https://www.sahilonline.net/en/global-news SahilOnline, Leading news portal from Coastal Karnataka, bringing you latest updates from the Coast, State, Nation and the World, in Kannada, Urdu and English. Global News https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sahilonline-is-now-available-on-new-address-site-is-still-under-construction SahilOnline's new news portal is in final stages of development, readers are requested to access SahilOnline's new website at this address. www.sahilonline.org https://www.sahilonline.net/en/ndrf-rescues-girls-aged-6-and-8-buried-under-debris-in-turkey After the devastating earthquake in Turkey, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), involved in the relief and rescue operation, pulled out two girls, aged 6 and 8, safely from the debris. Speaking to ANI, Atul Karwal, DG, NDRF said, "The most important task in the rescue operation after the earthquake in Turkey was retrieving the bodies of those who lost their lives in the debris and handing them over to their families." https://www.sahilonline.net/en/turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-crosses-24000 Rescuers pulled out children on Friday (local time) from the rubble of the Turkey-Syria earthquake as the toll crossed 24,000, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH). https://www.sahilonline.net/en/isil-k-threatened-to-launch-terrorist-attacks-against-india-china-and-iran-embassies-in-afghanistan-un-report The ISIL-K have threatened to launch terrorist attacks against the embassies of India, Iran and China in Afghanistan and by targeting them, the terror group sought to undermine the relationship between the Taliban and the UN member states in the Central and South Asia region, according to a UN report. The revelations were made in a report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the threat posed by ISIL. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/worlds-largest-sovereign-wealth-fund-pulls-out-of-adani Norway's $1.2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, said Thursday it has completely divested its assets in the troubled Indian conglomerate Adani. The fund, which is set up to put the country's oil and gas revenues to work, held some $200 million worth of shares in the group at the end of 2022. It had a stake of 0.14 percent in Adani Green Energy, 0.17 percent in Adani Total Gas and 0.3 percent in Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone. "Since year-end, so the five weeks since year-end, we have further reduced our exposure in Adani companies significantly," said Christopher Wright, the head of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risk monitoring at the fund. "So today for all intents and purposes, we have no exposure left," Wright added. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/turkish-leader-admits-shortcomings-as-quake-toll-tops-15000 Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday conceded "shortcomings" after criticism of his government's response to the massive earthquake that has killed over 15,000 people in Turkey and Syria. The sprawling scale of the disaster that flattened thousands of buildings, trapping an unknown number of people, has swamped relief operations already hampered by freezing weather. Survivors have been left to scramble for food and shelter -- and in some cases watch helplessly as their relatives called for rescue, and eventually went silent under the debris. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/ukraine-prez-zelenskyy-tells-freedom-will-win-pushes-for-warplanes-in-uk-visit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed for fighter jets to ensure his country's victory over Russia in a dramatic speech before the U.K. Parliament, where he also thanked the British people for their support since "Day One" of Moscow's invasion. The embattled leader's daring to visit Britain in a bid for more advanced weapons comes as Ukraine braces for an expected Russian offensive and hatches its own plans to retake land held by Moscow's forces. Support from Western allies thus far has been key to Ukraine's surprisingly stiff defence — and now the two sides are engaged in grinding battles. Hundreds of lawmakers and parliamentary staff packed the 900-year-old Westminster Hall, the oldest — and unheated — part of Parliament for Zelenskyy's speech. It was only his second confirmed journey outside Ukraine since Russia invaded nearly a year ago. Zelenskyy, wearing his trademark olive drab sweatshirt, urged allies to send his country jets, saying combat aircraft would be "wings for freedom." The president, who planned to meet later with King Charles III, noted that the British monarch was a qualified military pilot. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/children-pulled-from-rubble-as-turkey-syria-earthquake-death-toll-rises-above-11200 SANLIURFA: Heartrending scenes of a newborn plucked alive from the rubble and a broken father clutching his dead daughter's hand have laid bare the human cost of the earthquake in Syria and Turkey that by Wednesday had claimed over 11,200 lives. For two days and nights since the 7.8 magnitude quake an impromptu army of rescuers have worked in freezing temperatures to find those still entombed among ruins in several cities either side of the border. Officials and medics said Wednesday that 8,574 people had died in Turkey and 2,662 in Syria, bringing the total to 11,236. The World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that time is running out for the thousands injured and those still feared trapped. For Mesut Hancer -- a resident of the Turkish city Kahramanmaras, near the epicentre -- it is already too late. He sat on the freezing rubble, too grief-stricken to speak, refusing to let go of his 15-year-old daughter Irmak's hand as her body lay lifeless among the slabs of concrete and strands of twisted rebar. 'Children are freezing' Even for survivors, the future seems bleak. Many have taken refuge from relentless aftershocks, cold rain and snow in mosques, schools and even bus shelters -- burning debris to stay alive. Frustration is growing that help has been slow to arrive. "I can't get my brother back from the ruins. I can't get my nephew back. Look around here. There is no state official here, for God's sake," said Ali Sagiroglu in Kahramanmaras. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/one-in-three-schoolchildren-lacks-access-to-drinking-water-un One in three children worldwide does not have access to clean drinking water while at school, impacting their health and ability to learn, the United Nations said Wednesday. "Globally, almost one in three schools has no drinking water from an improved source," the UN cultural agency UNESCO said in a new report. "One in three schools worldwide has no basic sanitation," meaning a toilet and sewage system, the agency found, while "almost half of schools do not have handwashing facilities with water and soap". https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sri-lankas-bankruptcy-to-last-until-2026-president Sri Lanka's president said Wednesday the island nation will remain bankrupt for at least three more years as he works to repair battered government finances following an unprecedented economic crisis. Ranil Wickremesinghe took office last year at the peak of national unrest sparked by months of food, fuel and medicine shortages. He has since pushed through tax hikes and negotiated with international creditors after a default on Sri Lanka's foreign debt to clear the way for a sorely needed IMF bailout. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/a-look-at-some-of-the-worlds-deadliest-earthquakes-in-past-25-years A  magnitude 7.8 earthquake shook Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 4,000 people in the two countries. The death toll is expected to rise as rescuers working in cold and snow look for trapped people in the rubble of toppled buildings. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-to-send-two-more-iaf-planes-with-rescue-personnel-relief-materials-to-quake-hit-turkey India will send two more C-17 Indian Air Force planes to Turkey later this evening with 60 Para Field Hospital and personnel to assist in rescue and relief operations. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/death-toll-in-turkey-syria-at-8326 At least 8,326 people have now been confirmed dead and nearly 40,000 injured following the devastating 7.8-magnitude quake that stuck Turkey and Syria earlier this week, with aid agencies saying that the figures could significantly rise as many people still remain trapped under the rubble. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/death-toll-rises-to-over-4000-in-turkey-syria-earthquakes A major earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Monday, killing more than 4,000 people and flattening thousands of buildings as rescuers dug with bare hands for survivors. Dozens of nations pledged aid after the 7.8-magnitude quake, which hit as people were still sleeping and amid freezing weather that has hampered emergency efforts. Multi-storey apartment buildings full of residents were among the 5,606 structures reduced to rubble in Turkey, while Syria announced dozens of collapses, as well as damage to archaeological sites in Aleppo. "That was the first time we have ever experienced anything like that," said Melisa Salman, a 23-year-old reporter in the southeastern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras. "We thought it was the apocalypse." https://www.sahilonline.net/en/how-indo-pak-cricket-thrived-in-musharrafs-rule Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999, loved his cricket. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/major-quake-levels-buildings-across-turkey-syria-kills-at-least-560 A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit southern Turkey and northern Syria early Monday, toppling buildings and killing at least 568 people. With hundreds injured, the toll was expected to rise as rescue workers searched the rubble in cities and towns across the area. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/16-killed-66-injured-in-fatal-multi-vehicle-collision-in-central-china At least 16 people were killed and 66 others injured after a multi-vehicle collision occurred in central China's Hunan province, a media report said on Sunday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/pakistans-former-military-ruler-musharraf-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-karachi Pakistan's former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf's body will be laid to rest in Karachi, and will be brought back to the country on a special flight that will leave for Dubai on Monday, media reports said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/former-uk-pm-truss-criticises-sunaks-detrimental-tax-policies-as-pressure-builds Former UK prime minister Liz Truss on Sunday criticised her successor Rishi Sunak "detrimental" tax policies, as the current leader also faced pressure from another predecessor Boris Johnson over his Ukraine strategy. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/cattle-thieves-kill-41-vigilantes-in-nigerias-north A gang of cattle thieves has killed 41 vigilantes in Nigeria's troubled north in a forest ambush, police said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/pakistans-former-military-ruler-pervez-musharraf-dies-in-dubai ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's former military ruler General (retd.) Pervez Musharraf, the architect of the Kargil War in 1999, died on Sunday in Dubai after a prolonged illness, according to media reports. Musharraf, 79, was suffering from amyloidosis, a rare disease caused by a build-up of an abnormal protein called amyloid in organs and tissues throughout the body, according to his family. General (retd) Musharraf died at a hospital in Dubai, Geo News quoted his family as saying. He had been undergoing treatment at the American Hospital Dubai, the channel reported. The Express Tribune newspaper also said that Musharraf, who had been living in Dubai since 2016, breathed his last on Sunday, The general was the main architect of the Kargil War that took place months after then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed a historic peace accord with his Indian counterpart Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Lahore. After his failed misadventure in Kargil, Musharraf deposed the then Prime Minister Sharif in a bloodless coup in 1999 and ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008 in various positions - first as the chief executive of Pakistan and later as the President. In March 2014, Musharraf was indicted for suspending the Constitution on November 3, 2007. In December 2019, a special court handed Musharraf a death sentence in the high treason case against him. The former military ruler left the country in March 2016 for Dubai to seek medical treatment. Musharraf was born on August 11, 1943 in Delhi. His family moved from New Delhi to Karachi in 1947. He joined the Pakistan Army in 1964 and was a graduate of the Army Staff and Command College, Quetta. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/oil-industry-in-pakistan-on-verge-of-collapse-amid-liquidity-crisis Oil companies in cash-strapped Pakistan have warned that the industry is on the "brink of collapse" as the dollar liquidity crisis persists and their cost of doing business balloons due to the rupee's devaluation. The government removed the dollar cap to meet the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) demand which resulted in the Pakistani rupee falling to a historic low of Rs 276.58 in the interbank market, according to a Geo News report. The IMF has set several conditions for resuming the bailout, including a market-determined exchange rate for the local currency and an easing of fuel subsidies, both conditions which the government has already implemented. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sri-lanka-must-correct-its-errors-and-failures-president-wickremesinghe-at-75th-independence-day Sri Lanka needs to rectify its "errors and failures" and review its strengths and gains as a nation, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Saturday, as the country marked its 75th anniversary of independence at a critical time when it is reeling under an unprecedented economic crisis. The main Independence Day event was attended by foreign dignitaries, including India's Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan. Wickremesinghe presided over the ceremony which featured a military parade with a 21-gun salute. The celebrations happened despite criticism from Opposition groups who claimed the events costing Rupees 200 million were a waste as the island nation continues to grip in its worst economic crisis since gaining independence. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/dozens-of-wildfires-torch-forests-in-chile-death-toll-at-22 Dozens of wildfires blazing though Chile caused the government to extend an emergency order to another region on Saturday, as a scorching summer heat wave complicates efforts to control fires that have claimed at least 22 lives so far.    The latest emergency order declared by the interior ministry now covers the southern region of La Araucania, next to the previously declared Biobio and Nuble regions, located near the middle of the South American country’s long Pacific coastline. “Weather conditions have made it very difficult to put out (the fires) that are spreading and the emergency is getting worse,” Interior Minister Carolina Toha told reporters on Saturday at a news conference in the capital Santiago. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/erdogan-sweden-cant-join-nato-if-quran-burning-is-allowed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reaffirmed Wednesday that Turkey won't allow Sweden to join the NATO military alliance as long as the Scandinavian country permits protests desecrating Islam's holy book to take place. Turkey, which had already been holding off approving Sweden and Finland's membership in the Western military alliance, has been infuriated by a series of separate demonstrations in Stockholm. In one case a solitary anti-Islam activist burned the Quran outside the Turkish Embassy, while in an unconnected protest, an effigy of Erdogan was hanged. Even before that, Ankara had been pressing Sweden and Finland to crack down on exiled members of Kurdish and other groups it sees as terrorists, and to allow arms sales to Turkey. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/us-president-biden-believed-to-have-invited-pm-modi-for-state-visit-report US President Joe Biden is understood to have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit this summer, PTI has learnt. The invitation has been accepted in principle and officials on both sides are now working on mutually convenient dates, according to multiple sources, who noted that it is currently in the early stages of logistical planning. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/nsa-doval-visits-white-house-discusses-indo-us-defence-ties The discussions held during the visit of National Security Advisor Ajit K Doval form the basis for intensifying India-US cooperation in cutting-edge sectors and are truly reflective of the maturity of a comprehensive and global strategic partnership, the Indian embassy here has said. Doval led a high-powered delegation to the US that included five secretary-level officials and members of the Indian corporate sector from the hi-tech area for the launch of the India-US initiative on critical and emerging technologies at the White House here along with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan. "The discussions during this visit form the basis for intensifying India-US cooperation in cutting-edge sectors and are truly reflective of the maturity of the India-US comprehensive, global strategic partnership," the embassy said in a statement. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-to-remain-fastest-growing-large-economy-in-2023-and-2024-imf The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday projected India’s growth to be 6.1 per cent in 2023 from 6.8 per cent in 2022, though the country will remain the fastest-growing large economy in 2023 and 2024. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/death-toll-rises-to-90-in-pakistan-mosque-suicide-bombing The death toll from a powerful suicide bombing at a crowded Peshawar mosque in northwestern Pakistan rose to 90 on Tuesday after rescue teams retrieved more bodies from the debris, police said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/italian-woman-passenger-punches-crew-member-creates-ruckus-on-abu-dhabi-mumbai-flight-arrested A 45-year-old Italian woman passenger allegedly punched a crew member, spat on another staffer and stripped on board a Vistara flight to Mumbai from Abu Dhabi after she was stopped from entering the business class, police said on Tuesday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/boris-johnson-says-putin-threatened-him-with-a-missile-strike President Vladimir Putin threatened to personally target Boris Johnson with a missile attack just before ordering Russian forces into Ukraine, the former UK prime minister has claimed. The apparent threat came in a phone call just ahead of the invasion on February 24, according to a new BBC documentary to be broadcast on Monday. Johnson and other Western leaders had been hurrying to Kyiv to show support for Ukraine and try to deter a Russian attack. "He sort of threatened me at one point and said, 'Boris, I don't want to hurt you, but with a missile, it would only take a minute', or something like that," Johnson quoted Putin as saying. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/unga-president-arrives-bengaluru-interacts-with-academics-at-indian-institute-of-science United Nations General Assembly President Csaba Korosi arrived in Bengaluru and interacted with the academics at Indian Institute of Science, and representatives from civil society organisations. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/imran-khan-to-contest-all-33-parliamentary-seats-in-upcoming-by-polls Pakistan's ousted prime minister Imran Khan will contest all 33 National Assembly seats in the by-elections to be held on March 16, his party has announced, in a move to frustrate the ruling coalition and put more pressure on it to call snap polls. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday evening, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) vice-chairman and former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the decision was taken during the party's core committee meeting held here. "Imran Khan will be PTI's sole candidate on all 33 parliamentary seats. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/earthquake-kills-three-injures-800-in-northwest-iran A 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit northwestern Iran overnight, killing at least three people and injuring more than 800 in the region near the border with Turkey, state officials and media said Sunday. Panicked residents fled their homes as buildings collapsed and rubble crushed cars, with hundreds seeking shelter from freezing winter conditions in evacuation centres as more than 20 aftershocks rattled the region. The shallow quake hit the city of Khoy, with a population of around 200,000, in West Azerbaijan province at 9:44 pm (1814 GMT) on Saturday said the Seismological Center of the University of Tehran. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/uk-pm-sunak-fires-party-chairman-nadhim-zahawi-over-tax-bill-allegations British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday fired Conservative party chairman Nadhim Zahawi after an inquiry into Zahawi's tax affairs found a "serious breach" of ministerial rules, the government said. "As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government," Sunak wrote in a publicly released letter to his Iraqi-born ally, following a scandal that cast doubt on the premier's own judgement and vows of integrity. The government also released the inquiry report by Sunak's newly appointed independent ethics advisor, Laurie Magnus. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/trump-opens-2024-run-says-hes-more-committed-than-ever Former President Donald Trump kicked off his 2024 White House bid with stops Saturday in New Hampshire and South Carolina, events in early-voting states marking the first campaign appearances since announcing his latest run more than two months ago. "Together we will complete the unfinished business of making America great again," Trump said at an evening event in Columbia to introduce his South Carolina leadership team. Trump and his allies hope the events in states with enormous power in selecting the nominee will offer a show of force behind the former president after a sluggish start to his campaign that left many questioning his commitment to running again. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/at-least-51-killed-in-twin-pakistan-transport-tragedies At least 51 people were killed in two separate transport accidents in western Pakistan on Sunday when a bus plunged off a bridge and a boat carrying a class of children capsized. 41 are so far confirmed dead after their bus crashed into a ravine in southwestern Balochistan province, while at least 10 students died in the boating accident in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, officials said. Up to nine are still missing in the waters, local police said, with a rescue operation underway. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/retired-nato-general-set-to-win-czech-presidential-vote Prague: Czech polling stations closed Saturday after the final leg of a presidential election in which retired NATO general Petr Pavel is expected to beat the former prime minister Andrej Babis, one of the country's richest men. The results are expected around 1500 GMT on Saturday. Analysts predicted a high turnout for the two-day vote, after an acrimonious campaign marked by controversy and even death threats and a brazen hoax. Pavel, a former paratrooper, topped the latest opinion polls with 58 to 59 percent support, compared with 41 to 42 percent for Babis. "Quite frankly, if the polls are well conducted, I think it will be hard for Babis to come back," said Tomas Lebeda, a political scientist at Palacky University. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/un-security-council-must-be-made-more-representative-of-developing-countries-india India at the United Nations General Assembly has said that UNSC must be made more representative of developing nations, including from Africa. Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Security Council Ambassador R Ravindra made the remarks at the first meeting of the plenary on the intergovernmental negotiations on the question of 'Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council.' https://www.sahilonline.net/en/us-venture-capitalists-hope-indias-budget-2023-supports-growth-strengthens-startup-ecosystem US venture capital firms investing in India are expecting the Union Budget 2023 to support the growth and development of the startup ecosystem in the country, according to a top investor. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to table the Union Budget for the financial year 2023-24 before parliament on February 1. The venture capitalist community here in the US is very excited given the large number of unicorns emerging out of India in recent years. According to Arun Kumar, managing partner of Celesta Capital, the venture capitalists want to capitalise on Indian talent and invest in them. “As a US-based venture capital firm investing in India, we are keenly interested in policies and initiatives that will support the growth and development of the startup ecosystem in the country,” Kumar told PTI. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/we-support-importance-of-free-press-around-the-world-us-on-india-banning-bbc-documentary-on-pm-modi Describing India banning the BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a matter of press freedom, the US State Department said that it is high time to highlight the importance of democratic principles like freedom of expression and make it a point around the world as well as in India. Ned Price, the US State Department spokesperson, in a regular briefing on Wednesday underlined that Washington supports free press around the world and that it is a matter of utmost importance to highlight democratic principles like freedom of expression. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sri-lankan-president-wickremesinghe-calls-all-party-meeting-on-tamil-issue Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe has convened an all-party meeting on Thursday to continue his efforts on achieving a consensus on the Tamil issue and strengthen national harmony. Wickremesinghe in mid-December kicked off a process of dialogue with the main Tamil party - Tamil National Alliance (TNA) - as part of his declared resolve to secure an agreement on the broad contours of a settlement by Sri Lanka's Independence Day on February 4. He has invited all parties for consultation with the aim of achieving a resolution to Tamil demand for political autonomy. The all-party meeting is scheduled to be held on Thursday at the Presidential Secretariat with the participation of all party leaders representing the Parliament, under the patronage of President Wickremesinghe, a release from his office said Wednesday. The purpose of this conference is to come to reach a consensus and strengthen national harmony, it said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/grateful-for-having-this-wonderful-role-jacinda-ardern-makes-last-bow-as-new-zealand-pm New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday she was grateful for her time in office, insisting that a sustained barrage of online abuse was not the reason for her shock resignation. The 42-year-old said last week she no longer had "enough in the tank" after a turbulent five years, during which she steered the country through natural disasters, its 'worst-ever terror attack and the Covid-19 pandemic. Her resignation, less than three years after an emphatic election victory, has ignited a national debate about the vitriol faced by women leaders, especially on social media. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/power-restored-incrementally-across-pakistan-after-nationwide-outage Electricity supply was restored incrementally in Pakistan on Tuesday after a nationwide power breakdown left millions of people without electricity amidst fears of default and looming economic meltdown due to a balance of payment crisis in the country. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/not-familiar-with-bbc-documentary-very-familiar-with-shared-democratic-values-with-india-us-state-department The US is not familiar with the BBC documentary, but it is familiar with the shared “democratic values” that connects Washington and New Delhi, a US State Department spokesperson has said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/7-killed-in-two-shootings-in-california-community Seven people were killed in two related shootings Monday at a mushroom farm and a trucking firm in a coastal community south of San Francisco, and a suspect was in custody, officials said. San Mateo County Board of Supervisors President Dave Pine says four people were killed at the farm and three at the trucking business on the outskirts of Half Moon Bay, a city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of San Francisco. It wasn’t immediately clear how the locations were connected. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/constant-russian-shelling-and-attacks-says-zelenskyy Russian forces are shelling and attacking Ukrainian positions on the front lines of the conflict around the clock, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/two-children-among-11-burned-to-death-in-thai-van-crash Eleven people, including two children, burned to death in a passenger van crash in central Thailand over the Lunar New Year holiday, police said Monday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/pakistan-hit-by-nationwide-power-outage-with-cuts-in-all-major-cities A massive power breakdown in Pakistan on Monday affected most of the country's more than 220 million people, including in the mega cities of Karachi and Lahore. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-fta-can-be-clinched-this-year-but-no-more-visa-offers-says-uks-trade-minister The India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) is expected to be clinched this year but it won't involve any boost of free movement visa offers for Indians, British trade minister in charge of the negotiations has said. Kemi Badenoch, who was in New Delhi last month to kick off the sixth round of FTA talks with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, said that former prime minister Boris Johnson's "deal by Diwali" deadline last year was not feasible and had to be changed. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/no-alternative-to-sending-heavy-tanks-to-ukraine-zelensky KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday there was "no alternative" but for the West to give Ukraine heavy tanks, as Germany failed to say whether or not it would provide its much sought-after Leopards. Zelensky welcomed the progress made in recent days, with arms deliveries promised by the United States and a string of European nations. "The partners are principled in their attitude -- they will support Ukraine as much as is necessary for our victory," said Zelensky in his evening address. "Yes, we will still have to fight for the supply of modern tanks, but every day we make it more obvious that there is no alternative, that a decision about tanks must be made." https://www.sahilonline.net/en/indian-american-nikki-haley-hints-at-exploring-2024-us-presidential-run Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley has said that she feels she could be the "new leader" to take the country in a new direction and that Joe Biden may not get a second term as US President, reported Fox News. The former South Carolina governor and US ambassador to the United Nations said she plans to run for the presidency in an interview with Fox News on Thursday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/new-zealand-pm-ardern-announces-shock-resignation-sets-october-election New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, a global figurehead of progressive politics, shocked the country Thursday by announcing she would resign from office in a matter of weeks. The 42-year-old -- who steered the country through natural disasters, the Covid pandemic, and its worst-ever terror attack -- said she no longer had "enough in the tank". "I am human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it's time. And for me, it's time," she said at a meeting of members of her Labour Party. Ardern said she would step down no later than February 7, less than three years after winning a landslide election to secure her second term in office. Since that 2020 peak of "Jacindamania", Ardern's government has struggled -- its popularity hampered by soaring inflation, a looming recession and a resurgent conservative opposition. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/putin-says-has-no-doubt-russia-will-win-in-ukraine  Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday he had "no doubt" Moscow would emerge victorious in Ukraine, despite military setbacks in the nearly year-long offensive. Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February last year, and in September announced a military mobilisation to prop up Moscow's forces in the pro-Western country. Despite a number of military defeats, victory was "guaranteed, I have no doubt about it," Putin told workers at a factory in Russia's second city Saint Petersburg. "The unity and solidarity of the Russian people, the courage and heroism of our fighters and, of course, the work of the military-industrial sector" will secure victory, he added. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/32-killed-as-nepalese-plane-with-72-people-on-board-including-five-indians-crashes-in-pokhara A Nepalese passenger plane with 72 people on board, including five Indians, crashed into a river gorge while landing at the newly-opened airport in central Nepal’s resort city of Pokhara on Sunday, killing at least 32 people. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/17-dead-22-injured-in-china-crash-as-holiday-travel-rush-gets-underway A traffic accident in southern China killed 17 people and injured 22 others early Sunday as the annual Lunar New Year holiday travel rush got underway, authorities said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/more-than-35-people-killed-in-senegal-bus-accident At least 38 people have died and scores were injured when two buses collided near the town of Kaffrine in central Senegal on Sunday, according to the president and the fire services. In response to the "grave" accident, President Macky Sall announced three days of national mourning beginning Monday. In a tweet Sunday he also said there had been 40 deaths and "many serious injuries". "I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident," he said on Twitter. "I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured." The Senegalese prosecutor said in a separate statement that 38 people had been killed. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/ties-with-china-not-normal-india-wont-agree-to-any-attempt-to-change-lac-jaishankar India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally by China, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, as he underlined that New Delhi's relations with Beijing are "not normal" and there would be no compromise on core issues. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/indian-national-dies-in-singapore-factory-fire-becomes-46th-workplace-fatality-of-22 A 38-year-old Indian national has died in a fire at an industrial site in Singapore, becoming the 46th workplace fatality this year, the highest since 2016 in the city-state. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/indias-diplomacy-in-2022-expanding-geopolitical-heft-strategic-ties-assuming-g20-presidency In a year that saw revival of the great-power rivalry triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India assumed the presidency of the powerful G20 grouping and demonstrated a steely resolve and statecraft in expanding its strategic influence in reshaping the regional power balance in the face of China's increasingly aggressive behaviour. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/18-children-dead-due-to-cough-syrup-made-by-india-firm-says-uzbekistan As many as 18 children died of acute respiratory disease after taking a cough syrup manufactured by an Indian pharmaceutical firm named Doc-Max, the Health ministry of Uzbeskistan has claimed. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/pushpa-kamal-dahal-prachanda-takes-oath-as-nepals-new-prime-minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" was on Monday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time, a day after the former guerrilla leader dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/china-packed-icus-crowded-crematoriums-as-covid-19-ravages-several-towns Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China's industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometres southwest of Beijing. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/china-stands-ready-to-work-with-india-chinese-foreign-minister-wang-yi Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday that China is ready to work with India for the "steady and sound growth" of bilateral ties and the two countries are committed to upholding stability at the border areas where tensions have prevailed since 2020. Addressing a symposium on the international situation and China's foreign relations in 2022, Wang said both countries have maintained communication through diplomatic and military-to-military channels. "China and India have maintained communication through the diplomatic and military-to-military channels, and both countries are committed to upholding stability in the border areas,” said Wang, who has been elevated to the ruling Communist Party of China's (CPC) high-power political bureau during the recent party Congress. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/ten-killed-in-fuel-tanker-explosion-near-johannesburg Ten people died and around 40 others were injured when a fuel tanker exploded in Boksburg, a South African city east of Johannesburg, emergency services said Saturday. The tanker, transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), was caught beneath a bridge close to a hospital and houses on Saturday morning. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/so-many-people-dying-packed-icus-crowded-crematoriums-as-covid-roils-china Yao Ruyan paced frantically outside the fever clinic of a county hospital in China’s industrial Hebei province, 70 kilometers (43 miles) southwest of Beijing. Her mother-in-law had COVID and needed urgent medical care, but all hospitals nearby were full. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/shooting-in-central-paris-leaves-3-dead-and-three-injured-suspect-arrested A shooting targeting a Kurdish cultural center in a bustling Paris neighborhood Friday left three people dead and three others wounded, authorities said. A 69-year-old suspect was wounded and arrested. The Paris prosecutor’s office opened an investigation for murder and attempted murder. The Paris prosecutor said the suspect had a prior police record, including an arrest for attacking migrants living in tents, and that investigators are considering a possible racist motive for the shooting. The shooting occurred at midday at a Kurdish cultural center and a restaurant and hairdresser nearby, according to the mayor for the 10th arrondissement, Alexandra Cordebard. Speaking to reporters at the scene, she said the “real motivation″ for the shooting remains unclear. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/putin-says-russia-wants-end-to-war-in-ukraine-soon The Kremlin on Thursday accused Kyiv and Washington of turning a deaf ear to its concerns and charged the United States was using Ukraine as a battleground to weaken Russia. It came as President Vladimir Putin insisted Russia was aiming for a speedy end to the fighting. "Our goal is... to end this conflict. We are striving for this", he told reporters. "We will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better". "All conflicts end, some way or another, with talks... The faster our adversaries (in Kyiv) understand that, the better it will be," Putin said. Moscow's military chief has said Russian forces are now concentrated on wresting control of the eastern Donetsk region where the battered city of Bakhmut has become an epicentre of fighting. Officials in Moscow have repeatedly said in recent months that they have not ruled out talks with Ukraine. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/how-many-people-might-die-and-why-under-relaxed-china-covid-curbs China’s abrupt end to its zero-COVID policy has raised concerns of widespread infections among a vulnerable, undervaccinated population with little natural immunity that would overload the health system and result in up to 2 million deaths, or more, various research groups are reporting. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/12-killed-dozens-injured-in-fire-in-pakistans-balochistan At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a huge fire which broke out when a gas cylinder exploded in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, media reports said on Tuesday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/absolutely-dont-believe-britain-is-a-racist-country-rishi-sunak Britain’s first Indian-origin Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the UK’s record on race. This has come amidst a brewing row over controversial remarks by a columnist attacking Prince Harry’s wife Meghan Markle, who is of African-American heritage. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/nepal-bans-import-of-medicines-from-16-indian-companies-including-patanjalis-manufacturer Nepal's Department of Drug Administration has published a list of 16 Indian pharmaceutical companies, including Divya Pharmacy that manufactures Yoga guru Ramdev's Patanjali products, that failed to comply with the World Health Organization's (WHO) good manufacturing practices. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/credibility-of-un-depends-on-its-effective-response-to-key-challenges-of-our-times-jaishankar India strongly hit back at Pakistan on Wednesday after it raised the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council, asserting that a country that hosted slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and attacked a neighbouring Parliament does not have the credentials to 'sermonize" in the power UN organ. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the credibility of the UN depends on its effective response to the key challenges of our times, be it pandemics, climate change, conflicts or terrorism. "We are obviously focused today on the urgency of reforming multilateralism. We will naturally have our particular views, but there is a growing convergence at least that this cannot be delayed any further," said Jaishankar, who is chairing India's signature event on reformed multilateralism. "While we search for the best solutions, what our discourse must never accept is the normalisation of such threats. The question of justifying what the world regards as unacceptable should not even arise. That certainly applies to state sponsorship of cross-border terrorism. Nor can hosting Osama bin Laden and attacking a neighbouring Parliament serve as credentials to sermonize before this Council," he said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/ukraine-needs-extra-gas-and-weapons-zelensky-tells-g7 President Volodymyr Zelensky urged G7 nations on Monday to provide extra gas and weapons to help Ukraine survive a brutal winter that threatens to bring further suffering to millions in the war-torn country. With snow on the ground and Ukraine's energy grid battered by Russian strikes, many are facing freezing temperatures without power or heating. During a video conference with the G7 club of wealthy nations on Monday, Zelensky said Ukraine needs "about two billion cubic metres" of additional gas to get through the winter. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/67-journalists-media-workers-killed-on-the-job-this-year Russia's war in Ukraine, chaos in Haiti and rising violence by criminal groups in Mexico contributed to a 30 per cent spike in the number of journalists killed doing their work in 2022 over the previous year, according to a new report released Friday. The International Federation of Journalists says that 67 journalists and media staff have been killed around the world so far this year, up from 47 last year. The Brussels-based group also tallied 375 journalists currently imprisoned for their work, with the most in China, Myanmar and Turkey. Last year's report listed 365 journalists behind bars. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/155-lightly-injured-in-train-collision-near-barcelona More than 150 people were lightly injured Wednesday when a train ran into the back of another at a station near Barcelona, the emergency services and Spain's Renfe rail operator said Wednesday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sensible-to-get-best-deal-in-interest-of-indians-jaishankar-on-oil-imports-from-russia The government does not ask Indian companies to buy oil from Russia but it is a sensible policy to get the best deal in the interest of the Indian people, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/theranos-former-coo-ramesh-balwani-sentenced-to-nearly-13-years-in-prison-for-fraud Theranos' former chief operating officer, Indian-origin Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani, has been sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison for fraud that prosecutors said risked patient health and defrauded the blood testing company's investors of millions of dollars. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/deep-58-magnitude-earthquake-shakes-indonesias-capital-jakarta A strong and deep earthquake shook Indonesia's capital and other parts of the main island Java on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or casualties. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-reinstates-e-visas-for-travellers-from-uk The Indian High Commission in London on Monday announced the reinstating of the electronic visa (e-visa) for UK travellers, a move that will be widely welcomed amid a massive rush for visas to India in recent months. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/nepals-ruling-coalition-meet-to-discuss-govt-formation-after-winning-majority The top leaders of Nepal's five-party ruling coalition on Monday met at Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's official residence here to review the general elections and discussed the formation of a new government. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/over-20-per-cent-of-people-suffered-violence-harassment-at-work-un More than one in five people in employment worldwide have experienced some form of workplace harassment or violence, according to a survey released by the United Nations on Monday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-is-a-part-of-me-google-and-alphabet-ceo-sundar-pichai : "India is a part of me and I carry it with me wherever I go," Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said, as he received the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Indian envoy to the US. Indian-American Pichai was awarded the Padma Bhushan for 2022 in the Trade and Industry category. The Madurai-born Pichai was named one of the 17 awardees earlier this year. He received India's third-highest civilian award in the presence of his close family members in San Francisco on Friday. "I am deeply grateful to the Indian government and the people of India for this immense honour. It is incredibly meaningful to be honoured in this way by the country that shaped me," 50-year-old Pichai said while accepting the award from India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu. "India is a part of me. I carry it with me wherever I go. (Unlike this beautiful award which I will keep somewhere safe)," he said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/india-will-resume-work-on-at-least-20-stalled-projects-in-afghanistan-taliban The Taliban dispensation in Afghanistan has said that India will resume work on at least 20 stalled projects in several provinces across the war-torn country. In June, India re-established its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a "technical team" to its embassy in the Afghan capital. India withdrew its officials from the embassy after the Taliban seized power in August 2021, following concerns over their security. In August, Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry said India's diplomatic presence in the country would result in the completion of "unfinished projects" that New Delhi had initiated and the commencement of new ones. On Tuesday, Afghanistan's Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MUDH) said the Indian chargés d'affaires, Bharat Kumar, expressed interest in the improvement of relations and the resumption of stalled projects in the country, according to news portal Tolo News. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/china-affirms-zero-covid-stance-eases-rules-after-protests Authorities eased anti-virus rules in scattered areas but affirmed China’s severe “zero- COVID” strategy Monday after crowds demanded President Xi Jinping resign during protests against controls that confine millions of people to their homes. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/world-shares-fall-as-china-protests-lockdowns-cloud-outlook Shares slumped in Europe and Asia on Monday, with Hong Kong briefly dipping more than 4 per cent following weekend protests in various cities over China’s strict zero-COVID lockdowns. US futures were lower and oil prices fell more than USD 2 a barrel. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/protesters-chant-step-down-ccp-in-shanghai-against-chinas-zero-covid-policy Protests erupted in China's Shanghai on Saturday night against Beijing's strict COVID-19 policy. Several videos have emerged on social media which showcased people chanting slogans against restrictions imposed by the Chinese government to curb the spread of Covid. The protests erupted after 10 people died and nine others were injured in an apartment fire in Urumqi. Saturday saw protests erupt in Shanghai with people calling to relax COVID-19 curbs across the country. Expressing anger over the stringent Covid policy, Chinese citizens took to the streets in large numbers. According to a video posted by DW News East Asia Correspondent William Yang on Twitter, people at 'Urumqi Road' held a protest against Xi Jinping-led Chinese Communist Party (CCP), chanting slogans like "Step down the Communist Party" and " the Communist Party, Step down. Xi Jinping, step down." In a series of tweets regarding the protests in Shanghai, William Yang said that countless people gathered on Urumqi Road and chanted slogans, "I don't want PCR test, I want freedom." In another tweet, William Yang said, people in 'Urumqi Road' also called for ending the lockdown in Xinjiang. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sri-lankas-tamil-parties-to-press-for-autonomy-in-new-constitutio COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's Tamil minority parties who had an intra-party discussion following president Ranil Wickremesinghe's invitation to talks have agreed to put forward a three-point formula, including their push for federalism, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) source said on Saturday. The island nation's all Tamil political parties based in the East and the North on Friday met at the residence of 89-year-old TNA leader Rajavarothiam Sampanthan to push for federalism ahead of Wickremesinghe's proposed all-party meeting next month to address the long-held demand for political autonomy for the minority community in the country. The formula decided in the intra-party meeting on Friday includes the proposal to hold the stalled provincial council elections, including devolution to the Tamil regions in formulating a brand new Constitution, and put a stop to what they call the grabbing of lands belonging to the Tamils by the State. "The parties will meet again before meeting the president," the TNA source said on condition of anonymity. Wickremesinghe on Wednesday invited all political parties for talks aimed at ending the Tamil ethnic issue by February 4 next year -- Sri Lanka's 75th anniversary of independence from Britain. Wickremesinghe told Parliament that he was willing to hold the meeting after December 11. He said it was important to build trust between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamils to resolve the long-standing conflict. The TNA -- an alliance of parties who represent Tamils from the north and east regions -- responded to Wickremesinghe's call. However, at least one Sinhala majority hardline parliamentarian objected to the proposal. Wickremesinghe as prime minister in 2015 had started a reconciliation process with the veteran TNA leader Sampanthan. Many attempts since the 1950s to resolve the Tamil demand for autonomy were thwarted by the hardline Sinhala majority, leading to a violent armed campaign for separatism by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on behalf of the Tamils. An Indian effort in 1987, which created the system of a joint provincial council for the Tamil-dominated North and East, faltered as the minority community claimed it fell short of full autonomy. C V Vigneswaran was elected as the first-ever Tamil chief minister for the North in 2013. The elections since 2018 have been on hold for a technicality connected to electoral reforms. India has been consistently calling upon Sri Lanka to fulfil its commitments to protect the interests of the Tamil community and preserve the island nation's character as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. Over the years, the Sri Lankan government has been aggressive against Tamilian groups following its war with the LTTE. The LTTE ran a military campaign for a separate Tamil homeland in the northern and eastern provinces of the island nation for nearly 30 years before its collapse in 2009 after the Sri Lankan Army killed its supreme leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. According to Sri Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the three-decade brutal war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives. International rights groups claim at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the war, but the Sri Lankan government has disputed the figures https://www.sahilonline.net/en/protesting-workers-beaten-by-cops-at-iphone-factory-in-chinas-zhengzhou Police beat workers protesting over a pay dispute at the biggest factory for Apple's iPhone, whose new model is delayed by controls imposed as China tries to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/one-dead-14-injured-in-jerusalem-bus-stop-twin-blasts Two blasts went off near bus stops in Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 14, in what police said was suspected attacks by Palestinians. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sri-lanka-ministers-sacked-by-party-ahead-of-crucial-budget-vote-in-parliament COLOMBO: At least two front-line ministers in the Sri Lankan government have been suspended by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) for breach of party discipline, it was announced on Tuesday. "They have been suspended temporarily until they offer explanations," Dayasiri Jayasekera, the party general secretary, told reporters. Minister of Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva and Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera along with three other junior ministers in the government of President Ranil Wickremesinghe were sacked by the SLFP's central committee which met last night. The party held that they had violated the central committee's decision not to be part of the government. The suspensions came ahead of the parliamentary approval vote of budget 2023 which is due to be unveiled later this evening. However, the party suspensions do not mean the two ministers are sacked from the cabinet of Wickremesinghe. Wickremesinghe, who is also the minister of finance, has proposed tax reforms to raise government revenue as part of his measures to overcome the current economic crisis due to the shortage of foreign exchange in the island nation. The economic crisis led to wide-scale protests across the country, leading to the resignation of the then president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Wickremesinghe, who took over in the middle of the crisis, promised economic reforms to bring the country back on the growth track. His proposals to privatise some of the state business ventures have caused heartburn among parliamentarians alleging that Wickremesinghe had even targeted Sri Lanka Telecom which is making profits. Some have vowed to oppose the privatisation move by voting against the budget. The SLFP sacking of its seniors have added significance as among those shown out is the former leader of the SLFP, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, who was the president of the country between 1994 and 2005. Kumaratunga was until Monday a patron of the party formed by her father SWRD Bandaranaike. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/magnitude-59-quake-hits-northwest-turkey-causing-panic ANKARA: An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 hit a town in northwest Turkey on Wednesday, Turkey’s government-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said. The earthquake was centred in the town of Golkaya, in Duzce province, some 200 kilometres east of Istanbul. It was felt in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara. The quake sent people rushing out of buildings and cut power in the area, Duzce’s mayor Faruk Ozlu told private NTV television. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/every-11-minutes-a-woman-or-girl-is-killed-by-an-intimate-partner-or-family-member-un-chief  Asserting that a woman or a girl is killed every 11 minutes by an intimate partner or a family member, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that violence against them is the most pervasive "human rights violation" in the world and called on governments to implement national action plans that tackle this scourge. Secretary General Guterres made these remarks ahead of the International Day for the 'Elimination of Violence against Women' which is observed on November 25. "Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world. Every 11 minutes, a woman or a girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member and we know that other stresses, from the COVID-19 pandemic to economic turmoil, inevitably lead to even more physical and verbal abuse," Guterres said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/no-backsliding-on-brexit-says-uk-pm-amid-growing-backlash British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday denied that his government was seeking to row back on the UK's EU withdrawal deal, despite an apparent growing backlash against Brexit. Brexit supporter Sunak told business leaders that life outside the European Union was "already delivering enormous benefits and opportunities". He touted greater curbs on immigration -- a key plank of the Brexit deal -- and closer trade ties with Asia. But he added: "Let me be unequivocal about this: under my leadership, the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws." https://www.sahilonline.net/en/36-killed-two-missing-in-fire-at-industrial-wholesaler-in-central-china Thirty-six people have been killed and two remain missing after a fire broke out at a plant of a trading firm in central China, local authorities said on Tuesday. It took firefighters more than four hours to douse the fire that broke out on Monday at the plant of the commerce and trade company in Wenfeng district of Anyang city in Henan province, according to the city's publicity department. Firefighters put out the fire at around 11 pm on Monday, it said. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/2022-huge-year-in-us-india-ties-2023-going-to-be-even-bigger-white-house In the history of India-US relationship, 2022 has been a huge year and the next year is going to be even bigger, a top White House official said on Sunday. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/at-g20-summit-xi-jinping-forgoes-chance-to-improve-ties-with-world-leaders Chinese President Xi Jinping's meetings at the G20 summit in Bali did not go as per the plan after a video of his conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went viral and his meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was cancelled, The Age reported. The G20 summit was a chance for Xi to improve his ties with world leaders after years of tensions caused by China's aggressive "wolf warrior" diplomacy and COVID-19 restrictions, according to The Age report. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/12-dead-as-egypt-bus-crashes-with-truck-health-ministry CAIRO: Twelve people died on Sunday when their bus collided with a truck near the resort city of Hurghada in eastern Egypt, the health ministry said. In a statement, it said, "12 people died and 30 others were wounded and taken to nearby hospitals". A court official told AFP that prosecutors had opened an inquiry into the accident on the road between Hurghada and Ras Gharib, along the Red Sea coast. The crash happened just days after 20 people were killed when their minibus flipped and plunged into a canal in the Nile Delta. Egypt's roads are notoriously dangerous and often badly maintained, while drivers often break speed limits and other traffic rules. The country, with 104 million inhabitants, saw 7,000 deaths in traffic accidents last year. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/sunak-says-uk-will-support-kyiv-until-ukraine-has-won KYIV: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday vowed his country would stand by Kyiv's side "until Ukraine has won" during a visit to the Ukrainian capital. "I am here today to say that the UK will continue to stand with you... until Ukraine has won the peace and security it needs and deserves," Sunak said in a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. The British leader announced a new air defence package worth £50 million ($60 million), according to a Downing Street statement. https://www.sahilonline.net/en/france-voices-support-for-india-germany-brazil-japan-as-permanent-unsc-members  France has reaffirmed its support for India, Germany, Brazil and Japan as permanent members in an expanded UN Security Council, underlining the need to take into account the emergence of new powers willing and able to assume the responsibility of a permanent presence in the powerful world body.