NEWS

India Locks Down Its 1.3 Billion People To Halt Coronavirus Spread

Published

5 years ago

March 24, 2020

India ordered a 21-day lockdown of its 1.3 billion people on Tuesday to try to protect the world’s second most populous country from the coronavirus spreading around the world.

Health researchers have warned that more than a million people in India could be infected with the coronavirus by mid-May, prompting the government to shut down all air and train travel, businesses and schools.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the powerful leader of the world’s biggest democracy went further, saying nobody in the world’s biggest democracy will be allowed to leave their homes for the next three weeks from midnight on Tuesday.

“The only way to save ourselves from coronavirus is if we don’t leave our homes, whatever happens, we stay at home,” Modi said in a second address in less than a week to try and rally around Indians behind the sweeping lockdown.

“Every district, every lane, every village will be under lockdown,” he said, warning the country would be set back by decades if it didn’t shut down and fight the virus.

Scores of people turned up at shops in Delhi and Mumbai and elsewhere to buy essentials before the ban orders went into effect.

India has found 482 cases of the coronavirus and 10 people have died from the COVID-19 disease it causes but alarm is growing across the region about prospects for its spread into impoverished communities and the ability of resource-starved public health sectors to cope.

Already health officials said the virus was spreading out of big Indian cities where it first appeared into the small towns that dot the landscape.

More than 377,300 people have been infected by the coronavirus globally and 16,520 have died since it emerged in China, according to a Reuters tally.

China’s Wuhan where the virus emerged imposed a two-month lockdown which is only being eased now.

Modi acted just a day after the WHO called for aggressive action by India, saying it was critical to the global fight against the disease.

India’s population is even more densely packed than China’s.

“… The future of this pandemic to a greater extent will be determined by what happens with very large, densely populated countries,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO’s emergencies program, said.

“So it’s really, really important that India continues to take aggressive action at the public health level and at the level of society to contain, control and suppress this disease.”

The Indian government said essential services including groceries, fuel stations and banks will remain open. The stock market, located in the financial capital Mumbai, will also operate on Wednesday.

But ahead of the shutdown starting midnight, people in Delhi and Mumbai were rushing to shops to stock up essentials and in some areas police were deployed to main order.

Modi said the government was working to reduce the difficulties for the poor who will be the hardest hit by the shuttering down of Asia’s third largest economy. But he did not provide any details.

He urged people not to crowd around shops and said there was enough stocks.

“It is a decisive decision – a difficult one, but probably the right one,” said Partha Chatterjee, professor of economics at Shiv Nadar University near New Delhi.

“The first priority is to save lives and then think of reconstruction.”

Across South Asia, home to a quarter of the world’s population, authorities are scrambling to raise their defenses as the virus spreads.

Four NATO service members in Afghanistan tested positive for coronavirus shortly after entering the country, the first confirmed cases in the mission, NATO said in a statement.

“The service members were newly arrived in country, and were in a precautionary screening facility when they became symptomatic, were moved to isolation and were tested,” the statement said.

Around 1,500 NATO service members, most of whom had recently arrived in Afghanistan, were in screening facilities as a precautionary measure, NATO said.

Afghanistan’s health ministry said that WHO had estimated that 80 percent of the war ravaged country’s 32 million population could be infected with the virus in the next five months. So far it has had 74 cases and one death.

Invoking a 56-year-old law, Nepal also ordered a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the virus after reporting a second case in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people.

Source:- Reuters

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NEWS

Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s Generous Act: Donates Over 30 Million Naira to Help Alleviate Soaring Food Prices in Nigeria (Watch Video)

Published

8 months ago

April 11, 2024

Baba Blow

Billionaire prophet and General Overseer of Christ Mercyland Deliverance Ministry in Warri, Delta State, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, has given out over N30 million in charity to reduce the current economic crisis faced by the masses.

In a viral video on social media, Fufeyin, known for his philanthropic gestures, was seen giving out wads of cash to church members to ameliorate the rising price of food items in the country.

The humanitarian effort has caught the attention of netizens, capturing the hearts of many amid the current challenging times.

Fufeyin has emerged as a beacon of hope by extending a remarkable gesture of kindness towards struggling church members even as he stressed the need for well-meaning Nigerians to help assuage the challenges of the masses.

This spontaneous and substantial donation not only alleviated immediate concerns but also underscored Fufeyin’s deep empathy for those affected by economic hardship.

The response to Fufeyin’s act of benevolence has been overwhelmingly positive, with Nigerians taking to social media platforms to commend his compassion and selflessness. Amidst a climate of economic uncertainty and rising living costs, Fufeyin’s initiative has resonated deeply, sparking discussions about the importance of generosity and communal support during trying times.

Fufeyin expressed his motivation for the donation, citing a desire to alleviate the suffering of his church members and fellow Nigerians in tangible ways.

He emphasised the necessity of collective action in addressing societal challenges and urged others, particularly those in positions of influence, to contribute towards uplifting the less fortunate.

The impact of Fufeyin’s philanthropy extends beyond financial assistance, serving as a powerful reminder of the potential for positive change when individuals leverage their resources for the greater good of all.

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Entertainment

Big Dreams, is set to release his debut Single’s , ‘Vanity & Painful On January 26th

Published

10 months ago

January 19, 2024

Baba Blow

Delta State Born Singer, Big Dreams, is set to release his debut album,My Way ‘,’Coming Soon.

With they announcement of his two singles which are set to be released on 26 January 2024.

In the digital era of Afrobeats, the music superstar, Big Dreams, has established a name for himself thanks to a succession of great singles and collaborations.

They man of they moment has done great works, therefore this album will set a pathway to Greatness.

The musician made this announcement via his Twitter account. He characterized the album as everything he desires and all he stands for.

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Entertainment

Legendary singer, Kathy Brown diagnosed with stage four lung cancer

Published

11 months ago

January 12, 2024

Baba Blow

Legendary house music singer, Kathy Brown has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer with the disease spreading to her brain.

The American singer, 63, known for songs including Turn Me Out (Turn to Sugar) and Strings of Life (Stronger on My Own) was diagnosed late last year after being admitted to ICU in her hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

Doctors performed surgery to try and reduce swelling in Brown’s brain – with the star currently undergoing a course of radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

Kathy’s daughter Chanta Joyner has set up a GoFundMe to fund medical expenses and monthly bills for the family.

Chanta wrote: ‘As the news is only just sinking in we are already facing the harsh reality of what this means for my mother – not only the physical and medical challenges but also the many financial ones.

‘Like most artists who have devoted their careers to dance music, without being able to perform LIVE there’s little to no chance of earning an income. My mother has poured her heart and soul onto stages and dance floors all over the world for more than thirty years, and now she needs your love and support more than ever.

‘My siblings and I are going to do everything we can to take care of her, but the costs we are facing with medical expenses and monthly bills are overwhelming.

‘My mom deserves the best care and comfort that money can buy. I know that she has thousands of fans all over the world who adore her voice and her beautiful spirit.

‘Please consider contributing to assist Kathy and get her through the weeks and months ahead. The London-based record label ‘Revival’ that she has recently been working with has offered to match contributions up to $10,000.

‘Let’s show my mom that the dance music community really is an extended family who keep each other lifted not only in the good times but the hard times too. Thank you for the love, support and many messages that you have been posting and sending to Kathy. I promise you that she sees every single one, and they mean so very much to her.

Brown originally found fame as the chart-topping lead singer of the group Praxis before having US dance hits on her own.

In 1999 she climbed to #4 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart with Joy and in 2004 was the credited lead vocalist on the British act Soul Central’s Strings Of Life (Stronger On My Own), a track that samples Rhythm Is Rhythm’s 1989 House classic.

Over the years she featured on dozens of house and club singles.

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