Tag: positive

Ajay Banga tests positive for COVID-19 during routine testing in Delhi

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Washington: World Bank presidential nominee Ajay Banga has tested positive for COVID-19 during routine testing in New Delhi where he was travelling on the last leg of his world tour, and is currently quarantining in isolation, the Department of Treasury said Thursday.
India is witnessing a spike in influenza and coronavirus cases in the past two weeks. The country has recorded 1,134 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases increased to 7,026, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday.
Banga’s New Delhi visit (March 23 and March 24) is the final stop on his three-week global tour that began in Africa before progressing to Europe, Latin America and Asia.
“During routine testing, Ajay Banga tested positive for COVID-19 but remains asymptomatic. In adherence with local guidelines, he is quarantining in isolation,” the Department of Treasury said Thursday afternoon.
While in India, 63-year-old Banga was scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman and the Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the Treasury said in a previous statement.
India endorsed Banga’s candidacy soon after his nomination was announced.
Since then, a diverse coalition of governments has expressed their support for Banga, including Bangladesh, C te d’Ivoire, Colombia, Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom.
During his global listening tour, Banga met with senior government officials, stakeholders, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and civil society.

Along the way, he has built continuous momentum for his candidacy, gaining the support of advocates, academics, development experts, executives, Nobel Laureates, and former government officials.
If elected to serve, Banga will draw from his experience living and working in emerging markets and his expertise in forging public-private partnerships to mobilise investments and action to confront longstanding challenges.
That includes his efforts at Mastercard to successfully bring 500 million previously unbanked people into the digital economy, as well as its support for 50 million small businesses.
New Delhi logged 84 coronavirus cases with a positivity rate of 5.08 per cent on Wednesday, according to data shared by the health department.
The city has seen an increase in the number of fresh Covid infections over the last few days, amid a sharp rise in H3N2 influenza cases in the country.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 24, 2023
Kirron Kher tests positive for Covid-19

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Mumbai: Actor and politician Kirron Kher on Monday tested positive for Covid-19.
Taking to Twitter, Kirron shared the news and wrote, “I have tested positive for Covid. So anyone who has come in contact with me please get yourself tested.”
In 2021, Kirron was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. She bounced back after her cancer recovery and was one of the judges on the reality show, India’s Got Talent.
Loved by many, Kirron has delivered memorable performances in several Bollywood films.
Kirron has played a lot of motherly roles throughout her career which is why she is now known as the quintessential mother in Bollywood films. She has earned a lot of praise for her roles in ‘Devdas’, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Hum Tum’, ‘Dostana’, ‘Main Hoon Na’ and others.
She is the wife of actor Anupam Kher.
Anupam and Kirron tied the knot in 1985. She was previously married to Gautam Berry and had a son Sikandar Kher in 1981.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Anupam will be seen in ‘The Vaccine War’ and ‘Emergency’.
‘The Vaccine War’ revolves around India’s contributions in the race to produce a Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic. It is helmed by Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri.

‘Emergency’ is Kangana Ranaut’s directorial and revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
On the other hand, Kirron is mainly busy with her political work as a BJP leader.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 21, 2023
Rise in temperature in the region can have positive effects on crop yields;-Dir.Agriculture

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Srinagar: As the mercury level is on a steady rise in the valley of Kashmir, farmers are becoming increasingly apprehensive about the impact it might have on their crops. However, the Director of Agriculture in the region has come forward to ease their worries, stating that the rise in temperature is not entirely detrimental to crops and may even lead to a better yield of wheat and mustard.
Talking to news agency KMN Director Agriculture Kashmir Choudry Iqbal said, while the increase in temperature may cause some damage to the other crops, it will also have a positive effect on the yield. He also mentioned that proper care and attention must be given to the crops to ensure a healthy growth, especially with the upcoming three cuttings of Barseen grass, which can benefit greatly from the warm weather.
The Director went on to explain that mustard crops, which are currently in the flowering stage and wheat can yield more produce with the rise in temperature. The increase in temperature can also lead to an early harvest, allowing farmers to save time and resources.
Furthermore, the Director emphasized that farmers should take precautions such as irrigating the fields properly, using mulch to conserve moisture and prevent soil erosion, and ensuring adequate fertilization to enhance the growth of the crops.
Despite the optimistic outlook, the Director also acknowledged the potential risks associated with the rise in temperature. He urged farmers to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to prevent any harm to the crops.
In addition to the wheat and mustard crops, the Director also mentioned that the Barseen grass, a popular feed for livestock, will also benefit from the increase in temperature. With proper care and attention, the grass can be cut three times, providing a significant source of nutrition for the cattle.
The Director concluded by stating that the Agriculture Department is closely monitoring the situation and will provide assistance to farmers as needed. He also emphasized the need for farmers to adopt modern techniques and best practices to ensure maximum yield and profitability.The director has advanced the planting of vegetable seedlings in the department to ensure the availability of crops in markets outside the valley during the monsoon season, in order to support the economy of our farmers.

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#Rise #temperature #region #positive #effects #crop #yieldsDir.Agriculture
( With inputs from : roshankashmir.net )

March 18, 2023
Syrian conflict enters 13th year amid positive signs of political settlement

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Damascus: The ongoing Syrian conflict is entering its 13th year with some positive signs that the deadlocked political settlement could see a nudge this year.
The first three months of 2023 witnessed some crucial developments that raised hopes about a possible detente in the 13th year of the crisis, reports Xinhua news agency.
The main headline was the success of the Russian and Iranian efforts to break the ice between Syria and Turkey as the relations between the two neighbouring countries have seen much tension over the past 12 years.
Deputy foreign ministers of Syria, Turkey, Russia, and Iran are set to meet soon to pave the way for the meetings of Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers for the first time since the beginning of the conflict.
In December last year, the Defence Ministers of the two rivals met in Moscow.
A possible rapprochement between Syria and Turkey is crucial for peacefully defusing the crisis. Turkey enjoys considerable sway over key rebel groups in northern Syria as it’s one of the opposition backers.
Another unexpected positive development was the China-backed reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Both are regional powerhouses and key players in the Syrian war, with Iran supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad while Saudi is a key opposition backer.
On top of that, the devastating earthquakes, which jolted Syria and Turkey on February 6, have pushed Arab countries to shelve former policies toward Damascus, creating the so-called “disaster diplomacy”.

For the first time in more than a decade, Saudi planes landed in Syrian airports delivering relief aid to the earthquake victims.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also made an “ice-breaking” visit to Syria after the quake, expressing the most populous Arab country’s support for Syria.
On Wednesday, the 12th anniversary of the Syrian war, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted his Syrian counterpart for talks that are believed to touch upon Syrian-Turkish reconciliation.
Positive signals can be felt domestically, regionally, and globally, said Mohammad Al-Omari, a Syrian political observer and writer.
“Moscow and Tehran exert efforts to find a mediation formula between Syria and Turkey and reflect that on the political track in Syria. The earthquake’s devastating impact on Syria has provided chances for some countries to communicate and cooperate with Syria,” he told Xinhua.
The analyst pointed out that the current positive vibe could push the stalemated political talk forward, noting that a comprehensive political solution demands a broader international and regional alignment based on cooperation and stability.
According to Unicef estimates, 90 per cent of people in Syria live in poverty, most are unable to make ends meet or bring food to the table.
Families have had their resources depleted, with limited employment opportunities, skyrocketing prices, and a shortage of basic supplies.
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#Syrian #conflict #enters #13th #year #positive #signs #political #settlement
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 16, 2023
Top Arab lawmakers’ Syria visit ‘positive step’ toward greater solidarity: Iran

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Tehran: Iran said on Tuesday that the visit of senior Arab lawmakers to quake-ravaged Syria is a step toward greater “solidarity” in the region.
Making the remarks in a tweet, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the visit of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union (AIPU) delegation on Sunday represented fresh “breakthroughs” in relations between Syria and other Arab countries, Xinhua news agency reported.
Headed by the Speaker of the Arab Parliament Adel Abdel-Rahman Al-Asoomi and Iraqi parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, the delegation’s Sunday visit was aimed at “expressing solidarity” with Syria following the deadly quakes that jolted the country on February 6, Kanaani noted.
These breakthroughs are also proof of greater “realism” in the region and in the Muslim world, he added.
If the regional countries can adopt “realistic and independent” national approaches and resist the demands of any hegemonic power, they will resolve their problems through dialogue and regional mechanisms, the spokesman said.
After the tragic earthquakes, Arab countries have sent many aid shipments to Syria amid signs of a wide-scale diplomatic detente.
The AIPU is a regional parliamentary organisation composed of parliamentary groups representing the Arab Parliament, the legislative body of the Arab League. Syria’s membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 after the war broke out in the country.

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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 28, 2023
Fixed deposit rates turn positive at 8%, first time in many years

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Mumbai: As banks’ chase for customers to collect cheap deposits is not fructifying, they are forced to offer inflation-beating real interest rates on fixed deposits now, and state-run banks led by Punjab & Sind Bank tops the chart offering 8-8.50 per cent per annum deposit rate.
Banks are forced to offer inflation-beating deposit rates for a tenor ranging from 200 to 800 days as credit growth has been far outpacing deposit mobilization throughout this fiscal, leading to a funding crunch.
Even at the lowest 7 per cent, fixed deposit pricing is positive for customers because even after a surprise spurt in retail inflation for January at 6.52 per cent, the real rates are in the green.
Inflation has been over 6 per cent for 10 months of 2022 forcing the Reserve Bank to increase rates by 250 bps to 6.50 per cent through six consecutive hikes beginning May 2022.
For the fortnight to January 13, 2023, credit growth rose 16.5 per cent annualised as against 10.6 per cent growth in deposits. In fact, for almost the entire year, deposit growth has been in the mid-single digit and the recent spike is due to an increase in deposit rates since December.
The rates are better even from other angles, too, as one-year post office deposit fetches 6.6 per cent and 6.8 per cent for two years, while 10-year government securities yield just 7.35 per cent.
The high rate offering also comes as banks have almost fully passed on the 250-bps hike in RBI rate since May last year to their borrowers, they’ve not been doing so for deposits, leading to a funding gap and forcing them to borrow from the market.
According to the new deposit pricing, on average any depositor of a public sector bank is assured of 7 to 7.25 per cent for fixed deposits for a tenor ranging from 200 days to 800 days.

The nation’s largest lender State Bank of India, which has the largest retail franchise with around 20,000 branches, is offering 7.10 per cent for the general public and a higher 7.60 per cent to senior citizens on an annualised basis for fixed deposits in the 400 days bucket.
Punjab & Sind Bank is offering the highest at 8 per cent to retail depositors, and 8.50 per cent to senior citizens for the 221-day bucket.
The Central Bank of India gives the second best rate at 7.85 per cent to senior citizens for 444 days and 7.35 per cent to retail, while Union Bank of India is pricing its 800 days deposits at 7.30 per cent and 7.80 per cent for retail and senior citizens.
Punjab National Bank is offering retail and senior citizens, respectively, at 7.25 per cent and 7.75 per cent on its 666 days bucket, Bank of Baroda’s new pricing comes at 7.05 per cent and 7.755 per cent for 399 days; Bank of India is offering the same rate as that of Bank of Baroda for 444 days, while Bank of Maharashtra’s new rate is 7 per cent and 7.50 per cent for 200 days.
For 400 days, Canara Bank is offering 7.15 per cent and 7.65 per cent; Indian Bank is paying 7 per cent and 7.50 per cent for its 555 days deposits; UCO Bank comes at 7.15 per cent and 7.25 per cent for 666 days; and Indian Overseas Bank is offering 7 per cent and 7.50 per cent for 444 days.
On the other hand, the largest private sector lender HDFC Bank offers only 7 per cent to the general public and 7.50 per cent to senior citizen depositors for five years, while its immediate peer ICICI Bank gives 7 per cent for more than 15 months to retail and 7.5 per cent to senior citizens for over 15 months.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 28, 2023