In a first, Bangladesh gets female firefighters
Dhaka, Dec 9: For the first time in the history of Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD), 15 female firefighters have joined the force, local media reported. Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Thursday welcomed the newly-appointed female firefighters at a ceremony in Dhaka, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Those 15 women out of 2,707 applicants were selected as firefighters through preliminary screening, physical fitness, medical tests, written tests and oral examination, Xinhua news agency reported. Last month, they officially joined the force located in Purbachal on the outskirts of Dhaka. (IANS)
Three killed in Rome hospital fire
Rome, Dec 9: A fire broke out in a hospital on Rome’s outskirts, killing at least three people and forcing the overnight evacuation of the smoke-filled facility and its patients, officials said on Saturday. Patients in intensive care at St. John the Evangelist hospital in Tivoli were transferred immediately to other hospitals via ambulance, the Tivoli mayor’s office said in a statement. Less-critical patients were moved into a nearby municipal gymnasium and then transferred to other facilities. The governor of the Lazio region, Francesco Rocca, said from the scene that three people were killed and an investigation would determine the cause of the blaze. He acknowledged there were “notable delays” in updating Italy’s aging hospitals with sprinkler systems and other fire safety infrastructure. The fire department initially said four people were killed after the blaze broke out late Friday. Italian news reports said the confusion arose because a body, already in the hospital morgue, was initially counted among the fire victims. Video released by the fire department showed fire crews on ladders trying to reach the upper floors of the hospital to get to patients as smoke billowed out. (AP)
EAM Jaishankar interacts with Indian students and professionals
Dubai, Dec 9: India has not only shown an ability to progress at home but also displayed during its G20 presidency that it has the capability of getting the world to agree on something of common interest at a very difficult and very divisive moment, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. Jaishankar’s remarks came during his interaction with Indian students and young professionals in Dubai and shared perspectives on transformations in India and the impact it is having on the everyday lives of Indians at home and abroad. Jaishankar said students and young professionals will be at the forefront of building a Viksit Bharat in the Amritkaal. Talking about India’s progress Jaishankar said India has just completed its presidency of the G20. “And in this presidency, what had happened was that, because of the geopolitics, the whole controversy around Ukraine, there was a lot of concern, whether we will be able to get everybody together,” the minister said. At the same time, the minister said that there was also worry that the real agenda of the G20 which was helping growth development, especially helping countries of the developing world may be sidetracked. (PTI)