Category: TOP STORIES

Amid growth of unrecognised villages in Manipur, identification of migrants initiated: CM Singh

Imphal, Dec 18 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Wednesday said that the identification of illegal immigrants was initiated through proper constitutional provisions after satellite mapping indicated the growth of unrecognised villages in the state.

Addressing the inaugural function of the Naga community festival, RobvenaNi-2024, at Asufii Robvena Ground in Senapati district, the Chief Minister, without referring to the ethnic conflict, said that there have been some misunderstandings and unfortunate events leading to the loss of lives and properties.

“I am seeking support from the people of Senapati district in restoring peace and normalcy in the state. People of Senapati, especially civil society organisations like Naga Peoples’ Organisation, United Naga Council, and student associations have a big role to play in maintaining Manipur’s unity, integrity and peaceful coexistence of all indigenous population in the state,” he said.

Biren Singh sought the support and cooperation of all indigenous and recognised communities of the state in restoring normalcy and peace in the state.

Earlier, a Manipur government statement said that in the period between 1969 till now, there has been an increase in number of villages in the districts of Kangpokpi, Tengnoupal, Chandel, Churachandpur, and Pherzawl by 893, from 731 to 1,624, or a 122 per cent increase.

In the remaining hill districts of Tamenglong, Noney, Senapati, Ukhrul and Kamjong, which are Naga-dominated, the increase during the same period is a figure of merely 49, up from 527 to 576, a mere 9 per cent increase, the statement had said.

The Chief Minister said that Manipur has been facing an unfortunate situation for the last 19 months, but with God’s grace, the situation has started slowly improving.

He said that all humans are bound to err, but there should be room for reconciliation and to forgive and forget through talks.

Stressing the importance of equal development, Biren Singh said that without mutual respect among the people and inclusive development across the state, there can be no unity, peace and development in Manipur. He also said we need love and respect for one another.

The Chief Minister said that the ‘Go to Hills’ mission was initiated and taken up to fulfil this idea of equal development in both the hills and the valley.

He said that the government wanted to bring a landscape change by bringing more development to the hills.

The Chief Minister also said that the state has witnessed improvement in road connectivity and stressed that Union Minister of Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has recently announced Rs 777 crore for the improvement and widening of Shangshak (Ukhrul) to Tengnoupal road.

Noting that there are 34-35 recognised tribes in Manipur which include 24-25 indigenous tribes and some other old settlers, he said that the Sangai Ethnic Park was constructed with traditional huts for each and every recognized tribe and community to encourage unity in the state.

Biren Singh also highlighted the ills of the drug menace in society and said that the ‘War on Drugs’ was started in 2018 to save the present and future generations from illegal drugs and it was not against anybody.

–IANS

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Iran urges IAEA chief to maintain agency’s impartiality

Tehran, Dec 18 (IANS) Iran’s nuclear chief on Wednesday called on Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi to maintain the agency’s impartiality, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, made the remarks on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Tehran while reacting to recent comments by Grossi, who said Iran was enriching uranium to near military grade and was rapidly moving towards becoming a nuclear-armed state.

Eslami said, “It is not acceptable that an international institution focuses solely on one aspect of the issue in a provocative manner and refrains from pointing to the main dimension, which is the failure of the other parties to the (2015 nuclear) deal to fulfill their obligations.”

He emphasised that the agency should maintain its neutrality and act professionally, adding, “We expect the agency’s director general, who is a veteran diplomat, to consider these issues.”

Speaking to the Italian news agency ANSA in the Italian capital Rome on Monday, Grossi said there was little point in seeking to revive the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and the agreement was “no longer useful.”

He stressed that in view of Iran’s “new realities,” a new agreement should be worked out, Xinhua news agency reported.

Reacting to Grossi’s remarks in a post on social media platform X on Tuesday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi called on the IAEA chief to speak “based on facts and technical reports from the agency’s inspectors.”

He added the development of Iran’s nuclear program was in line with technical needs and was being carried out completely under the IAEA’s safeguards monitoring, stressing that Iran’s enrichment program had no military objectives.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in 2015, agreeing to limits on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. However, the United States withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Iran to scale back its commitments. Talks to revive the deal, ongoing since 2021, remain stalled.

–IANS

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UN envoy underlines need for inclusive political transition in Syria, acknowledges economic challenges

Damascus, Dec 18 (IANS) The United Nations special envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, said Wednesday that he sees hope for a “new Syria” developing in the aftermath of the country’s recent political upheaval while acknowledging the formidable challenges that remain.

Speaking to reporters in Damascus after days of meetings, Pedersen noted that he had conferred with leaders from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), other armed factions, representatives of the Syrian National Coalition, as well as families of the detained and missing, civil society figures, and women activists.

“It’s only been 11 days since HTS and other groups entered Damascus, so it’s early days,” Pedersen said, Xinhua news agency reported.

“But there is a lot of hope that we can now see the beginning of a new Syria — one that, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, adopts a new constitution ensuring a social contract for all Syrians and eventually holds free and fair elections after a transitional period,” he remarked.

Pedersen underscored that the conflict is not over. While Damascus is relatively stable, some areas remain unsettled, particularly in Kurdish-controlled areas in the northeast. He welcomed the recent renewal of a truce there, urging a political solution and warning that the region’s issues must be addressed to secure lasting peace.

The envoy also cited Syria’s steep economic challenges as a major concern, calling for immediate humanitarian assistance, steps toward reconstruction, and the potential easing of sanctions. “We need to see economic recovery and hopefully start a process to end sanctions,” he said.

Pedersen emphasized that a credible and inclusive political transition involving a broad range of Syrian society is crucial.

The UN, he stressed, stands ready to assist and cooperate with Syria’s new authorities. “I look forward to continuing this dialogue,” he said, pledging to work closely with the administration on critical issues facing the country.

–IANS

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Israel reports 517 cyberattacks against colleges since outbreak of Gaza conflict

Jerusalem, Dec 18 (IANS) The Israel National Cyber Directorate (INCD) announced on Wednesday that 517 cyberattacks have been carried out against universities and colleges in Israel since the outbreak of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year.

In a statement, the INCD noted that while some attacks were successfully thwarted, others caused significant damage.

The INCD on Tuesday held a national cybersecurity drill for Israeli higher education institutions amid a rise in cyber threats against Israeli targets.

The exercise, headquartered at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo, aimed to increase the readiness of Israeli academic institutions to address the increasing challenges in cybersecurity.

Participants were presented with complex attack scenarios, requiring them to make real-time decisions, cooperate across departments, and respond quickly and effectively, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Tuesday, Hamas had said that reaching an agreement for a ceasefire and prisoner exchanges is possible if Israel stops setting new conditions.

In a statement, Hamas referred to the discussions on a ceasefire in Qatar’s Doha under the auspices of the Qatari and Egyptian mediators as “serious and positive.”

The indirect negotiations have gained momentum in recent weeks, to stop the fighting that has been ongoing for more than 14 months between Hamas and Israel.

Initially, several media outlets had reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Cairo for a ceasefire-for-hostage deal, which was denied later by Netanyahu’s spokesperson.

Netanyahu’s office issued an official statement, saying he had visited Mount Hermon, near the buffer zone where Israeli forces seized a Syrian army outpost before.

Egypt and Qatar, with the participation of the United States, are trying to mediate an agreement to end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel that claimed the lives of about 1,200 people.

Israel responded with a massive air and ground attack on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza-based health authorities.

–IANS

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India and China discuss resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, border peace during NSA Doval’s Beijing visit

New Delhi/Beijing, Dec 18 (IANS) India and China on Wednesday decided to give “positive directions” for cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers and border trade, during the visit of National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval to Beijing.

This was announced following the 23d meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China which was attended by NSA Doval and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing was the first between the Special Representatives since frictions had emerged in the Western Sector of the India-China border areas in 2020. The two representatives met in accordance with the decision taken during the recent meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan which had decided the future course of meetings to oversee the management of peace and tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the SRs reiterated the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of the boundary question, and resolved to inject more vitality into this process.

“Both SRs underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to promote overall development of the India-China bilateral relationship. They emphasised the need to ensure peaceful conditions on the ground so that issues on the border do not hold back the normal development of bilateral relations. Drawing on the learnings from the events of 2020, they discussed various measures to maintain peace and tranquillity on the border and advance effective border management. They decided to use, coordinate and guide the relevant diplomatic and military mechanisms towards this purpose,” read the MEA statement.

It detailed that the SRs “positively affirmed” the implementation of the latest disengagement agreement of October 2024, resulting in patrolling and grazing in relevant areas.

“The SRs exchanged views on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. They provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers and border trade. They agreed on the salience of stable, predictable and amicable India-China relations for regional and global peace and prosperity,” the statement added.

Besides inviting Wang Yi to visit India at a mutually convenient date to hold the next round of SR meeting, NSA Doval also called on China’s Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Wednesday.

–IANS

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13 drown as Indian Navy speedboat bangs into passenger ferry in Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast (2nd Lead)

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) In a gruesome maritime disaster, at least 13 persons drowned, including three Indian Navy sailors plus another 99 were rescued from the Arabian Sea when a naval speedboat on engine-trials lost control and abruptly rammed into a chockful passenger ferry, near the Raigad Coast, off Gateway of India, here on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The passenger boat, reported to be a private catamaran named ‘Neelkamal’, was ferrying around 110 tourists plus five crew members to the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Elephanta Islands, and the disaster occurred around 5.15 p.m., said the BMC Disaster Control.

Official sources said that an Indian Navy’s rigid inflatable boat undergoing engine trials crashed into the ‘Neelkamal’ at high speed, overturning it and throwing most of the tourists into the Arabian Sea near Uran, Karanja on the Raigad coast, around 10 km from Gateway of India.

The sources said that the ferry, ‘Neelkamal’, may have broken down with the sudden hit, overturned and started sinking with the passengers thrown into the sea.

Videos of the tragedy, clicked by aghast passengers from other ferries in the vicinity showed gruesome shots of people screaming for help, flailing their arms and legs to remain afloat or attempting to hold their near and dear ones from sinking in chilly sea waters.

On receiving the SOS from multiple sources on the disaster, a massive rescue operation was launched by the Indian Navy’s four helicopters and 15 other vessels including the Marine Police, Indian Coast Guard, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, along with local fishers and other ferry boats to save the victims.

By 9 p.m., the authorities confirmed 13 deaths comprising three Indian Navy sailors and 10 civilians, several ‘critical’ in different hospitals, and over 100 other tourists whose condition is reported to be ‘stable’ in various hospitals, while search continues for another five still suspected ‘missing’ as darkness fell.

It was not immediately clear whether the ill-fated ‘Neelkamal’ was carrying passengers as per the stipulated norms for load and other safety measures.

The owner of the vessel, Rajendra Padte, said that the ‘Neelkamal’ had departed on its regular tourism voyage to Elephanta Islands around 3.15 p.m. and barely a couple of hours later the tragedy was reported, “but it was not our fault”.

“An Indian Navy speedboat first encircled my boat, then zoomed off, and returned again at high speed and banged into ‘Neelkamal’. All the tourists were wearing life jackets which are now compulsory. More than a dozen other boats are engaged in the rescue operations,” a shaken Padte told mediapersons.

A livid Peasants & Workers Party of India (PWP) General Secretary and ex-legislator Jayant P. Patil, who was present at the spot slammed the concerned authorities that resulted in the tragedy and the ‘Neelkamal sunk into the water soon thereafter.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a brief statement in the Legislative Assembly in Nagpur, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde spoke to Mumbai City Collector Sanjay Yadav and Raigad Collector Kisan Jawale, plus Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ports Zone) Sudhakar Pathare, to expedite the rescue operations.

A civic official said that 56 are admitted to the JNPA Hospital, 32 in the Naval Dockyard medical facility, one in INHS Ashvini Hospital, nine in St. George Hospital, and 12 are admitted at a hospital on the mainland at Karanja.

Meanwhile, anxious relatives of many of the victims rushed from different parts of Mumbai and other places to the hospitals where their kin were admitted to get details of their welfare, and the Yellowgate Police Station officials, who are handling the case, had a tough time controlling them.

Indian Navy is likely to order a probe into the deadly collision that left behind many casualties including 13 fatalities, amid fears that the death toll could go up further.

The Elephanta Isles, housing the world-famous group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods and goddesses, that are said to have been cut in rocks between 1,500-2,200 years ago, are one of the must-see tourist destinations of Maharashtra.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)

–IANS

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RG Kar tragedy trial: Recording of statements by 50 witnesses completed

Kolkata, Dec 18 (IANS) Recording of statements of a total of 50 witnesses has been completed at a special Kolkata court during the ongoing trial of the ghastly rape and murder of a junior woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital within the hospital premises in August this year.

Since the trial process is being conducted in camera within closed doors of the courtroom, nothing has transpired on the developments so far. The trial process is being conducted on a fast-track and daily basis.

It is learnt that the statement of civic volunteer Sanjay Roy, the sole “prime accused” in the crime of rape and murder in the first and only charge sheet by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), might be recorded on Friday.

Sources aware of the development said that during that process, new witnesses, if suggested by Roy’s counsel, might be included in the list whose statements will be recorded.

Recently, the special court granted bail to two accused of tampering with evidence in the case since the CBI failed to file the supplementary charge sheet, including the names of the duo, within 90 days from the date of their arrest.

These two are the former and controversial principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal. Both were accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with the evidence while the initial investigation in the matter was being carried out by Kolkata Police.

While Ghosh is still in judicial custody because of the ongoing parallel probe against him by the CBI in the case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar, Mondal is out on bail.

The development has evoked strong protests from the common people in general and the representatives from the medical fraternity in particular. The West Bengal Junior Doctor’s Front, the umbrella body of junior doctors in the state, has already threatened to resume their cease work protests which they withdrew earlier keeping the larger public interest in mind.

–IANS

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Two drown as Indian Navy speedboat rams into passenger ferry in Arabian Sea off Gateway of India (Ld)

Mumbai, Dec 18 (IANS) In a horrific tragedy, at least two persons drowned, and another 108 were rescued from the Arabian Sea when an Indian Navy’s speedboat abruptly on sea trials rammed into a passenger ferry, near the Raigad Coast, off Gateway of India, here on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The passenger boat, reported to be a private catamaran named ‘Neelkamal’, was ferrying around 110 tourists plus five crew members to the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Elephanta Islands, and the disaster occurred around 5.15 p.m., said the BMC Disaster Control.

Official sources said that an Indian Navy’s rigid inflatable boat undergoing engine trials crashed into the ‘Neelkamal’ at high speed, overturning it and throwing most of the tourists into the Arabian Sea near Uran, Karanja on the Raigad coast, around 10 kms from Gateway of India.

The sources said that the ferry, ‘Neelkamal’, may have broken down with the sudden hit, overturned and started sinking with the passengers thrown into the sea.

Videos of the tragedy, clicked by aghast passengers from other ferries in the vicinity showed gruesome shots of people screaming for help, flailing their arms and legs to remain afloat or attempting to hold their near and dear ones from sinking in chilly sea waters.

On receiving the SOS from multiple sources on the disaster, a massive rescue operation was launched by the Indian Navy’s four helicopters and a dozen vessels, the Marine Police, Indian Coast Guard, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, along with local fishers and other ferry boats to save the victims.

By 7 p.m., the authorities confirmed two deaths, four ‘critical’ in different hospitals, and 104 tourists whose condition is reported to be ‘stable’ in various hospitals, and the search continues for another five still suspected ‘missing’ as darkness fell.

Among the fatalities are reported to be one civilian and another naval sailor on the speedboat with six sailors, but the Indian Navy had not commented on the mishap.

It was not immediately clear whether the ill-fated ‘Neelkamal’ was carrying passengers as per the stipulated norms for load and other safety measures.

The owner of the vessel, Rajendra Padte, said that the ‘Neelkamal’ had departed on its regular tourism voyage to Elephanta Islands around 3.15 p.m. and barely a couple of hours later the tragedy was reported, “but it was not our fault”.

“An Indian Navy speedboat first encircled my boat, then zoomed off, and returned again at high speed and banged into ‘Neelkamal’. All the tourists were wearing life jackets which are now compulsory. More than a dozen other boats are engaged in the rescue operations,” a shaken Padte told mediapersons.

A livid Peasants & Workers Party of India (PWP) General Secretary and ex-legislator Jayant P. Patil, who was present at the spot slammed the concerned authorities resulted in the tragedy and the ‘Neelkamal sunk into the water soon thereafter.

Indian Navy sources hinted that a probe is likely to be ordered into the deadly collision that left behind many casualties including two fatalities, amid fears that the death toll could go up later.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a brief statement in the Legislative Assembly in Nagpur, while Deputy CM Eknath Shinde spoke to Mumbai City Collector Sanjay Yadav and Raigad Collector Kisan Jawale, plus Deputy Commissioner of Police (Ports Zone) Sudhakar Pathare, to expedite the rescue operations.

A civic official said that 56 are admitted at the JNPA Hospital, 32 are in the Naval Dockyard medical facility, one in INHS Ashvini Hospital, nine in St. George Hospital, and 12 are admitted to a hospital on the mainland at Karanja.

Meanwhile, anxious relatives of many of the victims rushed from different parts of Mumbai and other places to the hospitals where their kin were admitted to get details of their welfare, and the Yellowgate Police Station officials, who are handling the case, had a tough time controlling them.

The Elephanta Isles, housing the world-famous group of temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and other Hindu gods and goddesses, that are said to have been cut in rocks between 1,500-2,200 years ago, are one of the must-see tourist destinations of Maharashtra.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)

–IANS

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New expressway links Lhasa with birthplace of Tibetan civilization

Lhasa, Dec 18 (IANS) A new expressway linking Lhasa, the capital of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, with the city of Shannan, which is known as the birthplace of the Tibetan civilization, opened to traffic on Wednesday, according to local traffic authorities.

The new Xizang S5 Expressway stretches 47.46 kilometers from Lhasa to Tsethang, located in the downtown area of Shannan. It decreases the driving distance between the two cities by 65 kilometres, reducing the time it takes to travel between the two locations to just one hour, according to the Lhasa municipal transportation bureau.

The project had an estimated total investment of 9.43 billion yuan (about 1.3 billion US dollars), with a two-way, four-lane design and a design speed of 80 kilometres per hour.

Bridges and tunnels make up 65 per cent of the whole route, Xinhua news agency reported.

The expressway will facilitate travel for people living along the route, and is expected to stimulate the development of the local tourism, agriculture and animal husbandry industries, promoting high-quality economic development in the region, the bureau said.

As of the first half of 2024, the total length of highways in Xizang reached 123,300 kilometres, including 1,196 kilometres of expressways. The total length of rural roads in the region is 93,000 kilometres.

Earlier this year, a high-grade highway linking the regional capital Lhasa and Xigaze, the region’s second-largest city, was opened to public. The 245 km long four-lane highway cut down travel time between Lhasa and Xigaze from about six hours to three hours.

The highway is one section of the national highway that links the city of Ya’an in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and Yecheng County in the Kashgar Prefecture of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

“The high-grade highway will serve as an important channel linking Lhasa and the west of Xizang. It will also play a crucial role in further optimising the regional road network structure, improving the national comprehensive transport channel, and facilitating the region’s further opening up to South Asia,” said an official of the regional transport department.

The high-grade highway marked another significant development in Xizang’s transport after the 251-km railway line that links Lhasa and Xigaze was put into operation in 2014.

Xigaze, which boasts about 50 per cent of Xizang’s highland barley production, is known as the “granary of Xizang.”

–IANS

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Indonesia to launch B40 biodiesel in 2025

Jakarta, Dec 18 (IANS) Indonesia has already produced biodiesel fuel B40 containing 40 per cent palm oil and 60 per cent diesel, higher than the current 35 per cent composition, which will begin to be used in the country next year, according to officials.

The government has set a production target of 15.62 million kilolitres of the B40 biodiesel by 2025, said Deputy Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Yuliot Tanjung. “Based on the target, we hope to distribute it to consumers starting January 1, 2025,” he said.

After implementing the B40 biodiesel, Tanjung said the government would gradually develop biodiesel with 50 per cent palm oil content, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Eniya Listiani Dewi, Director General of new renewable energy and energy conservation at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, confirmed that B40 biodiesel has already been produced and passed road tests for both automotive and non-automotive applications.

“I confirm that the factory has already produced B40 biodiesel, which will be delivered on January 1,” she said.

The initiative to increase palm oil use for clean energy is strongly supported by Indonesia’s massive palm oil production, as the country is the world’s largest palm oil producer.

In September, Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto had said that the country was ready to implement the 40 per cent biodiesel plan from January 1, 2025 to speed up energy transition.

The plan is about a fuel composed of 40 per cent biodiesel (B40) and the remainder diesel, aimed at facilitating energy transition to renewable sources.

“We are ready for B40, and we are already using B35,” said Airlangga at the Green Initiative Conference 2024 in Jakarta.

From 2014 to 2023, Indonesia utilized 54.52 million kilolitres of B35, saving the state foreign exchange by up to 404.3 trillion rupiah (about 26.6 billion US dollars) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 358 million tonnes.

Trials for B40 were held in various sectors, including automotive, agricultural equipment, mining equipment, railways, power plants, and marine transport.

–IANS

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