Over 100 dolphins have been found dead in a tributary of Amazon river in Brazil this past week. Experts suspects the deaths may have been caused by severe drought and rising heat. At least 70 of the remains were found floating on Thursday when the temperature of Lake Tefe's water reached 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) — more than 10 degrees higher than the usual average for this time of the year. Warming water a concern Low river levels during a severe drought have heated water in stretches to temperatures that are intolerable for the dolphins, experts believe. Following a decline for a few days, the water temperature again soared to 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) on Sunday. The region around the lake is a key habitat for mammals and other aquatic species. Large amounts of fish have also died according to local media reports. The scientists are working to rule out other causes like bacterial infections as they do not know with certainty that drought and heat are to blame for the rise in dolphin mortality. "We have around 900 river dolphins and 500 Tucuxis (in the Tefe Lake) and in one week we have already lost around 120 animals between the two of them, which could represent 5% to 10% of the population," Miriam Marmontel, a researcher from the Mamiraua environmental institute, said. Threatened species The Amazon river dolphins — some pink in color — are a unique freshwater species found only in the rivers of South America. A slow reproductive cycle makes their populations especially prone to threats. The freshwater dolphins, or "Tucuxis," are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list of threatened species. "Ten percent is a very high percentage of loss, and the possibility that it will increase could threaten the survival of the species in Lake Tefé," Marmontel warned. Researchers on Monday were still recovering dead dolphins in the region where dry rivers have also impacted impoverished riverside communities, beaching their boats on the sand.

The local administration has revoked the ban on water transportation at Kaptai lake in Rangamati. Rangamati Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC, General), Md. Saiful Islam confirmed the matter and said, "Launce service is being started from the morning on Monday, August 7."  Earlier on August 4, local administration had announced the suspension of all types of boating in Kaptai Lake due to heavy rains and landslides in Rangamati. 

Scientists on Tuesday said that sediment at Crawford Lake in Canada provides evidence of the beginning of the Anthropocene age. The Anthropocene Working Group (AWG) said that layered sediment at the bottom of the lake in the Canadian province of Ontario showed that the world had entered a new epoch defined by human activity's destabilizing influence on the environment. They chose the lake from a shortlist of 12 potential sites where the evidence of the impacts could be best measured and observed.  The group said that the bottom of the lake contained microplastics, residues from burnt oil and coal and detritus from nuclear bombs. Scientists said that the sediment showed a "golden spike" illustrating a sudden and irreversible shift in Earth's conditions. "The data show a clear shift from the mid-20th century, taking Earth's system beyond the normal bounds of the Holocene," working group member Andy Cundy, who is a professor at the University of Southampton, told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency, referring to the epoch that started at the end of the last ice age 11,700 years ago. "The sediment found at the bottom of the Crawford Lake provides an exquisite record of recent environmental change over the last millennia," said AWG chair Simon Turner, a professor at University College London. "It is this ability to precisely record and store this information as a geological archive that can be matched to historical global environmental changes." Anthropocene not yet recognized by international commission The members of the working group plan to present the findings to the International Commission on Stratigraphy in order to get the Anthropocene epoch formally recognized. There has been disagreement within the scientific community on when this period began, or whether it has begun, and the evidence required to demonstrate it. "At present, we've had 70 years of the Anthropocene," AWG chair Colin Waters said. "That has been long enough, because of the rapidity of the change and the preciseness of it, to recognize that we've moved into this new Earth state, and that it should be defined by a new geological epoch." "Clearly the biology of the planet has changed abruptly," Waters said. "We cannot go back to a Holocene state now." Holocene derives from the ancient Greek words for "whole" and "new," with the name chosen to denote the vastly changed characteristics on Earth as the last Ice Age ended. Anthropocene meanwhile derives from the Greek for "human" and "new."   

A sudden, violent storm overturned a boat carrying tourists in northern Italy. Footage from first responders showed chairs and wood floating in the area where the boat sank. Four people died on Italy's Lake Maggiore after their boat overturned and sank, firefighters confirmed on Monday. Emergency crews used helicopters and divers to search the area for victims and survivors before recovering the body of the final missing person. What do we know about the accident? The accident took place on Sunday at the popular lake in northern Italy located in the Lombardy region. Around 24 passengers and crew were on board the tourist boat when it was suddenly caught up in a storm, Italian news agency ANSA reported. The violent change in weather caused a whirlwind to appear, causing the 16-meter (52-foot) long boat to capsize, Lombardy region president Attilio Fontana said. The powerful winds caused the ship to quickly sink, taking at least one victim down with it, according to local reports. Footage posted by firefighters showed chairs, wood and other debris floating in the choppy waters where the boat sank. Three bodies were recovered on Sunday, while the fourth victim was found early Monday. The 20 survivors either managed to swim to shore or were rescued by nearby boats. Both Italian and foreign nationals were on board the vessel, but authorities have not yet commented on the identities or nationalities of the victims. Italy battered by extreme weather The storm system that caused the fatal accident also caused disruptions across the Lombardy region, causing delays at Milan's Malpensa Airport. Lake Maggiore is located on the southern side of the Alps and is the second largest lake in Italy. The deadly incident comes on the heels of devastating floods that hit Italy's Emilia-Romagna region earlier in May, killing at least 14 people and displacing tens of thousands.

The North East Regetta 2023 kicked off on Saturday with Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh inaugurating the event at the pristine Umiam Watersports Complex. The five-day event is set to witness more than 100 participants from over 10 states across India, including 12 clubs. Teams from Indian Army and Naval Services are also taking part in the 5-day racing spectacle. North East Regetta 2023 is a project that is launched by the tourism department in collaboration with Umiam Sailors Club, the first club of its kind in Meghalaya. This Regatta has been held with an aim to promote sailing and other activities related to diving, parasailing, among others. During an interview with EastMojo, Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh said, “We not only have national talents but are capable of producing international talents in this particular sport. Meghalaya aspires to host water sports at the national level in the years to come. An event of this stature will motivate our young generation to excel in this sport.” “We will also be introducing a yacht here and lake cruise so that such activities accelerate the pace of tourism in the state,” Lyngdoh said. Colonel Vivek Kalavat, head of Technical Committee, lauded the state government for the enthusiasm shown to organise the event for the first time. When asked if the weather is favourable for the sailors, Colonel Kalavat said, “In the past few days we have noticed that the weather keeps changing. The sailors who are technically good will try to take advantage of the wind. And if there is rain and wind it is even more fun for the sailors.” Alekya Condoo from Secunderabad Sailing Club said she is impressed with the organisers for doing a great job in selecting a beautiful venue. “It’s really interesting and challenging and hopefully it’ll be fun,” said Condoo. Condoo and the other sailors from various clubs are also looking forward to the concert that has been organised at Umiam. The regatta would witness exciting boat races along with electrifying music concerts on April 29 and 30, featuring a diverse lineup of local, national, and international artistes to make it a high-octane event. With nature in bounty, there are nature excursions, food and flea markets, a tour package for sailors and tourists, paintball, camping spots, and the introduction of river cruise boats at picturesque Umiam. Source: eastmojo.com

A Precision Air plane plunged into the water due to bad weather, police said. At least 19 people died in the crash and more than 20 have been reportedly taken to a hospital. A Precision Air plane crashed into Lake Victoria killing at least 19 people on Sunday as it approached the northwestern Tanzanian city of Bukoba, police said. Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa gave the new death toll, raising it up from three.   Precision Air said in a statement that 24 people had survived the accident and were taken to hospital.  Two other people hospitalized following the incident were injured in rescue efforts but were not on board the flight, the AFP news agency cited an official as saying. Earlier, local authorities said 26 of those on board the plane were rescued and taken to a hospital. What do we know about the crash? Officials said a total of 43 people were on board the flight — including 39 passengers, two pilots and two cabin crew. The domestic passenger plane had departed from the financial capital Dar es Salaam. It later plunged into Lake Victoria as it was approaching the northwestern city of Bukoba. According to the police, "bad weather" caused the crash as the plane was flying at about 100 meters (328 feet). "When the aircraft was about 100 meters midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,'' regional police commander William Mwampaghale told reporters. Tanzanian state broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) reported that Flight PW494 hit the water during storms and heavy rain. The flight was operated by Precision Air, which is Tanzania's largest private carrier. The airline said the aircraft was an ATR 42-500, manufactured by Tolouse-based Franco-Italian company ATR. Local authorities said rescuers "managed to save quite a number of people." How have leaders reacted? Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan sent condolences to "all those affected by the accident" and called for calm.  "I have received with sadness the news of the accident involving Precision Air's plane," she wrote on Twitter, urging for calm amid rescue efforts. Tanzania's prime minister echoed the head of state's statement after arriving at Bukoba airport. "All Tanzanians are with you in mourning the 19 people who lost lives during this accident," Majaliwa said. The African Union Commission chair Moussa Faki Mahamat also shared his condolences, as did the secretary general of the regional East African Community bloc, Peter Mathuki. "Our hearts and prayers go to the families of passengers on-board a plane that crashed into Lake Victoria, with our full solidarity to the Government & people of Tanzania," Faki wrote on Twitter. "The East African Community joins and sends our condolences to Mama Samia Suluhu Hassan, families and friends of all those who were affected by the Precision Air plane accident," Mathuki said, also on Twitter. Sunday's crash is one of the deadliest to occur in the East African country.

For the first time after 32 years since they left the Kashmir Valley, as assertion of their roots, Kashmiri Pandits celebrated the 'Navreh' (New Year) festival on Friday along the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar city. According to the Kashmiri Pandit calendar, Navreh is the first day of the new year. Before their exodus, local Pandits used to celebrate the beginning of the new year at Mata Sharika Devi temple situated on a hillock called the 'Hari Parbat' in the middle of old city of Srinagar. Friday's Navreh festival was organised by a Jammu-based theatre and cultural group called 'Vometh', which in Kashmiri means 'hope'. Titled 'Kashmir Navreh Milan 2022', a cultural programme and an exhibition depicting Kashmiri Pandits in their traditional attire, was held on Friday which was attended by many local Muslims and tourists. The tourists were amazed to learn about the culture, lifestyle and the heritage of the local Pandits. Rohit Bhat, one of the organisers of the festival, said, 'We want to recreate the ambience of Navreh so that everybody sees and understands the rich tradition and culture of the Kashmiri Pandits. 'We have included some unique presentations of Kashmiri culture and tradition in general in the programme. We are happy to see the participation and encouragement that we have received.' A painting competition attended by many local school children was organised in collaboration with the Private Schools' Association during the festival. Various stalls were arranged in order to display the artefacts of Kashmiri Pandits, including typical household items, paintings and many items, showcasing their culture. Stalls of Kashmiri Pandit food items, books, bakery and the famous Kashmiri brew called 'Kehwa' was served during the festival. P.K. Pole, Kashmir Divisional Commissioner, G.N. Itoo, Director Tourism, GoC of 31 Sub Area, Major General S.P.S. Vishwas Rao, B.B. Bhat, President Zestha Devi Prabhandak Committee, and G.N. Var, President of Jammu & Kashmir Private Schools' Association were among the guests who attended Friday's festival. Source: IANS

India celebrated Shikara rally on the occation of  the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as part of the ‘Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’ celebration. The rally was organized in Dal Lake, Srinagar. The Shikaras were traditionally decorated and passed through several scenic spots giving a festive look to the ‘Lake of Flowers'. The rally was flagged off by the Director of Tourism Kashmir, Dr G N Itoo. The Director said holding this rally in the prominent urban lake holds a special significance towards tourism development, as the ‘Dal Jheel' is integral to tourism and recreation in Kashmir. Source: India Blooms BM

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday witnessed the Shikara Festival at the Dal Lake in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Union Minister Jitendra Singh were also present with him. The Union Home Minister, who is on a three-day visit to the union territory for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, offered prayers at Kheer Bhawani Durga temple in Ganderbal district earlier today. His visit has come amid several incidents of killings of civilians by the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir which have sparked fear in the valley. Source: Daily Excelsior

The death toll rose above 100 on Friday after a ferry capsized and sank on Lake Victoria, Tanzania state radio reported. The toll is likely to rise further as search and rescue operations continue after Thursday afternoon's disaster, John Mongella, commissioner for the Mwanza region, told The Associated Press. President John Magufuli urged the country to remain calm. At least 37 people were rescued from the sunken ferry as of Thursday evening, when rescue teams called off their mission overnight. It is not clear how many people were on board. Such ferries often carry hundreds of people and are overcrowded. No foreigners have been found among the dead, Mwanza police commander Jonathan Shanna said Friday. The passenger ferry MV Nyerere was traveling between Ukara and Bugolora when it sank, according to the government agency in charge of servicing the vessels. Accidents are often reported on the large freshwater lake surrounded by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. Some of the deadliest have occurred in Tanzania, where passenger boats are often said to be old and in poor condition. In 1996, more than 800 people were killed when the passenger and cargo ferry MV Bukoba sank on Lake Victoria. Nearly 200 people died in 2011 when the MV Spice Islander I sank off Tanzania's Indian Ocean coast near Zanzibar. Source: AP AH