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Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) Ltd on Tuesday said it will use its own resources to fund a Sri Lankan port project and not seek US funding.

In a stock exchange filing, Adani Ports said the project "is on track for commissioning by early next year”.

“We would like to inform that Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT) project in Sri Lanka is progressing well and is on track for commissioning by early next year,” said the flagship Adani Group company.

“The project will be financed through the company’s internal accruals and capital management plan. We have withdrawn our request for financing from the US Development Finance Corporation (DFC),” it added.

In November last year, the US International Development Finance Corp agreed to provide a $553 million loan to support the development, construction, and operation of CWIT at the Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka.

The CWIT is being developed by a consortium of Adani Ports, Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings Plc, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA).

The CWIT project was started in September 2021, when Adani Ports signed an agreement with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings, pledging over $700 million to expand the capabilities of Colombo Port.

The CWIT will be Sri Lanka's largest and deepest container terminal, with a quay length of 1,400 metres and an alongside depth of 20 metres.

The Port of Colombo is the largest and busiest trans-shipment port in the Indian Ocean and it has been operating at more than 90 per cent utilisation since 2021, signalling its need for additional capacity.

The new terminal will cater to growing economies in the Bay of Bengal, taking advantage of Sri Lanka's prime position on major shipping routes and its proximity to these expanding markets.

The annual cargo handling capacity of this new terminal is likely to exceed 3.2 million.

—IANS

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Madrid (Spain), Dec 10 (IANS) Spanish giants FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are in different moments of form as they prepare for vital UEFA Champions League ties on Wednesday night. Both need to win their games improve their position and maintain their chances of qualifying for the knockout stage.

Barcelona, currently third in the 36-team group, has to play Borussia Dortmund and Benfica away from home before entertaining Atalanta, meaning it still has a lot of work to do to assure the top-eight finish that would see it qualify directly for the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Atletico have an easier calendar ahead of them but need to keep winning to climb from their current 15th place into the top-eight. Facing last season's finalist Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona coach Hansi Flick must be worried about his side's recent form in La Liga, which has seen it lose two and draw two of its last five games, reports Xinhua.

Part of the reason for Barca's problems is that a defense that looked solid at the start of the season is now starting to leak due to a packed fixture, with few options to rotate key players given the long-term injuries to Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen. Araujo is on the verge of returning to action and will travel to Germany, although he is unlikely to play on Wednesday. Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski will lead the Barca attack.

Atletico have what should be a much easier game when they entertain Slovan Bratislava, who travel after five defeats from five games in which they have conceded 18 goals and scored just four.

Atletico, meanwhile, are playing their best football of the season and goes into the game after a thrilling 4-3 league win at home to Sevilla. Diego Simeone's side is currently just a point outside the top eight, with games against Bayer Leverkusen and RB Salzburg still to play, and a win on Wednesday would give them an excellent chance of finishing in the top eight.

Antoine Griezmann was outstanding against Sevilla and with Julian Alvarez and Rodrigo De Paul also performing well at the moment, Wednesday should be a comfortable night in the Metropolitano Stadium.

--IANS

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Guwahati, Dec 10 (IANS) A two-day state convention on "Empowering the Next Generation for a Resilient Future" organised by the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), began on Tuesday, aimed at equipping youth and community volunteers with skills to mitigate disaster risks and promote resilience at the grassroots level.

The event is being held at the Birinchi Kumar Barua (BKB) Auditorium, Gauhati University.

The convention was inaugurated by Assam's Sports and Youth Welfare Minister, Nandita Gorlosa, who highlighted the need for sustainable living and disaster preparedness to minimise the impact of natural and human-induced calamities.

She emphasised the importance of using lessons from past disasters to build a safer future for humans, animals, and ecosystems.

An exhibition showcasing disaster management activities by various stakeholders, volunteers, and students was also inaugurated by the Minister.

ASDMA's Chief Executive Officer, Gyanendra Dev Tripathi, said that empowering young responders through initiatives like Aapda Mitra, Circle Level Quick Response Teams (CQRTs), and integrating disaster preparedness into school curriculums is a priority.

He stressed that trained youth can act as first responders and agents of change in their communities during emergencies.

Nanigopal Mahanta, Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University, in his keynote address, underlined the importance of blending traditional practices with modern strategies for disaster management.

He cited examples from Assam's history, such as the Mising tribe's flood-resilient "Chang Ghars" and sustainable initiatives like floating hospitals, to emphasise the need for localised solutions.

Arunasis Chakraborty, Head of the Centre for Disaster Management at IIT Guwahati, highlighted the devastating floods in the Himalayan region in 2023 and stressed the importance of linking education with disaster preparedness.

He pointed out that 1.2 billion youth worldwide are exposed to disaster risks, making their training and awareness crucial for a resilient future.

A Coffee Table Book titled "Empowering Next Generation for a Resilient Future" was launched by Minister Gorlosa during the program.

The event was attended by district project officers, field officers, and 40 top-performing Aapda Mitra volunteers facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity building.

Representatives from 10 states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, and Sikkim, shared their best practices and innovative models for disaster management during the convention.

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 10 (IANS) Swarn Prabhat, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of East Champaran, has suspended two officers and withheld the salaries of 60 personnel after severe lapses found in their duties on Tuesday.

The SP suspended Harpur police station SHO Vishwajeet Kumar and Additional SHO Ravi Raj of the city police station. The salaries of 60 personnel, including inspectors, sub-inspectors, and constables of the city police station, were withheld due to negligence.

SHO SI Vishwajeet Kumar was suspended for failing to effectively implement the liquor law.

Additional SHO Ravi Raj was suspended for negligence revealed during a recent operational review.

Additional SHO Kishan Paswan from Banjaria police station has been appointed as the new SHO of Harpur police station, replacing the suspended Vishwajeet Kumar.

All personnel of the City Police Station were issued show-cause notices, with salaries withheld pending further inquiry.

“The suspension and withholding of salaries were based on findings during a review meeting of the police stations. The personnel were found negligent in executing warrants, attachments, and proclamations, which are critical for maintaining law and order,” Prabhat said.

Prabhat said that the investigations against the alleged police personnel were currently underway.

“The show cause notices were served to them and if their reply is not satisfactory, we will go for further departmental proceedings against them,” he said.

--IANS

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Berlin (Germany), Dec 10 (IANS) Former Manchester City youngster Jamie Gittens is the man for good news for struggling Borussia Dortmund. Ahead of the delicate UEFA Champions League encounter against Spanish giant Barcelona this Wednesday evening, the 20-year-old seems on everyone's lips due to his stellar performance.

Following his life-saving goals for the Black and Yellows, rumours of tempting offers from leading Premier League sides seem to have become a daily routine. There might be worse situations for a talented footballer than choosing between Chelsea, the LFC, Arsenal, and Tottenham. While interested parties seem to queue up, the winger has turned into a ray of hope for the 2024 Champions League final participant.

The worst away-game record in 33 years has caused unrest in Dortmund, who now sits in sixth place in the Bundesliga standings, and triggered concerns over next season's Champions League qualification, reports Xinhua.

Inconsistent performances seem to have taken hold of a team desperately trying to gain stability; not to speak of 36-year-old coach Nuri Sahin having come under fire. While rumours speak of 100 million euros interested parties might have to pay, selling Gittens comes near capitulation for the club's supporters.

Sporting director Sebastian Kehl seems forced to investigate markets for new arrivals in the upcoming winter break.

While developing talents and selling the upstarts have become a valuable pattern for the club over recent years, lifesaving hopes at present seem to entirely rest on the shoulders of Gittens, who owns a contract until 2028. Other than the concerning national league performance, the Champions League is opening doors for optimism. Four victories in five games provide the chance to make it among the top eight of the competition league phase.

While positive news on the international stage might help overcome league struggles, the team's difficulties remain. Top scorer Serhou Guirassy seems stuck in a performance low after an injury, and the team's defenders and midfielders fail to gain consistency. Gittens, the Three Lions under-21 player, has made his breakthrough after he joined the side in 2020 for a bargain-like 90000 euros.

Additional training with 35-year-old former defender and midfielder Sven Bender paid off, as coach Sahin reported. The former BVB professional went through uncountable training sessions with him as Gittens sparring partner. "He has made his safe landing, but it can't only be him taking us to the next stage of the Champions League," Sahin said.

--IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 10 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla on Tuesday said he has urged the World Bank to conduct a thorough assessment of the state’s current healthcare challenges.

He said the World Bank's study would provide a solid foundation for understanding the existing gaps in the healthcare system and implementing corrective measures.

Shukla, who is also the Health minister of Madhya Pradesh, informed that the delegation has assured to conduct an in-depth study on the state's healthcare system and will provide its report by March 2025.

Shukla made this statement after chairing a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank representatives here in Bhopal on Tuesday. "World Bank will conduct a comprehensive assessment and propose reforms to empower the state’s healthcare system," he added.

During the meeting discussion held on various subjects pertaining to the state's health infrastructure, including the study of health indicators, the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and a geographical analysis of disease distribution.

He asserted that addressing the shortage of specialist doctors and other medical manpower in rural areas is a critical challenge that requires both medical and non-medical interventions.

Shukla stressed the importance of optimising the use of healthcare services and resources to ensure that these facilities are accessible to all sections of society.

"The state government is committed to providing timely, accessible, and high-quality healthcare services to every citizen in the state. All possible efforts are being made to strengthen our health infrastructures," Shukla said.

He informed me that the state government has decided to develop community health centres (CHCs) into first referral units (FRUs) with advanced systems and adequate manpower required for it.

Additionally, medical colleges are being expanded, and large-scale recruitments are being carried out to strengthen the healthcare workforce. He reiterated that these measures aim to improve healthcare delivery and elevate the state’s health indicators.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) Locals in the Mustafabad constituency have criticised AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi for giving ticket to 2020 riots accused Tahir Hussain ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls.

Tahir Hussain joined the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) on Tuesday.

People of Khajuri Khas reacted to Owaisi nominating Tahir Hussain from the Mustafabad Assembly seat.

Local resident Mohit Baliyan, while talking to IANS, said, “I appeal to the people not to make Tahir Hussain the MLA from our place. We do not want such politics.” He requested Owaisi not to ruin this area.

“Everyone knows that Tahir Hussain is the biggest goon,” Baliyan added.

In response to a question, Mohit said, “During that time, it was my sister's wedding. We suffered a loss of about Rs 15 to 20 lakh. We have not received even a single rupee till date. We did not get any support from the government… nor did we get anything that the Kejriwal government had announced. We even knocked on the doors of the court, but there was no hearing.”

Ankit, posted in IB, was killed during the riots and his family has left the area. In response to a question, Mohit said, “Ankit's family does not live here. Apart from this, many people have also migrated from here. Many people have migrated from Moonga Nagar, Nehru Bihar and Mustafabad. 90 per cent of Hindus have left Mustafabad. There is an atmosphere of fear here.”

A local resident of Khajuri Khas, Adesh Kumar Bhati, while talking to IANS, said, “Tahir Hussain is a traitor, how is he being given a ticket? Traitors should be thrown out of the country. Ankit's family has left Delhi due to fear.”

Another local resident Manoj told IANS, “Ankit was beaten up badly. There were knife wounds all over his body, blood was oozing out from many parts of his body. He was killed and thrown into the drain.”

“Tahir Hussain is a criminal. This is because of the dirty politics of these people, that a ticket has been given to a person who has destroyed the city. Delhi's politics has become very dirty,” he added.

In response to a question, Manoj said that due to fear, Ankit's family has shifted to Ghaziabad.

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 10 (IANS) The Indian men's and women's teams continued their impressive run as both reached the knockout stage of the World Squash Team Championships 2024, reaching the pre-quarterfinals in contrasting style in Hong Kong-China on Tuesday.

The Indian women's team defeated Italy 3-0 while the men went down 1-2 to Colombia but managed to advance to the knockout stage as Colombia later defeated Ireland, ensuring the Indians finished second in their preliminary group.

The Indian men’s team will face Malaysia in the pre-quarterfinals, while the women’s team will play Australia in the next stage. The pre-quarterfinals in both sections will consist of 12 teams, out of which four will be given a bye. Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams will play their pre-quarterfinal matches on Wednesday.

In its last league match, the Indian women’s team defeated Italy 3-0 with Akanksha Salunkhe, Anahat Singh and Nirupama Dubey winning their respective matches in straight games. Nirupama Dubey, 206th in the squash rankings, defeated Beatrice Filippi 3-0 (11-4, 11-3, 11-1) in only 15 minutes in the opening match of the tie.

Anahat Singh, world No. 95, backed it up with another 3-0 (11-3, 11-9, 11-3) win against world No. 131 Cristina Tartarone. Akanksha Salunkhe, India’s highest-ranked player in the team at world No. 70, defeated Flavia Miceli 3-0 (11-3, 11-3, 11-1) to cap off a terrific win for the Indian women’s team.

The Indian men’s team lost 2-1 to Colombia but with the latter later defeating Ireland, the Indian men finished second in the group and progressed to the pre-quarterfinals.

World No. 54 Abhay Singh lost the opening match 3-1 (4-11, 8-11, 11–5, 4-11) to Miguel Rodriguez, 17th in the men’s rankings. Veer Chotrani got India back on level terms with a terrific result. Chotrani, ranked 87th, won 3-1 (11-8, 11-9, 12-14, 11-5) against a higher-ranked Juan Camilo Vargas (39th).

Suraj Kumar Chand (159th) faced an uphill task against world No. 78 Ronald Palomino in the final match of the tie and lost in straight games (11-5, 11-6, 11-3). Colombia won 2-1 and later defeated Ireland to top the group. The Indian men defeated Ireland 2-1 on Monday.

--IANS

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Amaravati, Dec 10 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh’s Capital city development is expected to gather pace as the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) on Tuesday approved works worth Rs 8821.44 crore.

The CRDA meeting presided over by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, focussed on the construction of roads in Amaravati.

Briefing media persons after the meeting, the Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) P. Narayana said of the total amount, Rs 3,807 crore is allotted for the construction of roads in the areas in which land was acquired under the land pooling scheme.

Trunk roads will be laid at a cost of Rs 4521 crore while Rs 492 crore has been allocated for the construction of bungalows for the Ministers and the High Court judges, Narayana explained.

The CRDA at its previous meetings approved works worth Rs 11,471 crore. He said with Tuesday’s meeting, total works worth Rs 20,292.46 crore have now been cleared.

Layouts for an extent of 236 km covering villages like Nelapadu, Rayapudi, Ananthavaram and Dondapadu have been cleared while trunk roads for 97.5 km have been approved, the Minister said.

Pointing out that tenders have been called for works worth Rs 41,000 crore between 2014 to 2019, he said works worth Rs 5,000 crore were completed. Narayana felt that had the works been completed between 2019 and 2024, the construction cost would not have gone up. Due to this delay in continuing the works, the cost has gone up from 25 per cent to 28 per cent, he added.

The construction cost of buildings has increased from 35 per cent to 55 per cent, Narayana said, adding that had Amaravati been continued as the capital the cost of these works would not have gone up by 45 per cent. The MAUD Minister made it clear that the process of calling for tenders for these works will begin by December 15 and will be completed by the end of this month.

Since cases have been filed against the designers from Singapore, the permission of the Chief Minister is needed to invite them again, Narayana added.

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 10 (IANS) Rohtas Superintendent of Police (SP), Raushan Kumar, said on Tuesday that the district police had implemented stringent measures targeting individuals who employ bouncers without informing the local police station.

This step aims to regulate the growing trend of people flaunting personal bodyguards, often armed, in public spaces to display power.

"Individuals employing bouncers must notify the police station in their area, specifying the purpose of hiring such personnel," Kumar said.

He added that the district police would compile a comprehensive list of all bouncers and conduct a verification process.

This includes investigating the security agencies responsible for their deployments.

"The police will scrutinise the arms licenses of bouncers, including checking the issuing state and authenticity, to ensure compliance with legal norms. If a bouncer is involved in any unlawful activity, both the bouncer and the employer will face legal consequences," Kumar said.

The directive has caused apprehension among influential individuals and leaders who rely on armed bouncers to project authority.

SP Kumar emphasised that these measures aim to curb the misuse of bodyguards for intimidation and ensure public safety.

The decision follows reports of individuals in Rohtas and nearby districts employing armed bodyguards to roam public areas, raising concerns about law and order.

In Dehri, a town in Rohtas district, Zahid Parvez, also known as Kakku Khan, a resident of Subhash Nagar Ward Number 14, has come under scrutiny for moving around in public spaces accompanied by four armed bodyguards. This action has sparked a broader conversation about the misuse of personal security in the district.

SP Kumar addressed the situation, saying: "A complaint was received about Zahid Parvez alias Kakku Khan roaming around in public places with four armed personal bodyguards. They were called to the police station and investigated. If any public representative or individual of repute employs personal bodyguards and displays weapons in public, it constitutes a gross violation of rules. Rohtas Police will take strict action against such individuals."

--IANS

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