Facebook has paid USD 229,643 in fines in Russia over content Moscow deemed illegal, Interfax news agency has reported. There is looming threat of larger fines over the tech giant.

Meta and Alphabet, parent companies of Facebook and Google respectively face a court case next week. &nbsp;They face allegations of violation of Russian legislation. A fine equal to their annual revenue in Russia may be imposed.

Reuters said that Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Russia in October sent state bailiffs to enforce the collection of 17 million roubles in fines imposed on Facebook. Interfax said there were no more enforcement proceedings against the company as of Sunday, citing the federal bailiff service's database.

Moscow has increased pressure on large tech firms this year in a campaign that critics characterise as an attempt by the Russian authorities to exert tighter control over the internet, something they say threatens to stifle individual and corporate freedom.

Interfax said messaging app Telegram has also paid 15 million roubles in fines.

Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(With inputs from agencies)

Facebook has paid USD 229,643 in fines in Russia over content Moscow deemed illegal, Interfax news agency has reported. There is looming threat of larger fines over the tech giant.

Facebook has paid USD 229,643 in fines in Russia over content Moscow deemed illegal, Interfax news agency has reported. There is looming threat of larger fines over the tech giant. Meta and Alphabet, parent companies of Facebook and Google respectively face a court case next week. They face allegations of violation of Russian legislation. A fine equal to their annual revenue in Russia may be imposed. Reuters said that Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. Russia in October sent state bailiffs to enforce the collection of 17 million roubles in fines imposed on Facebook. Interfax said there were no more enforcement proceedings against the company as of Sunday, citing the federal bailiff service's database. Moscow has increased pressure on large tech firms this year in a campaign that critics characterise as an attempt by the Russian authorities to exert tighter control over the internet, something they say threatens to stifle individual and corporate freedom. Interfax said messaging app Telegram has also paid 15 million roubles in fines. Telegram did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (With inputs from agencies)

Facebook pays fine in Russia over content deemed illegal

I’m a tornado climatologist, and it is not unusual for people to ask me after a spate of storms like the ones that ripped through the center of the country on Friday whether climate change has anything to do with it. The answer is: It’s complicated.

We have started to detect changes in collective tornado activity, including more powerful storms, and are beginning to understand how these changes might be related to global warming. But much more work needs to be done to gain a fuller understanding of how the changing climate is influencing these deadly storms.

Let’s start with what we know. A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air inside a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm that lasts more than 20 minutes and is energized by continuously rising air is called a supercell. The rising air is fueled by warm, moist conditions and changes in wind speed or direction associated with the approach of a frontal system where warm and cool air collide. The warm, moist air and that wind shear can generate a series of supercells, some of which produce tornadoes.

Connecting tornadoes to climate change is complicated because those twin conditions are necessary but not sufficient together for tornadoes to occur. A close-packed group of supercells, for instance, might produce straight-line winds rather than tornadoes. What’s needed to generate an outbreak of tornadoes — say, six to 10 of them — is ample heat, moisture and wind shear. But too much of any one or two of those conditions can disrupt the process of tornado formation.

Although tornadoes across the years do not appear to have become more common, an increasing percentage of them are occurring in outbreaks. The tornadoes that included Friday night’s so-called quad-state tornado — which crossed four states and devastated the town of Mayfield, Ky. — are an example of an outbreak. These are on the rise. On a day with at least one tornado, the chance that there are at least seven more increased to more than 15 percent on average by 2015 from 10 percent in 1990. These increases are even more substantial for larger outbreaks like the one that occurred on Friday night.

Here’s what we’ve also been seeing: A below average number of tornadoes this year; outbreaks becoming more common during cooler months in recent years; and tornadoes occurring more often across the Southeast compared with the Great Plains. Cities with the largest decreases in the number of strong tornadoes since 1984 include Dallas, Oklahoma City and Houston. Cities with the largest increases in the number of strong tornadoes since 1984 are Atlanta, Nashville and Augusta.

There is also evidence that tornadoes are getting stronger. Tornadoes are rated based on the severity of damage they inflict, using what’s known as the EF scale. The rating is made after the fact by forensic experts, and it depends on factors including the type of object struck and how the object was constructed.

The damage rating can be converted to a range of wind speeds. For example, a tornado rated as inflicting EF2 damage likely had wind speeds between 111 to 135 mph in a three-second gust. But the subjective nature of the rating process and the randomness of where a tornado tracks make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions about tornado activity by counting the number of these storms in each rating category.

An increase in the number of large clusters does imply a larger threat of damaging tornadoes, however: The percentage of violent tornadoes (EF4, with winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour or more) increases with the size of the outbreak. Historically in an outbreak with between 16 and 32 tornadoes, fewer than 4 percent of them on average get rated EF3, with winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour or worse. In an outbreak with at least 60 tornadoes, more than 8 percent of them get rated EF3 or worse.

What is causing these changes in tornado behavior is still unclear, but global warming is probably playing a role through changes to the environments that support supercell clusters. Specifically, the extra heated moist air fueling the supercells on Friday was associated with an exceptionally warm Gulf of Mexico caused by climate change.

Also, the interaction between the extra heating and increased wind shear is associated with larger outbreaks, which produce the strongest and longest-track tornadoes, on average. We found that tornado power, estimated using damage path characteristics, increased at a rate of 5 percent per year from 1994 to 2016. At least some of the upward trend can be associated with changes to the outbreak environment.

Attributing causation is difficult. But it is a big and an important step beyond the associations and pattern matching work that we and others have done. Attribution studies are now routinely done on heat waves and floods, but it may take some time before such studies of tornadoes are reliable because these storms still are too small in size for weather forecast models to see.

The ability to determine whether particular tornadoes bear the signature of the changing climate will be important not only to understanding the shifting dynamics of our warming world but to our ability to predict these storms with greater precision.

I’m a tornado climatologist, and it is not unusual for people to ask me after a spate of storms like the ones that ripped through the center of the country on Friday whether climate change has anything to do with it.

I’m a tornado climatologist, and it is not unusual for people to ask me after a spate of storms like the ones that ripped through the center of the country on Friday whether climate change has anything to do with it. The answer is: It’s complicated. We have started to detect changes in collective tornado activity, including more powerful storms, and are beginning to understand how these changes might be related to global warming. But much more work needs to be done to gain a fuller understanding of how the changing climate is influencing these deadly storms. Let’s start with what we know. A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air inside a thunderstorm. A thunderstorm that lasts more than 20 minutes and is energized by continuously rising air is called a supercell. The rising air is fueled by warm, moist conditions and changes in wind speed or direction associated with the approach of a frontal system where warm and cool air collide. The warm, moist air and that wind shear can generate a series of supercells, some of which produce tornadoes. Connecting tornadoes to climate change is complicated because those twin conditions are necessary but not sufficient together for tornadoes to occur. A close-packed group of supercells, for instance, might produce straight-line winds rather than tornadoes. What’s needed to generate an outbreak of tornadoes — say, six to 10 of them — is ample heat, moisture and wind shear. But too much of any one or two of those conditions can disrupt the process of tornado formation. Although tornadoes across the years do not appear to have become more common, an increasing percentage of them are occurring in outbreaks. The tornadoes that included Friday night’s so-called quad-state tornado — which crossed four states and devastated the town of Mayfield, Ky. — are an example of an outbreak. These are on the rise. On a day with at least one tornado, the chance that there are at least seven more increased to more than 15 percent on average by 2015 from 10 percent in 1990. These increases are even more substantial for larger outbreaks like the one that occurred on Friday night. Here’s what we’ve also been seeing: A below average number of tornadoes this year; outbreaks becoming more common during cooler months in recent years; and tornadoes occurring more often across the Southeast compared with the Great Plains. Cities with the largest decreases in the number of strong tornadoes since 1984 include Dallas, Oklahoma City and Houston. Cities with the largest increases in the number of strong tornadoes since 1984 are Atlanta, Nashville and Augusta. There is also evidence that tornadoes are getting stronger. Tornadoes are rated based on the severity of damage they inflict, using what’s known as the EF scale. The rating is made after the fact by forensic experts, and it depends on factors including the type of object struck and how the object was constructed. The damage rating can be converted to a range of wind speeds. For example, a tornado rated as inflicting EF2 damage likely had wind speeds between 111 to 135 mph in a three-second gust. But the subjective nature of the rating process and the randomness of where a tornado tracks make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions about tornado activity by counting the number of these storms in each rating category. An increase in the number of large clusters does imply a larger threat of damaging tornadoes, however: The percentage of violent tornadoes (EF4, with winds of 166 to 200 miles per hour or more) increases with the size of the outbreak. Historically in an outbreak with between 16 and 32 tornadoes, fewer than 4 percent of them on average get rated EF3, with winds of 136 to 165 miles per hour or worse. In an outbreak with at least 60 tornadoes, more than 8 percent of them get rated EF3 or worse. What is causing these changes in tornado behavior is still unclear, but global warming is probably playing a role through changes to the environments that support supercell clusters. Specifically, the extra heated moist air fueling the supercells on Friday was associated with an exceptionally warm Gulf of Mexico caused by climate change. Also, the interaction between the extra heating and increased wind shear is associated with larger outbreaks, which produce the strongest and longest-track tornadoes, on average. We found that tornado power, estimated using damage path characteristics, increased at a rate of 5 percent per year from 1994 to 2016. At least some of the upward trend can be associated with changes to the outbreak environment. Attributing causation is difficult. But it is a big and an important step beyond the associations and pattern matching work that we and others have done. Attribution studies are now routinely done on heat waves and floods, but it may take some time before such studies of tornadoes are reliable because these storms still are too small in size for weather forecast models to see. The ability to determine whether particular tornadoes bear the signature of the changing climate will be important not only to understanding the shifting dynamics of our warming world but to our ability to predict these storms with greater precision.

Was Climate Change to blame for the tornadoes, or was it just really bad weather?

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario.

Serviceman Serhiy, who serves in the village of Travneve in the Donetsk region, told Reuters he doubts the Russians will invade Ukrainian territory.

Serhiy's fellow soldier, who identified himself by nom-de-guerre Camomile, said the army is ready to repel any attack.

A senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday that Russia has made no move to withdraw troops it has amassed at the border with Ukraine but there is no sign that a Russian invasion is imminent.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-rejects-russian-attempts-to-thwart-ukraines-nato-ambitions-437531">West rejects Russian attempts to thwart Ukraine's NATO ambitions</a>

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, told Reuters in an interview that Russia had 92,000 troops at the frontier but would need many more if it were to invade Ukraine.

Russia says it suspects Ukraine of gearing up to take back the breakaway regions by force, which Kyiv in turn denies.

Ukrainian government forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014.

Ukraine and the West have periodically accused Moscow, despite its denials, of sending weapons and servicemen to support the separatists.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario.

A Ukrainian soldier deployed to the frontline in country's east said on Wednesday that he didn't think that Russians would invade Ukraine. Soldiers said they remained calm but were ready for worst case scenario. Serviceman Serhiy, who serves in the village of Travneve in the Donetsk region, told Reuters he doubts the Russians will invade Ukrainian territory. Serhiy's fellow soldier, who identified himself by nom-de-guerre Camomile, said the army is ready to repel any attack. A senior Ukrainian security official said on Wednesday that Russia has made no move to withdraw troops it has amassed at the border with Ukraine but there is no sign that a Russian invasion is imminent. Also Read | West rejects Russian attempts to thwart Ukraine's NATO ambitions Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of Ukraine's Security and Defence Council, told Reuters in an interview that Russia had 92,000 troops at the frontier but would need many more if it were to invade Ukraine. Russia says it suspects Ukraine of gearing up to take back the breakaway regions by force, which Kyiv in turn denies. Ukrainian government forces have been fighting Russian-backed separatists since 2014. Ukraine and the West have periodically accused Moscow, despite its denials, of sending weapons and servicemen to support the separatists. (With inputs from agencies)

Unlikely that Russians will advance, says Ukrainian soldier in east

The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection.

Pills made by Pfizer and Merck are being hailed as groundbreaking because as compared to injections, they can be made accessible readily.

Pfizer said this week that its Paxlovid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths in vulnerable people by almost 90 percent.

"The medicine, which is not yet authorised in the EU, can be used to treat adults with Covid-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe disease," the EMA said in a statement.

"EMA issued this advice to support national authorities who may decide on possible early use of the medicine... for example in emergency use settings, in the light of rising rates of infection and deaths due to Covid-19 across the EU."

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla welcomed the development. He said that the decision "signifies the strength of our data for Paxlovid in the treatment of high-risk adults diagnosed with Covid-19."

"If authorised, Paxlovid has the potential to help save lives and reduce hospitalisations," he said in a statement.

The Pfizer pill is a combination of a new molecule, PF-07321332, and HIV antiviral ritonavir, that are taken as separate tablets.

The Amsterdam-based EMA said it should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis and within five days of the start of symptoms, with the treatment lasting five days.

'Combined effect'

Possible side effects were taste changes, diarrhoea and vomiting. Pregnant women should not use the drug.

The EMA said it also launching a "rolling review" of the Pfizer pill that could lead to its full approval in months.&nbsp;

Merck's pill received EMA emergency approval in November. It is already authorised in Britain and is in the process of being approved in the United States.

Denmark on Thursday became the first EU country to approve its use.

However the full results of a clinical trial released by Merck were disappointing as they showed a much lower efficacy than earlier reports based on interim data.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection.

The European Medical Agency on Thursday gave go-ahead for emergency use of Pfizer's Covid pill. Formal approval is still pending. The initial go-ahead has been given to curb Omicron infection. Pills made by Pfizer and Merck are being hailed as groundbreaking because as compared to injections, they can be made accessible readily. Pfizer said this week that its Paxlovid pill reduced hospitalisations and deaths in vulnerable people by almost 90 percent. "The medicine, which is not yet authorised in the EU, can be used to treat adults with Covid-19 who do not require supplemental oxygen and who are at increased risk of progressing to severe disease," the EMA said in a statement. "EMA issued this advice to support national authorities who may decide on possible early use of the medicine... for example in emergency use settings, in the light of rising rates of infection and deaths due to Covid-19 across the EU." Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla welcomed the development. He said that the decision "signifies the strength of our data for Paxlovid in the treatment of high-risk adults diagnosed with Covid-19." "If authorised, Paxlovid has the potential to help save lives and reduce hospitalisations," he said in a statement. The Pfizer pill is a combination of a new molecule, PF-07321332, and HIV antiviral ritonavir, that are taken as separate tablets. The Amsterdam-based EMA said it should be taken as soon as possible after a diagnosis and within five days of the start of symptoms, with the treatment lasting five days. 'Combined effect' Possible side effects were taste changes, diarrhoea and vomiting. Pregnant women should not use the drug. The EMA said it also launching a "rolling review" of the Pfizer pill that could lead to its full approval in months. Merck's pill received EMA emergency approval in November. It is already authorised in Britain and is in the process of being approved in the United States. Denmark on Thursday became the first EU country to approve its use. However the full results of a clinical trial released by Merck were disappointing as they showed a much lower efficacy than earlier reports based on interim data. (With inputs from agencies)

EU drug regulator gives go-ahead for Pfizer Covid pill's emergency use

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted.

Solar activity has an 11-year cycle during which it increases and decreases. However, scientists and researchers found that solar storms were of lessened intensity during Cycle 24 which lasted between 2008 and 2019, the Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were of lesser intensity than those in Cycle 23 (1996-2007).

Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are episodic expulsions of magntised plasma into space.

Scientists have found that average radial size of CMEs in Cycle 24 was just two-thirds of those in Cycle 23.

This was baffling the scientists as decrease in interplanetary gas pressure in space during Cycle 24 should have meant that CMEs should have been more intense than before. But the intensity decreased.

Scientists led by Dr Wageesh Mishra of Indian Institute of Astrophysics have found a reason behind this.

Dr Mishra has been quoted in media reports as saying that interstellar pressure indeed decrease during Cycle 24 but this effect was accompanied by reduction in magnetic content of CMEs. This was the reason why coronal mass ejections were of reduced intensity than in the previous cycle.

The work of these scientists has been published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted.

Sun is a violent, explosive star. It is constantly churning out heat and matter in the form of solar flares. Though Earth's atmosphere shields use from the worst, the solar flares pack enough punch for our satellites to malfunction and power grids to get disrupted. Solar activity has an 11-year cycle during which it increases and decreases. However, scientists and researchers found that solar storms were of lessened intensity during Cycle 24 which lasted between 2008 and 2019, the Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) were of lesser intensity than those in Cycle 23 (1996-2007). Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) are episodic expulsions of magntised plasma into space. Scientists have found that average radial size of CMEs in Cycle 24 was just two-thirds of those in Cycle 23. This was baffling the scientists as decrease in interplanetary gas pressure in space during Cycle 24 should have meant that CMEs should have been more intense than before. But the intensity decreased. Scientists led by Dr Wageesh Mishra of Indian Institute of Astrophysics have found a reason behind this. Dr Mishra has been quoted in media reports as saying that interstellar pressure indeed decrease during Cycle 24 but this effect was accompanied by reduction in magnetic content of CMEs. This was the reason why coronal mass ejections were of reduced intensity than in the previous cycle. The work of these scientists has been published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences.

Scientist find reason why solar storms decreased in last decade

A natural calamity brings destruction to any community. People are always helpless when the elements decide to turn from their nurturing selves to destructing ones. It's recovery from troubles that defines human spirit and small things give a boost to the communities which are holding hands to stand up again after a calamity.

The state of Kentucky is US is gathering itself after it was hit by a tornado. The storm was deadliest in Kentucky's history. As people recover from damage to their property and things, some unbelievable stories are coming to light.

Michaela Copeland, a woman who had kept her wedding photos in her parents' house was devastated when they were lost as the tornado hit. Her parents stayed in Mayfield, a town one of the hardest hit. She got the photos eventually but not before a surprise.

Strong winds of the tornado had flown some of her photographs to Breckinridge County, a town 225 km (140 miles) away!

In the aftermath of the tornado, people in the region formed Facebook groups to better co-ordinate the rescue and salvage effort. These groups also shared information about lost items.

Three of Michaela Copeland's photos were uploaded on one such groups 'Quad State Tornado Found Items'. People started tagging her, much to her surprise over the fact the pics were carried by the winds for nore than 200 kms away.

"When I found out and was tagged in each photo that was found, I got chills down my spine and thought it was so bizarre. Finding one is one thing but three is crazy," she said. She was quoted by BBC.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday visited hardest hit area in Kentucky.

In storm-ravaged Mayfield, Biden received a briefing from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and emergency response officials about the recovery effort. Biden said it was remarkable how the area's communities had come together to help each other out.

"There's no red tornadoes, there's no blue tornadoes," he said, referring to the colors associated with Democrats and Republicans.

The president's goal was to survey storm damage and make sure the U.S. government is doing everything it can to deliver assistance as quickly as possible to the hard-hit areas, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on the flight from Washington.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent search-and-rescue and emergency response teams to Kentucky, along with teams to help survivors register for assistance.

(With inputs from agencies)

A natural calamity brings destruction to any community. People are always helpless when the elements decide to turn from their nurturing selves to destructing ones.

A natural calamity brings destruction to any community. People are always helpless when the elements decide to turn from their nurturing selves to destructing ones. It's recovery from troubles that defines human spirit and small things give a boost to the communities which are holding hands to stand up again after a calamity. The state of Kentucky is US is gathering itself after it was hit by a tornado. The storm was deadliest in Kentucky's history. As people recover from damage to their property and things, some unbelievable stories are coming to light. Michaela Copeland, a woman who had kept her wedding photos in her parents' house was devastated when they were lost as the tornado hit. Her parents stayed in Mayfield, a town one of the hardest hit. She got the photos eventually but not before a surprise. Strong winds of the tornado had flown some of her photographs to Breckinridge County, a town 225 km (140 miles) away! In the aftermath of the tornado, people in the region formed Facebook groups to better co-ordinate the rescue and salvage effort. These groups also shared information about lost items. Three of Michaela Copeland's photos were uploaded on one such groups 'Quad State Tornado Found Items'. People started tagging her, much to her surprise over the fact the pics were carried by the winds for nore than 200 kms away. "When I found out and was tagged in each photo that was found, I got chills down my spine and thought it was so bizarre. Finding one is one thing but three is crazy," she said. She was quoted by BBC. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday visited hardest hit area in Kentucky. In storm-ravaged Mayfield, Biden received a briefing from Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear and emergency response officials about the recovery effort. Biden said it was remarkable how the area's communities had come together to help each other out. "There's no red tornadoes, there's no blue tornadoes," he said, referring to the colors associated with Democrats and Republicans. The president's goal was to survey storm damage and make sure the U.S. government is doing everything it can to deliver assistance as quickly as possible to the hard-hit areas, White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on the flight from Washington. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sent search-and-rescue and emergency response teams to Kentucky, along with teams to help survivors register for assistance. (With inputs from agencies)

Photos lost in Kentucky tornado found in town 225 kms away

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is in Dhaka on the occasion of 50th Vijay Divas or Victory Day. The day represents glory for India and Bangladesh. It is a golden chapter for Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini.

What is Vijay Divas?

Vijay Divas or Victory Day represents victory of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini against Pakistani forces that led to the independence of Bangladesh. On December 16, 1971, Indian Army defeated Pakistan, carving out a new nation of Bangladesh. The 1971 war is a matter of pride for India as 93,000 Pakistani troops stationed in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) surrendered before Indian Army.

When did war leading to Vijay Divas start?

The 1971 war started on December 3, 1971. It was a 13-day war. It ended on December 16, 1971. At the end of the war, Pakistani army stationed in Bangladesh surrendered unconditionally. During 1971 war, Pakistan forces suffered 8,000 casualties. 25,000 of their soldiers were wounded.

On Indian side, 3000 soldiers died and 12,000 were wounded.

What happened on Vijay Divas in 1971?

The day has been chronicled as biggest military surrender after Second World War. Major-General &nbsp;Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi was leading Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. He had 93,000 troops under his command at the time of surrender. It is often mentioned with surprise how a Pakistani general leading such a large force could surrender unconditionally. The day, therefore, lives in infamy for Pakistani army.

On December 16, 1971, Niazi signed the 'instrument of surrender' signifying Pakistan's surrender officially. The document was signed and accepted by India's Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Eastern Command.

The moment has been immortalised in an iconic photo. The instrument of surrender was signed in Ramna Race Course in Dacca (Now called Dhaka).

What were the causes of 1971 war?

1971 war was a crushing blow to Pakistan and its military. However, Pakistani military and Pakistani policies were responsible for spread of anti-Pakistan sentiment in Bangladesh.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called Bangabandhu the father of the nation of Bangladesh, clinched electoral victory for his party in 1970.

However, instead of letting the victors rule, Pakistan military used force to sway the outcome.

This resulted in a massive exodus of people from Bangladesh to India. This forced India to intervene.

On December 3, 1971, Pakistani fighter planes launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force stations. The war had begun. A day later, India decided to support Bangladeshi nationalist groups, notably Mukti Bahini and Indian forces launched Operation Trident which ended in Indian victory.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is in Dhaka on the occasion of 50th Vijay Divas or Victory Day. The day represents glory for India and Bangladesh. It is a golden chapter for Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind is in Dhaka on the occasion of 50th Vijay Divas or Victory Day. The day represents glory for India and Bangladesh. It is a golden chapter for Indian Army and Bangladesh's Mukti Bahini. What is Vijay Divas? Vijay Divas or Victory Day represents victory of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini against Pakistani forces that led to the independence of Bangladesh. On December 16, 1971, Indian Army defeated Pakistan, carving out a new nation of Bangladesh. The 1971 war is a matter of pride for India as 93,000 Pakistani troops stationed in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) surrendered before Indian Army. When did war leading to Vijay Divas start? The 1971 war started on December 3, 1971. It was a 13-day war. It ended on December 16, 1971. At the end of the war, Pakistani army stationed in Bangladesh surrendered unconditionally. During 1971 war, Pakistan forces suffered 8,000 casualties. 25,000 of their soldiers were wounded. On Indian side, 3000 soldiers died and 12,000 were wounded. What happened on Vijay Divas in 1971? The day has been chronicled as biggest military surrender after Second World War. Major-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi was leading Pakistani forces in East Pakistan. He had 93,000 troops under his command at the time of surrender. It is often mentioned with surprise how a Pakistani general leading such a large force could surrender unconditionally. The day, therefore, lives in infamy for Pakistani army. On December 16, 1971, Niazi signed the 'instrument of surrender' signifying Pakistan's surrender officially. The document was signed and accepted by India's Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, who was General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Eastern Command. The moment has been immortalised in an iconic photo. The instrument of surrender was signed in Ramna Race Course in Dacca (Now called Dhaka). What were the causes of 1971 war? 1971 war was a crushing blow to Pakistan and its military. However, Pakistani military and Pakistani policies were responsible for spread of anti-Pakistan sentiment in Bangladesh. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is called Bangabandhu the father of the nation of Bangladesh, clinched electoral victory for his party in 1970. However, instead of letting the victors rule, Pakistan military used force to sway the outcome. This resulted in a massive exodus of people from Bangladesh to India. This forced India to intervene. On December 3, 1971, Pakistani fighter planes launched a pre-emptive strike on Indian Air Force stations. The war had begun. A day later, India decided to support Bangladeshi nationalist groups, notably Mukti Bahini and Indian forces launched Operation Trident which ended in Indian victory.

Vijay Divas: History, significance and the glory

Move over debating in parliament, 2 politicians in Brazil stepped into a ring to settle political scores. How? Through a bout of #MMA. Shouldn't all lawmakers who often lose their temper be made to step inside a ring and settle their beef? Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: These politicians stepped into a ring to settle political scores

Hong Kong firefighters had contained a blaze that broke out on Wednesday (December 15) in the city's World Trade Centre, trapping about 150 people on its roof, police and the fire department said.

Police told Reuters 13 people were taken to hospital, one of them semi-conscious.

The fire was extinguished at 1630 hours (0830 GMT), a fire department officer said at a news conference, describing a smoke-clogged scene when the crews arrived on site.

The 39-floor World Trade Centre is home to restaurants, offices and shops in the bustling Causeway Bay commercial and shopping district. The fire broke out in a utility room on a lower level of the building's mall at noon, media said, before it spread to bamboo scaffolding cladding the exterior.

Hong Kong firefighters had contained a blaze that broke out on Wednesday (December 15) in the city's World Trade Centre, trapping about 150 people on its roof, police and the fire department said.

Hong Kong firefighters had contained a blaze that broke out on Wednesday (December 15) in the city's World Trade Centre, trapping about 150 people on its roof, police and the fire department said. Police told Reuters 13 people were taken to hospital, one of them semi-conscious. The fire was extinguished at 1630 hours (0830 GMT), a fire department officer said at a news conference, describing a smoke-clogged scene when the crews arrived on site. The 39-floor World Trade Centre is home to restaurants, offices and shops in the bustling Causeway Bay commercial and shopping district. The fire broke out in a utility room on a lower level of the building's mall at noon, media said, before it spread to bamboo scaffolding cladding the exterior.

Hong Kong contains fire that trapped 150 people in World Trade Centre

During the Covid pandemic, we Britons have developed a tabloid obsession with “saving Christmas,” as if it were a beloved pet in danger of being run over.

Yet our Christmas is indeed in peril. The Omicron coronavirus variant, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson said could lead to a “tidal wave” of cases, threatens to upend people’s best-laid festive plans. After last year, when the government imposed restrictions on household mixing on the cusp of Christmas, the possibility of yet another fractured Yuletide is close to retraumatizing the nation.

Ominously, the Christmas tree the Norwegians give us every year to stand in Trafalgar Square, in thanks for Britain’s help during World War II, is notably spindly and bare this winter.

To make matters worse, our responsible queen has been unwell. A royal biographer described her as entering a new phase, as if she were developing an obsession with goth aesthetics. And amid it all, Mr. Johnson’s government has sunk to new lows of corruption, sleaze and shrugging incompetence. The mood is far from merry.

It was very different earlier in the year. The government rolled out vaccines faster than any other country in Europe, and Britain hosted the Group of 7 meeting and a global climate summit in November. Any adverse effects of Brexit could be blamed on the pandemic. Things felt shinier for a while, especially if you didn’t look too closely at the rising child poverty figures or the government’s plans to curtail protest, criminalize refugees and exert more control over the judiciary.

But winter is here. New restrictions, called Plan B, are being rolled out. People in England are advised to work from home, and masks and Covid passes will be mandatory in more places. The rules, as ever under Mr. Johnson, feel arbitrary and ill thought out. Work from home, but go to the pantomime; wear a mask in a taxi but not in a pub. And we don’t know what further restrictions will be imposed as Omicron spreads. The problem is: Will people follow them when it is likely that Mr. Johnson — if the past is any indication — will not?

After all, breaking restrictions is precisely what has landed him in trouble. In December last year, according to multiple sources, there was a party at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence. At the time, parties were forbidden, and people were dying of Covid-19 in hospitals all over Britain, denied the comfort of their loved ones. That parties should come back to haunt Mr. Johnson is ironic, since we liked him for his levity. But levity, in a time of pandemic, is less charming than it once was.

The details of the party have emerged inch by inch. Then last week, a video was leaked in which the prime minister’s advisers pondered how to answer media questions about the party. His spokeswoman Allegra Stratton, who has since resigned, giggled as she said, “This fictional party was a business meeting — and it was not socially distanced.”

They all laughed. And in that laughter, it was horribly clear that Mr. Johnson’s tendency to surround himself with the inexperienced and entitled leaves a vacuum where a functioning government should be. Ms. Stratton was hired to be the voice of his government and to give a daily briefing in the American style. In the end, only one was broadcast — and it was a rehearsal, a fake.

There is every sign that the spell Mr. Johnson cast over the country is cracking, that people are waking up to the truth of him. The latest polls show the Conservative Party sliding to second place while Mr. Johnson’s approval ratings continue their descent. It feels a long time since the elections in December 2019, when the country gave him an enormous majority of 80 seats.

In retrospect, the election campaign was explicitly romantic. Mr. Johnson’s highest-profile campaign advert was a parody of a scene from the film “Love Actually,” in which a man stands outside a married woman’s home and tells her, using written signs, that he loves her. (Yes, it’s creepy.) The signs in the ad were Brexit-related — “With any luck, by next year we’ll have Brexit done” — but the meaning was clear. Mr. Johnson was a lover, and the country was seduced.

Infatuations die hard but fast. Now two-thirds of the country does not trust him, and half thinks he should resign. The mood in his Conservative Party is, according to one member, “sulfurous.” Even cabinet ministers believe he has imposed Plan B to distract from the “party crisis.” Many Conservative legislators, furious at the prime minister, are planning to oppose the new restrictions. A local election on Thursday, caused by the resignation of a corrupt legislator Mr. Johnson had disastrously tried to save, might suggest how alienated Conservative voters are.

Elsewhere, allegations of corruption continue to mount. There is a long-brewing scandal over the funding of the renovation of Mr. Johnson’s flat on Downing Street. (The redecoration was predictably garish.) Last week the Electoral Commission fined the Conservative Party 17,800 pounds, or about $23,500, for not accurately reporting the donations that paid for the refurbishment — and the government standards adviser is reportedly considering resigning after apparently being misled by Mr. Johnson.

If it all seems trivial, then so is Mr. Johnson. The country faces serious problems — not just the pandemic and the fallout from Brexit but also an energy crisis, economic stagnation and vertiginous inflation. There is no sign that the prime minister can see, much less solve, them. A brinkman seeing how far he can go, he is too preoccupied with his survival. His address to the nation on Sunday night was a tellingly tired, perfunctory affair. It could have been an email.

As we watch Mr. Johnson’s narrative play out, Britain feels like a country put on hold. We don’t know whether the prime minister can save himself, let alone Christmas.

During the Covid pandemic, we Britons have developed a tabloid obsession with “saving Christmas,” as if it were a beloved pet in danger of being run over. Yet our Christmas is indeed in peril.

During the Covid pandemic, we Britons have developed a tabloid obsession with “saving Christmas,” as if it were a beloved pet in danger of being run over. Yet our Christmas is indeed in peril. The Omicron coronavirus variant, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson said could lead to a “tidal wave” of cases, threatens to upend people’s best-laid festive plans. After last year, when the government imposed restrictions on household mixing on the cusp of Christmas, the possibility of yet another fractured Yuletide is close to retraumatizing the nation. Ominously, the Christmas tree the Norwegians give us every year to stand in Trafalgar Square, in thanks for Britain’s help during World War II, is notably spindly and bare this winter. To make matters worse, our responsible queen has been unwell. A royal biographer described her as entering a new phase, as if she were developing an obsession with goth aesthetics. And amid it all, Mr. Johnson’s government has sunk to new lows of corruption, sleaze and shrugging incompetence. The mood is far from merry. It was very different earlier in the year. The government rolled out vaccines faster than any other country in Europe, and Britain hosted the Group of 7 meeting and a global climate summit in November. Any adverse effects of Brexit could be blamed on the pandemic. Things felt shinier for a while, especially if you didn’t look too closely at the rising child poverty figures or the government’s plans to curtail protest, criminalize refugees and exert more control over the judiciary. But winter is here. New restrictions, called Plan B, are being rolled out. People in England are advised to work from home, and masks and Covid passes will be mandatory in more places. The rules, as ever under Mr. Johnson, feel arbitrary and ill thought out. Work from home, but go to the pantomime; wear a mask in a taxi but not in a pub. And we don’t know what further restrictions will be imposed as Omicron spreads. The problem is: Will people follow them when it is likely that Mr. Johnson — if the past is any indication — will not? After all, breaking restrictions is precisely what has landed him in trouble. In December last year, according to multiple sources, there was a party at 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence. At the time, parties were forbidden, and people were dying of Covid-19 in hospitals all over Britain, denied the comfort of their loved ones. That parties should come back to haunt Mr. Johnson is ironic, since we liked him for his levity. But levity, in a time of pandemic, is less charming than it once was. The details of the party have emerged inch by inch. Then last week, a video was leaked in which the prime minister’s advisers pondered how to answer media questions about the party. His spokeswoman Allegra Stratton, who has since resigned, giggled as she said, “This fictional party was a business meeting — and it was not socially distanced.” They all laughed. And in that laughter, it was horribly clear that Mr. Johnson’s tendency to surround himself with the inexperienced and entitled leaves a vacuum where a functioning government should be. Ms. Stratton was hired to be the voice of his government and to give a daily briefing in the American style. In the end, only one was broadcast — and it was a rehearsal, a fake. There is every sign that the spell Mr. Johnson cast over the country is cracking, that people are waking up to the truth of him. The latest polls show the Conservative Party sliding to second place while Mr. Johnson’s approval ratings continue their descent. It feels a long time since the elections in December 2019, when the country gave him an enormous majority of 80 seats. In retrospect, the election campaign was explicitly romantic. Mr. Johnson’s highest-profile campaign advert was a parody of a scene from the film “Love Actually,” in which a man stands outside a married woman’s home and tells her, using written signs, that he loves her. (Yes, it’s creepy.) The signs in the ad were Brexit-related — “With any luck, by next year we’ll have Brexit done” — but the meaning was clear. Mr. Johnson was a lover, and the country was seduced. Infatuations die hard but fast. Now two-thirds of the country does not trust him, and half thinks he should resign. The mood in his Conservative Party is, according to one member, “sulfurous.” Even cabinet ministers believe he has imposed Plan B to distract from the “party crisis.” Many Conservative legislators, furious at the prime minister, are planning to oppose the new restrictions. A local election on Thursday, caused by the resignation of a corrupt legislator Mr. Johnson had disastrously tried to save, might suggest how alienated Conservative voters are. Elsewhere, allegations of corruption continue to mount. There is a long-brewing scandal over the funding of the renovation of Mr. Johnson’s flat on Downing Street. (The redecoration was predictably garish.) Last week the Electoral Commission fined the Conservative Party 17,800 pounds, or about $23,500, for not accurately reporting the donations that paid for the refurbishment — and the government standards adviser is reportedly considering resigning after apparently being misled by Mr. Johnson. If it all seems trivial, then so is Mr. Johnson. The country faces serious problems — not just the pandemic and the fallout from Brexit but also an energy crisis, economic stagnation and vertiginous inflation. There is no sign that the prime minister can see, much less solve, them. A brinkman seeing how far he can go, he is too preoccupied with his survival. His address to the nation on Sunday night was a tellingly tired, perfunctory affair. It could have been an email. As we watch Mr. Johnson’s narrative play out, Britain feels like a country put on hold. We don’t know whether the prime minister can save himself, let alone Christmas.

Boris Johnson is in trouble

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations. Thierry Baudet, the MP who drew court's ire heads the populist Forum for Democracy Party.

He had said on Twitter that "the unvaccinated are the new Jews, those who look away from the exclusions are the new Nazis".

He also posted side-by-side a photo of a young Dutch boy prevented from attending a festive St Nicholas party and one of a Jewish boy from a Polish ghetto before his deportation during World War II.

Baudet, 38, must delete the relevant social media posts within 48 hours and can no longer use pictures of the Holocaust in debates over Dutch health restrictions, local media reported.

He risks incurring a daily fine of 25,000 euros ($28,000) for breaking the court order.

A judge ruled against Baudet for "pointlessly offending Holocaust victims and their relatives".

"The right to freedom of expression is not unlimited for a representative of the people," Dutch press agency ANP quoted the judge as saying. 
Baudet had also shared a photo of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany with the comment: "How is it POSSIBLE to not see how history is repeating itself."

Four Jewish World War II survivors, Dutch Jewish organisations and an anti-Semitism monitoring group had initiated proceedings.

"Incomprehensible, crazy ruling. We are angry and ready to fight. And of course, we will appeal," Baudet wrote on Twitter afterwards.

Baudet, who is well-known for his opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations and health measures, received a warning from Twitter in March 2021, one week before legislative elections.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations.

A court in Holland has banned a right-wing political leader from comparing coronavirus restrictions to the Holocaust on social media. The ban came after legal action by World War 2 survivors and Jewish organisations. Thierry Baudet, the MP who drew court's ire heads the populist Forum for Democracy Party. He had said on Twitter that "the unvaccinated are the new Jews, those who look away from the exclusions are the new Nazis". He also posted side-by-side a photo of a young Dutch boy prevented from attending a festive St Nicholas party and one of a Jewish boy from a Polish ghetto before his deportation during World War II. Baudet, 38, must delete the relevant social media posts within 48 hours and can no longer use pictures of the Holocaust in debates over Dutch health restrictions, local media reported. He risks incurring a daily fine of 25,000 euros ($28,000) for breaking the court order. A judge ruled against Baudet for "pointlessly offending Holocaust victims and their relatives". "The right to freedom of expression is not unlimited for a representative of the people," Dutch press agency ANP quoted the judge as saying. Baudet had also shared a photo of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany with the comment: "How is it POSSIBLE to not see how history is repeating itself." Four Jewish World War II survivors, Dutch Jewish organisations and an anti-Semitism monitoring group had initiated proceedings. "Incomprehensible, crazy ruling. We are angry and ready to fight. And of course, we will appeal," Baudet wrote on Twitter afterwards. Baudet, who is well-known for his opposition to Covid-19 vaccinations and health measures, received a warning from Twitter in March 2021, one week before legislative elections. (With inputs from agencies)

Court punishes Dutch MP for comparing Covid restrictions to Holocaust

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva.

Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion.

"We are gravely concerned by evidence that Russia has developed plans to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Patrick Elliot, a human rights officer at the US mission in Geneva, told the council.

"We are unwavering in our support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity."&nbsp;

British Ambassador Simon Manley also voiced alarm at the "pattern of destabilising activity and military buildups on Ukraine's border", warning that "Russia's activity poses a threat to Ukraine's and international security."

Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine in preparation for an invasion.&nbsp;

Kiev's military command believes a possible escalation could come at the end of January.&nbsp;

Moscow has said the troop build-up is part of routine deployments, saying it has the right to do what it wants on its territory.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko warned the rights council Wednesday that "the impact of possible invasion will have disastrous consequences for the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in my country and well beyond."

The comments came after UN deputy rights chief Nada Al-Nashif presented the council with an update on the rights situation across Ukraine. 
She did not touch on the feared Russian buildup at the border.

But she did decry significant restrictions of the freedom of expression and assembly in the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and in eastern regions where Kiev has been fighting a pro-Russian insurgency since then.

Al-Nashif also highlighted rights concerns in areas under the control of the Ukrainian government, including the "lack of accountability" for threats and violence targeting rights defenders, media workers and women and gay rights activists, among others.

Russian representative Yaroslave Eremin seized onto that criticism, slamming Kiev for "maintaining an atmosphere of impunity" exploited by the far right.&nbsp;

He also urged UN rights office to "stop including in their reports (on Ukraine), matters related to Russian regions" -- referring to Crimea.

(With inputs from agencies)

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva. Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion.

Western countries offered 'unwavering' support to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the United Nations in Geneva. Situation at border between Ukraine and Russia is tense as there are specuklations of Russian invasion. "We are gravely concerned by evidence that Russia has developed plans to take further aggressive action against Ukraine," Patrick Elliot, a human rights officer at the US mission in Geneva, told the council. "We are unwavering in our support of Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity." British Ambassador Simon Manley also voiced alarm at the "pattern of destabilising activity and military buildups on Ukraine's border", warning that "Russia's activity poses a threat to Ukraine's and international security." Ukraine and its Western allies have accused Moscow of massing tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine in preparation for an invasion. Kiev's military command believes a possible escalation could come at the end of January. Moscow has said the troop build-up is part of routine deployments, saying it has the right to do what it wants on its territory. Ukrainian Ambassador Yevheniia Filipenko warned the rights council Wednesday that "the impact of possible invasion will have disastrous consequences for the security, humanitarian and human rights situation in my country and well beyond." The comments came after UN deputy rights chief Nada Al-Nashif presented the council with an update on the rights situation across Ukraine. She did not touch on the feared Russian buildup at the border. But she did decry significant restrictions of the freedom of expression and assembly in the Crimean peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, and in eastern regions where Kiev has been fighting a pro-Russian insurgency since then. Al-Nashif also highlighted rights concerns in areas under the control of the Ukrainian government, including the "lack of accountability" for threats and violence targeting rights defenders, media workers and women and gay rights activists, among others. Russian representative Yaroslave Eremin seized onto that criticism, slamming Kiev for "maintaining an atmosphere of impunity" exploited by the far right. He also urged UN rights office to "stop including in their reports (on Ukraine), matters related to Russian regions" -- referring to Crimea. (With inputs from agencies)

Nations declare 'unwavering support' to Ukraine at UN

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