Category Archives: International

International, National, Politics

Buzz: Indian drones and ammunition used by Israel in Gaza arsenal

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 ‘Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons’
An Israeli soldier on a tank near the Israel-Gaza border on Monday. There is no suggestion that the tank was provided by India.: Reuters picture

Anita Joshua, TT, New Delhi , 26.06.24 : A former Israeli ambassador to India has said speculation in the international media about Indian drones and ammunition being used by Israel in Gaza may well be true considering the gratitude New Delhi feels towards Tel Aviv for its assistance during the Kargil War 25 years ago.

“Indians always remind us that Israel was there for them during the Kargil War. Israel was one of the few countries that stood by them and provided them with weapons. The Indians don’t forget this and might now be returning the favour,” Daniel Carmon told Israeli news network Ynetnews.

Iran was quick to pick on this and the official news agency, IRNA, flashed it on Sunday as “India sent great deal of arms to Israeli regime: Zionist media”.

While there has been some chatter about India sending weapons to Israel for a while now, the decision of Spain to prevent a cargo ship originating from Chennai from docking at one of its ports en route Israel in May has added fuel to the fire.

“The ship, originating from the city of Madras in India, was carrying 27 tonnes of munitions destined for the IDF (Israel Defence Forces), against the backdrop of the war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on the Lebanon border. The incident highlights the fact that India has been providing significant military assistance to Israel since October 7,” the Ynetnews report said.

Before this report, the South China Morning Post had quoted analysts as saying that the shipment on the Danish-flagged ship, the Marianne Danica, which had sought permission to dock at Cartegana, Spain, was most likely from a “third-party vendor”.

In February, Shephard News, which specialises in global defence news, had reported that “the first private UAV manufacturing facility in India has delivered more than 20 Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to Israel”.

“Hyderabad-based Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India Ltd, a joint venture company between India’s Adani Defence and Aerospace and Israel’s Elbit Systems, became the first entity to manufacture the UAVs outside of Israel,” it added.

Ynetnews, quoting an Indian news report, said India was supplying Israel with advanced Hermes 900 drones manufactured in Hyderabad. “The report said the factory, established by Israel to supply these drones to the Indian military, converted 20 of them specifically for the IDF due to the shortage created during the war.”

In both these instances there was no official confirmation or comment from India and Israel.

In March, Israeli newspaper Haaretz had reported that the IDF used 70-year-old munitions and shells intended for training in India in Gaza. Faced with weapons shortages, the IDF, according to the report, has been using munitions dating back to the 1950s.

“Then there was the case of ‘the Indian munitions’. No one is sure why they earned this moniker. Legend has it that these were American munitions that came from emergency storehouses in India. Some of these left the factory in 1953, a decade before the first M109. Whatever their source, ultimately the soldiers had to try to accurately fire 70-year-old munitions. According to the US army, the maximal shelf life for such explosives is 40 years in optimal storage conditions of up to 30 degrees Celsius,” Haaretz reported.
International, National, Politics

India’s role in G7 Summit: An Overview

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Annwesha Chhetri, EOI, 17 June 2024 : The Group of 7 (G7) Summit, held in the picturesque town of Fasano, Italy, concluded on June 15, leaving a significant impact on global policy and international relations. Hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, this summit focused on the two major geopolitical conflicts weighing on the international community: the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Apart from the member countries, many other countries, including India, were invited to the Outreach Session. This was India’s 11th and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 5th consecutive participation at the G7 Summit. Traditionally, this group of seven countries has been a forum for some of the world’s most advanced economies to discuss and coordinate on economic policies, trade, security, and other global issues. India’s repeated invitations signal a recognition of its rise in economy, strategic importance, and leadership potential in tackling global challenges. PM Modi’s presence at the summit reflects India’s pivotal role in shaping global discourse. Therefore, India is getting a platform once again to address critical global issues, strengthen bilateral ties, and assert its role as a major player in international affairs. This year’s summit focused on themes such as economic resilience, climate change, health, security, and technological innovation—all the areas where India has a valuable contribution to make.
During the summit, PM Modi shed light on India’s economic reforms and investments like “Make in India” and “Digital India.” These initiatives aim to transform our country into a global manufacturing hub and a leader in digital innovation. With the global economy recovering from the impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic, India’s robust growth trajectory presents an attractive proposition for foreign investment and trade partnerships. A major highlight of this summit was the launch of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). Coal accounts for nearly 70% of India’s electricity. This initiative aims to help India transition from a coal-based energy system to more sustainable and low-emission technologies. Hence, JETP is designed to provide financial support, technology, and expertise to facilitate this transition, which is expected to address both environmental concerns and economic dependencies related to coal. PM Modi also reiterated India’s ambitious climate targets, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. He also elaborated on the “Ek Ped Maa ke Naam” campaign and urged the leaders to take part in India’s Mission LiFE initiative. Therefore, by collaborating with G7 countries, India will not only contribute to global climate goals but also support its own sustainable development agenda.
“Pharmacy of the World,” India has been a key supplier of affordable vaccines and medicines to developing countries during the pandemic. PM Modi called for strengthening global health infrastructure by ensuring equitable access to vaccines and enhancing research and development capabilities. 
India becomes a key player in the Indo-Pacific strategy, ensuring stability and security and countering China’s expanding influence. The European Union says that Beijing’s large subsidies, especially in green energy and technology, lead to very cheap products that flood the global market, making it difficult for the West to compete. “G7 countries agree on how to handle China,” a Japanese government source told AFP.
PM Modi said that India will collaborate with all countries to make artificial intelligence (AI) transparent, fair, secure, accessible, and responsible. As a founding member and lead chair of the Global Partnership for AI, India is leading the launch of the “AI Mission” with the mantra “AI for All.”
Therefore, this G7 Summit provided India with a platform to advance its economic, environmental, health, technological, and geopolitical agendas. By engaging with the world’s leading economies, India is not only strengthening its international standing but also paving the way for sustainable development and inclusive growth. 
As the world navigates through complex challenges, India’s role in shaping a resilient and cooperative global order is becoming more crucial than ever. On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also interacted with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canada PM Justin Trudeau, and Pope Francis. After concluding the visit, PM Modi thanked the people and government of Italy for their “war m hospitality” and said, “Had a very productive day at the G7 Summit in Apulia. I interacted with the world’s leaders and discussed various subjects. Together, we aim to create impactful solutions that benefit the global community and create a better world for future generations,” in a post on X. 
(The views of the author are personal)

International, National

40 Indians Killed, 50 Injured In South Kuwait Building Fire

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PTI, New Delhi, Jun 12, 2024 : Around 40 Indians were killed and over 50 injured in a devastating fire that broke out at dawn in a building housing around 195 migrant workers in southern Kuwait’s Mangaf area, officials said on Wednesday.

     
The total number of people killed in the Al-Mangaf building is 49 and 42 of them are learnt to be Indians; the remaining ones are Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian and Nepali nationals, they said.
     
“In an unfortunate and tragic fire incident earlier today in a Labour housing facility in Mangaf area of Kuwait, around 40 Indians are understood to have died and over 50 injured,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement late on Wednesday night.
     
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who described the incident as “saddening”, reviewed the situation at a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Principal Secretary to PM PK Mishra among others.

Following the meeting, the prime minister announced ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased Indian nationals from the PM Relief Fund and directed that the government should extend all possible assistance.
     
External Affairs Minister spoke to his Kuwaiti counterpart Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on phone and urged him for the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those killed.
     
“Spoke to Kuwaiti FM Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya on the fire tragedy in Kuwait. Apprised of the efforts made by Kuwaiti authorities in that regard. Was assured that the incident would be fully investigated and that responsibility will be fixed,” Jaishankar said on ‘X’.
     
“Urged the early repatriation of the mortal remains of those who lost their lives. He emphasized that those injured were getting the requisite medical attention,” he said.
     
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh is urgently travelling to Kuwait following a direction from PM Modi to oversee assistance to Indians injured in the fire and to ensure early repatriation of mortal remains of those killed.
     
The officials cited above said most of the Indian victims are from Kerala.
     
“The fire mishap in Kuwait City is saddening. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their near and dear ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. The Indian Embassy in Kuwait is closely monitoring the situation and working with the authorities there to assist the affected,” Modi said on ‘X’.
     
In its statement, the MEA said the Indian embassy in the Gulf nation is ascertaining the full details from the Kuwaiti authorities.
     
“Those injured are presently admitted in five government hospitals (Adan, Jaber, Farwaniya, Mubarak Al Kabeer and Jahra) in Kuwait and receiving proper medical care and attention,” it said.
     
“According to hospital authorities, most of the admitted patients are stable,” it said.
     
Following the incident, Ambassador of India in Kuwait Adarsh Swaika immediately visited the incident site and also the hospitals to ascertain the welfare of the Indian nationals.
     
“The embassy continues to coordinate with local authorities to assist Indian nationals who have been injured in this unfortunate incident and extend all possible support. The embassy is receiving full cooperation from the Kuwaiti authorities,” the MEA said.
     
“Our Embassy in Kuwait continues to remain in touch with local authorities to provide relief to those affected. The Embassy has established a helpline +965-65505246 (WhatsApp and regular call) for family members to get in touch,” it said.
     
The fire in Al-Mangaf building was reported to authorities in Al-Ahmadi governorate at 4.30 am and most of the deaths were due to smoke inhalation, Kuwaiti media reported, adding the fire started in a kitchen.
     
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry in a statement confirmed that the death toll reached 49.
     
Construction firm NBTC group rented the building for the stay of more than 195 workers, most of them Indians from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and northern states, the Kuwaiti media said.
     
The NBTC group is partly owned by an Indian, officials said.
     
Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said criminal evidence department personnel are currently working on identifying the victims and revealing the cause of the fire.
     
It said strict measures will be taken against building owners who violate laid down norms.
     
“Unfortunately, we received a report of a fire at… exactly 6:00 am (0300 GMT) in the Mangaf area,” Major General Eid Al-Owaihan, head of the Interior Ministry’s General Department of Criminal Evidence said.
     
Kuwait’s health ministry said the injured were admitted to several hospitals, with 21 of them sent to Al-Adan Hospital, six to Farwaniya Hospital, one to Al-Amiri and 11 to Mubarak Hospital.
     
“Amb @AdarshSwaika visited the Al-Adan hospital where over 30 Indian workers injured in today’s fire incident have been admitted. He met a number of patients and assured them of full assistance from the Embassy,” the Indian embassy said on ‘X’.
     
“Almost all are reported to be stable by hospital authorities,” it said.
     
The Indian embassy said it is in touch with Kuwaiti law enforcement authorities, fire service and health department for necessary action.
     
Interior Minister of Kuwait Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousuf Al-Sabah ordered an investigation into the fire incident and issued directions to apprehend the owner and janitor of Al-Mangaf building.
     
“What happened today is a result of the greed of the company and building owners,” Al-Sabah was quoted as saying by Kuwait Times.
International, Sikkim

Buddha Air Conducts Feasibility Study for Kathmandu to Pakyong Flights

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SUJAL PRADHAN, EOI, GANGTOK, JUNE 11, 2024 : A team from Buddha Air visited Pakyong Airport on Tuesday to conduct a feasibility study for launching flight operations between Kathmandu and Pakyong. 

The visit included a presentation by the Air Traffic Controller and an airport tour led by Airport Director S.K. Singh. 
The three-member team from Buddha Air included Uday Krishna Shrestha, Om Pradhananga, and Jiwan Basnett. Buddha Air plans to operate two daily flights: one from Kathmandu to Pakyong and another from Kathmandu to Pakyong via Guwahati. 
The flight from Kathmandu to Pakyong will take about one hour, while the flight from Pakyong to Guwahati will take around 35minutes.
As per reports, the proposed fare for Kathmandu to Pakyong is expected to be between Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 7,000, but Singh has requested Buddha Air to reduce it to Rs. 5,000 to Rs 6,000.
The airline is confident there will be enough passengers on these routes. Buddha Air is already operating flights from Kathmandu to Varanasi and is seeking permission for a new route from Janakpur to Ayodhya. 
The tentative timing for the new flights is between noon and1.30 pm. The flights will use ATR 500aircraft which can accommodate 85 to 90 passenger
International

Nepal Army removes remains of 5 humans 11 tonnes of garbage from Everest region

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PTI, KATHMANDU, JUNE 6, 2024 : Nepali Army has removed the remains of five climbers and 11,000 kgs of waste from the high-altitude Everest region as part of their almost two-month-long ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign 2024,’ the fourth such expedition since its launch in 2019.

     
The Army team found four dead bodies and one human skeleton of the climbers from its arduous cleaning expedition that covered Mt Everest, the highest mountain at 8848.86 metres, Mt Lhotse, and Mt Nuptse areas near the Everest Base Camp.

     
The aim of the ‘Mountain Cleaning Campaign’ is to keep a check on human-made pollution in the mighty Himalayas, especially in the fragile and vulnerable high-altitude region, in the era of changing climate, the army had said while announcing the 2024 campaign on April 7.

     
That day, the start of the Spring Climbing Season for Everest, the Army had announced to bring back 10 tonnes and five bodies lying at Mt Everest by its 12-member team led by Maj Aditya Karki. The team was to be assisted by an 18-member Sherpa team.

     
The expedition was flagged off on April 11.

     
Chief of the Army Staff Prabhu Ram Sharma, during an event to celebrate the successful closing of the 55-day campaign here on Wednesday, the World Environment Day, said: “Despite the adverse weather and conditions, around 11,000 kgs of garbage, four human corpses, and one skeleton were collected during this campaign.”

     
On the occasion, the Army chief also honoured members of the mountain cleaning campaign, including supporting Sherpa guides, for their valuable contribution to collecting the garbage and human remains.

     
The biodegradable waste was brought to Namche Bazaar below the Everest Base Camp and handed to the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) for proper treatment.

     
The non-biodegradable waste and bodies/skeleton was brought to Kathmandu.

     
The Nepal Army collaborated with the Ministry of Forest and Environment, the Tourism Department and the Nepal Mountaineers Association for the Everest region’s cleaning campaign.

     
The cleaning team also successfully climbed Mount Everest, MyRepublica portal reported, adding that since the campaign was launched in 2019, as many as 12 dead bodies and 180 metric tonnes of garbage have been collected from these mountain areas, including the Mt Everest peak.

Health, International

Sober 50-year-old kept appearing drunk. Then doctors found her UTIs were to blame

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MiamiHerald, 3 June 2024 : For years, a Canadian mom would have an occasional glass of wine or drink around the holidays, but she maintained a mostly sober lifestyle. She eventually leaned into her religious beliefs and stopped drinking alcohol altogether. Then, she walked into an emergency room drunk. 
Beginning two years earlier, the 50-year-old woman had odd cases of sleepiness where she would get so drowsy she would fall asleep “suddenly while getting ready for work or preparing meals,” according to a June 3 case report published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. 
She went to her primary care doctor and the emergency room multiple times while barely awake, her speech slurring and the smell of alcohol emanating from her breath, according to the case report. 
She was adamant that she was sober, and her family corroborated that no one had seen her consume any alcohol, doctors said. 
During her first visit to the emergency room, her alcohol level was a 39 when the normal level was below 2, according to the case report, but her liver enzymes remained completely normal. But by later visits, that value reached 62, more than 30 times normal levels. 
Nothing appeared abnormal on brain scans, and she was repeatedly referred to an addiction specialist and psychiatrists over seven doctors visits in two years, doctors said. 
Later, the patient told doctors about recurring urinary tract infections she had been experiencing for years. She was prescribed strong, wide-range antibiotics to stop the infection, and these seemingly drunk episodes would occur afterward, according to the case report. 
During her last emergency room visit, doctors confirmed she also had an urinary tract infection, and a diagnosis was proposed. 
Her body was brewing alcohol inside her gut. “Auto-brewery syndrome is a rare syndrome of endogenous alcohol fermentation. 
A 1948 report of a boy with a ruptured stomach whose contents smelled of alcohol was the first to describe gut fermentation,” according to the case report. 
“A 2020 systematic review identified 20 patients reported in the English medical literature since 1974.” 
The syndrome occurs when the microorganisms in the gut that are capable of fermenting carbohydrates into alcohol are able to outgrow the “good” bacteria in our gastrointestinal system, doctors said. 
When someone takes antibiotics for an infection, the drugs aren’t always able to target bad bacteria alone, and bacteria in the gut can also be affected, usually resulting in doctors recommending a probiotic or to eat yogurt while taking a round of antibiotics. 
In extreme cases, antibiotics kill so much of the good bacteria that keeps the gut balanced that the bad, fermenting-capable fungi and microorganisms flourish. 
“In our patient, we suspect her recurrent antibiotics for UTI and dexlansoprazole use (a prescription drug used to treat heartburn and reflux symptoms) led to gut dysbiosis with potential contribution of genetics, resulting in auto-brewery syndrome,” according to the case report. 
The condition can be hard to treat as the microorganisms, in this case a fungus, can live in the body naturally without any harmful effects, doctors said. 
“Auto-brewery syndrome carries substantial social, legal and medical consequences for patients and their loved ones,” doctors said. 
In previous cases, people have been accused of driving under the influence only later to find out they have auto-brewery syndrome. 
For this mother, a combination of antifungal medication, a lower carbohydrate diet and a change to her treatment for UTIs led to an end of the drunken spells, according to the case report.