Author: Neel Achary

Offshore gas platform proves green hydrogen can be produced using existing infrastructure

The Hague, the Netherlands, Aug 07 – Just 13 kilometres off the coast of Scheveningen, a Dutch pilot project is demonstrating a promising way to repurpose the vast network of offshore oil and gas infrastructure around the world. As part of the energy transition, green hydrogen has, for the first time, been successfully produced on an operational offshore gas platform while natural gas production continued simultaneously. The pilot, known as PosHYdon, is being carried out on the operational Q13a-A platform.

The achievement by the PosHYdon project demonstrates that the infrastructure built for the gas industry could one day be repurposed for a new role: producing and transporting green hydrogen using offshore wind energy. As countries expand offshore wind capacity, one question is becoming increasingly important: how can that renewable energy be transported efficiently to where it is needed?

One possible answer, instead of bringing all electricity ashore through subsea cables, renewable electricity generated by offshore wind can be used directly at sea to produce green hydrogen. The hydrogen can then be transported through offshore pipelines, many of which already exist as part of the North Sea’s extensive gas network.

This successful proof of concept shows that offshore platforms, once their gas production ends, could potentially be repurposed for hydrogen production. In the future, the same offshore pipeline network that currently transports natural gas could also be used to transport hydrogen, reducing the need for entirely new infrastructure.

The quantities of hydrogen currently produced are deliberately small and therefor not used yet. At this moment the purpose of PosHYdon is to demonstrate that the technology works safely and reliably under real offshore conditions and to collect the operational data needed for future large-scale projects.

Over the coming months, TNO and the project partners will analyse the results and findings from the pilot and present them to Stientje van Veldhoven-van der Meer, Minister of Climate and Green Growth in Q4. Those results will help determine the next steps towards scaling up offshore hydrogen production and accelerating the reuse of existing North Sea infrastructure.

PosHYdon is an initiative of DEME, EBN, Eneco, Emerson, Gasunie, Hatenboerwater, Investa Expertise Centrum, Iv, Nel, Eni, Nexstep, NGT, Nogat, TAQA and TNO. Their ambition is to accelerate the development of offshore hydrogen production as Europe expands its renewable energy capacity.

Read the full article: https://thehague.com/newsroom/en/news/offshore-gas-platform-proves-green-hydrogen-can-be-produced-using-existing-infrastructure

Lava Announces Exciting Deals on Smartphones During Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale

New Delhi, Aug 07: Lava International Limited, India’s trusted homegrown smartphone brand, is bringing exciting offers on its popular smartphone portfolio during the Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale. The offers are available from 7 August to 12 August, giving consumers an excellent opportunity to upgrade to a feature-packed Lava smartphone at attractive prices. 

As part of this limited-period sale, consumers can avail attractive offers on Lava‘s popular smartphones, including the Agni 4, Bold N2 Lite, Bold N2, and Bold N2 5G. Along with special sale pricing, consumers can also avail HDFC Bank Credit Card and EMI offers, making it even more rewarding to upgrade to a Lava smartphone. Additionally, Agni 4 will be available with a limited-period price drop, offering even greater value to consumers looking to experience Lava‘s flagship smartphone.

The following offers will be available during the sale: 

All offers are valid from August 7 to August 12, 2026, exclusively on Amazon.in, and can be availed using HDFC Bank Credit Cards and HDFC Bank Credit Card EMI transactions, subject to applicable terms and conditions.

Researchers Create the Most Complete DNA Profile of the Brown Rat to Date

Researchers have created the most complete genetic profile of the brown rat to date, according to a UTHealth Houston-led team, paving the way for scientists to more accurately research the genetic links to conditions like heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. 

The research was published today in Cell Genomics and led by corresponding author Peter Doris, PhD, director of the Center for Human Genetics at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine within McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston.

The assembly of the brown rat’s genome provides a complete genetic fingerprint and reveals that the brown rat’s DNA is more complex than scientists previously understood. In addition to uncovering more than 60 new genes, many of which were previously difficult to sequence and are thought to play a role in immunity and other biological processes, the team discovered that brown rat sex chromosomes differ in a significant way from those in humans.

In humans, the X and Y chromosomes contain a region known as the pseudoautosomal region, or PAR, which plays a unique role in allowing the two dissimilar chromosomes to pair up and replicate. In most mammals, this region contains about 20 genes shared by both the X and Y chromosomes. This shared sequence is what allows these dissimilar chromosomes to match up and replicate. 

Doris and his team found that these PAR genes have been lost from the X and Y chromosomes in the brown rat, indicating rats use a different mechanism to reproduce. The team found that the PAR genes have moved to the regular chromosomes and uncovered new sequences that cause the X and Y chromosomes to pair head to tail, rather than head to head as in most other mammals.

“Sexual reproduction in the rat can take place, but it’s not taking place in exactly the same way that it is in humans,” said Doris, who is the Mary Elizabeth Holdsworth Distinguished University Chair in Metabolic and Inflammatory Disease Research. “We wouldn’t have been able to discern that if we hadn’t had this complete, high-quality, and accurate sequencing of the genome.”

The findings have important implications for healthcare research, as scientists will now have a more accurate starting point during preclinical studies that use the brown rat. 

“We know that there are genetic causes of diseases, but when we try to find out where in the genome they’re coming from, we kind of get lost,” Doris said. “Until now, it has been extremely difficult to recognize genetic differences because the assemblies that we were working with had missing pieces.”

Many of these pieces were regions in which genes have duplicated. The nearly identical copies could not be seen independently of each other prior to Doris’ work. Gene duplication is a key mechanism by which individual genomes, and the functions they encode, can differ.

The rat genome, or genetic fingerprint, is made up of 22 pairs of chromosomes, at each end of which is a sequence called a telomere. Doris’ research represents the first telomere-to-telomere assembly of the brown rat’s genome, providing complete, unbroken descriptions of each chromosome’s sequence.

Prior to this research, scientists were essentially trying to put together a complicated jigsaw puzzle without the photo you find on the puzzle box, Doris said. 

“If the puzzle doesn’t come with a picture on the box, and if there are a lot of pieces in there that just look like pieces of blue sky, it’s very hard to know where to put those pieces,” he said.

Using the long-read assembly method, Doris and his team were able to create eight different reference-quality genome assemblies, allowing scientists to better understand genetic variations among different brown rats and to track down the genetic variation contributing to disease. Like in humans, individual rat genomes are unique. That means that one rat’s genome, or jigsaw puzzle, will have pieces that another rat’s “puzzle” does not have.

The eight reference strains allowed the team to create what’s known as a pangenome, which allows scientists to compare the genomes of multiple rats simultaneously. This pangenome adds 7% more sequence to the genome of the rat species.

“You can go into any particular place around any particular gene that you’re interested in, say, the protease gene that’s involved in digesting your steak dinner. Is that gene going to be the same in all of these animals, or could it be different?” Doris said. “Turns out, in some rats, the gene is specialized to do one job in digestion and another one in the immune system. Each function resides in the original and a recently duplicated copy of the gene. The pangenome gives you one place to go where you can capture all of the major differences that you’re likely to encounter. That’s a very, very valuable tool to have.”

Yaming Zhu, a research assistant in the Center for Human Genetics at The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine with McGovern Medical School, also served as an author on the study. 

Additional authors include: Theodore Samuel Kalbfleisch, PhD; Julia L. Ciosek, MS; and Kai Li of the University of Kentucky; Sergey Koren, PhD; Adam Phillippy, PhD; Brandon Pickett, PhD; Gerard Bouffard, PhD; and Shelise Y. Brooks of the National Institutes of Health; Melissa Smith, PhD; and William A. Lauer of the University of Louisville; and Beth Dumont, PhD, of The Jackson Laboratory. 

Dubai stays on course for record year in property rentals

In real estate sales, Dubai South ranked as the best-performing area for the fifth successive month

Dubai, UAE, Aug 07: The Dubai real estate market remains on course in 2026 to set a new all-time high for rental contracts recorded in one year.

A market analysis from fäm Properties today shows that 38,197 rental contracts were registered in July, 18,431 of these new agreements, with 19,766 renewals.

This takes the total number of rental contracts recorded for the first seven months in 2026 to 214,445, a 1.9% increase on the same period last year which ended with a record number of 377,660 registered contracts.

To date in 2026, reflecting a consistent preference for apartments in the market, 88,327 (41%) of tenancy contracts registered were for one-bedroom units.

Meanwhile, the market delivered 13,872 sales transactions valued at AED34.5 billion last month. Once again off plan sales dominated with 9,585 transactions worth AED 20.5 billion compared with 4,287 valued at AED14.0 billion in the resale market.

Data from DXBinteract shows Dubai South as the emirate’s best-performing area in sales volume for the fifth consecutive month, recording 2,351 transactions worth AED2.6 billion. Of these, 2,231 were off plan deals amounting to AED2.3 billion.

“The level of rental activity overall is a good sign of market resilience,” said Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties. “The volume of renewals alone shows that, regardless of regional uncertainty over the last few months, people still see Dubai as one of the best places in the world to live and work.”

July recorded 11,759 apartment sales worth AED 17.8 billion, alongside 1,322 villa sales worth AED 7.8 billion, 268 plot sales valued at AED 6.9 billion, and 515 commercial transactions, including offices and shops, worth AED 1.9 billion.

The most expensive apartment sold in July went for AED166 million at Aman Residences Tower 2 at Jumeirah Second, while the most expensive villa fetched AED73 million at The Oasis – Lavita.

With properties worth more than AED5 million accounting for 7% of sales, 8.2% were between AED3-5 million, 11.4% between AED2-3 million, 30.3% between AED1-2 million and 43.4% were below AED1 million.

BREAKDOWN OF RENTAL AGREEMENTS BY BEDROOMS TO DATE IN 2026

TOP TEN AREAS BY RENTAL CONTRACTS REGISTERED TO DATE IN 2026

TOP FIVE PERFORMING AREAS IN SALES VOLUME JULY 2026

                                                Off plan          Sales value     Re-sale                        Sales value

Goa Tourism Explores Stronger Cultural & Spiritual Tourism Ties with Gujarat at TTF Ahmedabad 2026

Gandhinagar, Aug 06: Reinforcing its commitment to expanding tourism partnerships across Western India, the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa, marked a successful opening at TTF Ahmedabad 2026 with the inauguration of the Goa Pavilion by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Patel, alongside Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, in the presence of Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Harsh Sanghavi, Hon’ble Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Satpal Maharaj, senior government officials and tourism stakeholders.

The inaugural ceremony reflected the growing collaboration between the states in promoting domestic tourism and creating integrated travel experiences. During the interactions, Goa and Gujarat also explored deeper collaboration, including the possibility of an MoU to promote cultural and spiritual tourism exchanges, aimed at strengthening tourism ties and encouraging greater visitor movement between the two states.

Led by Hon’ble Tourism Minister Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, Goa’s delegation comprised senior officials from the Department of Tourism, Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), leading hotels and resorts, destination management companies, travel agencies and hospitality stakeholders, collectively showcasing the state’s evolving tourism ecosystem and engaging with travel trade professionals from across the country.

The Goa Pavilion emerged as one of the key attractions on the opening day, drawing strong interest from tour operators, travel companies, destination wedding planners, MICE organisers, hospitality stakeholders and visitors. The pavilion highlighted Goa’s diverse tourism offerings, including destination weddings, MICE, spiritual tourism, wellness, culinary experiences, adventure tourism, hinterland circuits and regenerative tourism initiatives, reinforcing the state’s positioning as a year-round destination.

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Government of Goa, Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, said: “We are grateful to the people of Gujarat for their continued love and trust in Goa as one of their preferred travel destinations. Gujarat remains a key source market for us, and TTF Ahmedabad provides an important platform to strengthen partnerships with the travel trade while exploring new avenues of collaboration, including cultural and spiritual tourism. Alongside our globally recognised beaches, Goa today offers avenues for world-class destination weddings, immersive spiritual circuits such as the Ekadasha Teertha Yatra, vibrant hinterland experiences and community-led tourism initiatives that encourage visitors to discover a deeper side of the state. Going forward, enhanced air connectivity between Gujarat and Goa will play a pivotal role in unlocking greater tourism potential and creating wider economic opportunities for both regions.”

A major highlight at this year’s exhibition was Goa’s emphasis on destination weddings and MICE tourism, supported by premium hospitality infrastructure, luxury resorts, heritage venues, modern convention facilities and seamless connectivity through both Manohar International Airport and Goa International Airport. The Department also showcased the recently launched Ekadasha Teertha Yatra, a curated spiritual circuit connecting eleven ancient temples across Goa, alongside the state’s growing wellness, culinary and adventure tourism offerings that encourage visitors to explore Goa beyond its beaches.

Throughout the exhibition, Goa Tourism and its industry partners held a series of productive business meetings, buyer-seller interactions and networking sessions focused on strengthening trade partnerships, expanding market outreach and promoting Goa’s diverse tourism experiences to domestic and international travellers. The Department’s participation at TTF Ahmedabad forms part of its long-term strategy to diversify tourism offerings, encourage longer visitor stays, strengthen interstate collaborations and advance sustainable and regenerative tourism that creates lasting value for local communities and the tourism ecosystem.

Live Times Honoured with “Fastest Emerging Hindi News Channel” Award at 12th BCS Ratna Award – 2026

New Delhi, Aug 07: India’s First Global Multicast News Hub – Live Times, has been conferred with the coveted “Fastest Emerging Hindi News Channel” title at the 12th BCS Ratna Award – 2026, held at Hotel The Lalit, New Delhi. The award was received by Dilip Singh, Founder & CEO of Live Times, in recognition of the channel‘s rapid growth, credible journalism, and expanding viewership across India and international markets since its launch.

The BCS Ratna Award is regarded as one of the industry’s most respected honours, celebrating excellence, innovation, and impact across the broadcasting and media landscape. This year’s edition brought together prominent voices from television, digital media, and journalism to recognise organisations driving meaningful change in how news is delivered to audiences.

Speaking on the recognition, Dilip Singh, Founder & CEO, Live Times, said, “This recognition belongs to Team Live Times and our viewers and users across television and digital. The growth and the trust reflects the relentless efforts by the team Live Times to deliver truth to each of our users and viewers. In a very short span of time, emergence of Live Times as a fastest growing Hindi News Channel in India also negates that the fake and deep -fake cannot be defeated. 

The award validates our commitment to delivery of complete truth whatever it takes. We remain committed to expanding our reach while staying true to our founding values.”

Since its launch, Live Times has positioned itself as a digital-first, 24×7 satellite news channel, guided by the value of “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” and a mission to deliver truth-based news amid rising concerns around misinformation and deepfake content. The channel‘s swift expansion across satellite, IPTV, OTT, and digital platforms has been central to its recognition as one of the fastest-growing Hindi news channels in the country.

The “Fastest Emerging Hindi News Channel” title adds to Live Times‘ growing list of milestones as it continues to strengthen its presence across linear television, connected TV, and social media platforms, reaching audiences in India and abroad.

Viewers can watch Live Times on:

Satellite (Linear) TV – Tata Play (Ch. 539), Dish TV (Ch. 665), Airtel Digital TV (Ch. 385), DD Free Dish (Ch. 100), Jio TV (Ch. 539), Sikka Cable (Ch. 319)

International – USA & Canada on UVOtv

IP TV – Airtel Digital TV

OTT Platforms – Tata Play, Airtel Xtreme, DD Waves, OTT Play, Neo TV+, Jio TV, VI Movies & TV, Amazon Fire TV

Infosys to Accelerate IT System Transformation for Crocs, Inc., Optimizing Global Operational Capabilities to Scale for Future Growth

Tom Britt, Chief Information Officer, Crocs, Inc. said, “As our organization reimagines its IT landscape, we sought a collaborator who could combine deep domain expertise with a commitment to innovation and operational excellence. By leveraging Infosys’ proven delivery frameworks and advanced automation capabilities, we will optimize operations, reduce costs and scale responsibly—while driving continuous improvement and building a foundation for sustainable growth and digital resilience that positions Crocs, Inc. for the future.”

 

Karmesh Vaswani, EVP & Global Head, Consumer, Retail & Logistics, Infosys said, “The retail industry is at an unprecedented inflection point, where new AI augmented, digital imaginations can be industrialized rapidly. Crocs, Inc. is making a bold commitment to digital transformation. We are proud to collaborate with a global footwear business that’s willing to reimagine its operations from the ground up. Our AI-first approach will drive purposeful performance improvements unlocking AI value across Crocs, Inc.’s global operations, scale unique innovations and accelerate profitable growth in this fast-changing global retail landscape.”