Egypt has now rolled out a 2.5 billion dollars plan to build 17 desalination plants that will be powered by solar energy. The government has been offering concessions to attract private investors, it aims to set up the plant by the next five years.

Egypt to build 17 desalination plants, invites private bidders in clean energy push

Forcing most of the country into blackout, Lebanon's two main power plants were switched off on Friday, July 9. The shutdown has been attributed to the lack of fuel.

Forcing most of the country into blackout, Lebanon's two main power plants were switched off on Friday, July 9. The shutdown has been attributed to the lack of fuel. Lebanon's two biggest power stations, Deir Ammar and Zahrani, which together provide about 40 per cent of the country's electricity, shut down on Friday, said their owner Electricite Du Liban (EDL). Lack of foreign currency has made it hard to pay overseas energy suppliers. Various pharmacies have also gone on strike over medicine shortages caused by the failure to pay foreign importers. Also read | Lebanon few days away from social explosion: PM Diab Also, worsening the crisis, the ships loaded with gas oil had refused to offload the fuel before money was transferred to their owners' accounts in dollars. Power cuts are not unusual in Lebanon as the country hasn't had 24/7 electricity for decades. State-generated power has been rationed, and people filled in the gaps into a parallel system of private generators. For the first time, on Friday, the entire grid went offline, and the private generators became the only source of power.

Lebanon faces power cut as two major plants shut down

Scientists from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have overcome this problem by drawing inspiration from the electrocardiogram (ECG). ECG

Talking to plants through a mobile app

Plants absorb a vast amount of toxic mercury gas in the atmosphere and help reducing the pollutant worldwide by depositing the element into soils, said researchers.

The process is similar to the absorption of carbon dioxide emissions by plants, said the team from University of Massachusetts Lowell, in the US.

Hundreds of tonnes of mercury each year are emitted into the atmosphere as a gas by burning coal, mining and other industrial and natural processes.

When the plants shed leaves or die, the mercury is transferred to soils where large amounts also make their way into watersheds, threatening wildlife and people who eat contaminated fish, the researchers explained, in the study published journal Nature Reviews - Earth &amp; Environment.

Exposure to high levels of mercury over long periods can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems in humans, according to Daniel Obrist, Professor at UMass Lowell.

There is no safe level of mercury for humans, according to the World Health Organization. Exposure to the hazardous element can lead to irritability, speech and visual impairment, hypospermia, kidney failure and Alzheimer’s disease, among others.

For the study, the team collected 200 published studies with data on mercury levels in vegetation from more than 400 locations around the world.

They found about 88 per cent of the mercury found in plants originates from plants’ leaves absorbing gaseous mercury from the atmosphere.

Globally, vegetation can take up more than 1,300 tonnes of mercury each year, accounting for 60 to 90 per cent of it being deposited over land, according to Jun Zhou, Research Associate at UMass Lowell.

The study represents the largest comprehensive review of the uptake of mercury in vegetation and its impact on mercury cycling around the world. The work moves scientists toward a greater understanding of how mercury cycling works, Zhou said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Plants absorb a vast amount of toxic mercury gas in the atmosphere and help reducing the pollutant worldwide by depositing the element into soils, said researchers.

Plants absorb a vast amount of toxic mercury gas in the atmosphere and help reducing the pollutant worldwide by depositing the element into soils, said researchers. The process is similar to the absorption of carbon dioxide emissions by plants, said the team from University of Massachusetts Lowell, in the US. Hundreds of tonnes of mercury each year are emitted into the atmosphere as a gas by burning coal, mining and other industrial and natural processes. When the plants shed leaves or die, the mercury is transferred to soils where large amounts also make their way into watersheds, threatening wildlife and people who eat contaminated fish, the researchers explained, in the study published journal Nature Reviews - Earth & Environment. Exposure to high levels of mercury over long periods can lead to neurological and cardiovascular problems in humans, according to Daniel Obrist, Professor at UMass Lowell. There is no safe level of mercury for humans, according to the World Health Organization. Exposure to the hazardous element can lead to irritability, speech and visual impairment, hypospermia, kidney failure and Alzheimer’s disease, among others. For the study, the team collected 200 published studies with data on mercury levels in vegetation from more than 400 locations around the world. They found about 88 per cent of the mercury found in plants originates from plants’ leaves absorbing gaseous mercury from the atmosphere. Globally, vegetation can take up more than 1,300 tonnes of mercury each year, accounting for 60 to 90 per cent of it being deposited over land, according to Jun Zhou, Research Associate at UMass Lowell. The study represents the largest comprehensive review of the uptake of mercury in vegetation and its impact on mercury cycling around the world. The work moves scientists toward a greater understanding of how mercury cycling works, Zhou said. (With inputs from agencies)

Plants help reduce toxic mercury from environment, says study

What if we told you that scientists recently made spinach send emails? Jest aside, this is purely factual.

Scientists recently taught spinach how to send emails, or at least to mimic the process. But this is not simply for fun, but to send warnings about climate change and explosive materials, EuroNews reported. Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently came up with a new method to detect major changes in our climate.

According to the study, which was published in the journal called "Nature Materials", the researchers tapped into the root systems of the vegetable. "Plants are very environmentally responsive," Professor Michael Strano, who led the study, said in a conversation with EuroNews.

But how? 
Spinach knows if there is going to be a drought. They are also able to detect minute changes in the properties of soil and water. "If we tap into those chemical signalling pathways, there is a wealth of information to access", Strano further told EuroNews.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/overeating-white-bread-pasta-may-invite-heart-disease-study-361265" hreflang="en">Overeating white bread, pasta may invite heart disease: Study</a>

The technology in question is called "plant nanobionics", and uses roots of the spinach plant to detect nitroaromatics in groundwater. Nitroaromatic substances are usually found in industrial man-made goods, including explosives.

Where's the emailing? 
Once detecting such nitroaromatic substances, the nanotubes beam a signal to an infrared camera. From there, an email is sent out to scientists in the form of an alert to warn them of changes.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-tuberculosis-treatment-to-cut-pill-intake-significantly-361140" hreflang="en">New tuberculosis treatment to cut pill intake significantly</a>

Strano described plants as "very good analytical chemists" with an extensive network of roots in the soil. Since they are constantly in touch with groundwater, they are able to keep sampling groundwater. According to Strano, the study has helped bridge the gap in terms of communication between plants and animals.

What if we told you that scientists recently made spinach send emails? Jest aside, this is purely factual. Scientists recently taught spinach how to send emails, or at least to mimic the process.

What if we told you that scientists recently made spinach send emails? Jest aside, this is purely factual. Scientists recently taught spinach how to send emails, or at least to mimic the process. But this is not simply for fun, but to send warnings about climate change and explosive materials, EuroNews reported. Engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently came up with a new method to detect major changes in our climate. According to the study, which was published in the journal called "Nature Materials", the researchers tapped into the root systems of the vegetable. "Plants are very environmentally responsive," Professor Michael Strano, who led the study, said in a conversation with EuroNews. But how? Spinach knows if there is going to be a drought. They are also able to detect minute changes in the properties of soil and water. "If we tap into those chemical signalling pathways, there is a wealth of information to access", Strano further told EuroNews. Also read: Overeating white bread, pasta may invite heart disease: Study The technology in question is called "plant nanobionics", and uses roots of the spinach plant to detect nitroaromatics in groundwater. Nitroaromatic substances are usually found in industrial man-made goods, including explosives. Where's the emailing? Once detecting such nitroaromatic substances, the nanotubes beam a signal to an infrared camera. From there, an email is sent out to scientists in the form of an alert to warn them of changes. Also read: New tuberculosis treatment to cut pill intake significantly Strano described plants as "very good analytical chemists" with an extensive network of roots in the soil. Since they are constantly in touch with groundwater, they are able to keep sampling groundwater. According to Strano, the study has helped bridge the gap in terms of communication between plants and animals.

Scientists recently taught spinach how to send emails... No kidding!

If you love having plants at home, then there is a good news for you as a new study suggests that plants at home can keep you mentally healthy. 
 
The findings, published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, indicated that having plants at home had a positive influence on the psychological well-being of the dwelling`s inhabitants during Covid-19 lockdown. 
 
For the study, the researchers, including Katia Perini from the University of Genoa in Italy, evaluated the role played by the plants at home during the first Covid-19 lockdown and the study involved 4,200 respondents. 
 
The situation between the months of March and June deprived the public of the chance to enjoy open spaces and nature, and forced them to spend extended periods of time indoors. 
 
The team found 74 percent of the respondents agreed that having plants at home had a positive influence on emotional well-being during lockdown, the researchers said. 
 
In fact, more than half of them (55.8 percent) stated that they would have preferred to have more plants in their house during that difficult period. The frequency with which study participants experienced negative emotions was higher in those who stated they had no indoor plants. 
 
Those living in small or poorly lit dwellings and those who did not visit green spaces frequently before lockdown also experienced more negative emotions, it added. 
 
Moreover, just over half of respondents (52 per cent) reported spending more time on plant care at home during lockdown and almost two thirds (62.5 per cent) expressed a desire to do so once normality was restored. 
 
As a result, 40 percent of the participants indicated that they were motivated to have more plants at home in future, the researchers said. 
 
 
&nbsp;

If you love having plants at home, then there is a good news for you as a new study suggests that plants at home can keep you mentally healthy. The findings, published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, indicated that having plants at home had a positive influence on the psychological well-being of the dwelling`s inhabitants during Covid-19 lockdown.

If you love having plants at home, then there is a good news for you as a new study suggests that plants at home can keep you mentally healthy. The findings, published in the journal Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, indicated that having plants at home had a positive influence on the psychological well-being of the dwelling`s inhabitants during Covid-19 lockdown. For the study, the researchers, including Katia Perini from the University of Genoa in Italy, evaluated the role played by the plants at home during the first Covid-19 lockdown and the study involved 4,200 respondents. The situation between the months of March and June deprived the public of the chance to enjoy open spaces and nature, and forced them to spend extended periods of time indoors. The team found 74 percent of the respondents agreed that having plants at home had a positive influence on emotional well-being during lockdown, the researchers said. In fact, more than half of them (55.8 percent) stated that they would have preferred to have more plants in their house during that difficult period. The frequency with which study participants experienced negative emotions was higher in those who stated they had no indoor plants. Those living in small or poorly lit dwellings and those who did not visit green spaces frequently before lockdown also experienced more negative emotions, it added. Moreover, just over half of respondents (52 per cent) reported spending more time on plant care at home during lockdown and almost two thirds (62.5 per cent) expressed a desire to do so once normality was restored. As a result, 40 percent of the participants indicated that they were motivated to have more plants at home in future, the researchers said.

Plants at home may improve mental well-being

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good.

There’s just one problem. Your neighbor — also a pepper plant — needs the same things. There’s only so much to go around. What’s your move?

For years, researchers have looked into the tangled problem of root competition, coming up with diverse and sometimes conflicting findings about how plants strategically arrange their roots when the dirt gets crowded. A paper published this month in Science details a new model that appears to reconcile this confusion by accounting for the spatial distribution of roots along with their prevalence. In initial tests performed by the paper’s authors, real plants played by the rules the model laid out.

It takes energy and materials to grow and maintain a root. Ideally, a plant will get more resources out of its roots than it spends on their construction and upkeep. Plants can sense the concentration of water and nutrients in particular soil patches, and apportion roots accordingly, to maximize their yield.

For a solitary plant, this is simple enough. But when other plants are around, the calculus changes. Researchers have borrowed tools from game theory — a way to analyze and optimize decision making, used by everyone from financial analysts to actual gamers — to try to figure out exactly how.

One model, published in 2001, predicted that plants growing close together end up in a “tragedy of the commons,” with each individual in a shared space making more roots than a lone plant would, but also getting fewer rewards. Some real-world experiments matched this model, finding that plants with neighbors did create more root mass than those growing on their own.

But other studies have found the opposite: that competing plants invested less in roots. And others still found no appreciable difference.

“There was all this controversy,” said Ciro Cabal, a doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University and the lead author of the new study.

Cabal wondered whether that model, and others like it, might be missing a component. They treated all roots the same, no matter their distance from the plant’s stem. But in reality, the farther a root grows from the plant, the more costly it is to produce and maintain.

So he and his co-authors built a new model to account for that. “We incorporated space,” he said. “And we found this new theory.”

In their model, a plant facing competition will underproduce those more expensive, wide-ranging roots that might otherwise overlap with a neighbor’s. But it will overproduce roots closer to home, effectively consolidating power and preventing any “I drink your milkshake” style plays.

Whether plants with neighbors over- or underproduce roots compared with solo plants depends on how far apart the two competing plants are, Cabal said. So those findings from previous studies that seemed to contradict each other are “all possible according to our model.”

Next, the researchers brought this hypothetical math down to earth. They planted sweet peppers in containers — some alone, and some in twos about four inches apart — and stained the roots of the rival peppers with dyes, to differentiate them. After a few months, they mapped out where and how densely each plant’s roots had grown, and found it matched the model. The paired peppers grew more roots that stayed close to home, and fewer that went farther away, compared with the peppers that had containers to themselves.

The new model “provides an excellent baseline prediction for how root systems might behave in the presence of neighbors,” and brings together hypotheses and findings that previously seemed contradictory, said Jochen Schenk, a professor of plant biology at California State University Fullerton who was not involved in the study.

But he cautions against overgeneralizing about its findings.

“I would not accept the claim that a single test with one plant species can tell us what plants will do in general,” he said.

Different species may respond to each other in different ways. Recent research also suggests that other life-forms, such as fungi and microbes, bear on how some plants interact underground.

Even Cabal did not expect that his model and experiment would correspond so neatly. While he expects real-world cases to challenge the particulars of the model, “I truly believe that the principle we present is true,” he said. Next, he plans to try his experiment in the wild, on a few species of Mediterranean shrub.

If this strategy does turn out to be widely used by plants, people could use it to incorporate more accurate estimates of plant biomass into climate models, Cabal said. And if it’s possible, breeding some of the competitiveness out of plants could also improve yields in agriculture. Farmers are often stymied by self-interested crops that put their energy into roots instead of fruits.

Cabal and his co-authors also modeled what he called a “cooperative solution” to the nutrient-sharing problem. In this scenario, “each plant is not being selfish — it’s not maximizing its own reward,” he said. Instead, the plants collectively position their roots to produce the most nutrient uptake for the least investment overall.

Alas, experimentally, “we didn’t find it in these plants,” he said.

For now, it’s every pepper for itself.

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good.

Imagine you’re a pepper plant. You need water and nutrients. Luckily, you can grow roots that grab that stuff from the soil and pipe it back to you. So far, so good. There’s just one problem. Your neighbor — also a pepper plant — needs the same things. There’s only so much to go around. What’s your move? For years, researchers have looked into the tangled problem of root competition, coming up with diverse and sometimes conflicting findings about how plants strategically arrange their roots when the dirt gets crowded. A paper published this month in Science details a new model that appears to reconcile this confusion by accounting for the spatial distribution of roots along with their prevalence. In initial tests performed by the paper’s authors, real plants played by the rules the model laid out. It takes energy and materials to grow and maintain a root. Ideally, a plant will get more resources out of its roots than it spends on their construction and upkeep. Plants can sense the concentration of water and nutrients in particular soil patches, and apportion roots accordingly, to maximize their yield. For a solitary plant, this is simple enough. But when other plants are around, the calculus changes. Researchers have borrowed tools from game theory — a way to analyze and optimize decision making, used by everyone from financial analysts to actual gamers — to try to figure out exactly how. One model, published in 2001, predicted that plants growing close together end up in a “tragedy of the commons,” with each individual in a shared space making more roots than a lone plant would, but also getting fewer rewards. Some real-world experiments matched this model, finding that plants with neighbors did create more root mass than those growing on their own. But other studies have found the opposite: that competing plants invested less in roots. And others still found no appreciable difference. “There was all this controversy,” said Ciro Cabal, a doctoral student in ecology and evolutionary biology at Princeton University and the lead author of the new study. Cabal wondered whether that model, and others like it, might be missing a component. They treated all roots the same, no matter their distance from the plant’s stem. But in reality, the farther a root grows from the plant, the more costly it is to produce and maintain. So he and his co-authors built a new model to account for that. “We incorporated space,” he said. “And we found this new theory.” In their model, a plant facing competition will underproduce those more expensive, wide-ranging roots that might otherwise overlap with a neighbor’s. But it will overproduce roots closer to home, effectively consolidating power and preventing any “I drink your milkshake” style plays. Whether plants with neighbors over- or underproduce roots compared with solo plants depends on how far apart the two competing plants are, Cabal said. So those findings from previous studies that seemed to contradict each other are “all possible according to our model.” Next, the researchers brought this hypothetical math down to earth. They planted sweet peppers in containers — some alone, and some in twos about four inches apart — and stained the roots of the rival peppers with dyes, to differentiate them. After a few months, they mapped out where and how densely each plant’s roots had grown, and found it matched the model. The paired peppers grew more roots that stayed close to home, and fewer that went farther away, compared with the peppers that had containers to themselves. The new model “provides an excellent baseline prediction for how root systems might behave in the presence of neighbors,” and brings together hypotheses and findings that previously seemed contradictory, said Jochen Schenk, a professor of plant biology at California State University Fullerton who was not involved in the study. But he cautions against overgeneralizing about its findings. “I would not accept the claim that a single test with one plant species can tell us what plants will do in general,” he said. Different species may respond to each other in different ways. Recent research also suggests that other life-forms, such as fungi and microbes, bear on how some plants interact underground. Even Cabal did not expect that his model and experiment would correspond so neatly. While he expects real-world cases to challenge the particulars of the model, “I truly believe that the principle we present is true,” he said. Next, he plans to try his experiment in the wild, on a few species of Mediterranean shrub. If this strategy does turn out to be widely used by plants, people could use it to incorporate more accurate estimates of plant biomass into climate models, Cabal said. And if it’s possible, breeding some of the competitiveness out of plants could also improve yields in agriculture. Farmers are often stymied by self-interested crops that put their energy into roots instead of fruits. Cabal and his co-authors also modeled what he called a “cooperative solution” to the nutrient-sharing problem. In this scenario, “each plant is not being selfish — it’s not maximizing its own reward,” he said. Instead, the plants collectively position their roots to produce the most nutrient uptake for the least investment overall. Alas, experimentally, “we didn’t find it in these plants,” he said. For now, it’s every pepper for itself.

How selfish are plants? Let’s do some root analysis

Orchids are not often called ugly, but that is how the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew, London, described a new species of the normally vibrant and delicate flower discovered in the forests of Madagascar.

An orchid only a botanist could love

BALASHIKHA, Russia — Take any of the many highways out of the Russian capital and you can dissect the country’s strata like rings on a tree. Sentinel apartment towers replace the bustling illuminated center, then the belt of auto dealerships and box stores drifts by. Gradually, the landscape becomes sparse, with villages and towns sporadically punctuating the stretch of meadows and forests for thousands of miles in every direction.

Russia is the biggest country on Earth and both the state and the people take pride in the size of its territory — “from the southern seas to the polar fringes,” as the current national anthem goes. That quiet emptiness, the enormity of Russia, has been infiltrated in recent decades by an alien force: the giant hogweed.

This invader, an exceptionally tall plant with a toxic sap that can cause third-degree burns and blindness, has come to symbolize the fate of rural Russia: malign neglect by the government. While Russia may be vast, most economic activity — and much of life in general — is concentrated in a handful of cities. And after various Soviet-era attempts to develop land through centralized planning, there is evidence that the current government is doing the exact opposite. Enter the hogweed.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-journalist-dies-after-setting-herself-on-fire-332243">Also read|&nbsp;Russian journalist dies after setting herself on fire</a>

In the summer, the giant hogweed assumes the look of dill on steroids; its coffee-table sized leaves create thickets impossible to pass without a hazmat suit. In the winter, it desiccates into a brown skeleton. Outside Moscow, the hogweeds are often the only visible landmarks over white fields, ominous umbrellas standing in the snow like War of the Worlds troops poised to march. Officials have begun to refer to overgrown areas as “contaminated.”

Giant hogweeds grow naturally in the Caucasus Mountains. Evolving to thrive on shifting soils, they compete with other high-altitude herbage by yielding extraordinary seed counts — up to 100,000 per plant. The plant’s Latin name, Heracleum, hints at its extraordinary strength. In Central Russia, where typical meadow grasses are much shorter, it quickly overpowers all local species.

“Our plants cannot compete with it,” Dmitry Geltman, the director of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told me. “It takes over deserted fields because it likes unstable soil. For any alien species, it is easier to infiltrate a fluctuating community.”

Mr. Geltman speaks in botanical terms, but he could be talking about life in rural Russia, which has experienced a relentless population exodus since the 1990s. Russia has some 222 million hectares of agricultural land, nearly 100 million of which are unused, according to a 2016 census.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-is-behind-the-crime-alexei-navalny-claims-in-interview-331654">Also read|&nbsp;'Putin is behind the crime': Alexei Navalny claims in interview</a>

Much of this vast territory — 386,000 square miles, about twice the size of Spain — was abandoned after the breakup of the Soviet Union because it was unprofitable to farm. As humans left, the hogweed advanced.

It seems the government doesn’t know what to do with the land, or the people on it: Rural Russians are twice as poor and jobless as those living in urban areas. Research has shown that the number of farms in the country halved between 2006 and 2016. The top 1 percent of all agricultural companies receive two-thirds of all investment — just 61 companies collectively own over 14 million hectares of farmland and prefer to use seasonal migrant labor. Rural Russians are shut out of economic opportunity.

Vasily Melnichenko, a straight-talking farmer from the Ural Mountains who heads a movement for rural development, says President Vladimir Putin’s government’s policy toward rural Russia has been awful. Rural people are seen as a “burden,” he said, sapping budget funding for roads, electricity and health care.

“It has gone on too long to be a mistake, but if it’s done on purpose, then that would mean we’re governed by enemies,” Mr. Melnichenko told me. “There have been dozens of road maps and national projects, but nobody can carry them out. There is a complete inability to understand the territory.”

Another 20 years of the same, he said, and all the remaining residents will die out, ending the Russian village as a form of life.

The giant hogweed is what happens when a land loses its stewards. The weed is expanding its coverage by about 10 percent every year. It now creeps to the margins of forests and rivers, even near urban areas. Even the heavily built-up Moscow region had almost 270 square miles contaminated with giant hogweed this summer, according to the regional government. In the Tver region, which lies between Moscow and St. Petersburg and is the size of Austria, the hogweed has permeated a third of towns and villages.

The invasion is one of the many environmental disasters brought on by Soviet centralized planning. After World War II, Soviet agronomists, keen to quickly rebuild the country’s agriculture industry, thought that the plant’s impressive biomass could make it a good crop to feed livestock. Seeds were distributed throughout the country.

Hogweed contains a high concentration of furanocoumarins, substances that cause severe burns and blisters when affected areas of skin are exposed to sunlight. Even so, the plant was grown nationwide. By the 1980s, when the plant began infiltrating central Russia’s wilderness, tests showed that cows fed on hogweed produced poor-tasting milk. Efforts to make the plant less toxic failed.

The plague could not be contained. While some regional governments now try to spray problem zones with pesticides, Moscow hasn’t paid the problem any attention or sought to understand its scope. Tatarstan, the only region to monitor its spread, has pleaded for federal help, saying that the area overtaken by the hogweed grew tenfold in the past eight years, with thousands of burn victims and even fatalities.

Some activists and scientists are experimenting with solutions, ranging from hogweed-eating snails to moonshine production.

One evening I joined an activist, Maria Popova, on a hogweed raid outside the Russian capital. We equipped ourselves with gloves, goggles and large kitchen knives on the edge of a field that is part of the popular Losiny Ostrov National Park — a large nature area close to Moscow.

“If you don’t interfere, the hogweeds multiply at a crazy rate and soon there is nothing but them,” she said as we hiked through the tall grass. Ms. Popova started patrolling the nearby fields when she came across “plantations” of hogweed on one of her walks. The national park, which is tasked with protecting biodiversity, has ignored the problem, she said. She called hogweed “a symbol of neglect.”

“At the national level, the government does nothing,” she said, rising up on tiptoes and hacking off giant umbrella-like flowering structures on stalks three meters in the air. It’s a trustworthy method to prevent the weed from seeding — one activist in a hogweed-fighting social networking group confessed to arming herself with a machete on cycling trips.

But urban activists are more likely to mobilize online, while in the provinces, there simply aren’t enough people who care, said Darya Grebenshchikova, a writer living in a shrinking village in Tver region.

“The hogweed is not perceived as a problem because there is no population here to perceive it as a problem,” she told me. “I have lost hope in some kind of renaissance of the village. The government has decided it’s too much hassle to keep the rural areas alive, so they are turning it into a desert.”

BALASHIKHA, Russia — Take any of the many highways out of the Russian capital and you can dissect the country’s strata like rings on a tree. Sentinel apartment towers replace the bustling illuminated center, then the belt of auto dealerships and box stores drifts by.

BALASHIKHA, Russia — Take any of the many highways out of the Russian capital and you can dissect the country’s strata like rings on a tree. Sentinel apartment towers replace the bustling illuminated center, then the belt of auto dealerships and box stores drifts by. Gradually, the landscape becomes sparse, with villages and towns sporadically punctuating the stretch of meadows and forests for thousands of miles in every direction. Russia is the biggest country on Earth and both the state and the people take pride in the size of its territory — “from the southern seas to the polar fringes,” as the current national anthem goes. That quiet emptiness, the enormity of Russia, has been infiltrated in recent decades by an alien force: the giant hogweed. This invader, an exceptionally tall plant with a toxic sap that can cause third-degree burns and blindness, has come to symbolize the fate of rural Russia: malign neglect by the government. While Russia may be vast, most economic activity — and much of life in general — is concentrated in a handful of cities. And after various Soviet-era attempts to develop land through centralized planning, there is evidence that the current government is doing the exact opposite. Enter the hogweed. Also read| Russian journalist dies after setting herself on fire In the summer, the giant hogweed assumes the look of dill on steroids; its coffee-table sized leaves create thickets impossible to pass without a hazmat suit. In the winter, it desiccates into a brown skeleton. Outside Moscow, the hogweeds are often the only visible landmarks over white fields, ominous umbrellas standing in the snow like War of the Worlds troops poised to march. Officials have begun to refer to overgrown areas as “contaminated.” Giant hogweeds grow naturally in the Caucasus Mountains. Evolving to thrive on shifting soils, they compete with other high-altitude herbage by yielding extraordinary seed counts — up to 100,000 per plant. The plant’s Latin name, Heracleum, hints at its extraordinary strength. In Central Russia, where typical meadow grasses are much shorter, it quickly overpowers all local species. “Our plants cannot compete with it,” Dmitry Geltman, the director of the Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told me. “It takes over deserted fields because it likes unstable soil. For any alien species, it is easier to infiltrate a fluctuating community.” Mr. Geltman speaks in botanical terms, but he could be talking about life in rural Russia, which has experienced a relentless population exodus since the 1990s. Russia has some 222 million hectares of agricultural land, nearly 100 million of which are unused, according to a 2016 census. Also read| 'Putin is behind the crime': Alexei Navalny claims in interview Much of this vast territory — 386,000 square miles, about twice the size of Spain — was abandoned after the breakup of the Soviet Union because it was unprofitable to farm. As humans left, the hogweed advanced. It seems the government doesn’t know what to do with the land, or the people on it: Rural Russians are twice as poor and jobless as those living in urban areas. Research has shown that the number of farms in the country halved between 2006 and 2016. The top 1 percent of all agricultural companies receive two-thirds of all investment — just 61 companies collectively own over 14 million hectares of farmland and prefer to use seasonal migrant labor. Rural Russians are shut out of economic opportunity. Vasily Melnichenko, a straight-talking farmer from the Ural Mountains who heads a movement for rural development, says President Vladimir Putin’s government’s policy toward rural Russia has been awful. Rural people are seen as a “burden,” he said, sapping budget funding for roads, electricity and health care. “It has gone on too long to be a mistake, but if it’s done on purpose, then that would mean we’re governed by enemies,” Mr. Melnichenko told me. “There have been dozens of road maps and national projects, but nobody can carry them out. There is a complete inability to understand the territory.” Another 20 years of the same, he said, and all the remaining residents will die out, ending the Russian village as a form of life. The giant hogweed is what happens when a land loses its stewards. The weed is expanding its coverage by about 10 percent every year. It now creeps to the margins of forests and rivers, even near urban areas. Even the heavily built-up Moscow region had almost 270 square miles contaminated with giant hogweed this summer, according to the regional government. In the Tver region, which lies between Moscow and St. Petersburg and is the size of Austria, the hogweed has permeated a third of towns and villages. The invasion is one of the many environmental disasters brought on by Soviet centralized planning. After World War II, Soviet agronomists, keen to quickly rebuild the country’s agriculture industry, thought that the plant’s impressive biomass could make it a good crop to feed livestock. Seeds were distributed throughout the country. Hogweed contains a high concentration of furanocoumarins, substances that cause severe burns and blisters when affected areas of skin are exposed to sunlight. Even so, the plant was grown nationwide. By the 1980s, when the plant began infiltrating central Russia’s wilderness, tests showed that cows fed on hogweed produced poor-tasting milk. Efforts to make the plant less toxic failed. The plague could not be contained. While some regional governments now try to spray problem zones with pesticides, Moscow hasn’t paid the problem any attention or sought to understand its scope. Tatarstan, the only region to monitor its spread, has pleaded for federal help, saying that the area overtaken by the hogweed grew tenfold in the past eight years, with thousands of burn victims and even fatalities. Some activists and scientists are experimenting with solutions, ranging from hogweed-eating snails to moonshine production. One evening I joined an activist, Maria Popova, on a hogweed raid outside the Russian capital. We equipped ourselves with gloves, goggles and large kitchen knives on the edge of a field that is part of the popular Losiny Ostrov National Park — a large nature area close to Moscow. “If you don’t interfere, the hogweeds multiply at a crazy rate and soon there is nothing but them,” she said as we hiked through the tall grass. Ms. Popova started patrolling the nearby fields when she came across “plantations” of hogweed on one of her walks. The national park, which is tasked with protecting biodiversity, has ignored the problem, she said. She called hogweed “a symbol of neglect.” “At the national level, the government does nothing,” she said, rising up on tiptoes and hacking off giant umbrella-like flowering structures on stalks three meters in the air. It’s a trustworthy method to prevent the weed from seeding — one activist in a hogweed-fighting social networking group confessed to arming herself with a machete on cycling trips. But urban activists are more likely to mobilize online, while in the provinces, there simply aren’t enough people who care, said Darya Grebenshchikova, a writer living in a shrinking village in Tver region. “The hogweed is not perceived as a problem because there is no population here to perceive it as a problem,” she told me. “I have lost hope in some kind of renaissance of the village. The government has decided it’s too much hassle to keep the rural areas alive, so they are turning it into a desert.”

A toxic alien is taking over Russia

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths&nbsp;of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned.

Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear.

Plants hold huge promise as medicines, fuels and foods, says a report by the royal botanic gardens, kew. These unknown species are a ''treasure chest'' of food, medicine and biofuels.&nbsp;

But opportunities are being lost to use plants and fungi to address global issues such as food security and climate change.

Over 4,000 species of plants and fungi belonging to the same group as onion, garlic, spinach, cassava and a sea holly were discovered in 2019.

While&nbsp;cassava can help in securing the staple crop eaten by 800 miliion people, the relatives of&nbsp;sea holly is anti-malarial and can treat inflammation.

The assessment of the state of the world's plants and fungi is based on research from more than 200 scientists in 42 countries.

The report was released on the eve of a united nations summit, which will press for action from world leaders to address biodiversity loss.

The scientists estimate that the extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought, with an estimated 140,000, or 39.4 per cent, of vascular plants estimated to be threatened with extinction, compared with 21 per cent&nbsp;in 2016.

The research found 723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction, with over-harvesting a problem in some parts of the world.

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear.

Approximately forty percent or two-fifths of the world's plants are at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. Researchers say they are racing against time to name and describe new species, before they disappear. Plants hold huge promise as medicines, fuels and foods, says a report by the royal botanic gardens, kew. These unknown species are a ''treasure chest'' of food, medicine and biofuels. But opportunities are being lost to use plants and fungi to address global issues such as food security and climate change. Over 4,000 species of plants and fungi belonging to the same group as onion, garlic, spinach, cassava and a sea holly were discovered in 2019. While cassava can help in securing the staple crop eaten by 800 miliion people, the relatives of sea holly is anti-malarial and can treat inflammation. The assessment of the state of the world's plants and fungi is based on research from more than 200 scientists in 42 countries. The report was released on the eve of a united nations summit, which will press for action from world leaders to address biodiversity loss. The scientists estimate that the extinction risk may be much higher than previously thought, with an estimated 140,000, or 39.4 per cent, of vascular plants estimated to be threatened with extinction, compared with 21 per cent in 2016. The research found 723 plants used for medicine are at risk of extinction, with over-harvesting a problem in some parts of the world.

40% of plant species facing risk of extinction: Report

No price is too high for those keen of mind and with an eye for detail. For lesser mortals like all of us, there is always an upper financial cap for our aspirations. We may have wanderlust and passion and whatnot while posing for our perfect Instagram pics. But when it comes to real world, even those raking in moolah plan their finances properly.

So given all this, when a guy shells out $5300 (Almost Rs 4 lakh) for a plant, we are bound to think that it has leaves of gold or something. But that's not the case here.

A man in New Zealand set a record when he shelled out this much money for a Rhaphidophora tetrasperma.

That is the scientific name for mini Monstera, a plant that this guy was digging.

Why&nbsp;the price tag?

The plant is rare and desirable by plant collectors all over the world.

New York Post quoted Trade Me to say that between end of May and the beginning of June, 33 thousand searches were recorded for mini Monstera online.

Monsteras are a pleasant sight yes. The leaves come in colours like yellow, pink, white and even purple.

“A plant will grow a leaf that looks a little bit different because those leaves don’t have chlorophyll,” Jesse Waldman, the director of marketing and e-commerce at Pistils Nursery in Oregon was quoted by Vice.

However, with all things costly, these plant too are delicate and to grow them in a normal household needs great efforts. Sometimes, the leaves lose their distinctive colour and return to being green. So special care needs to be taken.

Plant sellers in the US say that sale of plants has increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

No price is too high for those keen of mind and with an eye for detail. For lesser mortals like all of us, there is always an upper financial cap for our aspirations.

No price is too high for those keen of mind and with an eye for detail. For lesser mortals like all of us, there is always an upper financial cap for our aspirations. We may have wanderlust and passion and whatnot while posing for our perfect Instagram pics. But when it comes to real world, even those raking in moolah plan their finances properly. So given all this, when a guy shells out $5300 (Almost Rs 4 lakh) for a plant, we are bound to think that it has leaves of gold or something. But that's not the case here. A man in New Zealand set a record when he shelled out this much money for a Rhaphidophora tetrasperma. That is the scientific name for mini Monstera, a plant that this guy was digging. Why the price tag? The plant is rare and desirable by plant collectors all over the world. New York Post quoted Trade Me to say that between end of May and the beginning of June, 33 thousand searches were recorded for mini Monstera online. Monsteras are a pleasant sight yes. The leaves come in colours like yellow, pink, white and even purple. “A plant will grow a leaf that looks a little bit different because those leaves don’t have chlorophyll,” Jesse Waldman, the director of marketing and e-commerce at Pistils Nursery in Oregon was quoted by Vice. However, with all things costly, these plant too are delicate and to grow them in a normal household needs great efforts. Sometimes, the leaves lose their distinctive colour and return to being green. So special care needs to be taken. Plant sellers in the US say that sale of plants has increased during the coronavirus pandemic.

Will you spend $5300 to buy a plant? This guy did!

Humans may have begun cultivation of plants over 10,000 years ago, a new research claims.

According to scientists, the Amazon basin witnessed cultivation of squash and cassava over 10,000 years ago.

The new findings from Bolivia claim that plants were grown in south-west Amazonia.

Earlier data tells us that the Middle East, China, Southwest Mexico and Northwest South America served as cultivation hotpots after the last ice age.

“[Previous work] identified south-west Amazonia as a potential centre of domestication because in this area they found a lot of wild relatives of domesticated plants,” said Dr Umberto Lombardo of the University of Bern, one of the authors of the research.

<h6><img alt="pp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ec3bd585-4c20-4b59-9b9d-ded96f6e788c" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-8.jpg" /> 
Handout picture released by SETEC (Science and Technology Secretary of Amapa State) showing the biggest Dinizia excelsa tree, known in Brazil as Angelim vermelho, found in the Paru State Forest which is shared by the northern Brazilian states of Amapa and Para in the Amazon basin, on August 20, 2019 | AFP 
&nbsp;</h6>

The authors shared their findings in the journal Nature, where they claimed to have used a variety of sources, including Google Earth to investigate over 6,600 forest islands.

Out of the 82 soil samples, 60 showed signs of human inhabitance. They found charcoal, shells, and bone fragments in the areas.

They further investigated the area and found that 4,700 forest islands were inhabited by human beings, where they got rid of their waste.

“They are places where people just threw their rubbish after eating or whatever they did,” said Lombardo.

This process must have gone on for over a thousand years.

Humans may have begun cultivation of plants over 10,000 years ago, a new research claims. According to scientists, the Amazon basin witnessed cultivation of squash and cassava over 10,000 years ago.

Humans may have begun cultivation of plants over 10,000 years ago, a new research claims. According to scientists, the Amazon basin witnessed cultivation of squash and cassava over 10,000 years ago. The new findings from Bolivia claim that plants were grown in south-west Amazonia. Earlier data tells us that the Middle East, China, Southwest Mexico and Northwest South America served as cultivation hotpots after the last ice age. “[Previous work] identified south-west Amazonia as a potential centre of domestication because in this area they found a lot of wild relatives of domesticated plants,” said Dr Umberto Lombardo of the University of Bern, one of the authors of the research. Handout picture released by SETEC (Science and Technology Secretary of Amapa State) showing the biggest Dinizia excelsa tree, known in Brazil as Angelim vermelho, found in the Paru State Forest which is shared by the northern Brazilian states of Amapa and Para in the Amazon basin, on August 20, 2019 | AFP The authors shared their findings in the journal Nature, where they claimed to have used a variety of sources, including Google Earth to investigate over 6,600 forest islands. Out of the 82 soil samples, 60 showed signs of human inhabitance. They found charcoal, shells, and bone fragments in the areas. They further investigated the area and found that 4,700 forest islands were inhabited by human beings, where they got rid of their waste. “They are places where people just threw their rubbish after eating or whatever they did,” said Lombardo. This process must have gone on for over a thousand years.

Inhabitants of the Amazon basin may have cultivated plants 10,000 years ago

Volkswagen's German plants need to boost efficiency to match overseas operations, production chief Andreas Tostmann was quoted as saying, targeting 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in savings by 2023.

German carmakers, including Volkswagen's Audi brand, have announced thousands of job cuts in recent weeks to address an expected 5 per cent&nbsp;drop in global auto sales this year, with declines likely to spill into 2020.

"The pace of improvement is better abroad. In Germany, despite all the successes we've achieved, we have to do better," Tostmann told trade journal Automobilwoche.

Tostmann wants to implement the savings in the production of VW branded cars through a bundle of measures on top of automation, including a leaner logistics operation.

"The result is that we need 15 per cent&nbsp;less space, 60 per cent&nbsp;fewer logistics vehicles and are able to move 20 per cent&nbsp;more product," said Tostmann, according to extracts from his Automobilwoche interview.

VW's luxury Audi division last month said that it would cut up to 9,500 jobs, equating to 10.6 per cent&nbsp;of total staff, by 2025 in a move to free up billions of euros to fund the shift towards electric vehicle production.

Rival Daimler, as well as car suppliers Continental, Robert Bosch and Osram, have also recently announced staff and cost cuts.

Volkswagen's German plants need to boost efficiency to match overseas operations, production chief Andreas Tostmann was quoted as saying, targeting 2 billion euros ($2.

Volkswagen's German plants need to boost efficiency to match overseas operations, production chief Andreas Tostmann was quoted as saying, targeting 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in savings by 2023. German carmakers, including Volkswagen's Audi brand, have announced thousands of job cuts in recent weeks to address an expected 5 per cent drop in global auto sales this year, with declines likely to spill into 2020. "The pace of improvement is better abroad. In Germany, despite all the successes we've achieved, we have to do better," Tostmann told trade journal Automobilwoche. Tostmann wants to implement the savings in the production of VW branded cars through a bundle of measures on top of automation, including a leaner logistics operation. "The result is that we need 15 per cent less space, 60 per cent fewer logistics vehicles and are able to move 20 per cent more product," said Tostmann, according to extracts from his Automobilwoche interview. VW's luxury Audi division last month said that it would cut up to 9,500 jobs, equating to 10.6 per cent of total staff, by 2025 in a move to free up billions of euros to fund the shift towards electric vehicle production. Rival Daimler, as well as car suppliers Continental, Robert Bosch and Osram, have also recently announced staff and cost cuts.

Volkswagen's German plants need to shape up: Production chief

The German government will not force hard coal power plants to close over the next seven years, a draft law expected to be approved by the cabinet next week showed on Tuesday.

A previous blueprint seen by Reuters stipulated that utilities would be forced to deactivate hard coal power plants by 2026 if not enough closures happen voluntarily.

The government plans to use a mixture of subsidies and tenders to encourage operators to close coal plants beginning next year.

The draft law could make the process more expensive if it requires the government to spend more on such incentives.

It calls for incentives to fall each year, a strategy designed to entice operators to close down coal plants early.

It is part of German plans to phase out coal by 2038 and will be put to a vote in the Bundestag lower house should the cabinet approve it next Monday.

It envisages that by 2022 an estimated 12 hard coal plants would be shut down, leaving about 30 feeding some 15 gigawatts (GW) into the grid.

Germany has more than 40 plants running either fully or partially on hard coal, according to the Federal Environment Agency.

The decision against forced closures looks set to allow utility Uniper&nbsp;to start commercial operations at its 1.5 billion euro Datteln 4 coal-fired power plant.

It had originally been recommended that the 1.1-gigawatt plant, which would add 100 million euros to Uniper's operating profit per year, never enter service.

Sascha Bibert, Uniper's finance chief, declined to comment on the draft law, saying he would wait for the official version.

The government has estimated the cost of shutting down hard coal plants at less than 1 billion euros.

Last month, measures it approved to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions were criticised by activists and industry groups as too weak to achieve Germany's goal of becoming emissions-neutral by 2050.

The government also wants to reach a deal with utilities on a timetable to shut down brown coal plants and agree on a framework for compensation.

Starting in 2020, the government each year will decide how many gigawatts of brown coal-produced energy should be removed from the grid and ask utilities to submit compensation estimates.

The cost of shutting brown coal plants is estimated at more than 2 billion euros.

The German government will not force hard coal power plants to close over the next seven years, a draft law expected to be approved by the cabinet next week showed on Tuesday.

The German government will not force hard coal power plants to close over the next seven years, a draft law expected to be approved by the cabinet next week showed on Tuesday. A previous blueprint seen by Reuters stipulated that utilities would be forced to deactivate hard coal power plants by 2026 if not enough closures happen voluntarily. The government plans to use a mixture of subsidies and tenders to encourage operators to close coal plants beginning next year. The draft law could make the process more expensive if it requires the government to spend more on such incentives. It calls for incentives to fall each year, a strategy designed to entice operators to close down coal plants early. It is part of German plans to phase out coal by 2038 and will be put to a vote in the Bundestag lower house should the cabinet approve it next Monday. It envisages that by 2022 an estimated 12 hard coal plants would be shut down, leaving about 30 feeding some 15 gigawatts (GW) into the grid. Germany has more than 40 plants running either fully or partially on hard coal, according to the Federal Environment Agency. The decision against forced closures looks set to allow utility Uniper to start commercial operations at its 1.5 billion euro Datteln 4 coal-fired power plant. It had originally been recommended that the 1.1-gigawatt plant, which would add 100 million euros to Uniper's operating profit per year, never enter service. Sascha Bibert, Uniper's finance chief, declined to comment on the draft law, saying he would wait for the official version. The government has estimated the cost of shutting down hard coal plants at less than 1 billion euros. Last month, measures it approved to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions were criticised by activists and industry groups as too weak to achieve Germany's goal of becoming emissions-neutral by 2050. The government also wants to reach a deal with utilities on a timetable to shut down brown coal plants and agree on a framework for compensation. Starting in 2020, the government each year will decide how many gigawatts of brown coal-produced energy should be removed from the grid and ask utilities to submit compensation estimates. The cost of shutting brown coal plants is estimated at more than 2 billion euros.

Germany will not force hard coal plant closures before 2026

Yemen's Houthi movement said on Monday that Saudi Aramco's oil processing plants were still a target and could be attacked at "any moment", warning foreigners to leave the area. Watch this video to know more.

WION Dispatch: Houthis warns Saudi to stop its aggression on Yemen

Yemen's Houthi movement said on Monday that Saudi Aramco's oil processing plants were still a target and could be attacked at "any moment", warning foreigners to leave the area.

Yemen's Houthis say Saudi Aramco's oil processing plants still a target

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-will-procure-n95-masks-and-distribute-it-to-citizens-arvind-kejriwal-249401">Delhi government on Friday</a> announced a "Delhi tree challenge" programme under which it plans door delivery of plants to citizens and appointment of "environment marshals" in a bid to control pollution.

"We will involve citizens in our effort in planting trees. The citizens are required to just WhatsApp or send us SMS and tree or plant will be delivered at their doorstep. They have to take care and water the plants," chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told a press conference called to announce the bringing back of odd-even transport rationing scheme in the national capital in November.

Kejriwal&nbsp;said the scheme for delivery of plants would be a long term programme and would continue even after winters.

Announcing the 7-point agenda to combat pollution, Kejriwal said that 12 hot-spots of pollution have been identified all over Delhi and special plans would be devised to combat pollution in these places.

"There are 12 hot-spots of pollution all over Delhi where the pollution is highest. Pollution at these points will be dealt with special plans," he said.

Further, the Delhi government will appoint two "environmental marshals" in each ward to keep a check over the burning of plastic and other waste by people to keep them warm.

"People often burn waste and other materials to keep themselves warm in winter. Due to temperature inversion, the smoke emitting out of it remains close to the ground and cause breathing difficulty. We will appoint 2 environmental marshals in every ward to keep a check over such activities," said Kejriwal.

He also announced sprinkling of water to deal with the menace of dust and a plan to organise a laser show for celebrating festival Diwali.

"I appeal to all not to burst crackers this Diwali. The Delhi government will organise a grand laser show at one designated point and all citizens will be invited to celebrate. The entry will be free of cost," said Kejriwal.

The Delhi government on Friday announced a "Delhi tree challenge" programme under which it plans door delivery of plants to citizens and appointment of "environment marshals" in a bid to control pollution.

The Delhi government on Friday announced a "Delhi tree challenge" programme under which it plans door delivery of plants to citizens and appointment of "environment marshals" in a bid to control pollution. "We will involve citizens in our effort in planting trees. The citizens are required to just WhatsApp or send us SMS and tree or plant will be delivered at their doorstep. They have to take care and water the plants," chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told a press conference called to announce the bringing back of odd-even transport rationing scheme in the national capital in November. Kejriwal said the scheme for delivery of plants would be a long term programme and would continue even after winters. Announcing the 7-point agenda to combat pollution, Kejriwal said that 12 hot-spots of pollution have been identified all over Delhi and special plans would be devised to combat pollution in these places. "There are 12 hot-spots of pollution all over Delhi where the pollution is highest. Pollution at these points will be dealt with special plans," he said. Further, the Delhi government will appoint two "environmental marshals" in each ward to keep a check over the burning of plastic and other waste by people to keep them warm. "People often burn waste and other materials to keep themselves warm in winter. Due to temperature inversion, the smoke emitting out of it remains close to the ground and cause breathing difficulty. We will appoint 2 environmental marshals in every ward to keep a check over such activities," said Kejriwal. He also announced sprinkling of water to deal with the menace of dust and a plan to organise a laser show for celebrating festival Diwali. "I appeal to all not to burst crackers this Diwali. The Delhi government will organise a grand laser show at one designated point and all citizens will be invited to celebrate. The entry will be free of cost," said Kejriwal.

Delhi government to deliver plants at doorsteps to combat pollution: Arvind Kejriwal

Vertical farming can be practiced even in Urban centres

Vertical Farming: From Lab to Plate

Bernie Sanders upstart US presidential campaign may be headed to defeat, but his goals of reining in Wall Street, ending big money in politics and eradicating income inequality were the big winners in the Democratic race. 
 
Sanders, who started as a little-known long-shot, pushed the party and established front-runner Hillary Clinton sharply to the left during a long primary battle. 
 
Along the way, the 74-year-old US senator from Vermont energized young and progressive voters and prepared the ground for what his allies predict will be a lasting influence on the party. 
 
Clinton, one of the best-known political figures in the United States, clinched the Democratic Party&#39;s nomination in a last round of state nominating contests on Tuesday. But even before her victory, Sanders began taking steps to turn his newfound political influence into an enduring progressive movement. 
 
In the last few weeks, he has lent his influence and fundraising power to progressive congressional and state legislative candidates who share his agenda, urging his supporters around the country to donate to their campaigns. 
 
Sanders also appointed prominent activists to the panel writing the issues platform for the party&#39;s convention in July, ensuring a strong voice in the process. 
 
His convention delegates will push for changes to party primary rules, including letting independents vote in primaries and reducing the influence of superdelegates, the hundreds of party elites who can support any candidate regardless of voting in their constituencies, and who in this primary season have largely backed Clinton. 
 
&quot;I do think we are going to see real changes in the Democratic Party going forward because of Bernie. The future of the party is with the people supporting Sanders,&quot; said Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America, a liberal Vermont-based group that rose from Howard Dean&#39;s failed 2004 presidential bid and endorsed Sanders this time. 
 
&quot;He has proven the power of this message,&quot; Chamberlain said. 
 
During the campaign, Sanders forced Clinton to tack left repeatedly on issues ranging from her support for a higher minimum wage to her opposition to the Asian trade pact and Keystone XL oil pipeline. 
 
Sanders&#39; progressive allies said those shifts by Clinton will be helpful in the November 8 election against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has touted an anti-trade and pro-jobs economic agenda, and for Democrats in their efforts to recapture a majority in the US Senate. 
 
&quot;When the story of the 2016 election is told, a major part of it will be that Bernie Sanders helped the Democratic Party turn up the volume on economic populism issues,&quot; said Adam Green, co-founder of the liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee. 
 
&#39;FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHTS&#39; 
 
If Democrats win back the Senate in the November election, Sanders will be in line for either the chairmanship of the Budget Committee or the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, both powerful platforms to advance his ideas. 
 
Chamberlain said Sanders would create a formidable one-two punch in the Senate with Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator who has been the leader of the party&#39;s progressive wing. 
 
&quot;Bernie Sanders is going to fight all the good fights,&quot; he said. &quot;With Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren we&#39;re going to see a Senate team that will be very powerful.&quot; 
 
Sanders&#39; investment in the next generation of progressive politicians, meanwhile, is aimed at spawning a new generation of liberals who back his agenda. 
 
He has sent emails to his grassroots fundraising list urging his donors to back six insurgent congressional candidates and eight statehouse candidates who echo his economic message, sparking a flood of donations to their campaigns. More endorsements are expected. 
 
&quot;Our movement is so powerful that we can change congressional elections overnight. Let&#39;s keep going,&quot; Sanders said on Tuesday in an email to supporters asking them to support two more candidates for Congress - Eric Kingson in New York and Paul Clements in Michigan. 
 
Justin Bamberg, a first-term state representative from South Carolina, said he received about $70,000 in small-dollar donations after Sanders sent an email to his supporters backing Bamberg. In Bamberg&#39;s first campaign, he raised $21,000 during the entire cycle, he said. 
 
&quot;They don&#39;t know me from Adam, but they believe in Senator Sanders, and because of that they believe in the people that Senator Sanders has supported,&quot; Bamberg said, adding he was also getting calls offering to volunteer on his behalf. 
 
Terry Alexander, a South Carolina state representative backed by Sanders, said he also had received about $70,000 in donations after the Sanders email. The money freed him from worrying about raising funds, giving him more time to focus on meeting voters, he said. 
 
&quot;It has made a difference in how people see my candidacy, it&#39;s created a lot of enthusiasm and a tremendous boost in fundraising,&quot; he said.

Bernie Sanders' goals of reining in Wall Street, ending big money in politics and eradicating income inequality should have a lasting impact on generations of young American voters

Bernie Sanders upstart US presidential campaign may be headed to defeat, but his goals of reining in Wall Street, ending big money in politics and eradicating income inequality were the big winners in the Democratic race. Sanders, who started as a little-known long-shot, pushed the party and established front-runner Hillary Clinton sharply to the left during a long primary battle. Along the way, the 74-year-old US senator from Vermont energized young and progressive voters and prepared the ground for what his allies predict will be a lasting influence on the party. Clinton, one of the best-known political figures in the United States, clinched the Democratic Party's nomination in a last round of state nominating contests on Tuesday. But even before her victory, Sanders began taking steps to turn his newfound political influence into an enduring progressive movement. In the last few weeks, he has lent his influence and fundraising power to progressive congressional and state legislative candidates who share his agenda, urging his supporters around the country to donate to their campaigns. Sanders also appointed prominent activists to the panel writing the issues platform for the party's convention in July, ensuring a strong voice in the process. His convention delegates will push for changes to party primary rules, including letting independents vote in primaries and reducing the influence of superdelegates, the hundreds of party elites who can support any candidate regardless of voting in their constituencies, and who in this primary season have largely backed Clinton. "I do think we are going to see real changes in the Democratic Party going forward because of Bernie. The future of the party is with the people supporting Sanders," said Charles Chamberlain, executive director of Democracy for America, a liberal Vermont-based group that rose from Howard Dean's failed 2004 presidential bid and endorsed Sanders this time. "He has proven the power of this message," Chamberlain said. During the campaign, Sanders forced Clinton to tack left repeatedly on issues ranging from her support for a higher minimum wage to her opposition to the Asian trade pact and Keystone XL oil pipeline. Sanders' progressive allies said those shifts by Clinton will be helpful in the November 8 election against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has touted an anti-trade and pro-jobs economic agenda, and for Democrats in their efforts to recapture a majority in the US Senate. "When the story of the 2016 election is told, a major part of it will be that Bernie Sanders helped the Democratic Party turn up the volume on economic populism issues," said Adam Green, co-founder of the liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee. 'FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHTS' If Democrats win back the Senate in the November election, Sanders will be in line for either the chairmanship of the Budget Committee or the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, both powerful platforms to advance his ideas. Chamberlain said Sanders would create a formidable one-two punch in the Senate with Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts senator who has been the leader of the party's progressive wing. "Bernie Sanders is going to fight all the good fights," he said. "With Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren we're going to see a Senate team that will be very powerful." Sanders' investment in the next generation of progressive politicians, meanwhile, is aimed at spawning a new generation of liberals who back his agenda. He has sent emails to his grassroots fundraising list urging his donors to back six insurgent congressional candidates and eight statehouse candidates who echo his economic message, sparking a flood of donations to their campaigns. More endorsements are expected. "Our movement is so powerful that we can change congressional elections overnight. Let's keep going," Sanders said on Tuesday in an email to supporters asking them to support two more candidates for Congress - Eric Kingson in New York and Paul Clements in Michigan. Justin Bamberg, a first-term state representative from South Carolina, said he received about $70,000 in small-dollar donations after Sanders sent an email to his supporters backing Bamberg. In Bamberg's first campaign, he raised $21,000 during the entire cycle, he said. "They don't know me from Adam, but they believe in Senator Sanders, and because of that they believe in the people that Senator Sanders has supported," Bamberg said, adding he was also getting calls offering to volunteer on his behalf. Terry Alexander, a South Carolina state representative backed by Sanders, said he also had received about $70,000 in donations after the Sanders email. The money freed him from worrying about raising funds, giving him more time to focus on meeting voters, he said. "It has made a difference in how people see my candidacy, it's created a lot of enthusiasm and a tremendous boost in fundraising," he said.

Sanders plants seeds for a lasting progressive movement

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