Pursuing Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Affordable, Quality Healthcare for All, Government of India has issued the notification for fixing the ceiling prices of coronary stents, informed Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Ananthkumar here today. The step would bring down the cost of coronary stents, currently hiked by about 380%, the Minister added.

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on Economic Cooperation was signed by Commerce and Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Government of India and Ms. Martina Dalic, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Government of the Republic of Croatia on 14th February, 2017 in Zagreb, Croatia.

The news of problems with Toshiba’s nuclear power generation investment plans will prompt some new thinking here in the UK. Some in the press are suggesting that in order to carry forward a programme of additional nuclear stations beyond Hinkley, the UK government will now itself have to venture into being a minority investor in these new plants. Private sector companies are finding it a stretch to handle the very high up front investment costs of a new nuclear station. They also have to worry about the long term nature of their commitments, and the eventual costs of decommissioning the facilities when they are worn out.

It is true, as the government argues, that nuclear has merits compared to wind power. It is much more reliable, and the plants can be run permanently without the same amount of back up power than interruptible renewable sources require. Whilst a nuclear plant is dear, you do not need an equivalent amount of stand by capacity, as you do for wind. The idea has been to supply unsubsidised power from nuclear plants. That means guaranteeing them a high and constant price for the power they will generate, given the high fixed costs involved. Some see guaranteed prices as just another variant of subsidy.

The enthusiasm for UK nuclear is based around the decarbonisation plans of Labour and the Coalition governments, in harmony with the EU requirements. The new government, leaving the EU, can rethink  our energy needs and vary the policy. The overriding objectives should be to provide a sufficient supply of affordable power. We need that both to pursue the new Industrial strategy,. and to tackle fuel poverty. Building a new nuclear industry here may make sense, but only if it can be done in a way which delivers sufficient power at affordable prices. It may be the case that a new fleet of gas powered stations would b e a better way of ensuring plentiful good value energy.

What is sure is that you don’t have a meaningful policy to fire up many industries we have lost or where there has been decline unless they have access to cheap power.

15 February 2017 – Using smartphones, laptops and other technology to work from home can be a blessing &#8211 it does away with rush hour traffic, for example &#8211 but it also diminishes personal space and contact with colleagues, according to a new study released today by the United Nations labour agency and a private sector partner, which recommends how to address these work-life disparities.

&#8220This report shows that the use of modern communication technologies facilitates a better overall work-life balance,&#8221 said the Jon Messenger, co-author of the joint report by the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) and Eurofund.

The study, Working anytime, anywhere: The effects on the world of work is based on interviews with workers and experts in 10 European Union member states, Argentina, Brazil, India, Japan and the United States.

It highlights positive effects of teleworking, such as greater autonomy on working time and better work-day organization, and reduced commuting time resulting in a better overall work-life balance and higher productivity.

On the down side, teleworking &#8220blurs the boundaries between work and personal life, depending on the place of work and the characteristics of different occupations,&#8221 Mr. Messenger said.

People teleworking have a tendency to work longer hours, and have higher levels of stress as a result of overlapping paid work and personal life.

As telework becomes more prominent so too has the need to disconnect in order to separate paid work and personal life, with France and Germany beginning to look at arrangements at the company level, and at existing and new legislation, such as the &#8220right to be disconnected&#8221 (le droit à la déconnexion) in the most recent revision of the French Labour Code.

According to the report, there are distinctions between home-based teleworkers who seem to enjoy better work-life balance and ‘high-mobile’ workers who are more at risk of negative health and well-being outcomes.

The report recommends promoting formal part-time teleworking so that people working from home can maintain their ties with co-workers and improve their well-being.

15 February 2017 – Urging action for greater freedoms, stronger respect and more compassion, the United Nations human rights arm today launched a $253 million appeal &#8211 its largest to date &#8211 to bolster its 2017 work programme to protect and advance the rights of people around the world.

&#8220In numerous countries, even the rules are under attack &#8211 xenophobia and calls for racial and religious discrimination have entered mainstream discourse and every day, seemingly, are more widespread and more deeply rooted,&#8221 said Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a news release issued by his office (OHCHR) announcing the appeal.

&#8220More and more people are suddenly realizing we can no longer afford to be complacent about human rights, and that the erosion of other people’s human rights will sooner or later lead to the erosion of our own.&#8221

According to OHCHR, the extra-budgetary funds will augment its work in providing in-country assistance, supporting UN independent rights experts and the Human Rights Council, as well as contribute to a number of trust funds on issues such as torture, rights of indigenous peoples and contemporary forms of slavery.

Erosion of other people’s human rights will sooner or later lead to the erosion of our own

&#8220Through human rights advocacy, advice on laws and constitutions, training of State authorities as well as of non-governmental organizations, fact-finding and hard-hitting investigations that lay the groundwork for accountability and amplify the voices of victims of human rights violations &#8211 through these and other means, [OHCHR] helps in the push for better human rights protections for all,&#8221 said High Commissioner Zeid.

The Office has some 60 field presences in different locations around the globe. These include country, regional and stand-alone offices, human rights advisers, and human rights components of UN missions.

However, it also struggles with &#8220dramatic and chronic&#8221 underfunding.

&#8220More than ever, we need strong partners to stand with us […] We need to broaden our financial support base to include more Member States, and encourage participation from a much broader range of private donors,&#8221 said Mr. Zeid, calling for their support to help prevent human rights crisis from escalating as well as contributing to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

&#8220We can advocate a broad, open democratic space and impartial rule of law institutions in every country […] we can push back against the current assaults on values, and act swiftly to uphold the human rights laws and principles we fought so hard to build,&#8221 he highlighted, adding:

&#8220The time to stand up for human rights is now. We are counting on your support.&#8221