‘A Fitting Farewell’: An Illinois family gave its old farmhouse one final purpose; about 100 firefighters trained inside before it burned

The Kestel family donated their vacant farmhouse to the New Lenox Fire Protection District. (Patch media photos) A farmhouse that had been in one family for four generations ended its long history by helping train firefighters before it was burned down in Illinois.The Kestel family donated their vacant farmhouse on Cedar Road, south of Laraway…

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Florida laboratory tests exposed endangered Caribbean corals to predatory bacteria; more than half showed no bleaching beyond the infection site

Representative Image (AI-generated) Coral reefs are often called the rainforests of the sea, but across the Caribbean, many of them are struggling to survive. Along with warming oceans and habitat loss, bacterial diseases have become a growing threat, capable of wiping out large sections of coral in a short time. Now, researchers in Florida have…

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For every Rs 100 India spends on R&D, govt gives Rs 48, pvt Rs 45 | India News

The balance of research and development funding has shifted, with government and private industry now investing nearly the same amount. In recent years, private sector contributions to research have seen a notable rise. Government spending is concentrated on sectors deemed strategic and beneficial to the public. Additionally, multinational corporations are increasingly influential in shaping India’s…

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From launch to data, tech to Isro facility, pvt firms to get 30-100% subsidy | India News

New government schemes will offer significant financial support to Indian private space companies. These initiatives aim to boost domestic launch capabilities and global competitiveness for businesses. Subsidies will cover launch services, technology transfer, and access to ISRO facilities. The programs are designed to lower entry barriers and accelerate private sector growth. This support will make…

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Quote of the day by Chandrika Kumaratunga: ‘Power is a joke, but it gives me the authority to do what I think I need to do for the country’

Quote of the day by former Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga. When Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga sat down with Australian journalist Michael Maher in July 2005 for an interview on the ABC program Foreign Correspondent, her presidency was drawing to a close. Asked about the allure of supreme political office, Sri Lanka’s first female president brushed…

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From 1952 to 2020, US inspectors recorded 2,562 woodwasp interceptions; researchers found wooden packaging was the dominant invasion pathway

When a shipment arrives at a port, inspectors are usually focused on what’s inside the containers. But sometimes, the biggest biosecurity risk isn’t the cargo at all, it’s the wooden pallet or crate carrying it.A new study published in Biological Invasions suggests that this has been the case for woodwasps, a group of wood-boring insects…

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In 2003, China planted small islands of native trees along a degraded river; 20 years later they held only 19–30% of an intact forest’s diversity and biomass

Tropical forests have been heavily degraded because of human activities. (Representational photo) Planting trees across vast areas may not be the only way to restore damaged tropical forests, according to a new study. Instead, small patches of native trees can gradually help degraded forests recover.The study was carried out by Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG)…

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Big clean energy milestone: NPCIL cumulatively generates over 1,000 bn units of N-power, avoids 860 million tons of CO2 emissions | India News

India has achieved a remarkable milestone in clean energy, generating over one thousand billion units from nuclear power. This achievement helps avoid more than 860 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The government aims to increase nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047, with an intermediate target of 22 GW by 2031-32. This expansion…

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NC, PDP announce protest plans; BJP to celebrate Article 370 abrogation | India News

Kashmir’s political landscape will witness separate protests from the NC and PDP this Wednesday, marking seven years since Article 370 was abrogated. The NC is pushing for the restoration of its statehood, whereas the PDP demands the reinstatement of Article 370. Meanwhile, BJP’s celebratory events, including a Tiranga rally from Lal Chowk, suggest a contrasting…

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