Latest news with #Conservation
Hans India
a day ago
- Business
- Hans India
Gold smuggling case: No bail to Ranya Rao for one year; COFEPOSA rap upheld
Bengaluru: The Advisory Board under the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has upheld the invocation of the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (COFEPOSA) Act against jailed Kannada actress Ranya Rao. The board on Thursday also issued directions not to allow the filing of a bail petition by jailed actress Ranya Rao for one year from the date of her arrest as per the provisions of the COFEPOSA Act. The Advisory Board directed the DRI that no bail application should be filed on behalf of Ranya. Following this directive, the DRI conveyed the information to the jail authorities. Earlier, Ranya Rao was granted bail by a special court. However, since the case was registered under a special law, she was not released. The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB), a nodal agency under the Ministry of Finance, invoked the COFEPOSA Act against the actress and other accused in the gold smuggling case, based on a recommendation by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which is investigating the gold smuggling case. As per the provisions of the COFEPOSA Act, she will have to remain in custody for up to one year. On May 20, the Special Court for Economic Offences granted conditional bail to Ranya Rao. The court also granted bail to the second accused, Tarun Raju. She had hoped to secure bail and, after her mother had challenged the invocation of the COFEPOSA Act in court. The accused had sought bail on the grounds that the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had failed to submit the charge sheet within 60 days. Taking this into consideration, the court had granted bail. Taking cognisance of the development, the Advisory Board, the statutory body within the DRI, looked into the matter and upheld the invoking of the Special Act against Ranya Rao. Ranya Rao was arrested on March 3 in connection with a gold smuggling case and has been in jail for the past four months.
CTV News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Wanuskewin bison herd has grown in the past five years
Watch WATCH: It's national bison week and Wanuskewin Heritage Parks highlights the cultural and ecological roles of the animals.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
West Midlands Safari Park welcomes red panda cub twins
Red panda cub twins have been born at a safari park in a milestone moment for the endangered species, keepers had been suspected at West Midlands Safari Park that mum Mei Lin was having twins on 16 June, when staff heard squeaks from a nest box.A few days later, keepers confirmed there were two cubs, when she was seen moving one to a different next box before going back to collect the Sewell, head keeper at the Worcestershire park, said the team was "absolutely thrilled", adding the births were "incredibly special", not just for them, but for the wider conservation of the species. She said it is thought the wild population has less than 10,000 individuals, adding that every successful birth helped to secure a future for red Sewell said: "Although it is still early days, we look forward to sharing their journey with our visitors as they grow." 'Truly magical' Keepers will monitor the cubs and Mei Lin from a safe distance for the next few weeks, so that she can adapt to becoming a will not be clear whether the cubs are male or female until they are about 16 weeks old and start to venture out of the nest boxes and, at which point keepers will choose their names. One park visitor said they had caught a glimpse of the cubs."Not only did we get to see the red pandas, but we also caught the first glimpses of the new cubs, which was truly magical," Mari Mascarenhas, a GP from Perth in Western Australia, said after taking her daughter to the park. Keepers said the park had been enjoying a "baby boom" this year, with the birth of tiger cub triplets, an Indian rhino calf, lion cub triplets, barasingha fawn and blesbok calves. Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Australia called out for 'failing' two rare species facing extinction
Conservationists are calling out government bureaucrats for "failing" to deliver two time-sensitive documents 16 years after they were first called for. This July, two draft plans were released for public consultation about how to save a pair of rare animals threatened with extinction. One is the vulnerable Australian lungfish, an ancient species that has developed the unique ability to breathe air from the surface using a single lung during dry periods. The other is the endangered sandhill dunnart, a tiny carnivorous mammal that weighs less than two AA batteries. This is the second time draft recovery plans have been announced for the two species, but neither has had its recovery plan finalised. Listing a species as threatened indicates it needs help, and recovery plans are described as being akin to "rescue roadmaps" that strategise how to save it. In Australia, there are over 2,200 species listed by the Commonwealth as threatened with extinction under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The Wilderness Society, which is represented by Environment Justice Australia (EJA), claims there are hundreds of other species with 'missing or expired plans', and it has taken the government to court, with the Australian lungfish and sandhill dunnart both subject to that case. Ellen Maybery, senior specialist lawyer at EJA, said draft recovery plans 'aren't enough' and that 'effective recovery plans' are needed. 'There are still hundreds of missing or expired plans. Our client is asking the court to confirm that the law requires these recovery plans to be made,' she said. The Wilderness Society argues recovery plans were actually due back in 2012 when Kevin Rudd was installed as prime minister for the second time. That's because then environment minister Peter Garrett was taken to have decided they were required three years earlier in 2009. Since then, Australia has had four other prime ministers, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. The Wilderness Society notes they were released four months after its legal action in the Federal Court was announced. Its biodiversity policy manager, Sam Szoke-Burke, noted Australia has the worst record in the world for mammalian extinctions and the second worst for biodiversity loss. 'Yet government after government has neglected to comply with mandated functions and duties to protect and foster recovery of Australian wildlife and plants,' he said. 'In the face of inaction, we felt we had no option other than to resort to the courts to compel the Federal government to do its job: we believe that includes making recovery plans for these unique and important animals.' 📸 Woman with 'specific skills' sets up 280 cameras in search rare animal 🚨 Mass bird poisoning fears at suburban shopping centre 🦁 Zoo defends $180 experience after video 'stunt' sparks concern The Department of Environment declined to answer specific questions about the matter. 'As these queries relate to recovery plans that are the subject of current legal proceedings before the Federal Court, it would not be appropriate to comment further,' it said. Environment Minister Murray Watt's office did not respond to questions from Yahoo. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Hamilton Spectator
11-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
New Bridge, Trail to Connect Stouffville's Madori Park and Ken Betz Court
● A new pedestrian and cycling trail is under construction to connect Ken Betz Court with Madori Park. ● The pathway includes a 32-metre prefabricated bridge spanning the Little Rouge Creek West tributary. ● The project is expected to be completed by the end of October 2025, and Madori Park will remain open throughout the process. ● Archaeological and environmental safeguards have been implemented, including protections for endangered Redside Dace. ● Five trees will be removed and replaced with 94 native tree and shrub plantings as part of site restoration. ● The new connection will replace an informal footpath and creek crossing worn in by residents. Construction has begun on a new multi-use trail and bridge linking Ken Betz Court to Madori Park. Once complete, the pedestrian and cycling route will provide direct access to both the park and the Millard Street West Trail system for those living within the growing Baker Hill development area. The three-metre-wide pathway will extend from Madori Park's existing paved trail network, heading northwest toward a new 32-metre steel truss bridge spanning the Little Rouge Creek West tributary. On the opposite bank, a granular trail will continue to Ken Betz Court. An informal crossing has already been carved out by locals over the creek, which will now be replaced with a permanent, safer, and more accessible route. While Madori Park will remain open throughout construction, visitors are advised to exercise caution along trails due to the presence of construction vehicles and crews. Execution is in the hands of Hawkins Contracting Services and comes with an approved 2025 capital budget of $725,000 for final design and construction. Those costs, however, are not inclusive of previous studies conducted to support the project. The project was initiated in 2022 under the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process. In 2023, it was reclassified as exempt from the EA under new Provincial rules. Despite that exemption, the Town says it continued to consult public and Indigenous stakeholders. Early site preparation included mitigation measures to protect a nearby archaeologically sensitive area. A Town presentation explained that 19th-century European settler artifacts, primarily consisting of 'domestic refuse,' were found during initial investigations. This triggered additional archaeological assessments which did not uncover further artifacts and cleared the way for construction. Redside Dace, a listed endangered fish species, have been found in the surrounding watershed. Construction timing and methods have been adapted to protect the fish and maintain habitat integrity. While levels are currently very low, the project does not involve any in-water work. The bridge will be prefabricated off-site and assembled on location atop concrete footings. Stouffville has also secured approvals from relevant government ministries and agencies, such as Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Five trees will be removed during construction, with some additional pruning as needed. All impacted trees are considered common species and not part of sensitive habitat, and tree removal is conditional on ensuring no active bird nests are present. As part of the site's restoration, 94 native trees and shrubs will be planted. Work is expected to be completed by the end of October 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
