Russian state media have confirmed the death of one of Moscow’s top generals during heavy fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Maj Gen Roman Kutuzov was killed leading an assault on a Ukrainian settlement in the region, a reporter with the state-owned Rossiya 1 said.
Alexander Sladkov said Gen Kutuzov had been commanding troops from the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russia’s defence ministry has not commented on the reports. (BBC)
India: According to police and media reports, a bus in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand plummeted into a canyon, killing at least 26 people and injuring four more.
When the bus ran off the road on Sunday evening, it was carrying 30 people, including the driver, to Yamunotri, a remote Hindu pilgrimage site in the Himalayan state.
The tragedy occurred near Damta, Uttarkashi district, around 160 kilometers (100 miles) from Dehradun, the state capital.
UK: Despite Russia’s danger to the West, the UK will send its first long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to the defense secretary.
The M270 multi-launch rocket system, according to Ben Wallace, will boost Ukraine in its defense against Russia.
The number of weapons that will be sent has not been confirmed by the government, but the BBC understands that three will be dispatched at first.
The move follows the United States’ announcement last week that it will also provide a rocket system.
The United States’ decision to send its own M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Kyiv has already enraged Moscow, and Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened on Sunday to expand the list of targets Russia would attack in Ukraine if Western countries sent long-range weapons to Kyiv.
New Delhi — To mark the World Environment Day this year, a book
titled ‘Elimination of Infectious Diseases from the South-East Asia Region Keeping the
Promise’ was launched at a virtual event on Monday.
Infectious disease epidemiologist and public health expert, Professor David Heymann
said that the book highlights the progress that has been made in the control of
communicable diseases in the Region during the past decade.
“It provides compelling insights into how this has been done with high-level
commitment, funding and maintaining the sense of urgency. It provides good news at a
time when the world is faced by the devastating effects of climate change.”
Edited by the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh,
the book is a compilation of chapters authored by public health experts and details the
achievements by Member countries such as elimination of mother-to-child
transmission of HIV and Syphilis, yaws, malaria, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma and
moving towards a leprosy free world. These successes follow prioritization of
elimination of neglected tropical diseases and others diseases on the verge of
elimination, as a flagship priority in the Region, when Dr Khetrapal Singh assumed
office as Regional Director in 2014.
“Countries of the South-East Asia Region have for decades been fighting
communicable diseases. I know the challenges. But as this book shows, those
challenges have not stopped the fight against communicable diseases nor have they
stopped the strengthening of primary health care and the expansion of universal
health coverage,” Prof Heymann said.
On launching the book as part of World Environment Day initiative, Dr Poonam
Khetrapal Singh said, “climate change and other environmental determinants threaten
to halt or even reverse the Region’s hard-won gains against communicable diseases,
which would in turn negatively impact inclusive and sustainable social and economic
growth”.
“Biodiverse and well-functioning ecosystems are vital to sustain and enhance human
health. All people must have access to clean air, fresh water, and nutritional security
to prevent disease and promote health, and to pursue sustainable livelihoods”, the
Regional Director said. (ANI)
NEW DELHI — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held developed nations responsible for large-scale carbon emissions on Sunday.
“India is making this effort when India’s role in climate change is negligible,” Modi said in a speech marking the World Environment Day.
“Large modern countries of the world are not only exploiting more and more resources of the earth, but maximum carbon emission goes to their account,” he said.
Modi said the average carbon footprint of the world is about 4 tons per person per annum while the figure of India is about 0.5 ton per person per annum.
Modi underlined that India’s efforts to protect the environment have been multifaceted.
“India is working on a long-term vision in collaboration with the international community on protecting the environment and established organizations like Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, International Solar Alliance,” he said, reiterating the country’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2070(Xinhua).
A huge fire in a container depot in southern Bangladesh claimed the lives of at least 49 people while around 300 others were injured on Sunday, according to official sources. According to fire service official Jalal Ahmed, the fire broke out at a container storage facility in Sitakunda, around 40 km from the Chittagong port.
The fire started around midnight and Ruhul Amin Sikder, spokesman for the Bangladesh Inland Container Association (BICA), said that the fire probably got worse because of the containers carrying chemicals present in the private depot including hydrogen peroxide. The fire also destroyed millions of dollars of garment products which were kept in the container depot.
London –The 20th episode of the Gurkha Cup, one of the biggest football events of the South Asian community in the UK, was organised at the Queen’s Avenue Sports Ground at Aldershot on Sunday.
The event is organised every year by a Nepali community organization, Tamu Dhee UK, by bringing together thousands of Gurkhas and their families in the UK. Even though football competition is the main event, Nepalis have been celebrating the Gurkha Cup as a festival.
According to the organisers, the main objectives of the event was to increase the level of professional football among the youth in the community, also to raise public awareness against drugs, alcohol and about cancer, raise funds for charity, and collect relief to help in case of emergency in Nepal.
Altogether 32 teams took part in the tournament bringing together players of 16-39 age group, similarly there were 8 teams in men’s category and two in the women category.
Apart from London, teams from Wales, Colchester, Oxford, York, Catrick and other cities in the UK and The Netherlands participated in the competition.
FC Kent became the winner in the main event. FC Kent won the title by defeating Rangbhang Samaj UK 2-1 in a very competitive final. Along with the victory, FC Kent received 2,500 pounds in cash, a shield, trophy and certificate.
Similarly, Brigade Boys Club (BBC) emerged victorious on the veterans side of the competition.
In the women’s category, which was held for the first time in the Gurkha Cup this year, the Manokranti team became the winner.
Parachute displays, stalls of traditional costumes and other materials, food and charity stalls, art and craft stalls, cultural performances of the centenary cultural group, presentation by singer Elena Gurung were the main attractions at the Gurkha Cup.
Ms Asmita Ale, a footballer belonging to English club Tottenham Hotspur, also participated in the Gurkha Cup.
Chief guest of the formal program, Rushmoor Borough Mayor Councillor John Mars, was pleased with the strong presence of the Nepali community in his area and said that Nepalis community has contributed to the social, cultural and business aspects in the Borough. Mrs Roshan Khanal, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali Embassy in London, said that the Gurkha Cup was not only about preserving and promoting Nepali art, culture and traditions, but also about promoting integration with the British community.
Tamudhee UK President Hit Kaji Gurung, who presided over the event, said that the Gurkha Cup has united the Nepali community. He expressed his gratitude to the players, audience, sponsors, guests and volunteers, saying that the main objective of the Gurkha Cup was to protect Nepali youth from falling into bad habit, to integrate them into the mainstream and preserve Nepali arts and culture.
GENEVA – The environmental devastation caused by conflicts around the world is exacerbating the disastrous human rights consequences for people, including their right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and will do so for years to come, David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment warned today. He makes the following statement ahead of World Environment Day:
“Peace is a fundamental prerequisite to sustainable development and the full enjoyment of human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
In Ukraine for instance, the Russian invasion continues to claim too many victims, killing and injuring thousands of civilians and causing serious human rights violations. It is also consuming vast quantities of energy, producing huge emissions of climate-disrupting greenhouse gases, generating toxic air, water and soil pollution, and destroying nature.
This environmental devastation is exacerbating the disastrous human rights consequences of the invasion for people living in Ukraine, including their right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, and will do so for years into the future, even after the conflict ends. It has also important negative impacts for the rest of the world.
The heavy energy use resulting from waging war exacerbates the climate crisis, both through direct greenhouse gas emissions from military activities and indirect effects at the global level. For example, many countries have announced plans to expand oil, gas and coal extraction in response to the war. The multi-billion-dollar rebuilding and restoration efforts needed in Ukraine after the war will also add to environmental pressures facing the world, consuming vast quantities of energy and other resources.
The destruction of thousands of buildings and major infrastructure essential to the enjoyment of human rights is also highly problematic in conflict situations. For example, millions of people have lost their access to safe drinking water, violating their right to water.
Damage to industrial facilities, chemical stockpiles and nuclear power plants can also result in the release of extremely hazardous substances posing an immediate threat to the rights to life and health, and long-term problems caused by exposure to toxic substances.
The world is grappling with a devastating pandemic and a triple environmental crisis – climate disruption, collapsing biodiversity and pervasive pollution – delaying progress towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. It is imperative to end wars, ensure peace and begin the healing and restoration processes as soon as humanly possible.”
Mr. David R. Boyd was appointed as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment in August 2018. He is an associate professor of law, policy, and sustainability at the University of British Columbia.
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
Kathmandu: At least nine passengers died and 24 others sustained injuries when a bus plunged off a bridge in Rupandehi district on early Sunday morning.
The bus, Lu 2 Kha 3841, heading for Bhairahawa from Janakpur plunged off the bridge over Rohanikhola at around 4:30 am today causing the fatalities, police said.
The condition of 15 passengers injured in the mishap is critical, DSP Navratna Poudel at District Police Office Rupandehi told Nepal Live Today.
The injured are being treated at Bhim Hospital and Universal Medical College in Bhairahawa.
Bangladesh: A fire and a huge explosion have killed at least 25 people and injured hundreds more at a storage depot near the city of Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Hundreds of people had arrived to tackle the fire when a number of containers exploded at the site in Sitakunda.
The cause of the fire is not known, but it is thought that chemicals were stored in some of the containers.
Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed and have appealed for blood donations.
Many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition with burns covering 60% to 90% of their bodies.
“The explosion just threw me some 10 metres from where I was standing. My hands and legs are burnt,” lorry driver Tofael Ahmed told AFP news agency. Read more at BBC
Nine coal miners have died and six remain trapped underground after an explosion in a coal mine in Colombia, the National Mining Agency (ANM) said.
The explosion near the northern town of El Zulia on Monday was caused by a build-up of gas which caused a fire and the collapse of a tunnel, trapping the miners, officials said.
The surviving miners have been trapped underground for six days.
Families have been waiting desperately for news as rescue efforts continue.
Rescue work was initially hampered by the build-up of gas as well as heavy rains, but some 70 rescuers are now working against the clock to find the remaining miners, AFP reports. (BBC)
LUCKNOW: At least eight workers were killed and over dozen others injured after a fire erupted in a chemical factory in northern India, police said Saturday.
The fire broke out after a boiler exploded in the factory in the Hapur area of Uttar Pradesh state, said senior police officer Pravin Kumar. The injured have been hospitalized and three of them were in critical condition, he said.
The intensity of the blast blew off the factory’s roof, said Ajay Mishra, a rescue worker.
Authorities ordered an investigation.
In 2019, a fire caused by an electrical short circuit in a New Delhi factory producing handbags and other items killed 43 people. In a second major fire that year, a blaze in a six-story building’s illegal rooftop kitchen killed 17 people, also in New Delhi. New Source: abc News | Photo: ANI
London — Noted Nepali film actress, Diya Pun, has expressed solidarity with the Gurkha movement from top the Mount Everest.
Daughter of a former Gurkha Captain, Umesh Kumar Pun MVO, Diya expressed support for the Gurkha Equality Campaign from the summit of Mount Everest during her recent ascent of the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest.
In a 20-second video shared on social media, she said, “Hello, I am the daughter of retired Captain Umesh Kumar Pun MVO. On behalf of all Gurkha soldiers, I stand for the right to equal pension in the highest part of the world. ”
During the ascent, actress Pun raised funds for the UK’s National Health Service NHS Together, Colchester and Ipswich Hospital Charity and Children and Youth First, an organisation working for children in Nepal.
Actress Diya is a nurse by profession who is living in Colchester, UK. She has acted in films like Dayarani, Mister Jhole, Birvikram and Happy Days, is also in the process of releasing her movie Mantra.
It has been ten years since the Gurkha ex-servicemen joined the equal rights movement demanding equal pension.
Many celebrities from Nepal and outside Nepal have already shown solidarity and support in this movement. Famous actress Joanna Lumley is an example of this
Chinese banks have agreed to refinance Pakistan with USD 2.3 billion worth of funds on Thursday given a shortage of forex reserve in the country. This move comes when Pakistan is trying to refurbish its economy to avail of funds from the International Monetary Fund(IMF).
Last week, the Pakistan government hiked fuel and electricity prices, which is a key IMF demand for releasing funds. The government decided to raise the electricity prices by PKR 7, and petrol and diesel by PKR 30 per litre in order to stabilize the country’s economy at a time of a deepening political crisis.
More than 20,000 animals have been infected by foot-and-mouth disease across 16 provinces, according to Indonesia’s agriculture ministry. Some analysts are concerned the virus will soon reach tourist hotspots like Bali, raising questions over whether Australian travellers should be banned from going there.
Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease that affects cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It is characterised by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves.
The virus has not been detected in Australia for more than 100 years, according to the government. (Bloomberg)
New Delhi: The acting Taliban foreign minister of Afghanistan met with a delegation of Indian officials on Thursday to discuss bilateral ties and humanitarian supplies, according to the Taliban, in what was the first such visit to Kabul since the tumultuous US exit last year.
Poverty and hunger have risen dramatically in Afghanistan since Islamist terrorists seized power following the US withdrawal, and India has responded by sending food grains and other relief.
Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister, met with an Indian foreign ministry delegation led by senior official J.P. Singh.
On Twitter, Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi claimed, “The meeting focused on India-Afghan diplomatic relations, bilateral trade, and humanitarian relief.”
