UN Telecommunications Agency Launches Global Platform To Fortify Countries' Networks
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), an agency of the United Nations, has announced the launch of a 'global platform' to help protect telecommunication networks under strain due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao said in a statement that the Global Network Resiliency Platform will assist governments and the private sector in ensuring that networks are kept resilient and telecommunication services are available to all, as well as inform consumers on responsible network usage.
The platform set out by the ITU aims to assist policy-makers, regulators and telecommunication companies by sharing 'best practices and initiatives put in place during the COVID-19 crisis'.
Afghan govt. and Taliban hold 1st discussion on arranging possible prisoner exchange
The Afghan government and the Taliban held their first discussion on arranging possible prisoner exchanges. The US special envoy for Afghanistan informed this on Twitter.
US special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said that the US and Qatar facilitated the first Afghan government to Taliban technical talks on prisoner releases, via Skype video conferencing.
He had said on Wednesday that it was "urgent" to quickly conclude plans for such exchanges as the Coronavirus pandemic was complicating diplomatic contacts.
US Slashes Aid To Afghanistan After Mike Pompeo Visit To Kabul
The Trump administration is slashing $1 billion in assistance to Afghanistan and threatening further reductions in all forms of cooperation after the country's rival leaders failed to agree on forming a new government.
The decision to cut the aid was made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo after he made an unannounced, urgent visit to Kabul to meet with Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the rival Afghan politicians who have each declared themselves president of the country after disputed elections last year. Pompeo had hoped to break the deadlock but was unable to.
In an unusually harsh statement, Pompeo slammed the two men for being unable to work together and threatening a potential peace deal that could end America's longest-running conflict. The U.S. has been the prime backer of the Afghan government since it invaded the country in 2001 and overthrew the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks.
Govt Bans Export Of Sanitisers, Ventilators With Immediate Effect
The government banned export of all sanitisers and ventilators with immediate effect in wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
It also banned exports of all types of ventilators, including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance or device.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics Are Postponed Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has hit the biggest sporting event in the world — the Summer Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee postponed the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, officials announced Tuesday. The event was scheduled to start July 24 in Tokyo.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he and the head of the International Olympic Committee agreed to delay the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo for about a year. The games, which had been scheduled to end Aug. 9, will take place "no later than summer 2021," the IOC said. The Paralympic Games had been scheduled for Aug. 25 to Sept. 6.
Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay Cancelled Following Postponement Of Games
The Japan leg of the Tokyo Olympic torch relay, scheduled to begin March 26, 2020, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee.
The move comes after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach agreed to postpone the games by roughly one year during a telephone conference.
"We will not start the torch relay, while we will discuss countermeasures," Mori told a press conference in Tokyo. "In response to the postponement of the Olympics, we will draw a new plan for the relay."
The IOC said in a statement that the Olympic flame will remain in Japan.
The torch relay was scheduled to start in Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, before traveling to all 47 prefectures in the country. Mori said a new schedule would be determined at a later date.
TN CM Announces Rs 1,000 Cash Assistance For Ration Card Holders
Telangana chief minster K Chandrasekhar Rao declared complete lock-down of the state till March 31, 2020 in order to contain the spread of new coronavirus even as the total number of cases jumped to 26.
Along with the lock-down decision, which includes the closure of interstate borders, chief minister Rao also announced an economic package worth of Rs 3,520 crore to provide relief to 8.8 million families having white (below poverty line) ration cards. He announced Rs 1,000 cash assistance for ration card holders to compensate for livelihood loss due to coronavirus outbreak.
Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi Palaniswami Hikes Pension For Temple Priests, Announces New TV For Shrines
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced a hike in the pension of village temple priests to Rs 3,000 from Rs 1,000 and said a television channel dedicated to shrines will be launched.
Announcing new initiatives under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department (HR and CE), he informed the Assembly that the pension will be hiked. "The pension of retired village temple priests will be increased to Rs 3,000 from Rs 1,000," he said.
The beneficiaries are those who have completed 20 years of service and completed 60 years of age and served at temples not under the ambit of HR and CE. He said that the additional expenditure of Rs 4.64 crore for the move will be met from government funds.
Palaniswami said renovation work will be carried out in 55 ancient temples at a cost of Rs 50 crore from government and temple fund. "A television (channel) will be launched in the name of Thirukkoil at an estimated cost of Rs 8.77 crore," he said.
Invest India Launches A Global Platform For Ventilators, Sanitisers, Masks
India has launched a platform to match the demand and supply of crucial products including masks, sanitisers and ventilators, and help businesses and investors get real-time updates on the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Invest India Business Immunity Platform is ascertaining government's needs for masks, sanitisers, ventilators and wipes, among other things and then matching them with companies who can produce them.
MoD submits reports of the land acquired for UP and TN Defence Industrial Corridors from UP and TN
Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the total land acquired so far from the state governments of Uttar Pradesh and Tami Nadu for Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridors is 1,182 hectares and 1,537 hectares. The information was provided by Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Yesso Naik.
Revised Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) gives specific provisions for stimulating the growth of the domestic defence industry.
Government introduced the 'Strategic Partnership (SP)' Model to establish long-term strategic partnerships with Indian entities through a transparent and competitive process.
Indian firm will tie up with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to seek technology transfers to set up domestic manufacturing infrastructure and supply chains.
FDI Policy has also been revised. As per the revised policy, FDI is allowed under automatic route up to 49% and beyond 49% through Government route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.
Manu Dibango: African Saxophone Legend Dies Of Covid-19
The African saxophone legend Manu Dibango has died in Paris after catching coronavirus.
Dibango - best known for his 1972 hit Soul Makossa - is one of the first global stars to die from Covid-19.
The 86-year-old fused jazz and funk music with traditional sounds from his home country, Cameroon.
He collaborated with numerous artists over a long career, including US pianist Herbie Hancock and Nigeria's Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
The Cameroonian musician filed a lawsuit in 2009 saying Michael Jackson had stolen a hook from his song, Soul Makossa, for two tracks on the world's best-selling album, Thriller. Jackson settled the case out of court.
Albert Uderzo, A Creator Of French Hero Asterix, Dies At 92
Albert Uderzo, one of the two creators of the beloved comic book character Asterix, who captured the spirit of the Gauls of yore and grew a reputation worldwide, died. He was 92.
The French press quoted family members as saying that Uderzo died of a heart attack in the Paris suburb of Neuilly.
Asterix, portrayed as a short man with a droopy mustache always wearing a helmet with wings, was created in the early 1960s by Uderzo and Rene Goscinny. The character lived in a village in Gaul, present-day France, resisting Roman conquerors, along with his inseparable big-bellied friend, Obelix.
International Day Of Remembrance Of The Victims Of Slavery And The Transatlantic Slave Trade Is Observed On 25 March
For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history.
Every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.
In order to more permanently honour the victims, a memorial has been erected at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The unveiling took place on 25 March 2015. The winning design for the memorial, The Ark of Return by Rodney Leon, an American architect of Haitian descent, was selected through an international competition and announced in September 2013.
International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
March 25 is the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members. This date is the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a journalist who died while working for the UN.
The UN promotes the International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members to encourage governments to do more in their power to protect UN personnel in their jobs.
The day is also a moment to remember UN personnel who have been abducted whilst doing their job, such as journalist Alec Collett. Collett worked for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East when he was abducted by armed gunman in on March 25, 1985. His body was found in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley in 2009 and eventually returned to his family.
TN's 38th District Mayiladuthurai To Be Carved Out Of Nagapattinam
Nagapattinam district will be bifurcated into two districts. The new district Mayiladuthurai will be established as the 38th district in the state, said Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
The Chief Minister announced this in the state Assembly on the last day of the shortened budget session that ends on March 24, 2020 instead of the earlier business schedule of April 9. The session ends sine die on Tuesday in the wake of coronavirus threat and the lockdown announced by the government.
The existing district of Nagapattinam will be bifurcated and Mayiladuthurai will become the headquarters of the new district.
Patnaik Launches Mo Jeeban Programme
Hours after the state government announced total lockdown of Odisha due to the coronavirus outbreak, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched Mo Jeeban programme and urged people to take a pledge to stay indoors.
I am launching the Mo Jeeban (My Life) programme and appealing to all to remain indoors. If you go outside, you may bring the virus at home which will affect your family. Therefore, please stay at home, Patnaik said in a video message.
Striking an emotional chord with the people who have voted him to power five times in a row since the year 2000, Patnaik said, During the last 20 years, I have made several appeals and you have responded. Today, I am seeking your cooperation and support to keep everyone safe.
Finance Minister Extends Deadline For GST Returns To June 30
The FM made these announcements during her address to the media on measures to tackle the economic impact of coronavirus. She added that no different staggering dates will be followed while filing GST returns for March, April and May.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the last date for filing GST returns for March, April and May has been extended to June 30. The previous date for filing of GST returns was March 31, 2020. The deadline for composition returns on GST has been also been extended to June 30, 2020.
Sitharaman also announced that companies with less than Rs 5 crore turnover won't be charged interest or penalty for the late filing of GST. Bigger companies will have have to pay the interest amount at 9 per cent for delayed filing of GST, but no late fee or penalty will be levied.
The FM has also announced that the deadline for filing income tax returns for Financial Year 2018-2019 has been extended to June 31, 2020.
The deadline for Aadhar-PAN linking has been extended to June 30. The interest charged on delayed deposits of TDS has been lowered from 12 per cent to 9 per cent and will be charged till June 2020.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared a three-week nationwide "complete lockdown" from March 25, 2020 in the world's largest such exercise aimed at stemming the spread of coronavirus that has infected 557 people and claimed the lives of 10 in the country.
"From midnight today, there will be a complete lockdown. To save India, to save every citizen, to save you and your family, from 12am, there will be a complete ban on stepping out of the house. Every state, every village, union territory is being locked down. This is a step further than the Janata curfew. It is a step that is needed," Modi said in a televised address to the nation.
Hantavirus Kills Man In China, 32 Co-Passengers In Bus Being Tested
A person from south China's Yunnan province died of hantavirus infection, or the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) while on his way to eastern China's Shandong province.
"He was tested positive for hantavirus. Other 32 people on the bus were tested," the GT tweet said without elaborating.
According to the World Health Organisation, HPS is a zoonotic (which could spread from animals to human) viral respiratory disease, which could spread from rodents.
The disease symptoms are headache, dizziness, chills fever, muscle pain, and stomach problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by sudden onset of respiratory distress and low blood pressure.
Prez, V Prez, PM greet people on new year Vikram Samvat 2077
President, Vice President, Prime Minister have greeted people on new year Vikram Samvat 2077, Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padava, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba on March 25, 2020.
President Ram Nath Kovind hoped that the auspicious occasions will bring good health, happiness and prosperity to everyone's life. He urged everyone to follow guidelines to fight COVID19 with full determination.
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