South Asia and Beyond

SNG Daily: Nestle Under Fire; Indonesia Volcano Triggers Evacuations And Tsunami Warning

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Nestle Under Fire: Investigation Reveals Company Adds Sugar To Baby Food In Poorer Countries

Food and beverage giant Nestle is under fire after a report said that the company adds sugar to its infant milk in poorer countries. Swiss Investigative Agency Public Eye made the report public on Wednesday which also claims that Nestle doesn’t add sugar to the same products in its main markets in Europe or the UK. Public Eye sent samples to a Belgium lab to test the same product supplied in different countries and found that while Cerelac wheat-based cereals for six-month-old babies sold by Nestle in Germany, France and UK had no added sugar, the same product had over 5 grams per serving in Ethiopia and 6 gms in Thailand. In India, Cerelac included an average of 3gm of sugar per serving. WHO has warned that early exposure to sugar can increase the probability of chronic illnesses later in life.

Indonesia Volcano Triggers Evacuations And Tsunami Warning

11,000 people have been evacuated after Ruang mountain on Sulawesi island saw at least five big volcanic eruptions in 24 hours. A tsunami warning has also been issued. The Manado airport, that’s about 100 km from Ruang has been shut as a precautionary measure. Officials are also worried that if the volcanic eruptions cause a part of the mountain to collapse into the sea, it could trigger a tsunami. In 2018, the eruption of Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano caused a tsunami along the coasts of Sumatra and Java after parts of the mountain fell into the ocean. 430 people were killed in that tragedy. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes and it is prone to volcanic eruptions as it sits along the ‘Ring of Fire’ – a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

Croatia Election Results: PM Plenkovic’s Party Wins But Without Majority

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Early results show that Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s ruling HDZ will still be the single largest party in the 151-member House but without a majority. The party managed to win the parliamentary elections with 60 seats but the slim majority could make things difficult going ahead. The vote was seen as a popularity test for the PM who was pitted against the President, Zoran Milanovic, considered pro-Russia. The Opposition Social Democratic Party is expected to come in second place with 42 seats. The elections have also seen the rise of the right-wing Homeland Movement, which is set to win 14 seats and could emerge as the kingmaker. The PM has said he will move towards securing a parliamentary majority in order to form the government. Analysts point out that a minority government will likely not last a full term.

Israel Will Do Everything To Defend Itself: Netanyahu After Iranian Strikes

“We will make our own decisions, and the State of Israel will do everything necessary to defend itself.” That’s what Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu said once again as he met with his war cabinet. The United States, the European Union, G7 nations are all considering expanding sanctions against Iran for its direct attack on Israel with a barrage of missiles and drones. World leaders have urged restraint so things don’t escalate in this region. Netanyahu also met with the foreign ministers of Germany and the United Kingdom. David Cameron has said it was apparent that Israel planned to retaliate for the Iranian strikes.

14 Israeli Soldiers Wounded After Hezbollah Launches Missiles In Northern Israel

Hezbollah announced that it had initiated missile and drone attacks on a military installation in northern Israel in response to Israeli airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of Hezbollah operatives. The Israeli military reported that the attack resulted in 14 soldiers sustaining injuries, with six of them in critical condition. The military stated that it responded by targeting the origin points of the attacks, having identified multiple launches of anti-tank missiles and drones from Lebanon directed towards the Bedouin village of Arab al-Aramshe. It has also raised concerns over whether this will lead to further escalation here.

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