News Highlights(19 Aug 2020)

 Fake Job Appointment Letter Issued On Letterhead Of RBI: Government's Fact Check

A fake job appointment letter has been issued on the letterhead of RBI by a private agency, government's fact check team, PIB Fact Check, has confirmed.

New Delhi: 

A fake job appointment letter has been issued by a private agency on the letterhead of RBI, government's fact check team, PIB Fact Check, has confirmed. In a tweet, it has said that, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) does not issue such appointment certificates nor does it authorize others to issue certificates under its letterhead.

The said letter has been for appointment to the post of Customer Service Point for offering banking services of State Bank of India. The job location, as can be seen from the letter, is at Rampur, Saharsa in Bihar.

The letter has been issued on August 13.

Minister of State for Education Sanjay Shamrao Dhotre has also tweeted about the fake appointment letter.

Circulation of fake job notices and appointment letters is on rise these days.

Recently Ministry of Railways had warned candidates about a fake recruitment notice. The notice released by a private agency claimed that over 5,000 vacancies are available in the railways and the company has been hired to conduct the recruitment. The notification had also asked candidates to deposit ₹ 750 as application form charge.

In another similar incident, recruitment notice of a fake organisation was advertised by Employment News, a weekly job journal from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The notice was later withdrawn. The job advertisement claimed that over 500 vacancies are available in a "Office of the Special Defence Personnel Forum" in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. "No such organisation exists under the Ministry," PIB Fact Check had said.

Two Of Earth's Most Colourful Phenomena Meet In NASA's Stunning Pic From Space

The picture was shot by an astronaut on the International Space Station

Two of Earth's most colourful upper atmospheric phenomena, aurora and airglow, met in this stunning photograph shared by NASA. Taken by an astronaut on the International Space Station, the photograph shows the easily-recognisable green of aurora borealis intersecting with the wispy, golden-ish band of airglow above the Earth. 

"Aurora, meet airglow," wrote the US space agency while sharing the spectacular image on Instagram a few hours ago. Describing them as two of Earth's most colourful upper atmospheric phenomena, NASA wrote: "Aurora and airglow met just before dawn in this March 16 photo shot by an astronaut on the International Space Station."

The photo was taken as the ISS passed south of the Alaskan Peninsula. Below the aurora and airglow, sparkling lights from British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, dotted the skyscape, as stars lit up the early morning sky above.  

 "Wavy green, red-topped wisps of aurora borealis appear to intersect the muted red-yellow band of airglow as the ISS passed just south of the Alaskan Peninsula," the agency wrote. 

NASA further explained that though they appear similar, aurora and airglow are formed by different processes. While auroras stem from interactions between solar energy and Earth's magnetic field, airglows are "the emission of light from chemical interactions between oxygen, nitrogen, and other molecules in the upper atmosphere."

The picture has collected over 8.4 lakh 'likes' on Instagram along with thousands of comments.

"Wow! Breathtaking," wrote one person in the comments section, while another said: "Never seen this perspective of the aurora lights before. Wonderful!"

Hong Kong Bans Air India Flights Till August-End: Report

Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong only if they have a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey, according to rules issued by the Hong Kong government in July.

New Delhi: 

Hong Kong has banned Air India flights till the end of August after some passengers on one of its flights tested positive for COVID-19 post arrival, a senior government official said on Wednesday.

Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong only if they have a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done 72 hours prior to the journey, according to rules issued by the Hong Kong government in July.

Moreover, all international passengers are required to take a post-flight COVID-19 test at the airport premises in Hong Kong.

"Some passengers who landed in Hong Kong on one of Air India flights recently tested COVID-positive post arrival," the government official said.

"The Hong Kong government has banned all Air India flights till August-end," the official added.

Air India did not respond to the PTI's request for comment.

The airline had said on Twitter on Monday: "Due to restrictions imposed by Hong Kong Authorities, AI 310/315, Delhi - Hong Kong - Delhi of 18th August 2020 stands postponed. Next update in this regard will be intimated soon. Passengers may please contact Air India Customer Care for assistance."

Besides India, a pre-flight COVID-19 negative test result certificate is mandatory for all passengers coming from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa and the United States, according to the Hong Kong government's rules.

An airline operating a flight to Hong Kong from any of these nine countries has to submit a form before departure stating that all passengers onboard have COVID-19 negative certificates.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, special international flights have been operating with the approval of aviation regulator DGCA.

Air India has been operating special international flights since May 6 under the Vande Bharat Mission to help stranded people reach their destinations.

Since July, India has established separate bilateral air bubble arrangements with countries like the USA, Germany, France, the UAE, the UK and the Maldives for international flight operations.

Under a bilateral air bubble pact, airlines of both countries can operate international flights with certain restrictions.