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Unseasonal rains expected in Odisha, Jharkhand

New Delhi (NVI): Rainfall activities are expected to increase in Odisha from today while many other parts in Jharkhand may also observe light to moderate rain.

Odisha has received light rains in the past 24 hours as well. These weather activities will continue till March 22.

At present, an anti-cyclonic circulation is already persisting over the west-central Bay of Bengal and it is feeding moisture towards the eastern parts of the country.

Therefore, rainfall activities will also cover many parts of West Bengal, as well as, South Bihar from tomorrow.

In Delhi, the maximum temperature today was recorded at 30 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 16 degrees Celsius.

According to IMD, the maximum and minimum temperature is expected to rise in the next few days.

Minimise travel by public: Road Ministry

New Delhi (NVI): Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has urged all the States and Union Territories to take necessary steps for containing novel coronavirus outbreak in the means of public transport.

In a letter written to all states and UTs, the ministry has highlighted the importance of social distancing among public for controlling the disease.

The Ministry has also requested to minimise transport numbers among the people. If it is not unavoidable, refund of fare may be considered against advance bookings, the ministry said in a statement.

Further, the States/UTs have been requested to make arrangements for sending SMSs to the passengers for making them aware of these steps. As per latest reports, the total number of positive cases of coronavirus was at 147 in Indian. Three people have died of the disease so far.

PM to address nation on COVID-19 tmrw

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation tomorrow at 8 PM and will talk about issues related to coronavirus and efforts to combat it.

Earlier today, PM Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing efforts to contain the virus. “Ways to further strengthen India’s preparedness were discussed,” the PMO said in a tweet.

During the meeting today, the PM emphasised on actively engaging with individuals, local communities and organisations in chalking our mechanisms to fight the COVID-19 menace. He also urged officials and technical experts to deliberate on the steps to be taken next. ‬

First coronavirus case confirmed in Kashmir division

Srinagar (NVI): A Saudi returned woman was tested positive for coronavirus in Srinagar today, making her the first confirmed case in the Kashmir division.

Confirming the development, District Development Commissioner, Srinagar Dr Shahid Choudhary wrote on his Twitter handle: “There will be restrictions on public transport, assembly of people and some other measures, in Srinagar from tomorrow. Steps are being taken in view of a positive case detected. Further updates to follow.”

He added that the woman had recently arrived from Saudi Arabia.

Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal added more details about the case: “First positive case in Kashmir- Khanyar, Srinagar.  History of foreign travel. Arrived on 16/3/2020.  Put in Isolation. Surveillance started in 300m area. Request all to cooperate. Also immediately self-report any symptoms.”

In Jammu and Kashmir, three cases were tested positive earlier, with this new case, the number has gone to four in this UT.

Study claims Type 1 diabetes is ‘two separate conditions’

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Type 1 diabetes itself comprises two distinct sub-types depending on age, a new study has found.

Research conducted at the University of Exeter in the UK found that children who were diagnosed with diabetes under seven years of age do not process insulin properly and the cells that make it are quickly destroyed.

On the other hand, those who are diagnosed over 13 often continue to produce normal insulin, scientists said.

The findings have, however, reignited an important question that whether these “dormant” insulin-producing cells could be reinvigorated to work more effectively.

The study has been published in Diabetologia – the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. It suggests new names for the two distinct forms – endotypes – of the condition.

Type 1 diabetes diagnosed in youngest children was identified as endotype 1 (T1DE1) while type 1 diabetes in older children was identified as endotype 2 (T1DE2).

In the case of Type 2 diabetes, which is far more common and largely preventable, it is usually identified in adults and is influenced by both lifestyle and genetic factors.

Coronavirus scare: Despite ban, 4 foreign tourists enter Kashmir

Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar (NVI): Amid ban on foreign tourists in Jammu and Kashmir due to coronavirus outbreak, four foreigners were allowed by airport authorities to enter Kashmir.

According to officials, a couple from Italy, a citizen from the United States and one from Russia landed at Srinagar Airport on Wednesday.

After screening them, the authorities instead of deporting them allowed them to enter into Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir has banned the entry of foreign tourists in the Valley.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Chowdary said these tourists will be sent back. “They were already present in India and they have toured to Rajasthan and other areas. We have done proper screening but they will be sent back tomorrow,” he said.

Mayor of Srinagar, Junaid Mattu said, “I have spoken to DC Srinagar and SSP Srinagar about this. The administration is cognizant of the issue I was told and taking appropriate measures. To panic and disclose their locations won’t help. Let’s have faith and remain calm. I’ve seen some very provocative posts,” he said in a tweet.

COVID-19 has been declared an epidemic in Jammu and Kashmir, and surveillance personnel has been authorized to enter any premises to look for suspects infected with the Coronavirus.

195 Indians evacuated from Iran brought to Jaisalmer Army facility

Jaisalmer (NVI): Another batch of 195 Indians, who were evacuated from coronavirus-hit Iran, was brought to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan by a special plane today.

The passengers have been shifted to the Army Wellness Facility at Jaisalmer Military Station, after they were screened at the Airport, PRO Defence Rajasthan, Colonel Sombit Ghosh said.

With this, a total of 484 people have been put under quarantine at the Army Wellness Facility till now.

Army officials have confirmed that all the quarantined people are stable and are making full use of the facilities available in the Wellness Facility.

The first batch of 236 people had arrived on Sunday in two flights while the second group of 53 Indians came on Monday.

Apart from this, Chief of Army Staff, General MM Naravane also visited the Army Wellness Centre established here and reviewed all measures taken to keep the evacuees in a safe quarantine zone.

In another development, a batch of 405 stranded Indians at Kuala Lumpur International Airport been brought back to Delhi and Visakhapatnam by Air Asia flights today.

The Indian Embassy in Malaysia tweeted, “Thanks Air Asia for flying out 405 stranded Indians transiting thru KLIA in Spl flights to Delhi and Vizag today. Kudos to @hcikl officials for working tirelessly since yesterday to make it happen.”

J&K: Interstate bus services stopped amid COVID-19 fears

Jammu (NVI): In order to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 in Jammu & Kashmir, the UT Government today suspended all interstate bus services in the Union Territory.

Transport Commissioner, Pardeep Kumar ordered that no inter-state bus service shall ply on interstate routes with immediate effect till further orders.

Apart from this, the administration has also suspended the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage from today.

It is also ordered that buses belonging to Union Territory of J&K which are presently outside the UT shall not carry any passenger from outside the UT while returning back.

Yes bank services operational: What depositors need to know

New Delhi (NVI): As announced by Yes Bank on Monday, it has resumed its full services from 6 pm today. The private lender confirmed the resumption of its services in a tweet.

In another tweet, the bank said that its branches will open one hour earlier at 8.30 am from March 19 to 21.

“To serve you better, our branches will open one hour earlier at 08:30 hours from March 19 to 21, 2020. We have also extended banking hours across branches for our senior citizen customers, from March 19 to March 27, 2020, 16:30 hours to 17:30 hours,” it tweeted.

The private lender was placed under moratorium by RBI on March 5. Withdrawals were capped at Rs 50,000 with higher withdrawals permitted only under certain circumstances.

With the latest development, the customers will now be able to withdraw money from Yes Bank ATMs and initiate NEFT/IMPS/RTGS transactions.

At present, Yes Bank allows only inward NEFT/IMPS/RTGS transactions from other banks.

In a press conference in Mumbai Yesterday, Yes Bank’s CEO Prashant Kumar had assured depositors that the bank’s ATMs have sufficient cash and there was no liquidity issue. He has also urged the customers not to withdraw their money in panic.

With the full services of private sector lender set to resume tomorrow, all branches of the bank will open during normal banking hours tomorrow.

In its earlier tweet on March 16, the bank had also stated that the customers can visit any of its 1,132 braches from March 19, (tomorrow) post commencement of banking hours to use the services.

I was in touch with Hurriyat: Ex-Envoy of Pakistan

New Delhi (NVI): Spilling the beans, former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has admitted that he had maintained relations with the separatist Kashmiri conglomerate Hurriyat Conference, pursuing his country’s “policy”, during his posting in New Delhi.

He also slammed former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for trying to improve relations with India and for making efforts to develop personal “equation” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In video comments uploaded on his Twitter handle, Basit said Sharif, who wanted good relations with India, had done certain things which had “harmed Pakistan and will harm it in future too”.

The former envoy to New Delhi, who also served as Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Sharif’s “efforts and wish to improve ties with India was wrong”.

He said Sharif’s effort was develop personal equation with Modi but did not elaborate.

Sharif had responded positively when Modi became the Prime Minister for the first time in 2014 and invited his Pakistani counterpart for his swearing-in ceremony. Sharif attended the ceremony along with leaders of other SAARC countries.

“As regards Kashmir issue, I personally had differences with Nawaz Sharif on his approach. Our (Pakistan’s) policy has always been that we have to maintain relations with Hurriyat and I pursued that policy,” said Basit, who served as the Pakistan’s High Commissioner in New Delhi from 2014 to 2017.

He seemed to suggest that Sharif had asked him to dilute that “policy” with regard to Hurriyat as he said, “So much was said verbally to me but I always insisted that there should be written directives.”

Basit, during his stay in New Delhi, often invited Hurriyat leaders to the Pakistan High Commission and hosted them, despite India’s strong reservations.

Referring to Sharif’s cooperative approach towards India after Pathankot airbase was attacked by Pakistani terrorists on January 1,2016, Basit said, “We lodged FIR against some people in Gujranwala (in Pakistan) at the behest of India, which was not right (decision).”

The former envoy said Sharif also had personal business interests in his mind and wanted Indian investments.

“Nawaz Sharif had business interests. He has sugar mills here. I remember that his nephew Salman Shahbaz used to call me almost every month for visas. Salman would request for visas to certain persons. I would always tell him that the procedure should be followed.

“However, sometimes in emergency, one or two visas were issued to (Indian businessman) Sajjan Jindal, who was his (Salman’s) friend. He (Salman) wanted his (Jindal’s) investment in coal mines in Pakistan. It was certainly Nawaz Sharif’s wish,” Basit said.

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