Indian scientists at IIT Guwahati create a material that works like fish scales to clean oil spills
Oil spills are a major source of water pollution and cause significant harm to marine ecosystems. Cleanup of oil spills is an arduous task, usually taking weeks, months or even years, if the spill spreads over a large area. Now a group of scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, have developed a unique artificial membrane that is capable of separating water from different types of oil...
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Real-life hero climbs four stories with bare hands to save a child in Paris
A real-life hero in Paris climbed four stories of a building with bare hands to rescue a child hanging from the balcony. The brave Malian immigrant is being dubbed “Spiderman of Paris” and will be made a citizen of France after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron. Mamoudou Gassama, 22, was hailed a hero for single-handedly hauling the four-year-old to safety after scaling the facade of an...
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This Sri Lankan entrepreneur is making paper from elephant poop
People thought Sri Lankan entrepreneur Thusitha Ranasinghe had gone crazy when he suggested his idea of producing paper from elephant dung. “Not that I can blame them,” he chuckles. But the man had seen a program about a ranger in Kenya, who made a kind of papyrus from elephant dung. Inspiration struck and Ranasinghe vowed to turn what seemed like a far-fetched dream into reality. He launched his eco-firm...
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This incredible refugee woman runs a successful catering business despite all odds
This is the inspiring story of Mariam Shaar – a woman born and raised as a refugee in the Bourj al Barajneh refugee camp in Lebanon. The camp was established in 1948 to accommodate displaced Palestinians, its residents unable to work or participate as citizens. Mariam, however, decided to create a source of livelihood for Palestinian refugee women in the camp. In 2013, she went to Alfanar, Arab...
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German city Hamburg to ban older diesel vehicles to cut pollution
Hamburg will soon become the first city in Germany to ban older diesel cars in an attempt to cut down air pollution levels. While a one-mile stretch of Stresemannstraße highway will bar old diesel trucks, a 580-metre stretch of Max-Brauer-Allee will bar diesel cars of Euro-5 standard and older. The ban is likely to affect about 214,000 cars in all. Authorities in the northern port city said on Wednesday some...
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These eco-friendly vegetable cellars are helping famers in remote Indian village to store veggies in harsh winters
Ladakh, a district in the picturesque state of Jammu and Kashmir, India, is witnessing the impacts of climate change due to the recent boom in tourism industry. The area is experiencing significant shortfalls of snow, rising temperatures and glaciers melting at a faster pace. Since 80% of local farmers depend on glaciers for irrigation, climate change is posing a major threat to their very survival. With Ladakh...
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Microsoft pledges $25 million to development of AI that makes life easier for the disabled
Tech giant Microsoft has announced that it will invest $25 million to develop technology that will make life easier for disabled people. The company revealed its “AI For Accessibility” initiative during the annual developer conference in Seattle. “By innovating for people with disabilities, we are innovating for us all,” said Microsoft President Brad Smith about the program. “By ensuring that technology fulfills...
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American billionaire opens a mental health clinic to treat veterans and their families free of cost
Billionaire Steven A. Cohen launched his $275 million charitable project – the Cohen Veterans Network – in 2016, wherein he planned to build a network of clinics for veterans across the country. Under the project, an all-new mental health clinic to treat veterans and their families opened up in Colorado. “Every day, many veterans and their families are living with the mental and physical scars from...
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UPS deploys new state-of-the-art electric vehicles to deliver packages in London and Paris
In an attempt to attain the global carbon reduction goals for its fleets, UPS announced that it is launching a new fleet of state-of-the-art electric delivery vehicles that are being developed in collaboration with UK based technology firm ARRIVAL. All 35 vehicles will first be trialed in London and Paris before year end. The zero tailpipe emission, lightweight composite vehicles have a battery range of more...
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This waitress received a $2,000 tip on Mother’s Day from a kind customer
Brenda Pearson had been a stay-at-home mom for two years before she started working as a waitress at the 4 Star Diner in Roland, Oklahoma. On Mother’s Day, an act of kindness and generosity by a customer touched her heart and helped her with her struggling finances. It was a regular day at the diner when a customer walked in and ordered one cheeseburger, Brenda recalls. When it was time to pay, he said he...
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