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UNHCR calls for funds to save refugees from coronavirus

New Delhi (NVI): With the number of novel coronavirus cases surpassing one lakh mark globally, the UNHCR has made an urgent appeal for US$33 million to save refugees with the various preparedness, prevention and response measures.

“UNHCR is urgently seeking an initial US$33 million to boost the preparedness, prevention and response activities to address the immediate public health needs of refugees prompted by COVID-19,” the UN Refugee Agency said.

“To date and based on available evidence, there have been no reports of COVID-19 infections among refugees and asylum seekers. However, the virus can affect anyone and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the global response includes all people,” said Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

“Allowing full access to health services, including for the most marginalized members of the community, is the best way to protect us all. Everyone on this planet – including refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people– should be able to access health facilities and services,” he added.

UNHCR is currently strengthening its overall preparedness, prevention and response measures to COVID-19 around the world. The health and well-being of refugees and humanitarian personnel working for them in more than 130 countries around the world are central to these efforts, the agency said.

UNHCR is contributing to epidemiological surveillance, reporting, contact tracing and investigation of alerts in collaboration with ministries of health, WHO and partners, including at points of entry and refugee sites, it said.

In addition, UNHCR operations are actively contributing to overall UN efforts and reviewing the capacity of public health partners to respond in the event of an outbreak in refugee/IDP camps or settlements. Operations are also being advised to check their stocks of medical and other hygiene supplies, equipment and personal protective kits, it added.

Delhi violence: PFI prez, secretary held

J-K Police
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Police Special Cell today arrested Popular Front of India (PFI) president Parvez and secretary Illiyas in connection with northeast Delhi violence.

The duo has been arrested for their alleged role in instigating people during the riots in northeast Delhi and funding for the riots.

Parvez and Illiyas are likely to be produced before Delhi’s Patiala House Court later today.

The PFI has been accused of funding protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and similar charges were also pressed against it.

The violence swept northeast Delhi area after the pro-and anti-CAA groups clashed. Over 50 people have been killed in the violence.

Rain, snowfall over Western Himalayas; temperature dips in North India 

New Delhi (NVI): Rainfall and snow activities have increased over many parts of Western Himalayas in last 24 hours after Western Disturbance has intensified. It has also moved over to Ladakh region.
Following this, the temperatures have dropped further over most parts of India due to icy cold winds from the snow-clad mountains of Himalayas.
Meanwhile, Udaipur in Rajasthan is the coldest city in the plains of India, with its morning temperature settling at 10 degree Celsius.
Sikar in Rajasthan and Narnaul in Haryana recorded minimum temperature at 10.5 and 10.8 degree Celsius respectively.
Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan and Hisar in Haryana recorded minimum temperature at 11.3 and 12.1 degree Celsius respectively.
Amritsar in Punjab and Pilani in Rajasthan both recorded minimum temperature at 12.4  degree Celsius.
Apart from this, Rajasthan’s Bikaner, Churu and Ajmer has recorded minimum temperature at 12.5, 12.6 and 12.7 degree Celsius respectively.
Meanwhile, Delhi and NCR region also saw a slight decrease in minimum temperature to 14.7 degrees Celsius from 14.8 degrees Celsius recorded yesterday.
The maximum temperature today is expected to be around 27 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The weatherman expect back to back Western Disturbances to enhance the rains even further.
It expect fairly widespread rain and snow over Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand until the night of March 13 leading to the closure of many roads, landslides and mudslides.

2019 was 2nd warmest year on record: WMO report

Photo Credit: WMO

New Delhi (NVI): 2019 was the second warmest year on record, the past decade was the hottest in human history and January was the warmest January since 1850,  according to the new report released by World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

”January was recorded as the warmest month of the year and the year 2019 ended with a global average temperature of 1.1°C above estimated pre-industrial levels, second only to the record set in 2016,” the report said.

In 2019, India was one of the countries including Australia, Japan, and Europe with a record-setting temperature that negatively affected health and well-being, the report suggests.

UN General Secretary Antonio Guterres while briefing on agency’s annual state of the Global climate 2019 report said, ”We have no time to lose if we are to avert climate catastrophe and this is a pivotal year for how we address the climate emergency.”

”Greenhouse gas concentrations are at the highest level in three million years when the earth temperature was as much as three degrees hotter and sea level some 15 metres higher, ” he said.

”Ocean heat is at a record level with temperatures rising at the equivalent of five Hiroshima bombs a second,” he said adding that we count the cost in human lives and livelihoods as droughts, wildfires, floods and extreme storms take their deadly toll.

More than 6.7 million new internal disaster displacements were recorded between January and June 2019, triggered by hydrometeorological events such as Cyclone Idai in Southeast Africa, Cyclone Fani in South Asia, Hurricane Dorian in the Caribbean, and flooding in Iran, the Philippines and Ethiopia. This number was forecast to reach close to 22 million in 2019, up from 17.2 million in 2018. Of all natural hazards, floods and storms contributed most to displacement, the report added.

COVID-19: French President Macron to greet all his counterparts with namaste

New Delhi (NVI): Being aware of the coronavirus outbreak, French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to meet all his counterparts with traditional Indian style of greeting — by saying ‘namaste’– instead of shaking hands.

The French President’s resolve was seen when he greeted Spain’s King and Queen today. He replaced the traditional handshake with an Indian-style namaste, pressing his palms together and bowing slightly.

French Ambassador to India, Emmanuel Lenain said in a tweet that Macron has decided to meet his counterparts with namaste, While also adding that the French President has retained the “graceful gesture” since his India visit in 2018.

“Président Macron has decided to greet all his counterparts with a namaste, a graceful gesture that he has retained from his India visit in 2018,” he tweeted.

Public health authorities in Europe have said that people should avoid shaking hands to curb the spread of coronavirus. The COVID-19 infection could be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact.

Women participation crucial in Afghan peace process: Hillary Clinton

New York (NVI): Women must be a part of peace negotiations in Afghanistan as there can be no sustainable peace if women are not at the negotiating table, former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said.

“Women are essential to combating corruption, building economic growth and ensuring the longevity of any agreement that is reached. If women are sidelined, the prospects for sustainable peace are slim,” she said in New York at the meeting of the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan, while commenting on the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed in Doha on February 29.

“If society is torn apart and women pushed to the margins, it is more likely that terrorists will find a haven. There can be no sustainable peace without women’s participation and rights” she said while adding that women must be included, and women’s rights respected, as part of any peace negotiation in Afghanistan.

“To this day, they remember how they would be whipped in public for the slightest infraction; how they were kept secluded and deprived of going to school, seeking medical services, or interacting socially, and how they had to endure cruel punishments such as stoning decreed by outlaw courts. In addition, quite a few of them lost their closest and most dear relatives to Taliban acts of violence: an occurrence that unfortunately continues until today”, she said.

“We need our allies, international partners and supporters to elevate the strides of my fellow Afghan sisters for not only having a seat at the negotiating table but for a comprehensive peace agreement that protects the constitutional rights of every Afghan woman”, she stated.

“Because women’s rights are human rights,” she added.

JK Govt orders closure of schools, colleges, varsities till Mar 31

Mubashir Bukhari

Jammu (NVI): Amid growing coronavirus scare, Jammu and Kashmir government ordered the closure of all educational institutions across the Union Territory till March 31.

Addressing media in Jammu, Director, NHM Bhupinder Kumar said that government has decided that all government and private schools, colleges and universities across Jammu and Kashmir will remain closed till March 31.

“Teaching and class work shall remain suspended in these institutions till this period. However, Board and other competitive examinations shall be conducted by the authorities as per schedule,” he said.

Kumar said that the public is advised to maintain social distance and avoid unnecessary travels and use of public transport.

Spelling out measures being taken up to control and prevent spread of this virus, the director informed that control rooms and surveillance teams have been constituted in all the districts of UT. Besides that, two coronavirus lab testing facilities have already been made functional in SKIMS, Srinagar and GMC, Jammu.

Giving a detailed break up on the COBID-19 suspected cases in the UT till date, he informed that 1,211 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been put under active surveillance; 150 of these have completed surveillance period of 28 days while as 12 are undergoing hospital quarantine.

Kumar added that 64 samples of suspected cases have been sent for testing so far; 28 have reported negative, 1 has tested positive and report of 35 is still awaited.

Urging people to contribute in tackling the situation, Kumar appealed all incoming passengers returning to J&K having travel history to China, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, Iran, Malaysia, France, Spain and Germany, to undergo self-imposed quarantine for a period of 14 days from the date of their arrival.

Kumar also said that the government has urged citizens especially those with travel history to affected countries such as China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, etc., to self declare immediately and to report to the nearest government health facility if any symptoms are found.

He maintained that novel coronavirus has no definite treatment so prevention is best and every person has a capacity to contribute in this situation. He urged the public to maintain social distance and avoid unnecessary travel and use of public transport. He reiterated that citizens must take basic precautions such as personal hygiene, hand washing, coughing and sneezing etiquettes and must avoid touching of face, eyes, nose and also report any symptoms (fever, difficult breathing and cough) to the medical authorities immediately in order to contain the virus.

The government also advised people not to panic and to rely on the information released by the administration and health officials in this regard.

Earlier in the day, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu ordered the closure of all educational institutions, public clubs and stadiums within the district’s limits.

He said that Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has taken the step as a preventive measure to keep the viral infection away while adding that the decision would allow the municipal body to sterilise and sanitise schools and colleges.

“Under a special set of statutory provisions, SMC has ordered closure of all educational institutions, public clubs, sports clubs, indoor and open stadiums, coaching centers within #Srinagar City Limits till further orders. The order within SMC limits takes effect from tomorrow,” he tweeted earlier today.

Latika Kundu to join MSE as its 1st woman MD, CEO

Mumbai (NVI): Metropolitan Stock Exchange (MSE) today announced that exchange industry veteran Latika Kundu Will join the third national stock exchange in India as its Managing Director and CEO tomorrow.

Kundu will also be the first woman MD & CEO of the stock exchange. She is also experienced in setting new ventures.

She has over 20 years of experience with leadership role in setting up and managing Global Exchanges, Depository, Clearing houses.

Kundu has also been recognized as a ‘Thought Leader’, felicitated by her alma mater ITM with ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ in 2010 and, recognized as ‘Top 50 Entrepreneurs’ in Ideas with Intention 2.0 by her alma
mater Narsee Monjee College in 2019.

Apart from this, she has also been former member of the board at Institute of Banking & Finance’s (IBF), Capital Markets and Financial Advisory Services Examination Board (CMFAS) Singapore, and Expert Committee Member of the Capital Market Committee of the Bombay Chambers of Commerce & Industry (BCCI).

 

NABARD projects Rs 2,525 cr credit potential for Anantnag

Anantnag (NVI): The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has projected a credit potential of Rs 2,525 for Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in the 2020-21 fiscal.

The figure was released at a district level consultative committee meeting held under the chairmanship of District Development Commissioner, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Kashmir Administrative Services (KAS).

District officers from various departments, RBI, NABARD and banks were also present in the meeting.

On the occasion, the DC unveiled the booklet on NABARD’s Potential-linked Credit Plan (PLP) for the ensuing year.

NABARD has estimated a total credit potential of Rs 2,525 Crore for the year 2020-21 under priority sector to be

disbursed by the Banks and Financial Institutions in the district, DDM NABARD, Rouf Zargar said while giving details about the potential plan.

The PLP would form the basis for the preparation of annual District Credit plan for 2020-21 based on the policies of the Central and State Government in the district, Zargar said.

He also informed that the PLP document takes into account in various sectors such as Short Term Crop loans, Term loans under various Agri-Allied activities upto the tune of 261 Crore, MSME upto the tune of 670 Crore, renewable energy upto the tune of 4.24 Crore, food/agro-processing for 24 Crore and other activities such as education, housing and social infrastructure under Priority Sector. The document were drafted in consultation with various developmental departments and banks, he added.

The DC emphasized upon the Banks to increase the lending in Agriculture, horticulture and also the Allied activities to generate employment in the district.

He also emphasized on providing working capital to dairy, sheep and fisheries sector under KCC and advised the banks to utilize the NABARDs PLP document while setting up their targets under credit plans and utilize the booklet as a reference guide to plan their annual targets.

396 people including 3 former CMs detained under PSA in Kashmir

Pulwama
Representative picture of Kashmir

New Delhi (NVI): As many as 396 persons including three former J&K chief ministers have been detained under Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA), out of total 451, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy said in Rajya Sabha today.

In response to a question by Shiromani Akali Dal MP Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Reddy informed the Upper House that 7,357 persons including stone pelters, miscreants, over ground workers, separatists, etc. were taken into preventive custody since August 2019.

Among those who have been booked under PSA also include three former Chief Ministers, Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah. The three former CM’s were booked under the PSA on January 6. Since then, the stringent law has come under sharp focus.

Omar, Mehbooba and Farooq were among the Kashmiri politicians who were detained after the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year.

A total of eight mainstream leaders have also been detained under the PSA in Kashmir.

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