Category: WORLD

By: Rakesh Lohumi ( Sr. Editor-ICN Group ) SHIMLA: The breathtaking sights and the thunder of the fast flowing Sutlej will be lost to the posterity if all the hydroelectric projects are commissioned over the next decade as planned. The river with the highest power potential in the state will virtually vanish like the mythological Saraswati. A dry river bed dotted with manmade reservoirs built to divert water for power generation will be left as the meandering river will flow only through long tunnels bored underneath the towering mountains as…

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei “ordered the government and armed forces to mobilise ‘all their means’ to help the population.” On Sunday, at 9:48 pm local time, a powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck northwest Iran near the border with Iraq. As of Monday, 413 people had been reported dead with most of the reported deaths in the Iranian province of Kermanshah. Iranian officials said 413 people had died in the country. Some soldiers and border guards were among the dead, the Iranian army’s commander-in-chief told the state news channel…

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APEC brings together 21 economies from the Pacific region – the equivalent of about 60% of the world’s GDP. On the occasion of the 25th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, the APEC and ASEAN Informal Dialogue, themed “Partnering for New Dynamism for a Comprehensively Connected and Integrated Asia-Pacific”, was held for the first time on November 10 in the central city of Da Nang. The Dialogue was chaired by Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, Chair of the 2017 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, with the participation of the APEC and ASEAN Leaders.…

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Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg believes that a revision of NATO’s structure is necessary to tackle the alleged threat from Russia. Speaking ahead of a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels today, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said it is vital that European roads, bridges and rail networks are able to carry tanks and heavy military equipment. NATO needs civilian infrastructure in Europe to meet its growing military requirements, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of a meeting in Brussels. This will mean coordination with national governments and the private sector, he added.…

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Secretary Priti Patel faces calls to quit after 12 meetings with the prime minister and other top figures during a ‘family vacation’ in August come to light. The international development secretary Priti Patel apologised on Tuesday for holding 12 meetings, including one with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, on a private trip. Thersa May’s spokesman highlighted that the country’s army runs a hospital for Syrian refugees, but said the UK currently provides no financial support to Israeli forces and that there would be no change in policy. Prime Minister Theresa May…

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Pro-democracy activists and lawmakers fear a national anthem law could be used to undermine freedom of speech in Hong Kong. China’s top legislature has endorsed an amendment to the criminal code to make abuse of the national anthem or flag punishable by up to three years in prison. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress passed an amendment to the country’s criminal law outlining punishments for people found “seriously” disrespecting the national anthem in public. The National Anthem Law, which went into effect on Oct. 1, has now been…

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Priyanka Chopra ranked at the 97th spot in the Forbes List of 100 Most Powerful Women, 2017. Forbes released its annual 2017 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. Forbes determines its ranking by evaluating four categories: money – which covers net worth, company revenues, assets under management, or GDP – media presence, influence, and impact. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was declared as the most influential woman in politics by the American magazine Forbes for another year.Another prominent political leader, UK Prime Minister Theresa May , ranked second. It is her first time appearing on…

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According to Time, the ban makes Honolulu the first major American city to pass legislation targeting “distracted walking” in a bid to increase road safety. Honolulu in Hawaii has become the first city in the world to ban people from looking at their phones or other digital devices while crossing roads. A new city ordinance makes it illegal for pedestrians to look at electronic devices while crossing the street. The law goes into effect on Wednesday, Oct. 25.Police have spent the past 90 days educating pedestrians of the new law. The law imposes…

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Shinzo Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party and its coalition partner Komeito party secured a two-thirds majority in Sunday’s House of Representatives election. U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday congratulated Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his ruling camp’s big victory in the general election the previous day. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has won an overwhelming election victory, which may see him become the longest-serving PM in that country’s history. Abe and Trump also agreed to deepen their discussions on how to address Pyongyang’s threats during the latter’s planned visit to Japan…

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