Heavy rains worsen conditions for displaced Gazans, UN warns
Heavy rains over the past week have compounded the already dire living conditions of the hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, UN agencies say, BBC reported.
Unicef spokesman Jonathan Crickx told the BBC that the weather overnight had been "horrendous", with the rain so intense that he had seen up to 15cm (6in) of water on the ground near his office.
He said he was extremely concerned that children living in tents and makeshift shelters in wet clothing would succumb to hypothermia and other illnesses, according to BBC.
Venezuela denounces Trump's order for ship blockade as 'warmongering threats'
US President Donald Trump has ordered "a total and complete" blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela - a move denounced by Caracas as "warmongering threats", BBC reported.
Trump wrote that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government had been designated a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO), which had also engaged in "Drug Smuggling, and Human Trafficking".
His remarks come after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week, a significant action in light of the South American nation's reliance on oil, according to BBC.
Spain to open network of climate shelters
Spain is to set up a national network of climate shelters in public buildings to offer people refuge from intense heat before next summer, its prime minister has announced, BBC reported.
The move was announced as Pedro Sanchez laid out a plan to address the impact of climate change during a conference in Madrid on Wednesday.
"Devastating droughts and heatwaves are no longer rare. Some summers, it's not separate waves we face, but one long heatwave stretching from June through August. This is now the new normal," he said, according to BBC.
India-Nepal boost startup collaboration
The PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre, in association with the Consulate General of India (CGI) and Nepal Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum (NYEF: Birgunj & Janakpur Chapters), organised a Roundtable Discussion on “India-Nepal Cooperation in New Technology & Startups” on Tuesday at Mithila Awadh Dharamshala, Janakpur.
Session Chair Atul K Thakur, Senior Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, highlighted the evolving industrial landscape of Nepal and India, noting opportunities for enhanced collaboration in the value chain, especially from states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He emphasized integrating technology cooperation into the broader framework of India-Nepal relations.
Chief Guest, Mr Devi Sahai Meena (IFS), Consul General of India, Birgunj, stressed the importance of converging new-age businesses across borders, highlighting India’s strengths in IT & ITeS, AI, and other emerging technologies as a boost for Nepalese startups.
Over forty startups and MSME representatives participated, encouraged to join the upcoming 3rd edition of Startup Summit Nepal on Dec 20 in Kathmandu, aiming to strengthen the India-Nepal startup ecosystem.
