eNews
BBC Earth Lands on BBC.com
MUMBAI: BBC Earth – the BBC Worldwide factual brand behind global blockbusters such as Planet Earth, Walking with Dinosaurs and Blue Planet – today launches its new digital home on BBC.com. The stunning site captures BBC Earth’s passion for adventure and exploration bringing visitors a visual feast of incredible imagery, world class videos and stories that will offer fans a new perspective on the world.
From the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the universe visitors to the new section will be able to explore ten content strands including a mix of newly commissioned content as well as awe inspiring moments from the BBC’s Natural History Unit archives, which will be housed in the Amazing Moments section and will offer hundreds of clips, launching with 25, including Attack Of The Praying Mantis with new clips to be published daily. Other key strands include: Discoveries a section dedicated to uncovering fascinating stories such as Are Dolphins Cleverer Dogs, to Strange & Beautiful, which explores topics including The Twisted World of Sexual Organs to A Colourful Life, home to specially commissioned short films exploring the beauty of nature through colour. First to launch will be Life in White dedicated to the beauty of nature’s polar ice caps and nature’s use of the colour.
Matt Walker, former news editor at New Scientist and editor of BBC Food and BBC Nature, has taken up the reins as Editor working alongside a number of BBC Earth’s network of experts in science and nature.
Matt Walker, Editor for BBC Earth on BBC.com said: “BBC Earth offers a different perspective on the world and we want to celebrate all the wonders of the natural world from your back garden to the farthest star. We share a never ending curiosity with our audience and being digital allows us to interact more closely with them. We want people to share their own content with us and their network through social media and show us what inspires them. Our mission is to bring visitors to BBC Earth something amazing every single day and we have an incredible wealth of content to offer from mind bending stories to stunning photography and film that will change the way you think about our universe.”
Matt added: “Like our other non-news sections BBC Earth hopes to attract new visitors to BBC.com which is increasingly becoming the go to site for a wealth of new and topic led content.”
Jo Sermon, Director of BBC Earth commented: “The launch of BBC Earth on BBC.com is an opportunity for us to transform our relationship with audiences and give people a place to connect with our content beyond the television. Its home for the huge breadth and range of content that BBC Earth encompasses and we can be immediate in sharing new stories. Audiences will be able to explore their world and discover its wonders whenever and wherever they want and there will always be something new to excite them.”
“This is great news for fans of the natural world globally, as well as in India. As one of the world’s most renowned producers of natural history content, we are very pleased that bbc.com/earth will provide our audience with a deeper connection to the natural world, inspiring and entertaining them at the same time,” said Myleeta Aga, SVP & General Manager India and Content Head Asia.
BBC Earth builds on the existing portfolio of specialist sections BBC Autos, BBC Capital, BBC Culture, BBC Future and BBC Travel, commissioned for BBC.com. Each of these bespoke sections seeks to offer visitors to BBC.com a deeper understanding of the story behind the headlines, across a plethora of topics and from a wealth of specialists. To date the non-news sections have attracted an average of 6.8 million unique users contributing to the 76 million unique users BBC.com attracts on a monthly basis across mobile and desktop.
eNews
India strengthens global enforcement to crack down on smuggling
CBIC ramps up tech-driven inspections and international partnerships to stop illicit trade
NEW DELHI: India is ramping up its battle against cross-border smuggling, with 42 Mutual Customs Cooperation Agreements already in place and 21 more in the pipeline with major trading partners, said Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Speaking at Ficci Cascade’s 5th Anti-Smuggling Day, Singh described smuggling as a sophisticated, technology-fuelled crime that threatens both the economy and national security.
“CBIC’s customs teams and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence are stepping up efforts. In just the first three quarters of this year, we seized around 500 kilograms of gold, nearly 150 million illicit cigarettes, over 20 tonnes of red sanders, and substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and cannabis. We also uncovered more than 100 wildlife trafficking cases, along with illegal arms, drones and counterfeit currency,” said CBIC member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Singh added that modern smuggling networks are flexible and tech-savvy, mixing old-school concealment with digital anonymity and complex financial schemes. “We are moving from simply intercepting shipments to dismantling the networks behind them. Advanced cargo screening, AI-driven analytics and risk-based inspections help us stop illegal goods before they hit the domestic market,” said CBIC member – compliance management Mohan Kumar Singh.
Highlighting recent Union Budget initiatives, Singh noted that AI-powered image analysis and expanded container scanning will further boost enforcement, while GST simplification and customs reforms make legal trade easier and illicit trade harder.
Emphasising the need for global collaboration, Anil Rajput said, “Ficci Cascade, chairman, Anil Rajput, Strong partnerships, intelligence sharing and coordinated action are key. An International Anti-Smuggling Day recognised by the United Nations could give this fight a worldwide platform, and India is ready to lead.”
P C Jha added, “Ficci Cascade, advisor, P C Jha, Anti-Smuggling Day is more than a symbolic event. Smuggling thrives on organised networks and digital platforms. Effective enforcement must dismantle these networks and the financial flows that sustain them.”
Ficci Cascade research shows the economic impact is huge. A 2024 study estimates India’s illicit market at nearly Rs 8 lakh crore in 2022–23, with millions of legitimate jobs lost to unlawful trade.
The event featured two expert panels. The first focused on protecting the economy and borders through coordinated intelligence and technology, while the second explored international partnerships with representatives from Undoc, US Customs and the Indian enforcement community.
The day also celebrated young talent through the “Stand Against Smuggling” digital art competition, which drew over 10,000 entries nationwide, highlighting growing awareness and civic responsibility among youth.
Launched in 2022, Anti-Smuggling Day has quickly become a major platform for government, industry, international bodies and civil society to unite against illicit trade.
