The economic activity of the U.S. has plummeted in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and unemployment has soared—largely the result of social distancing policies designed to slow the spread of the virus. The depth and speed of the decline will rival that of the Great Depression. But will the aftermath be as painful? Or…

The new international climate change agreement has received largely positive reviews despite the fact that many years of hard work will be required to actually turn “Paris” into a success. As with all international agreements, the Paris agreement too will have to be tested and proven over time. The Eiffel Tower is engulfed in fog…

Last year’s COP21 summit saw global economic powers and leading greenhouse gas emitters—including the United States, China, and India—commit to the most ambitious clean energy targets to date. Bolstered by sharp reductions in costs and supportive government policies, renewable power spread globally at its fastest-ever rate in 2015, accounting for more than half of the…

Just because summer vacation is over doesn't mean you have to stop having fun.

Growing bike sales, a boom in sharing, and an interest in growing your own food are ust some of the signs that we could be moving beyond our current energy paradigm. Add your own to the list.

It is a giant electric radiator that they forgot to turn on due to a software failure.

Beijing could still leverage its first-mover advantage – alongside a faster economic recovery across Asian markets – accelerating the trend toward a Chinese-centric globalization, writes Fred Kempe.

The lockdown seems to have brought out the good side of many. Staffers of the Indian postal department have gone out of their way to ensure that elderly get their pension, senior citizens can withdraw postal savings, the differently-abled get their stipend, and hospitals get their medicals kits. Some have even contributed to ensure food for the poor.

MID-DAY spoke to some of these heroes in Navi Mumbai Postal Region, which has 1,514 post offices in Thane, Palghar, Nashik, Malegaon, Navi Mumbai and Raigad districts.

"My dedicated team is working relentlessly to provide essential services to citizens. They are instructed to follow safety rules like using masks, sanitisers and physical distancing," said Shobha Madhale, postmaster general, Navi Mumbai Region.

Shobha Madhale, postmaster general, Navi Mumbai 

Madhale added, “When we learnt that no public transport was available from March 23, we quickly came up with a plan. Directives were issued to postal officials at district levels, to ensure that adequate cash was made available at post offices, and a postal assistant to visit senior citizens, the differently-abled or pensioners at their homes and hand over cash,” she said.

Also directives were issued to ensure that all postal ATMs had cash daily and that delivery of essential items, medicines, kits and medical instruments were given priority.

Surprised by kindness

Kedare Jayram, 76, pensioner from Nashik

“My father retired as a jamadhar (senior peon) at the Niphad post office, Nashik. Ours is a joint family and it is his monthly pension of R12,000 that is a major source of income for the family even today,” said his elder son Manoj, who works with a gas agency at a monthly salary of R7,500. During the lockdown we were worried about our father going to the post office for his pension. “I was surprised by the kindness of the postal department who sent a postal assistant home with my pension,” said Kedare Jayram.

Kedare Jayram receives his pension from postal assistant Pradip Bhandwalkar

Hero

Pradip Bhandwalkar, 32, postal assistant, Niphad Post Office

“The last day of the month, pensioners usually get their money in their postal savings account. I visited the pensioners’ homes with a withdrawal slip taking all directed precautions. I took their signature on the slip, returned to the post office a few kilometres away and came back with their money. Would he continue this after lockdown? “I would love to. It gives me pleasure and satisfaction,” Bhandwalkar said.

Sushilatai thrilled

Sushila Patil, 90, Rayande Chari, Alibaug

She is blind and is bed-bound most of the time. Her sons live outside Alibaug and her daughter takes care of her. She was happy to get R8,300, which was sent in two money orders from the treasury department.

Mehraj Ausekar with Sushila Patil at her home

Hero

Mehraj Ausekar, 51, a postman at Poynad post office in Alibaug

He said, “I visited Sushila two days ago and saw that she is too weak and old. She gave her thumb impression on the receipt of the money order payment,” said Ausekar. “I will continue to visit Sushila with her money orders. I get satisfaction in doing something for senior citizens,” he added.

Boss hits the ground

Vitthal Hatankar, 96, pensioner, Brahmin Ali, Alibaug

“My father was the postmaster at Alibaug post office and retired in 1984. Since the lockdown I, too, was unable to collect his pension,” said Abhay Hatankar, 55, the son. “We were surprised and happy to see postmaster general, Anuradha Penkar herself coming home to hand over the pension,” said Hatankar senior.

Vitthal Hatankar with the postmaster of Alibaug post office

Hero

Anuradha Penkar, 60, is due to retire in October

“We have around 68 senior citizens staying in and around Alibaug. We went to all their houses and gave them their pensions,” said Anuradha. “I also visited two of them staying 10 km away in Awas. They were all surprised and pleased,” she said.

Grateful to donors

Kesav Satpute, 32, pharmacy officer, Tembha Hospital, Bhayandar West

“I was on duty on April 17, when the staff of Bhayander post office visited the hospital with five cartons from Dr Pratik Jain of Delhi, who has donated 100 PPE kits for our staff,” Kesav said, adding, “We have about 100 COVID patients and apart from regular supply of PPE kits and medicines from Mira-Bhayander municipality, we are grateful to donors like Dr Jain for these PPE kits. Due to the lockdown the postal team themselves had got the parcel in their tempo and we were touched by their wonderful gesture.”

Staff from Bhayandar post office with the PPE kits that they delivered to Tembha hospital

Hero

Subhas Churi, 60, postal department staffer

“I usually do sorting and packing work at the Bhayander post office, but due to the lockdown I decided to deliver parcels received from Mumbai airport cargo at the earliest,” said Churi. When asked if he knew he was entering a COVID dedicated hospital, Churi said, “I am told that those who fear COVID are prone to get infected, and therefore I keep my fear at bay. I know I am serving those who are treating the most vulnerable patients.”

The numbers

Collection and delivery of payments by Navi Mumbai Region (1,514 posts offices) from March 23 to April 30

• No. articles booked – 4,572
• No. of articles delivered – 16,333
• Savings Bank Payments – 1,18,893, Withdrawals – Rs 228.75 crore
• Money Orders Paid: 2,064 Amount: Rs 42,67,913
• Aadhar enabled payment system (AePS) – No. of transactions: 22,116 Amount paid – Rs 5,13,29,520/-
• Personal contribution by postal staff in Navi Mumbai region: Rs 2,16,000

Info, courtesy: PMG, Navi Mumbai region

Postal staff cooks for needy

Nearly 1,180 packets were distributed by Palghar postal division to migrants and daily wagers and their children on April 4 and April 20, at Pelhar village, Vasai, Mahim Manor highway and other places in Palghar. The money came from contribution by staffers.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

Check out the promotional materials of the trailer release of Vijay's Bigil.

There is no simple remedy for fixing the post-crisis global economy. But three key ingredients for sustainable long-term growth are jobs, equality and trust, said OECD Secretary-General in Washington.

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approach their expiry date, we must focus our efforts on ensuring a brighter, more inclusive and sustainable future for all. We face a plethora of common issues: growing inequalities; changing consumption patterns and population dynamics; increasing natural resource scarcity; and ongoing illicit financial flows.

As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) approach their expiry date, we must focus our efforts on ensuring a brighter, more inclusive and sustainable future for all. We face a plethora of common issues: growing inequalities; changing consumption patterns and population dynamics; increasing natural resource scarcity; and ongoing illicit financial flows.

There is no simple remedy for fixing the post-crisis global economy. But three key ingredients for sustainable long-term growth are jobs, equality and trust, said OECD Secretary-General in Washington.

Major global crises such as the 2008-09 episode are mercifully rare, but severe recessions have been quite frequent among OECD countries over the past four decades.

Current weak labour productivity growth in many OECD countries reflects historically weak contributions from both total factor productivity (TFP) growth and capital deepening.

After peaking in the first half of 2008, international imbalances declined sharply during the global crisis of 2008-09, in part reflecting cyclical factors such as large contractions in domestic demand on the back of bursting housing bubbles in a number of deficit countries, as well as large declines in cross-border capital flows, interest rates and commodity prices.

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Tata’s chief executive, forecasts a major shift to more flexible working arrangements

From social mobility to how tax policy has shaped our history — and future

Temperatures today and tomorrow could reach highs of 14-15C (57-59F), figures not normally achieved until April or May. The warmest places are likely to be parts of North Wales and the North-East.

After coronavirus lockdown, dining experience at restaurants will not remain the same as before. Social distancing norms will be in place as restaurants reduce their capacity by half and bring in new rules for dining.Hard Rock Cafe, which has 185 restaurants across India, has drafted a plan to ensure 3-feet distance between guests. Restaurants in India have been shut for over 40 days now, with only some working in minimal capacity for takeaways. According to reports, as many as half a million restaurants might not survive the extended lockdown.And restaurants are cognizant of the fact that survival won’t come without practicing strict social distancing norms. India’s restaurants are now preparing a post-covid-19 plan to open up. And the dining experience at these restaurants may not be the

In a clip, filmed by ornithologist Nika Zubra, the Eurasian eagle-owl is seen waiting outside the window of a room in Moscow, Russia with a letter held in its beak.

The Georgia-born 22-year-old executive produces and stars in The Great, which centers on Prussian Princess Sophie of Anhalt-Zerbst's transformation into Russia's longest-ruling female leader (1762-1796)

While most of us Britons are battling high winds, grey skies and a dreary morning commute, the Rich Kids Of Instagram across the world are having no such problems.

An incredible 37,000 Daily Mail readers have donated £1.6million to supply protective kit for frontline NHS and care staff. Total expected to pass £2million as 4,000 letters are still to be opened.

THE NUMBERS GAME - KIERAN GILL: The England international with ice in his veins has become the poster boy of United's mid-season U-turn since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's arrival.

As a nation in lockdown commemorated VE-Day, here is something to ponder. In the midst of the War, policymakers in Britain and around the world were deep in planning for the peace.

As a nation in lockdown commemorated VE-Day, here is something to ponder. In the midst of the War, policymakers in Britain and around the world were deep in planning for the peace.

The global spread of coronavirus has led to officials postponing the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. For athletes, the delay evokes mixed emotions. WSJ spoke to five athletes from around the globe to understand what the postponement means to them. Photo composite by George Downs

Even if you are living under a rock somewhere, you have heard of Covid-19, or Corona, as it is being called fondly. Those ubiquitous mediums of information, internet and smartphones, have ensured that we get...

Cham : Springer, [2019]

Barker Library - GE195.S385 2018

Dewey Library - HC60.S54 2019

Dewey Library - JZ1238.R8 L43 2018

Online Resource

Dewey Library - JZ6405.W66 C47 2019

Dewey Library - HN223.5.P37 2019

Online Resource

London ; New York : Routledge, 2008

Welcome to the post-natural world. In the August issue of WIRED, we explore Crispr, a new technique for editing DNA that makes it as easy as cut and paste. Ready or not, evolution is about to get an upgrade. Also this month: Mark and Jay Duplass are Hollywood’s unlikely new moguls, a WIRED writer builds an untraceable AR-15 assault rifle right here in our office, and a nonprofit that helps people from the poorest places in the world learn to be task rabbits of the 21st-century economy.

Hayden Library - GV1469.34 .P79 B68 2015

Hayden Library - GV1469.6.S33 2018

Dabashi, Hamid, 1951- author

Atkins, J. D., 1976- author

Interview with Gil Binenbaum, MD, MSCE, author of Validation of the Postnatal Growth and Retinopathy of Prematurity Screening Criteria