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  • Gunfight erupts in J&K’s Shopian

    This is the second encounter in the district in the past 24 hours.

    PTI

    An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, June 8, 2020, police said.

    Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Pinjora area of Shopian, in South Kashmir, this morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

    He said the search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon a search party of the forces, who retaliated.

    The exchange of fire is going on and further details are awaited.

    This is the second encounter in Shopian district in the past 24 hours.

    Five Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a self styled commander, were killed in the gunbattle with security forces in Reban area of the district on Sunday.

  • Coronavirus | Maharashtra tally surges past China to touch 85,975; 91 deaths recorded

    In second-highest single-day surge, Maharashtra reports more than 3,000 cases.

    With 3,007 COVID-19 cases, Maharashtra recorded its second-highest single-day case surge on Sunday as its tally surged to 85,975, exceeding even that of China’s reported tally of 83,000-odd cases.

    With 91 deaths, the State’s toll reached 3,060.

    However, according to the Health department, only 43,591 of the cases are active with 1,924 patients being discharged on Sunday to take the number of recoveries till date to 39,314.

    Mumbai’s tally has now crossed the 48,000-mark to reach 48,774 with the city reporting 1,420 cases. It presently has 25,940 active cases.

    With 61 deaths, the city’s toll stands at 1,638.

    State Surveillance Officer Dr. Pradeep Awate said the recovery rate had increased to 45.27% while its case fatality rate stood at 3.55%.

    Six deaths were reported from Pune district to take its toll to 406. However, its authorities said the toll had already risen to 409.

    Similarly, as per officials, while Solapur district in Pune division reported eight deaths to take its toll to 104, the divisional authorities said the district’s toll had already climbed to 115.

    Five deaths were reported from Ulhasnagar and Mira-Bhayander civic body regions in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to take their respective toll to 20 and 39.

    Deaths were also reported from other districts in the region such as Nashik, Jalna and Akola among other parts of the State.

    “Of the deaths reported on Sunday, 31 had occurred in the last couple of days while the remaining took place between April 13 and June 4. 73.6% of the deaths reported had high-risk co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart disease,” said Dr. Awate

    Pune district’s tally, as per official figures, has reached 9,705 with the district reporting a massive spike of more than 400 new cases.

    Besides Mumbai, the surge in fresh cases in Thane in the MMR continued unabated with 273 cases taking the district’s tally to 6,048. Navi Mumbai reported a similarly big spike of more than 130 cases (tally 3,484).

    “Till date, of the 5,51,647 laboratory samples, 85,975 (15.8%) have been tested positive with almost 14,000 samples across the State tested today,” Dr. Awate said.

    He said 5,58,463 persons across the State were in home quarantine and 28,504 were in institutional quarantine facilities.

    There are 3,654 active containment zones, said Dr. Awate.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Nepal may host PLA medical team

    It helped combat COVID-19 in Wuhan

    Nepal is expected to host a large delegation of personnel from the medical unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army to deal with the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, a source familiar with the discussion inside the Nepal Communist Party has said. The decision is influenced by the leading role played by the PLA’s medical teams in containing the pandemic in Wuhan and nearby areas which were the epicentre of the crisis in China.

    The Hindu has learnt that Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli has discussed the possibility of hosting the medical delegation from China during a recent video call with the head of the international liaison department of the Chinese Communist Party, Song Tao.

    “Nepal needs to stop the spread of the COVID-19 and an extensive operation to test and contain the virus is urgently required. It is not yet clear what will be the total number of personnel that Nepal will ultimately get as the testing will have to be done across the country. As per current estimate such an operation will require at least a few thousands of workers,” said a source familiar with the internal discussions in the Nepal Communist Party which maintains fraternal ties with its Chinese counterpart.

    Nepal at present has 3,348 COVID-19 cases with 13 recorded deaths. Kathmandu is worried about the further spread of the pandemic as the government has begun repatriation of all Nepalese expat workers on humanitarian grounds. Nepal is likely to receive around two lakh citizens from India alone in the next few weeks apart from several others from other parts of the world.

    “The Chinese team is likely to be stationed here for a week or so and carry out an extensive and fast operation of the kind carried out in the affected parts of China,” said the source.

    The deliberations in Kathmandu are significant, reflecting China’s growing COVID-19 diplomacy.

    Bangladesh is set to receive a major delegation of medical personnel from Beijing on Monday. The delegation, drawn from the National Health Commission of China, will travel to all the COVID-19 affected areas of the country. Beijing’s global health diplomacy has covered Sri Lanka, Myanmar and the major COVID-19 affected countries in the west.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • China ratchets up media blitz on LAC

    State media outlets have repeatedly showcased military exercises in high-altitude areas

    For the second time in one week, China’s State media outlets have showcased military exercises tailored to high-altitude regions, linking the drills to the ongoing tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    On Sunday, the Communist Party-run Global Times reported that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) “organised a large-scale manoeuvre operation featuring thousands of paratroopers plus armoured vehicles to the country’s high-altitude northwestern region over a long distance from central China’s Hubei province amid border tensions between China and India”.

    The Global Times, a newspaper that plays a key role in external propaganda, said of the latest drill that “the entire process was completed in just a few hours, demonstrating China’s capability of quickly reinforcing border defences when necessary”.

    China has in the past used official media outlets to showcase military drills amid territorial disputes, an approach that the Chinese military has described as a “struggle for public opinion”.

    Manoeuvres aimed at Taiwan are frequently shown on television, particularly when political tensions are high. On occasion, videos of earlier drills have been used for broadcast during times of tensions.

    During the 72-day border stand-off with India at Doklam in 2017, state media broadcast regular images showcasing China’s military capabilities, aimed at both the domestic and overseas audience. The official PLA Daily in an August 2017 article described the strategy as aimed “to fully integrate the publicity forces of public opinion, radio, TV, newspapers and social media, and carry out a multi-wave and high-density centralised publicity in a fixed period of time to form favourable public opinion situation to allow for a final victory”.

    The PLA’s Western Theatre Command said in a 2017 analysis of the Doklam media strategy that “seizing the initiative was key in the struggle for public opinion.”

    Lessons for future

    It said the aim was “to make India succumb without a confrontation between the two armies,” adding that the approach served lessons “for future struggles”.

    The latest drills were also broadcast on the official broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), which reported “using civilian airlines, logistical transportation channels and railways, several thousand paratroopers under a PLA Air Force airborne brigade recently manoeuvred from Hubei to an undisclosed location on the plateaus of northwestern China, thousands of kilometers away”.

    Major Colonel Mao Lei, head of the training department at the airborne brigade, told CCTV: “This manoeuvre mission saw significant breakthroughs not only in the scale of mobilised troops but also means of transportation. [Using civilian transportation] substantially expanded our means of transporting forces and increased efficiency in manoeuvring an entire organisation of troops.”

    On June 3, China’s official media reported that another drill was held on the Tibetan plateau, which it described as “night-time high-altitude infiltration exercises behind enemy lines”. Reports indicated the drills were held in the Tanggula Mountains, not close to the border with India but on the far side of the Tibetan plateau in the east, near the border of Tibet and Qinghai province. A report in the Global Times said the PLA Tibet Military Command recently sent troops to a high-altitude region at night for “infiltration exercises behind enemy lines and tested their combat capability.”

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Lucknow | Sikh student alleges IPS officer assaulted him

    ‘He also abused me and pulled at my long hair’

    A Sikh student has alleged that an IPS officer had assaulted and abused him and pulled at his long hair, the symbol of his faith, in Agra on Saturday.

    Gursimar Setia, who identified himself as a law student of the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, wrote on Twitter about his alleged ordeal.

    He said that around 7.40 p.m., he was stopped by police officers at Sanjay Place, where he had gone with a friend in a car to withdraw money. Mr. Setia said an officer, who could be identified from his badge as ASP Saurabh Dixit, started abusing him, noticing that he had a long hair tied in a bun.

    Mr. Setia said the officer asked him for his identity card and upon discovering that he was a Sikh, he used communally laced expletives and “proceeded to physically assault me and pulled my hair.”

    His friend, who rushed out of the car to help him, was also beaten up, said Mr. Setia, who shared the pictures of his head and some strands of hair allegedly pulled out by the officer.

    After the screen-shots of Mr. Setia’s ordeal were widely circulated on social media, the Agra police said a senior police officer was inquiring into the alleged incident. “Will act accordingly,” the police said.

    While a formal statement from the police was still awaited, Mr. Setia said on Sunday that he received an apology from the officer and accepted it. “I accepted his apology because he was willing to introspect, never to repeat such an instance of unprovoked police brutality again,” he said in a statement. “…I believe that he will genuinely learn from his mistake.”

    He said that when the incident happened, he was angry and made up his mind to hold the officer accountable. “Today it was me, but most often this happens to people who have no voice in society,” he said.

    He would not pursue the matter further, but he would not delete the tweets either, Mr. Setia said. “I genuinely hope that the public will respect my family’s privacy.”

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Coronavirus | Delhi’s hospitals only for its ‘residents’, says Arvind Kejriwal

    Central government facilities are open to all.

    As complaints mounted on social media of poor treatment at Delhi’s hospitals, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Sunday that all government and private hospitals in the city would only treat Delhi residents till the rising COVID-19 cases are contained.

    While informing people of this first-of-its-kind decision in the country to “reserve” hospitals even as cases mushroomed in the national capital, Mr. Kejriwal, said there were several Central government hospitals in the city that would continue to treat all patients.

    Residents will be identified by voter IDs, bank passbooks, ration cards, driving licences, phone and electricity bills in addition to Aadhaar cards issued before June 7, among other documents bearing a residential address from the city.

    The Delhi government also decided to open the borders of the city from June 8; the closure was implemented more in the breach, as people moved in and out of the city with ease.

    Mismanagement, says Congress

    Launching a sharp attack on the Kejriwal government, Delhi Congress leader Ajay Maken claimed that 33 of the 38 government hospitals were not treating COVID-19 patients. He also said Delhi was not prepared for the opening of malls, restaurants and places of worship from Monday.

    Addressing an online press conference, Mr. Kejriwal said there was a need to maintain a balance in Delhi as the State government hospitals have around 10,000 beds and the Central government hospitals have another 10,000 beds.

    “For now, we have decided that the 10,000 beds under the Delhi government will be kept for residents. The beds under the Central government can be used by all,” he said.

    “Private hospitals covering special treatments and surgeries will be open for all. This will make a balance for both the residents of Delhi and the people from all over the country,” he said.

    Last week, Mr. Kejriwal had asked people of the city for suggestions on whether hospital beds should be reserved for residents. “The decision was taken after nearly 90% of people of the 7.5 lakh people who sent their suggestions said that till the COVID situation exists, the Delhi hospitals should be reserved for the people of Delhi,” the Chief Minister said.

     He said the five-member expert committee, headed by Vice-Chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Mahesh Verma had studied the situation in light of the increasing number of cases and in its report said that by the end of June, Delhi will need nearly 15,000 beds for COVID-19 patients. “They have suggested reserving the Delhi hospitals for the people of Delhi because if we open the hospitals for all then the COVID beds we have will be filled within three days,” said Mr. Kejriwal.

     The Chief Minister added that at any given time nearly 60-70% of patients in Delhi hospitals are from other States and the government has never denied treatment to any person. However, in the current situation, the government needed the infrastructure to arrange more beds for the people of the city.

     Responding to the new order, All India Institute of Medical Science director Dr. Randeep Guleria said living with COVID-19 is now the new normal.

     “Every individual should take the responsibility to protect oneself and family from COVID-19 and arrest the spread of virus,” Dr Guleria said and added that while the country is well placed to deal with COVID-19, following social distancing, boosting immunity and being responsible towards vulnerable population is a must.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Madhya Pradesh | Old Man Tied to Hospital Bed Allegedly Over Non-Payment of Bills

    The Quint

    An 80-year-old man was tied to a hospital bed with rope in Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur allegedly over non-payment of the hospital bills.

    Taking stock of the shocking incident, the District Collector said, “We’ve sent a team to hospital to investigate the matter. The police probe is on. Report is awaited. Action will be taken accordingly,” ANI reported.

    An old man is seen tied to a hospital bed in Madhya Pradesh. His family claimed that they failed to pay the hospital.
    An old man is seen tied to a hospital bed in Madhya Pradesh. His family claimed that they failed to pay the hospital.
    (Photo: ANI)

    In images shared by ANI, the old man can be seen tied to the bed with rope on his leg and hand. His daughter said,

    “We had deposited a bill of Rs 5,000 at the time of admission but when the treatment took a few more days, we did not have the money to pay the bill.”

    The hospital, however, has claimed that the man was having convulsions and he was tied so that he could not hurt himself, NDTV reported.

    MP CM Takes Note of the Situation

    Chief Minister of the state, Shivraj Singh Chouhan has promised to take strict action against the the Shajapur-based hospital.

    (With inputs from ANI & NDTV)

  • Religious places continue to remain shut in J-K

    PTI

    Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced that religious places would continue to remain closed in the Union Territory as it allowed certain activities, including reopening of malls, barber shops, hotels and restaurants with new guidelines from Monday.

    The administration on Sunday also exempted private transport from the purview of the coronavirus-triggered lockdown outside containment zones but decided against allowing inter-state and inter-province movement without passes.

    Earlier during the day, the administration issued a fresh classification of the districts on the eve of implementation of the lockdown relaxations in the country effective till June 30.

    While eight districts in Kashmir and one in Jammu were placed under red zone indicating no change in the lockdown restrictions till this month end, nine districts — seven in Jammu province and two in Kashmir — were covered under orange zone and two other districts, both in Jammu region, in green zone.

    Shops and business establishments reopened in orange and green zones, mostly in Jammu region, on May 20, while the government and private offices also started functioning across the UT.

    In an order issued here this evening, Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam came out with new guidelines and instructions for regulating activities within the Union Territory for effective containment of COVID-19 with effect from June 8 till further orders.

    “All the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and instructions issued earlier and referred to will be deemed to have been extended till the validity of this order, or modified otherwise. Any deviation from this order shall attract penal action under the disaster management Act, 2005,” Subrahmanyam, who is also the chairperson of the State Executive Committee, said.

    According to the new guidelines, all religious places across the Union Territory, which were closed nearly a week ahead of the nationwide lockdown, would continue to remain closed till further orders.

    However, malls, barber shops, salons and parlours have been asked to open in the entire Jammu and Kashmir (subject to an SOP to be issued on Monday), while restaurants will function only for home delivery and take-away and hotels allowed to operate with 50 per cent capacity, the order said.

    With regard to public and private transport, the order said mini buses and buses can operate at 50 per cent and 67 per cent capacity, respectively in orange and green zones (only on notified routes), while only State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses can operate in red zone.

    It said no inter-state and inter-province movement would be allowed except for those having valid passes issued by the competent authorities.

  • COVID-19 cases cross 4,000-mark in JK

    PTI

    Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday witnessed a massive spike in COVID-19 cases with 620 people testing positive for the infection, taking the tally in the union territory to 4,087, officials said.

    The Kashmir Valley reported 583 of the fresh cases, while 37 people tested positive for the disease in Jammu region.

    “A total of 620 new positive cases of coronavirus were detected in the union territory on Sunday,” the officials said.

    Of the total 4,087 cases in the union territory, 3198 are in Kashmir, while 889 in Jammu region, they added.

    J&K has 2,830 active cases 2,146 in Kashmir and 684 in Jammu. A total of 1,216 patients have recovered so far and 41 died due to the disease, they said.

  • J&K reports 620 COVID-19 cases in last 24 hours: Govt

    Srinagar: Government on Sunday said that 620 persons have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir in last 24 hours, taking the number of covid-19 patients in J&K 4087.

    Officials said that among them 583 were reported from Kashmir and 37 from Jammu.

    Giving district-wise breakup of the cases, the officials said Anantnag reported 59, Srinagar 87, Kulgam 161, Shopian 24, Baramulla 132,
    Kupwara 7, Bandipora 21, Budgam 18, Pulwama 60, Ganderbal 14,
    Jammu 22, Udhampur 1, Kathua 2, Poonch 1, Samba 2, Rajouri 4 and Doda 5.

    Among the fresh cases, sources said 274 were reported at CD’s diagnostic lab and 58 at SKIMS Soura’s viral diagnostic laboratory.

    Sources said that among the cases include 308 cases reported by GNS last night.

    Among them 308 cases were reported by GNS last night—253 were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic lab and include 51 pregnant women who are residents of Gund, Wussan, Matrgund, Serch, Kangan, Narayan Bagh in Ganderbal district; Gulabagh, Chanapora, Baghwanpora Lal Bazar in Srinagar; Kreeri, Khawajabagh, Tapper, Putha Kreeri, Matipora Pattan, Vizer in Baramulla, Wazirthal Telail, Budugaam in Bandipora district. (GNS)