A massive fire erupted in a six-storey building in Kuwait’s Mangaf city on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people…reports Asian Lite News
A special Air Force aircraft carrying the mortal remains of 45 Indians, who died in a devastating fire on June 12, took off from Kuwait early Friday morning and will first land in Kerala’s Kochi and then leave for Delhi.
Union Minister Kirti Vardhan Singh, who had rushed to Kuwait, is also returning in the same aircraft.
“A special IAF aircraft carrying mortal remains of 45 Indian victims in the fire incident in Kuwait has taken off for Kochi. MoS @KVSinghMPGonda, who coordinated with Kuwaiti authorities ensuring swift repatriation, is onboard the aircraft,” said the Indian embassy in Kuwait.
Ambulances have been kept on standby at the Cochin airport where the plane will land.
A massive fire erupted in a six-storey building in Kuwait’s Mangaf city on Wednesday, killing at least 49 people.
The embassy said that 176 Indian workers were in the housing facility, 45 of them died and 33 were hospitalised.
The victims include 23 from Kerala, seven from Tamil Nadu, three each from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, two from Odisha, and one each from Bihar, Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Haryana.
This is the second physical edition of the festival after the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 and 2022 editions were held virtually, with the festival returning to its physical form last year…reports Asian Lite News
The 24th edition of the ongoing New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is set to host a panel discussion between veteran actress Shabana Azmi and filmmaker Mira Nair on Sunday at Theatre 2, Village East by Angelika in New York.
Festival director Aseem Chhabra spoke with IANS from New York and shared that the discussion will be preceded by the screening of ‘Fire’, which starred Shabana and Nandita Das. The screening and the panel discussion will honour Shabana, who has completed 50 years in cinema.
NYIFF is the oldest Indian film festival in North America, focusing mainly on independent films from India.
Aseem told that, with films from across 16 Indian languages this time, the idea is to cover all of India with 49 films.
The festival opened with the film ‘Dear Jassi’, directed by Tarsem Singh. The film is a co-production of companies from India, Canada, and the US. Based on a real-life incident, the film follows the story of Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, a Punjabi Canadian woman who faced conflict with her family when she fell in love with and chose to marry a working-class man they did not approve of.
This is the second physical edition of the festival after the Covid-19 pandemic. The 2021 and 2022 editions were held virtually, with the festival returning to its physical form last year.
When asked if there has been a change in the tastes of cinephiles and festival-goers due to the widespread content consumption triggered by OTT platforms, Aseem told IANS that the audience cultivating a taste for masala movies is a very Indian phenomenon, and the diaspora community of festival attendees is still unfazed by the change in taste towards cinema.
He said that the film festival celebrates films that have an essence of India; they can be from India and about India.
The festival is set to close with the Sanya Malhotra-starrer film ‘Mrs’, directed by Arati Kadav. The film is adapted from the acclaimed Malayalam film ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, starring Nimisha Sajayan. It also stars Nishant Dahiya and Kanwaljit Singh in pivotal roles and presents a captivating account of a woman’s strength and resilience.
With “bold and decisive steps” towards a net-zero global economy by 2050, Mohammed said that the world could still limit global warming to within 1.5 degrees…reports Asian Lite News.
The United Nations (UN) on Monday underlined the importance of limiting temperature rise to the internationally agreed goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In the wake of extreme weather events increasingly impacting countries across the world, the annual UN climate conference will take place in Glasgow in November.
The entire planet is going through a season of fire and floods, primarily hurting fragile and vulnerable populations in rich and poor countries alike, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a high-level meeting on climate action.
Speaking via video message to the Dialogue on Accelerating Adaptation Solutions Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), the deputy UN chief noted already-visible impacts with a 1.2-degree rise.
“Countries and populations worldwide — particularly those most vulnerable and least responsible for the climate crisis — will experience even more devastating consequences,” she warned.
“The effects will reverberate through economies, communities and ecosystems, erasing development gains, deepening poverty, increasing migration and exacerbating tensions,” she added.
With “bold and decisive steps” towards a net-zero global economy by 2050, Mohammed said that the world could still limit global warming to within 1.5 degrees.
“Acting now is a question of climate justice. And we have the solutions,” she said, calling for a “massively scaled-up investment” in adaptation and resilience, and stressing the importance of simplifying rules and easing access for underprivileged countries, especially those in Africa.
With less than 80 days to COP26, the deputy UN chief urged the participants to “act boldly now for people and planet before it’s too late.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “is a code red for humanity”, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Britain, host to the UN Climate Change Conference named COP26, called for urgent global action in response to a report published on Monday on the science of climate change that says the planet has warmed more than previously estimated.
The report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations organisation, is a stark warning from scientists around the world that human activity is damaging the planet at an alarming rate.
The report warns that climate change is already affecting every region across the globe and that without urgent action to limit warming, heatwaves, heavy precipitation, droughts, and loss of Arctic Sea ice, snow cover and permafrost, will all increase while carbon sinks will become less effective at slowing the growth of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The report highlights that cutting global emissions, starting immediately, to net zero by mid-century would have a good chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C in the long-term and help to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
The report “is a code red for humanity”, said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. But scientists said a catastrophe can be avoided if the world acts fast.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Today’s report makes for sobering reading, and it is clear that the next decade is going to be pivotal to securing the future of our planet.”
“We know what must be done to limit global warming — consign coal to history and shift to clean energy sources, protect nature and provide climate finance for countries on the frontline.
“The UK is leading the way, decarbonising our economy faster than any country in the G20 over the last two decades. I hope today’s IPCC report will be a wake-up call for the world to take action now, before we meet in Glasgow in November for the critical COP26 summit.”
As extreme events are felt across the globe, from wildfires in North America to floods in China, across Europe, India and parts of Africa, and heatwaves in Siberia, COP President Alok Sharma has been negotiating with governments and businesses to increase global climate ambition and take immediate action to help halve global emissions in the next decade and reach net zero emissions by mid-century in order to keep the 1.5C goal set out in the Paris Agreement within reach.
The UK is already showing leadership with clear plans to reduce its emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 and 78 per cent by 2035, leading to net zero by 2050.
Today, more than 70 per cent of the world’s economy is covered by a net zero target — up from 30 per cent when the UK took over as incoming COP Presidency.
May saw the establishment of the first net zero G7, with all countries coming forward with 2030 emission reduction targets that put them on a pathway to reaching this goal by 2050. However, today’s report shows that more action is urgently needed.
Some progress has been made since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. More than 85 new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to 2030, representing over 110 parties, have been submitted to set out how countries will cut their emissions and address the climate crisis.
In a meeting with scientists later on August 9, Sharma will encourage countries that have not already done so, to urgently submit new or updated NDCs with their plans for ambitious climate action ahead of the vital COP26 summit later this year in Glasgow, particularly all major economies of the G20 who are responsible for over 80 per cent of global emissions.
In response to the report, Sharma said: “The science is clear, the impacts of the climate crisis can be seen around the world and if we don’t act now, we will continue to see the worst effects impact lives, livelihoods and natural habitats.
“Our message to every country, government, business and part of society is simple. The next decade is decisive, follow the science and embrace your responsibility to keep the goal of 1.5C alive.
“We can do this together, by coming forward with ambitious 2030 emission reduction targets and long-term strategies with a pathway to net zero by the middle of the century, and taking action now to end coal power, accelerate the roll out of electric vehicles, tackle deforestation and reduce methane emissions.”
UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The impacts of climate change are already affecting lives and livelihoods around the world with increasing frequency and severity.
“Alongside the need to drive down emissions, this report rings the alarm to urgently help vulnerable communities adapt and build resilience — in developed and developing countries alike.
“Protecting the most vulnerable is a priority for the UK’s COP26 Presidency. World leaders must heed the science and work together to adapt to our changing climate, as well as act to avert, minimise and address loss and damage for those on the frontline.” ALSO READ-SAARC nations for cooperation to reduce climate change impact on fisheries
The fire surpassed the Mendocino Complex Fire, which scorched 459,123 acres in 2018….reports Asian Lite News
Dixie Fire, a fast-moving wildfire has grown to become the second largest in California’s history as more than 8,500 firefighters are continuing to battle 11 major wildfires across the state, authorities said.
Dixie Fire, raging in Northern California, was at 463,477 acres and only 21 per cent contained, said the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in an incident report on Sunday.
The fire surpassed the Mendocino Complex Fire, which scorched 459,123 acres in 2018, reports Xinhua news agency.
In California’s history, it’s now only behind the massive 2020 August Complex Fire, which burned 1,032,648 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The fire, which started on July 13, also became the largest wildfire so far this year in the country.
The fire, burning through four counties in Northern California, had destroyed at least 404 structures and forced thousands of local residents to evacuate.
More than 5,100 firefighters are working to contain it.
According to Cal Fire, six of the top seven largest wildfires in the state’s history, including the Dixie Fire, have occurred since 2020.
More than 6,000 wildfires have burned nearly 580,000 acres in California this year, according to the Cal Fire’s 2021 Incident Archive.
The state and most of the U.S West are in the grip of a severe drought of historic proportions.
Meanwhile, the Lassen Volcanic National Park in Northern California has been forced to close as a massive wildfire continued to explode in size in the region.
The fast-moving fire, dubbed Dixie Fire, is active in the remote eastern side of Lassen Volcanic National Park, said park officials in a news release, noting that an emergency closure is in place for the entire park.
“The temporary closure ensures firefighters have unimpeded access to all areas of the park,” said Jim Richardson, superintendent of the park.
“The park’s current priorities are to ensure the immediate evacuation of visitors and to protect facilities along the park highway and in the Manzanita Lake and Mineral Headquarters areas,” he added.
Authorities have confirmed the identities of the deceased and were probing the cause of the accident….reports Asian Lite News
The death toll from a fire accident at a warehouse in China’s Jilin rovince has increased to 15, with 25 people injured, local authorities said on Sunday.
The fire broke out on Saturday afternoon at the logistics warehouse in the Jingyue high-tech industrial development zone in Jilin’s provincial capital of Changchun, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Changchun municipal government said the local fire brigade received reports of the accident at 3.48 p.m. Saturday and launched search and rescue efforts, which concluded at 5 a.m. Sunday.
The injured people are receiving treatment in hospitals and there was no one in serious condition, the government said.
Authorities have confirmed the identities of the deceased and were probing the cause of the accident.
This comes at a time when China is facing landfalls and floods due to heavy rains for the past few days.
Typhoon In-Fa stalled traffic in Shanghai, China and forced evacuations of more than 360,000 people from coastal areas, local media reported Sunday.
The typhoon made landfall on the coast of Zhejiang province on Sunday afternoon and is moving northwest at 6.2 miles per hour, Xinhua news agency reported. Shanghai authorities declared second-highest “orange” danger alert.
Strong wind blasts are toppling trees, ripping off billboards and breaking windows. The wind and rainfall are expected to worsen.
Two international airports in Shanghai canceled all passenger flights, the subway has been closed, and high-speed trains were fully stopped until midday on Monday.
China’s marine environmental authorities will continue to issue warnings for storm surges and high waves, the Global Times reported citing the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Zhejiang governor Zheng Zhajie called the tragedy that caused casualties in a subway in Henan’s Zhengzhou caused by a surging flood, saying that this incident should be a lesson.
The death toll from the heavy rains and floods that hit China’s central province of Henan has risen to 63, while five people remain missing as of Sunday.
More than 852,000 people were relocated. Some 876.6 thousand hectares of crops were affected and 24,474 houses collapsed, reported Global Times.
Torrential rains have battered Henan province since last weekend. Several videos surfaced on social media showing the severity of the flooding.
Zhengzhou, the provincial capital of 12 million people, is one of the worst-hit areas.
Zhengzhou’s meteorological station has described the level of rainfall as “once in a thousand years.”
Henan’s water resources department, meanwhile, has called rain levels in parts of the province “once in 5,000 years.” (ANI)
The fire broke out at the chemical storage on the first floor of the Haji Musa Mansion…reports Sumi Khan
Two persons, including a security guard, were killed and at least 17 including three firefighters were injured in a fire at a six storied building in Dhaka, that was housing a chemical warehouse located in density populated Armanitola area. The incident took place at around 3 a.m. on Friday when the devotees were having food for fasting on Muslim holy month Ramadan.
The fire broke out at the chemical storage on the first floor of the Haji Musa Mansion, Brig Gen Md Sazzad Hussain, Director General of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence told IANS.
Seventeen units of fire service and civil defence managed to control the inferno after a hard struggle of three hours.
The six-storey building at Armanitola, next to the Babubazar Bridge in old Dhaka, has a chemical storage and a few shops on the ground floor, while tenants were living in upper floors.
Earlier, on June 3, 2010, 124 people died in a fire at an illegally operated chemical warehouse in Nimtali, Old Dhaka. Besides, on the night of February 20, 2019, at least six people died in a terrible fire from a series of chemical factories in the resident area of Churihatta of Chawkbazar. Then after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directly asked to shift the chemical industries from the residential are of old Dhaka, which is denied, and created this calamity.
The dead body of the security guard was recovered from the building and a woman, who was severely burned, died on the way to hospital confirmed the fire service official. Other residents of the building rescued with crane cutting the Iron made porch- grill of the building, he said.
