Flight makes emergency landing in Turkey after false bomb threat

SEOUL, September 9 (AJP) - A passenger plane en route from India to Germany made an emergency landing in Turkey due to a false bomb note. On Friday, a Vistara Airlines flight carrying 13 crew members and 234 passengers took off from Mumbai, India, en route to Frankfurt, Germany, when a crew member discovered a note in the restroom stating, "Bomb on board." The aircraft changed its course and made an emergency landing at Erzurum, about 870 kilometers from Ankara, the cap

September 9, 2024

At least 12 die during physical fitness test for government recruitment in India

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - At least 12 people have died during a physical fitness test for government recruitment in India, prompting an investigation by the authorities. The deaths occurred during the physical fitness test for government positions in Jharkhand state in eastern India, which began on Aug. 22. Over 500,000 people reortedly applied for the government positions in Jharkhand. The incident appears to be caused by the combination of conducting the test under extremely ho

September 6, 2024

India considering measures to prevent use of Chinese-made components in military drones

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (AJP) - India is devising measures to ensure that drones deployed by its military do not contain Chinese-made components, according to news reports on Thursday. Sources from India's Ministry of Defence explained that although procurement regulations prohibit the inclusion of Chinese-made parts in drones, these components were used due to a systemic loophole that allows drone manufacturers to self-verify compliance. The Indian Army has been deploying drones acqu

September 6, 2024

India was largest emitter of plastic waste in 2020: study

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (AJP) - A study found that India was the largest emitter of plastic waste as of 2020, accounting for about one-fifth of the total global generation of 52 million tons annually. The research team, led by Costas A. Velis, a civil engineering professor at the University of Leeds, discovered that global plastic waste generation reaches 52 million tons annually, with India being the largest emitter. India contributes 18 percent of the global plastic waste, amounting to 9.3

September 5, 2024

India launching flood warning system amid increasing Himalayan glacial floods

SEOUL, Sept. 5 (AJP) - India has commenced the installation of an advanced flood warning system at glacial lakes in the Himalayas, according to news reports. Safi Ahsan Rizvi, an official from India's National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said that the installation work had recently commenced at 190 of the 7,500 glacial lakes in the Himalayas, which stretch from northern Kashmir and Ladakh to northeastern Arunachal Pradesh, AFP reported on Tuesday. These lakes have be

September 5, 2024

World Bank raises growth forecast for India to 7%

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - The World Bank on Tuesday raised its growth forecast for India's economy for the fiscal 2024-25 from 6.6 percent to 7 percent. India's economy faced a decline in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, since 2021, it has experienced robust growth, largely fueled by increased demand from a growing population. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects that India will overtake Japan and become the world's fourth-largest economy b

September 4, 2024

35 die in floods in southern India

SEOUL, Sept. 4 (AJP) - At least 35 people have lost their lives in just two days due to flooding in the southern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India Today reported Tuesday. More than 47,000 people have been relocated to relief camps across both states. Houses have collapsed, and road and rail transportation have been disrupted. A significant portion of Vijayawada, a commercial city in Andhra Pradesh, has been submerged due to the overflow of the Budameru

September 4, 2024

India approves construction of new chip factory in western region

SEOUL, Sept. 3 (AJP) - India has approved a proposal for the new semiconductor manufacturing plant, submitted by Kaynes Semicon, the Economic Times reported Tuesday. The factory will be located in Sanand, a major industrial hub in the western state of Gujarat. The construction will require an investment of 33 billion rupees ($393 million) and is expected to produce 6 million chips per day once completed. The start date for construction has not yet been disclosed. Currently, Ta

September 3, 2024

Two dead, 10 injured in drone attack in northeastern India

SEOUL, Sept. 3 (AJP) - A drone attack in Manipur state, northeastern India, has resulted in the deaths of two civilians and injuries to 10 others. Rockets propelled by grenades (RPGs) were fired from drones in the western part of Imphal, the state capital, on Monday. The armed insurgents also fired on police officers. The area is primarily inhabited by the Hindu Meitei community and is adjacent to villages inhabited by the Christian Kuki community. One of the deceased was the

September 3, 2024

India's economy grows 6.7% in Q2 2024

SEOUL, Sept. 2 (AJP) - India's GDP growth rate for the second quarter of 2024 was 6.7 percent year-on-year, reflecting ongoing positive trends driven by factors like population growth, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) on Friday. The growth rate for April to June slowed to 6.7 percent, down from 7.8 percent in the first quarter, with sources predicting that this slowdown is primarily due to restrained government spending during the gene

September 2, 2024