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Electric vehicles produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars across the vast majority of the globe – contrary to the claims of some detractors, who have alleged that the CO2 emitted in the production of electricity and their manufacture outweighs the benefits. Researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands found that under current conditions, driving an electric car is better for the climate than conventional petrol cars in 95 per cent of the world. The only exceptions are places like Poland, where electricity generation is still mostly based on coal, the researchers said. Average lifetime emissions from electric cars are…

A good physique and a well-toned body are achieved by following a strict diet and an intense exercise routine. The small tweaks you do in your diet can help a lot in improving your metabolism and burn belly fat. Jaggery and lemon juice water is one such magical Ayurvedic concoction that you must consume daily if you aim to come in shape and burn belly fat. Loaded with the benefits of Vitamin C, lemon juice keeps you hydrated, increases your metabolism and satiety. Research suggests that polyphenol antioxidants that are commonly found in lemons can help to manage weight efficiently.…

When the whole world is in the grab of very dangerous and life taking virus. Times which we had not ever foreseen or can even quite comprehend. Times which have made us distance ourselves physically from one another even as we value and understand the importance of the human connection. This is also a time when we turn to the hope-instilling powers of literature. The iconic Jaipur Literature Festival has always celebrated the glory of the word and the spirit of the community that books build. The Festival believes in linking people through the universal language of art and literature…

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has left the world with no other options except to being in a state of trauma. What once was thought to be only a fiction — quarantine and social distancing — has now become commonplace globally as governments make concerted efforts to fight the spiralling coronavirus outbreak. According to a study by ‘The Lancet’, a well-known medical journal, the psychological impact of such a scenario can be great leading to mental health concerns from anxiety and anger to sleep disturbances, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). With the each passing day , the significant…

The page (@6ftlove), created by New York-based urban planner, Sabah Usmani, is a reminder that though we are staying six feet apart physically, we are all still connected emotionally.“6ftlove is both a design project and a global solidarity movement to fight the spread of COVID-19,” says Sabah. The team invites people to send in their experiences of isolation, submitted in any language. Almost every day, they profile an individual’s story, with an illustration and a quote of how they are navigating the outbreak and dealing with physical distancing. “We are gathering stories spanning a diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and geographies.…

India is among the three countries to make the app mandatory. India is among the four countries to not have limitations on the use of data. Aarogya Setu’s code is not open sourced thus hampering transparency. According to a database maintained by MIT Technology Review, Aarogya Setu, India’s contact-tracing app to combat COVID-19, poses significant risks to the privacy of the user compared to similar apps in other countries. Though there is little clarity on the design and security of the app, it has been made mandatory in some places. The apps in China and Turkey pose greater risks for…

Facebook has introduced Shops, a tool to help small businesses set up free online store-fronts. The social media company said it would help the small businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic and thrive in a retail space, which is going through a digital makeover. Any seller can list their business on the online platform and connect with customers. They can customise the look and feel of their Shop with a cover image and showcase their brand on this new tool, Facebook said. “I am hopeful that it is going to play some role in helping small businesses get through this period…

Google Maps has received several updates over the last two months. It appears that the app is now getting a new real-time location sharing interface on both Android and iOS devices. The interface update is also available to Google Maps users in India. It appears that the new location sharing UI was rolled out via a server-side update. It is important to note that the new update does not include new features, but overall changes the look and feel of the location-sharing interface. In the new interface, Google has made visual changes to the sharing window as well as added…

'No one has ever said that the coronavirus cases will be zero by a particular date', Niti Aayog member VK Paul said, and apologised for any misconception on the matter. Last month, Paul made a presentation at a Health Ministry briefing in which he explained how the lockdown helped curtail the spread of the virus. In one of the slides, the curve showed active cases plummeting to zero by May 16. This is the first time Dr. Paul has acknowledged the issue at a public forum. His presentation suggested that the first lockdown had prevented India from seeing a 1,00,000…

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday announced there will be no 14-day quarantine for passengers on domestic flights. The minister said that only one-third of the flights will be allowed to operate under strict rules when domestic flight services resume on May 25. "In case you test positive, then you will not even be permitted to enter the airport or board flights," Puri added while discussing the revised SOPs that flyers need to follow when flights start on May 25. The Centre decided to start the domestic flight services from the next week after two months. Travellers…