At least 30 US-made Patriot systems have been destroyed in Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, RIA Novosti reported.
The Russian news agency cited official data from the country’s Defense Ministry as providing statistics on the targeting of the defense system provided by the United States to Ukraine.
One of the latest and most effective strikes the Russian Defense Ministry mentioned on December 15: four launchers, a combat control vehicle, and an AN/MPQ-65 radar station were destroyed.
The strike on May 16, 2023, remains the most effective. Then, according to reliably confirmed data, the strike of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system on Kyiv destroyed five Patriot launchers and a multifunctional radar station all at once.
Four Patriot systems and two associated radar stations were destroyed on August 17.
India’s two-wheeler market saw remarkable 22 per cent YoY growth in first half this year
Updated On – 18 October 2024, 10:52 AM
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New Delhi:India has surpassed China to become the largest two-wheeler market in the world, driven by rising demand in rural areas, supported by favourable monsoon conditions and government initiatives for rural development, a report showed on Friday.
Globally, two-wheeler sales grew 4 per cent (year-on-year) in the first half of 2024, according to Counterpoint Research.
Although India, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa saw growth, China and Southeast Asia (SEA) experienced a decline.
Senior analyst Soumen Mandal said India’s two-wheeler market saw a remarkable 22 per cent YoY growth in the first half this year. “This strong performance allowed India to surpass China and become the world’s largest two-wheeler market,” he said.
Two-wheelers saw strong double-digit growth (year-on-year) in the second quarter of this fiscal in India.
In China, two-wheelers under 125cc remain popular, but consumers are increasingly opting for e-bicycles over motorcycles and scooters for daily commuting.
This shift has led to a temporary slowdown in the Chinese two-wheeler market, particularly in the electric segment.
In South East Asia, major markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia saw a decline in two-wheeler sales due to geopolitical trade tensions, stricter lending criteria and cautious consumer spending amid economic uncertainty.
The top-10 global two-wheeler manufacturers captured over 75 per cent of sales during H1 2024.
Honda maintained its leading position in the global two-wheeler market, followed by Hero MotoCorp, Yamaha, TVS Motor and Yadea.
TVS Motor was the fastest-growing brand (up 25 per cent YoY) among the top-10 brands while Yadea declined the most (down 29 per cent YoY), slipping to fifth position.
Neil Shah, vice president of Counterpoint Research, said electrification is on the rise, and by 2030, we expect four out of 10 two-wheelers sold to be electric.
“This shift is also accelerating the adoption of embedded cellular connectivity in the two-wheeler segment. As the automotive industry advances toward C-V2X technology, the two-wheeler segment will follow suit,” he noted.
This component was intended to draw an additional one TMC of water per day from Godavari River, increasing existing capacity from two TMC to three TMC per day
Published Date – 22 December 2024, 11:12 AM
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Hyderabad: Upsetting the strategic plans laid out by the BRS regime for the optimum utilisation of Telangana’s share of Godavari waters, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has rejected the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the add-on component of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. This component was intended to draw an additional one TMC of water per day from the Godavari River, increasing the existing capacity from two TMC to three TMC per day.
The CWC’s decision, made after repeated reminders and unanswered queries over the last ten months, has temporarily halted the expansion plans of the Kaleshwaram project. This project, one of the largest lift irrigation schemes in the world, had previously enjoyed priority clearances from the Ministry of Water Resources and swift implementation by the State government.
The Congress party, that came to power one year ago sought to prove it a failed project ever since two of the pillars in Medigadda barrage were found sagging. The State government handed over the investigation of structural issues reported in Medigadda barrage, generalised the concerns, and halted regular operations at all the three barrages — Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla.
Consequently, water received from the Godavari and Pranahita rivers was left to flow unutilised, with the barrages deliberately drained under the pretext of investigations, leaving the ayacut (irrigated area) high and dry.
The future of the Kaleshwaram project’s expansion now remains uncertain. The DPR, created with thorough planning and accurate data, has been returned to the State Irrigation Department by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry. The Ministry’s letter to the State’s engineer-in-chief stated that several queries were left unaddressed, leading to the rejection of the DPR for the additional one TMC lifting proposal.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao launched a scathing attack on the Congress government, accusing it of neglecting Telangana’s water rights and imposing unnecessary restrictions on the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. He highlighted the government’s alleged bias against the Kaleshwaram project, describing it as an “unjust vendetta.”
He criticised the government’s silence on Telangana’s water share in the Krishna River, despite hundreds of TMCs being diverted through the Pothireddypadu project. He pointed out that the Congress government remained indifferent even as the Central government imposed restrictions on drawing an additional TMC of water per day from the Godavari River through the Kaleshwaram project.
The BRS leader also accused the Congress of being inactive and failing to protect the state’s interests. He further criticised the Congress for its poor governance, stating that decades of Congress rule had led to droughts, and within a year of Congress rule, Telangana’s reputation was deteriorating. Rama Rao concluded his attack on the Congress government with a fervent call – “Wake up Telangana, wake up!”
Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement on Saturday that its fighters killed at least 5 Israeli soldiers in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
According to the statement, Al-Qassam fighters first ambushed and fatally stabbed three “Israeli” soldiers, taking their personal weapons, Roya News reported. The fighters then advanced to a nearby house where an “Israeli” foot patrol had taken cover. At the entrance, they killed two more soldiers and engaged the remaining forces in intense close-quarters combat.
This incident is the second stabbing operation targeting Israeli Occupation soldiers in Gaza within a matter of days.
Last Thursday, Al-Qassam Brigades revealed another significant operation in Jabalia. In that attack, a fighter stabbed an “Israeli” officer and three soldiers at point-blank range, killing them and seizing their weapons.
ICC confirms that all India-Pakistan matches during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be hosted at neutral locations due to strained political relations between the two nations
Published Date – 19 December 2024, 06:20 PM
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New Delhi: The much-awaited clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 will be played on February 23 with Colombo and Dubai front-runners to play host for India’s matches in the tournament being played in hybrid format.
The development comes after the ICC Board said that “India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue.” “India will take on Pakistan at a neutral venue on February 23, 2025. ICC looking at Colombo and Dubai to host their matches,” sources said on Thursday.
The Champions Trophy is scheduled to be played in February and March 2025. Meanwhile, ICC said the schedule for the marquee tournament will be confirmed in the coming days.
Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament, having defeated India by 180 runs in the final at The Oval in 2017. Both teams last played against each other in the T20 World Cup in New York earlier this year which India won by six runs and went on to claim their second silverware in the format.
Due to the strained political relations between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan only play each other in international events including World Cups and Asia Cup. The last bilateral series between India and Pakistan was held in 2012-13 when the latter toured India for the five-match white-ball series.
C V Anand, Commissioner of Police Hyderabad said the dacoity was planned by Indrajit Ghorai (43) who is younger brother of the victim Ranjeet Ghorai, to earn easy money
Updated On – 22 December 2024, 06:28 PM
Hyderabad: The Commissioner’s Task Force (central) team caught a 12 member gang who were allegedly involved in a dacoity case at Domalguda ten days ago.
The police recovered property worth Rs. 1.2 crores and seized weapons from them.
C V Anand, Commissioner of Police Hyderabad said the dacoity was planned by Indrajit Ghorai (43) who is younger brother of the victim Ranjeet Ghorai, to earn easy money.
“Indrajit sought help of an advocate and a group of criminals to execute the dacoity. As per plan on December 12, the gang went to the house of the victim and after threatening the occupants looted gold and silver ornaments,” said C V Anand.
On specific leads, the Task Force team led by Inspector Khaleel Pasha caught the 12 persons. Three other gang members are absconding.
The tremor, which occurred at 3:59 am Indian Standard Time (IST), was registered at a depth of 10 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface
Published Date – 21 December 2024, 11:05 AM
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New Delhi: A mild earthquake, measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale, struck Nepal in the early hours of Saturday, as confirmed by the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).
The tremor, which occurred at 3:59 am Indian Standard Time (IST), was registered at a depth of 10 kilometres beneath the Earth’s surface. According to NCS, the earthquake’s epicentre was pinpointed at Latitude 29.17° N and Longitude 81.59° E, a region known for its susceptibility to seismic activity.
So far, there have been no reports of casualties or significant structural damage. Local authorities, however, remain on alert and are closely monitoring the situation. The National Centre for Seismology shared details of the quake on social media platform X, stating, “Earthquake of Magnitude: 4.8, Date: 21/12/2024, Time: 03:59:03 IST, Lat: 29.17° N, Long: 81.59° E, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Nepal.”
Nepal lies in a tectonically active zone along the Himalayan fault line, making it prone to frequent earthquakes. The region experiences a constant buildup of geological stress due to the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, which can lead to both minor and major tremors.
The country has endured devastating earthquakes in the past, including the catastrophic 7.8 magnitude quake in April 2015 that claimed thousands of lives and caused widespread destruction. It occurred at 11:56 Nepal Standard Time on Saturday, April 25, 2015, with a magnitude of 7.8.
While Saturday’s tremor was relatively mild, it serves as a reminder of the seismic risks faced by the region. Residents in affected areas have been urged to remain alert and adhere to earthquake safety guidelines, particularly in the event of aftershocks.
Points out that country needs to work on quality of life, air, water
Published Date – 18 October 2024, 11:08 AM
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Washington: India’s growth rate is the shiniest part in the global economy, World Bank president Ajay Banga said on Thursday, noting that a lot of this is driven by the domestic market.
“There is no doubt that India’s growth rate is among the shiniest parts in the world economy. I think being able to grow at six, seven per cent and more in this kind of environment shows you that they’ve done a number of things to get there,” Banga told reporters ahead of next week’s annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
“A lot of that growth is in India, is driven by the domestic market as well, which actually is a healthy sign, in some ways. What India needs to work on as the Prime Minister laid out is things on quality of life, like air and the quality of water and the like,” he said.
“We are actively engaged with them on a number of topics to do with these, and I think we will see more results of those coming out in the coming months in terms of projects,” Banga said in response to a question.
World Bank managing director for operations Anna Bjerde said the bank is supporting the government turning the growth into jobs and also sustainable development.
She underscored the need to increase female workforce participation as India has a huge potential to increase the level of participation by women.
The World Bank is also working with India on the urban development side as there’s so much potential to make cities much more livable whether it comes to air quality, water supply or urban planning.
Fadnavis, apart from Home Ministry, will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity Departments
Published Date – 22 December 2024, 09:28 AM
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with DCMs Eknath Shinde, Ajit Pawar, Legislative Council Chairman Ram Shinde and MLCs poses for a group photo on the last day of the Winter session. — Photo:PTI
Nagpur: More than two weeks after he took the oath of office, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has allocated portfolios to his Council of Ministers, retaining the crucial Home Department with him.
Fadnavis will also handle Energy, Law and Judiciary, General Administration Department and Information and Publicity departments, an official statement said here on Saturday.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was allocated Urban Development, Housing and Public Works Department (public enterprises). Ajit Pawar, another deputy CM, got Finance and Planning, State Excise.
Notably, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar had handled the Home and Finance, respectively, in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government. Leaders of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena said they expected their party would get the Home Department.
But BJP sources indicated that the saffron party, which won 132 out of 288 seats in the November 20 Assembly polls against the Shiv Sena’s 57 and Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party’s 41 seats, would not cede the important portfolio. The portfolios were allocated on Saturday after the week-long winter session of the State Legislature ended here earlier in the day.
Among the key portfolios allocated to BJP Ministers are — Chandrashekhar Bawankule (Revenue), Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil (Water Resources- Krishna and Godavari Valley Development corporation), Chandrakant Patil (Higher and Technical Education, Parliamentary affairs), Girish Mahajan (Water Resources- Vidarbha , Tapi, Konkan Development Corporation and Disaster Management).
Among the Shiv Sena Ministers, Gulabrao Patil has got Water Supply and Sanitation, Dadaji Bhuse – School Education, Sanjay Rathod – Soil and Water Conservation and Uday Samant – Industries and Marathi language.
From the NCP, Hasan Mushrif has got Medical Education, Dhananjay Munde – Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, Dattatrey Bharne – Sports ,Youth Welfare and Minority Development and Aukaf, Aditi Tatkare – Women and Child Development and Manikrao Kokate – Agriculture.
Acting on reliable information, authorities raided the premises of A. Naveen Reddy, a quack practicing medicine without proper qualifications at his clinic, ‘Swapna Clinic,’ in Muduchintalpally village, Medchal-Malkajgiri district. During the raid, 38 types of medicines, including antibiotics, antidiabetic drugs, and antihypertensive medications, were found stocked without a valid drug license.
Acting on credible information, the premises of a quack A. Naveen Reddy, at Muduchintalpally village in Medchal-Malkajgiri district, who was practicing medicine without proper qualification at his clinic by name ‘Swapna Clinic’, was raided and 38 varieties of medicines, including antibiotics, antidiabetic drugs, antihypertensive drugs, etc., were stocked without a drug licence.
B. Praveen, Drugs Inspector, Shameerpet carried out the raid and seized the stock, which included physician’s samples, and also detected several antibiotics at the clinic.
Meanwhile, the DCA officials also detected certain medicines circulating in the market with misleading claims on their labels, stating that they treat ‘Ulcers of gastrointestinal tracts’ and ‘Disorders of menstrual flow’. Such claims are in contravention of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
During the raids led by K. Anvesh, Drugs Inspector, Shabad and B. Mounika, Drugs Inspector, Medchal, the DCA officials also detected and seized several products with misleading claims for treatment of ulcers of gastrointestinal tracts and disorders of menstrual flow, which is prohibited under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954, a press release said.
The DCA, Telangana, Director General, VB Kamalasan Reddy said the public can report any suspected manufacturing activity related to drugs, including narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, in residential, commercial, or industrial areas, as well as any other complaints regarding illegal activities concerning medicines, through the Toll-free No. 1800-599-6969, which is operational from 10.30 am to 5 pm on all working days.
