The World Food Programme wins Nobel Peace Prize
Oslo: The World Food Programme on Friday won the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the globe.
The announcement was made in Oslo by Berit Reiss-Andersen, the chair of the Nobel Committee.
The Nobel Committee said that the coronavirus pandemic has added to the hunger faced by millions of people around the world and called on governments to ensure that WFP and other aid organizations receive the financial support necessary to feed them.
There was no shortage of causes or candidates on this year's list, with 211 individuals and 107 organizations nominated ahead of the Feb. 1 deadline.
However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee maintains absolute secrecy about whom it favors for arguably the world's most prestigious prize.
The award comes with a 10-milion krona ( 1.1 million) cash prize and a gold medal to be handed out at a ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 10, the anniversary of prize founder Alfred Nobel's death. This year's ceremony will be scaled down due to the pandemic.
On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize for physiology and medicine for discovering the liver-ravaging hepatitis C virus. Tuesday's prize for physics honored breakthroughs in understanding the mysteries of cosmic black holes, and the chemistry prize on Wednesday went to scientists behind a powerful gene-editing tool. The literature prize was awarded to American poet Louise Gl ck on Thursday for her candid and uncompromising work.
Still to come next week is the prize for outstanding work in the field of economics.
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Karnataka objects to Maharashtra's case on border issue
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that the state has objected to the jurisdiction of Maharashtra in a case pertaining to the border issue.
The neighbouring Maharashtra has locked horn with Karnataka on border row, especially claiming that Belagavi should be merged with it.
According to the chief minister, Maharashtra has filed a case in the Supreme Court in this regard.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the Karnataka government will hire a good lawyer to fight the case.
"We will hire a good lawyer. According to me, there is no case. Maharashtra has filed a case. Our objection is on jurisdiction. Jurisdiction has to be decided first whether they have a locus standi or not, whether they are entitled to file a case or not," the CM said.
Responding to a question on reports that about three crore voters in the state have not been mapped as per the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process undertaken by the Election Commission of India, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has cautioned people about it.
"The SIR exercise must be carried out with utmost caution. We have told our Block Level Agents and voters to be cautious," he said.
The chief minister denied that the Congress is taking the SIR politically.
"The Congress will never indulge in politics over the SIR process being conducted by the Election Commission but our only concern is that genuine voters should not be excluded from the voters’ list," he said.
Responding to the demand that municipal corporation elections be held through ballot papers, he said it is also their (Congress) wish.
Commenting on the Governor returning the bill related to the internal reservation among scheduled castes, Siddaramaiah said appropriate explanations would be provided to the questions raised by the Governor regarding the bill.
Replying to a question on his visit to New Delhi, the CM said he would travel to the national capital if he receives a call from the party leadership.
Asked about mining baron and BJP MLA from Gangavathi G Janardhana Reddy’s charges during a public meeting in Ballari that the Congress government was indulging in looting the state, Siddaramaiah said he has no moral right to say so.
"He (Reddy) was the one who went to jail for looting the state. What moral right does he has to say that? Why was he restricted from entering Ballari? The case against him is still pending before the court," the chief minister said.
The opposition BJP has no job other than lying and misleading people, he said, and added that he will speak in the Assembly when the legislative session starts from January 22.
