Powerful tornadoes kill at least 80 in five U.S. states
Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five U.S. states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in what President Joe Biden said was "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in history.
Bangladesh shocked by ‘unilateral’ U.S. sanctions on paramilitary unit
Bangladesh reacted sharply to the U.S. Treasury’s decision to sanction a special military and police task force for alleged human rights violations. Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen summoned U.S. Ambassador to Dhaka Earl Miller to protest the actions.
The decision by the U.S. to ban the Bangladesh Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), came as a shock to the Sheikh Hasina government, just days before its planned celebrations for the 50th anniversary of its Liberation Day, where President Ram Nath Kovind will represent India.
Nagas want Centre to apologise for Mon killings, repeal AFSPA
Civil society organisations in Nagaland’s Mon district have asked the Centre to apologise for the killing of 14 civilians on December 4 and repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act of 1958.
Led by the Konyak Union, the apex body of the district’s dominant Konyak Naga community, hundreds took out a protest rally at Mon’s Tizit and slammed the Centre for not apologising for the killings by the armed forces in a botched ambush.
Instances of burning stubble haven’t noticeably come down from last year
A programme this October to check stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana by a private “agri-tech” firm claims to have reduced the paddy-area being burned by 92% over last year. This however doesn’t seem to have dissuaded the bulk of farmers in the States from burning stubble as multiple accounts suggest that instances weren’t noticeably reduced from last year.
China brands U.S. democracy ‘weapon of mass destruction’
China branded U.S. democracy a “weapon of mass destruction” on Saturday, following the U.S.-organised Summit for Democracy which aimed to shore up like-minded allies in the face of autocratic regimes.
China was left out of the two-day virtual summit and responded by angrily accusing U.S. President Joe Biden of stoking Cold War-era ideological divides.
Blast rocks Palestinian camp in south Lebanon
A large explosion rocked a Palestinian camp in the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre on Friday night, causing a number of injuries and leading to reports of a number of deaths.
The state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported an unspecified number of deaths and injuries while a Palestinian source inside the camp said at least 12 persons had been injured and there were an unknown number of fatalities.
G7 puts up united front against Russia
The world’s wealthiest democracies on Saturday sought to present a united front against Russian aggression toward Ukraine as Britain hosted a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the northern Englishcity of Liverpool.
The G7 meeting, attended in person by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterparts from France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada, comes amid international concern that Russia could invade Ukraine. Russia denies planning any attack.
Finance ministry says Omicron likely to be a ‘less severe’ risk
India’s economic recovery is expected to gain further strength in the second half of this year, following the 8.4% GDP growth recorded in Q2, the Finance Ministry said on Saturday, citing preliminary evidence that the Omicron variant of COVID-19 may be a ‘less severe’ risk.
Fuel demand declined 11.4% in November after festival boost
India’s fuel consumption fell in November after scaling a seven-month peak in the preceding month, government data showed, as demand eased in the world’s third-biggest oil consumer after the festival season.
Fuel consumption, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 17.13 million tonnes, down 4% from October and was 11.4% lower than a year ealier, data from the oil ministry’s Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell showed.
Punjab moves SC against extended BSF area
Punjab has filed a suit in the Supreme Court against the Centre’s move to increase the limits of jurisdiction of the Border Security Force (BSF) from 15 to 50 km along the Indo-Pak international border.
Anti-CAA protests held across northeast
The northeast on Saturday saw the return of the protests against the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act after almost two years.
The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO), an umbrella body of the State-based students’ groups, observed the second anniversary of the Act as a “black day” on Saturday while the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), formed after anti-CAA protests in September 2020, burnt copies of the Act.
Crop diversification impossible without guaranteed MSP, say Punjab farmers
Guaranteed minimum support prices (MSP) for all crops may be the best route to crop diversification in Punjab and Haryana, farmers think.
Farmers in these two States already get the benefit of MSP rates for paddy and wheat because of the high levels of procurement. However, they say they will join the upcoming fight for an MSP guarantee for all crops, as it will enable them to shift away from input-expensive, environmentally harmful and climatically unsuitable paddy to grow oilseeds and lentils instead.
The Ashes | England fined 100% match fee and docked five WTC points for slow-over rate
England have been fined 100% of their match fee and penalised five ICC World Test Championship points for maintaining a slow over-rate against Australia in the lost first Test in Brisbane.
David Boon of the Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Joe Root’s side was ruled to be five overs short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
