India Worst Affected By Diseases Originating From Animals

• Zoonotic Diseases. India has topped a list of countries worst affected by zoonotic diseases (those originating from animals). According to the study conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute and the Institute of Zoology in the UK, 60 per cent of all human diseases and 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic and lead to over two million deaths per year. The study ranked India at the top, followed by Ethiopia, Nigeria and Tanzania. [The Times of India]

• Loan Recovery. Lenders who are owed about Rs7,000 crore by Kingfisher Airlines are seeking to sell the Kingfisher house in Mumbai and the Kingfisher villa in Goa to recover part of the loans. According to bankers, the Andheri house has a market value of Rs90 crore and the villa was valued at Rs30 crore. [The Economic Times]

• IM Banned. On account of its involvement in a series of bombings across India since 2007, the UK government has banned the Lashkar-e-Taiba-backed terrorist organisation the Indian Mujahideen. Announcing the ban, Britain’s home office minister James Brokenshire said that there was evidence that the IM has been “engaged in indiscriminate mass casualty attacks in India.” The ban makes it a criminal offence to join and support the group, which is also banned in America and New Zealand. [Hindustan Times]