Category: Union Territory

New Zealand’s prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, apologized on Monday after being photographed with supporters at a work site while not wearing a mask to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The New Zealand Herald reported that Ardern said she “made a mistake” after facing criticism from the leader of a rival political party over the photo, which depicts Ardern alongside several construction workers at a job site, none of whom are wearing masks.

PM Jacinda Ardern admits she 'made a mistake' with group photohttps://t.co/zGGKmLZoM2 pic.twitter.com/SoCjrzSIft

— Newstalk ZB (@NewstalkZB) September 21, 2020

“In that particular photo, I made a mistake,” Ardern told reporters, according to the Herald. “Yes, I should have moved further forwards and I should have asked them to step apart as well.”

National Party leader Judith Collins told reporters at a press conference that she was “staggered” to see Ardern maskless in the photo.

“I was staggered to see the prime minister clearly not socially distancing with no mask just the other day in Palmerston North in a level 2 lockdown,” she said.

The headlines come as New Zealand’s two parties are set to face off in October’s elections, which were delayed by a month due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ardern’s party, the Labour Party, is leading Collins’s National Party in most polls of the upcoming elections.

With inputs from The Hill

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Militants Make 2 Abortive Bids Elsewhere

Internet Suspended In Central Kashmir District

Srinagar: An army soldier was injured in a gunfight in Charer-i- Shareef area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district where internet services have been suspended as a “precautionary measures.”

Elsewhere, militants made two abortive bids at paramilitary CRPF in Nowgam Srinagar and Arwani of area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Official sources told GNS that an Army soldier was injured in the encounter and was shifted to army’s 92 Base hospital.

Earlier, a joint team of Police, Army and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Charar-i-shareef.

As the joint team encircled the suspected spot, they said, the hiding militants fired upon them. The fire was retaliated by the joint team, triggering off an encounter. The internet services have been suspended in Budgam district as “precautionary measures,” they added.

Meanhile, suspected militants on Monday evening attacked CRPF party of 90 battalion with Under Barrel Grenade launcher in Arwani area of Anantnag district.

The device missed the target and there was no loss of life or injury reported in the incident, they said.

Soon after the attack whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.

Earlier in the day, suspected militants attacked a road opening party from 110 battalion CRPF in Nowgam area of Srinagar district.

However there was no loss of life or injury reported even as whole area was cordoned off to nab the attackers. When this report was filed, no arrests were made anywhere. (GNS)

Unemployment on rise in J&K

Srinagar: The unemployment is on a rise in Jammu & Kashmir as the number of jobless youth registered with the Labour & Employment department has swelled over 94000.

Official documents in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) lay bare that 94,221 unemployed youth have voluntarily registered themselves with the district employment and career counselling centers till March 2020 across J&K UT.

In January 2018, the number of educated unemployed youths registered with district employment and counselling centers was 87,650. According to the data revealed by then Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, 41,981 were registered with the centers in Kashmir division and 45,669 in Jammu division.

According to the latest documents, 25257 such youth are postgraduates and 15066 graduates.

The documents further lay bare 20257, 765, and 14403 have respectively passed 12th, 11th and 10th classes. Of them, 4407 are middle pass and 755 illiterates, it states. Of them, 4043 are diploma holders,5650 degree holders, 151 draftsmen, 1654 skilled other than ITI and 1803 ITI trained.

It is worthwhile to mention here that J&K’s former Governor Satya Pal Malik had announced in August last year that 50000 jobs would be filled in next months. But not a single post was advertised by J&K’s Service Selection Board and Public Service Commission for 9-10 months due to change in J&K’s legal and constitutional position.

As per the Ministry of Home Affairs’ (MHA) reply to a parliamentary panel on February 18, there are over 84,000 vacancies in J&K. Of which 22,078 vacancies pertain to Class IV employees, 54,375 to non-gazettted and 7,552 vacancies at gazetted level—(KNO)

“This drug is very likely to work in humans, so we are encouraged that it will be an effective treatment for COVID-19 patients,” said Joanne Lemieux, a professor at the University of Alberta in Canada.

According to a study, a drug used to treat deadly coronavirus infections in cats could potentially be an effective treatment against SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the global coronavirus pandemic.

The finding, published in the journal Nature Communications, paves the way for human clinical trials of the drug, a protease inhibitor called GC376.

“This drug is very likely to work in humans, so we are encouraged that it will be an effective treatment for Covid-19 patients,” said Joanne Lemieux, a professor at the University of Alberta in Canada.

However, the researchers said clinical trials will need to run their course before anyone can be sure that the drug is both safe and effective for treating Covid-19 in humans.

In cats at least, GC376 works by interfering with a virus’ ability to replicate, thus ending an infection, they said.

Derivatives of this drug were first studied following the 2003 outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and it was further developed by veterinary researchers who showed it cures fatal feline affliction.

Lemieux and colleagues first tested two variants of the feline drug against SARS-CoV-2 protein in test tubes and with the live virus in human cell lines.

They then crystallised the drug variants in conjunction with virus proteins.

The researchers determined the orientation of the cat drug as it bound to an active site on a SARS-CoV-2 protein, revealing how it inhibits viral replication.

“This will allow us to develop even more effective drugs,” Lemieux said, adding the team will continue to test modifications of the inhibitor to make it an even better fit inside the virus.

Aina Cohen, from the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, said she was excited by the drug’s effectiveness.

“Until an effective vaccine can be developed and deployed, drugs like these add to our arsenal of Covid-19 treatments,” Cohen said.

“We are thrilled to learn of these important results and look forward to learning the outcome of clinical trials,” she said. (HT)

Srinagar: The Higher Secondary Schools opened in Kashmir Valley on Monday, after a gap of about six months as they were closed due to Covid-19 pandemic.

However, as per the government guidelines, the Higher Secondary Schools have been opened given the students choice that they can attend voluntarily and the attendance is not mandatory.

An official told news agency Kashmir capital Srinagar that regular classes have not been started yet and the students were being given homework only. He said in some schools, teachers took classes and students maintained proper physical distancing.

“The attendance of students remained low on day one and it will increase with time,” said an official.

He said students are allowed to attend schools after consent from their parents at one time to ensure the maintenance of social distancing and all students must wear masks. “They will be medically screened and the school teachers and staff are being permitted to come to school after Covid-19 negative report.”

Sources said that attendance of students was reported very low almost in all educational institutions. In some schools, teachers too were found absent. (KNT)

PTI

Jammu: Pakistani troops on Monday resorted to intense shelling in forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, prompting strong retaliation by the Indian Army, a defence spokesperson said.

The shelling from across the border in Shahpur, Kirni and Qasba sectors was “unprovoked” and in violation of the ceasefire agreement between the two sides, he said.

The spokesperson said the Pakistani troops initiated ceasefire violation around 2.30 pm in the three sectors by shelling mortars and firing from small arms.

However, there was no report of any casualty in the cross-border shelling which was continuing when last reports were received, he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar: Indian Army organised a Shikara Race at Dal Lake on yesterday which saw participation of 15 Shikaras (KNT)

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFY8WNIo4zZ/?igshid=11pwvcp2xcy5q

Srinagar: Following Militant attack on security forces in Nowgam of Srinagar whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.

Further details awaited.

No loss of life or injury

Srinagar: Suspected militants on Monday attacked ROP party of CRPF in Nowgam area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

Official sources told GNS that militants fired upon CRPF party of 110 BN. However in this incident no loss of life or injury has been reported

Meanwhile whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.(GNS)

PTI

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court will have arbitration centres in both regions of the union territory to provide an institutionalised framework for speedy and expeditious resolution of disputes through an alternate dispute resolution mechanism.

The court has accorded approval to setting up of high court annexed arbitration centres at Srinagar and Jammu, an official spokesman said here on late Saturday evening.

The centres will be called The Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (JKIAC)

For securing fair, speedy and inexpensive justice to the litigants and being sensitive to the fact that the object of the Section 89, in absence of detailed modalities, has remained somewhat dormant in Jammu and Kashmir, the court has set up these arbitration centres, the spokesman said.

He said to ensure that the constitution of such centres is smooth and effective, the high court has also framed The Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (JKIAC) (International Management Rules, 2020) .

As per these rules, he said, the chief justice of the high court of Jammu and Kashmir shall be the patron-in-chief of the Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (JKIAC).

To monitor and oversee the centres, an arbitration committee consisting of three judges of the high court, advocate general, assistant solicitor general attached to the high court and three members to be nominated by the Chief Justice of the Common High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh out of whom at least one shall be designated senior advocate, while the others may be any arbitration expert, in India or abroad has to be established, the spokesman said.

He said to supervise and manage the JKIAC, a secretariat consisting of coordinator who shall be a member of higher judicial service and two additional coordinators who shall be members of Judicial Service, have to be appointed by the chief justice.

The spokesman said the rules further envisage appointment of Chief Counsel and Deputy Counsel amongst advocates having experience in the field of arbitration.

As per the rules, the JKIAC has to prepare and maintain a panel of arbitrators as approved by the arbitration committee from time to time from amongst the persons who are suitable and willing to serve as arbitrators provided that their suitability shall be determined by the arbitration committee, he said.

The empanelment of the arbitrators shall consist of former judges, former judicial officers, chartered accountants, bureaucrats, engineers, architects, professors etc, he added.

Similarly for dealing with arbitration proceedings in such centres, Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (Arbitration Proceedings) Rules, 2020 have also been framed by the high court, the spokesman said.

For regulating the administrative fee of the centre and arbitrator’s fee, The Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre (Administration Pass and Arbitrator’s Fee) Rules, 2020 have been framed by the High Court.

The setting up of Jammu and Kashmir International Arbitration Centre would go a long way in achieving the object behind enactment of Section 89 Civil Procedure Code and at the same time shall ensure that arbitration proceedings remain inexpensive and are carried out within the shortest possible time, the spokesman said.

He said courts-annexed arbitration centres are successfully functioning at Delhi, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Chennai (Madras) and Cuttack (Orrisa).

With inputs from PTI

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)