Sunday 22 November 2015

Hong Kong goes to polls in first vote since democracy protests


Hong Kong is going to polls today for the first time since huge pro-democracy protests gripped the city last year. More than 900 candidates are competing for 431 seats in 18 district councils, where pro-China parties currently hold a majority. The spotlight on district elections is more than ever before to gauge whether support for the democracy movement can translate into votes and bring a fundamental change to Hong Kong’s political landscape. The results, due late today itself, will provide insight into how a Legislative Council election due next year and a controversial leadership poll in 2017 could pan out.
Tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets for more than two months at the end of last year demanding fully free elections for the city’s next leader, in what became known as the Umbrella Movement.

Turkish plane diverted to Canada over bomb threat

A Turkish Airlines flight, flying from New York to Istanbul, was today diverted mid-air and landed at Halifax in Canada after authorities received information of a bomb threat. 256 people were onboard the plane. Agencies quoting the Royal Canadian Mounted Police report that the threat is being investigated, and the police is looking to identify those responsible.
On Tuesday night, An Air France Flight from Dulles International Airport outside Washington was diverted to
Halifax after an anonymous bomb threat was phoned in after the plane had taken off. Royal Canadian Mounted Police had said that investigators found no evidence of an explosive device. The threats come after the recent attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and heightened security concerns worldwide.

NITI Aayog to engage in dialogue with China’s think tank DRC
A team led by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya will engage in a dialogue with China’s Development Research Centre (DRC) from tomorrow. The two-day China-India Development Roundtable 2015 will be held in Beijing. It will be the first dialogue between NITI Aayog and the DRC after the body was constituted to replace the erstwhile Planning Commission.
According to the meeting’s agenda, there will be deliberations on opportunities and challenges for both nations in the current global economic scenario. Besides, there will be discussions on issues related to regional trade associations and their implications for India as well as China. The issue of the wide trade imbalance between the two nations will also be discussed at the Roundtable.

Death toll in Myanmar landslide mounts to 90

In Myanmar, the death toll due to the landslide in a remote jade mining area of Kachin has mounted to 90. Rescue operations are going on in full swing to find the survivors.
The landslide had crushed dozens of small huts clustered on the barren landscape, where many workers had made their homes in the hope of finding Myanmar’s most valuable precious stone.
Authorities said that rescuers from the Myanmar Red Cross, the army, police and local community groups are trying to dig people out, but their efforts have been hampered by poor weather conditions in the remote region.
Myanmar is the source of virtually all of the world’s finest jadeite, an almost translucent green stone that is prized above almost all other materials in neighbouring China.

EVACUATION OF ALGERIAN CREW BY INDIAN COAST GUARD

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IN A SWIFT OPERATION, INDIAN COAST GUARD SUCCESSFULLY UNDERTOOK MEDICAL EVACUATION OF AN ALGERIAN NATIONAL FROM LNG CARRIER MT MUBARAZ. THE LIBERIAN FLAGGED VESSEL WAS ON ITS VOYAGE FROM DAS ISLAND, UAE TO TOKYO, JAPAN.
ON 21 NOV 15 AT 1030 HRS MARITIME RESCUE CO-ORDINATION CENTRE MUMBAI, INDIAN COAST GUARD RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM UK COAST GUARD, THAT A LIBERIAN FLAGGED LNG CARRIER REQUIRES IMMEDIATE MEDICAL EVACUATION OF A 51 YEAR OLD ALGERIAN CREW MR. ALI CHEMOUNE WHO HAD SUFFERED A STROKE. THE PATIENT WAS IN CRITICAL CONDITION WITH NO MOVEMENT AND NO FEELING ON RIGHT SIDE OF BODY.
RAISING TO THE REQUIREMENT OF SITUATION, INDIAN COAST GUARD REGIONAL HEADQUARTERS (WEST) DIRECTED INDIAN COAST GUARD DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, KOCHI TO UNDERTAKE MEDICAL EVACUATION. AFTER COORDINATION WITH THE MASTER OF THE VESSEL AND AGENT, THE VESSEL WAS DIRECTED TO HEAD TOWARDS KOCHI. MEANWHILE, THE PREPARATION FOR EVACUATION BY HELICOPTER EX- COAST GUARD AIR ENCLAVE, KOCHI POST MEDICAL ADVICE WAS WORKED OUT. AS SHIP DID NOT HAVE ANY LANDING SPACE AND WINCHING AREA HAD OBSTRUCTION, THE EVACUATION OF IMMOBILE PATIENT WAS EXTREMELY CHALLENGING. THE PATIENT WAS PROVIDED FIRST AID BY MEDICAL OFFICER EX- INHS SANJIVANI ONBOARD. CONSIDERING THE PATIENT CONDITION, THE MISSION WAS UNDERTAKEN IN SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME THROUGH HELICOPTER HOVERING LOW OVER THE DECK FOR EVACUATION AND SAFELY BROUGHT TO INS GARUDA AT 1630 HRS BY COAST GUARD HELICOPTER AND SUBSEQUENTLY SHIFTED TO MEDICAL TRUST HOSPITAL, KOCHI FOR FURTHER MEDICAL MANAGEMENT.

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