A view of people on a road after an earthquake in Antakya in Hatay province, Turkey, February 20, 2023.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS
New 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits Turkey’s Hatay province
A 6.4-magnitude earthquake was recorded on February 20, 2023, in Turkey’s southern province of Hatay, the hardest hit by a February 6 tremor which left more than 41,000 dead in the country. The quake hit the town of Defne and was strongly felt by AFP teams in Antakya and Adana, 200 kilometres (300 miles) to the north. AFP teams felt the tremor also in Lebanon and Syria.
India is the ‘first responder’ to any calamity in ‘any part of the world’, says PM Modi
India has emerged as the “first responder” to countries hit by natural disasters in “any part of the world”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on February 20, 2023. PM Modi congratulated the 99-member self-contained Indian team that returned from quake-hit Turkey where it operated a fully-equipped Field Hospital in Iskenderun, Hatay and treated around 4,000 patients.
EPFO issues guidelines for employees, pensioners to opt for higher pension
The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation issued a circular on Monday to its regional offices with a set of instructions to implement the November 4 judgment of the Supreme Court on higher provident fund (PF) pension. The circular includes procedures and required documents for existing employees and for those who retired after September 1, 2014, to claim a higher pension based on actual salary beyond the prescribed ceiling in the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) of 1995.
Why is SEBI not acting against Adani? asks Congress
In its 15th edition of the ongoing series of questions on the entire episode, the Congress party on February 9 questioned how Adani Enterprises was added to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Nifty 50 index in September 2022 “despite questionable fundamentals, an excessive price-to-earning ratio and a tiny free float”.
Mehbooba writes to Jaishankar on delay in issue of passports to Muftis
Former J&K Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the delay in issuing passports to the Muftis. Ms. Mufti said she approached the Passport Authority of India multiple times since 2021 and “unfortunately have not received a positive response”.
Dissolve EC and reconstitute it through election: Uddhav Thackeray
Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday demanded that the Election Commission should be dissolved immediately and reconstituted through an election. He alleged that the BJP and PM Modi should know that they would never be able to finish off the Shiv Sena despite using the state machinery “which has become their slave”.
Top Swiss delegation on India visit to take forward FTA talks
A Swiss delegation led by the State Secretary of Economic Affairs, Helene Budliger, will be in India today for talks on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Over the past 15 years, Switzerland and India have been in talks with each other on the FTA issue.
India and Italy likely to announce defence agreement during Meloni visit
India and Italy are expected to put nearly a decade of tensions over the arrest of Italian marines and other issues firmly behind them with discussions about bilateral defence cooperation that is likely to be announced during Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s visit to India.
Mardi Gras parade shooting in New Orleans kills one, hurts four
A shooting during a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans killed one person, wounded four and sent panicked families running for cover, police said Monday. One suspect was taken into custody shortly after the shooting Sunday night, the New Orleans Police Department said.
India scrapes into T20 World Cup semis after rainy win
India scraped through to the semifinals at the Women’s T20 World Cup after narrowly winning its rain-shortened final group game against Ireland on Monday. India triumphed by five runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method after setting a target of 155-6, boosted by another half-century by star opener Smriti Mandhana, who survived a host of chances to make a career-best 87 from 56 balls.