, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20201112STO91447/
RCEP “uplifting” amid global recession: Chinese commerce chamber in EU
BRUSSELS, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) — The China Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (CCCEU) on Sunday hailed the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement as “uplifting” amid global recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the presence of leaders of China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the RCEP agreement was officially signed on Sunday, forging the largest free trade bloc in the world.
“The conclusion of this agreement offers an uplifting example of international economic cooperation, which has been affected by protectionism and unilateralism; and it has also injected confidence to boost global economic recovery hit by the recession,” said Zhou Lihong, chairwoman of the CCCEU.
“Right now, China and the EU are racing towards ending negotiation of the bilateral investment treaty (BIT) by the end of this year. We are looking forward to the conclusion of this long-awaited agreement,” said Zhou, who is former chair of Bank of China Luxembourg.
“We are also expecting to put bilateral free trade talks on the official agenda as soon as possible, which could then offer a solid framework of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in the two major markets consisting of 1.9 billion consumers,” she added.
Based in Brussels, the CCCEU was founded in 2018 by a group of Chinese enterprises operating in the European Union (EU). It represents some 1,000 Chinese companies in numerous industries, such as finance, energy, transportation, manufacturing, ICT and artificial intelligence.
EU must assert autonomy in face of US-China dominance, says Macron
European leaders must not let up on efforts to construct an autonomous bloc that is capable of resisting the duopoly of China and the US, Emmanuel Macron has said in his first extended response to the US presidential election.
The French president said the US would only respect Europe if it was sovereign with respect to its own defence, technology and currency. Warning that US values and interests were not quite the same as Europe’s, he said: “It is not tenable that our international policies should be dependent on it or to be trailing behind it.” The same need for independence applied even more to China, he added.
His analysis came in a marathon interview in the journal Le Grand Continent, conducted last Thursday, in which he called for a redoubling of the protection of the values of the European enlightenment against “barbarity and obscurantism”. Le Grand Continent is the review attached to the leading French thinktank Groupe d’Études Géopolitiques.
Macron suggested 2020 may prove to be a landmark year similar to 1945, 1968 and 2007. Much of the interview considered the extent to which the forces that led to Donald Trump’s election in 2016, and the UK’s Brexit vote, could be contained, and reversed.
“The changeover of the administration in America is an opportunity to to pursue in a truly peaceful and calm manner what allies need to understand among themselves – which is that we need to continue to build our independence for ourselves, as the US does for itself and as China does for itself.”
He explicitly claimed that the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was resisting German politicians who have described the search for European autonomy as an illusion, saying such a view is a “historical misinterpretation”.
“It is vital that our Europe finds the ways and the means to decide for itself to rely on itself, not to depend on others in every area, technological, health, geopolitics, and to be able to cooperate with whomever it chooses,” he said.
Macron added that although the US was Europe’s historical ally, cherishing similar principles, “our values are not quite the same. We have an attachment to social democracy, to more equality. Our reactions are not quite the same”.
Macron, who previously criticised Nato as being “brain-dead”, said: “Europe has a lot of thoughts unthought. On a geostrategic level we had forgotten to think because we thought our geopolitical relations through Nato.”
Calling for a reinvention of international cooperation, he said the current multilateral frameworks were blocked. “The UN security council no longer produces useful solutions today. We all have some responsibility to bear when some [institutions] such as the World Health Organization find themselves hostages to the crises of multilateralism.”
He said the deep crisis of cooperation was a crisis born of conflicting values, including the rise of neoconservatism and a breakdown in the universal principle of inviolable human rights. This rupture, he said, “is the fruit of ideological choices fully endorsed by powers that see in it the means to rise, and a form of fatigue, of breakdown”.
Without mentioning Turkey directly, he said: “Authoritarian regional powers are re-emerging, theocracies are re-emerging. It is an extraordinary acceleration of a return of religion on the political scene in a number of these countries.”
Europe, Macron suggested, was fighting against “a colossal step backward in history”, led by those who use radical Islamism to challenge freedom of expression. Insisting he respected cultures and civilisations, he said “nevertheless I am not going to change our laws because they shock elsewhere”.
Timeline
From Brefusal to Brexit: a history of Britain in the EU
Show
Hide
After 47 years and 30 days it was all over. As the clock struck 11pm on 31 January 2020, the UK was officially divorced from the EU and began trying to carve out a new global role as a sovereign nation. It was a union that got off to a tricky start and continued to be marked by the UK’s sometimes conflicted relationship with its neighbours.
The French president, Charles de Gaulle, vetoes Britain’s entry to EEC, accusing the UK of a “deep-seated hostility” towards the European project.
With Sir Edward Heath having signed the accession treaty the previous year, the UK enters the EEC in an official ceremony complete with a torch-lit rally, dickie-bowed officials and a procession of political leaders, including former prime ministers Harold Macmillan and Alec Douglas-Home.
Referendum
The UK decides to stay in the common market after 67% voted “yes”. Margaret Thatcher, later to be leader of the Conservative party, campaigned to remain.
‘Give us our money back’
Margaret Thatcher negotiated what became known as the UK rebate with other EU members after the “iron lady” marched into the former French royal palace at Fontainebleau to demand “our own money back” claiming for every £2 contributed we get only £1 back” despite being one of the “three poorer” members of the community.
It was a move that sowed the seeds of Tory Euroscepticism that was to later cause the Brexit schism in the party.
The Bruges speech
Thatcher served notice on the EU community in a defining moment in EU politics in which she questioned the expansionist plans of Jacques Delors, who had remarked that 80% of all decisions on economic and social policy would be made by the European Community within 10 years with a European government in “embryo”. That was a bridge too far for Thatcher.
The cold war ends
Collapse of Berlin wall and fall of communism in eastern Europe, which would later lead to expansion of EU.
‘No, no, no’
Divisions between the UK and the EU deepened with Thatcher telling the Commons in an infamous speech it was ‘no, no, no’ to what she saw as Delors’ continued power grab. Rupert Murdoch’s Sun newspaper ratchets up its opposition to Europe with a two-fingered “Up yours Delors” front page.
Black Wednesday
A collapse in the pound forced prime minister John Major and the then chancellor Norman Lamont to pull the UK out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism.
The single market
On 1 January, customs checks and duties were removed across the bloc. Thatcher hailed the vision of “a single market without barriers – visible or invisible – giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the world’s wealthiest and most prosperous people”.
Maastricht treaty
Tory rebels vote against the treaty that paved the way for the creation of the European Union. John Major won the vote the following day in a pyrrhic victory.
Repairing the relationship
Tony Blair patches up the relationship. Signs up to social charter and workers’ rights.
Nigel Farage elected an MEP and immediately goes on the offensive in Brussels. “Our interests are best served by not being a member of this club,” he said in his maiden speech. “The level playing field is about as level as the decks of the Titanic after it hit an iceberg.”
Chancellor Gordon Brown decides the UK will not join the euro.
EU enlarges to to include eight countries of the former eastern bloc including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
EU expands again, allowing Romania and Bulgaria into the club.
Migrant crisis
Anti-immigration hysteria seems to take hold with references to “cockroches” by Katie Hopkins in the Sun and tabloid headlines such as “How many more can we take?” and “Calais crisis: send in the dogs”.
David Cameron returns from Brussels with an EU reform package – but it isn’t enough to appease the Eurosceptic wing of his own party
Brexit referendum
The UK votes to leave the European Union, triggering David Cameron’s resignation and paving the way for Theresa May to become prime minister
Britain leaves the EU
After years of parliamentary impasse during Theresa May’s attempt to get a deal agreed, the UK leaves the EU.
He attributed some of the rise of populism to the effect of a breakpoint in the previous Washington consensus about the virtues of globalisation. “When the middle classes no longer have the means to progress and see their situation sliding year after year, a doubt about democracy sets in. That is what we are seeing precisely everywhere, from the US of Donald Trump, to Brexit and the warning shots in our country,” he said.
Macron warned that social media had become an instrument for the rejection of all expertise, be it political, academic or scientific. “We have not organised a public order for this space. The virtual space over determines our choices today, and at the same time it transforms our political life. And therefore it disrupts democracies and our lives.”
He said he was pursuing the concept of a golden hour, the idea that social media firms have 60 minutes to identify and take down posts that glorify and incite terrorism and hate.
Borrell: EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity and to dismantle outposts
Brussels, 15/11/2020
The High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell said in a statement that settlement expansion in Givat Hamatos is illegal under international law.
Borrell added: “I am deeply worried by the Israeli authorities’ decision to open the bidding process for the construction of housing units for an entirely new settlement at Givat Hamatos”.
This is a key location between Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. Any settlement construction will cause serious damage to the prospects for a viable and contiguous Palestinian state and, more broadly, to the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution in line with the internationally agreed parameters and with Jerusalem as the future capital of two states, Borrell said.
The EU has repeatedly called on Israel to end all settlement activity and to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001. It remains the EU’s firm position that settlements are illegal under international law.
The announced settlement activity will lead to the continuing weakening of efforts to rebuild trust and confidence between the parties which is necessary for an eventual resumption of meaningful negotiations.
The Government of Israel should instead show vision and responsibility and reverse these negative decisions at this critical and sensitive time Borrell end his settlement.
European Union Heads of Mission and like-minded countries visit Giva’t Hamatos in East Jerusalem
Also, the European Union Heads of mission, together with like-minded countries, are visiting Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem. Yesterday morning, the Israeli Ministry of Housing and Israel Land Authority opened the tender (bidding process) for 1,257 housing units to be built in Givat Hamatos in East Jerusalem
The construction in Givat Hamatos will block the possibility of territorial contiguity between East Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
Europe’s Appetite for Caribbean Food Highlights Growing Trend
[Bridgetown, Barbados] – A growing taste for Caribbean food in Europe could be lucrative for regional manufacturers, according to research from The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export).
The trend for exotic food sauces and condiments and natural, plant-based ingredients is highlighted in a new report commissioned ahead of Caribbean Export’s Absolutely Caribbean virtual expo on 17 and 18 November.
“We are seeing great potential for Caribbean food products across Europe at the moment”, says Dr. Damie Sinanan, Manager of Competitiveness and Export Promotion at Caribbean Export.
“It seems that consumers are looking for different flavours and playing more with spices but there is much promise amongst natural foods such a chocolate, teas and gluten–free flours. We are really excited about the range of quality, artisanal producers that we have at our expo this year which will help to support trade between the Caribbean and Europe.”
In the UK, the Caribbean food market is now worth almost £100m and foodservice wholesale giant Bidfood singled out Caribbean food as a Top 10 cuisine trend. In 2019, UK retailer Tesco also highlighted Caribbean fare as an ‘emerging trend’. Sauces and condiments in particular are worth £1.12bn and grew by 16.8% in the last year.
Craig & Shaun McAnuff at Caribbean food & lifestyle platform ‘Original Flava’, state: “We’ve seen a huge rise in the popularity of Caribbean foods in the UK in recent years which is really exciting. The likes of Ainsley Harriott and Levi Roots paving the way for Caribbean food; seeing staple Caribbean ingredients more widely available; but also seeing our cookbook as a bestseller on numerous charts and receiving TV & media recognition nationally. There is such a variety and so many flavours in Caribbean cooking which the British public are loving.”
In Spain, the ‘foods from other countries’ category has grown by 105.9% since 2012. Spicy tastes have seen strong growth with Caribbean flavours named as an emerging trend in sauces and spices, increasing around 55% to three million kilograms and over 29% in value to nearly €19m.
Almost a third (32%) of German consumers have said they like Caribbean food (1) which has led to an increase in heat and spice on the table during family dinners (2).
People in the Netherlands are also increasingly open to incorporating greater variation into their cooking, including flavour combinations and the use of fresh and natural ingredients, with the value of chilli sauces climbing 125% in value since 2016.
Europe’s love for wholesome plant-based ingredients, combined with the region’s efforts to promote sustainability, have also led to an increased interest in natural and organic products such as chocolate, tea and gluten–free flour.
In the UK, chocolate is a £4.3bn category and according to Kantar, plain and dark chocolate is growing by 14.5% year-on-year. In Spain, it is worth €1.5bn, and increased by 3.6% in 2019. Meanwhile, the Netherlands was the largest importer of cocoa beans in 2018 and is home to the largest cocoa grinding industry in the world.
The tea category in the UK is worth £561.3m which is not surprising given the nation’s love of the hot beverage. In Germany, 129 million cups of tea are consumed every day and in the Netherlands 71% of consumers drink tea at least once a week.
The UK’s gluten–free flour food category grew by 19.9% in 2019 compared to the year before and in Germany the market is worth £174m.
Caribbean food suppliers will be given the chance to showcase their unique food products to European buyers at Caribbean Export’s first virtual expo event: Absolutely Caribbean – unlocking the profit potential of the Caribbean on 17 and 18 November.
For more information about the event and to register, please visit –Click here
Spread the love
EU Malaria Fund: Sanaria reçoit un investissement substantiel pour sa plateforme exclusive de lutte antipaludique
… dernier investissement de l’EU Malaria Fund.
Ce communiqué …
.eu (Graphic: Business Wire)
L… #47;/www.controlmalaria.eu
Le texte du communiqué issu … Tobias Mac-Lean
maclean@kenup.eu
KEYWORD: EUROPE UNITED STATES NORTH …
Britain, EU ‘may not agree deal’ before transition ends
BRUSSELS: The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator has said that a trade deal with the EU may not succeed but he is still hopeful of a resolution as the talks go down to the wire this week.
Ahead of renewed negotiations as the clock ticks down to Britain exiting the EU withdrawal transition period at the end of December, Lord David Frost said his team was working hard to get an agreement.
He tweeted: “Arriving once again in Brussels shortly for another round of negotiations with EU and @MichelBarnier this afternoon. I and our British team have been in talks almost every day since 22 October.
“We are working to get a deal, but the only one that’s possible is one that is compatible with our sovereignty and takes back control of our laws, our trade, and our waters. That has been our consistent position from the start and I will not be changing it.
“There has been some progress in a positive direction in recent days. We also now largely have common draft treaty texts, though significant elements are of course not yet agreed. We will work to build on these and get an overall agreement if we can.
“But we may not succeed. Either way, as the Prime Minister @BorisJohnson made clear on 16 October, people and businesses must prepare for the change that is coming on 31 December, most of which happens whether there is a deal or not.”
The comments came after Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney warned there will be no EU-UK trade agreement if Boris Johnson pushes ahead with legislation that would allow Britain to break international law. Coveney again expressed concern at the Internal Market Bill being championed by the Prime Minister in Parliament.
Downing Street has insisted it will press on in the Commons with elements of the proposed legislation that would allow the government to break international law despite the House of Lords voting against them in recent days. The move comes as London and Brussels are set to continue talks this week.
Coveney, who said things need to “move” this week, told Sky News: “Even if we do get a new trade deal negotiated by both sides, if the British government is determined to continue with their Internal Market Bill – to reintroduce parts of that Bill that were removed by the House of Lords this week – then, I think this is a deal that won’t be ratified by the EU.
“Because there is no way the EU will agree to ratify a new agreement if the British government is breaking the existing agreement that is not even 12 months old, and breaking international law by doing that.”
Coveney also called for a cooling of rhetoric in trade talks, especially in the contentious area of fishing rights. “We really have to try and find a way of coming up with a compromise on fish that both sides can live with,” he said.“And we need to try and dial down the language on this because it is very easy to become emotive.”
Coveney insisted a deal was “doable”. “I think I would sum it up by saying this is very difficult, but, it’s also very doable. And I think the consequences of not getting a trade deal and a future relationship deal… before the end of the year, I think is very significant.”
Environment Secretary George Eustice said next week is “a week when things need to move” for the UK and EU to agree to a trade deal. “Both sides recognise that time is very, very short. It’s not long ago we were saying we needed to get some kind of conclusion by the middle of October,” he said.
“People have persevered with these talks. There does come a point frankly where businesses need to know what they are preparing for.“You can always squeeze out extra time if you need to, if you’re nearly there.
“But, I agree with Simon Coveney, perhaps we can agree on this much… this needs to be a week when things move, when we break through some of these difficult issues and get resolution and at least have some sort of headlines – if you like – of an agreement. Otherwise, it gets quite difficult and we do start to run out of time to implement it.”
Schools not outlining plans for those opting out of religion, survey finds
Most schools are not complying with legal requirements which require them to detail arrangements for students who do not wish to attend religious instruction, according to a new survey.
<p class="no_name">Children have a constitutional right not to attend religious instruction and the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 obliges schools to detail how they will facilitate this in their admissions policies.</p>
<p class="no_name">However, a survey of a sample of 100 school admission policies by the campaign group Atheist <a href="/news">Ireland</a> shows most schools are failing to comply with these legal obligations.</p>
<p class="no_name">For example, out of 40 Catholic primary schools surveyed, it found that 30 said parents must seek a meeting with the principal to discuss the request to opt out.</p>
<p class="no_name">Some of these schools asked parents to give reasons for wanting their children to not attend religion classes, while others said written requests by parents “will be considered on a case-by-case basis”.</p>
<p class="no_name">Similarly, 23 out of 25 Catholic secondary schools surveyed had similar requirements.</p>
<p class="no_name">About 90 per cent of primary schools are under Catholic ownership and spend up to 2½ hours teaching religion – or faith formation – each week.</p>
<aside class="related-articles--instream has-3">
</aside>
<p class="no_name">A recent OECD report shows that Irish primary schools are second only to <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Israel" rel="nofollow">Israel</a> in the amount of time spent on compulsory religious instruction.</p>
<p class="no_name">Speaking during the enactment of the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018, the then minister for education <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_person=Richard+Bruton" rel="nofollow">Richard Bruton</a> said the new law was aimed at “strengthening the provision to meet the constitutional right of every child not to have to attend religious instruction. </p>
<p class="no_name">“This will be enforced by requiring it to be explicitly stated in the admissions policy of religious schools as to how they propose to honour that,” he said.</p>
<p class="no_name">Among State or Education and Training Board schools, the survey found most drew a distinction between “religious instruction” – which they said amounted to faith formation – and “religious education” which they said was education about religion and beliefs generally.</p>
<p class="no_name">On foot of this, many ETB schools said the legal requirement to “advise of the option to opt out of religious instruction does not arise.”</p>
<p class="no_name">This, however, is disputed by Atheist Ireland which says its legal opinion is that this is a “spurious distinction” with no legal basis.</p>
<p class="no_name">The Atheist Ireland report states that the purpose of new legislation was to provide transparency from the outset so parents know these details before they choose a school for their children. “However, it has failed to do this,” it states.</p>
<p class="no_name">In response to a request for comment, the Department of Education said the manner in which any school ensures that the right to opt out of religion classes is upheld “is a matter for the school concerned”. </p>
<p class="no_name">A spokesman said each individual school must determine arrangements which are most appropriate in its individual circumstances, having regard to local issues such as available space, supervision requirements and how the school organises classes.</p>
<p class="no_name">“The right of parents to have their child opt out of religious instruction and worship applies in all schools regardless of the denomination or ethos of the school concerned,” he added.</p>
<p class="no_name">The department did not comment on whether it would monitor school admission policies to ensure they comply with its legislation, or if it had any plans to do so.</p>
Paying for an EU defence plan
” +
“
” +
“
” +
“” +
“
” +
“
”
});
var $context =
jq(this);
var creCookie = jq.cookie(cookieName) || false;
if (creCookie) {
jq(this).trigger(‘notify-hide’);
} else {
/* Use smartscroll listener to fire the panel at end of article */
jq(window).smartscroll(function () {
//Calculate how far down the page the user has scrolled
var scrollPos = (jq(window).scrollTop() / jq(‘div.article_bodycopy’).height()) * 100;
scrollPos = Math.round(scrollPos);
if (scrollPos > 75) {
showContent++;
if (showContent == 1) {
jq.notify({
headline: articleheadline,
image: articleimage
}, readNextOptions);
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Shown https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
}
}
}); // end scroll
}
/* Tracking of CRE elements via GTM */
/* Dismiss button on the top RHS of the card */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–dismiss’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Closed https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
/* Read Next title More Information */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–title’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘More info https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
/* Article link Headline */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–headline’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Clicked https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
/* Article link ‘READ NOW’ button */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–read’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Clicked READ NOW https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
/* ‘OK GOT IT’ button */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–ok’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Accept https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
/* Opt Out button */
jq(document).on(‘click’, ‘.read-next–optout’, function (e) {
dataLayer.push({
‘category’: evtCategory,
‘action’: ‘Opt Out https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/covid-19-thousands-set-to-fly-home-for-christmas-despite-recipe-for-disaster-plea-1.4409979, bottom of page’,
‘label’: evtLabel
}, {‘event’: ‘data-layer-event’});
});
});
Maharashtra: Book online for darshan in temples; decision on mass after Wednesday
MUMBAI: Post-lockdown guidelines will be firmly in place Monday as the state permits religious places to reopen to the public. Shirdi Sai temple and Siddhivinayak trust have instructed devotees to book online darshan before visiting. Churches will not resume public attendance at mass as yet, although devotees can visit for personal prayer from 10am to noon, and 4-7pm.
In a letter to parish priests on Sunday, the Archbishop of Bombay Oswald Cardinal Gracias advised a watch-and-wait approach. He will evaluate the situation on Wednesday and then take a call. Till then, he has urged priests to enforce the use of masks, sanitiser and social distancing every step of the way.
For the last eight months, devotees keen to enter places of worship were thwarted by locked gates. They often halted outside, said a silent prayer and went on their way. Monday will bring an end to this separation.
The post-lockdown protocol calls upon devotees to arm themselves with masks, prayer mats and avoid physical contact with the idol and one another. Universally, children below 10 years and the elderly and sick patients will be turned back.
The Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi has mandated visitors to make online bookings and obtain a time slot for darshan. People will have to show their booking receipts at the entrance. Up to 6,000 people will be allowed daily, in contrast to the average footfall of 20,000-30,000. While 50% will be paid darshan, the remainder will be free. There will be no distribution of sweets, although devotees will receive prasad in the halls built for the purpose.
Mumbai’s nodal Siddhivinayak shrine has instructed devotees to download its app to book darshan, or get a QR code. Here, 100 people will be allowed every hour, and a maximum of 1,000 per day.
Wadala’s Ram Mandir, which wore a forlorn look through Ram Navami and Dussehra, will reopen with
‘kakad aarti’ at 6am, said trust general secretary Ulhas Kamat.
After eight months, the muezzin will call Muslims to prayer from the local mosque. On Sunday, the long prayer carpet was removed from the Andheri Muslim Qabrastan Masjid at Four Bungalows. Trustee Atik Babar Kashmiri said, “We will follow all government guidelines and request namazis to bring their own prayer mats. We have requisitioned a foot-operated sanitiser dispenser as well.”
The Archdiocese of Bombay is treading cautiously under its shepherd, Cardinal Gracias. “He has said that people can pay a visit to the blessed sacrament or come for personal prayer but not attend mass just yet. He will evaluate the situation on Wednesday. Masses are in any case being streamed live,” said Fr Vincent Vaz, parish priest of Holy Family Church, Chakala.
Nasha R Jassawalla, managing trustee of the Rustomfaramna Agiary or fire temple at Dadar Parsi Colony, cautioned behdins (worshippers) against bringing flowers and offerings, maintain physical distance at celebrations or ceremonies, and use masks and sanitisers. The agiary has removed its prayer books for the public.
(Inputs by Ranjan Dasgupta from Nashik)
