2024

CA:Bharat

Residential sector key source of PM2.5 pollution in north India: Study

Pollution in east, north and central Indian cities primarily comes from residential and transportation sectors, while in western India, industry and energy are the main contributors to local PM2.5 pollution, a study has found.
Published in the journal Modeling Earth Systems and Environment, the study also found that PM2.5 pollution in cities in south India majorly comes from the industry and residential sectors.
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Maharashtra, and the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, analysed pollution levels in 53 cities, having more than a million population during the winter of 2015-2016.
Residential emissions — from burning biomass for cooking and heating — were found to be the leading contributor to local PM2.5 pollution in Srinagar (68 per cent), Varanasi (37 per cent), Allahabad (34 per cent) and Kanpur (33 per cent).
The transportation sector’s contribution to local PM2.5 pollution was found to be higher in north Indian .
CA:Europe

Russia-Ukraine war live: North Korea preparing to send more troops to Russia, says South Korea

Troops and weapons, including suicide drones, to be shipped to Russia to support war against Ukraine, say Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff

Switzerland adopted the latest EU sanctions package on Russia and Belarus, the government said on Monday. The move came one week after the European Union targeted Moscow’s vessels and Chinese entities found to have traded with the Russian military.

The Swiss government listed 54 persons and 30 companies and organisations, freezing their assets as of Dec. 24, and banned 52 ships from providing services.

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CA:World, Current Affairs

‘I want to turn myself in’: US man claims he ‘accidentally’ stabbed father 50 times

41-year-old Jeffrey Goedde confessed to fatally stabbing his 75-year-old father, Edward Goedde Jr., approximately 50 times in their Missouri home. He surrendered to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, claiming it was an accident. Police discovered the victim with multiple stab wounds, broken bones, and signs of strangulation. Goedde is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond.
CA:Asia

More than 1,000 North Korean military casualties in Ukraine war, says South Korea

Claims underline risks posed to North’s untested armed forces amid reports regime could send reinforcements

More than 1,000 North Korean soldiers have been killed or wounded since they were sent to fight alongside Russian troops in Ukraine, according to South Korean military officials.

In a statement released on Monday, the South’s joint chiefs of staff (JCS) said: “We assess that North Korean troops, who have recently engaged in combat with Ukrainian forces, have suffered around 1,100 casualties.”

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CA:Sports

Gavaskar criticises team for neglecting Ashwin in overseas Tests

Sunil Gavaskar criticises India’s management for their treatment of Ravichandran Ashwin, highlighting his unjust exclusion from matches despite being a top-ranked bowler. Gavaskar points out the double standard where struggling batsmen weren’t dropped with the same frequency, and laments Ashwin’s missed captaincy opportunities despite his significant contributions to Indian cricket.
CA:Europe

UK exporters still struggling with post-Brexit rules, says trade body

British Chambers of Commerce asks for policy ‘reset’ after poll finds companies want greater flexibility

Many exporters are still struggling with post-Brexit trading rules, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has said, as it urges the government to press ahead with an EU “reset” in the new year.

In a survey of more than 1,000 of its member companies, the BCC found just 15% said the trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) with the EU, signed by Boris Johnson on Christmas Eve 2020, had helped them to grow sales with the EU.

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CA:Economy

UK banks’ trust account exodus cuts lifeline for disabled people, says charity

Customers face ‘severe consequences’ as banks and building societies close accounts typically set up to help vulnerable people

People with disabilities are facing potential hardship because banks are scrapping trust accounts that allow money to be managed safely on their behalf.

Victims awarded personal injury settlements and those with learning difficulties are among those facing “severe consequences” as accounts are closed or frozen by high street banks and building societies, according to campaigners.

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CA:Environment, Current Affairs

Forest cover down, but Delhi bit greener

Delhi’s green cover increased marginally to 25% in 2023, with tree cover improving but forest cover slightly decreasing. The Forest Survey of India report, however, sparked debate due to its revised methodology, with experts raising concerns about the inclusion of invasive species and the accuracy of satellite imagery-based calculations.
CA:World, Current Affairs

‘Absolute joke’: Passenger annoyed as Delta Airlines gives his first-class seat to service dog

A Delta passenger, upgraded to first class, was downgraded to accommodate a service dog. The passenger expressed outrage upon finding the dog in their assigned seat, despite Delta’s policy prioritizing service animals. While Delta explained bulkhead seats are often reserved for such needs, a travel expert questioned the decision to bump a first-class passenger.
CA:Bharat

Tripura remained backward during Left rule, BJP brought development: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday hit out at Left parties for turning Tripura into a “backward” state during their 35-year rule and said it could witness progress only after the BJP assumed power in 2018.
Addressing a public meeting here after visiting a village where displaced Bru tribals were rehabilitated, Shah said that Tripura remained behind on all parameters of development during the communist rule but is now moving forward on the path of progress.
“For 35 years, the communists ruled Tripura. The communists claimed that they worked for the welfare of the poor. The Congress also ruled Tripura for a considerable time. But the people of the state always remained poor. It was when the BJP came to power that Tripura could witness development,” he said.
Shah said when he visited Tripura in 2017 as BJP president and stayed for five days, only 11 people took party membership. “Gradually we started our work. We worked hard and could oust the communists from power” after toiling
CA:Europe

Magdeburg Christmas market attack: suspect faces murder charges

Thousands in Germany mourn five killed in attack while far-right protesters in black balaclavas gather for rally

Police in Germany have said a man suspected of killing at least five people and injuring hundreds more after a car was driven at speed through a crowded Christmas market faces charges of murder and attempted murder.

The suspect, named by German media as Taleb al-Abdulmohsen, a 50-year-old psychiatrist from Saudi Arabia who arrived in Germany in 2006, was remanded in custody late on Saturday after the attack in the central town of Magdeburg on Friday night.

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