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  • Afghan government frees 100 Taliban prisoners

    Peace prevails on day 2 of ceasefire

    AFP

    Afghan authorities released 100 Taliban prisoners on Monday as part of the government’s response to a surprise, three-day ceasefire the insurgents called to mark the Id al-Fitr festival.

    The pause in fighting, only the second of its kind in Afghanistan’s nearly 19-year-old war, appeared to be holding on day two after the government welcomed the truce by announcing plans to release up to 2,000 Taliban inmates.

    President Ashraf Ghani said his administration was also ready to hold peace talks with the Taliban, seen as key to ending the war in the impoverished country. “The government of Afghanistan has today released 100 Taliban prisoners from Bagram prison,” said National Security Council spokesman Javid Faisal. He said the prisoner release was to “help the peace process” and will continue until 2,000 prisoners are freed.

    The Taliban insists Kabul must release all 5,000 members as agreed in the deal with the U.S. “This process should be completed in order to remove hurdles in the way of commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations,” Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said on Twitter.

  • Coronavirus | WHO suspends clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine over safety concerns

    Marseille-based doctor Professor Didier Raoult has consistently argued that the drugs have a tangible benefit.

    AFP | Reuters

    The World Health Organization said on Monday that it had “temporarily” suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloriquine as a potential treatment for COVID-19 being carried out across a range of countries as a precautionary measure.

    The decision came after the publication last week of a study in the Lancet indicating that the using the drug on COVID-19 patients could increase their likelihood of dying, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference, adding that the WHO-backed trials had been “suspended while the safety is reviewed.”

    Hydroxycholoroquine has been touted by Donald Trump and others as a possible treatment for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The U.S. President has said he was taking the drug to help prevent infection.

    “The executive group has implemented a temporary pause of the hydroxychloroquine arm within the Solidarity trial while the safety data is reviewed by the data safety monitoring board,” Tedros said.

    He said the other arms of the trial — a major international initiative to hold clinical tests of potential treatments for the virus — were continuing.

    The WHO has previously recommended against using hydroxychloroquine to treat or prevent coronavirus infections, except as part of clinical trials.

    Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO emergencies programme, said the decision to suspend trials of hydroxychloroquine had been taken out of “an abundance of caution”.

    French doctor defiant on hydroxychloroquine despite study

    A controversial French doctor insisted he stood by his belief that anti-viral drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine can help patients recover from the coronavirus, rejecting a study that indicated there was no benefit.

    Marseille-based doctor Professor Didier Raoult has earned huge prominence in France during the crisis for his controversial beliefs and was visited by President Emmanuel Macron in person as the head of state sounded out experts.

    Raoult has consistently argued that the drugs have a tangible benefit, a stance that has been loudly backed by President Donald Trump who has said he has even been taking hydroxychloroquine as a precaution.

    “How can a messy study done with ‘big data’ change what we see?”, Raoult asked in a video posted on the website of his infectious diseases hospital in Marseille.

    “Here we have had 4,000 people go through our hospital, you don’t think I’m going to change because there are people who do ‘big data’, which is a kind of completely delusional fantasy,” he said.

    His comments came as the World Health Organization said it was suspending trial of hydroxychloroquine as a COVID-19 treatment over safety concerns.

    “Nothing will change what I have seen with my own eyes,” added Raoult.

    Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis while chloroquine is an anti-malarial. Both drugs can produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.

    Raoult, a distinctive figure with his shoulder-length shaggy grey hair, ended the video by repeating another controversial claim that “this is the end of the epidemic”.

    Looking at the records of 96,000 patients across hundreds of hospitals, the study published in The Lancet found that administering the drugs actually increased the risk of dying.

    Macron met Raoult at his hospital in April as the president canvassed opinion about the next policy steps to make in the fight against the coronavirus.

    The Elysee insisted at the time that the visit — which raises eyebrows in some quarters — did not represent any kind of “recognition” of the professor’s methods

  • Kathmandu blames India for rising covid-19 cases in Nepal

    New Delhi: Nepal has blamed India for the rise of novel coronavirus cases in the country, with the country’s prime minister KP Sharma Oli saying the virus strain from India looked “more lethal” than those from China and Italy.

    “Those who are coming from India through illegal channels are spreading the virus in the country and some local representatives and party leaders are responsible for bringing in people from India without proper testing,” news reports quoted Oli as saying on Wednesday.

    “It has become very difficult to contain covid-19 due to the flow of people from outside. Indian virus looks more lethal than Chinese and Italian now. More are getting infected,”Oli said in comments that have raised hackles in India.

    The India foreign ministry is yet to issue an official response.

    The comments have widened the rift between the two countries that was first triggered by Nepal objecting to a new road inaugurated by India. On 8 May, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a road that connects the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand with Kailash Mansarovar route in China.

    Kathmandu said the road was built inside its borders, something India has disputed.

    Earlier this week, the Nepal cabinet endorsed a new political map that incorporates Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani as part of its territory. Though Lipulekh and Kalapani have been claimed by Nepal earlier, this is the first time Kathmandu is staking claim to Limpiyadhura. Both countries share a 1,800 km open border.

    The Lipulekh Pass is claimed by Nepal based on the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli it entered with the British colonial rulers to define its western border with India. Kathmandu also claims the strategic Limpiyadhura and Kalapani areas, though Indian troops have been deployed there since the 1962 India-China war, say analysts.

    With inputs from Live Mint

  • Jiomart goes live to take on Amazon, Flipkart

    Over 50,000 products available at minimum 5% discount

    Reliance Industries (RIL) has taken its e-commerce platform JioMart live in an attempt to take on rivals Amazon and Flipkart. Pilots were carried out in Navi Mumbai, Thane and Kalyan.

    Jiomart, an online-offline model that combines the strengths of Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail, has started offering products at a minimum 5% discount to the maximum retail price on select products.

    “Farm produce will directly be sourced from farmers that have collaborated with the brand,” said the JioMart website.

    JioMart has started offering more than 50,000 products in the fruits and vegetables, dairy and bakery, staples, snacks and branded foods, beverages, personal care, home care and baby care categories, according to its website.

    Customers can get free home delivery on no minimum-order value, with a no-questions-asked-return policy. The website asks customers for their PIN code to inform them whether they are delivering in the area.

    During RIL’s annual general meeting some time back, chairman Mukesh Ambani had hinted at the company’s foray into ‘new commerce’ which, he said, was a $700-billion opportunity.

    “The main purpose of new commerce is to completely transform the unorganised retail market, which accounts for 90% of India’s retail industry. The three crore merchants and kirana shop owners, who generate direct and indirect livelihoods for over 20 crore people, form the backbone of India’s commerce eco-system,” he had said.

    Facebook and WhatsApp had signed a commercial agreement with Reliance Jio over JioMart so that the online venture’s customers can place order through the social media platforms.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Indian Army chief has hurt Gurkha sentiments: Nepal Defence Minister

    The Nepal army has, however, maintained silence on territorial dispute

    The Indian Army chief’s comments on the Kalapani dispute had hurt the sentiments of Nepali Gurkhas who have a long tradition of sacrifice for India, Nepal’s Defence Minister Ishwor Pokhrel said on Monday.

    In an interview to online news outlet The Rising Nepal, he said General Manoj Naravane’s indirect reference to Chinese hand behind the diplomatic spat was “condemnable” and the Nepal army would fight if necessary.

    “With this, the Indian Chief of the Army Staff has also hurt the sentiments of the Nepali Gurkha army personnel who lay down their lives to protect India. It must now be difficult for them to stand tall in front of the Gurkha forces,” he said.

    ‘A political stunt’

    Mr. Pokhrel termed Gen. Naravane’s comments a “political stunt”. Such opinions were not expected from the head of the Army, he said.

    The Gurkhas of Nepal have a proud tradition of valour in the Indian armed forces dating back to pre-Independence era and were usually kept out of India-Nepal disputes.

    This is the first time that Nepal’s Defence Minister has drawn the community into the ongoing spat that erupted after India inaugurated the Darchula-Lipulekh link road on May 8.

    General Manoj Naravane had said the link road was built on the Indian territory and that there was no cause for Nepal to agitate. “There is reason to believe that they might have raised this issue at the behest of someone else and that is very much a possibility”, he statedin an online interaction with the media on the COVID-19 crisis.

    The Nepal army has, however, maintained silence on this issue and declined to be drawn into the territorial dispute. Spokesperson of the Nepal army, Brig. General Bigyan Dev Pandey earlier refused to respond to General Naravane’s comments, saying the matter fell in the “political” domain.

    On Monday too, he maintained the same position, saying he was “not entitled” to comment on the the opinion of the Defence Minister.

    But Mr. Pokhrel maintained that the army of Nepal would act as and when required by Kathmandu. “It would definitely play its role in the right time, as per the directives of the government based on our Constitution… If needed, it will fight.” He also noted that Nepal believed in diplomatic dialogue to find a solution to the Kalapani issue.

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • Science Minister Fawad Chaudhry unveils new proposal to permanently solve the Moon sighting issue in Pakistan

    Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry unveils new proposal to permanently solve the Moon sighting issue in Pakistan.

    Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Sunday that two moon observatories will be set up by next year to “permanently resolve” moon-sighting conflicts.

    Speaking to the media here in the city, Chaudhry said the plan was to set up moon observatories in Islamabad and Gwadar where anyone would be able to go and see the moon for themselves.

    “Given the debate we observed over moon [sighting] this year, we intend to set up a moon observatory in Islamabad next year and we’re also trying to set one up in Gwadar too,” the federal minister explained.

    “The issue of moon-sighting will be permanently resolved after the moon observatories” are established, he noted. “A common person will be able to go and see the moon and decide for themselves,” he added.

    The minister also thanked Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairperson Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman and other members, as well as religious scholars of Pakistan, for their contributions to the country.

    “This Eid was not possible without them. I thank them all,” he mentioned.

    With inputs from Times of Islamabad

  • Babar is very close to being in same league as Kohli, Smith: Misbah

    PTI

    Karachi: Pakistan head coach and chief selector Misbah-ul-Haq believes Babar Azam is destined to be a world class player and is very close to being in the same league as India skipper Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith.

    “I don’t like comparisons but Babar is currently very close to being in the same class as Virat Kohli, Steve Smith or Joe Root,” Misbah said in an interview to Youtube channel, Cricket Baaz.

    “He believes in the work ethic that if you want to better Kohli you have to work harder than him at your skills, fitness and game awareness.”

    The 25-year-old, who was named captain of the Pakistan T20 team ahead of the Australia series in October last year, was recently handed the reins of ODI team as well.

    “Making him the T20 captain was a tester. We wanted to see how he will respond to this challenge. All of us agree that he has done a very good job and his biggest plus is that being among the worlds top players he leads by example,” Misbah said.

    “If you are a performer like Babar then it becomes easier for you to motivate the rest of the team and get things done.

    “Even when I was made captain in 2010 my performances were here and there and I was in and out. But captaincy changed my game and mindset and I became a more hard working and motivated cricketer.”

    Misbah said Babar always challenges himself and would get better as a captain with experience.

    “He is in a zone of his own. He just doesn’t want to be in the team. He just doesn’t want to play for money. He wants to be the top performer for Pakistan. He is always pitting himself against other top batsmen like Kohli or Smith,” he said.

    “He loves challenges in the nets and on the field. He has really matured as a player and in time he will get better as a captain with experience.”

    Babar was the leading run-scorer of the T20I series against Australia last year. He also scored 210 runs, which included a hundred, at 52.50 in the Test series against the same opponents.

    In the two-Test home series against Sri Lanka, Babar ended the series with 262 runs with an average of exactly 262.

    Misbah feels Babar had changed as a batsman when he got runs in the Tests in Australia.

    “Before that he was getting runs in tests but not consistently. In Australia and in the following tests against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh he changed,” he said.

    Talking about his experience as a head coach, Misbah said: “Having captained, it has helped me a lot. As captain I had to manage everything and also having played under top coaches … I have seen closely their work ethics and how they managed things.

    “It is a learning process. Having remained captain it is a big advantage for coaching because you know the players and their mood swings. You know which player will respond in a given situation,which player is feeling pressure in a scenario.

    Misbah said it is not easy juggling between different roles.

    “Most important thing as a coach is mentally and psychologically how you handle a group of players,” the former skipper said.

    “Sometimes captain and coach is different as you have to take tough decisions. Being chief selector makes it it a bit difficult but I had experience of creating and managing teams, I have been building teams since 2003. Till now it is going well.”

    Misbah feels in Pakistan cricket there were different parameters for judging foreign and local coaches.

    “I don’t know why it is like this why do we have different eye for locals and foreigners. Maybe we feel they have something special. It looks like every decision by a foreign coach is right. In contrast we tend to be very critical of local coaches no matter what decision they take,” he said.

  • Son, wife of J&K lieutenant governor’s advisor test Covid-19 positive

    PTI

    Jammu: The son and wife of an advisor to the Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said on Monday.
    The advisor to Lt Governor G C Murmu has gone into self-quarantine at the super-specialty hospital in Reasi district where his son and wife are being kept at an isolation ward, they said.

    The officials said the advisor’s wife and son had returned from Delhi a few days back and were staying at a guest house.

    The results of their samples came on Sunday night and they had tested positive for the disease, theys said.

  • Coronavirus | Patanjali proposes drug trial in Indore

    A day before Baba Ramdev told Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that ayurvedic medicines had given “very good results” on COVID-19 patients, the research wing of his firm Patanjali had given a proposal to a government medical college to conduct clinical trials.

    On May 19, Anurag Varshney, vice-president, Patanjali Research Institute, Haridwar, made the request to the dean of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, the city worst hit by the outbreak. In the proposal, he pointed out that ayurvedic medications could be given along with the treatment regime advised by the Indian Council of Medical Research or the Ministry of Health on the patient’s consent.

    “This letter is to request you to allow these ayurvedic medicines to be given to the COVID-19 positive patients in Indore and other places in Madhya Pradesh, under controlled clinical trials,” he wrote in the proposal. To combat COVID-19 with ayurveda, “we have worked at the Patanjali Research Institute and have conducted in-depth research. These findings and recommendations have been shared with you earlier. These research-driven recommendations are based on our ancient knowledge of safe and effective herbal medicinal science,” he said.

    Mr. Varshney referred to a discussion between Baba Ramdev and Mr. Chouhan and the Health Minister, wherein Patanjali showed its readiness to provide these ayurvedic medications free of cost to those in need.

    Although he claimed that “our medicines kits have reached Indore already,” Chief Medical and Health Officer of Indore Pravin Jadia told The Hindu: “I have not received any such letter.”

    Jyoti Bindal, the dean, has sent the proposal to the governmentto begin the ayurvedic treatment regime. She said the permission was necessary as an order dated October 25,2016, restricted new drug trials of any kind at government universities.“We can’t start any such therapy until we get a word from the government. There is a defined protocol to seek clearance,” said Dr. Bindal. .

    Although Patanjali has evinced interest in conducting trials in other parts of the State too, AYUSH department commissioner M. K. Agrawal said, “I am not aware about any such interest shown by Patanjali. They have not applied with us.”

    Striking a word of caution, Anand Rai, who exposed unethical drug trials in Indore a decade ago, said there should be informed consent of patients in case of trials. “If anyone wants to conduct research, we shouldn’t oppose it for the sake of it. Otherwise how can we understand the efficacy of a proposed treatment.”

    With inputs from The Hindu

  • First flight takes off from Chennai airport as operations resume after two months

    It left for Delhi at 6.35 a.m. with 116 passengers

    With 116 passengers the first flight to Delhi departed from Chennai airport on Monday, as domestic flight services resumed in the State after two months of lockdown. The flight left the city airport at 6.35 a.m.

    The first flight from Delhi too arrived at 8.15 a.m.

    Chennai airport will handle only 35 flights on Monday, as against 500 movements that it would usually have before the lockdown. There will be 16 flights arriving and 19 departing from the city airport. The State government had fixed limitations on the arrivals and announced that only 25 flights can land here.

    For those arriving in the State, since TN e-pass will be mandatory, a counter has been set up to issue these passes in the arrival hall which will function for a couple days alone. After that, passengers have to register only through TN e-pass portal to get a pass and enter the State.

    On Sunday night, after a long wait, the State government finally allowed the domestic operations to begin in the city airport. It instructed that asymptomatic passengers who arrive will have to be on a 14-day home quarantine. If a passenger is found to have symptoms on arrival, then they would be taken to the hospital for further testing procedures.

    With inputs from The Hindu