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World Post Day: History and significance

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New Delhi (NVI): World Post Day is marked on October 9 every year to celebrate the establishment of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) which was started in 1874 in Switzerland.

The day was declared by the 1969 UPU Congress in Tokyo, Japan. In addition to this, it was proposed by the member of Indian delegation, Anand Mohan Narula.

The first known postal document, found in Egypt, dates back to 255 BC. However, postal services existed on nearly every continent in the form of messengers serving kings and emperors even before that.

The day aims to spread awareness about the Post’s role in the everyday lives of people and businesses and its contribution to global social and economic development. The UPU’s three strategic pillars are innovation, integration and inclusion.

The Post has a network of more than 6.5 lakh offices and 53 lakh staff globally. It has the ability to deliver services to anyone, anywhere.

More than 150 countries celebrate the day every year. The day is observed with programmes and activities creating awareness about the Post’s role. Nations also promote new postal products and services to celebrate the day.

Postal services are coming up with new and creative ways to keep the post moving even during the coronavirus pandemic. Posts have stepped in to offer everything from delivering critical personal protective equipment, testing kits and medications, to ensuring children receive their educational materials to continue their schooling from home.

This year, the celebrations of World Post Day will be held virtually.

-CHK

Centre issues SOPs on preventive measures to be followed in entertainment parks

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New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Health issued the standard operating procedures (SOPs) to be followed in entertainment parks and other similar places outside the containment zones to contain the spread of COVID-19.

According to the guidelines, prior to resumption of activities, all work areas, public utility areas and open spaces, including rides, museums, gardens, food courts, gift shops, theatres, etc. will have to be sanitised. Thereafter, this needs to be done on a regular basis.

All visitors will have to mandatorily sanitise their hands before and after using rides and the frequently touched surfaces of equipment must be disinfected before commencing the ride, along with ensuring physical distancing in rides, it added.

“Even though most swimming pools have been directed to remain shut, administration of water themed amusement parks and water rides will have to ensure adequate and regular water filtration and chlorination as per laid down standards,” as per the guidelines.

Moreover, only asymptomatic persons (managerial staff, employees, visitors) will be allowed in the premises. “Management staff, employees and visitors living in containment zones shall not be allowed entry in amusement park and other similar places. All employees and visitors to be allowed entry only if using face cover and masks,” the guidelines said.

It added, employees who are at higher risk, such as, older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions must take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public.

With an aim to protect the vulnerable, the government has advised the persons above 65 years of age, those with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years to stay at home.

“Also, amusement parks and similar places in containment zones have been prohibited to operate. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to reopen,” the SOP noted.

The guidelines also mentioned the importance of ensuring physical distancing inside and outside the premises, for which it advised that specific markings be made on the floor.

Furthermore, for crowd management, the ministry directed that the density planning should be done to factor-in requirements for these peak days.

In addition to this, provision for online tickets must be encouraged, the tickets sold shall be commensurate with the floor area per person that is required for fulfilling the physical distancing norms.

The ministry guidelines further advised the use of CCTV in large numbers to monitor crowding at any rides or food court etc. as entry of visitors inside the park will have to be limited to ensure proper social distancing.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases exceed 36.4 mn worldwide; record global case rise

Coronavirus cases surpass 52 mn globally; US reports record 1.36 lakh infections

New Delhi (NVI): More than 36.4 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 while the death toll has crossed 1,060,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 25.3 million people have recovered from the disease.

The World Health Organization reported a record one-day increase in global coronavirus cases on Thursday, with the total rising by 3,38,779 in 24 hours.

The United States has passed another pandemic milestone, with more than 7.6m cases registered since the pandemic outbreak. The US death toll, at more than 2,12,000, accounts for over one in five deaths worldwide, too.

Brazil has registered 27,750 new cases of Covid-19, bringing the total cases to 5,028,444, the health ministry said. Reported deaths rose by 729 to 148,957, the second highest death toll in the world.

Mexico’s health ministry on Thursday reported 5,300 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 370 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 8,04,488 infections and 83,096 deaths.

Meanwhile, Australia reported its second straight day without any Covid-19 deaths on Friday, the longest stretch without any fatalities from the virus in three months. Australian states and territories reported 16 cases of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, down from 28 on Thursday.

The country’s second most populous state Victoria, the epicentre of Australia’s Covid-19 outbreak, said they now have less than 200 active infections.

Furthermore, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said late on Thursday that most of the Caribbean island nation would open to international tourism starting next week as it moved towards a “new normality” after containing its coronavirus outbreak.

Romania suspended flights to and from high-risk countries to stem a sharp rise in new coronavirus infections. Travellers from 49 high-risk countries will need to self-isolate for 10-14 days upon arrival, except those travelling for less than three days, who must have a negative coronavirus test.

-CHK

India’s COVID tally crosses 69-lakh mark, deaths at 1,06,490

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India increased to 69,06,152 with a single jump of 70,496 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, Union Health Ministry confirmed.

The country’s death toll has reached to 1,06,490 with 964 fatalities reported during this period.

So far, 59,06,070 patients have been cured and recovered all over the country while active cases stands at 8,93,592. With this, the recovery rate further improves to 85.5 per cent in India.

In worst-affected Maharashtra, the COVID-19 cases climbed to 14,93884, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 7,39,719 cases, and Tamil Nadu with 6,40,943 cases.

Other states with a high virus hit included Karnataka (6,79,356), Uttar Pradesh (4,27,459) and Delhi (3,00,833).

Meanwhile, of the total deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 39,430 fatalities, followed by Tamil Nadu with 10,052 deaths.

The death toll in the national capital surpassed to 5,653, while 2,72,948 patients have recovered so far, the healthy ministry data shows.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of more than 8,30,00,000 samples tested for COVID-19, up to October 8.

Furthermore, Maharashtra’s deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar yesterday said that a decision on reopening schools in the state will be taken after Diwali on assessing the prevailing COVID-19 situation in Maharashtra.

-RJV

Low-intensity earthquake hits Arunachal

quake
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New Delhi (NVI): An earthquake measuring 3.0 magnitude on the Richter scale struck Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district today, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

“Earthquake of Magnitude: 3.0, Occurred on 09-10-2020, 08:21:16 IST, Lat: 27.66 and Long: 91.88, Depth: 10 Km, Location: Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh,” the NCS tweeted.

Meanwhile, there were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to any property due to the earthquake. Further details awaited.

Earlier on August 24, an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 on the Richter scale struck Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh.

-RJV

Money laundering: JK Police files charge-sheet against JeM militant, 5 OGWs

Terrorist arrested
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Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir police today busted a Jaish-e-Muhammad module and filed a preliminary charge sheet against five Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and a Pakistani militant in connection with a money and technology transfer case.

A police official said that police in RS Pura area of Jammu region filed a charge-sheet in the court of 3rd Additional sessions Court Jammu.

“Charge-sheet was filed in the case of money and technology transfer against five OGWs and a Pakistani of Jaish-e-Muhammad outfit Abdur Rehman lodged in Kot Balwal Jail, Jammu,” the police official said.

He said that the case against the accused was registered at police station RS Pura, Jammu.

“The accused were motivating youth to join militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad and providing logistic support to them,” the official said, adding that the investigation in the case is under progress and supplementary challan would be produced in due course of time.

-ARK

Centre empowers J&K administration to impose property tax

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): In a significant development, the Centre today empowered J&K government for imposing property tax, by amending two municipal laws of the erstwhile state of J&K.

In an official statement, the Union Home Ministry on Monday notified: “The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir Re-organisation (adaptation of state laws order) 2020 to amend different laws including Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Act-2000 and Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000.”

According to the amendments carried out in Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Act-2000 and Jammu & Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act-2000, property tax shall be levied on all lands and buildings or vacant lands or both situated within the municipal area.

“Unless exempted under this Act or any other law for the time being in force, property tax shall be levied on all lands and buildings or vacant lands or both situated within the municipal area,” read the amendments made in the laws.

According to these amendments, the property tax shall be levied at such percentage not exceeding fifteen per cent of the taxable annual value of land and building or vacant land or both, as the Government may, by notification, from time to time specify.

These laws also empower the government to exempt certain classes or categories of persons or lands and buildings, or vacant lands or both from the payment of the property tax.

They also define methodology for determination of property tax.

“Subject to the provisions of section 86 and rules, if any, made by the Government in this behalf, the taxable annual value of land and building or vacant land assessable to taxes under this Act shall be calculated by multiplying the corresponding unit area value with the total built-up area of a building or the total area of land, as the case may be, minus depreciation, at such rates as may be prescribed, depending on the age of the building,” read the statement.

-ARK

Ram Vilas Paswan passes away at 74

New Delhi (NVI): Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who had recently undergone heart surgery at a Delhi hospital, passed away today. He was 74.

His son Chirag Paswan, who has taken over the mantle of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), confirmed his death in a tweet.

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution been hospitalised for the last few weeks after the heart surgery.

President Ram Nath Kovind condoled the demise of the LJP leader. “In the demise of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the nation has lost a visionary leader. He was among the most active and longest-serving members of parliament. He was the voice of the oppressed, and championed the cause of the marginalized,” the President tweeted.

-ARK

India in touch with Libyan govt for release of 7 Indians kidnapped in Tripoli

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of External Affairs today said that it is in touch with the Libyan authorities for the release of seven Indians who were working at a construction company in Libya and were kidnapped on September 14.

“Seven Indian nationals, hailing from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, were kidnapped at a place called Asshwerif in Libya on 14 September. They were working at a construction and oil field supplies company and were kidnapped on their way to the Tripoli airport to catch a flight to India,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a statement here.

Srivastava said that the Indian Embassy in Tunisia, which handles matters relating to the welfare of Indian nationals in Libya, has reached out to the Libyan government authorities concerned, as also the international organisations present there, to seek their help in rescuing the Indian nationals.

He said that the employer has been contacted by the kidnappers and shown photographs as proof that the Indian nationals were safe and keeping well.

“The government is in touch with their family members and would like to assure them that we are making all possible efforts, in consultation and coordination with Libyan authorities and the employer, to trace our nationals and secure their release from captivity at the earliest,” Srivastava said.

Th MEA spokesman further stated that in September 2015, an advisory had been issued by the Government for Indian nationals to avoid travelling to Libya in view of the security situation there.

Later, in May 2016, the Government imposed a complete travel ban irrespective of the purpose in view of the much deteriorated security situation. This travel ban is still in force, he added.

-ARK

33% increase in paddy procurement

New Delhi (NVI): There has been a 33 per cent increase in paddy procurement for ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21 in comparison to the corresponding period of last year, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution said in a statement.

Paddy procurement for Kharif Marketing Season has now gained good momentum with the start of procurement in some other states like Kerala, the ministry said.

The increase in the pace in ongoing procuring States has resulted in a total Paddy procurement of 20,37,634 MT from about 1.7 lakh farmers of the country having MSP value of Rs 3847.05 crores.

This is a whopping increase of over 33% vis-a-vis procurement in the corresponding period last year, the ministry said.

The arrival of Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21 has already commenced and Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at its MSP from farmers as per its existing MSP Schemes as done in previous seasons.

The ministry further stated that based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 30.70 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds for Kharif Marketing Season 2020 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.

-ARK

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