On first day of 2019, estimated 395,000 babies born worldwide, most in India: UNICEF
United Nations, Jan 2 : More than 395,000 babies were expected to have born around the world on New Year's Day, with India estimated to record the highest number of these births at nearly 70,000, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said.
As the calendar flips to 2019, about 395,072 babies will be born around the world.
Over half of these births are estimated to take place in eight countries, including India, China, Pakistan, United States and Bangladesh.
India is expected to register 69,944 of these births, followed by China (44,940), Nigeria (25,685), Pakistan (15,112), Indonesia (13,256), US (11,086), The Democratic Republic of Congo (10,053) and Bangladesh (8,428).
As the clock struck midnight, Sydney greeted an estimated 168 babies, followed by 310 in Tokyo, 605 in Beijing, 166 in Madrid, and 317 in New York.
The first babies were born in Fiji in the Pacific, and the US will most likely deliver its last.
As the world enters a new year, UNICEF called on nations to meet every newborn's right to health and survival.
The agency's Deputy Executive Director, Charlotte Petri Gornitzka, asked the world to join UNICEF in "making a resolution to fulfill every right of every child, starting with the right to survive".
The agency warned that in several countries many babies will not even be named as they won't make it past their first day. According to UNICEF, in 2017, about one million babies died the day they were born, and 2.5 million in just their first month of life.
Most died from preventable causes such as premature birth, complications during delivery, and infections like pneumonia, in what the agency called 'a violation of their basic right to survival'.
"We can save millions of babies if we invest in training and equipping local health workers so that every newborn is born into a safe pair of hands," Gornitza added.
The year 2019 also marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Under the convention, governments committed to take measures to save every child by providing good quality health care.
Over the past three decades, the world has seen remarkable progress in child survival, cutting the number of children worldwide who die before their fifth birthday by more than half.
But there has been slower progress for newborns. Babies dying in the first month account for 47 per cent of all deaths among children under five.
UNICEF's Every Child Alive Campiagn' calls for immediate investment to deliver affordable, quality health care solutions for every mother and newborn.
These include a steady supply of clean water and electricity at health facilities, the presence of a skilled health attendant during birth, ample supplies and medicines to prevent and treat complications during pregnancy, delivery and birth, and empowered adolescent girls and women who can demand better quality of health services.
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Bengaluru records coldest December night in eight years at 13.30C, says IMD
Bengaluru: Bengaluru experienced its coldest December night in eight years, with the minimum temperature dropping to 13.3 degrees Celsius on December 13, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
According to the report published by The New Indian Express on Tuesday, IMD data shows that this is the lowest minimum temperature recorded in the city since 2016. The all-time lowest December temperature in Bengaluru was 8.9 degrees Celsius on December 29, 1883. In recent years, the city recorded 12 degrees Celsius in December 2016 and 12.8 degrees Celsius in December 2011.
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IMD officials reportedly said, day temperatures in Bengaluru and other parts of south-interior Karnataka will dip further in the coming days. They also forecast light drizzle in some parts of the region over the next few days.
“There will be a slight rise in night time temperatures from Monday, December 15, 2025, because of the prevailing south easterly winds. These winds will lead to the formation of a thin cloud cover and layer of water vapour over the atmosphere. The moisture level in the atmosphere will increase, leading to a dip in the day temperatures and a slight rise in the night temperatures from the prevailing 14 degrees Celsius,” TNIE quoted IMD senior scientist CS Patil as saying.
However, once these winds weaken, northerly and north-easterly winds are expected to return, which could lead to another drop in night temperatures. Officials allegedly said that Karnataka may see a longer and drier winter spell this year compared to previous seasons.
