Passage 1
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off India’s first indigenously built hydrogen fuel cell ferry boat in virtual mode here on February 28 (Wednesday).
The pilot vessel is a 24-metre catamaran which can carry 50 passengers with fully air-conditioned passenger space. It will make urban mobility smooth and easy, according to a release.
The flagging off of the vessel was part of a major programme organised in Thoothukudi to mark the laying of the foundation stone for a ₹17,300-crore project in Thoothukudi. These included foundation stone-laying for the outer harbour at the V.O. Chidambaranar Port, dedication of 75 lighthouses across 10 States and Union territories and dedication of various rail and road network projects, said a press release from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) here.
Mr. Modi said the hydrogen cell-powered inland waterway vessel under the Harit Nauka initiative is a gift of the people.
Source – https://www.deccanherald.com/india/kerala/
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Passage 2
Ghana’s parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that has drawn international condemnation. “After three long years, we have finally passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act,” said Sam George, one of the main sponsors of the bill on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The bill, which was introduced in the parliament in 2021, not only criminalizes LGBTQ relationships, but also those who support LGBTQ rights.
African countries still widely criminalize same-sex activity, mostly because of colonial era laws. But a raft of recent bills and proposed laws across Africa have looked to clarify and, in some cases, strengthen those laws.
The bill in Ghana still needs to be signed off by the country’s president before it becomes law.
“The bill broadens the scope of criminal sanctions against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual and queer people – simply for being who they are – and threatens criminal penalties against perceived allies of LGBTQ+ people,” he said.
Source- https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/28/africa/ghana-passes-anti-homosexuality-bill-intl/index.html