Asia

Thailand planning land and rail passageway, bypassing congested Strait of Malacca
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Thailand planning land and rail passageway, bypassing congested Strait of Malacca

Discussions are underway in Thailand to construct two deep seaports on both sides of the country’s southern coast, which would be linked via rail and highway in hopes to shorten shipping time by bypassing the busy Strait of Malacca with a 100-kilometre highway and railway passageway.The latest proposal replaces the Kra Canal plan, which has been dropped on environmental grounds. That plan would have seen a canal crossing the skinniest point of the country, through the Isthmus of Kra just south of Phuket and Krabi, chopping around 1,200 kilometres off the shipping journey.The new project is expected to reduce shipping time by 2 days by bypassing the Strait of Malacca, which runs along Peninsular Malaysia’s south-west coast, before curving east past Singapore.However, the passageway is notor...
Read More
Facebook removes several Pakistani accounts over ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Facebook removes several Pakistani accounts over ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’

Social media giant Facebook removed 453 accounts, 103 Pages, 78 Groups and 107 Instagram accounts operated from Pakistan for 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour' and focused on 'Pakistan and India'.In its statement, Facebook said, "We are making progress rooting out this abuse, but as we’ve said before, it’s an ongoing effort. We’re committed to continually improving to stay ahead.""That means building better technology, hiring more people and working closely with law enforcement, security experts and other companies," it said.According to the report, the people behind this network relied on fake accounts, some claiming to be based in India to post content and manage a handful of Indian military fan Pages and Groups."The vast majority of the accounts, Pages and Groups engaged in coordinated...
Read More
Indian High Commissioner meets Bangladesh Commerce Minister, discusses ways to boost trade relations
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Indian High Commissioner meets Bangladesh Commerce Minister, discusses ways to boost trade relations

High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Riva Ganguly Das met Commerce Minister of Bangladesh, Tipu Munshi and discussed ways to boost trade relations between the two countries."HC Smt. Riva Ganguly Das (@rivagdas) met H.E. Mr. Tipu Munshi, MP, Hon'ble Minister of Commerce on 03 Sep 2020 to discuss meaures to boost #IndiaBangladesh trade relations," Indian High Commission said in a tweet.The Daukandi (Bangladesh) - Sonamura (Tripura) Inland Waterway Protocol route was operationalised on September 3 marking a milestone in India-Bangladesh relations."Bangladeshi vessel, MB Premier carrying cement started from Daukandi on September 3, 2020, and will reach Sonamura on September 5, 2020, traversing 93 km along the river Gumti. This would be the first-ever export consignment from Bangladesh to ...
Read More
Thailand studies Malacca bypass to link Indian and Pacific oceans
29Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Thailand studies Malacca bypass to link Indian and Pacific oceans

With the Strait of Malacca becoming busier day by day, Thailand is looking of a way to construct a land passageway that would connect the Indian and Pacific Oceans, bypassing one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.The Strait of Malacca is a narrow sea lane between Malaysia and Singapore and is currently the shortest sea route linking the Asia-Pacific region with India and the Middle East. About a quarter of the world’s traded goods pass through it each year.“The Strait has become quite congested,” Transport Minister Saksiam Chidchob said in an interview.“Using an alternative route through Thailand would cut shipping time by more than two days, which is very valuable for businesses,” he said.Thailand plans to build two deep seaports on either side of the country’s southern coasts, and li...
Read More
J&K villagers cultivate lemongrass to drive away monkeys, utilise barren land
26Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K villagers cultivate lemongrass to drive away monkeys, utilise barren land

Residents of Sirha village in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district who are used to grow maize, rice and wheat but often suffered losses due to the monkey menace, are cultivating lemongrass to utilise barren land and drive away monkeys.Set up under the centrally sponsored scheme 'Aroma Mission’, the initiative titled ‘Lemongrass Cultivation to Counter Monkey Menace’ was started under the flagship ‘Back to Village’ programme. Four to five farmers from village Sirha shifted to lemongrass cultivation."Earlier we had to go to Jammu for oil distillation and sale purposes but now as the machine has been set up here in this village, it saves the additional expenses. It adds to our profit. In one year, income goes up to Rs 60,000", said Tilakraj, 67, a farmer.However, now the farmers have demanded tw...
Read More
New water filtration plants a boon in J&K’s Bumzoo
26Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

New water filtration plants a boon in J&K’s Bumzoo

The initiatives introduced by the Indian government in the Bumzoo area of union territory Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district resulted in a new water filtration plant which comes equipped with the latest purification technology and provides clean drinking water to over 2 lakh people in the district.The new plant is capable of supplying over 4.5 million gallons (37.85 lakh litres) of filtered water to people of the district, according to Muhammad Hanif, executive engineer of the PH division."The new filter takes the raw water through a lot of processes. Ferric alum is added first, after which the clariflocculation process is carried out. The settled water is then taken through the rapid sand filtration plant. There it is filtered at the rate of roughly 4.8 cubic metre per hour. Finally, t...
Read More
Nepal exports electricity worth a billion Nepali rupees to India in last fiscal
26Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Nepal exports electricity worth a billion Nepali rupees to India in last fiscal

A report published by the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has said that Nepal has exported electricity worth one billion Nepali rupees to India in the last fiscal year, 2019-20.“In 2076-77 (2019-20) fiscal year, Nepal was able to export electricity worth 95 crores 70 lakhs Nepali rupees to India as per a power deal signed by the two countries. Earlier, the Himalayan nation had set a target of selling nine crore units of electricity while it was able to send 10 crores and 70 lakh units last year”, the NEA report said.Prabal Adhikari, spokesperson at NEA, said: "Nepal exported a total of two crores and 96 lakh units of electricity to India between mid-September and November, which was the highest flow of electricity during the fiscal year of 2076-77. The least was recorded between mid-Apri...
Read More
Thailand delays US$724m China submarine deal after public anger
25Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

Thailand delays US$724m China submarine deal after public anger

Facing heat from the public, Thailand has delayed its controversial US$724 million purchase of two submarines from China as the kingdom's economy flatlines due to the coronavirus pandemic.Under a 2015 deal, Thailand was one of the first countries to buy Chinese naval hardware and finalised its purchase of three submarines in 2017, with the first one expected to be delivered in 2023.An order for two more for 22.5 billion baht (US$724 million) was approved in August by a parliamentary sub-committee - a move which drew public outrage as Thailand struggles with a freefalling economy.Angry citizens took to social media to criticise the deal, and the hashtag "People don't want submarines" trended on Twitter.Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri later announced that Prime Minister Prayut Chan...
Read More
## Union Secretary clears 58 cases with investment of Rs 224.26 crore ##
24Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

## Union Secretary clears 58 cases with investment of Rs 224.26 crore ##

In a meeting of Empowered Committee (EC), Dr Guruprasad Mohapatra, Union Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (Ministry of Commerce and Industry), cleared 58 cases for consideration of registration of manufacturing and service sector Units under Industrial Development Scheme-2017.The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi; Director Industries & Commerce, Jammu Anoo Malhotra; and Director Industries & Commerce, Kashmir Mehmood Shah through video conferencing from Jammu and Srinagar respectively.During the meeting, 36 cases from Jammu division and 25 cases from Kashmir division were placed before the Empowered Committee for consideration of registration under IDS-2017, of which, 35 cases from J...
Read More
## J&K: Teams of 8 zones clash in Under 19 cricket tournament ##
24Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

## J&K: Teams of 8 zones clash in Under 19 cricket tournament ##

The third day of inter-zonal district Level under 19 boys cricket tournament witnessed the clash of teams of eight zones at Sports Stadium Doda in Indian Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda town.The tournament is being held with strict adherence to the coronavirus standard operating procedures and guidelines.In the four matches, Ghat zone thrashed Bhaderwah zone by 5 wickets, Doda zone thrashed Bhatyas by 10 wickets, Bhallesa zone thrashed Gundna zone by 47 runs, and Bhalla zone thrashed Thathri by 11 runs.Around 128 under-19 players drawn from different zones of Doda district are participating in the ongoing Cricket tournament organized by the Department of Youth Service and Sports under the overall supervision of DYSSO Doda, Jaffar Hussain Sheikh.The tournament is being organised as...
Read More