• India
  • Mar 31

Daily Briefing / March 31, 2020

SC asks govt to curb fake news on COVID-19

The Supreme Court asked the Centre to set up a portal within 24 hours for dissemination of real time information on the coronavirus pandemic to counter the panic being spread through fake news. The top court, which observed that panic will destroy more lives than the virus, asked the Centre to get trained counsellors and community leaders of all faiths to calm down the migrants, who are kept in shelter homes across the country. It also asked the Centre to ensure that migration is stopped and to take care of food, shelter, nourishment and medical needs of the people. The top court, which refused to restrain the High Courts from taking up the issue of migrants, said they may monitor the issue more closely.

Rlys to convert 20,000 coaches to isolation wards

The Railway Board has told its zones that they might be required to convert up to 20,000 coaches into isolation wards as part of their preparedness to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the country. In a letter to all the zonal general managers, the board said that initially 5,000 coaches will be converted. It also said that the Railways has held consultations with the Armed Forces Medical Services, medical departments of various zonal railways, and Ayushman Bharat before taking the decision. The Railways has 125 hospitals in India and of that more than 70 are being planned to be kept ready to be for any contingency as and when required. Efforts are being made to designate dedicated COVID-19 wards or floors in these hospitals. 

Global death toll soar past 35,000

Harsh lockdowns aimed at halting the march of the coronavirus has extended worldwide as the death toll soared past 35,000 and new waves of US outbreaks pushed the nation’s containment efforts to the brink. COVID-19 has claimed 32 lives and affected 1,251 people in India. Despite slivers of hope in stricken Italy and Spain, the tough measures that have confined some two-fifths of the globe’s population to their homes were broadened. World leaders — several of whom have been stricken or forced into isolation — are still grappling for ways to deal with a crisis that will have economic and social shockwaves unseen since World War II. US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin discussed “closer cooperation” on the pandemic and talked about plunging oil prices in a telephone call, the Kremlin said.

In a first, UNSC adopts 4 resolutions remotely

The UN Security Council, currently under China’s Presidency, unanimously adopted four resolutions, voting for the first time remotely as diplomats and United Nations staff work from home due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York. For the first time, it adopted resolutions without the UNSC members being present in the Council chamber at the UN headquarters and voting or casting a veto by raising their hands. The Council adopted unanimously a resolution on renewing the mandate for the Panel of Experts working with the 1718 Sanctions Committee for North Korea, a resolution extending the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), a resolution on maintaining the African Union-United Nations Mission Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) of its current troop and police ceilings, and a resolution on improving safety and security of peacekeepers.

Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum 

Thieves stole a painting by Dutch master Vincent van Gogh from the Netherlands’ Singer Laren Museum, which is currently closed to the public because of the coronavirus. The painting ‘Lentetuin’, or ‘Spring Garden’,  which dates back to 1884 and depicts the garden of the rectory at Nuenen, had been on loan from the Groninger Museum. It dates to a time when the artist had moved back to his family in a rural area of the Netherlands and painted the life he saw there, including his famous work ‘The Potato Eaters’, in mostly somber tones. Later, he moved to southern France, where he developed a far more colorful, vibrant style of painting as his health declined before his death in 1890.

Speaker disqualifies Manipur MLA 

Manipur Speaker Y. Khemchand Singh disqualified Congress MLA turned BJP lawmaker Thounaojam Shyamkumar from the state Assembly, almost three years after the member’s disqualification was sought under the anti-defection law. Shyamkumar, who was removed from the state cabinet by the Supreme Court on March 18, had offered to resign from the Assembly, but the speaker did not accept it. The polls for 60 seats of the Manipur Assembly were held in March 2017 in which the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 28 seats and BJP came second with 21. However, a BJP-led government was sworn in and Shyamkumar, a Congress MLA, switched sides and became a minister in the state government.

Newsmaker

Pakistani squash legend Azam Khan has died of coronavirus in London. He was 95. Azam, who won the British Open title consecutively between 1959 and 1962, is widely regarded as one the best squash players in the world.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store

Notes