Srinagar: A 70 year old Shopian resident became fresh victim of COVID-19 in Kashmir Division on Saturday, taking the total number of COVID-19 deaths in union territory of Jammu and Kashmir to 37.
A health official confirming to news agency KINS, said a 70 year old resident of Shopian died at CD hospital this afternoon, he said he was a COVID victim.
With this fresh death the toll rises due to this deadly virus in J&K to 37.(KINS)
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COVID-19 : 70 year old Shopian resident dies, J-K toll 37
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In a first, India records 300 fatalities in one-day since COVID-19 outbreak
New Delhi: India on Friday witnessed a record number of fatalities due to the novel coronavirus pandemic in a single day, adding as many as 300 deaths that took the country’s toll from the viral illness to 6,575.
However, India’s case fatality rate (CFR) – defined as the proportion of deaths to the total number of cases – continued to remain steady at 2.8 per cent, much lower than the global mortality rate of 5.8 per cent, even as the number of cases has continued too see an upward trend.
In an average, India has reported 239 daily new deaths in the last seven days, 33 per cent higher than the average of 179 of the week before that.India is also inching towards adding 10,000 daily new cases, reporting more than 9,000 cases for the third consecutive day; it was 9,398 on Friday, 9,962 on Thursday and 9,565 on Wednesday. On Friday, the country’s total tally was 2,36,037.
According to experts, India has slowed the spread of infections with an early decision to enforce strict lockdowns, first imposed on March 25, but the number of infections is likely to continue rising as the government eases restrictions to help spur an ailing economy.
The country is likely to hit the peak of infections sometime in June-July, before the curve of daily new cases begins to fall.
The key, they say, is to control the case fatality rate, which will determine if the health infrastructure in the country is capable of withstanding the outbreak that has ravaged nations around the world.
Some of the worst-hit countries and the current situation of the pandemic such as the US and Brazil have a mortality rate of 5.7 per cent and 5.5 per cent.
– With input from Agencies
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ICC | Did you know Inzamam-ul-Haq had a Bowling Record
Did you know the Pakistani great cricketer Inzamam-ul-Haq has 03 ODI wickets to his name!
He picked up his first wicket off his very first ball in international cricket
Inzamam-ul-haq first international wicket was Brian Lara (West Indies)
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After Revocation Of Article 370, Has China Become A ‘Third Party’ To Kashmir Dispute?
Tensions with China along LAC may complicate India’s efforts to integrate Kashmir as Pakistan sniffs scope to add to turmoil in Valley
On May 30, Lt General B.S. Raju, the general officer commanding of 15 Corps, and Dilbag Singh, director general of police, Jammu and Kashmir, chaired a high-level meeting in which top officials of the civil administration, intelligence agencies and security forces participated. Held at the 15 Corps headquarters in Badami Bagh, Srinagar, the meeting had an urgent agenda: to “review the security situation and ensure readiness to meet anticipated security challenges”. The trigger was the tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Sharing intelligence inputs, officials claimed the situation can lead to a rise in insurgency in the Kashmir Valley, with Pakistan trying to take advantage by keeping the Line of Control (LoC) simmering and cross-border militancy active. While reviewing the J&K security situation earlier on May 9 in New Delhi, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval had warned the forces to be prepared for a “hot summer”. This was soon after the CRPF lost six personnel in encounters in Handwara and Sopore.
Infiltration goes up every year as the snow begins to melt in early April, but army officials at the May 30 meeting expressed concern that the Ladakh stand-off has enhanced the challenge. “Intelligence inputs indicate that Pakistan has intensified its efforts at increasing infiltration and ceasefire violations across the LoC. There is also an effort to calibrate an increase in militant actions in the hinterland,” reveal army sources. However, recent successes, including the killing of top Hizbul Mujahideen operational commander Riyaz Naikoo and prevention of large-scale IED attacks, have blunted such efforts, sources claim. The security forces recently foiled a Pulwama-like attack when they recovered a car laden with 40-45 kg of explosives. The forces also foiled an infiltration attempt at Naushera along the LoC by killing three militants and seizing a huge cache of arms.
Apart from a rise in violations along the LoC, the army and other security agencies are clear that they have to be prepared for full-blown insurgency in the Valley. But security experts tell Outlook that there is no need to panic. While the forces have to be prepared for the worst, the situation in J&K is not extraordinary and very much under control, they say. Counter-terrorism expert Ajai Sahni says the data does not suggest any increase in insurgency, ceasefire violations or fatalities among security forces. According to him, the security forces have suffered casualties in targeted operations initiated by them and not by militants. “The security forces are working in a well-coordinated manner with pinpointed intelligence-based operations, instead of the general cordon-and-search operations previously undertaken by them,” he says.
However, observers based in Kashmir see a link between what is happening along the LAC and the rising insurgency in the Valley. They believe rising tension with the Chinese army in Ladakh, Pakistan government’s consistent statements on Kashmir, and the anger and disillusionment in the Valley have their roots in the August 5, 2019, decision of revoking Article 370 of the Constitution. They believe China has become a third party to the “Kashmir dispute” after the status quo was broken in J&K. They recall that soon after the revocation of Article 370, the Chinese mission’s spokesperson at the United Nations had called it a “unilateral action”, and said that “Kashmir is a dispute left from history” whose resolution should be based on the UN Security Council resolutions.
Later, in an extremely rare case, for the first time since 1971, the Security Council held “informal consultations” on Kashmir behind closed doors at the behest of China. Even though no statements were issued at the end of the meeting, China had made its position clear.
“I think the government of India ignored China’s aggressive diplomatic position post-August 5,” says a senior mainstream political leader based in Kashmir who doesn’t wish to be identified. “No one denies there is an understanding at the strategic level between China and Pakistan, but it is more obvious now at the level of tactical operations. It seems Ladakh is now appropriated by China and Kashmir is left to Pakistan to handle. In a way, China is now the third party to Kashmir issue. Besides, why is everyone not considering the almost daily firing along the LoC? If the two are seen together, then the picture of a complete, synergistic encirclement of India is not hard to see.”
However, experts and army officials dismiss any suggestion of a coordinated attempt by China and Pakistan to foment trouble in J&K and Ladakh, but they do not rule out the high potential of both exploiting the situation and achieving a collaboration in the future. Lt General (retd) D.S. Hooda, who oversaw the 2016 surgical strikes as the Northern Army Commander, does not see “a big pincer move” by Pakistan and China as of now, but does not rule out the possibility that it “may well happen later”. He says Pakistan will definitely try to take advantage of the situation in Ladakh, but insists there is no need to fear that the troop deployment may spread thin because of the army’s expanding commitment along the China border.
“From what I know, there is no change in deployment,” he says. “There may have been some movement of reserve troops and personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police to 14 Corps (the army division that looks after Ladakh), but definitely not from 15 Corps (division looking after Kashmir). There is no major change on the other fronts. There is nothing new in firing along the LoC, and it has been increasing regularly. The Ladakh standoff is a serious issue, but a standalone one as of now. There is nothing to link it with what is happening in J&K, but this can change.”
Mainstream Kashmiri politicians believe that abrogation of Article 370—cited as one of the biggest achievements of Narendra Modi government 2.0 in its first year—has thrown the Valley into political uncertainty that may engender militancy. The fear of demographic change in J&K with the new domicile laws has caused anger and disillusionment among Kashmiris.
Senior PDP leader Waheed Parra says the day the BJP removed Articles 370 and 35A, it promised integration and development. “August 5 has deleted 70 years of relationship of Kashmir’s political parties with the Union of India,” he says. “Such is the situation that politicians have been kept in custody on the charge that people voted for them.
I was detained on the charge that I have the potential to get people to vote. Post-August 5, everything has become securitised. There is continuous lockdown in the region. If everything in Kashmir is done through the barrel of gun, it means you haven’t achieved anything.”
Another mainstream politician says the situation may look normal as of now because of the presence of security forces and the COVID-19 lockdown, but anger is building up. “As Kashmiris feel more enslaved, disempowered and assaulted by changing demographics, which is now actually a work in progress, it will make Pakistan’s job easier,” he adds.
China’s defence budget three times more than India’s
China has hiked its defence budget from US$ 177.6 billion in 2019 to US$ 179 billion in 2020, nearlythree times that of India. China has the world’s largest military of two million troops and the second-largest military spender after the US. According to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China’s defence spending in 2019 amounted to US$ 232 billion. The US defence budget was $732 billion. India’s budget for 2020 amounted to US$ 66.9 billion (Rs 471,378 crore), an article by the Indian Institute for Defence and Analysis (IDSA) says.
(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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U.S. seeks ‘full accounting’ of Tiananmen massacre
China calls it hypocrisy, asks Washington to ‘put its own house in order’
The White House said on Thursday that China’s “slaughter” of protesters in Tiananmen Square in 1989 has not been forgotten, urging Beijing to give its first accurate accounting of the bloodshed.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s slaughter of unarmed Chinese civilians was a tragedy that will not be forgotten,” President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement. “The United States calls on China to honour the memory of those who lost their lives and to provide a full accounting of those who were killed, detained, or remain missing in connection with the events surrounding the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989.” Beijing’s city government claimed weeks after the crackdown that around 200 people had died, the vast majority soldiers, with only 36 university students killed. China’s Central government has never released a full official toll, but estimates have put the figure between several hundred to over 1,000.
Open discussion of the brutal suppression is forbidden in mainland China. In Hong Kong, where Beijing is tightening its central rule, a mass vigil to mark the anniversary was banned, though tens of thousands of people defied the decision.
Every year, the U.S. issues a statement demanding China be held accountable. On Wednesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with survivors, including Wang Dan, perhaps the most prominent of the student leaders from the protest.
China on Friday accused the U.S. of hypocrisy. “The U.S. has always bragged about so-called democracy and human rights, but the facts repeatedly show that the U.S. record in this area is full of stains,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said at a regular briefing. He said Washington should “put its own house in order” and defended China’s political system.
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BJP leader joins Cong. in M.P.
Congress hopes his return will bolster prospects in upcoming Assembly bypolls
The Madhya Pradesh Congress on Friday embraced estranged BJP leader and former Minister Balendu Shukla back within its fold, hoping his return would bolster its prospects in the upcoming Assembly by-elections in the Gwalior-Chambal region.
Balendu Shukla joins Congress in the presence of State party chief Kamal Nath in Bhopal on Friday. Three-time MLA Mr. Shukla had parted ways with the Congress in 2009 after differences with Jyotiraditya Scindia, who has now switched over to the BJP. The move is reported to have nudged Mr. Shukla, who was a close aide and childhood friend of Mr. Jyotiraditya’s father Madhavrao, a staunch Congressman, to return to the Congress.
He joined the party in the presence of State unit president and former Chief Minister Kamal Nath at his residence.
Ahead of the by-elections to 24 seats, supposed to be held by September, the Congress believes the leader, who is a prominent Brahmin face in the Gwalior-Chambal region, will lend it crucial heft in the elections to 16 seats of the region. Although Mr. Jyotiraditya’s exit from the party, along with 22 MLAs pledging allegiance to him, pulled the rug from under Mr. Nath’s government, it left in its wake a leadership vacuum for the Congress especially in the region.
“Congress leaders who switch over to the BJP return as they feel disillusioned there. The BJP just uses leaders and throws them away,” said Shobha Oza, senior Congress leader. “They are neglected there and eventually come back.”
Pointing out that the Congress kept its doors open for anyone wishing to join it, Ms. Oza said, “We don’t horse trade. If someone can stick to our ideology, we accept them.”
Mr. Shukla’s switchover comes days after former Lok Sabha MP from Ujjain on Congress ticket Premchand Borasi “Guddu” and his son, who lost in the previous Assembly election, returned to the Congress on May 31 after his brief tenure in the BJP that he joined ahead of the 2018 Assembly election.
Critique of Scindia
Another critique of Mr. Jyotiraditya, he was expelled by the BJP for making remarks against the BJP leader. Now, Mr. Borasi, a Dalit leader, is being seen as a contender to former Congressman Tulsiram Silawat, a Cabinet Minister now, on the Sanwer seat.
Both the returnees had differences with Mr. Jyotiraditya in the past, explained Ms. Oza. “They felt let down by the BJP.”
With inputs from The Hindu
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Covid-19 | Recovery rate better in Arab Nations
Intense screening, quarantining measures and testing for COVID-19 have improved the rate of recoveries in the Gulf Cooperation Council nations.
A series of measures including contact tracing and curfews have resulted in a recovery rate of more than 50 % amongst the patients in most of these nations. Expatriates accounts for majority of COVID-19 cases in these countries. The recovery rate in Saudi Arabia is over 70 % even as the positive cases in the kingdom was inching towards one lakh.
Of the six GCC nations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has conducted more than 21.50 lakh tests in all the emirates, especially in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah. However, a disturbing factor is the prevalent co-morbidities such as hypertension and diabetes among the population in the Gulf region.
Urban centres in the GCC nations have controlled the spread of the coronavirus to a large extent by imposing restrictions at public places. Now the authorities are allowing a gradual easing, including travel and opening air spaces.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority of the UAE has launched an integrated health and safety advisory outlining all precautionary measures that must be pursued across all hotel establishments to ensure safety and well-being of guests.
It has issued a manual addressing physical distancing measures, cleaning and sanitisation of guest rooms, health checks of hotel staff and guests, hygiene protocols, in addition to regulations on operations of restaurants, cafes, swimming pools, beaches, health clubs and other utilities of these establishments.
Meanwhile, Emirates and Etihad, both leading airline companies in the UAE, have already announced that they soon plan to operate services to 49 destinations across Asia, Europe and Australia this month. Already its aviation ministry has decided to resume transit flights via the Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah airports.
However, after reviewing the epidemiological situation and the high occupancy levels of the intensive care units, Saudi Arabia has decided to retighten the health precautions in the city of Jeddah for a period of 15 days from June 6. All domestic travel through air and land will be allowed, and entry into and out of the city will not be restricted outside the curfew hours.
In Qatar, its Ministry of Public Health has said it had succeeded in flattening the curve and reducing the impact of the virus mainly through the preventive measures taken and the cooperation of all members of society.
With inputs from The Hindu
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No negligence in Tablighi meet investigation, Centre tells SC
The government’s reply came on a petition accusing the authorities of negligence.
The government has said that the Delhi Police investigation into the Tablighi Jamaat gathering at the centre in Nizamuddin amid the national lockdown was at an advanced stage.
The Ministry of Home Affairs denied the charge that the gathering took place because of delay or negligence on the part of the authorities. The Ministry promised that it would file a “comprehensive status report in a sealed cover” about the probe.
The government’s reply came on a petition accusing the authorities of negligence. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde asked petitioner Supriya Pandita on Friday to file her rejoinder to the government affidavit. The Ministry said there was no need whatsoever to transfer the investigation from the Crime Branch, Delhi Police, to a central agency.
The 23-page affidavit said the Delhi Police had contacted the centre’s authorities as early as on March 21. It said the centre’s authorities were advised to take immediate action to prevent the spread of the virus. They were asked to send back the foreigners and others staying there.
The affidavit said an audio recording was circulated in social media “asking followers to defy the lockdown, social distancing and to attend the religious gathering.”
The centre’s authorities were told about the “menace and hazard” of the virus during a huge gathering. A meeting was also held by the Station House Officer with them. They also did not inform the health department about the huge gathering and “deliberately, wilfully, negligently and malignantly disobeyed the lawful directions promulgated” during the lockdown, the affidavit said.
With inputs from The Hindu
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Haj-2020 | Full amount will be refunded to pilgrims desiring to cancel pilgrimage: HCOI
Srinagar: The Haj Committee of India (HCOI) Monday said that the 100 per cent amount paid so far will be refunded to the pilgrims who desire to cancel their pilgrimage this year amid uncertainty over Haj 2020.
According to an order issued by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Maqsood Ahmad Khan, a copy of which lies with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads that “with reference to the communication received from Saudi authorities vide Note Verbale No 209/41/1063 dated 13th March, 2020 regarding forthcoming Haj 1441(2020) conveying to temporarily halt the preparations for Haj 2020. As only few weeks are left for the preparatory work in India, for Haj 2020, yet Saudi authorities have not communicated any further development regarding Haj 2020.”
The orders further reads that in view of the several enquiries received and concerns were expressed over uncertainty over Haj 2020, it has been decided by the Haj Committee of India that, those pilgrims who desire to cancel their Haj joumey this year, their 100% amount paid so far will be refunded without any deductions,
“Pilgrims who desire to cancel their Haj journey this year are requested to fill up the cancellation form available on the Haj committee website (copy enclosed) and email to ceo [email protected] along with copy of Bank passbook/Cancelled Cheque,” The order reads –(KNO)
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Russian Poplars and Covid-19
HC Seeks Compliance Of Its Orders ‘Positively’ Before June 16
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed government to “positively” submit decision taken on the report by an expert committee on aspects relating to the Russian Poplar trees including the impact of the pollen and fluff from these trees on the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“A short adjournment is sought by Amit Gupta, AAG, to file a report in terms of our previous orders in this issue. The same shall be positively filed before this Court before the next date of hearing,” said a division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajnesh Oswal according to Global News Service correspondent and posted the matter for further consideration on June 16.
Last month, Additional Advocate General Amit Gupta had informed the court that the General Administration Department has taken a view on the report submitted by the Expert Committee and the same stands forwarded to the Department of Law and the Forest Department for compliance.
“Neither report of expert committee nor the decision taken thereon has been placed before us,” the court had said previously and sought the same.
Headed by Dr. Mohit Gera (IFS), Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and HoFF, the members of panel included Farooq Ahmad Gillani (Chief Conservator of Forests, Kashmir), Dr. Mushtaq Siddiqi (Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University of Science & Technology), Dr. Naveed Nazir Shah (HoD, Pulmonary Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar), Zubair Ahmad Shah (Conservator of Forests, Srinagar), Dr. Tariq. H. Masoodi (Dean, Department of Forestry, SKUAST, Kashmir) and Mehraj-ud-din Malik (Regional Director, Social Forestry, Kashmir).
The panel was formed following the Court’s order on April 10 last, directing the Chief Secretary to constitute it to examine the impact of the pollen and fluff from the poplar trees and the desirability of felling poplar trees amid coronavirus pandemic.
The court had passed the orders days after almost all deputy commissioners in Kashmir ordered axing of the “female” poplar trees.
“Significantly a grave error is pointed out which is to the effect that female poplar trees have been directed by the authorities to be felled on account of the “pollen” generated by them. This by itself is a basic mistake,” the court had observed.
“Pollen is generated by the male of the specie and not by the female tree. Therefore felling of the female of the Species would not have any impact,” the court had said as per GNS.
It was also pointed out, the court observed, that the fluff carries the seed and not pollen.
“The two reports brought to our notice refer to views of several experts doubting the correctness of the statement that the fluff generated by the poplars could be effecting respiratory diseases or would impact spread of the COVID-19 infection,” the court had observed, adding, “The Committee which is constituted would examine all aspects relating to the matter including the impact of the pollen and fluff from the poplar trees, the desirability of felling poplar trees (also called Russian Poplar) and related issues.
The Committee, the court had said, shall suggest all necessary steps, including felling of trees, if necessary.
The Secretaries, Health and Forest Departments, were directed by the court to take a “considered view” on the committee’s report and place the same before the Chief Secretary for consideration at the earliest. “The final recommendations shall be placed before us at the earliest (now before June 16),” the court added. (GNS)