Saturday, December 07, 2024 ਪੰਜਾਬੀ हिंदी

Archive News of December 07, 2024

4 killed in truck collision in Cameroon

At least four people were killed and several others injured in a collision that involved two trucks in Cameroon's Center Region, local police and witnesses said.

The crash occurred on early Friday in the town of Ayos in Nyong and Mfoumou Division of the region, news agency reported.

The police said that one of the trucks transporting merchandise was trying to avoid a motorcycle, and collided with the other truck transporting containers.

The fatal victims and the injured were taken to a nearby hospital and investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident, the police said.

Kejriwal accuses Centre of 'ruining' Delhi following Shahdara shooting

AAP National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the deteriorating law and order situation in the national Capital.

His remarks came after a shocking shootout in Shahdara, Delhi, where a 52-year-old businessman, Sunil Jain, was killed by two bike-borne assailants when he was returning home after a morning walk.

Taking to X, Kejriwal wrote, "Amit Shah ji has ruined Delhi. He has turned Delhi into a jungle raj. People are living a life of terror everywhere. BJP is no longer able to handle the law and order situation in Delhi. The people of Delhi will have to unite and raise their voices."

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj also condemned the incident, labelling Delhi a "crime capital."

India clocks impressive 67 pc growth in total exports in 10 years

As demand for Indian products in the global market surges across categories, the country’s total exports reached about $778 billion in FY2023-24, compared to $466 billion in FY2013-14 — a whopping 67 per cent growth.

India’s share in world merchandise exports also improved from 1.66 per cent to 1.81 per cent, with the country advancing in rankings from 20th to 17th position, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, responded to a Parliamentary query.

The feat was achieved as the government implemented several initiatives to sustain and accelerate export growth.

The country’s trade performance demonstrated stability and moderate growth during the first quarter of the current financial year, according to a NITI Aayog Trade Watch report.

According to the report, India’s total trade in H1 2024 experienced a 5.45 per cent year-on-year increase to reach $576 billion compared to 2023.

11 injured in Czech bus accident

As many as 11 people were injured in a bus accident in the northeastern Czech region of Moravian-Silesian due to heavy snowfall, local media reported.

The accident happened on Friday at around 10:45 A.M. local time on a road near Milotice nad Opavou.

The driver drove the bus with 20 people onboard off a snowy road into a ditch, News Agency reported, quoting the Czech News Agency.

Local medical rescuers treated 11 passengers, all of whom were conscious with moderate or mild injuries, according to the report.

The driver's breath test was negative, and the road was closed in both directions for more than an hour. Some roads, especially in higher elevations in the Moravian-Silesian Region, were passable only with increased caution.

Abandoned ships, crew on rise since pandemic: ITF

As of mid-November, a record 282 ships carrying more than 4,000 seamen had been abandoned by their owners this year, according to the International Transport Workers' Federation, or ITF, a labour union.

In 2023, the figure was 132 vessels.

"The figure rose when supply chains became snarled during the pandemic and again when Western sanctions were imposed on Russian interests in 2022, causing a surge in illicit maritime trade. Before 2020, about 40 ships a year were left stranded by absentee owners," reports news agency, quoting The Wall Street Journal on Friday.

"The obscure ownership structures make it difficult for enforcement authorities to do any more than impound the vessels," it noted.

WHO joins investigation in Congo undiagnosed disease

The World Health Organization (WHO) is deploying experts to support health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with investigations to determine the cause of a yet undiagnosed disease that has been reported in Panzi, a locality in Kwango Province in the southwest of the country.

The WHO experts are joining the Congo response team and are on their way to Panzi, the WHO regional office for Africa confirmed in a statement on Friday, news agency reported.

An initial local WHO team has been supporting the health authorities in Kwango since the end of November to reinforce disease surveillance and identify cases.

"Our priority is to provide effective support to the affected families and communities. All efforts are underway to identify the cause of the illness, understand its modes of transmission, and ensure appropriate response as swiftly as possible," said WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti.

Indian stock market maintains positive outlook as RBI turns more realistic

Amid a positive turnaround from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) to India, the Indian stock market maintained a positive outlook throughout the week as the core sector output in October and stability in service PMI data showed signs of recovery, experts said on Saturday.

FIIs returning to India in expectation of a dovish monetary policy by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) also supported the sentiment.

“RBI turns more realistic with a revision on its growth forecast for FY25. While boosting liquidity in the financial system by reducing CRR by 50 bps, RBI reiterates that maintaining macroeconomic stability remains crucial,” said Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services.

The market closed flat on Friday. Sensex settled at 81,709.12 while Nifty ended at 24,677.80. Nifty is holding steady above the crucial 24,650 support level.

Live concert of Punjabi singer Aujla in Chandigarh today: Traffic advisory issued

Chandigarh Police has issued a traffic advisory in view of Punjabi singer Karan Aujla’s live concert scheduled to be held at the Exhibition Ground, Sector 34, on Saturday. Traffic movement will be restricted or diverted on certain roads from 4 pm.

The road stretch from Sector 33/34 light point to Sector 34/35 traffic lights will be closed to the general public. Only vehicles of ticket holders will be allowed on this stretch after 5 pm.

The road from Sham Mall to the Polka turn in Sector 34 will also remain closed to the public from 5 pm to 10 pm. Only ticket holders will be allowed on this stretch.

There will be traffic diversions on road stretches from the 44/45/33/34 chowk towards 33/45 road, from the 34/35 light point to the dispensary turn, and from the Bharti School T-point to the 33/45 light point.

Jordan closes border crossing with Syria

Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Farrayah has announced the closure of the Jaber border crossing with Syria due to the security conditions in southern Syria.

Under the decision, Jordanian citizens and trucks will be allowed to return to the kingdom, but outbound traffic to Syrian territories will be prohibited, according to a statement released by the Ministry on Friday.

The Ministry said that Jordan is closely monitoring developments in Syria, while the armed forces continue to secure the borders, according to the statement.

Located on the Damascus-Amman international highway, the Jaber crossing, which is known as the Nassib crossing in Syria, was the sole operational passenger and commercial border crossing between the two countries, news agency reported.

On Friday, clashes erupted near the Nassib crossing in Syria, where armed groups allegedly infiltrated the area and attacked Syrian army positions, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

US: 1.1 million oven gloves recalled after consumers report 92 minor burns

US video and e-commerce retailer QVC is recalling about 1.1 million of its "Temp-tations Oven Gloves" because they fail to provide sufficient heat protection, according to a notice published by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

QVC has received 162 reports of insufficient heat protection, including 92 minor burns, reports news agency.

Consumers in possession of the now-recalled gloves are urged to stop using them immediately and contact QVC for a refund. More information can be found on the recall's online registration page.

According to the recall notice, the oven gloves were sold online at qvc.com as well as through QVC's televised and digital shopping platforms from August 2018 to August 2024 for between 4 dollars and 13 dollars a pair.

Canada launches Arctic Foreign Policy

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the launch of Canada's Arctic Foreign Policy.

The Arctic Foreign Policy, a diplomatic strategy for Canada's engagement in and on the Arctic, provides expanded presence and partnerships to address current needs and the flexibility to adapt to future challenges, the foreign minister said in a new release, news agency reported.

The Arctic Foreign Policy comprises four foreign policy pillars: Asserting Canada's sovereignty; advancing Canada's interests through pragmatic diplomacy; leadership on Arctic governance and multilateral challenges; and adopting a more inclusive approach to Arctic diplomacy, according to the release.

One of the core priorities for the Arctic Foreign Policy is to deepen cooperation across the North American Arctic, the release added, saying that the relationships in this region are unique due to geographical proximity and the ancestral relations that exist among Indigenous Peoples.

Pakistan: New Gwadar International Airport to start operations by end December

The New Gwadar International Airport is set to commence operations by the end of December, Acting Director General of the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA), Air Vice Marshal Zeeshan Saeed, said.

During his visit to the airport, the officer was briefed about the airport's cutting-edge features and the promising business and investment opportunities it is expected to generate in the future, news agency reported quoting PAA.

The airport, a donation by China, is a 4F-grade state-of-the-art facility that can handle the largest civil aircraft. Its 3,658-metre-long, 75-metre-wide runway, with specialised foundation treatment, sets a benchmark in engineering standards.

Designed to transform connectivity, the airport features a spacious apron with five slots for wide-body aircraft and plans for extensive cargo operations with a dedicated cargo shed and future expansions.