World’s coldest continent is not immune to rising global temperatures, with scientists recording the first-ever heatwave event in Antarctica over the 2019-20 summer period. Researchers from the Australian Antarctic Program revealed on Tuesday that they had recorded temperatures as high as 9.2 degrees Celsius at Casey station in the continent east earlier this year, reports Xinhua news agency. “Heatwaves are classified as three consecutive days with both extreme maximum and minimum temperatures,” University of Wollongong biologist Sharon Robinson explained. Between January 23 and 26, the station recorded minimum temperatures above zero degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 9.2 degrees…
Author: Our Correspondent
Nine days into the lockdown, people are now craving for their favourite food and some are reaching out to the police helpline to satiate their desire. The police helpline in Lucknow, on Monday, received an ‘urgent’ request for a ‘rasgulla’ from an elderly citizen. “Hearing the caller, we understood that it was not a prank. We reached the house of the caller, Ram Chandra Prasad Kesari, with six rasgullas. We found that the old man was alone at home and was in a condition of hypoglycemia (low sugar condition). He is diabetic and his face was pale. He could not…
Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya on Tuesday sought financial assistance from the government as crisis enveloped the economy after a countrywide lockdown put a lid on all business activities. The embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, on Tuesday asked Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider his repeated “offer to repay 100 per cent” of the amount borrowed by now defunct Kingfisher Airlines, in this time of coronavirus pandemic. Mallya, who is wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crore, also said all his companies have effectively ceased operations and manufacturing following the lockdown…
Tablighi Jamaat’s international headquarters in southwest Delhi, where around 1,400 persons were stuck in the wake of a nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, has been evacuated even as at least 11 corona positive cases from among those evacuated have been confirmed. These patients include 10 Malaysians. Reports of 34 samples are yet to arrive. On Monday night, around 100 suspected coronavirus cases were evacuated from the religious complex in buses. They have been kept in isolation in Narela area of Delhi. Those who were ill were admitted in various hospitals. Six of the persons who returned to Telangana…
Yogi Adityanath was reportedly angry about what he believed was a weak response to coronavirus. Yogi Adityanath is on camera shouting at officers at a meeting on Monday in a district near Delhi that has reported the most number of coronavirus cases in Uttar Pradesh. One of the officials at the meeting has reportedly asked for leave after the public dressing down. Gautam Buddha Nagar, of which Noida is a part, has reported 38 of the 96 COVID-19 cases in UP. Noida District Magistrate BN Singh has been removed and 2007 batch IAS officer Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj appointed in his…
The Indian fell 32 paise to 75.21 against the US dollar in opening trade on Monday, as investors braced for a prolonged period of uncertainty as coronavirus-induced lockdowns tightened across the world and in India. Forex traders said weak opening in domestic equities dragged the local unit amid mounting fears of a coronavirus-led economic slowdown. The rupee opened weak at 75.17 at the interbank forex market and then fell further to 75.21, down 32 paise over its last close. The rupee had settled at 74.89 against the US dollar on Friday. According to Reliance Securities, rupee could track weak regional…
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a status report from the Centre by Tuesday on the measures taken in view of the large-scale migration of labourers from cities to their native villages amid the coronavirus outbreak and the consequent lockdown across the country. The top court observed that the migration of labourers out of panic and fear is becoming a bigger problem than the coronavirus. It said the court would not create more confusion by issuing directions on measures that the government is already taking to deal with the issue. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justice…
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that anyone found ostracising healthcare workers who have been attending to COVID-19 patients would be arrested. Banerjee said her government would set up a dedicated nodal hospital in all the districts for cases of the coronavirus pandemic. “Anyone found ostracising healthcare workers or even attempting to do so will be immediately arrested. The law will take its own course. The healthcare workers are risking everything to save people,” she said. The chief minister said an insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh would be extended to those, including healthcare professionals, sanitation workers…
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted with representatives of organizations working towards social welfare, via video conference. Prime Minister said that the entire nation is displaying immense resilience, grit and patience in facing the challenge of COVID-19. Recalling that Mahatma Gandhi used to say that serving the poor and downtrodden is the best way to serve the nation, he praised the dedication and commitment of the participating organization towards serving humanity. Prime Minister observed that these organizations have three distinct specialities: humane approach, massive reach and connect with people and a service mindset, due to which they are trusted…
Joining the list of reruns on Doordarshan is another cult classic from the golden era of Indian television, superhero show “Shaktimaan”, veteran actor Mukesh Khanna, who featured in the titled role, has revealed. Earlier, it was announced the cult hit mythological series “Ramayana”, “Mahabharat”, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Circus” and “Byomkesh Bakshi”, featuring Rajit Kapur, will be re-telecast on the national broadcaster and its sister channels during the 21-day lockdown to combat the spread of coronavirus. Khanna took to Twitter on Sunday to share the news. “Getting to watch two epics of our country ‘Ramayan’ and ‘Mahabharat’ in one day was…