The two strong earthquakes that hit central Italy have left the village of Norcia in tatters. Several historic churches in the village were destroyed.

The roof of Santa Maria delle Grazie a 16th century church in the village that had been recently restored completely caved in and its collapsed decorative ceiling could only be seen from outside Efe news reported.

Half of the marble plaques on the building’s facade fell and lay crumbling in chunks and shards on the ground. Though its modest rose window and austere baroque door frame were saved the metal cross that crowned the church collapsed during the earthquake on Wednesday night and lay twisted amid the debris.

It was quot;miraculousquot; no deaths had been reported Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.

Two powerful earthquakes — the first measuring 5.5 on the Richter and the second 6.1 — on Wednesday struck central Italy about 50 miles north of the site of a deadly August quake that killed nearly 300 people.

The San Salvatore church was hit even harder by the temblor. When asked where it was residents simply said it did not exist anymore.

The central nave and ceiling of the church collapsed and the only parts still standing are the facades of the lateral naves.

The Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia Renato Boccardo lamented the grave wound that the town’s art and faith heritage had suffered.

Mild aftershocks continued to hit the region but residents bravely returned to their homes on Thursday morning to try and collect personal belongings and start rebuilding their lives.

According to initial estimates by the mayors of the towns affected thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes due to damages to buildings and fear of further tremors.

The epicentre of both tremors was registered in the Valnerina valley a mountainous area between the cities of Macerata and Perugia.

Some were injured and one man reportedly died of a heart attack while buildings sustained damages.

People were already out on the streets when the second a more powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit limiting injuries.

The two strong earthquakes that hit central Italy have left the village of Norcia in tatters. Several historic churches in the village were destroyed.

The roof of Santa Maria delle Grazie a 16th century church in the village that had been recently restored completely caved in and its collapsed decorative ceiling could only be seen from outside Efe news reported.

Half of the marble plaques on the building’s facade fell and lay crumbling in chunks and shards on the ground. Though its modest rose window and austere baroque door frame were saved the metal cross that crowned the church collapsed during the earthquake on Wednesday night and lay twisted amid the debris.

It was quot;miraculousquot; no deaths had been reported Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said.

Two powerful earthquakes — the first measuring 5.5 on the Richter and the second 6.1 — on Wednesday struck central Italy about 50 miles north of the site of a deadly August quake that killed nearly 300 people.

The San Salvatore church was hit even harder by the temblor. When asked where it was residents simply said it did not exist anymore.

The central nave and ceiling of the church collapsed and the only parts still standing are the facades of the lateral naves.

The Archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia Renato Boccardo lamented the grave wound that the town’s art and faith heritage had suffered.

Mild aftershocks continued to hit the region but residents bravely returned to their homes on Thursday morning to try and collect personal belongings and start rebuilding their lives.

According to initial estimates by the mayors of the towns affected thousands of people were forced to abandon their homes due to damages to buildings and fear of further tremors.

The epicentre of both tremors was registered in the Valnerina valley a mountainous area between the cities of Macerata and Perugia.

Some were injured and one man reportedly died of a heart attack while buildings sustained damages.

People were already out on the streets when the second a more powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit limiting injuries.

The sixth mass extinction may have started. A World Wildlife report feared that 68 per cent of its wildlife may become extinct by 2020. According to WW Living Plant Report 2016 58 per cent of the global population of fish birds mammals amphibians and reptiles has been lost between 1970 and 2012. These patterns were directly attributed to human induced climate change the report claimed.

The report said that 41 percent mammals 46 per cent reptiles 57 per cent amphibians and 70 per cent freshwater fish were quot;threatened with extinctionquot; in India. Four of the 385 species of mammals have already become extinct in the country.

Seven per cent of birds may also be wiped off the planet.

The report pointed out that globally between 1970 and 2012 38 per cent of the terrestrial population 81 per cent of freshwater population and 36 per cent of the marine population had declined.

quot;Habitat loss and degradation and over exploitation of wildlife are the most common threats to the terrestrial populationquot; nbsp;the report observed.

As per the report by 2000 48.5 per cent of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest habitat had been converted for human use. nbsp;This has led to a 41 per cent overall decline in tropical forest species.

The report cited food production to meet the complex demands of an expanding human population as primary reason of the destruction of habitats and over-exploitation of wildlife. The world’s population has grown from about 1.6 billion people in 1900 to today’s 7.3 billion.

quot;By 2012 the bio-capacity equivalent of 1.6 earths was needed to provide the natural resources and services humanity consumed in that yearquot; the report said pointing out how planetary boundaries were stretched due to human-produced alterations to the functioning of the earth system.

WWF focused on nine such alterations including unsustainable fresh water use and ocean acidification. As per studies by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the seas.

quot;This is not just about the wonderful species we all love. Biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests rivers and oceans. Take away the species and these ecosystems will nbsp;collapse along with the clean air water food and climate services that they provide usquot; said Dr. Marco Lambertini International Director General WWF.

The researchers he said were calling current time as quot;Anthropocenequot; — an era during which the climate changes oceans acidify and the entire community of flora and fauna disappears — during a single human lifetime. All these changes may lead to the world’s sixth mass extinction following the extinction of reptiles mammals twice and dinosaurs twice he feared.

As per IUCN the total threatened animal species has increased from 5205 to 8462 since 1996. India Indonesia Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds.

quot;Not only wild plants and animals are at risk people are victims of the deteriorating nature. Patterns suggest that without action during the Anthropocene the earth will become much less hospitable to our modern globalized societyquot; the report stated.

India ranks fifth in terms of bio-capacity — means an ecosystem capable of producing resources like food fiber and absorbing carbon dioxide. However large population size and growing wealth which may change the consumption pattern is a challenge.

quot;Our consumption patterns are constantly shaping the future of our planetquot; said Ravi Singh CEO WWF-India.

The WWF proposed addressing social inequality and environment degradation as best remedy.

quot;There is still considerable room for optimism. nbsp;Fortunately we are not starting from scratch. We must create a new economic system that enhances and supports the natural capital upon which it reliesquot; the WWF stated.

While the prediction of losing two-third of global wildlife population is expected by 2020 the landmark Paris Climate Agreement COP21 that would enter into force the same year is seen as another sign of optimism.

nbsp;

The sixth mass extinction may have started. A World Wildlife report feared that 68 per cent of its wildlife may become extinct by 2020. According to WW Living Plant Report 2016 58 per cent of the global population of fish birds mammals amphibians and reptiles has been lost between 1970 and 2012. These patterns were directly attributed to human induced climate change the report claimed.

The report said that 41 percent mammals 46 per cent reptiles 57 per cent amphibians and 70 per cent freshwater fish were quot;threatened with extinctionquot; in India. Four of the 385 species of mammals have already become extinct in the country.

Seven per cent of birds may also be wiped off the planet.

The report pointed out that globally between 1970 and 2012 38 per cent of the terrestrial population 81 per cent of freshwater population and 36 per cent of the marine population had declined.

quot;Habitat loss and degradation and over exploitation of wildlife are the most common threats to the terrestrial populationquot; nbsp;the report observed.

As per the report by 2000 48.5 per cent of the tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest habitat had been converted for human use. nbsp;This has led to a 41 per cent overall decline in tropical forest species.

The report cited food production to meet the complex demands of an expanding human population as primary reason of the destruction of habitats and over-exploitation of wildlife. The world’s population has grown from about 1.6 billion people in 1900 to today’s 7.3 billion.

quot;By 2012 the bio-capacity equivalent of 1.6 earths was needed to provide the natural resources and services humanity consumed in that yearquot; the report said pointing out how planetary boundaries were stretched due to human-produced alterations to the functioning of the earth system.

WWF focused on nine such alterations including unsustainable fresh water use and ocean acidification. As per studies by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the seas.

quot;This is not just about the wonderful species we all love. Biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests rivers and oceans. Take away the species and these ecosystems will nbsp;collapse along with the clean air water food and climate services that they provide usquot; said Dr. Marco Lambertini International Director General WWF.

The researchers he said were calling current time as quot;Anthropocenequot; — an era during which the climate changes oceans acidify and the entire community of flora and fauna disappears — during a single human lifetime. All these changes may lead to the world’s sixth mass extinction following the extinction of reptiles mammals twice and dinosaurs twice he feared.

As per IUCN the total threatened animal species has increased from 5205 to 8462 since 1996. India Indonesia Brazil and China are among the countries with the most threatened mammals and birds.

quot;Not only wild plants and animals are at risk people are victims of the deteriorating nature. Patterns suggest that without action during the Anthropocene the earth will become much less hospitable to our modern globalized societyquot; the report stated.

India ranks fifth in terms of bio-capacity — means an ecosystem capable of producing resources like food fiber and absorbing carbon dioxide. However large population size and growing wealth which may change the consumption pattern is a challenge.

quot;Our consumption patterns are constantly shaping the future of our planetquot; said Ravi Singh CEO WWF-India.

The WWF proposed addressing social inequality and environment degradation as best remedy.

quot;There is still considerable room for optimism. nbsp;Fortunately we are not starting from scratch. We must create a new economic system that enhances and supports the natural capital upon which it reliesquot; the WWF stated.

While the prediction of losing two-third of global wildlife population is expected by 2020 the landmark Paris Climate Agreement COP21 that would enter into force the same year is seen as another sign of optimism.

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Are you planning to buy something this winter? I am sure one has already made the list. Winter is coming! And it's time to prepare for the freezing months. The tendency with most people is to procure a number of warm clothing that are priced low. However the fashion conscious advise that instead of buying two or three clothes one can focus on buying just one even if it is expensive. Pashmina shawl is one such item on this list.

Work of art

Pashmina shawls one of the best hand crafted shawls from Kashmir have an age-old history. Weaving with the Pashmina fibre also known as pashm or pashmina originated in this state. The weaving of the Pashmina fibre was initiated by Sultan Zayan-Al-Abidin who summoned a highly-skilled weaver called Niighz Beg especially from Turkistan.

The origin of Pashmina dates back to ancient civilization and has been traced back to the times of Mahabharata. Later Pashmina shawls found favour with emperors kings and nobles. This precious fabric was thus known as Fibre for Kings. The most authentic and original fibre is believed to have originated 300 years ago and only the rich and elite people had the privilege of enjoying this luxurious fabric.

“The Kashmiri shawls are always a luxury items from the time of their conception. Go back in history and one will find it was only made for the royal families,” informed textile designer Varuna Anand who was in the Capital earlier this month with an exhibition of exquisite handmade Pashmina shawls under the brand name The Splendor of Kashmir. Anand whose brand is a medium to encourage the art of shawl-making in Kashmir praised the highly-skilled craftsmen who tirelessly work on these impeccable pieces of drapable art.

Traditional method

The Pashmina fibre is obtained from the underbelly of the Pashmina Capra Hircus goat generally found and now bred in the sub-zero temperatures of the Himalayan ranges. It grows a unique incredibly soft pashm inner coat six times finer than human hair. Nature has endowed this delicate animal with this special fibre to keep it warm even at 14000 feet altitude in the freezing temperatures. These goats shed their winter coat each spring producing just 3-8 ounces of wool per animal.

The wool is very fragile in nature and can easily break if weaving is done on power looms. Because this fibre is only 14-19 microns in diameter and is short in length 28-35mm it cannot be spun by machines. The yarn is spun on a spinning wheel locally known as Charkha. It takes about four days to weave a single Pashmina shawl.

For embroidery the shawl is sent to the designer known as Naqqash who draws the design on fabric then sends it to the embroiderer. The shawls are then washed in the waters of Jhelum river to give it that ineffable softness. It is then dried in gentle sunlight and kept for a few days for the embroidery or the patterns to settle down. Then the shawl is ironed packed and sent to the market.

Designs

The Pashima shawls follow classic patterns. Weavers try to maintain the essence of the shawl-making by following traditional designs. Whether woven with patterns or embroidered it takes 9-12 months for a craftsman to create one Pashmina shawl. “While the technique is traditional we innovate in terms of the colour palette. So while most Pashmina shawls are in earthy or grey tones we've introduced vegetable dyes to create a vibrant colour palette for the woven Jamewar shawls,” said Varuna. “The embroidered shawls on the other hand retain the traditional motifs but we've added colour to the base shawl and in the threads.” Because of its high cost it is a status symbol and only a few possess this shawl.

“People in the north usually buy it for status but in south they buy it for its traditional art,” said Varuna from her experience of exhibitions in different states of India.

Government initiatives

Several families in Kashmir earn their livelihood only through making Pashmina shawls scarves and stoles. Government has set up a number of mills to increase the production of Pashmina shawls. While this is giving employment to a group of people it is also stifling the local weavers. The mills produce a larger number shawls in a short duration while the traditional weaver takes almost 9-12 months to create one Pashmina shawl. Thus shawls produced by mills are cheaper than handmade ones. As an initiative to save this art the government holds exhibitions.

“When you buy one shawl you encourage the work of the weaver and they are motivated to produce morequot,” pointed out Varuna Anand. By supporting one weaver she added you eventually support a whole family that is dependent on one earning member.

The present condition of the weavers is not so good since mainly because of the high price very few people can afford to buy this shawl. Earlier generations of a family were involved in Pashmina shawl-making. But now many of them are keeping their children away from this business as it requires a lot of labour and time but the returns are not commensurate with it.

It’s not every day not even once a month or a year that a highly researched work on India’s most favourite non-fictional character is presented in the most compelling way to the lovers of both history and fiction. It took almost 20 years of hard work and living with Akbar for the veteran journalist Shazi Zaman to come up with a highly compulsive historical fiction on Akbar.nbsp;

Written by Shazi Zaman and published by Rajkamal Prakashan in Hindi the book ‘Akbar’ is no ordinary historical novel. Shazi Zaman is a veteran electronic media journalist and is Group Editor of ABP News Network. He passed out from the prestigious St. Stephen’s College University of Delhi with a degree in History. He has worked for BBC World Service Star News Aajtak Zee and Doordarshan. His earlier novels ‘Prem Gali Ati Sankari’ and ‘Jism Jism Ke Log’ were also published by Rajkamal Prakashan.

It’s a close examination into possibly every material available on the celebrated emperor till date. The author travelled extensively right from the Indian Museum in Kolkata to Victoria Albert in London scrutinized most available painting of him and studied the Mughal architecture at the time of Akbar and his contemporaries. The book also draws from some of the exemplary work on Akbar such as Akbarnama Muntakhab-ut-TawarikhBaburnama Humanyunnama and Tazkirat-ul-waqiat.nbsp;

nbsp;Commenting on the new book Ashok Maheshwari Managing Director of Rajkamal Prakashan said quot;We have a long association with Shazi Zaman. His father Badiuzzaman saheb was an eminent personality and we have published his books also. I believe the novel ‘Akbar’ will be a landmark in the Hindi publishing industry. It is a matter of great satisfaction to us that a reputed and established publication Speaking Tiger has taken it’s English rights. quot;nbsp;

nbsp;quot;In publishing generally a book is translated into other languages after it becomes popular. nbsp;It is remarkable that even while the Hindi book is under publication the English rights have been taken by Speaking Tiger from Rajkamal Prakashan. The English translation will appear in next few months. The next steps is to publish it in other Indian Languages for which the announcement will be made soonquot; a representative from the publication said. nbsp;Speaking on the association Ravi Singh Publisher and Co-Founder Speaking Tiger said quot;Speaking Tiger is delighted to be the publisher of the English edition of this monumental work of scholarship and literary imagination. Shazi Zaman has written an epic novel on an epic subject.quot;nbsp;

We all know Emperor Akbar as the most fascinating king of the Mughal Empire but Shazi Zaman’s book will reveal many untold facets of the legend’s life.

quot;It is my labour of two decades on the emperor’s quest to understand various denominations of his time and his determination to take on temporal and religious forces. He is a complex personality relevant for all complex times. nbsp;I am sure the two tall names of Indian publishing -Rajkamal Prakashan and Speaking Tiger –would carry Akbar far and wide. ‘Akbar’ has also deepened a bond of two generations that I have with Rajkamal Prakashan. They have published my father’s works as also my past two novelsquot; said the author Shazi Zaman.

Apart from a fine scholarly content the book also has other attractions such as coloured pictures of Akbar. There is also a map especially designed by the cartographer Faiz Habib and the image of Akbar’s original shield currently available at Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalay Mumbai. The structure has a Sun in the center and zodiac signs in the outer layer signifying what historians believe that king Akbar was a strong devotee of Sun and was an ardent believer of astrology. The shield also has a line written in Persian which means ‘Akbar the emperor with a lofty fortune .’nbsp;

Editorial Director of Rajkamal Prakashan Samuh Satyanand Nirupam further added quot;We did a lot of meetings in the past 6 months and discussed every doubt in length to make sure no point was left untouched. We moved forward only when both of us agreed on all points. I must say I am extremely moved by the effort Shazi Zaman has put in for Akbar. As far as I remember the only such well researched novel in Hindi till date is by Rahul Sankrityayan. After a long time Hindi literature is going to have something of this sort.quot;

The Rupee lay low for the second session as it weakened 10 paise to 66.93 against the Dollar on Thursday as the latter rose overseas amid a lower opening in domestic stocks.

Sustained demand for the American currency from importers was also at work.

Dealers said the Dollar’s renewed strength against other currencies overseas came after a preliminary survey showed key US services expanded in October, which reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will lift rates before the end of the year. This mainly pushed down the Rupee.

On Wednesday, the Rupee had ended almost flat at 66.83, a marginal 1 paisa drop against the American currency, amid month-end Dollar demand from importers.

Meanwhile, the benchmark BSE Sensex fell 103.69 points, or 0.37 per cent, to 27,732.82 in early trade.