All shops and restaurants will shut their doors down except for supermarkets and pharmacies, which will be allowed to remain open until 5 p.m…reports Asian Lite News
Lebanon’s Covid-19 ministerial committee has approved a 25-day lockdown set to start from Thursday until February 1 in an attempt to curb the spike in the number of new cases, which increased to an unprecedented level over the past few days.
“The situation in the country has reached a very dangerous level amid the inability of hospitals to secure more beds for Covid-19 patients which necessitates the implementation of a new lockdown,” Xinhua news agency quoted Caretaker Health Minister Hamad Hassan as saying in a press conference on Monday.
All shops and restaurants will shut their doors down except for supermarkets and pharmacies, which will be allowed to remain open until 5 p.m.
The committee also approved a curfew to start from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. except doctors, nurses and journalists.
Lebanon’s coronavirus caseload increased by 2,861 to 192,139, while the death toll went up by 13 to 1,512.
On January 1, Portugal assumed the Presidency of the the EU Council for a fourth time…reports Asian Lite News
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said that global understanding, economic recovery and social support are the main goals during his country’s presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU).
In terms of global understanding, the EU’s investment deal with China, which has been under negotiation for seven years, is “very important”, Xinhua news agency quoted Costa as saying in a media interview on Monday.
On December 30, 2020, China and the EU announced that they have completed investment agreement negotiations as scheduled.
According to the Prime Minister, the agreement between Brussels and Beijing “guarantees reciprocal security of market opening” and “investment relations which ensure and respect all security rules on both sides”.
“If Europe wants to be a global actor, as it has to be, its strategic autonomy depends on being able to speak with each of the other global actors. It must relate to the US, China, Australia and New Zealand, India, Africa,” Costa said.
As for Africa, which will be crucial to the Portuguese presidency’s external agenda, the Prime Minister hoped that the EU-African Union summit, which was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, would be held “in the spring.”
“I think it would be important at a time when the African Union has signed a continental free trade agreement. This would have been a fantastic time for a meeting of the European Union and Africa,” said Costa.
He agreed that it was fair to say that Europe has given “a rapid and assertive response” and “shown great ability to lead” in this crisis, which can be seen in the “joint purchase of vaccines” and the “giant step” of moving towards a joint issuance of debt to finance the recovery.
Excelente reunião com a Chanceler Angela Merkel para passagem de testemunho entre Presidências da União Europeia. Concordámos na importância de manter ritmo elevado da vacinação e de pôr no terreno os instrumentos para a recuperação económica e social.#EU2021PT#EU2020DEpic.twitter.com/SBQZaX4slP
Health services, housing, public administration, major industrial projects and digitalisation are the priorities for the recovery program supported by the European funds, Costa noted.
He also said the development of social Europe is “absolutely essential” for “giving confidence” to citizens.
“This is a critical issue because, as we have seen, the challenges posed by climate change and the digital transition require major investment in training and retraining,” he concluded, adding that solid social protection is needed to ensure nobody is left behind.
On January 1, Portugal assumed the Presidency of the the EU Council for a fourth time.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President said he will ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request that Assange be pardoned…reports Asian Lite News
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after a UK court blocked the latter’s extradition to the US, citing concerns over his “mental health and “risk of suicide”.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President said he will ask the Foreign Affairs Ministry to contact British officials over the asylum offer and request that Assange be pardoned, reports Xinhua news agency.
“It is a triumph of justice. I commend England’s action because Assange is a journalist and deserves a chance,” Lopez Obrador told reporters, referring to the ruling.
“We will give him protection, we will take that step,” the President added.
The 49-year-old, who spent almost seven years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, faces an 18-count indictment from US authorities accusing him of recruiting hackers to steal military secrets.
Following Monday’s order, Assange was taken back to the Belmarsh Prison, where he is being held and a full application for his bail will be made on Wednesday.
In the ruling, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said that while US prosecutors met the tests for Assange to be extradited for trial, the US was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life.
She outlined evidence of his self harm and suicidal thoughts and said: “The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future,” the BBC reported
The US authorities have 14 days to lodge an appeal and are expected to do so.
Assange faces an 18-count indictment from the US government, accusing him of conspiring to hack into US military databases to acquire sensitive secret information relating to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, which was then published on the Wikileaks website.
According to him, the information exposed abuses by the US military.
Assange was jailed for 50 weeks in May 2019 for breaching his bail conditions after going into hiding in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.
He sought refuge in the embassy for seven years from 2012 until he was arrested in April 2019.
The analysis published by the think tank Agora Energiewende on Monday said that Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 42.3 per cent lower than the reference year 1990, exceeding the target of 40 per cent lower…reports Asian Lite News
Germany exceeded its target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, according to an analysis
The analysis published by the think tank Agora Energiewende on Monday said that Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 42.3 per cent lower than the reference year 1990, exceeding the target of 40 per cent lower, reports Xinhua news agency.
According to estimates by Agora Energiewende, two-thirds of the decline in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Germany was driven by the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and related drops in energy consumption, industrial production and transportation.
Germany achieved 2020 climate target – thanks to pandemic – but situation could even turn around this year
Without Covid-19 effects, CO2 emissions in Germany would have only declined by 37.8 per cent, just short of the national emission target, the analysis found.
“In 2020, real climate protection effects were only achieved in the electricity sector, where CO2 reductions are attributable to the replacement of coal by gas and renewables,” Patrick Graichen, executive director of Agora Energiewende, said in a statement.
“Transport and industry will again emit more greenhouse gases as soon as the economy picks up again,” Graichen added.
The full breakthrough agreement is expected to be signed on Tuesday at the 41st GCC Summit on Tuesday in the northwestern Saudi city of AlUla, attended by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani….reports Asian Lite News
Saudi Arabia and Qatar will reopen land, air and sea borders between the countries, in a breakthrough agreement aimed at ending the three-year diplomatic dispute with Doha, Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah announced.
“The Kuwaiti emir made a phone call with the Qatari emir and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, who both confirmed their intention to start a new beginning in their relations,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying in a televised address on Monday evening.
بيان معالي الشيخ الدكتور أحمد ناصر المحمد الصباح وزير الخارجية بشأن التوصل الى إتفاق يتم بموجبة فتح الأجواء والحدود البرية والبحرية بين المملكة العربية السعودية ودولة قطر الكلمة كامله: https://t.co/SH48y59dMDpic.twitter.com/egTZuT7mxi
“Based on a suggestion from the Kuwaiti Emir, the two countries have agreed to reopen the land, air, and sea borders between the two countries as of today’s evening.
“The Kuwaiti Emir expressed his confidence in the keenness of the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and Egypt to end the Gulf crisis and address all relevant matters,” the Foreign Minister added.
The full breakthrough agreement is expected to be signed on Tuesday at the 41st GCC Summit on Tuesday in the northwestern Saudi city of AlUla, attended by Qatari emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
The Anti-Terror Quartet, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt and Bahrain, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 and has since imposed an embargo on the Gulf state, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said he had received a letter from Haniyeh on ending the dispute between Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah…reports Asian Lite News
A senior Hamas official said the Islamic movement has agreed to hold general elections in the Palestinian territories after four countries have guaranteed the success of the polls.
The guarantees were given by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Russia, Xinhua news agency quoted Taher al-Nono, an aide to Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, as saying in a statement on Monday.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier said he had received a letter from Haniyeh on ending the dispute between Hamas and Abbas’ Fatah.
“Haniyeh’s letter to President Abbas to hold the elections came as a step to achieve partnership and unity of the Palestinian institution on three levels: legislative, presidential, and the National Council,” al-Nono said.
He revealed that Hana Nasser, chairman of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, will soon visit Gaza to prepare and negotiate a mechanism for the elections.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
On Sunday, Haniyeh said in a televised speech that Hamas and Fatah had put an end to their dispute over the general elections, adding the movement was ready to participate in the legislative and presidential elections.
After Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, an internal political and geographical division over administrative, financial and security issues has remained between the two sides despite a series of Arab and international mediations.
In March 2018, then Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah survived an explosion when his convoy entered Gaza, an incident that was blamed on Hamas.
Despite a history of strife, Fatah and Hamas recently announced their agreement to put differences aside.
Three-and-half years ago, at the age of forty-seven, US-based Sameer Bhide suffered an extremely rare and massive hemorrhagic stroke and underwent two brain surgeries and then spent a month in a medically suddenly induced coma. In a new memoir, which released this month, the survivor shares the inspiring story of his healing, vigour and vitality…writes Siddhi Jain.
An unimaginable tragedy happened to Bhide on what he calls “one fine day”: he suffered an extremely rare catastrophic hemorrhagic stroke in his cerebellum. He spent a month in a medically induced coma at Inova’s Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia, followed by an additional 30 days of rehab at Inova’s Mount Vernon Hospital. On that day, life as he knew it ended forever and a new normal set – one that has continued to evolve ever since.
After his stroke, Sameer’s entire life came crashing down, from life-changing debilitating illness to the loss of work, and finally a divorce. His memoir ‘One Fine Day’ captures this amazing story of struggle, and how he came back from the brink of hopelessness with the help of a very diverse community of friends.
In the book ‘One Fine Day’, the survivor shows that his healing journey has taken him from being bedridden and immobile through the use of a wheelchair, walker and then a cane due to access to cutting-edge medical care in the United States and his multiple trips to India where he rounded out his recovery with eastern holistic therapies along with help and support from a diverse group of friends and caregivers in the United States and India along with loving care of his family.
According to a note on the book, ‘One Fine Day’ means life can and will change for good or bad — whether it’s physical or emotional, big or small, personal or professional, planned or sudden for anyone rich or poor, black or white, old or young. This could be any adversity such as physical illness, layoff, divorce, loss of a loved one, and the coronavirus pandemic or good changes in life, whether it’s a marriage, childbirth, promotion or retirement.
These life changes alter our trajectory. They require successful adaptation. We all have a new normal that we will need to face. So when you face your one fine day, what will you do?
Bhide’s mission will be to help and guide people worldwide on how one can prepare for and embrace their personal ‘new normal’ – whatever it is for them – with positivity, grace and gratitude and work to build the lives they want. ‘One Fine Day’ is also a letter of gratitude to the hundreds of compassionate caregivers, friends, family, colleagues, and supporters in both his adopted country (United States) and his country of birth (India), who came from diverse backgrounds to aid in Sameer’s recovery and saved his life.
The book promises to be an inspiration for anyone who is facing any life change or adversity.
A portion of book sales will be donated to Inova Health Foundation, a nonprofit organization to whom Bhide says he owes his life.
In our day-to-day beauty regime, psychological peace and spiritual balance play a relevant role. We never think but most of our skin problem are due to various imbalance in our body fluids, blood circulation, no exercise and stress too.
Apart from its innumerable health benefits, Yoga also helps to beautify skin. Practising yoga daily is beneficial and helps eliminate toxins from your body through sweating, breath-workout and poses which detoxify the body and increase blood circulation, points out cosmetic surgeon Dr Geeta Grewal.
Here are a few yoga asanas that can help providing you a firm face and glowing skin:
Increase blood flows to your face
Standing forward bend and let your head free or uttanasana and viprita karani. These poses help blood to rush to your head, reverses aging effect and giving your cells a rejuvenating boost of oxygen.
Eliminate wrinkles
Yoga also makes your skin tighter and smoother, as you work with muscles of forehead and around your eyes that helps to erase the effects when you performed. When you practice facial yoga like the lion, the V and smiling faces, it helps to reduce your forehead wrinkles by increasing circulation, relaxing muscles and reducing stress.
Glowing skin
The downward facing Mudras like Marichyasana, Dhanurasana and halasana, reduce dullness and clear the acne, disseminating that amazing young-looking glow and improve your complexion drastically.
Reduce facial fat
At one point of time, you will stop liking the chubbiness of your cheeks and facial fat. Yoga pose for cheeks, lips and jaw can help you to tighten your skin and reduce your facial fat. The cheeks workouts are easiest workout that you can do anywhere anytime to tone and firm your facial muscles, cheeks and lips. Some of them are the V, smiling etc.
Exterminate double chin
Yoga poses like chin lift, rolling the neck, lip pull, jaw release, platsyma tone help to get chiseled jaw line and high cheek bone which are in the trend that define the face.
Get rid of pimples
Yoga increases blood flow, removes toxins and capture free radicals that helps you to get rid of pimples. Pimples mainly caused due to stress and hormonal changes. Thus, yoga helps to balance hormones, relax your body and relieves stress. Various yoga poses like uttanasana, trikonasana, kapalbhati, viparita karani, pavan muktasana can help you fight with pimples.
Free from acne and scars
Acne and scars are very common these days; seven out of 10 people are facing the problem of scars and acne. This causes mainly due to poor digestion, imbalance hormones, toxication in liver and kidney and improper blood circulation. Pranayam breathing, rabbit pose, child pose, spinal twists, adequate sleep help you to get rid of scars and acne.
Remove dark circles
Natural way to zap those dark circles away is yoga like hastpadotasan, sambhavi mudra and surya namaskar.
Faster Hair Growth
Yoga is also highly capable of treating all types of hair and scalp problems. If you have been suffering from the problem of hair loss, you can try various yoga poses for actual results. Some of the best poses of yoga for hair growth that also help to prevent hair loss are Vajrasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana, Sarvangasan and Balyam Yoga.
People with diabetes face a real challenge during the winter season. The cold weather coupled with reduced physical activity puts stress on the body, causing it to go into a fight-or-flight mode. This results in the release of natural survival hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. Consequently, the liver releases more glucose for energy leading to increased blood sugar levels…writes Puja Gupta.
Dr H.P. Bharathi, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute says: “Presently, more than 50 million people in India have diabetes and it is expected to go over 6 crores by 2025. So, there’s a big challenge in front of the country to tackle this rising concern. A naturopathic approach recommending specific behavioural changes can help in the effective management of diabetes during the winters.”
He shares 10 naturopathy and yoga tips that can help people with diabetes during the cold season.
1. Diet
A well-balanced diet is crucial to keep diabetes in control no matter the season. It is recommended to include plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lentils, beans, and oatmeal. Sweets and fatty foods should be avoided. Also, diabetics should refrain from consuming dry fruits as the fructose in them may spike the sugar level.
2. Sufficient Hydration
It is essential to keep the body hydrated at all times to get rid of the excess glucose through urine. Water should be the primary beverage choice as other beverages are loaded with preservatives and sugar.
3. Yoga
The ancient practice of yoga can work wonders on the body, helping people with diabetes to keep the disease under control and lead a normal, happy life. Science has shown that specific yoga poses that involve the twisting and stretching of the internal muscles and organs stimulate the pancreas and endocrine system. This facilitates insulin secretion, which keeps the blood glucose levels under check.
4. Alternative Treatments
Alternative treatment methods like acupuncture, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, etc., can restore harmony to the body in several ways. Acupuncture, where thin needles inserted into specific points in the body, can help with weight loss, control blood sugar levels, and reduce insulin resistance. Physiotherapy and hydrotherapy promote neurological and musculoskeletal functions that aids in weight loss, reduces stress levels, and lowers blood pressure.
5. Proper Sleep
Sound sleep is vital as the body relies on it to repair itself from exposure to toxins, daily stressors, and much more. Diabetics should aim for at least 6-7 hours of continuous sleep daily to let the body recuperate from damages and boost the immune system.
6. Mental Health
Those affected with diabetes live with a lot of stress. It can cause spurts of anxiety, mood change, confusion, and depression. The American Diabetes Association says that Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) may occur during winters; however, it is treatable. Spending time with loved ones, indulging in hobbies, or getting professional help are some of the ways through which diabetics can find relief.
7. Personal Hygiene
To maintain personal hygiene, people with diabetes should wash their hands frequently and thoroughly with a natural soap. Apart from that, saline rinses using a Neti pot should also be practiced as it keeps the respiratory passages clear.
Obesity.
8. Lose Weight
Obesity can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 80-85 percent. For people with obesity, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to meet the body’s needs. Therefore, losing weight becomes the only option to stay healthy and fit. Regular exercise, brisk walks, etc., should be incorporated into daily life to get rid of excess weight.
9. Avoid Immune Suppressing Foods
Diabetics should stay away from high-fat food, alcohol, caffeine, and white sugar, suppressing the immune system’s effects. Too much high-fat foods can block the lymphatic system, hindering the body’s ability to fight infections. 10. Spend Time Outdoors
Spending time outdoors or in nature not only boosts mood but also increases Vitamin D levels in the body. Vitamin D is an essential component that enhances the body’s ability to recognise pathogens and come up with a response against them, especially influenza.
Diabetes care is complex and it goes well beyond glucose control. Physical activity, healthy eating, and maintain proper body weight are crucial factors in preventing, managing, and reversing diabetes. Naturopathy explores a wide range of factors to determine which ones should be prioritized and how they can be modified to aid diabetics to effectively manage their condition during the winter season.
In a televised address on Monday, he urged people across the country to “stay at home” except for permitted reasons, echoing the message back in March 2020…reports Asian Lite News
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that England will enter a another national lockdown, the third of its kind since the coronavirus pandemic began in the country early last year.
The lockdown came into force at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
In a televised address on Monday, he urged people across the country to “stay at home” except for permitted reasons, echoing the message back in March 2020.
Under the new lockdown, people are only allowed to go to work if it’s impossible to work from home, such as construction workers.
Britons will be allowed to go out to shop for necessities including food and medicines, and to exercise, ideally once a day and locally.
Meanwhile, all schools and colleges will close from Tuesday (except for vulnerable children and those of key workers), and switch to remote learning until the middle of February.
Johnson said schools were “not unsafe” and children are “very unlikely” to be significantly affected by even the new Covid-19 variant, which was first discovered in the country last month and is said to be 70 per cent more transmissible.
But schools may “act as vectors of transmission, causing the virus to spread between households”, he said.
The latest development came as another 58,784 people in the UK have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, marking the highest daily spike since the onset of the pandemic, according to official figures.
It was also the seventh day in a row that new cases have topped 50,000.
The country now has a total of 2,721,622 cases and 75,547 deaths.
Meanwhile, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also announced that Scotland would enter a new lockdown from midnight on Monday, as well as a shutdown of schools until February 1.
Also on Monday, the UK started the national rollout of the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
