Five countries express interest to support fisheries in Madhya Pradesh
Five countries including Japan, Vietnam, Mauritius and Nepal, on Saturday expressed interest to support the fisheries sector in Madhya Pradesh, ANI reported. Diplomats from five countries participated in a workshop organised here to support marketing, branding and exports of fisheries products from Madhya Pradesh. According to an official statement released after the event, representatives from five countries shared ‘expression of interest’ with Madhya Pradesh government to support the fisheries sector in the state. Ikko Watanabe, First Secretary (Food and Agriculture), Embassy of Japan; Badri Prasad Tiwari, Counsellor (Economic), Embassy of Nepal in India; Do Duy Khanh, First Secretary, Embassy of Vietnam; Donnawit Poolsawat, Consul-General, Royal Thai Consulate-General in Mumbai and Seewraj Nundlall, Counsellor (Investment & Trade) Market Development (Asia Division), High Commission of the Republic of Mauritius shared their expression of interest at the event. PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) supported the Department of Fisherman Welfare & Fisheries Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh in organising the event as ‘technical partner’.
Death toll from sunken Lebanon migrant boat rises to 94
The death toll from a migrant boat that sank off the Syrian coast after sailing from Lebanon earlier this week has risen to 94, after more bodies were recovered from Syria's Baniyas coast on the Mediterranean, Syrian state TV said on Saturday, Reuters reported.
It is the deadliest such voyage yet from Lebanon, where mounting economic desperation has led many to board often rickety and overcrowded boats in the hope of reaching Europe.
Syrian authorities began finding bodies off the coast of the northern port city of Tartus on Thursday afternoon. The Syrian transport ministry quoted survivors as saying the boat had left from Lebanon's northern Minyeh region on Tuesday with between 120 and 150 people on board, bound for Europe, according to Reuters.
North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea ahead of visit by US VP Kamala Harris
North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast on Sunday, ahead of planned military drills by South Korean and US forces involving an aircraft carrier and a visit to the region by US Vice President Kamala Harris, Reuters reported.
South Korea's military said it was a single, short-range ballistic missile fired from near the Taechon area of North Pyongyan Province just before 7 a.m. local time and flew about 600 km (373 miles) at an altitude of 60 km and a speed of Mach 5.
"North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile is an act of grave provocation that threatens the peace and security of the Korean peninsula and international community," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
After the launch, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Seung-kyum and the US Forces Korea Commander Paul LaCamera discussed the situation and reaffirmed their readiness to respond to any threat or provocation from North Korea, it added.
South Korea's National Security Council held an emergency meeting to discuss response measures and condemned the launch as an apparent violation of the UN Security Council Resolutions and an unjustifiable act of provocation, according to Reuters.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, who arrived in Seoul late on Saturday from a trip to Britain, the United States and Canada, was briefed on the launch, the presidential office said.
Hurricane Fiona: Canada hit by 'historic, extreme event'
Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without power, after Storm Fiona hit Canada's coastline, BBC reported.
Fiona was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Friday.
But parts of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick still experienced torrential rain and winds of up to 160km/h (99mph), with trees and powerlines knocked down.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the situation was critical, and promised to provide support through the army.
Officials have yet to share reports of fatalities or serious injuries, but authorities are dealing with extensive flooding.
In a briefing Mr Trudeau described Fiona as "a very powerful and dangerous storm" and said the army will be deployed to help with assessment and clean-up efforts. His government has already responded positively to a request by Nova Scotia authorities for assistance.
Tropical storm warnings were issued for the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, as well as in parts of Quebec.
The country's eastern region could receive up to 10in (25cm) of rain, increasing the risk of flash flooding.
In Nova Scotia, shelters were prepared in Halifax and Cape Breton for people to take cover ahead of the storm.
"We have been through these types of events before, but my fear is, not to this extent," said Amanda McDougall, mayor of Cape Breton Regional Municipality. "The impacts are going to be large, real and immediate."
In Port aux Basques, with a population of 4,067 on the southwest tip of Newfoundland, intense flooding saw some homes and office buildings washed out to sea, local journalist Rene Roy, told CBC. The area is under a state of emergency, according to BBC.
He added that many homes were left as "a pile of rubble in the ocean right now", adding: "There is an apartment building that's literally gone. There are entire streets that are gone."
Officials later confirmed that at least 20 homes had been lost.
And the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said a woman was rescued after being "tossed into the water as her home collapsed" in the area. They said another report of a women being swept out from her basement had been received, but conditions remained too dangerous to conduct a search.
Power companies have warned that it could take days to restore electricity, as wind speeds remain too high to start work on downed power lines.
Severe hurricanes in Canada are rare, as storms lose their energy once they hit colder waters in the north and become post-tropical instead. But pressure in the region is predicted to be historically low as Storm Fiona hits, making way for a heavier storm.
Meteorologist Bob Robichaud warned on Friday afternoon that Fiona will be bigger than Juan, and stronger than 2019's Hurricane Dorian, which also reached the shores of Nova Scotia, BBC reported.
Iran protests: Raisi to 'deal decisively' with widespread unrest
Iran's president has vowed to take action against protesters after more than a week of anti-government demonstrations, BBC reported.
President Ebrahim Raisi pledged to "deal decisively" with the protests, which have now spread to most of Iran's 31 provinces.
Officials say some 35 people have been killed since protests broke out over the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Clashes continue in several cities.
Ms Amini had been detained for allegedly breaking headscarf rules. Officers reportedly beat her head with a baton and banged her head against one of their vehicles. The police have said there is no evidence of any mistreatment and that she suffered "sudden heart failure".
And while Mr Raisi says her death will be investigated, his Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi has insisted that Ms Amini was not beaten.
Videos circulating on social media have captured violent unrest in dozens of cities across the country over the past few days, with some showing security forces firing what appeared to be live ammunition on protesters in the north-western cities of Piranshahr, Mahabad and Urmia.
New images have also appeared on social media showing protesters hurling petrol bombs at the security forces, according to BBC.
Meanwhile reformist group the Union of Islamic Iran People's Party has called for the mandatory dress code to be repealed and for "peaceful demonstrations" to be allowed.
Amnesty International has warned that evidence it gathered pointed to "a harrowing pattern of Iranian security forces deliberately and unlawfully firing live ammunition at protesters".
Mr Raisi has dismissed the protests as "riots". Iran, he said, must "deal decisively with those who oppose the country's security and tranquillity".
Hundreds of people have been detained by security forces, with the police chief in the north-western province of Guilan announcing on Saturday that some 739 people - including 60 women - have been detained in his region alone.
The BBC has heard testimony from some of those arrested who allege they were beaten. One said he was beaten "ruthlessly" before being jailed in a small cell with hundreds of others, where they were deprived of food, water and access to a bathroom.
Government forces have also launched a crackdown on independent media and activists. The US-based media watchdog the Committee to Protect Journalists says 11 journalists have been detained since Monday.
In the western border town of Oshnavieh, sources told the BBC that demonstrators briefly took control of sections of the town from government forces, BBC reported.
Ukraine war: Hundreds arrested as Russian draft protests continue
Hundreds of people have been arrested by authorities as protests against Russia's new "partial mobilisation" continue across the country, an independent rights group has said, BBC reported.
OVD-Info said 724 people were detained across 32 different cities on Saturday.
Widespread demonstrations have broken out since President Vladimir Putin announced plans to draft 300,000 men to fight in Ukraine.
Unsanctioned rallies are banned under Russian law.
But Mr Putin's move to draft civilians into the military has sparked large scale protests in urban areas, with more than 1,000 people being detained at demonstrations earlier this week.
KMC demolishes illegal structures in Anamnagar
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has intensified its campaign to demolish illegal structures in Kathmandu. The KMC demolished illegal structures in the Anamnagar area on Friday. The Metropolitan City demolished the wall of the Occidental Public School in Anamnagar this afternoon saying that it constructed the structure on the public land. Kathmandu Metropolitan City police Chief Raju Pandey said that they demolished the wall following complaints from the locals. He said that they would also demolish the structures constructed illegally in the area.
Gold price increases by Rs 1, 000 per tola on Friday
The price of gold has increased by Rs 1, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Friday. According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 92, 800 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 91, 800 on Thursday. Meanwhile, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 92, 300 per tola. Similarly, the price of silver is being traded at Rs 1, 200 per tola today.
