Investments in climate-resilient infrastructure should be the centerpiece of the billions of dollars in economic stimulus being used to rebuild Asia’s economies.

NEW DELHI: Builders are scrambling to acquire cheap land and technology for low-cost housing after the government and central bank announced incentives for affordable housing, including cheaper loans to developers and buyers. Real estate companies including Tata Housing, ATS Infrastructure, Bhartiya Group and Anantraj Industries are busy sewing up land deals for projects in the Rs 5-20 lakh home segment. There is unlimited demand for homes in this segment, say experts. “There is a large market for such homes but a big supply constraint as well,” said Shailesh Pathak, executive director of the Bhartiya Group, which is planning to build 10,000 low-cost homes over the next two-three years on a […]

Like other sci-fi before it, it imagined the present year as a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

In some of his YouTube videos, the user "Beleza em pessoa" criticized Mozambican prophets.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has drafted the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 to curb the construction violations across the country. The new draft would replace the EIA notification 2006. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC) has proposed a new set of environment clearance norms in its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020. Earlier, the environment approvals to construction projects  were given as per the criteria stated in the EIA notification 2006; however, the new draft would replace the former set of rules. The Ministry has placed the EIA report in the public domain on March 12, 2020 and has sought views and comments […]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced Wednesday the German soccer league Bundesliga can resume playing later this month, ending a two-month pause prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.Merkel made the announcement as one of a range of containment measures being relaxed, following a meeting with the c...

Korean automakers announced dismal overseas sales in April, with Hyundai's plummeting 70 percent and affiliate Kia's 55 percent. The U.S. and European economies have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, the total sales of Korea’s five automakers declined 51.6 percent on-year last ...

The National Intelligence Service here said Wednesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not have any heart treatment as widely rumored before he resurfaced last week.In a closed-door briefing to lawmakers, the NIS said Kim is believed to have conducted state affairs even when he was out of th...

An exquisite estate in Cherry Hills Village that finished as a finalist for the 2019 Home of the Year in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Magazine was recently listed for sale at $7.75 million.

Surrounded by the White River National Forest, the 11,600-acre Seven Lakes Ranch located in the Meeker Valley is up for sale three years removed from extensive renovations.

Rawalpindi : Four suspects allegedly involved in the killing of a newlywed couple, in apparently an honour killing case, were arrested here on Friday from the jurisdiction of Airport Police Station.Junaid and Sidra were murdered few days back in apparently an honour killing case after they tied...

A man was killed and another wounded during a clash within the Gulshan-e-Iqbal police station’s limits on Friday.Police said the incident took place when the two men exchanged fire near Kamran Market in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Block 1. As a result, both were wounded and taken to Jinnah Postgraduate...

Microchip Smart Storage Adapters Now Interoperate Seamlessly with MegaRAC® SP-X Management Firmware from AMI for At-Scale Secure Storage Management

Microchip Announces Industry’s First Space-Qualified COTS-Based Radiation-Tolerant Ethernet Transceiver and Embedded Microcontroller

Microchip Announces the 53100A Phase Noise Analyzer for Precision Oscillator Characterization

Environmental monitoring reports describe the environmental issues or mitigation measures of a project. This document dated May 2020 is provided for the ADB project 43319-022 in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

ADBI, CCAF, and the JBSEEL are offering an 8-week Online Course on Fintech & Regulatory Innovation and related scholarships for select policy makers from Asian Development Bank developing member countries.

radeep Sharma Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 23 The group-housing societies, residential colonies of employers and commercial-cum-residential complexes of developers will be supplied power on single-point (bulk supply) system by the electricity department from April 1. While the electricity bills for February/March would be issued as per the existing practice, the bills from April onwards would be issued as per the single-point metering system, according to an order issued by the Chief General Manager (Commercial), Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN). The new system would be implemented in housing colonies having 20 or more houses. The order said on the basis of the reading of April 1, the bills of […]

A total of 34 coronavirus infections was registered by Lebanon’s Health Ministry Thursday, raising the number of detected cases in the country to 784.

Lebanon confirms one new coronavirus death, 12 more infections

Lebanon registered one new death due to coronavirus Friday, and 12 new infections, raising the total number of registered cases to 796.

Lebanon’s mosques reopened their doors for Friday prayer as the country gradually scales back its coronavirus containment measures implemented almost two months ago.

Speaker Nabih Berri said it was necessary and urgent to implement measures to halt Lebanon’s economic collapse, local newspaper Al-Joumhouria reported Saturday.

Lebanon confirms 13 new COVID-19 cases, total at 809

Lebanon registered 18 new coronavirus infections Saturday, bringing the total number of cases in the country up to 809.

Usually the kingdom of water tanks and satellite dishes, Lebanon's rooftops have recently been graced by unlikely scenes of locked-down residents fleeing their flats.

Life returned to normal Saturday in the Rashidiyeh Palestinian refugee camp, south of Tyre, after a night of clashes that left one person dead and five others injured.

The governments of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on Friday announced the partial easing of lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus, even as the number of infections in the country registered a record daily increase.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had announced the lifting of the countrywide lockdown in phases from Saturday by reopening all construction-related industries and shopping centres for five days a week from Fajr (early morning) till 5pm and outpatient departments (OPDs) in hospitals.

The premier, who had announced the decision after a meeting of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) attended by the chief ministers of the four provinces, had acknowledged that the lockdown was being eased "at a time when our curve is going up" but maintained that "it is not edging up as we were expecting.”

The trend continued on Friday, with the country recording 1,807 cases of Covid-19 from the three provinces of Punjab, Sindh and KP alone, and the national tally nearing 27,000. It is the highest daily increase in the number of infections since Pakistan confirmed its first case on February 26.

Also read: Pakistan's Covid-19 death toll doubles in last 10 days

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

A notification issued by the KP relief department said businesses associated with the construction industry will be exempt from closure subject to them following the standard operating procedures (SOPs) already issued for industrial units and sale points.

Businesses of steel and PVC pipes, electric appliances, manufacturers of steel and aluminium equipment, ceramic and paint industries, sanitary, paints, steel and aluminium works, and hardware stores will be allowed to open four days a week, not later than 4:00pm. They will remain closed on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

All factories which are not included in the negative lists of factories will also be allowed to resume operations.

According to the notification, all shops will be allowed to remain open for four days a week and not later than 4:00pm, subject to their implementation of the government's SOPs.

Meanwhile, Adviser to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on information, Ajmal Wazir, told a press conference in Peshawar that educational institutions in the province will reopen as per the federal government's instructions and the province will not take an independent decision in this regard.

He added that discussions were being held on inter-district and intra-district transport with transporters and the decision will be shared with the public whenever it is taken.

Punjab

Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan said that the provincial government will submit a recommendation to the Centre for not lifting the lockdown in the province's major cities.

Speaking to reporters in Lahore, he said: "We have seen that there is a hype about coronavirus in some big cities. Therefore, we are submitting this recommendation to the federal government and if it is approved, then the lockdown and standard operating procedures will remain in big cities like Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala."

Examine: The lockdown dilemma

He added that higher secondary board examinations in Punjab will be cancelled and students will be promoted based on last year's grades. Schools will reopen on July 15.

As per the federal government's decision, OPDs in the province will open from May 9, Chohan said.

He added that the SOPs for congregational and Taraweeh prayers in mosques as announced by President Arif Alvi will remain in place.

The first session of the Punjab Assembly since the pandemic began was also to be held today.

Sindh

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told a press conference in Karachi that under "phase two" of the easing of the restrictions, businesses linked to construction industries will be allowed to open while observing the preventive guidelines. Selective OPDs will also be allowed to resume services.

Industries will no longer be required to submit an application to resume operations; however, they will have to submit an undertaking and forward the details of their employees to the government.

Shops will be allowed to open after sehri (dawn) and will be required to close at 5pm. They will remain closed on Saturdays and Sundays which will be "safe days with 100 per cent lockdown", the chief minister said.

The businesses permitted to resume from Monday include shops in rural areas and neighbourhood shops situated in residential localities, excluding large market places.

Shah said marriage halls, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants in the province will remain closed and there will be no congregations or sports events either.

"These guidelines will remain applicable until May 31. This is what the federal government has outlined and we are ready to comply with these directives," he said.

The chief minister appealed to citizens to stay at home as much as possible. "If you are allowed to leave your homes, according to the directives issued by the government, then make sure to follow standard operating procedures. Wear a mask," he said.

Referring to the increase in Covid-19 infections, he added: "I am seeing the rise in cases, but for national integrity and uniform policy we are going along."

In a statement released by the CM House later in the day, Shah denied media reports stating that the lockdown will end on Monday, saying: "We are entering the second phase of the lockdown with some extra restrictions, particularly at hotspots."

He maintained that air, train and public transport will continue to remain suspended.

Balochistan

In Balochistan, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan approved the move to turn the lockdown imposed in the province into a 'smart lockdown', under which restrictions are enforced in virus hotspots only, according to Balochistan government spokesperson Liaquat Shahwani.

He announced that markets will be allowed to open from 3am till 5 in the evening.

Shopkeepers and traders will be bound to implement SOPs for precautionary measures while legal action will be taken against the violators, Shahwani said in a tweet.

ISLAMABAD: Former Senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani on Friday said that the National Council for Minorities nominated through a notification after a considerable delay was illegal because it had been formed in violation of a judgement announced by the then Chief Justice of Pakistan Tasaduq Hussain Jilani on June 19, 2014.

“The said act of violating the judgement of the Supreme Court is condemned,” the PPP leader said in a statement.

Mr Rabbani said that the Supreme Court’s judgement had come in the wake of a bomb blast in a Peshawar church in 2013 which left over a hundred members of the Christian community dead.

In a suo motu case, the then Chief Justice of Pakistan, in paragraph 37(iv) of the judgement, had ordered the setting up of the National Council for Minorities to monitor practical realisation of the rights and safeguards of members of minority communities provided in the 1973 Constitution.

The council was supposed to be mandated to frame policy recommendations for safeguarding and protecting minorities’ rights by the federal and provincial governments.

The judgement clearly mentioned eight steps that the governments were to take, including (i) reservation of quota in services, (ii) a special police force to protect places of worship, (iii) steps to discourage hate speeches, and (iv) revision of school curriculum to promote cultural and religious tolerance.

The PPP leader said that none of the steps had been taken so far by the governments.

He said that the federal government had, after the approval of the cabinet, constituted the council through a notification and the body had become controversial even before its birth and as a result the religious affairs ministry had to amend its summary.

The PPP leader said that the council should be constituted through an act of parliament.

Mr Rabbani said that the importance given to safeguarding the rights of the minorities in the country was evident from the fact that the white colour portion of the national flag represented minorities and in over 20 Articles of the Constitution, 1973, the rights of minorities had been guaranteed.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday allowed subsidised financing for setting up of new plants and expansion of existing units while the maximum amount for a single unit has been set at Rs5 billion to boost economic activities in the manufacturing sector.

The SBP on Friday said it has opened up its subsidised Temporary Economic Relief Facility (TERF) for Balancing, Modernization and Replacement (BMR) and expansion of existing projects.

Under this scheme, the SBP provides refinance to banks for their onward extension of financing at maximum end-user rate of seven per cent for 10 years.

“The maximum financing for a single project under the scheme is Rs5bn. The objective of this facility is to boost economic activity through investments in manufacturing units,” said the SBP.

While allowing the BMR and expansion of existing projects, the SBP has permitted financing for purchase of new-imported and locally-manufactured plant and machinery against foreign letter of credit (LC) and inland LC.

“The funding under the facility cannot be used for procurement of second-hand machinery, land or carrying out civil works,” said the SBP.

According to the circular issued by the central bank, in addition to new projects, existing projects and businesses are being allowed to avail financing under these facilities for BMR and expansion of their projects or businesses.

“This measure has been taken to provide further stimulus to the economy in the context of Covid-19’s impact on the economy, to support investment in the country for modernising or expanding manufacturing and production units, and in response from feedback from stakeholders,” said the SBP.

The central bank said that, it has taken several measures since the outbreak of Covid-19 to safeguard economic activity in the country. On Mar 17, the SBP introduced TERF and its shariah-compliant version to stimulate new investment in the manufacturing sector.

With expansion in scope of the facility, the SBP expects that existing businesses will avail subsidised funding to improve productivity leading to higher economic activity and employment generation.

The banks and development finance institutions will be required to make disbursements to their customers on the basis of certificates of their internal audit confirming that financing is within the terms and conditions laid down in the facilities.

Borrowers will be required to submit a report from the Pakistan Banks Association-approved surveyors with regard to confirmation that the newly-purchased plant and machinery has been installed as per their initial request or proposal for BMR and expansion. In case of installation and fixation in part, this report will be required at first and final installation of the plant and equipment.

Published in Dawn, May 9th, 2020

Central Excise Commissioner waives Rs 24.34 crore tax, affected plot owners hail decision Tribune News Service Chandigarh, February 6 In a relief to the converted plot holders in Industrial Area, Phase I, and Phase II, the Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise Department, has ruled that there will be not service tax on conversion of plots. This order will imply on those who have converted their plots from industrial to commercial. Besides, the Commissioner has also waived Rs 24.34 crore service tax. A show-cause notice for the service tax was issued to the UT Estate Office in July 2013 for not depositing service tax. The department had issued notice of Rs […]

NEW DELHI: The Narendra Modi government is set to substantially ease norms for foreign investment in the construction sector, hoping to drum up interest in the prime minister’s plans for 100 smart cities as well his affordable housing initiative. The government is seriously considering the removal of all restrictions on size and minimum capitalisation for the smart cities as well as affordable housing projects. “The discussions are on for exempting smart cities from all FDI conditionalities. We need to give them a push by making it attractive for investors,” said a government official. The new policy is also expected to provide easier exit windows.The proposal could be moved for the […]

Where I live, in the northeast part of the United States, we have a special storm that goes by the name “nor’easter”. Do we call it that because that’s where we live? No. We call it that because, during a nor’easter, the wind blows hard and steady from the northeast.... read more >>

It's unlikely they will murder you, but they pose a serious threat to apiaries.

Making himself Exhibit A for reopening the country, President Donald Trump visited an Arizona face mask factory Tuesday, using the trip to demonstrate his determination to see an easing of stay-at-home orders even as the coronavirus remains a dire threat. Trump did not wear a mask despite guidelines saying they should be worn inside the factory at all times.

One day after saying that the White House COVID-19 task force would be winding down, President Donald Trump said Wednesday it would continue indefinitely but focus more on rebooting the economy.

The Government of Palau will draw down on a $15 million policy-based loan from ADB's Disaster Resilience Program to help finance the country’s response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

ADB today announced the release of a $6 million grant from its Pacific Disaster Resilience Program (Phase 2) to help finance the Government of the Marshall Islands’ response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa and Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and ADB Governor Makhdoom Khusro Bukhtiar today discussed how ADB can scale up its support for the government’s response to the COVID-19...

ADB has approved $50 million in loan and grant financing to help the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic mitigate the significant negative health, social, and economic impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

CHENNAI: The Kotturpuram branch of Indian Bank has invited tenders for auction of a property belonging to film producer and director Gautham Vasudev Menon in Adyar. As per details on Tenders India (a government tender information system), the auction process for the property located on First Main Road in Indira Nagar, has begun with the tender value being quoted at 12.26 crore. The winning bidder, expected to put up 50 lakh as a deposit. The property is 7,091 sqft, and the market price of each ground (2,400 sqft) in the area is 4.5 crore to 5 crore. “This particular account has been a non-performing asset (NPA) for some time and […]

The north–south railway line comprised two parts: the northern section, from Uzen (Kazakhstan) to Bereket (Turkmenistan), is 596 km long; and the southern section, from Bereket to Gorgan (Iran) is 338.5 km long. The government requested ADB to finance only the design and installation of the power supply, signal systems, and telecommunication systems for 311 km of the northern section, from Bereket to Hazar. The project’s expected impact was increased trade between Turkmenistan and other countries in the region.

The 2019 novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), first reported from Wuhan, People’s Republic of China (PRC), on 31 December 2019, is the latest emerging infectious disease to be declared a public health emergency of international concern. The situation is rapidly evolving, with more than 43,000 confirmed cases reported from at least 25 countries, and more than 1,000 deaths as of 11 February 2020, with PRC accounting for nearly all (99%) cases and deaths.

This report examines ADB’s Unlocking Innovation for Development technical assistance project and highlights lessons learned from activities and pilot projects it has funded.

Regional economic growth in developing Asia will decline sharply to 2.2% in 2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, before recovering in 2021, according to the Asian Development Outlook 2020.

This video demonstrates how High Level Technology (HLT) can be harnessed by borrowers to help improve outcomes in procurement activities funded under ADB loans and grants.

This video provides an overview of how ADB determines Noncompliance in Procurement and how borrowers can prevent Noncompliance activities from occurring.

The unique challenges of financing and building a climate-resilient port in a tiny Pacific country required ADB to develop and deploy innovative approaches to ensure the project’s design, governance, and monitoring were efficient and effective.

Nimitz Adam, 39, from Boe District, is a mechanic at Nauru’s Aiwo Boat Harbor. Since construction began on Nauru's new port in October 2019, the father of 6 says the people of Nauru are beginning to realize their dream of having an efficient, reliable, and climate-resilient international port. “The new port will be like a lifeline for the people of Nauru.” Nimitz Adam, mechanic at Nauru’s Aiwo Boat Harbor

ADB tripled the size of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic to $20 billion and approved measures to streamline its operations for quicker and more flexible delivery of assistance, says ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa.