42 tmcft Mahadayi water to Karnataka (21:10)
New Delhi/Bengaluru, Aug 14 (IANS) The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal on Tuesday awarded 13.42 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of the river water to Karnataka as against its demand for 36.66 tmcft, said an official statement.

New genes that may contribute to Alzheimer's understanding identified (20:22)
New York, Aug 14 (IANS) Researchers working on Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) have identified new genes that will further the understanding of the genetic risk factors that predispose people to the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

22 killed as highway bridge collapses in Italy (Lead) (19:48)
Rome, Aug 14 (IANS) A section of a highway bridge collapsed in the Italian city of Genoa during heavy rain on Tuesday, plummeting vehicles up to 90 metres to the ground and killing at least 22 people, officials said.

Vienna tops EIU's Liveability list, Delhi top in South Asia (19:30)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Austrian capital of Vienna is ranked first in the Economist Intelligence Units' (EIU) latest Global Liveability Survey released on Tuesday which found 68 cities to have improved their rankings over the last year with declines in just nine cities.

Yamuna again crosses danger mark in Delhi (19:22)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) Almost two weeks after the water level in the Yamuna here receded, the river again started swelling up on Tuesday and has breached the danger mark to touch 205.15 meters.

Rains hit hard Kerala yet again (18:48)
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14 (IANS) For a second successive day, heavy rains lashed Kerala's Kozhikode, Malappuram and Wayanad districts on Tuesday, triggering fresh landslides and adding to the woes of a state battling the worst flooding in 94 years.

SC to hear TN plea against NGT order on Tuticorin plant (18:48)
New Delhi, Aug 14 (IANS) The Supreme Court will hear on August 17 the Tamil Nadu government's plea against an NGT order to permit mining major Vedanta to access the company's administrative office inside its Sterlite copper smelting plant at Tuticorin.

Rains subside in Himachal, road traffic restored (Lead) (18:48)
Shimla, Aug 14 (IANS) With rains subsiding in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, authorities managed to restore traffic on almost all major roads, including Chandigarh-Shimla, Chamba-Pathankot and Chandigarh-Manali National Highways, an official said.

Labour pain relieving drug may cut need for epidural: Lancet (18:48)
London, Aug 14 (IANS) Prescribing women a new drug called remifentanil to help manage their labour pain may halve the need for an epidural than the traditional pethidine, claims a study.

Cycling can reduce your loneliness, boost mental health (17:50)
London, Aug 14 (IANS) Feeling lonely? Riding your bicycles may not only improve your general and mental health, but also increase social interaction, says a study.

11 killed as highway bridge collapses in Italy (17:50)
Rome, Aug 14 (IANS) A section of a highway bridge in the Italian city of Genoa collapsed during heavy rain on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and injuring five, officials said.

Only 12 breeding pairs of Australian rare bird left (16:48)
Canberra, Aug 14 (IANS) The last 12 breeding pairs of the beach stone-curlew bird indigenous to the Australasia region are under threat from feral foxes in New South Wales (NSW).

Uttar Pradesh's huge plantation drives: But where is the space? (16:10)
Agra Aug 14 (IANS) Huge plantation drives ordered by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his predecessor Akhilesh Yadav have prompted green activists to remark that these are "paper trees to be found only in government files."