Shimla: Higher reaches and tribal areas in Himachal Pradesh received another spell of snow, while widespread moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the state, the Meteorological Department here said Tuesday.
Kadhrala received 22 cm of snow, Kufri 2 cm and Sangla 1 cm.
Pachhad was wettest in the state with 94 mm of rains, followed by Solan 63 mm, Sangraha 55 mm, Renuka 54 mm, Jatton Barrage 53 mm, Rajgarh 50 mm, Dharmshala 49 mm, Saloni 45 mm, Kufri and Sarahan 42 mm each.
Karsog received 41 mm of rain, Kotkhai 38 mm, Rohru 37 mm, Kandaghat 36 mm, Mashobra 35 mm, Shimla 33 mm, Rampur 32 mm, Arki 30 mm, Chaupal 29 mm, Kumarsain 28 mm, Nahan 26 mm, Wangto and Jubbarhatti 23 mm each, Sundernagar 22 mm, Gohar 21 mm, Janjheli, Kheri and Bijahi 20 mm each.
The local MeT office has issued yellow warning of thunderstorm, lightning and hailstorm at isolated places in low and mid hills on March 24 and thunderstorm and lightning on March 23 and 25. It also predicted a wet spell in the region till March 27.
Keylong was coldest in the night with a minimum temperature of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, while Una was hottest during the day recording a high of 26.4 degrees Celsius.
As many as 24 roads including 15 in Lahaul and Spiti, three each in Chamba and Kullu, two in Kangra and one in Shimla district are closed for vehicular traffic. These roads are in remote areas. About 37 transformers and five water schemes have been disrupted.
The rain deficit in March (March 1 to 21) has reduced from 70 per cent on Monday to 57 per cent on Tuesday as the state received 34.7 mm of rain against normal rainfall of 79.9 mm.
SRINAGAR: Weather department on Friday forecast rain and thunderstorm at scattered places in plains and snowfall over upper reaches of JK in next 24 hours.
“Intermittent rain and thunderstorm accompanied by gusty winds at scattered places is expected whereas snowfall is likely over higher reaches from March 18-20,” a meteorological department official said, adding, “there is no forecast of any heavy rain and snow during the time.”
He said farmers are again urged to postpone spraying of orchards during the period.
Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 6.6°C against 5.5°C on the previous night and it was 1.9°C above normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 4.5°C against 4.2°C on the previous night and it was 0.9°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 1.6°C against 0.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.5°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 4.6°C against 6.3°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 0.5°C against 1.5°C on the previous night and it was 2.8°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 4.3°C against 3.2°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 14.3°C against 15.0°C on the previous night. It was 0.6°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 6.2°C (above normal by 1.3°C), Batote 7.3°C (above normal by 0.6°C), Katra 12.5°C (0.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 4.6°C (0.7°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Drass, he said, recorded a low of minus 3.2°C and minus 3.6°C respectively. (GNS)
Washington: After Seattle in the United States, the caste battle has now reached Toronto in Canada where the two sides — one favouring a ban on caste-based discrimination and the other opposing any such move — have started fighting it out in a district school.
Last month, Seattle became the first US city to outlaw caste discrimination after its local council overwhelmingly passed a resolution moved by an Indian-American politician and economist to add caste to its non-discrimination policy.
The resolution moved by Kshama Sawant, an upper-caste Hindu, was approved by the Seattle City Council by six to one vote. The results of the vote could have far-reaching implications on the issue of caste discrimination in the US.
Proponents of caste discrimination were successful in bringing the motion for consideration before the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). The board at its meeting on March 8, referred it to the Ontario Human Rights Commission as a neutral observer to study and assess the issue. In doing so, the board noted that it does not have enough expertise on this issue.
The TDSB’s move comes after the February 21 vote by the Seattle City Council which passed an ordinance banning caste-based discrimination in the city. This made Seattle the first city outside India to do so.
“A ‘Yes’ vote on this proposal is what is in the best interests of all public school students in Toronto. Students can experience caste discrimination in many forms in an educational environment, including by being subject to casteist slurs, discrimination in social and online settings and exclusion from dominant-caste spaces,” Seattle City Councillor Sawant said in a letter to the TDSB members.
On the other hand, the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), which has been running a campaign against it, said that singling out one community on these otherwise broad markers, had resulted in significant opposition from the Canadian South Asian diaspora.
CoHNA Canada helped the community send more than 21,000 emails and make numerous phone calls to the trustees to make their voices heard. The TDSB office in North York also witnessed large stand-in protests while the voting was underway, with community residents braving the freezing weather for hours to ensure they were heard, a media release here said.
CoHNA said the demand from caste discrimination activists for South Asians to be assigned a “collective guilt” based entirely on unverifiable personal anecdotes would be considered bigoted, xenophobic and outright racist if it were applied to almost any other group.
“This is just colonialism all over again where lawmakers who are supposed to be impartial, make casually Hinduphobic remarks and and echo outrageous propaganda put out by hate groups,” said Nikunj Trivedi, president of CoHNA. “There should be no tolerance for attempts to profile a vulnerable minority group,” he said.
senior AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia (File Photo)
Delhi: Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials have reached Tihar Jail to once again question former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy scam case.
According to the probe agency sources, they have permission to quiz Sisodia for three days.
Earlier, the ED had interrogated the AAP leader on the alleged kickbacks of Rs 100 crore which the party/leaders received through hawala channel from the South Group.
He was also asked about Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Pillai and K. Kavitha — daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Sisodia was arrested on February 26 by the CBI and later remanded in judicial custody by Rouse Avenue District Courts.
His bail plea is pending before the court which will be taken up on March 10.
Tirunelveli: Reaching out to the migrant workers community in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday interacted with a group of labourers at a latex unit here.
The Chief Minister’s move comes in the wake of apprehensions among the migrant workforce over alleged fake videos of attacks on some of them in the state, which had even prompted the Bihar government to depute an official delegation to take stock of the situation.
Stalin visited Kanam Latex, involved in making hand gloves, in the district and interacted with the migrant workers, enquiring about their well-being, an official release said.
He discussed with them matters like how long they were staying in Tamil Nadu, if the local people treated them well and whether they had to face any issues.
The workers told him they had a good work atmosphere, some were staying for more than five years in TN, many with their families and that the local people were treating them with brotherhood, the release added.
The workers told him they did not have any fears and that they felt safe like staying in their native places, while acknowledging the help extended by the state government, it said.
“The CM asked them not to fall for rumours and that the state government was providing workers from all states a safe work environment,” the release said.
In connection with circulation of a video clip, the content being a rumour that migrant workers were attacked in Tamil Nadu, a construction worker –native of Jharkhand– was arrested near Chennai by police.
Tamil Nadu has a sizeable number of migrant worker population, with many from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal among others being employed in various sectors including construction.
Meanwhile, the four-member Bihar government delegation met officials and workers in Chennai and expressed satisfaction over the state government’s actions after the alleged fake videos emerged. It had earlier travelled to Tirupur and Coimbatore, both of which employ a large number of migrant labourers.
D Balamurugan, Bihar Rural Development Secretary, told reporters here the TN government acted after the videos started circulating.
“There were some apprehensions after the videos emerged but now things have been clarified,” he added. In Chennai, the official Bihar team met Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu as well.
In Patna, senior DMK leader and Lok Sabha member, T R Baalu called on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and handed over a letter sent by Stalin on the steps taken by the government to protect migrant workers from States including Bihar.
DMK’s Deputy General Secretary A Raja hit out at Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan and said that the LJP leader may do his politics of being “BJP’s B-Team”, in Bihar and not in Tamil Nadu.
DMK chief Stalin’s Dravidian model of social justice-led inclusive growth would help set up a regime of secular and progressive forces at the Centre following Lok Sabha polls next year, Raja said in a statement.
Paswan was in Chennai on March 6 and he had called on Governor R N Ravi and submitted a memorandum on the issue while demanding a thorough probe on allegations of attack on Bihar workers.
SRINAGAR:Barring “very light rain and thunders at one or two places over the higher reaches”, the meteorological department here has forecast mainly dry weather for next 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official of the MeT department said that mainly dry weather was expected till March 12.
Regarding the minimum temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 3.3°C against 3.5°C on the previous night and it was normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 2.0°C, same as on the previous night and it was 0.2°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night and it was normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 3.9°C against 3.1°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night and it was 2.7°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 0.4°C against 1.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.4°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 12.9°C against 12.2°C on the previous night. It was 1.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 5.8°C (above normal by 2.8°C), Batote 7.5°C (above normal by 1.6°C), Katra 11.6°C (0.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 4.2°C (1.1°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, the official said, recorded a low of minus 7.5°C and minus 4.6°C respectively. (GNS)
Srinagar, March 7(GNS): Barring “very light rain and thunders at one or two places over the higher reaches”, the meteorological department here has forecast mainly dry weather for next 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official of the MeT department here told GNS that mainly dry weather was expected till March 12.
Regarding the minimum temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 3.3°C against 3.5°C on the previous night and it was normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 2.0°C, same as on the previous night and it was 0.2°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night and it was normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 3.9°C against 3.1°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night and it was 2.7°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 0.4°C against 1.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.4°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 12.9°C against 12.2°C on the previous night. It was 1.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 5.8°C (above normal by 2.8°C), Batote 7.5°C (above normal by 1.6°C), Katra 11.6°C (0.1°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 4.2°C (1.1°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil, the official said, recorded a low of minus 7.5°C and minus 4.6°C respectively. (GNS)
Prices increased due to the rise in energy and food, but the Government rules out taking further measures for now
Prices marked their highest data in February since November 2022, with an inflation rate two tenths higher than in January, reaching 6.2%. According to the data released this Tuesday by the INE, it is due to the rise in electricity and food in February compared to the same month in 2022. In addition, underlying inflation -which does not take into account energy or fresh food- continued shooting up for another month, reaching 7.7%, its all-time record.
At the moment, the Government is not considering taking more measures than the VAT reductions on certain products that were adopted since January 1. Yesterday, the economic vice president Nadia Calviño assured during her visit to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the fiscal measures would have her “journey” and that prices could not be expected to drop overnight.
In addition, he indicated that the European Central Bank (ECB) is the one who has the “European competence” in terms of inflation to take the necessary measures to appease this rate.
There are two consecutive months of rising inflation, which reached its maximum peak last July (10.8%) and from that moment began to drop until January, when it rose to 5.9% from 5.7% in December and in February it has risen another two tenths again.
The Executive continues to emphasize that Spanish inflation is the lowest in the European Union thanks to the measures adopted during these months. And in the general rate the data is true, the European average reached 8.6% in January compared to 5.9% in Spain. However, the underlying rate continues to exceed the European average by more than two points, which closed January -the latest data available- at 5.3%.
In monthly terms (February over January), the CPI registered an increase of 1%, its biggest monthly rise since last June, when it rose 1.9%.
#Inflation #reaches #February #months #rise
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( With inputs from : pledgetimes.com )
Srinagar, February 28: One more militant has been killed in an ongoing gunfight at Padgampora area of Awantipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on tuesday.
A senior police officer told GNS that two militants have been killed so far in the ongoing encounter.
Earlier, an army trooper was killed and another was injured in the gunfight.
Meanwhile ADGP Kashmir in a tweet said, ” Killed militant identified as Aqib Mustaq Bhat of Pulwama (A category). He initially worked for HM militant outfit, nowadays he had been working with TRF. Killer of late Sanjay Sharma neutralised .(GNS)
“This election is off the charts,” said Ben Wikler, chair of the state Democratic Party. “It’s off the charts in terms of the stakes, it’s off the charts in terms of how much money is likely to be invested on both sides, it’s off the charts in terms of the number of people who are voting.”
The election, he added, “is the hinge on which Wisconsin’s political future will swing. And Wisconsin is the hinge on which national politics swings.”
The race is a full-on sprint between Janet Protasiewicz, a liberal judge from Milwaukee County, and conservative former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly. The two were, respectively, the first- and second-place finishers in a four-way primary on Tuesday. Protasiewicz and another liberal-leaning judge in the race combined for nearly 54 percent of the vote, while Kelly and another conservative-leaning judge were at 46 percent.
The contest has significant implications for the future of abortion access in Wisconsin. State Attorney General Josh Kaul, a Democrat, has sued to overturn the state’s 1849 abortion law, which prohibits the procedure in almost all circumstances. Providers have stopped performing abortions as the legal challenge winds its way through the court system, where it is expected to eventually come before the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
And the state Supreme Court could also wade into the battle over political boundaries — and ultimately political control — in the state. Republicans have a basically unbreakable control over the Statehouse despite statewide races being close to 50-50.
Turnout was also high for this year’s primary — 960,000, crushing the previous record from the 2020 February primary — and those in the state expect April’s election to follow suit, despite it being an off year.
“I think we are going to see high turnout from both sides, and why wouldn’t we?” said Mark Jefferson, executive director of the state Republican Party. “Everything is on the line.”
Jefferson dismissed reading too much into the numbers from Tuesday, arguing that Republican strongholds that didn’t turn out as much as the rest of the state in the primary will do so in the general. Wikler, for his part, said he didn’t think the vote share total was particularly predictive, but was encouraged by the high turnout in Democratic-leaning areas in an off-year primary.
Protasiewicz and her supporters have signaled they would target Kelly on the issue of abortion and his past as a defense attorney. Her first two general election TV ads, which were released on Wednesday, call him an “extremist” on abortion and say he “won’t keep our communities safe” for defending “child sex predators who posed as ministers.” And a Better Wisconsin Together, a liberal group that spent millions in the primary attacking Jennifer Dorow — the conservative judge eliminated in the primary who some Democrats saw as a tougher opponent over Kelly — has already booked TV time for the general election.
And in an interview, Protasiewicz raised Kelly advising the state Republican Party on a “fake electors” scheme in 2020. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported earlier this month that the former state GOP chair told the Jan. 6 U.S. House select committee that he and Kelly had “pretty extensive conversations” about the fake electors. Kelly has also served as a paid consultant to both the Republican National Committee and the state party.
“Look at what happened in the 2020 presidential election, and how the results of the Wisconsin election landed in the Supreme Court chamber,” she said. “I think it’s more likely than not that the results of the 2024 presidential election could also end up in the Supreme Court chamber.”
Kelly’s campaign did not make him available for an interview. But in a recent, pre-primary interview with The New York Times, Kelly declined to say how he would have ruled on a Dec. 2020 state court case in which Donald Trump tried to overturn the state’s election results.
He did, however, tell the Times he had “no reason to believe” the state’s 2020 election wasn’t decided properly, and a spokesperson previously told the Journal Sentinel that Kelly believed “Joe Biden is the duly elected president of the United States.”
Ben Voelkel, a senior adviser to Kelly’s campaign, said he thought it was “incredibly shortsighted” that Democrats were trying to turn the race into a “single-issue” contest on abortion. He said conservatives would rally against Protasiewicz because of the threat she posed on issues like charter schools and gun rights, and signaled they would lean into hitting her judicial record. Conservative-leaning groups had attacked her during the primary as soft on crime, highlighting a case in which she gave “probation for a child rapist.”
“She had very, very lenient sentences for some people who committed very heinous crimes,” he said. “There’s going to be more that comes out about what exactly her judicial track record is.”
Kelly’s campaign has yet to unveil any general election TV ads. But Fair Courts America, a conservative group backed by GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein, spent millions on TV boosting Kelly in the primary, and those in the state are anticipating it will continue its spending barrage.
And those on both sides of the abortion rights debate are already gearing up for an intense general election fight. On the pro-abortion rights side, Planned Parenthood is planning to spend seven-figures on the race in conjunction with its local affiliate, which has already hired staff in several cities to support its get-out-the-vote effort.
Steven Webb, executive director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, said that in addition to fieldwork, it is spending on digital advertising, radio and direct mail campaigns as well — its largest investment in any judicial race.
Students for Life is also planning to engage in the race with digital media and outreach to activists on the ground in Wisconsin, while Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, which made a six-figure investment into the primary election, is planning to make another six-figure investment into the general election focusing on mail, texts, live calls and potentially digital.
“This is Wisconsin’s Roe moment. This is the most impactful election from a pro-life perspective that we have had since pre-1973,” said Gracie Skogman, legislative and PAC director of Wisconsin Right to Life, a third anti-abortion group. “That’s our case to voters: If they are pro-life, lives are on the line, we have a law saving lives, but that law’s effectiveness will be determined by this court.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
