COVID-19, cyclone nivar, Grammy award, MIM-TRS, Ahmed Patel, PM Modi, farmer protest,0, Chinese app ban, landline

25 November 2020

• Hundreds of protesting farmers gather near Punjab-Haryana border 

  Hundreds of farmers from Punjab have started gathering on the interstate borders along with Haryana that has restricted their movement towards national capital Delhi for their 'Delhi Chalo' protest against the three central farm laws. As a preventive step, neighbouring BJP-ruled Haryana has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC to prevent assembly of protesters. Also, the police had taken nearly 100 farmer leaders from the state into "preventive custody". As per the police estimates, around 2,00,000 farmers from Punjab are set to leave for Delhi as part of their 'Delhi Chalo' agitation from November 26. 

• Cyclone Nivar Updates: Very severe cyclonic storm Nivar to cross TN coast midnight  

  Severe cyclonic storm Nivar is expected to cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts around midnight or early hours of Thursday as a very severe cyclonic storm, India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday. Chennai and its suburbs have been experiencing rains intermittently since Tuesday night resulting in waterlogged roads, apartments and individual houses. 

  The government has declared a public holiday on Wednesday in a bid to reduce the hardship to a large section of the people. The Southern Railway has cancelled suburban train services and also some long-distance trains owing to Nivar. 

• COVID-19 Updates: Active corona cases drop below 11K in Telangana 

  Continuing to report more daily recoveries of COVID-19 patients than new infections, Telangana recorded a drop in the number of active coronavirus cases below 11,000, health officials said on Wednesday. During the last 24 hours, the state recorded 1,150 more recoveries, bringing down the active cases to 10,886, including 8,594 individuals in-home or institutional isolation. 

  The recovery rate improved further to 95.35 as against the national average of 93.7 per cent. Telangana also reported 993 new cases, taking its tally to 2,66,042. Of these, 2,53,715 have recovered. Four more persons succumbed to the virus, taking the state's death toll to 1,441. 

• MIM-TRS enlisting illegal immigrants as voters say, Smriti Irani 

  Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani on Wednesday alleged that the 'unholy' alliance of the TRS-MIM is enlisting illegal immigrants in Hyderabad as voters for their political gains. She said that leaders of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) misused their political positions to include Rohingya Muslims in the voter list. She claimed that two television channels have shown how the MIM leaders used their letterheads to ensure that illegal immigrants are included in the voter list. The Central Minister, who is in the city to campaign for the BJP in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections, was addressing a news conference. 

• PM Modi condoles demise of Ahmed Patel  

  Congress ace troubleshooter Ahmed Bhai passed away on Wednesday due to multi-organ failure. He was under treatment for post-covid complications. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of Ahmed Patel. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Saddened by the demise of Ahmed Patel Ji. He spent years in public life, serving society. Known for his sharp mind, his role in strengthening the Congress Party would always be remembered. Spoke to his son Faisal and expressed condolences. May Ahmed Bhai’s soul rest in peace." 

   

• Landline users need to prefix '0' to call mobile phones starting Jan 

  Telecom subscribers will have to prefix '0' as they call from a landline to any mobile number starting January 1, 2021. The decision has been taken up to ensure adequate numbering resources for fixed-line and mobile services. Telecom regulator TRAI had recommended the move in May this year. 

• Women dominate 2021 Grammy nominations 

  The 2021 Grammy Awards nominations are all about women power with Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa leading the way. Beyonce is leading the contender at the 2021 Grammy Awards with nine nods. She is followed by Taylor Swift, Roddy Ricch and Dua Lipa, who earned six nominations each. Brittany Howard, of Alabama Shakes fame, earned five nominations for her solo debut. Earning four each was Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Phoebe Bridgers, Justin Bieber, jazz pianist John Beasley and classical producer David Frost, reports Variety. 

• India bans 43 more Chinese apps

  While Indian startups have largely welcomed the government's move to ban 43 more Chinese apps, taking it to a total of 267 in about five months, experts have also cautioned that users deserve more information and transparency about the reasons behind the actions. 

  Extending its support to the latest "digital strike" on Tuesday that banned 43 more Chinese apps, homegrown short video-sharing platform Chingari said that some of the apps in the new list "were banned earlier as well but they just cloaked themselves under a new identity to enter the Indian market."