New Zealand’s health minister resigned Thursday following a series of private blunders during the coronavirus pandemic. David Clark had earlier described himself as an idiot for breaking the nation’s lockdown measures then last week seemed to blame a beloved health official for border lapses, generating an angry response from the general public. Announcing his resignation, Clark said he’d put all his energy into the work. But it’s become increasingly clear to me that my continuation within the role is distracting from the government’s overall response to COVID-19,” he said. Clark said he intended to stay within the parliament as a…
Author: Our Correspondent
Pakistan’s National Institute of Health has expressed concerns over the increased risks of transmission of the Wuhan Coronavirus and another deadly disease named Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) due to increased human-animal interaction during the upcoming Eid al Adha or Bakra Eid. It has stated that the increased human-animal interaction during movement, purchase and herding of sacrificial animals ahead of Eid multiplies the risks of the CCHF. Eid al Adha As per reports, Pakistan’s NIH, through its Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division (FEDSD), has issued an advisory alerting stakeholders, including healthcare providers to take timely steps to prevent widespread transmission…
Union Minister Piyush Goyal announced on 1st July that Indian Railways had invited private players to submit “Request for Qualifications” for operating 151 passenger trains on 109 pairs of routes. This project will entail a private sector investment of Rs.30,000 crore in Indian Railways. The main objective of this project is to introduce modern technology with reduced maintenance, reduced transit time, improved safety, better job opportunities, and world-class travel experience for the passengers. In the press release issued announcing the same, the Ministry of Railway stated that the majority of the trains running under this project would be made-in-India. It…
In what can be seen as a significant move for the upliftment of transgenders, the Union Home Ministry has asked the central armed forces like the CRPF, ITBP, SSB & CISF for their opinion on incorporating ‘transgender’ as a Third category along with male and female in the rules of Central Armed Police Forces- CAPF(AC) Examination 2020. The departments have been asked to furnish their opinions so as to a final view on the matter can be taken soon. The concerned authorities have asked to share their views on recruiting transgender people in the rank of the Assistant Commandants (ACs).…
The much-awaited second cabinet expansion of the 102-days-old Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh finally happened on Thursday. The officiating MP Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office and secrecy to 28 new ministers – including 20 cabinet ministers and eight ministers of state. The limited gathering at the Raj Bhawan, which witnessed the oath-taking ceremony, included newly-elected BJP Rajya Sabha member Jyotiraditya Scindia, whose smile tell-told his strong imprint on the expanded team. Twelve of the 28 ministers sworn in on Thursday were out of the 22 Congress MLAs, whose resignation from the Vidhan Sabha in…
Pak’s Former batting coach Grant Flower has claimed that ex-skipper Younis Khan had once held a knife to his throat when he tried to supply him some advice. Asked about the tricky characters that he has had to teach in his career, the 49-year-old Zimbabwean, who was Pakistan’s batting coach from 2014 to 2019, recalled the incident with Younis. “Younis Khan quite tough to master,” said Flower, who is currently serving as Sri Lanka’s batting coach , said during a conversation with brother Andy and host Neil Manthorp on the ‘Following On Cricket Podcast’. “I remember one incident in Brisbane,…
Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi from Pakistan’s Punjab province on Wednesday made a shocking remark against the construction of a temple in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad claiming that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and construction of a new temple in Islamabad was not only against the spirit of Islam but also an insult to the ‘Madina Riayasat’, a reference to the Islamic welfare state that Pakistan aspires to be. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi strongly opposed the construction of Hindu temple saying that it is not only against the spirit of Islam but is also an insult to the Islamic…
The Chinese media outlet The Global Times has reported that ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, may lose $6 billion in revenue after India banned 59 Chinese apps. They tweeted, “The loss of Chinese internet company ByteDance – the mother company of Tik Tok — could be as high as $6 billion after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps including Tik Tok, following deadly border clash between Indian and Chinese troops last month.” On 29th June, the Indian government announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, including TikTok, Vigo, UC Browser, ShareIt, Baidu map, Shein, and Clash of Kings.…
Union IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has called the ban on 59 Chinese apps “a digital strike” by India on China. Speaking at a virtual BJP rally in Bengal, the minister said the apps were banned to protect data of Indians. Ravi Shankar Prasad has said, “For security and sovereignty of India, for countrymen’s digital security and privacy we have banned 59 apps, including TikTok. India knows how to look in the eyes of those eyeing our borders and to protect countrymen, India can even do a digital strike.” Ravi Shankar Prasad also said, “India for peace but if somebody…
In a hurriedly convened meeting of cabinet ministers, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has made his last ditch attempt to save his position. The cabinet has recommended that President Bidya Devi Bhandari prorogue the ongoing session of Parliament without delay. This comes at a time when a rival faction of the ruling party led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal is pushing for Oli’s resignation. The prorogation of Parliament session, if President Bhandari accepts the cabinet decision, would mean no floor test for Oli under the current circumstances. This will buy him time for his ordinance that allows him to split…