S’pore suspends meal prog after food poisoning
Singapore, Feb 20: Singapore on Thursday temporarily halted a two-day-old national preparedness initiative which involves ready-to-eat meals, following cases of food poisoning at the School of the Arts (SOTA) arising from the meals. In a joint statement, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), together with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and food caterer SATS, said it “will pause the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme as a precautionary measure until investigations on the SOTA gastroenteritis cases are concluded”. Channel News Asia first reported about the gastroenteritis cluster at SOTA on Wednesday, believed to be linked with food given at the campus. A total of 20 students developed symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting after consuming the meals. (PTI)
Oli awards individuals on Democracy Day
Kathmandu, Feb 20: Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has honoured ten individuals for their outstanding contributions in various fields with the National Talent Award 2025 during the 75th National Democracy Day. The ceremony held on Wednesday honoured various individuals, among them was Dr Om Murti Anil, a medical graduate from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), who received a certificate of honour and a cash prize of Nepali rupees 500,000. (PTI)
Women, child among others killed in explosion
Damascus, Feb 20: A first responders group said some unexploded ordnance blew up inside a home in northwestern Syria on Thursday, killing four people, including two women and a child. The paramedic group, known Syrian Civil Defence or White Helmets, said the device appears to have been brought into the house in the town of Nairbab, where it exploded and destroyed the house. The group said a search was still ongoing to find out if there are more casualties under the rubble. Thousands of mines, improvised explosive devices and other unexploded ordnance have killed and wounded scores in Syria since the country’s conflict began in March 2011. Syria’s civil war has killed half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million. (AP)
China hails India’s rising influence in Asia
New Delhi, Feb 20: In yet another sign of thawing ties between the two countries, a Chinese diplomat on Thursday hailed India’s ascent in the Asia Power Index that was released last year. “India has become the 3rd most powerful and influential country in Asia, after the US and China,” Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, posted on X citing the 2024 Asia Power Index by Australia’s Sydney-based Lowy Institute. The report released in September 2024 had placed India as the third-most powerful nation in Asia, behind only the United States and China, highlighting India’s remarkable improvement in various categories, particularly in Diplomatic Influence, which surged due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s increased international engagements. (IANS)