Rituraj Phukan of the Nagaon-based Green Guards Organisation told Mail Today, 'While historically, jumbo flesh isn't eaten by tribes of Karbi Hills, we were surprised by the May 1 incident and similar ones in the past 10 years.

Siobhan McLaughlin, 46, was refused the benefit after her partner John Adams died from cancer in January 2014 because the couple, who had four children and were together for 23 years, were not married or in a civil pa



BERN, June 4 (Reuters) - Players may be at an increased risk of injury as professional sports rush back into action following the coronavirus stoppage, a global union representing 85,000 athletes said on Thursday.

Senior wildlife officers refused to confirm that the May 1 Nagaon incident points to 'meat consumption,' but other experts expressed fears that the 'newly acquired taste' could lead to a spurt in elephant poaching.



A separate new study from Aarhus University, in Denmark, looking at how much exposure players would have to a single infected player on the field, showed that, on average, a player is positioned within an 'exposure zone' for one minute and 28 seconds during a match.

Football is a contact sport and we feel very high protection standards are required," said FIFPro secretary general Jonas Baer-Hoffmann. Soccer's global players' union FIFPro has also urged caution. "We need guidance and protocols on how to return in a healthy and safe manner.



"Many players will not have had access to the necessary training methods to ensure that they have the necessary fitness and conditioning to compete," said the World Players' Association (WPA), whose members play in the NBA, MLB, NHL, NFL, European soccer and Australian Rules football, among others.

India only has about 30,000 elephants left in its forests and reserves, and the huge animal enjoys the highest Schedule 1 species status under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 besides declared endangered by global body, IUCN.

MANCHESTER, England, April 28 (Reuters) - Research from Germany and Italy suggests that footballers and other athletes face a particular risk of the coronavirus infecting their lungs, raising major questions over attempts to restart professional soccer.

The WPA said that one key measure would be to reduce the strain by modifying rest periods, substitutions and duration of matches, as soccer had done by allowing five substitutions per team instead of three.

"We acknowledge that there are no perfect answers, and that this is a very complex and difficult decision, but this position (to postpone the Games) at least provides our athletes with the comfort of knowing that they will have adequate time to properly prepare themselves physically, mentally and emotionally to be able to participate in a safe and successful Olympic Games," he wrote.

Other key concerns were whether players had been provided with enough time to return to competition fitness and whether, in the case of injury, they would have access to the usual range of treatment and rehabilitation, given the strain on health services.

In Bangladesh, these turtles fetch anywhere between Rs 700 and 8 kets.' While near Chambal River in UP, a turtle would sell for Rs 60-100 per kg, in Bengal the price could be as high as Rs 400-500 per kg.

WPA executive director Brendan Schwab pointed to a study conducted by Australian sports scientist Joel Mason last month which suggested an increased injury rate in the Bundesliga since Germany's professional soccer league restarted on May 16.

A senior officer in the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, east region, said that with Khokon's arrest, almost the entire network of turtle receivers and sellers in Bengal has been killed. 'After Khokon, two other prominent names are Tarok Ghosh and Bhola Ghosh. The former is absconding while the latter was caught 15

The Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA) and the World Players Association (WPA) said a "deep review and broader consultation" with athletes was required regarding the decision over whether the Games could run as planned.

The research, produced by Italian immunologists and lung specialists based at institutes in Berlin, Rome and Verona, suggests that due to strenuous exercise, elite athletes are more likely to inhale virus particles and direct them to the lower areas of the lung.

Chief executive Max Siegel said the USTAF "understood" the ramification of postponing the Games for the first time ever in peace time, but that moving forward would not be in the best interest of athletes.

"The IOC needs to elevate its dialogue with the full range of those most affected beyond sponsors and governments to an open multi-stakeholder process that brings to the table as equals player associations as the representatives of athletes and others most at risk," WPA executive director Brendan Schwab said in a statement.



LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Calls from sporting organisations for this year's Tokyo Olympics to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic gathered pace on Saturday with USA Track and Field (USATF) and Brazil's Olympic Committee the latest to join the throng.