Central News Hub

Month: December 2024

‘Kerala a Jewel in India’s Startup Crown’

Tharoor, a four-time Lok Sabha MP, said this while speaking at the Huddle Global 2024, India’s flagship startup conclave, here on Saturday. …reports Asian Lite News

Senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Shashi Tharoor, has said that Kerala’s startup ecosystem has become a glittering jewel in the crown of India’s fast-growing startup landscape by demonstrating its prowess in innovation, inventiveness, sustainability, and inclusiveness.

Tharoor, a four-time Lok Sabha MP, said this while speaking at the Huddle Global 2024, India’s flagship startup conclave, here on Saturday.

Tharoor, an eminent writer, former diplomat, and thought leader, titled his address “The Elephant that is becoming a tiger: India’s Startup Ecosystem and tech entrepreneurship”, an obvious reference to his book “The Elephant, the Tiger & the Cellphone”.

While hailing the achievements of Kerala’s startup ecosystem, Tharoor said the state needs to further streamline regulatory compliances and procedures to enable aspirational entrepreneurs to start enterprises, attract capital, and grow faster.

“We need to simplify and streamline regulatory compliances and procedures by dismantling the oppressive red tape,” he added.

Tracing the evolution of the Indian startup ecosystem, the Congress leader said this was the time to think about making a single imaginative leap to add greater momentum to what has been achieved.

“The elephant is becoming a tiger as startups symbolise industriousness, innovation, and inventiveness, playing a vital role in the remarkable transformation of the country,” Tharoor added.

He also said that while coming out with novel and ingenious solutions, the startups have also shown that everything is reusable and re-imaginable.

“The surge of entrepreneurial culture also helped to turn India from a country of job-seekers to a job-creating economy, though it is a paradox that increasing unemployment has sharpened the youth’s entrepreneurial spirit,” he added.

Lauding Kerala Startup Mission for positioning its flagship startup festival into a major event that brings together the entire spectrum of stakeholders, Tharoor said “it is amazing” that a lot of products from robots, home automation, and medical technology from the startups are displayed here

Indian Innovators Secure $145M

The domestic startup ecosystem raised more than $145 million, as investor confidence is reviving in the country when it comes to VC funding.

Publicly-listed gaming firm Nazara raised $101.3 million via a preferential share issue, led by investors like SBI Mutual Fund, Caratlane founder Mithun Sacheti, and Aamara Capital.

ShopDeck, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) e-commerce enabler, raised $8 million in funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from Elevation Capital, Venture Highway, and Chiratae Ventures.

ShopDeck empowers sellers across categories, including clothing, jewellery, footwear, and home decor, driving over $150 million in annual sales.

MSME-focused digital lender NeoGrowth raised up to Rs 42 crore (nearly $5 million) in debt funding from UTI International Wealth Creator.

Elchemy, a tech-driven cross-border speciality chemical distribution platform, secured a $5.6 million Series A funding round. The round was led by Prime Venture Partners, along with participation from existing investor InfoEdge Ventures.

Ukhi, a pioneering biomaterials startup, secured $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its mission to develop novel, biodegradable, and compostable biomaterials aimed at transforming the sustainable packaging industry.

A total of 984 venture capital (VC) funding deals were announced in India during January-October 2024, which was a year-on-year (YoY) improvement of 5.8 per cent in deal volume.

The total disclosed funding value of these deals jumped by 44.4 per cent YoY to $9.2 billion during the same period, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Investor confidence seems to be reviving as India demonstrates significant improvement in VC funding activity during the year compared to peer countries, the report mentioned.

India accounted for 7.1 per cent share of the total number of VC deals announced globally during January-October 2024,

ALSO READ: AI Powers India’s Green Push

1 December 2024
Targets Beyond Limits

Shagun Chowdhary believes Indian shooting is well-placed to fetch a lot more medals in many future editions of the Olympics…reports Asian Lite News

Shooting contributed in a major way to India’s medal tally at the 2024 Paris Olympics by bagging three medals, two of which were earned by Manu Bhaker. Shotgun shooter Shagun Chowdhary believes Indian shooting is well-placed to fetch a lot more medals in many future editions of the Olympics.

“Indian shooting has been having quite a few glorious years and it’s just the amount of effort and hard work that the kids have put in that have culminated in results eventually. I think we all look for immediate gains, but what’s really needed is to focus on long term goals because sports is a long term association.

“It takes a long time in order to (get results), as a lot of hard work and time and experience (is put in) to get that one medal. So just have patience and Indian shooting has a lot more to offer in the next, many, many Olympics,” said Shagun in an exclusive conversation with IANS on the sidelines of ‘TURF 2024’, the 14th Global Sports Summit organised by FICCI at their headquarters in New Delhi.

Speaking about the need of having conversations around women in sports through events like this, Shagun said, “It’s very important to get everybody’s insight on what they feel about sports, especially of athletes and administrators, because that will build a bridge in terms of having a more cohesive environment for sports to thrive.”

She also expressed how women can be included in more administration roles in sporting federations in India. “To get more women in sports administration, there should be at least like what Australia is doing, at least having a 40% attendance of women administrators in order to have a more balanced view of sport.”

“It’s because now as we see we have as many girls as boys who have started to participate considering the way we are performing internationally. So if we have enough athletes, then we also need to have enough women administrators on the board in order to support them.”

Shagun, who was a part of the double trap shooting team who won the bronze medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, revealed she hopes to be back in action in January next year.

“The outlook for Indian shooting is always bright. It’s going to be always bright. Hopefully by January, I am back on the field. I broke my ankle in September this year. So I am just waiting for that to heal and then you will see me back in action.”

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1 December 2024
India-Malaysia joint military exercise to begin in Kuala Lumpur

The joint military exercise between India and Malaysia, Harimau Shakti 2024, is scheduled to take place from December 2 to December 15 at the Bentong Camp in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) of the Indian Army stated on Saturday.

The Army, via an official statement on X, stated that the exercise is expected to enhance interoperability between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army in conducting sub-conventional operations under the United Nations mandate.

This year, the bilateral military exercise is themed around the motto, *”Two nations, one mission: Ensuring global peace.”*

“The joint military Exercise Harimau Shakti between India and Malaysia, is scheduled to be held at the Bentong Camp, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 02 December – 15 December 2024. The objective of Exercise Harimau Shakti is to further strengthen interoperability between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army in conducting sub-conventional operations under the UN mandate,” the ADGPI’s post read,

In 2023, the joint bilateral training exercise took place in India at Meghalaya’s Umroi Cantonment. The Malaysian Army contingent consisted of troops from the 5th Royal Battalion of the Malaysian Army, while the Indian contingent was represented by a battalion of the Rajput Regiment.

“Exercise Harimau Shakti” aims to improve defence cooperation between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army and foster stronger bilateral relations between the two nations.

Meanwhile, the 13th edition of the bilateral joint military exercise Agni Warrior 2024, between the Indian Army and the Singapore Armed Forces, concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali, in Maharashtra on Saturday.

The three-day exercise involved participation from the Singapore Armed Forces contingent, which included 182 personnel from the Singapore Artillery, and the Indian Army contingent, with 114 personnel from the Regiment of Artillery.

The exercise aimed to maximise mutual understanding of drills and procedures to achieve jointness as a multinational force under the United Nations Charter. The exercise showcased joint firepower planning, execution, and the use of new-generation equipment by the artillery of both armies.

The event was by Lieutenant General Adosh Kumar, Director General of Artillery; Lieutenant General NS Sarna, Commandant, School of Artillery; and Colonel Ong Chiou Perng, Chief Artillery Officer, Singapore Armed Forces. (ANI)

ALSO READ: India ties changed after Aug 5, says Bangladesh foreign advisor

1 December 2024
Indian Navy enhances interoperability with Mauritius

The leadership of the two countries enjoys a high level of trust and mutual understanding, which is reflected in the continued high-level political engagement…reports Asian Lite News

The Indian Navy is in Mauritius for the 15th edition of the annual training program between India and Mauritius aimed at enhancing interoperability between the Indian and Mauritian Armed Forces.

The Spokesperson of the Indian Navy shared the details on X. According to them, the Indian Navy Marine Commando and Diving Mobile Training Team (MTT) are in Mauritius for the 15th edition of the Special Forces and Diving Refresher Camp.

The post noted that the program is ‘tailor-made’ to enhance interoperability between the two Armed Forces. “The MTT will train the Mauritius Police Force towards enhancing their capability to undertake Maritime Special Operations & Salvage at Sea”, the post said.

India has close, longstanding relations with Mauritius. Mauritius was one of the few important countries with which independent India established diplomatic relations in 1948, even before Mauritius gained independence.

The leadership of the two countries enjoys a high level of trust and mutual understanding, which is reflected in the continued high-level political engagement. These ties have resulted in uniquely close cooperation in maritime security, development partnerships, capacity-building, and cooperation in international fora, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in its statement.

The close bonds are also evident in the numerous India-assisted development projects across Mauritius. India’s influence in the country is highlighted by institutions such as the Indian Cultural Centre, the Mahatma Gandhi Institute, and the World Hindi Secretariat. These initiatives continue to strengthen cultural and people-to-people ties between the two nations.

Mauritius recently held elections, with Navin Ramgoolam achieving a historic victory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated Navin Ramgoolam on his electoral success. In his message, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to work closely with Ramgoolam to further strengthen their “unique partnership.”

“Had a warm conversation with my friend @Ramgoolam_Dr, congratulating him on his historic electoral victory. I wished him great success in leading Mauritius and extended an invitation to visit India. Look forward to working closely together to strengthen our special and unique partnership,” he wrote in a post on X. (ANI)

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1 December 2024
Chennai Airport resumes operations after cyclone Fengal

The airport had temporarily suspended operations on Saturday due to strong winds and heavy rainfall caused by cyclones…reports Asian Lite News

Flight operations at the Chennai International Airport resumed early on Sunday morning after Cyclone Fengal crossed the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

Speaking to ANI, Shiva, a passenger travelling to Abu Dhabi via Air Arabia flight, said, “We have been waiting here since 8 PM last night. I am from Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu. The airline we booked with is not responding to us, and we haven’t even received a water bottle or food from them.

“I request the airline to respond and ensure the comfort of passengers. They should have arranged a place for us to wait, but in this weather, we are waiting in an open area. Honestly, I have suffered a lot this time. I have been travelling and working abroad for the past 25 years, but I have never faced such treatment from any airline. Yes, it’s a natural calamity, but the airline should have at least responded to the passengers. They should either arrange an alternate flight or refund the amount to us as soon as possible,” he added.

The airport had temporarily suspended operations on Saturday due to strong winds and heavy rainfall caused by cyclones. Airlines had issued travel advisories and updated their flight schedules in response to the continuous downpours in Tamil Nadu. Several passengers experienced delays, with many stranded at the airport for 8 to 10 hours due to the sudden cancellation of flights.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Fengal, which had been stationary over north coastal Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, was classified as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 65-75 km/h, gusting up to 85 km/h.

The IMD stated that the cyclone would gradually weaken into a deep depression within the next three hours and continue to move west-southwestward.

“The Cyclonic Storm “FENGAL” [pronounced as FEINJAL] over north coastal Tamilnadu & Puducherry remained practically stationary during the past 1 hour and lay centred at 0030 hrs IST of today, the 01st December over the same region near latitude 12.0°N and longitude 79.8°E, close to Puducherry, as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph. The cyclonic storm “FENGAL” will move west-southwestwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next 3 hours. The system is being continuously monitored by the Doppler Weather Radar at Chennai & Karaikal,” IMD posted on X.

Cyclone Fengal made landfall on Saturday night between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm IST, near Puducherry, with wind speeds of 70-80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h. As a precautionary measure, people in affected areas have been relocated to relief camps near Kalpakkam in the Chengalpattu district.

The cyclone’s impact led to heavy rainfall and gusty winds, disrupting road and air services and affecting normal life in Puducherry and various parts of Tamil Nadu.

Chennai, Nov 30 (ANI): A man walks on a waterlogged road following a heavy rainfall triggered by Cyclone Fengal, in Chennai on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

IMD predicts extremely heavy rainfall in Puducherry

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted extremely heavy rainfall in Puducherry on Sunday as Cyclone Fengal made landfall on the coast on Saturday evening.

According to IMD, Puducherry is likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall today and “moderate” for December 2. The cyclone made landfall on the Union Territory’s coast at 7 in the evening on Saturday.

According to IMD, the isolated places over north Tamil Nadu are likely to witness “heavy to very heavy rainfall” today. The weather department had informed that the wind speed along and off north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh coasts would reach “70-80 kilometres per hour gusting to 90 kmph”.

“It is likely to prevail till the night of November 30 and gradually decrease thereafter,” IMD said in its National Bulletin.

Cyclonic Storm Fengal crossed the North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts on Saturday late night and is likely to continue moving west-southwestward, weakening into a deep depression within the next few hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the IMD, the cyclone crossed the coast near Puducherry between 10:30 pm and 11:30 pm IST, with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph gusting up to 90 kmph.

“The Cyclonic Storm FENGAL crossed North Tamil Nadu & Puducherry coasts near latitude 12.05°N and longitude 79.9°E, close to Puducherry, between 2230 hrs IST and 2330 hrs IST yesterday, the 30th November as a cyclonic storm with wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph. It lay centred at 2330 hours IST yesterday, the 30th of November over north coastal Tamilnadu & Puducherry near latitude 12.0°N and longitude 79.8°E, close to Puducherry. It will continue to move west-southwestwards slowly and weaken gradually into a deep depression during the next 3 hours,” IMD said in a post on X.

The official statement added that residents in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors and follow all instructions from local authorities to ensure their safety.

Meanwhile, people living in nearby areas have been shifted to relief camps near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district, in the wake of Cyclone Fengal. (ANI)

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1 December 2024
Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100% tariffs

At a summit of Bric nations in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of “weaponising” the dollar and described it as a “big mistake.”…reports Asian Lite News

President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday threatened 100 per cent tariffs against a bloc of nine nations if they act to undermine the US dollar.

His threat was directed at countries in the so-called Bric alliance, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have applied to become members and several other countries have expressed interest in joining.

While the US dollar is by far the most-used currency in global business and has survived past challenges to its preeminence, members of the alliance and other developing nations say they are fed up with America’s dominance of the global financial system.

The dollar represents roughly 58 per cent of the world’s foreign exchange reserves, according to the IMF and major commodities like oil are still primarily bought and sold using dollars.

The dollar’s dominance is threatened, however, with Brics’ growing share of GDP and the alliance’s intent to trade in non-dollar currencies a process known as de-dollarisation.

Trump, in a Truth Social post, said: “We require a commitment from these Countries that they will neither create a new Brics Currency, nor back any other Currency to replace the mighty US Dollar or, they will face 100% Tariffs, and should expect to say goodbye to selling into the wonderful US Economy.”

At a summit of Bric nations in October, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the US of “weaponising” the dollar and described it as a “big mistake.”

“It’s not us who refuse to use the dollar,” Putin said at the time. “But if they don’t let us work, what can we do? We are forced to search for alternatives.”

Russia has specifically pushed for the creation of a new payment system that would offer an alternative to the global bank messaging network, SWIFT, and allow Moscow to dodge Western sanctions and trade with partners.

Trump said there is “no chance” Brics will replace the US dollar in global trade and any country that tries to make that happen “should wave goodbye to America.”

Research shows that the US dollar’s role as the primary global reserve currency is not threatened in the near future.

An Atlantic Council model that assesses the dollar’s place as the primary global reserve currency states the dollar is “secure in the near and medium term” and continues to dominate other currencies.

Trump’s latest tariff threat comes after he threatened to slap 25 per cent tariffs on everything imported from Mexico and Canada, and an additional 10 per cent tax on goods from China, as a way to force the countries to do more to halt the flow of illegal immigration and drugs into the US.

He has since held a call with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who said Thursday she is confident that a tariff war with the United States can be averted. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau returned home Saturday after meeting Trump, without assurances the president-elect will back away from threatened tariffs on Canada.

ALSO READ: Trump picks hardliner Greer as US Trade Representative

1 December 2024
Tipu Sultan a very complex figure in history, says Jaishankar

Jaishankar noted the “adverse” effects of Tipu Sultan’s rule in the Mysore region…reports Asian Lite News

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Saturday attended the launch of Indian historian Vikram Sampath’s book ‘Tipu Sultan: The Saga of the Mysore Interregnum’ at the Indian Habitat Centre here in Delhi. Jaishankar described Tipu Sultan as a “very complex figure in history,” highlighting both his resistance to British colonial control and the controversial aspects of his rule.

Speaking at the event, Jaishankar said, “Tipu Sultan is actually a very, very complex figure in history. On the one hand, he has the reputation as a key figure who resisted the British colonial control over India, and it is a fact that his defeat and death can be considered a turning point when it came to the fate of peninsular India.”

However, Jaishankar also noted the “adverse” effects of Tipu Sultan’s rule in the Mysore region. “At the same time, he evokes strong adverse sentiments even today in many regions, some in Mysore itself,” he added.

Jaishankar further emphasized that Indian history has focused more on Tipu Sultan’s battles with the British, and “underplaying” or “neglecting” other aspects of his rule. “Contemporary history writing, certainly at the national level, has focused largely on the former, and underplaying, if not neglecting the later. Let’s be honest, this was not an accident,” he said.

Asserting that History is complicated, Jaishankar said that “cherry-picking of facts” in the case of Tipu Sultan has led to the advancement of a “political narrative”.

“Histroy, in all societies, is complicated, and politics indulges in cherry-picking the facts. This has happened in the case of Tipu Sultan. By highlighting the Tipu-English binary, to the exclusion of a more complicated reality, a particular narrative has been advanced over the years,” he said.

Jaishankar reaffirmed that under PM Modi’s government, India has seen the emergence of alternative perspectives.

“In the last 10 years, the changes in our political dispensation have led to the emergence of alternative perspectives. We are no longer prisoners of a vote bank, nor it is politically incorrect to bring out inconvenient truth,” he added.

Speaking further about the book, Jaishankar said, “As someone from the diplomatic world, I was really struck by info and insights which are provided in this volume on Tipu Sultan. We in India have tendered to mainly study post-independence foreign policy — perhaps this too was a conscious choice. But the fact is that many of our kingdoms and states forayed into international affairs in previous centuries in pursuance of thier particular interests, and some, by the way, continued to do so even till independence. The interaction of Tipu’s missionary with their French and English counterparts is really fascinating.”

Jaishankar concluded by saying that open-minded scholarship and genuine debate are central to India’s evolution as a pluralistic society and vibrant democracy. (ANI)

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1 December 2024
Bangladesh to face Internet disruption on December 2

SEA-ME-WE 4, the country’s first submarine cable system, is located in Cox’s Bazar district, some 400 km southeast of capital Dhaka..reports Asian Lite News

Internet services across Bangladesh will be disrupted temporarily for three hours on the night of December 2 due to maintenance of the country’s first submarine cable.

SEA-ME-WE 4, the country’s first submarine cable system, is located in Cox’s Bazar district, some 400 km southeast of capital Dhaka, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to a recent statement by the Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC, from 3:00 a.m. local time to 5.59 a.m. on December 2, maintenance will be conducted near the Chennai Landing Station in India and the Tuas Landing Station in Singapore. During this time, Internet services will be temporarily disrupted.

Internet bandwidth in Bangladesh comes mainly through two submarine cables running through the deep sea. The first cable is installed at southeastern Cox’s Bazar while the second one is at Kuakata in Bangladesh’s Patuakhali district, some 204 km south of the capital Dhaka.

Germany’s support to Bangladesh

Bangladesh and Germany signed two financial and technical agreements on development cooperation worth more than 180 million euros ($190.8).

Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Division at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Finance, and Achim Troster, German ambassador to Bangladesh, signed the agreements on behalf of their respective sides, Xinhua news agency reported quoting a press release.

Out of the total amount, 45.8 million euros will be used for technical cooperation and up to 135 million euros for financial cooperation.

Cooperation under the agreements will take place in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency, sustainable urban development, technical and vocational education and training, socially and environmentally sound supply chains, trade and infrastructure, protection of biodiversity and for a project on combating domestic violence against women and children. (1 euro equals $1.06)

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1 December 2024
India ties changed after Aug 5, says Bangladesh foreign advisor

Hossain emphasized that Bangladesh has to build a relationship with India “in view of this reality.”…reports Asian Lite News

Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Advisor Mohammed Touhid Hossain on Saturday said that the country’s relation with India has changed since Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced out of power on August 5 of this year.

“After August 5, relations with India have been changed and this is the reality,” said Md. Touhid Hossain, Foreign Affairs Advisor (Minister) to the Bangladesh interim government in a seminar at North South University, a private university in Dhaka.

Hossain emphasized that Bangladesh has to build a relationship with India “in view of this reality.”

“It is in view of this reality that we have to build and continue our relationship with India. I believe India will understand how to take forward relations with Bangladesh under the changed circumstances,” Hossain said.

A student-led movement ousted Bangladesh’s then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.

“The previous government (of Bangladesh) tried its best to remove India’s concerns. We also had some concerns. Problems are happening because our problems are not being addressed,” Touhid said, without elaborating.

He further remained optimistic to establish good relationship with India and said that Bangladesh “will not cause harm to anyone.”

“We would like to be optimistic that we can establish a good relationship so that the interests of both parties are protected. We will not be a cause harm to anyone. We want no one to be cause us harm”, Bangladesh Adviser said.

The Foreign Affairs Adviser blamed India media for exaggerating and urged Bangladesh media to be objective in providing news on the relations with India.

On Friday, India expressed concern over the rise of “extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation” in Bangladesh.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has consistently and strongly raised the issue of targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities with Bangladesh government.

While addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal urged Bangladesh’s interim government to take steps for protection of minorities.

On situation of minorities in Bangladesh, Jaiswal said, “India has consistently and strongly raised with the Bangladesh government the threats and targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities. We made our position very clear as far as the situation of Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh is concerned. The interim government must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities. We are concerned about the surge of extremist rhetoric, increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggerations. We once again call upon Bangladesh to take all steps for the protection of minorities and safeguarding their interests.”

The situation has been tense in Bangladesh since spiritual preacher Chinmoy Krishna Das was charged with sedition for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25.

Following Das arrest, a lawyer was killed during clashes between police and alleged followers of the spiritual guru in the Chattogram Court Building area on November 27. (ANI)

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1 December 2024
Smog chokes Karachi as air quality turns ‘very unhealthy’

At around 9:20 am, the concentration of harmful PM2.5 pollutants in Karachi’s air was 27.4 times above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended guidelines…reports Asian Lite News

Amid the ongoing pollution crisis, smog continues to engulf various parts of Pakistan, with Karachi’s air quality reaching a “very unhealthy” level for the first time in a month.

On Saturday morning, the port city’s air quality index (AQI) surged to 212, making it the most polluted major city globally, according to the Swiss group IQAir’s rankings as reported by The News International.

At around 9:20 am, the concentration of harmful PM2.5 pollutants in Karachi’s air was 27.4 times above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended guidelines.

The air quality monitor indicated a sharp decline in the city’s air quality, with the AQI briefly surpassing the 200 mark considered “very unhealthy” for humans for the first time in a month. After a slight improvement, the AQI in Karachi fell to 194.

IQAir attributes Karachi’s air pollution to factors such as the large number of vehicles on the roads, the burning of waste and garbage, and emissions from factories.

According to the report, Lahore remained the second-most polluted city, with an AQI of 298, just two points away from the “hazardous” category. As Punjab continues to suffer from severe smog, Lahore has frequently appeared among the most polluted cities in the world for nearly two months.

As Punjab continues to battle severe smog, its capital has consistently ranked among the most polluted cities in the world for nearly two months.

Despite recent fluctuations in the AQI, which included significant improvements from the unprecedented spike earlier this month, persistent smog continues to shroud the city, leaving residents struggling with dangerous air quality and health risks. Each winter, a combination of low-quality fuel emissions from factories and vehicles, compounded by seasonal crop burning by farmers, blankets parts of Punjab, with cooler temperatures and stagnant winds trapping the pollution.

According to IQAir, an AQI between 201 and 300 is deemed “Very Unhealthy,” while an AQI from 0 to 50 is considered “Good” and from 51 to 100 is categorized as “Moderate.” An AQI ranging from 101 to 150 is “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” and an AQI from 151 to 200 is labeled as “Unhealthy.” IQAir considers an AQI of 301 and above to be “Hazardous.”

Inhaling toxic air has devastating health effects, with the WHO warning that prolonged exposure can lead to strokes, heart disease, lung cancer, and respiratory illnesses. (ANI)

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1 December 2024