International - The Purbottar

02 Feb

Winter Olympics Manager of Indian contingent tests positive for Covid-19 upon arrival in Beijing

editor0 CommentsInternationalbeijing, Covid19, Olympics

Mohammad Abbas Wani, the manager of India's Winter Olympics contingent, has tested positive for COVID-19 upon arrival at the Beijing Airport here. Abbas Wani is a part of the six-member Indian delegation at the Winter Olympics for which Kashmir skier Arif Khan is the only athlete from the country to have qualified this time. Arif will be competing in Slalom and Giant Slalom events during the Games. The contingent also includes Harjinder Singh, Ludar Chand Thakur, Puran Chand as technician and Rop Chand Negi as its chef de mission, as alpine coach and as team official respectively. Indian Olympic Association…

19 Jan

Pakistan’s new security policy seeks peace’ with India

editor0 CommentsInternationalINDIA, PAKISTAN

On January 14, Pakistan PM Imran Khan unveiled the countrys first National Security Policy, which purportedly focuses on the ‘security of its citizens. It aims to define the country's security priorities between 2022 and 2026, including relations with India. Prepared by the National Security Division of the government, the original version of the NSP remains a classified document. But a shorter public version stresses on human security, geoeconomics, regional connectivity, prosperity, trade and investment. It makes all the right noises and gives an impression of fresh thinking from the Pakistani establishment. The policy appears to be an expanded form of…

11 Jan

New York’s Deadliest Apartment Fire in Decades

editor0 CommentsInternational, Lifestyle, worldapartment fire, fire, killed, new york city

In New York City, on Sunday 9 children among 19 people were killed when an apartment fire started by a malfunctioning space heater sent smoke billowing through a Bronx high-rise. It is in the deadliest fire New York City had seen in more than three decades. The smoke from the fire spread to the top of the 19-storey building, darkening hallways and stairwells and shocking residents who had heard the fire alarms but did not immediately react because they had grown accustomed to frequent alarms in the building. The fire commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said at a news conference at…

07 Jan

New variant detected in France

editor0 CommentsInternationalB.1.640, covid, France, who

The new Covid-19 variant, B.1.640, was detected by French researchers and is probably of Cameroonian origin, is not "circulating widely at the moment" and has so far been identified in less than 1 per cent of the samples sequenced in France, the World Health Organization said. The strain is known as the 'IHU' variant because it was first identified by academics at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute in Marseille, France, reports Xinhua news agency. At a press meet on Thursday, Maria van Kerkhove the technical lead for the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said that it was first detected in September…

24 Dec

Interviews at US consular offices waived for H-1Bs and other work visas

editor0 CommentsInternationalUSA

US State Department has decided to temporarily do away with an in-person requirement for candidates applying for work-visas like the H-1B, L-1, and O-1 given coronavirus concerns. The State Department is temporarily dropping an in-person interview requirement for some work-visa categories in 2022 to ease visa issuances through December 31, 2022. Applicants for these visas will not have to go for an in-person interview at a US consulate and consular officers are temporarily authorised to waive in-person interviews for certain individual-based non-immigration work visas and their qualifying derivatives, as per the State Department release. “We are pleased to announce that…

11 Dec

At Least 50 Feared Dead After Tornado Hits US State Of Kentucky: Governor

editor0 CommentsInternational

At least 50 people are dead after four tornadoes tore through the southeastern US state of Kentucky, its governor told reporters early Saturday, as several storms ravaged swathes of the country. A number of counties in Kentucky were left devastated with the strongest tornado tearing through 200 miles of the state, Governor Andy Beshear said. On the same night a storm ripped through a massive Amazon warehouse in the state of Illinois where around 100 workers were left trapped inside, local media reported. "I fear that there are more than 50 dead … probably closer to somewhere between 70 and…

08 Dec

World looking towards India for affordable, sustainable tech-enabled solutions: PM Modi

editor0 CommentsIndia, InternationalPM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the world is looking towards India for affordable and sustainable technology-enabled solutions across all streams of emerging domains, including 5G, artificial intelligence and robotics. In a message for the Indian Mobile Congress, Modi emphasised that it was important to look at how the country's innovation and efforts contribute more towards bringing positive change in the lives of people. “From 5G technology to Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality, cloud, Internet of Things and robotics, the world looks towards India with optimism to provide technology-enabled solutions that are affordable and sustainable,” Mr. Modi said. He said…

07 Nov

India, France to expand defence, maritime security partnership

editor0 CommentsInternationalFrance, INDIA

India and France have agreed to strengthen bilateral defence and security partnership through enhanced intelligence and information-sharing, operational cooperation and bolstering mutual capabilities. The annual India-France Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by NSA Ajit Doval and French President’s Diplomatic Adviser Emmanuel Bonne in Paris, agreed to pursue new initiatives in maritime, space and cyber domains, according to an official release. These were the major takeaways from the meeting between National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and and Defence Minister Florence Parly in Paris on Friday, officials said here on Saturday. The two sides also reviewed…

28 Oct

Abbott and Real Madrid Team Up to Support the Health and Nutrition of Children Globally

editor0 CommentsInternational, North East

Spain—Abbott announced it has entered into a three-year agreement to be the Health Sciences and Nutrition Partner of the Real Madrid Football Club and Global Partner of the Real Madrid Foundation—an organization founded by the club to promote the values inherent in sport to children globally. The partnership will encompass education, sports and social welfare activities in support of at-risk children in 80 countries, as well as nutritional support for the first men's and women's and Academy teams and new product innovation and development."Malnutrition remains a concern amongst Indian children, more so since its consequent health effects often plague them…

24 Oct

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes Taiwan

editor0 CommentsInternationalearthquake

A strong earthquake struck northeastern Taiwan on Sunday, with residents reporting violent shaking in the capital Taipei but there were no immediate reports of widespread damage.Taiwan's central weather bureau said the quake was of magnitude 6.5 while the US Geological Survey gave a lower figure of 6.2. It hit northeastern Yilan county at 1:11 pm (0511 GMT) at a depth of 67 kilometres (42 miles). The Taipei metro was briefly closed for checks, but re-opened shortly afterwards. The state-run power operator said the grid was operating as normal, while the railway administration said it was carrying out track inspections. Taiwan…