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India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
29th July: Shah Criticizes Chidambaram, Akhilesh Questions Operation Timing and Nayara Turns To Rediff
India Today Podcasts Desk UPDATED: Jul 29, 2025 19:33 IST On News At Seven this 29th of July, Jamshed Qamar Siddiqui brings to you the day's most crucial headlines. Union Home Minister Amit Shah told the Parliament that the terrorists killed in Operation Mahadev were Pakistani nationals, citing voter IDS and chocolates as evidence, while slamming former Home Minister for casting doubt. Akhilesh Yadav questioned the operation's timing and flagged intelligence and foreign policy failures. Meanwhile Russia linked Nayara Energy turned to for IT support after Microsoft suspended services under fresh European Union Sanctions. Nayara, operating India's third largest refinery, has sued Microsoft in the Delhi High Court over the disruption. Produced By Garvit Srivastava Sound Mix By Rohan Bharti
NDTV
18-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
3 Elephants Die After Being Hit By Train While Crossing Railway Track In Bengal
Three elephants were hit by a train while crossing a railway track near Bastola railway station in West Bengal. Two baby elephants and one adult died on the spot. A herd of seven elephants was crossing the track when the train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar railway section rammed three elephants, and four got stuck near the ones who died. The elephants most likely came from the Jhargram forest in West Bengal's Kharagpur. The track was cleared in the morning, and the bodies of the elephants were lifted by a crane, but the incident is not a one-off. Several cases have been reported from many states where elephants died while crossing train tracks, bringing focus on safe corridors for animals to cross roads and train tracks in wildlife areas. These crossings are often referred to as death traps, as the absence of alert systems leads to incidents when wild animals like elephants, which migrate in search of food and a suitable habitat, as seasons change. Their migration is more common than that of other wild animals. Though steps are being taken to use technology to identify such hotspots to alert train drivers whenever animals are crossing railway tracks. In Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Assam, and Uttarakhand, artificial intelligence is being used to provide a clear view of a herd of elephants moving in a specific direction. The AI-enabled Intrusion Detection System (IDS) detects the presence of elephants on railway tracks using Distributed Acoustic Sensors (DAS). The system components include an optical fibre hardware and pre-installed signatures of elephant locomotion. The system alerts loco pilots, station masters and the control room about the movement of elephants in the track's proximity, for taking preventive action promptly. It helps save the lives of animals, but a large-scale implementation across India remains. Recently, a train was stopped for two hours when a mother elephant was giving birth on a railway track. Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav shared the video and updated that the railways and the environment ministry have identified 110 sensitive spots after surveying 3,500 km of railway tracks in the country. In March this year, the Centre said several measures have been taken to protect wildlife on tracks. To prevent the movement of wild animals near railway tracks, innovative Honey Bee buzzer devices have been installed at level crossings. The sound created by this device acts as a repellent to move elephants away from the railway track. Thermal vision cameras are being used to detect wild animals on a straight track during night or when the visibility is poor. These cameras alert loco pilots of the presence of wild animals.
Borneo Post
09-07-2025
- Business
- Borneo Post
Expand TVET to rural Sabah to curb youth migration - IDS chief
Dr Ramzah KOTA KINABALU (July 9): Human resource development initiatives must not be limited to urban areas but should also reach remote and rural communities across Sabah, said Datuk Dr Ramzah Dambul, Chief Executive Officer of the Sabah Institute for Development Studies (IDS). 'According to the 2020 Census, approximately 45.4% of Sabah's 3.9 million population reside in rural areas. This clearly highlights the need for human capital development to focus on rural communities to avoid lopsided development,' he said. Speaking at the Sabah Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Symposium 2025 held at the Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort on Wednesday, Dr Ramzah stressed that TVET should no longer be viewed as a secondary option but as a key driver in empowering rural youth. 'TVET plays a crucial role in producing a generation equipped not only with technical skills but also capable of creating jobs — such as rural entrepreneurs in agrotechnology, community-based tourism and innovative crafts,' he said. He noted that according to the 2023 Sabah Labour Force Survey, youth labour force participation (aged 15–24) stood at 36.8%, while youth unemployment in the state was 11.5%, higher than the national average of 10.7%. Dr Ramzah said the high cost of living and lack of skilled job opportunities have pushed more young Sabahans to migrate to Peninsular Malaysia. Citing the 2022 Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) report, he said nearly 195,000 Sabahans — mostly rural youth — now live and work in the Peninsula. 'We cannot allow Sabah to remain an 'exporter' of young labour. It is time for TVET to become a catalyst for building quality job opportunities at home,' he stressed. Referencing the 2024 Sabah Jobseeker Aspirations Survey, Dr Ramzah said 70% of young jobseekers rejected local jobs due to low salary offers. Entry-level salaries in Sabah's technical and vocational sectors range between RM1,200 and RM1,500, significantly lower than the Klang Valley's RM2,000 and above. He added that over 58% of survey respondents had not received training aligned with industry demands, revealing a major skills mismatch. 'With Sabah now moving towards industrialisation, as reflected by the RM10.9 billion in approved investments during the first quarter of 2025, we need a skilled workforce to match. For instance, foreign investor Kibing offered 5,000 job opportunities, but most positions remained unfilled due to skill gaps — some had to be sent to China for training,' he said. He emphasized the need to strengthen the TVET ecosystem, citing the establishment of the Sabah TVET Council as a positive step. 'But to be truly effective, the Council must act as an integrative platform linking the state government, federal agencies, institutions, industries and communities,' he said. Dr Ramzah also highlighted the outdated condition of training equipment, with 67% of tools in Sabah's skills institutes being over 10 years old, limiting training quality. 'Consistent investment in training facilities and instructor upskilling must be a priority. We also need a transparent system to track TVET graduates and measure programme effectiveness,' he added. He called for inclusivity in TVET programmes, particularly targeting rural youth, women, and the B40 group. 'Only 27% of TVET students in Sabah are women, and participation from interior areas remains low,' he said, referencing the 2023 Sabah Human Capital Development Report. 'Sabah's unique geography, rural fishing and farming economies, and ethnic crafts should be harnessed through locally tailored TVET programmes,' he said. Also present at the event were Deputy Chief Minister II and Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Joachim Gunsalam, and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif.
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Science
- New Indian Express
Southern Railways to rollout optical fibre system to detect wild elephants near tracks
COIMBATORE: The Southern Railway is set to introduce an optical fibre-based Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to prevent wild elephant deaths in train collisions in the Madukkarai forest range in Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas in Kerala. Already, subways have been constructed and railway tracks have been fenced using old rails in the Madukkarai forest to prevent elephants from getting hit by trains. Under the new initiative, underground optical fibre cable (OFC) has been laid on a 120km stretch between Kottekkad and Walayar (both in Palakkad district), and Walayar and Madukkarai (in Coimbatore district). Once the elephant walks over or near the cable, an immediate alert will be sent to the loco pilots and station managers within the 40 km Palakkad and Madukkarai stretch. Upon receiving it, the loco pilots have to reduce the speed of the trains to prevent wild elephants from getting hit. In the first phase, the divisional railway officials handed over 50 tablets to loco pilots on which alerts will be sent directly. 'The cables were laid one meter under the earth as well as 15-20m away on both sides of the railway track between Kottekkad and Madukkarai to ensure safe access for wild elephants. The total project cost is `20 crore between the above-said areas where the wild elephant movements are high. We have adopted OFC-based distributed acoustic sensing AI technology. We have been conducting a trial run, and it will be commissioned within the next few weeks,' said a senior official of the Southern Railway.
Reuters
06-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Royal Mail reaches three-year pay deal with workers union
July 3 (Reuters) - International Distribution Services ( opens new tab said on Thursday Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have agreed on a three-year pay deal. Royal Mail, whose iconic red post boxes with the Royal Crest dot the country, has struggled with labour strikes, competition and loss of market share. CWU, the largest union of the UK's Royal Mail, has held multiple strikes in 2022 and 2023, with workers as well as businesses grappling with soaring inflation. The CWU will shortly issue a ballot with a recommendation to accept and the agreement that includes a three-year basic pay increase made up of a 4.2% increase in 2025, an inflation-linked increase of at least 2% in 2026 and 2% in 2027, IDS said. Subject to a positive ballot outcome, the increase will be backdated to 1 April 2025. IDS agreed to a takeover by Czech billionaire Kretinsky in May 2024. The deal was cleared in December after Britain secured commitments from Kretinsky to protect the more than 500-year-old company and the future of thousands of workers and customers. In late June, EP Group said Kretinsky will become the chairman of Royal Mail. The CWU did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
