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A researcher at the University of Liverpool, UK has stated that there would be a decrease in crop yield in India, as temperatures increase, due to global warming. Because of climate change, diseases like malaria were likely to persist in many states in India.

Dr.A. Martin Mortimer, member of the Integrative Biology Research Division said that there would be an increase of 20 percent in monsoon rainfall. He said that this raise in rainfall was projected for Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Dr.Mortimer said that the latest high resolution climate change scenarios and projections for India showed that there would be increase in the annual mean surface temperature by 3 to 5 degree Celsius, by the end of this century.

He said that the extreme climate changes could also be expected to increase substantially, particulary over tha West coast and west central parts of India. He said that the climate change leading to warming and water stress could further exacerbate land degradation. India’s contribution to the cumulative global carbon dioxide emission from 1980 to 2003 was only 3.11 percent.

March 6, The state news agency IRNA reported that Iran was to test an air defence system around a key nuclear site amid mounting international pressure over atomic programme. Isfahan Uranium conversion facility is surrounded by anti-aircraft guns to ward off enemy attacks.

Isfahan’s governor general office said that an exercise would be carried out for the aerial defence system installed around the nuclear site on March 6 from 10 am to 1 pm. No reason was given for the decision to hold the exercise at the Isfahan uranium conversion facility in central Iran.

If Tehran continues to refuse to freeze sensitive uranium enrichment activities, US has drawn up a plan to attack key Iramian nuclear sites like Isfahan. US had said that it wanted to resolve the standoff through displomacy although it had never ruled out the option of military action. In February, US vice Presiedent Dick Cheney said that all options were still on the table.

The Isfahan plant produces Uranium hexafluoride gas which is transfered to another facility in the nearby city where it is passed through centrifuges to be made into enriched uranium. The sensitive process of uranium enrichment could be divered to make atomic plants although Iran vehemently denies US charges.

Iran Defence minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar said that Iran’s armed forces were ready to hit back against any attack. He said that they would deal with any treat and their defence should be devised in away to realise their national aims.

Titanium metal, which is used to build aircraft and rockets will now be exploited by Andhra Pradesh. Andhra has the largest quantum of 116 million tonnes, which has been unexploited so far. There is huge demand for titanium metal in the international markets.

Prof. C. Kasipathi of the department of geology in Andhra University said that the titanium metal that was used to make aircraft, artillery guns and other defence equipment because it was lightweight and noncorrosive. He said that there were huge reserves of ilmenite in the beach sands of north coastal Andhra.

Titanium metal is also used to make defence equipment. Titanium metal is a strong aluminium-like metal. It can withstand high temperttures and melts only at 1800 degrees Celsius and is twice as strong as steel. Titanium alloys are used in high-tech aircraft parts, missiles, space vehicles and even in surgical implants.

The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) has recently signed three MoUs to mine these aluminium-like metal by spending Rs 7,500 crores. APMDC will get 26 percent equity without any investment in all three ventures.

State mining minister P.Sabita Indra Reddy said that they had agreed to establish the titanium producing units apart from mining in the state. It would be the first unit in the country, she added.