Maharashtra’s farm loan waiver falls short of target
A year after it had announced with much fanfare a ₹34,000 crore loan waiver for distressed farmers, the Maharashtra government has disbursed only half of the declared amount. According to latest data from the Cooperation and Information Technology Departments, the State has disbursed ₹16,498 crore as opposed to the initially estimated ₹34,000 crore. The loan waiver scheme has reached 39.08 lakh farmers as against an estimated 80 lakh announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last year. “We have ended the scheme for now and only a few more crores may trickle into it. The estimated transfer is much lesser than our estimates based on the projections made by the bank,” said a senior official of the state government. State officials said the estimated amount could not be disbursed since most of the farmers did not have a loan and savings account, needed for claiming a loan waiver. As opposed to eligible 78 lakh farmers, the government only received 57 lakh applications. Of the total, ₹12,386 crore was disbursed as one time settlement (OTS), another ₹2,544 crore under the incentive-based scheme and ₹1,568 crore as the second instalment of the OTS. Mr. Fadnavis had admitted last year the farm loan waiver will burden the State’s finances for the next two years. Maharashtra had joined Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab to announce the waiver recently. The State has over ₹4,00,000 crore in debts and a recent fiscal report by India Ratings warned that the waiver will push the State’s fiscal deficit to 2.71% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the current financial year. The report has also estimated a rise in debt/GSDP at 17.44% over a budgeted 16.26%.
Indian wrestler Ravinder Singh with his coach Satpal after winning the gold medal.Two pairs of shooters were bang on target while the grapplers made a clean sweep of all three titles at stake as India grabbed five gold medals to climb to the second spot in the medals table below Australia in the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.The Indian men’s 10m air rifle pair of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra and world record holder Gagan Narang started the gold rush for the country in the morning which was sustained by women shooters Rahi Sarnobat and Anisa Sayeed who picked up the pairs 25m pistol event for women in style.Two more silver medals came India’s way from the Dr Karni Singh shooting range before greco-roman style grapplers Ravinder Singh (60 kg), Sanjay (74 kg) and Anil Kumar (96kg) made a clean sweep of all three gold medals on offer from the wrestling mat to round off a splendid day for the hosts.The two silver medals were earned by Deepak Sharma and Omkar Singh, in the men’s 50m pistol pairs event, and the woman’s duo of world champion Tejaswini Sawant and Lajjakumari Gauswami, who stood second in the pairs 50m rifle 3 position.The five gold and two silver medals boosted the hosts’ overall medal tally to 5-4-2 on the second day of competitions after the weightlifers gave the country two silver and as many bronze medals yesterday.The three wrestling gold medals pitchforked India to the second place behind Australia after England overtook the home country briefly through their first two golds from the pool won by Liam John Tancock (men’s 50m backstroke) and Francesca Jean Halsall (women’s 50m butterlfly).advertisementThe day commenced in scintillating fashion for India when Bindra and Narang ended the first day’s gold medal drought with a Games record of 1193, overtaking their own mark of 1189 set four years ago in Melbourne, to clinch the men’s 10m air rifle pairs event.Their feat was followed by a superb display of calm nerves and dead centre shooting by the women’s duo of Rahi Sarnobat and Anisa Sayyed who added the second gold in the women’s 25m pistol pairs event with a championship record of 1156 to boot.Sharma and Omkar ended up second in the men’s 50m pairs event (1187) behind Lim Swee Hon and Gai Bin of Singapore.Later Tejaswani and Lajjakumari finished second in the women’s 50m air rifle 3 position, by equalling the 2006 Games mark of 1143 points, Singapore’s Aquilah Sudhir and Jasmine Xiang Wei who broke the previous record by six points.”Many thought I am a dictator, since I had imposed a gag order on the shooters prior to the Games. But whatever I was doing, I was doing for the country. And we have got the reward for that,” said a beaming national coach Sunny Thomas after his team members won a medal in each of the four events they took part in during the day.- With PTI inputs
As Mexico bid farewell to the FIFA World Cup after losing to Netherlands, we couldnot help but notice Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.He looked a lot like TV actor Josh Radnor who plays the character of Ted Mosby in the hit series How I Met Your Mother. Well, it seems we were not the only one to notice the uncanny similarity. Soon, the Twitter was flooded with the comparison between the two.Can you see the resemblance betwee the two?Even Josh Radnor joined the jokes and memes and tweeted:Been tough playing goalie for Mexico while also rehearsing this new Richard Greenberg play but I’m getting it done. #multitasking Josh Radnor (@JoshRadnor) June 22, 2014Here are a few tweets pointing out the resemblance between the two:Kids, let me tell you about the time I played in the 2014 World Cup. pic.twitter.com/dtvCN3As95 The SPORT Bible (@TSBible) June 29, 2014Ted Mosby? Guillermo Ochoa? Who’s who? ? #WorldCup2014 #NEDvsMEX #Ochoa pic.twitter.com/RdgUM6Yvj0 Aj Recodo (@ajrecodo) June 29, 2014Oh my god : Guillermo Ochoa is Ted Mosby !!! #HIMYM #Ochoa #NEDMEX (with @TomFevrier) cc @Nico_Buz pic.twitter.com/AvlXU6oJTG Renaud Fvrier (@Chiamata) June 29, 2014Bye bye Mexican Wrestler Ted Mosby. You’re a “Great Keeper” #HIMYM http://t.co/jYOaT2oDq6 Gerard Guyada (@siyarkboi) June 30, 2014I didn’t know ted mosby joined world cup this year pic.twitter.com/f3JN88fjre Weijie (@Weijie_Chan) June 30, 2014
Former India cricketer and star commentator Sanjay Manjrekar has slammed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for threatening to vandalise multiplexes if they screen Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.Manjrekar, a Mumbaikar himself, took to Twitter to express his views, saying the Raj Thackeray-led party will be left with no MLAs in the next elections if it continues to run like that.”One MLA party, MNS, not learning their lessons. With threats of vandalism etc they are certain to be a zero MLA party next elections,” Manjrekar tweeted.One MLA party, MNS, not learning their lessons. With threats of vandalism etc they are certain to be a zero MLA party next elections. Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) October 18, 2016GAMBHIR DOES NOT WANT TO PLAY PAKISTAN AGAINMeanwhile, India opener Gautam Gambhir has slammed Bollywood celebrities, who have expressed their support towards Pakistani artistes performing in this country in the wake of the Uri attacks carried out by Pakistani-backed terrorists.”India should not have any ties with Pakistan be it Bollywood or cricket. I am shocked that Bollywood is saying that cricket and movies should be kept ahead of national sentiments,” Gambhir told India Today.Amid protests against Pakistani artistes performing in India, several Bollywood stars, including megastar Salman Khan, have also spoken out in support of their colleagues from across the border.”They (Pakistani actors) are artists, not terrorists. It’s the government who gives them permits and visas,” Salman Khan had said in a press conference last month.NO CRICKET BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTANadvertisementIndia and Pakistan have not played a men’s bilateral series since the latter visited India for a short limited-overs series in December-January 2012-13. However, they continue to play at the multi-team ICC events such as World Cup, World Twenty20, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup.According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the traditional rivals, India and Pakistan are scheduled to play at least six series between 2015 and 2023.The first of which was called off last year due to political tensions between the two nations.In a latest, women’s limited-overs cricket series between India and Pakistan is also in doubt. This has also put India’s direct qualification into the 2017 Women’s World Cup in England under threat.INDIA-PAKISTAN FACE-OFF IN HOCKEYHowever, India are set to meet arch-rivals Pakistan is a hockey match at the 2016 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy in Malaysia on Saturday.India hockey captain PR Sreejesh has expressed that the team wants to play for country’s soldiers.”India-Pakistan match brings a lot of excitement to the table. We want to give hundred per cent. We don’t want to disappoint our soldiers by losing, especially when they sacrifice their lives in the exchange of fire at the borders,” Sreejesh said.
Topics Hide Share on WhatsApp Jump Girls shows female jockeys blazing an often perilous trail … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading and supporting The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many new organisations, we have chosen an approach that allows us to keep our journalism accessible to all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. But we need your ongoing support to keep working as we do.The Guardian will engage with the most critical issues of our time – from the escalating climate catastrophe to widespread inequality to the influence of big tech on our lives. At a time when factual information is a necessity, we believe that each of us, around the world, deserves access to accurate reporting with integrity at its heart.Our editorial independence means we set our own agenda and voice our own opinions. Guardian journalism is free from commercial and political bias and not influenced by billionaire owners or shareholders. This means we can give a voice to those less heard, explore where others turn away, and rigorously challenge those in power.We need your support to keep delivering quality journalism, to maintain our openness and to protect our precious independence. Every reader contribution, big or small, is so valuable. Support The Guardian from as little as $1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Support The Guardian Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest features Was this helpful? Quick guide Thursday tips Cheltenham 1.30 Real Steel (nap) 2.10 Sire Du Berlais 2.50 Footpad 3.30 Supasundae 4.10 Azzerti (nb) 4.50 Sinoria 5.30 Kilfilum CrossMarket Rasen 1.45 Mega Yeats 2.25 Dancing Doug 3.05 Lord Getaway 3.45 Kahaleesi 4.25 Jurys Out 5.05 Iskabeg Lane 5.40 O’Connell StreetHexham 1.55 Lord Yeats 2.35 McGinty’s Dream 3.15 Broadway Belle 3.55 Teddy Tee 4.35 Birch Vale 5.15 Solid Strike 5.50 Whispering AffairSouthwell 5.55 Essential 6.30 Giacomo Casanova 7.00 Point Zero 7.30 Sense Of Direction 8.00 Katie Gale 8.30 Tagur Share via Email The ideal jumps horse is talented, durable, reliable and versatile, so who wouldn’t want to own Supasundae (3.30), the likeable veteran who can crown his career with victory in the Stayers’ Hurdle. Jessie Harrington’s runner knows his way to the winner’s enclosure here, having landed the Coral Cup in 2017, and only Penhill stopped him following up in this race last year.With Penhill missing out this time, the eye goes straight to Supasundae, who has been running well over shorter trips behind Apple’s Jade and Sharjah this winter. This can be his first success since the Punchestown Champion Hurdle. Since you’re here…
Cheltenham Festival Horse racing Read more Barry Glendenning Cheltenham Festival 2019 Share on Facebook Thank you for your feedback. Show Share on LinkedIn Share on Messenger Reuse this content Paisley Park would be a popular winner but connections cannot have had this day in mind when they started his season at a much lower level and, after four wins since October, he might not have much more to offer for the time being. Faugheen is the oldest in the field and comes here from a horrible fall at Christmas.1.30 Judging by his last two runs, Defi Du Seuil has a short burst that needs to be used at just the right moment, which is not an attractive profile for a favourite, particularly as his stamina is not beyond question. Kildisart is likeable but this may fall to the progressive Real Steel, who has bounded clear of modest opposition in his last two. Not far off the best as a novice hurdler, he should appreciate these conditions.2.10 Barry Geraghty and JP McManus missed out on this prize by a nose last year when Glenloe was edged out. They return with another favourite in Sire Du Berlais and may make no mistake this time. The horse was an eyecatcher when running on into sixth for the Leopardstown qualifier last time. He was fourth in the Martin Pipe at the last Festival and this extra half-mile can make the difference.2.50 A really trappy Ryanair may be won by Footpad, who has struck into himself in both runs this season, with the result that he has not yet built on last term’s promise. With hind shoes left off, this may be the day he puts it all together. Monalee is feared but he has usually been beatable at the highest level.4.10 When Kildisart won here in January, he perhaps benefited from the unlucky fall of Azzerti at the third-last, after other horses closed the gap Alan King’s horse seemed to be jumping into. Following a confidence-booster round Ludlow, Azzerti can show here that his handicap rating underestimates him.4.50 Epatante and Posh Trish have understandably attracted most attention in the buildup here but Sinoria, a half-sister to Minella Rocco, is full of quality and can prove it.5.30 A winner on his handicap debut soon after joining Henry Oliver, Kilfilum Cross looks handily weighted. Horse racing tips
LINCOLN, NE – OCTOBER 14: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes before the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 14, 2017 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)Urban Meyer remains on paid administrative leave following an investigation into how he handled assault allegations against one of his former assistant coaches. That investigation is set to wrap up this weekend.With Ohio State set to announce a decision soon, one college football insider was asked what he expects the school to do. He thinks Ohio State will retain Urban.However, he might be subject to a short suspension.Here’s Ralph Russo’s prediction for what Ohio State will do with Meyer.Will be employed by Ohio State. https://t.co/xZrgqMSkzZ— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) August 18, 2018Employed. Maybe not working week 1, but employed. https://t.co/z1iXkuGSpc— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) August 18, 2018This seems to be the growing consensus over the past two weeks. Initial reports suggested Meyer would be fired, but that tune has changed recently and now Vegas sports books believe Meyer will face a short suspension.Ohio State president Michael Drake announced earlier this week that the school’s investigation will be complete on Sunday. A final decision is likely to come early next week.The Buckeyes open the season against Oregon State on September 1.
The Royal Thai Embassy at New Delhi is organising its annual event of Thai film festival—Namaste Thailand Film Festival at PVR Select Citywalk, New Delhi.This is the third edition of the Thai film festival which started in 2017 to celebrate 70 years of Indo-Thai Diplomatic Relations. Continuing with the tradition, ‘Namaste Thailand Film Festival 2019’ aims at bridging the gap between Indian and Thai cultures by bringing a taste of Thai films to the Indian audience. The festival features six specially curated movies which display the culture and tradition of Thailand in different ways. Also Read – Pollution makes you more aggressiveThe movies that have been selected touch almost every genre of cinema including drama, comedy, horror, documentary, as well has an animation for the young audience. The festival will be inaugurated on June 14, 2019 at 7 pm by the Ambassador of Thailand, Chutintorn Gongsakdi and will then be followed by one of the Thai blockbusters ‘Friend Zone’. A special dish (Thai Green Curry in both veg and chicken options) will be given to the audience at all the screenings. The Chef from Ambassador’s Residence gave training to the PVR team for this special dish. All screenings are free. Registration starts one hour prior to each screening, on first-come-first-serve basis. One person can register for one pass for each film.
Jaipur: Rajasthan Assembly on Friday passed a Bill to make ex-ministers shell out Rs 10,000 a day if they continue to occupy government bungalows beyond two months after the end of their terms. The Rajasthan Ministers’ Salaries (Amendment) Bill, 2019, introduced by the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government on July 22 was passed by a voice vote, amid opposition from the BJP. Ex-ministers now pay Rs 5,000 a month after the two-month period. When the Bill becomes law, they will pay Rs 3 lakh if they overstay beyond this. The Bill also includes provisions for forcible vacation of government accommodation. Parliamentary Affairs minister Shanti Dhariwal said the Bill was brought to ensure that new ministers get official residences in time. It is seen that ex-ministers do not vacate the official residences allotted to them even after the prescribed period is over. This causes difficulty in the allotment of suitable residences to the newly appointed ministers, a statement on the objectives of the Bill said. The Congress came to power in the state last December, replacing the Vasundhara Raje-led Bharatiya Janata Party. During the debate, Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said former ministers should vacate their official residences but the government should reconsider the time being allowed to do so. He said the penalty of Rs 10,000 per day was too high. Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore claimed there was a hidden agenda.
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has arrested an accused who committed sexual assault at gunpoint in Rohini. Delhi Police arrested Aarish with a loaded double barrel pistol and averted a planned murder of the victim. Complainant reported that on July 26, 2019, her friend Aarish took her in a flat in Rohini on the pretext of his birthday celebrations where he and his friend sexually assaulted her at gunpoint. A case was registered in the appropriate sections of law and investigation was taken up. Acting promptly on a secret information, a team of special staff was formed. Also Read – After eight years, businessman arrested for kidnap & murderAarish disclosed that he was away from his house for last one and half month as he was wanted in this case. He was previously involved in a case of firing at a police party in Geeta Colony and in another case of Arms act of Vijay Vihar. “After coming out of bail, he kept indulging in criminal activities and committed sexual assault at gun point and since then, he was absconding and was planning to murder the victim of the said case, the timely apprehension of the accused foiled his plan to commit murder,” said SD Mishra, DCP Rohini.
A courtroom in Sudbury, Ont., will play host Wednesday to the rare sight of a sitting premier on the stand as Kathleen Wynne testifies in a bribery trial involving a former top adviser and a Liberal fundraiser.Pat Sorbara, the premier’s former deputy chief of staff and Liberal campaign director, and Gerry Lougheed, a local Liberal organizer, are charged under the Election Act, accused of offering would-be candidate Andrew Olivier a job or appointment to get him to step aside for Wynne’s preferred candidate in a 2015 byelection in the northern city.That preferred candidate was then-NDP MP Glenn Thibeault, who ended up winning that byelection for the provincial Liberals and is now energy minister.Sorbara is also facing a second charge, in relation to an allegation she arranged for paid jobs on the byelection campaign for two of Thibeault’s constituency staff, at his request. Both Sorbara and Lougheed have pleaded not guilty.Thibeault has previously denied he sought anything that would be seen as a bribe in exchange for running and is not charged with any offences.Wynne also faces no charges, but will be likely asked to testify about what she told Olivier and what conversations she had with Lougheed and Sorbara prior to their conversations with him.Olivier is quadriplegic and often records important conversations as a form of note taking, and has posted the audio of his conversations with Lougheed and Sorbara.Lougheed told Olivier that the premier and Sorbara wanted to present him with “appointments, jobs, whatever,” as he considers stepping aside. Sorbara told him he should decide if he was interested in “a full-time or part-time job at a constituency office…appointments to boards or commissions.”Wynne called Olivier in between those two conversations, but he has testified that technical difficulties prevented him from recording that call.The premier has previously said she had already decided Olivier would not be the byelection candidate by the time Sorbara and Lougheed spoke to him, therefore anything offered was not in exchange for stepping aside. Rather, Wynne says, she was trying to keep him in the party fold.That trial — and a second Liberal case in Toronto on allegations of illegally deleted documents in former premier Dalton McGuinty’s office related to two cancelled gas plants — have overshadowed the return of the legislature this week.The NDP used almost all of their time in the first question period to ask about the trials. The Progressive Conservatives took a cheekier approach Tuesday, saying the Liberals weren’t going to answer their questions on the trials anyway, but still managed to slip in references in most of their unrelated questions.“I couldn’t ask about Liberal political corruption,” PC Leader Patrick Brown said outside the House. “I couldn’t ask about the allegations on bribery. The attorney general gets up and they waste the time in the legislature by trying to avoid answering any of the questions on these very serious, serious allegations.”The Liberals have said that the court, not the legislature, is the proper place to answer such questions.NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said she hopes Wynne’s testimony sheds more light on the scandal.“There are a lot of unanswered questions and I would hope that tomorrow the premier starts coming clean for Ontarians to see exactly what role she played as the premier and as the leader of her party in what has become a very odious scandal,” Horwath said.
CALGARY – A study by a sustainable energy research group predicts the federal government’s purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline will add significantly to the deficit next year.The study by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says the buying the Kinder Morgan Canada assets, plus planning and construction costs, will put $6.5 billion in unplanned spending on the books for the 2018-19 fiscal year.Study authors Tom Sanzillo and Kathy Hipple say that until the Ottawa clarifies how it plans to account for the spending, there’s a risk the purchase could add 36 per cent to the projected $18.1-billion deficit.The federal government agreed to buy the existing pipeline, expansion project and terminals from Kinder Morgan Canada for $4.5 billion after the company threatened to walk away from the Trans Mountain expansion project.The government has said it doesn’t plan to be a long-term owner and is looking for buyers, including Indigenous communities, pension funds and the Alberta government.The Trans Mountain expansion project has faced significant opposition over concerns of oil spills, tanker traffic and increased oilsands production.
The International Rescue Committee hosted its annual Freedom Award Dinner last week, raising more than $4.5 million to support the organization’s lifesaving humanitarian aid work around the world.Sting joined IRC President and CEO David Miliband on stage to honor humanitarian aid workers across the worldCredit/Copyright: Getty Images via Slate PRThis year’s event, which took place at the historic Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, honored long-time IRC supporters Cliff and Laurel Asness and Ken and Vickie French with the Humanitarian Leadership Award.IRC President and CEO David Miliband helped kick-off the evening with Opera Sensation and IRC Voice Danielle de Niese. De Niese performed breathtaking renditions of “O Mio Babbino Caro” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”Refugees Najwan Alani and Boubacar Barry shared their stories about coming to the United States as refugees and how the IRC’s work has helped them build a home in America. CBS Evening News anchor, Scott Pelley, and Wendy Taeuber, IRC County Director in the South Sudan, also spoke about the IRC’s life-changing work around the world – highlighting that there are more refugees than ever before, making the IRC’s work even more vital and necessary.Additional supporters in attendance included Mikhail Baryshnikov and IRC Voices Piper Perabo and Nykhor Paul.To round out the evening, Miliband took the stage to announce that the IRC has been named the first, official charity partner of the Times Square Alliance for New Year’s Eve. He then welcomed surprise guest, Sting, who was set to perform but could not, as he was under the weather.“What David asked me to do tonight I cannot do, as you can hear from the sound of my speaking voice,” Sting commented as he took to the stage. Instead of his planned performance of “Message in a Bottle,” the music sensation expressed his great admiration for how the IRC is utilizing the power of community to carry out their mission.“What I heard tonight were people from all over the world telling stories,” he said. “Storytelling and listening to stories is the basis of community, and the basis of everything is community.”Sting then joined Miliband in announcing the names of the IRC Executive Directors, Country Directors and other humanitarian aid workers who were in the audience at the event to stand up and be recognized for their hard work and dedication.“Who better to applaud the rock stars that I admire every day for their courage inspiration than a real rock star?” Miliband said with a smile.The Co-Chairs for this year’s Freedom Award Dinner are Maurice R. Greenberg, Starr International Foundation/The Starr Foundation, Ruth & David Levine, Gillian M. Shepherd, Eduardo G. Mestre, Kathleen and Omar Saeed and Catherine and Tracy Wolstencroft. Vice Chairs include The Partners of AQR Capital, Paul E. Singer Foundation, Katherine Farley, Jerry I. Speyer, Marie and Joseph Field, Evan G. Greenberg, ACE Group, Judy and Josh Weston, Maureen White, and Steven Rattner.
The world is transitioning into a new era; a world no longer dependent on fossil fuels. Last week, Pathway to Paris and Care2 launched the 1000 Cities initiative, a bold mission to meet and go beyond the targets of the Paris Agreement.The initiative invites all cities of the world to transition off of fossil fuels and move to 100% renewable energy by 2040, in order to turn the Paris Agreement into reality. Click here to take action. Every signature will automatically send an email letter to the governing body of the the signer’s city, urging them to join this crucial cause.“Pathway to Paris is more than a name – it’s an ideal,” said Rebecca Foon. “Cities have a remarkable and necessary part to play in moving us towards achieving, and possibly even surpassing, the goals of the Paris Agreement.”Jesse Paris Smith added: “The climate movement is in urgent need of massive global collaboration – it requires the involvement of all cities of the world, all citizens. We all need to join together to make this movement the most ambitious collaboration of our century.”“Care2 is thrilled to join Pathway to Paris in launching this important global initiative,” said Randy Paynter Founder & CEO of Care2. “If we are able to get 1000 cities to join the cause we will be able to fulfill the vision of the Paris agreement and bypass our current administration and other climate deniers who stand in the way.”To accompany the petition, Pathway to Paris has shared a video including figures like Mayor Martin J. Walsh of Boston, Tony Hawk, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Flea, Dr. Vandana Shiva, and Olafur Eliasson, urging citizens of the world to sign on to the campaign and push to shift our cities to 100% renewable energy.Video: Pathway to Paris : 1000 Cities CampaignThe launch of 1000 Cities will be one of the focuses of Pathway to Paris’ upcoming concert for climate action, being held at Carnegie Hall on November 5 in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme and 350.org. The evening is set to advance the important work turning the Paris Agreement into action by bringing together internationally-recognized musicians and speakers – such as Patti Smith, Joan Baez, Bill McKibben, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Achim Steiner, Olafur Eliasson, Tanya Tagaq, Flea, Talib Kweli, Cat Power, Michael Stipe, Tenzin Choegyal, and Pathway to Parisfounders Rebecca Foon and Jesse Paris Smith – for a night of incredible performances and speeches.Joan Baez says, “Mother Nature has grown weary of our selfish disregard for all she tries to offer and she is angry. I fear for the earth my grandchild will inherit, as I can’t imagine her life will be anything approaching the hopes we have for her and the shining dreams she may have for herself. We won’t know if it’s too late for radical action to keep this globe inhabitable unless we try it. I’m pleased to be a part of this evening’s wake-up call to all people who cherish the sound of a meadowlark and who are willing to fight for its right to sing.”Olafur Eliasson adds, “today we have to respond to our present situation, where natural resources are no longer abundant. We need to raise awareness and initiate an urgent discussion about our future. Art, I believe, has great potential for changing the way we discuss an issue as important as climate change. It makes something not only comprehensible for the mind but also physically tangible – turning thinking into doing.”Tickets for the November 5 concert are on sale now and can be purchased by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website.