World

Los Angeles, Sep 17 (IANS) Singers Beyonce and Billie Eilish have been inducted into the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame.

Both Eilish and Beyonce appear multiple times in the 2023 edition of the book, that's been tracking record-breaking achievements since 1955, reports billboard.com.

Eilish lands two new nods, for 'Most consecutive Grammy nominations for Record of the Year (female)' and 'Youngest person to win the Triple Crown of film music awards', taking home an Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy for her James Bond track, 'No Time to Die' at just aged 20.

Beyonce, meantime, lands more than a dozen entries in this year's Guinness World Records book, including 'First act to debut at number one with their first first six studio albums' (now seven albums with the recent release of her album 'Renaissance') and 'Highest annual earnings for a female singer'.

Beyonce also tops Guinness' list of 'Most current Twitter engagements (retweets) for a female musician' and shares the world record with husband Jay-Z for 'Highest earning couple in Hollywood ever.'

The accolades are enough to make Beyonce the latest person inducted into the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame, whose recent inductees also include BTS, Simone Biles and Greta Thunberg.

--IANS
dc/svn/

Khartoum, Sep 17 (IANS) Leaders of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council agreed on the appointment of a Prime Minister and head of state by civilian political forces,.

"The meeting with Chairman of the Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, on Thursday firmly agreed that the civilians are to select civilian heads for the sovereign council and the cabinet," Deputy Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said in a statement published on the website of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on Friday.

Dagalo, who is also the Commander of the RSF, stressed strict adherence to his previous pledges that the military establishment would exit the political scene to completely devote itself to its tasks stipulated in the constitution and the law, reports Xinhua news agency.

He further expressed hope that the revolutionary forces would reach consensus on the formation of a full civilian government to complete the tasks of the transitional period, in a manner that lays the foundations for a real democratic transformation, the statement said.

He stressed the importance of coordination and cooperation among all the Sudanese to remove the difficulties facing the transition process and create a conducive environment to move forward to achieve people's aspirations in building a stable and democratic state.

On July 4, Al-Burhan announced that the military establishment would not participate in the political talks facilitated by the international community to pave the way for the civil groups to form an independent government.

Sudan has been suffering a political crisis since Al-Burhan, also the general commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, declared a coup on October 25, 2021 and dissolved the Sovereign Council and the government.

Since then, the capital Khartoum and other cities have been witnessing continued protests demanding a return to civilian rule.

--IANS
ksk/

Rome, Sep 17 (IANS) At least 10 people were killed and four others remain unaccounted for after flash floods hit the Marche region in Italy, creating what a local mayor described as an "apocalyptic situation".

Violent thunderstorms shook Marche and the surrounding areas on Thursday and Friday, sparking flash floods that uprooted trees, destroyed homes and swept away vehicles, reports Xinhua news agency.

Rescue officials said the four missing people included an eight-year-old boy.

According to Carlo Manfredi, mayor of Castelleone di Suasa town, one of the areas hit hardest by the flooding, the boy was lost after he and his mother had escaped the approaching floodwaters from their car.

Manfredi said the mother survived, but the boy was swept away from her arms.

Also missing late on Friday were a 17-year-old girl and her mother, aged 56.

The authorities did not disclose information about the fourth missing person.

According to accounts on social media, dozens of other people managed to escape the floods by climbing onto rooftops or trees.

According to news reports, at least six months' worth of rain fell in some areas in the span of a few hours.

Severe property damage was reported across Marche and in the neighbouring region of Tuscany, with heavy rainfall also reported in Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio in central Italy and in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Liguria in northern Italy.

President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Mario Draghi issued statements of solidarity with the residents of the hard-hit areas.

Draghi on Friday said that the region would receive the financial support needed to repair the damage and to set up temporary housing for those displaced by the tragedy.

So far this year, the weather in Italy has been the most extreme on record.

The summer was unusually hot and dry, with water levels of the country's rivers dropping to historic lows, reducing agricultural output by a third or more.

The Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate of the National Research Council said in August that 2022 was expected to be the hottest year since records began in 1800.

In July, a massive glacier in the Dolomite Mountains collapsed, killing 11 people and severely injuring eight others.

Last month, violent thunderstorms ravaged parts of northern Italy, causing flooding and mudslides causing large-scale property damage.

--IANS
ksk/

Beirut, Sep 17 (IANS) Security forces will take strict measures amid mounting security concerns after a number of bank raids carried out by angry depositors demanding their savings, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi said.

Mawlawi made the remarks on Friday during a press conference at the Interior Ministry, where security agencies were present to discuss the measures to keep the country safe and stable.

On Friday, several banks across the country were stormed by angry depositors demanding access to their savings, Xinhua news agency reported.

As a result, the Association of Banks in Lebanon announced that all banks will be closed for three days beginning on Monday.

"What we are witnessing today is an unhealthy phenomenon that threatens security and the country, and the security forces know very well how to tighten control," he added.

Mawlawi called on depositors to remain calm as "deposits cannot be recovered by using these methods, which are illegal and can destroy the banking system and cause other depositors to lose money."

Lebanon has been witnessing an unprecedented financial crisis that has forced banks to place heavy restrictions on depositors' withdrawals.

--IANS
int/khz/

Damascus, Sep 17 (IANS) Israel launched missile attacks on military sites in the Syrian capital of Damascus, the Syrian national TV reported.

The missile attacks took place on Friday midnight, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report said the Syrian air defences were triggered by the attacks, shooting down a number of the Israeli missiles. Explosions were heard at Damascus.

The attacks also targeted the southern countryside of Damascus, the report said, without providing further details.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the attacks targeted the countryside of Damascus and the Sayyida Zainab area, where Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shia movement and party, is present.

--IANS
int/khz/

Ottawa, Sep 17 (IANS) Canada confirmed 16,501 new Covid-19 cases for the week ending September 10, the Public Health Agency of Canada said.

The number of total Covid-19 cases and deaths in Canada reached 4,216,141 and 44,740 respectively, according to the weekly update issued by the health agency on Friday.

The daily positive rate during the week averaged at 10.1 per cent, and daily tests per 100,000 people were 62, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has been gradually resuming border services at airports still affected by the temporary measures put in place as a result of Covid-19.

The CBSA announced on Friday the resumption of border services at 55 small airports across the country.

The government undertook a gradual easing of temporary measures to manage the pandemic, Minister of Public Safety, Marco Mendicino said.

The announcement will help facilitate travel and make it easier for those who rely on smaller airports to receive the highest quality of service, he added.

--IANS
int/khz/

Prague, Sep 17 (IANS) The European Union (EU) must strengthen food security, improve the sustainability of agriculture and promote the use of modern techniques, the member states' Agriculture Ministers agreed in Czech capital Prague.

"Ministers agreed that the EU must now act in a coordinated way to maximise sustainable increase in agricultural production and accelerate the use of modern techniques in agriculture," the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU said on Friday in a statement after the meeting.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict, the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and advancing climate change "are having a major impact" on global food security and world food prices, Xinhua news agency reported.

One of the main solutions to sufficient food production while ensuring sustainability, according to the Ministers, is to use innovation, research and modern technologies, including precision farming, to further reduce pesticide and fertiliser consumption.

"We have a major challenge in the Union to sustainably increase agricultural production, reduce food waste and ensure that people around the world have access to quality food. It may be time to rethink some traditional approaches to food production in favour of new modern techniques," Czech Agriculture Minister Zdenek Nekula said in the statement.

The Ministers discussed science, innovation and modern plant breeding methods in agriculture, and agreed that the EU "must react as quickly as possible" to the development of modern trends and change the outdated legislative framework by which it regulates the use of modern plant breeding methods.

"We urgently need drought, frost, disease and pest-resistant crops that require fewer pesticides and artificial fertilisers," Nekula said, noting he was "pleased" that European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski "has clearly said the European Commission's readiness to bring forward proposals for plant breeding legislation in the short term."

Citing data from the UN, the statement said up to 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021, and nearly 1.3 billion tonne of food, or nearly one-third of food produced for human consumption, were lost or wasted globally in 2020, calling for more efforts to sustainably increase agricultural production and reduce food waste.

--IANS
int/khz/

Rome, Sep 17 (IANS) In his last formal act before national elections later this month, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi and his cabinet have approved a 14-billion-euro ($14 billion) package aimed at cushioning the impact of spiking energy prices on companies.

The package includes tax credits, tax cuts on energy and a variety of incentives and bonuses, Xinhua news agency reported.

Draghi on Friday said the measure would not increase the government's deficit since it would be offset by the higher tax revenues of recent months due partially to increased taxes on energy, the price of which has soared since the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February.

The tax credit will reduce the tax bill for companies in energy-intensive sectors by 25 per cent, and by 15 per cent for other companies that use more than 16.5 megawatts of power through September 30, with the credit increased to 40 per cent in October and November.

Additionally, excise taxes on diesel and petroleum will be reduced through the end of November, though details on this reduction will be published in a future ministerial decree.

The package also includes a one-time bonus of 150 euros to all citizens earning less than 20,000 euros per year, as well as 190 million euros in aid to farmers struggling with high energy costs, and another 100 million euros to help offset higher fuel costs for mass transit systems.

The package also includes an array of incentives for the development of renewable energy generation. (1 euro = $1)

--IANS
int/khz/

Brussels, Sep 17 (IANS) Belgian government has adopted a new package of energy measures to help households and businesses cope with soaring energy prices.

Thanks to the new measures, the electricity and gas bills of households will be lowered by 400 euros ($400) in November and December. The deduction will be 135 euros for gas, and 61 euros for electricity bills per month, which will be deducted from the deposit invoices at the end of the year.

For households heating with oil, the earlier benefit of 225 euros, introduced on August 31, has been increased to 300 euros, Xinhua news agency reported.

The government has laid out a series of measures for businesses and the self-employed. These include allowing companies to defer the payment of social security contributions and tax, introducing temporary "energy" unemployment support, and a moratorium on bankruptcies.

All the measures announced on August 31, including a 6-per cent VAT reduction on gas and electricity, the reduction of excise duties on fuel, and the extension of the target group eligible for subsidised "social" tariffs and fuel oil vouchers, will also be effective until the end of March 2023.

--IANS
int/khz/

United Nations, Sep 17 (IANS) The General Assembly has adopted a decision to exclusively allow the Ukrainian head of state to submit a pre-recorded speech to the General Debate next week, instead of physical presence.

Representatives of all other member states and observers will have to be physically present at the General Assembly Hall if they wish to make a statement at this year's General Debate.

The decision on Friday said that Ukraine may submit a pre-recorded statement of its head of state, which will be played in the General Assembly Hall at the General Debate. The President of the General Assembly will circulate the pre-recorded statement as a document of the Assembly.

The decision says it will not set a precedent for future General Debates and mandated high-level meetings planned for future high-level weeks of the General Assembly, Xinhua news agency reported.

The draft resolution, tabled by Ukraine and some 50 other states, was adopted with 101 votes in favuor, 7 against and 19 abstentions.

Belarus tabled an amendment to the draft decision, which would have allowed leaders of other member states who cannot participate in person for reasons beyond their control to speak by pre-recorded statements. The amendment was rejected by the General Assembly in a vote.

Before and after the vote on the draft decision tabled by Ukraine, several member states voiced concern that such a decision would jeopardise sovereign equality among member states and politicise a procedural issue of the General Assembly.

--IANS
int/khz/