LIVE! Govt launches scheme to promote Indian apps

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Sat, 04 July 2020

Govt launches scheme to promote Indian apps

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21:56 Govt launches scheme to promote Indian apps

The government on Saturday launched programme for Indian tech entrepreneurs and startups to build strong ecosystem to develop and promote indigenous world class apps.

The Ministry of Electronics and IT in partnership with Niti Ayog announced that it will run the programme in two stages.

"With an objective to support and build a strong ecosystem for Indian Apps, MeitY in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission Niti Aayog launches Digital India AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge for Indian tech entrepreneurs and startups.

"This is to help realise the vision of Prime Minister for building a Digital India and using Digital Technologies for building an AatmaNirbhar Bharat," Meity said in a statement.

The programme will run in two tracks, which will be to promote existing apps and develop new ones.

The track 1 - started from Saturday - will identify the best Indian applications that are already being used by citizens and have the potential to scale and become world class apps in their respective categories.

"This Innovation Challenge with various cash awards and incentives of featuring Apps on Leader Boards seeks to create an ecosystem where Indian entrepreneurs and startups are incentivised to ideate, incubate, build, nurture and sustain Tech solutions that can serve not only citizens within India but also the world," the statement said.

The track 1 is expected to be completed in a month.

In the track 2 of the "AatmaNirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge" the government will seek to identify Indian startups, entrepreneurs, companies and encourage them with ideation, incubation, prototyping and roll out of applications.

"This track will run for a longer course of a time, details of which shall be provided separately," the statement said.

The programme will look at app development in eight categories which are social networking, e-Learning, entertainment, health and wellness, business - including agritech, fintech, news and games.

Meity has set July 18 for submission of entries through MyGov website.

"A specific Jury for each track with experts from private sector and academia will evaluate the entries received. Shortlisted Apps will be given awards & will also feature on leader boards for information of citizens," the statement said.

The government will also adopt suitable apps, guide them to maturity and list on Government e-Marketplace (GeM), it added. -- PTI

21:35 Mumbai to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday

Mumbai's suburbs and neighbouring Thane received more than 100 mm rainfall since Saturday morning, the IMD said and predicted "very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall" at isolated places in the area besides rest of

the North Konkan over the next 24 hours.

Interior Maharashtra also received fairly widespread rainfall, it said.

The Colaba weather station in south Mumbai reported 66 mm rainfall between 8.30 am and 5.30 pm while the Santacruz weather station recorded 111.4 mm rainfall, said the India Meteorological Department.

The Thane-Belapur Industry Association area reported 116 mm rain during this period, it added.

"Mumbai suburbs and Thane already received more than 100 mm rains since morning 8.30 am 4 Jul. City side its around 50+ mm.

"Very heavy with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>200mm) forecasted for N Konkan including Mumbai in 24 hrs. Entire west coast very active monsoon. TC," Mumbai IMD Deputy Director General K S Hosalikar tweeted.

Earlier, in a statement at 3 pm, the IMD said the monsoon remained widespread and active over the entire Konkan belt including Mumbai with heavy to very heavy rainfall in many places.

"Interior Maharashtra also received fairly widespread rainfall with mostly moderate to isolated heavy rainfall.

"The intense rainfall activity is very likely along the west coast (including Mumbai) and adjoining ghat areas of interior Maharashtra till 4th July and gradual reduction thereafter," it said.

The disaster management cell of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said water-logging was reported in low-lying areas of the city such as Sion, Dadar and Milan Subway.

"But there has been no complaint of major water-logging so far," an official said.

There were 19 complaints of tree/branches falling, but nobody was injured in the incidents," he said. -- PTI

20:47 Mumbai police allow travel 'closer to home'

Mumbai police on Saturday tweaked its 2-kilometre radius diktat imposed to curb needless travel during the coronavirus-induced lockdown and allowed people to move around in the nearby neighbourhood.

In a tweet, the police said people were "permitted shopping closer to home (5am-9pm)" and asked them not to forget IDs and other documents while travelling for work.

It also said night curfew was in force between 9pm to 5am with exemptions only for essential travel, including for medical and travel purposes.

The instruction to not travel beyond 2 kilometres during the lockdown was issued by police on Sunday, while prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC were imposed on Wednesday. -- PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday sent his swab sample for COVID-19 test after he shared the dais with Legislative Council Acting Chairman Awdesh Narayan Singh, who has been found infected with the contagious virus, at an official event, officials said.

The sample has been sent to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Patna, they said.

Besides the chief minister, samples of 15 staffers of the Chief Minister's Office have been collected for COVID-19 test, the sources said, adding results are expected Sunday.

Kumar had shared the dais with the Council Acting Chairman during the oath ceremony of newly elected MLCs on July 1. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated President Donald Trump and the people of the United States on the country's 244th Independence Day, saying as the world's largest democracies "we cherish freedom and human enterprise that this day celebrates".

"I congratulate US President Donald Trump and the people of the USA on the 244th Independence Day of the USA," Modi tweeted.

As the world's largest democracies, "we cherish freedom and human enterprise that this day celebrates," he said.

20:11 Delhi may go past peak in August, say experts

With a drop in average fresh cases reported daily in Delhi over the past one week, experts have claimed that the city may go past the COVID-19 peak in early August.

However, they have warned that if social distancing and hygiene norms prescribed by authorities are not adhered to by people, then there could be a surge again.

On June 23, the national capital had reported the highest single-day spike of 3,947 cases.

The city continued to see over 3,000 fresh cases per day till June 26, when it reported 3,460 infections.

From June 27 to July 3, the average fresh cases per day stands at about 2,494 compared to 3,446 cases per day the week before.

AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria said, "If the number of cases in Delhi continues to be static or decreases over the next few weeks, and the decline is at a sustained pace, then we can say that we may pass the peak in August."

But that can only happen if people continue to maintain social distancing and take prescribed precautions and there is a strict implementation of containment measures even as lockdown measures are eased.

"In some cities there was a decline in trend, but once the lockdown was lifted people did not follow the dos and dont's and this led to a surge in cases. So, there is no space for complacency. A lapse on someone's part somewhere...could lead to a spike," Dr Guleria said.

Delhi recorded 2,520 fresh coronavirus cases on Friday, taking the tally in the city to over 94,000, while the death toll from the disease mounted to 2,923, authorities said.

However, in the last few days, the number of fresh cases have oscillated, not showing a particular trend in figures.

The number of cases reported from June 27-July 3 are - June 27 (2948), June 28 (2889), June 29 (2084), June 30 (2199) and July 1 (2442), July 2 (2373) with steady rise in death figures.

Dr Vikas Maurya, Director & Head, Department of Pulmonology and Sleep Disorders, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, said cases in Delhi haven't risen as projected earlier, so there is a chance it will soon be past the peak, say in August.

"But, again, it's a novel virus, and we don't know its behaviour. So, we don't know how it will behave. Anyway, a pandemic lasts for a year or so, therefore as a society we must be prepared," he said.

Maurya, however, warned that the city could see a "second wave of the viral attack" in August or September, given its fickle nature.

Various previous predictions on number of cases in Delhi and on peaking period have proven wrong, as the virus is novel, he said.

"Only thing we can do to continue, to ensure less cases occur, is by practising social distancing, adhering to hygiene and other norms prescribed by government authorities. Otherwise, all our gains will be lost, and we might see again a spike in cases," Maurya said.-- PTI

As experts cautioned against rushing the process for developing a COVID-19 vaccine after the Indian Council of Medical Research stated it plans to launch one by August 15, the apex health research body on Saturday stressed that it is acting in accordance with the globally accepted norms to fast-track vaccine development for diseases of pandemic potential.

The ICMR said that the letter by Director General of ICMR Dr Balram Bhargava to principal investigators of the clinical trial sites was meant to cut unnecessary red tape, without bypassing any necessary process, and speed up recruitment of participants.

Bhargava had on July 2 written to principal investigators of select medical institutions and hospitals to fast-track human clinical trial approvals for the vaccine candidate 'Covaxin' being developed in collaboration with Bharat Biotech.

All other vaccine candidates across the globe have been similarly fast-tracked, it said, adding that the Drugs Controller General of India has accorded permission to conduct phase 1 and 2 (human) clinical trial of 'Covaxin' based on in-depth scrutiny of the available data from pre-clinical studies.

Just as red tape was not allowed to become a hindrance in the fast track approval of new indigenous testing kits or for introducing in the Indian market potential COVID-19 related drugs, the indigenous vaccine development process has also been sought to be insulated from slow file movement, it said.

"The aim is to complete these phases at the earliest, so that population-based trials for efficacy could be initiated without delay," ICMR said in a statement.

After intense characterisation and review of all data from BBIL, the ICMR said it is supporting the clinical development as the vaccine candidate appears to be promising.

In the larger public health interest, it is important for ICMR to expedite the clinical trials with a promising indigenous vaccine, the statement stated.

Faced with the unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the consequent dislocation of the normal life, all other vaccine candidates across the globe have been similarly fast-tracked, it said.

"ICMR's process is exactly in accordance with the globally accepted norms to fast-track the vaccine development for diseases of pandemic potential wherein human and animal trials can continue in parallel," it said.

Underlining ICMR was among the world's most reputed organisations in the field of medical research and its track record of facilitating India's globally respected and acknowledged vaccine and drug industry speaks for itself, the research body said trials will be done following the best practices and rigour. -- PTI

By visiting Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a very clear signal that India is ready to escalate the cost on China for its "misadventurism" and that the armed forces are adopting a firm approach in defending the country's territories, strategic affairs experts said on Saturday.

They also said that China is increasingly getting isolated internationally for its aggressive military posturing in Ladakh, South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region, and time has come for India to take advantage of the situation.

Hailing Modi's visit to Ladakh, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen (retd) Subrata Saha said the "loudest message" from the visit was that India is not going to back-off in eastern Ladakh and that it will handle the situation with a "firm hand".

He also talked about Modi paying glowing tributes to 20 Indian soldiers killed in the Galwan Valley clashes and sought to contrast it with China's refusal to even acknowledge its military casualties.

"On the Indian side, we have the prime minister going there, literally close to the ground zero, and praise the valiant sacrifice of 20 bravehearts at Galwan and just compare it to the Chinese side. They have not even acknowledged their casualties. Imagine the impact it could have on the minds of a Chinese soldier," Saha said.

Strategic affairs expert Dr Laxman Behera said by visiting Ladakh, Modi sent a very clear message to China that India is "resolute and firm" in defending its borders and that it is ready to escalate the cost on China for its "misadventurism".

"The prime minister sent a very clear and unequivocal message to China at a time India is getting lot of international support on the border row. China is being marginalised. Major powers have supported India on the issue," he said.

Welcoming Modi's visit, Lt Gen (retd) Ashok Mehta said Modi has sent a very strong message to China that India has taken the Chinese action in eastern Ladakh "very seriously".

"This message from the visit was that we are taking these intrusions very seriously, unlike previous episodes of border skirmishes in Depsang in 2013, Doklam in 2017 and Chumar in 2013. The message was that the latest actions are highly provocative and we will respond adequately," he said.

Behera, a noted defence expert from Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, said China will incur significant economic losses because of its latest belligerence in eastern Ladakh, South China Sea as well as in the Indo-Pacifc region after drawing criticism over origin of the COVID-19.

"China is being slowly and steadily marginalised in the international community. India should take advantage of it. We should try to sideline China economically in various global fora. That should be the focus of Indian foreign policy," he said.

Saha, a member of the National Security Advisory Board, called the prime minister's interaction with the soldiers at a high-altitude forward location "absolutely fascinating and very motivating" from a military point of view.

"He spoke about two mothers that he respects. 'One is mother India and the other is the mother who gives birth to valiant soldiers like you'. Line like this is very big for people who are listening to him," he said.

The former Deputy Chief of Army Staff also called Modi's message from Ladakh to the rest of the country to work for making India a self-reliant nation.

"Standing there, he was telling everybody, that let us become a self reliant country. He was literally speaking on behalf of the soldier and motivating the industry, academia and those involved in research and development that lets become self-reliant. That was a very important message," he said.

Modi made a surprise visit to Ladakh on Friday during which he said the era of expansionism is over and that the history is proof that "expansionists" have either lost or perished, in comments were seen as a clear message to China. -- PTI

19:14 Shoot him wherever he is: UP gangster's mother

Shoot him wherever he is," said the angry mother of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, whose henchman killed eight policemen in an ambush when they came to arrest him from his hideout in a village near Kanpur.

Uttar Pradesh Police has announced a Rs 50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Dubey, who has at least 60 cases against him including murder and attempt to murder.

An official said there was a possibility that Dubey may have fled to Nepal or taken shelter in a neighbouring state.

He was named an accused in the murder of Santosh Shukla, a minister of state-rank Bharatiya Janata Party leader, inside a police station in 2001 but was acquitted.

His mother Sarla Dubey is angry over the brutal killing of the police personnel.

She says no mercy should be shown to her son.

"Maar dalo unko, jahaan rahe maar dalo (He should be gunned down, wherever he is found)," she told a news channel.

"People came and told me about the incident. I also saw it on TV. One who has given so much pain to others must pay for his sin," she said.

Her husband left it to the government to take appropriate action against his son.

"The government will act as per the norms, what can I do? The government will take steps, which it feels are appropriate," Ramkumar Dubey told reporters on Saturday.

"I did not have any information about the incident. I had taken medicines and was lying in a semi-conscious state. When I cannot speak for myself, then how can I speak for others," he said.

When asked whether he had asked his son to stop criminal activities, Ramkumar merely said, "He had left this place during his student days and had been living with my brother-in-law."-- PTI

18:45 Row over Akshay's trip to Nashik amid lockdown

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar's helicopter trip to Nashik in north Maharashtra during lockdown has sparked a controversy.

Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said on Saturday that he will order inquiry into the special permission which the actor reportedly obtained for the air travel and stay at a resort in Nashik during the visit earlier this week.

While the actor's spokespersons did not offer any comment immediately, sources said he flew to Nashik with a special permission to see a doctor.

"I read about his visit to Nashik in newspapers today. I have no idea when he came and left. I will have to check," Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhujbal, who is also the guardian minister of the district, told reporters in

Nashik.

"I will have to check, where he lived etc. I have received complaints about how he could be allowed to stay in a resort (amid coronavirus outbreak). We will ask the police to look into it. I have no idea who gave him the permission, why it was given. Officials will be questioned if something wrong has happened," the senior NCP leader added.

Sources close to the actor said that he had flown to Nashik in a helicopter with special permission "to see a doctor". -- PTI

The GSB Seva Mandal based in King's Circle area of Mumbai has asked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for permission to retain the height of its Ganesh idol at the traditional 14 feet.

Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are scheduled to begin on August 22.

Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the state has asked organisations that install such idols to curtail the height to four feet and scale down celebrations so as to adhere to social distancing norms and lockdown orders.

In a statement, GSB Seva Mandal trustee RG Bhat said change in height would create hurdles as the eco-friendly idol is adorned with pre-moulded gold and silver jewellery.

The statement said there would be no immersion of the idol this time and darshan for devotees would be online while prasad distribution would be through e-commerce platforms.

The idol is made of pure clay at the venue itself and the immersion will be in an artificial pond, with "minimum or negligible involvement of people", he said.

All social distancing standards will be maintained, and no crowd or darshan will be allowed, he added.

He said a letter has been sent to CM Thackeray with a request to allow the idol to be 14 feet tall.

Organisers of Lalbaugcha Raja, arguably the city's most famous Ganeshotsav festivity, have already announced that they would be cancelling celebrations this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic while Wadala's GSB Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Samiti has postponed it for February next year. -- PTI

A 53-year-old Indian worker in the United Arab Emirates has missed a special repatriation flight after he dozed off at the Dubai International Airport, a media report said.

P Shajahan, who worked as a storekeeper in Abu Dhabi, was supposed to fly to Thiruvananthapuram on the Emirates jumbo jet chartered by the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre Dubai, Gulf News reported.

It was the first-ever jumbo jet chartered for repatriation.

Shajahan, who had paid 1,100 dirham (USD 300) for the ticket, said that he did not sleep on the previous night as he kept on waiting for the confirmation of his ticket for the jumbo jet flying 427 stranded Indians to Kerala, it said.

He reached the airport early in the morning and after finishing the check-in procedures and rapid test, he reached the waiting area of the boarding gate at Terminal 3 around 2 PM local time, the report said.

"I sat away from most of the others. But I fell asleep after 4.30 PM," he said.

S Nizamudeen Kollam, who coordinated the charter flight, said that the airline officials could not trace Shajahan when the flight was to take off.

"He woke up and called us after the flight left. It is sad that he missed the flight, which was the first-ever jumbo jet chartered for repatriation. We are now trying to send him on another Emirates flight that we are chartering on Saturday," Kollam said.

Since Shajahan did not have any money, Jasimkhan Kallambalam, organising secretary of KMCC Thiruvananthapuram, went to the airport to meet him on Friday.

"Since his visa was cancelled, he could not come out of the airport. He had only eaten the snacks in the kit KMCC had given. We managed to give him some cash for buying food through KMCC volunteer Alamsha Latheef," Kallambalam said. -- PTI

As the coronavirus pandemic ravages human lives and economies across the world, Lord Buddha's message of shunning vices like hatred and violence to find happiness serves like a beacon, President Ram Nath Kovind said on Saturday.

"We all know that the moment the virulence of coronavirus slows down, we have a far more serious challenge of climate change before us," he said at a virtual event organised by the International Buddhist Confederation at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Kovind said the world seems full of suffering, in short term as well as in long term.

"There are many stories of kings and affluent people suffering from acute depression who took refuge in Buddha to escape cruelties of life," the president said.

He said the life of Buddha challenges earlier convictions as he believed in finding deliverance from suffering in the midst of this imperfect world.

"Today, as the pandemic ravages human lives and economies across the globe, Buddha's message serves like a beacon. He advised people to shun greed, hatred, violence, jealousy and many other vices to find happiness. Contrast this message with the hankering of an unrepentant mankind indulging in the same old violence and degradation of nature," Kovind said.

The president said that India is proud of being the land of the origin of 'Dhamma'.

"In India, we see Buddhism as a fresh expression of the sublime truth," he said at the event organised on the occasion of the Dharma Chakra Diwas.

Kovind said Lord Buddha's enlightenment and subsequent preaching by him for over four decades were in line with India's tradition of respect for intellectual liberalism and spiritual diversity.

In modern times, two exceptionally great Indians, Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar, found inspiration in the words of the Buddha and went on to shape the destiny of the nation, he said.

"Following in their footsteps, we should strive to hear the call of the Buddha, to respond to his invitation to walk the noble path," the president said.

The International Buddhist Confederation or IBC, with its presence in 36 countries, is holding the celebrations around the world.

"We, however, are in the midst of a virulent pandemic that has overwhelmed the entire humanity. Perhaps no part of the world remains untouched by this calamity that adversely affects every individual. As a precaution, we have to follow certain discipline and maintain physical distance," he said.

The IBC is, therefore, holding the events virtually, Kovind said, adding that such an effort is praiseworthy, because this makes it possible for a far larger number of people, from all corners of the world, to participate in them.

"The world has suffered much this year, and I sincerely wish that this sacred day heralds a new ray of hope and grants a glimpse of happiness. I also pray that it lights the lamp of wisdom in the heart of everyone," the president concluded. -- PTI

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Leh and addressed frontline soldiers, the Congress on Saturday said the time has come for him to follow his "raj dharma" and tell the people of the country about the reality of Chinese "incursions".

Addressing a virtual press meet, Congress leader Kapil Sibal used satellite images of Ladakh's Pangong Tso from May and June to show Chinese structures in the area and asked the prime minister to at least speak the truth about it.

He also asked Modi to stop doing the politics of "illusion and delusion" and showing "red eyes" to China, and protect Indian territory.

"The times warrant India to look eye-to-eye at China and unequivocally tell them to retreat from their illegal and brazen occupation of Indian territory. Mr Prime Minister, this is the only 'raj dharma' that you must follow," Sibal said.

Posing a set of five questions to the prime minister, he asked Modi to say whether the actual picture of "Chinese occupation of our territory" up to the "Finger 4 Ridge" in the Pangong Tso area depicts the truth on the ground.

"They say 'pictures do not lie'. Will the prime minister now tell the nation -- is this Indian territory on which radars, helipad and other structures have been built by the Chinese in a brazen act of transgression?

"Have the Chinese occupied our territory in Galwan Valley, including 'Patrol Point 14', where our 20 jawans of the 16 Bihar Regiment made the supreme sacrifice? Has China also occupied Indian territory in Hot Springs?" the Congress leader asked.

"Has China occupied our territory up to 'Y-Junction' (18 kms inside the LAC) in the Depsang plains, threatening India's strategic DBO airstrip, which is the lifeline for our military supplies to the Siachen glacier and Karakoram pass?" he asked.

On Modi saying this is not the India of 1962 and the era of expansionism is over, the former Union minister said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of the country, had told China then that India will never accept the Chinese claim-line.

According to Sibal, Nehru wrote to China, saying India will never submit to the demand for it to accept the Chinese 1959 line, whatever the consequences and however long and hard the struggle may be.

The Congress leader said paradoxically, the Chinese 1959 line clearly depicted the entire Galwan Valley in India and it was only on June 16, 2020, a day after the fatal clashes, that China formally laid claim, for the first time ever, to the entire Galwan Valley.

Sibal said former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri had visited forward locations to boost the morale of Indian soldiers and Nehru had also visited soldiers in the forward locations in NEFA in 1962 to boost their morale.

"But it appears that our prime minister stayed 230 km away in Nimu, Leh," the he said, taking a swipe at Modi's visit.

"Isn't it correct that the local councillors of Ladakh, including BJP councillors, submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi in February about the capture of our land by China? What action did the prime minister take? Had he acted, wouldn't we have been able to pre-empt the brazen Chinese transgressions?" Sibal asked. -- PTI

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed on Friday that his government would complete the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor at "any cost" as the USD 60 billion project is a manifestation of the all-weather friendship between the two countries.

Addressing a meeting held in Islamabad to review progress on the CPEC projects, Khan said it is an excellent project for Pakistan's socio-economic development and the "gigantic multi-faceted initiative would guarantee a bright future for the nation", the Dawn newspaper reported.

Lauding the performance of the CPEC Authority, he said measures must be taken to improve its working as well as capacity.

"The corridor is a manifestation of Pakistan-China friendship and the government will complete it at any cost and bring its fruit to every Pakistani," Khan said.

Khan's statement came a day after Chinese Foriegn Minister Wang Yi discussed the CPEC projects with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi during a phone conversation.

Wang called for the two countries to speed up the projects under the CPEC to help Pakistan's economic recovery.

He also hoped that the Pakistani government would provide more protection for Chinese companies and citizens working in the country.

The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan's Balochistan with China's Xinjiang province, is the flagship project of China''s ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative.

A Chinese official last month admitted that the majority of the projects under the BRI are either adversely or partially affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

About a fifth of the projects under the BRI, which aims to boost trade and investment across Asia, Africa and Europe to further China''s global influence, had been "seriously affected" by the pandemic, according to Wang Xiaolong, director-general of the foreign ministry''s international economic affairs department.

About 40 per cent of the projects were "adversely affected", and a further 30-40 per cent were "somewhat affected", Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted Wang as saying.

The projects which were disrupted included the CPEC, it said.

The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure and other projects under construction throughout Pakistan since 2013.

Originally valued at USD 46 billion, the projects were worth USD 62 billion as of 2017.

India has protested to China over the CPEC as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

The BRI was launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013.

It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

The BRI is seen as an attempt by China to further its influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world.

The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka gave its Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease. -- PTI

No passenger flights will operate to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Nagpur and Ahmedabad between July 6 and July 19, the Kolkata airport said on Saturday as novel coronavirus cases continue to rise in the country.

India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Scheduled international passenger flights are still suspended in India.

"It is informed that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi,Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai & Ahmedabad from 6th to 19th July 2020 or till further order whichever is earlier. Inconvenience caused is regretted," the Kolkata airport said on Twitter on Saturday. -- PTI

Constable Sultan Singh (34), who attained martyrdom along with seven other policemen in an encounter with criminals in Chaubeypur police station area of Kanpur district, was cremated with full honours at his village Boorha Bhojla in Jhansi.

Late on Friday night, Sultan Singh's body was brought to Jhansi Police Lines, where he was given a guard of honour. Tributes were paid by police officials and district administration officers.

Jhansi Range Inspector General of Police Subhash Baghel, District Magistrate A Vamsi and Senior Superintendent of Police D Pradeep Kumar were among the other officials present at the solemn occasion.

Jhansi DM Vamsi said the financial aid and government job announced by the state government will be given to the family along with every other possible help.

In Kanpur, the last rites of Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra (54), who was posted as Circle Officer of Bilhaur, took place on Saturday at Kanpur's Bhairon Ghat.

Mishra's daughter Vaishnavi lit her father's funeral pyre.

An emotional Vaishnavi could not control her tears at the time of cremation and had to be consoled by family members and police officials.

Kanpur Additional Director General of Police J N Singh, IG Mohit Agarwal and SSP Dinesh Prabhu were present at the occasion along with other officers of police and district administration.

Kanpur SSP Dinesh Prabhu said, "The martyrdom of Mishra will not be allowed to go in vain."

In Pratapgarh, the mortal remains of Sub-Inspector Anoop Kumar Singh (32) were consigned to flames on Saturday at his village of Belkhari village. Singh's body reached the village last night.

The policemen who attained martyrdom are Dy SP Devendra Mishra (54), Bilhaur circle officer, Shivrajpur police station's SHO Mahesh Kumar Yadav (42), SI Anoop Kumar Singh (32), SI Nebu Lal (48) and constables Jitendra Pal (26), Sultan Singh (34), Bablu Kumar (23) and Rahul Kumar (24). -- PTI

Image: Police personnel carry the mortal remains of Constable Jitendra Pal Singh who died in Kanpur encounter yesterday. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Indian Army on Saturday termed as "malicious and unsubstantiated" criticism in some quarters about a medical facility in a military hospital in Leh where Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with the soldiers injured in the Galwan Valley clashes.

In a statement, the army said "it is unfortunate that aspersions are being cast on how our brave Armed Forces are treated. The armed forces give the best possible treatment to their personnel."

Prime Minister Modi made an unannounced visit to Ladakh on Friday, signalling India's firmness in dealing with the border row with China in several areas of the region.

Modi also interacted with the soldiers who are undergoing treatment at the hospital, and told them that their bravery will be a source of inspiration for times to come.

Following release of photographs of Modi's interaction with the injured soldiers, there were comments on Twitter that the facility did not look like a hospital as there were no medicine cabinet, I V (intravenous) stand, and other medical equipment.

"There have been malicious and unsubstantiated accusations in some quarters regarding the status of the facility visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the General Hospital at Leh on July 3," the Army said.

The army further said: "It is clarified that the said facility is part of the Crisis Expansion capacity of 100 beds and is very much part of the General Hospital complex."

It said the COVID-19 protocol had necessitated some wards of the hospital to be converted into isolation facilities.

"Hence, this hall which otherwise was normally used as a Training Audio Video Hall was converted into a ward ever since the hospital was also designated as COVID-19 treatment hospital," it said.

The army said the "injured braves have been kept there since their arrival from Galwan to ensure quarantine from COVID areas. The Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane and the Army Commander have also visited the injured braves in the same location." -- PTI

The Uttar Pradesh Police has suspended from service the station officer of Chaubeypur police station in Kanpur district in view of allegations of his involvement in the killing of eight policemen by criminals during a raid to arrest history-sheeter Vikas Dubey.

"In view of the allegations levelled against SO, he has been suspended and all the allegations are being thoroughly looked into," IG Kanpur Range Mohit Agarwal told reporters in Kanpur.

"If his involvement or that of any other personnel of the police is found in this incident, then they will be sacked from the department and also sent to jail," he said.

The officer, however, did not disclose the nature of allegations against Vinay Tiwari, the SO of Chaubeypur police station.

Eight police personnel, including a deputy superintendent of police, were gunned down in a village near Kanpur city by the henchmen of a criminal who lost two of them in a firefight later, officials said.

The policemen who attained martyrdom are -- deputy SP Devendra Mishra (54) who was posted as Circle Officer of Bilhaur, SHO Shivrajpur police station Mahesh Kumar Yadav (42), Sub-Inspector Anoop Kumar Singh (32), sub-inspector Nebu Lal (48), constables Jitendra Pal (26), Sultan Singh (34), Bablu Kumar (23) and Rahul Kumar (24).

Seven others, including a civilian, were injured in the attack from a rooftop on a police team after it entered Bikru village past Thursday midnight to arrest Dubey, who has faced 60 criminal cases.

The attackers fled, snatching weapons from the dead and the wounded policemen.

Agarwal, when asked to comment on how many persons have been detained and which other states the police was focussing on in the hunt for Dubey, refused to answer, saying "operational and strategic things are not revealed by the police."

When asked about the demolition of Dubey's house, the officer said, "Most of the villagers have said that he (Dubey) had grabbed people's land using muscle power and built his house. He used to extort money from people. It was a hub of crime. There was anger among the local people and there was a feeling of vengeance among them."

The Kanpur Range IG went on to say that family members of the criminal could have been attacked by the local people but the situation did not go out of control due to police presence. -- PTI

14:52 WhatsApp rolls out brand campaign in India

WhatsApp on Saturday said it is launching its 'It's Between You' brand campaign in the country showcasing stories about how Indians are using the Facebook-owned platform to communicate in a secure manner.

WhatsApp collaborated with Bollywood director Gauri Shinde along with BBDO India to create two ads that highlight how its features like texts, video calls or even a voice message (which is end-to-end encrypted) help replicate in-person conversations, it said in a statement.

With over 400 million users, India is among the biggest markets for WhatsApp.

"The campaign narrates real stories about how Indians communicate daily on WhatsApp with their closest relationships ...When privacy is deeply felt, relationships feel more intimate and real...

"WhatsApp continues to serve as a crucial lifeline for people relying on the platform to intimately communicate with their friends and family while separated across long distances," Facebook India's director-marketing Avinash Pant said.

One of the ads features an elderly woman and her caregiver, while the second one is about two sisters. WhatsApp had run a similar campaign in Brazil earlier this year.

Pant said the campaign in India will run for 10 weeks across India on a number of national and regional television channels and digital platforms.

"Throughout this year, the campaign will see multiple creative executions land in high profile cultural moments across the year from festivals to the cricket IPL. Over the course of the campaign, these films will be available in English and seven regional languages that include Hindi, Bengali, Assamese, Oriya, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannada," he added.

Pant said shooting these films remotely was a "new and a challenging experience" for everyone involved.

The campaign was shot in the early days of lockdown, and the production happened remotely following utmost standards of safety and precaution, he added.

"This meant casting had to be done keeping in mind the actors and the cinematographers who lived together, so no one from outside would enter the premises. The rest of the family members became hair, make-up and costume assistants...For the first time we heard, 'Action, Mumma' instead of just 'Action'," Pant said.

He added that the client's agency and the director supervised the shoot through a WhatsApp video call, just as they conducted the pre-production meetings (PPM) and presentations.

In the past, WhatsApp has run radio and print campaigns across various Indian states, asking people to check the veracity of information received as a forward before they share it with others as part of its efforts to curb the spread of fake news on its platform. -- PTI

14:51 Terrorist killed in encounter in J-K's Kulgam

A terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Arrah area of Kulgam in south Kashmir following specific information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said as the forces were conducting the searches in the area, militants fired upon them.

The forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter in which a militant was killed, the official said.

He said the operation is on and further details are awaited. -- PTI

14:35 PM 'hesitant' in taking China's name: Owaisi

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being "hesitant" in taking China's name in the speech during his recent visit to Ladakh.

"Prime Minister, it is good that you met our soldiers and the injured soldiers as well. Their motivation will definitely increase by this gesture," Owaisi wrote in a series of his tweets in Hindi.

He also shared a clip where the PM was seen saying that "no one has entered and no one is in our country", terming it as a "monumental goof-up".

"He's saying "mooh todd jawab", but to whom? Why so hesitant in taking China's name? Today's show in Leh proves dushman ghar mein ghus ke baitha hai (the enemy has entered)," he added.

Addressing the PM as 'chowkidar' in another tweet, the AIMIM chief questioned if the former had any idea that India would sustain for 12 days if a full-scale war was to take place.

"Does chowkidar know that we can at best sustain a full-scale war for only 12 days factoring in current war wastage reserves?" the tweet read.

Owaisi said that the reason behind pushing for the Parliament to be convened soon is so that the Opposition seeks accountability from the centre.

"Whether it is Galwan, Hot Springs, Pangong Tso or Depsang, the situation is serious. This is why I'd demanded that Parliament be convened soon so that opposition seeks accountability from the government and they answer our queries regarding the occupation of Indian territory," he said. -- ANI

13:38 Over 25 police teams formed to nab Vikas Dubey

More than 25 teams have been formed by the Uttar Pradesh Police to nab history-sheeter Vikas Dubey who was yet to be apprehended 36 hours after eight police personnel were gunned down by criminals during an attempt to arrest him.

Inspector General of Police, Kanpur, Mohit Agarwal on Saturday told PTI, "To nab Vikas Dubey and his accomplices, as many as 25 teams have been formed which are conducting raids in different districts of the state and other states as well."

Police officials also said the surveillance team was scanning over 500 mobile phones and efforts were on to retrieve information pertaining to Dubey, who has faced about 60 criminal cases.

The Special Task Force of UP Police has also been roped in.

Agarwal said a cash reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for providing information about Dubey and the identity of the information provider will be kept secret.

He also said seven policemen, who were injured in the encounter, have been admitted to a private hospital where their condition is stable.

Police had late on Friday night raided Dubey's house in Krishnanagar area of Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath rushed to Kanpur on Friday to meet the family members of the slain policemen and announced financial assistance of Rs 1 crore each to the bereaved families.

Eight police personnel, including a DSP, were gunned down in a village near the city by the henchmen of a criminal who lost two of them in a firefight later, officials said.

Seven others, including a civilian, were injured in the attack from a rooftop on a police team after it entered Bikru village past Thursday midnight to arrest Dubey. -- PTI

As many as 11,300 'Made in India' ventilators have been dispatched so far and 6,154 have been delivered to the hospitals, said Unione health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.

"So far, 11,300 'Make In India' ventilators have been dispatched; 6,154 delivered to hospitals. Ministry of Health is also supplying 1.02 lakh oxygen cylinders across India; 72,293 delivered," Dr Harsh Vardhan tweeted on Saturday.

"Over 6.12 crore HCQ (Hydroxychloroquine) tablets distributed," read an infographic shared by Dr. Harsh Vardhan.

India on Friday reported its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases with 22,771 cases reported in the last 24 hours, said the Unione health ministry.

With these new cases, India's coronavirus cases tally has gone up to 6,48,315, out of which there are 2,35,433 active cases in the country and 3,94,227 cases have been cured/discharged or migrated. -- ANI

12:52 Pakistan's COVID-19 tally rises to 2,25,283

Pakistan reported 3,387 new coronavirus cases and 68 deaths during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases in the country to 225,283 and the death toll to 4,619, according to official figures on Saturday.

Most coronavirus cases have been reported from Sindh with 90,721 cases, followed by Punjab with 80,297 cases, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 27,506 cases, Islamabad 13,292 cases, Balochistan 10,717 cases, Gilgit-Baltistan 1,536 cases and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 1,214 cases.

In the last 24 hours, 3,387 new coronavirus cases and 68 deaths were reported in the country, the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) said.

During the same period, 11,469 COVID-19 patients have recovered. So far, 1,25,094 patients have recovered from the virus in Pakistan, it said.

The NCOC said 2,460 patients were in critical condition.

In the last 24 hours, 22,050 tests to detect coronavirus have been conducted, taking the total number of tests to 1,372,825.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government said it would reopen four border checkpoints with Iran from Sunday to facilitate the movement of goods.

The border was sealed earlier in the year after the coronavirus outbreak in Iran. Last month, a phased reopening of the border had begun.

In a notification, the Ministry of Interior said the crossings at Gabd, Mand, Katagar and Chedgi will be opened.

The decision was taken after Minister for Planning and NCOC chief Asad Umar said the infection spread was slowing.

"The border posts will remain open seven days a week from morning to evening only for trade as per mutually agreed understanding between both the countries, it said.

According to the notification, there will be no limit to truck movement if COVID-19 standard operating procedures are followed. -- PTI

Days after China passed the national security law, Tong Ying-kit has become the first person to have been arrested for inciting secession and 'terrorism' under the new law, Al Jazeera reported.

According to reports, he was carrying a "Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times" placard while driving a motorcycle during a protest against the pro-China Hong Kong government.

The city police have reported that the 23-yeard-old protestor had rammed into and caused grievous injuries to some officers during a protest.

With China imposing the national security law in Hong Kong, several pro-democracy activists are fleeing their homeland.

Nathan Law, a former lawmaker, and pro-democracy activist, on Thursday announced on his Facebook that he has left Hong Kong.

Though he did not mention where he had gone or will he return to his homeland, he said that he had left the city to continue his movement at the international level.

Hours after Beijing passed the controversial national security legislation for Hong Kong, activists Joshua Wong, Nathan Law, Jeffrey Ngo and Agnes Chow step-down from the pro-democracy group Demosisto. -- ANI

11:37 UP minister, wife test positive for COVID-19

Uttar Pradesh rural development minister Rajendra Pratap Singh (Moti Singh) and his wife have been admitted to the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences here after they tested positive for COVID-19.

Asked about his health, Singh told PTI on Saturday, "I am fine."

Asked how long is he expected to stay in the hospital, he said, "I came here only on Friday. I will follow the doctors' advice."

Singh is a four-time MLA from Patti in Pratapgarh district.

11:00 WHO to visit China next week to probe COVID-19

Amid global concerns that China delayed giving information regarding the novel coronavirus outbreak, a team of World Health Organisation will visit the country next week to investigate the origins of the virus and its spread to human beings.

The visit will take place more than six months after the WHO's Country Office in China picked up a statement from the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission on cases of 'viral pneumonia'.

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke in January about an agreement with China for sending a team of international experts "as soon as possible" to work on increasing the understanding of the outbreak.

COVID-19 has killed over 500,000 people in the world and cases and deaths are increasing by the day.

Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO said that a "thorough investigation" needs to be done into the origins of the virus.

She said that the WHO has been working with the Chinese government for the visit. "A team is going to China next week to investigate the origins of the virus," Swaminathan said.

"What is needed now is a good investigation going back before December to find out where and how it jumped from animal to human. Was there any intermediate animal or not or it directly jumped from bat to humans which are also possible? Bats have been implicated in other viral diseases -- Nipah for example. It is possible it came directly. It is also possible that there was an intermediate animal-like in the case of SARS. That thorough investigation still needs to be done," she said.

-- ANI

As the world fights extraordinary challenges, their lasting solutions can come from the ideals of Lord Buddha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday.

Addressing the Dhamma Chakra Day event, the prime minister said the eight-fold path of Lord Buddha shows the way towards the well-being of many societies and nations.

It highlights the importance of compassion and kindness, he said adding that the teachings of Lord Buddha celebrate simplicity both in thought and action.

"Today the world fights extraordinary challenges. To these challenges, lasting solutions can come from the ideals of Lord Buddha. They were relevant in the past. They are relevant in the present. And, they will remain relevant in the future," Modi said at the event.

The day is observed on Asadha Poornima.

-- PTI

India on Saturday morning reported 442 deaths and its highest single-day spike of 22,771 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the country's caseload to close to 6.5 lakh.

The positive coronavirus cases in India now stand at 6,48,315 including 2,35,433 active cases.

According to the health ministry, 3,94,227 people have recovered, while 18,655 have died from the infection.

Meanwhile, the ICMR announced on Friday that it is aiming to launch a potential novel coronavirus vaccine called Covaxin by August 15.

The infections continue to climb in India, the world's fourth worst-hit nation from Covid-19.

Globally, the coronavirus cases have climbed to 11,047,217

10:02 'Ignoring Ladakhis' warnings will cost India'

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said patriotic Ladakhis are raising their voice against Chinese intrusion and asked the government to listen to them, asserting that ignoring their warning will cost India dearly.

Gandhi also shared a media report which showed some Ladakhis alleging that the Chinese have been occupying Indian territory in Ladakh.

"Patriotic Ladakhis are raising their voice against Chinese intrusion. They are screaming a warning. Ignoring their warning will cost India dearly," the former Congress president tweeted.

"For India's sake, please listen to them," he said.

Gandhi has been attacking the government over the Sino-India standoff in eastern Ladakh.

-- PTI

09:49 Global coronavirus tally touches 11 million

The total number of coronavirus cases worldwide has touched 11 million, according to the latest data by the Johns Hopkins University on Saturday.

More than 5,23,613 people have died globally due to the infection, according to the data compiled by the university.

Though the virus is believed to have emerged from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the United States is the worst-hit country from COVID-19, which was declared as a pandemic by the WHO on March 11.

At least 1,29,275 people have died in the US from the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University's latest tally.

There are at least 2,786,178 cases of the disease in the country. The US has the highest number of cases in the world.

The second worst-hit country is Brazil, which has reported 1,496,858 lakh cases. The country's death toll stands at 61,884.

The countries around the world including the US, India, Denmark, and Italy have started the process of lifting the lockdown by easing restrictions despite the number of cases continues to rise.

-- ANI

The girlfriend of Donald Trump Jnr, the US presidents eldest son, has tested positive for the coronavirus, US media have reported.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is a former Fox News television personality and a senior fundraiser for Donald Trumps re-election campaign, is just the latest person in Trumps inner circle to contract the potentially deadly virus.

Guilfoyle had travelled to be with Trump as he gave a high-profile speech in South Dakota but did not attend the event after getting the positive test result, the New York Times reported. She had not been in recent proximity to the US president and Donald Trump Jnr tested negative, the paper said.

Trump has been widely condemned for downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus crisis wracking the US which has now killed more than 120,000 Americans. Trump has refused to wear face masks, promoted unfounded conspiracy theories on the virus origins and potential cures and for pushed for the rapid reopening of the American economy.

09:11 Mumbaikars, expect heavy rain today

The IMD has issued a red alert for Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri over the next 24 hours, stating that heavy to very heavy rainfall was likely on

Saturday in many places in Palghar, Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts.

"For the next 24 hours, that is between July 3 and 4, red alert has been issued for Mumbai, Raigad and Ratnagiri. At some places, there is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall," an IMD official said late Friday night.

On Friday too, Mumbai received heavy rain with the Colaba weather bureau reporting 161.4 mm rainfall between 8:30 am and 8:30 pm on Friday. During this period, the Santacruz weather station in the city recorded 102.7 mm rainfall.

08:53 US Navy carries out exercise in South China

In a strong message to the Dragon, the United States Navy carried out a dual aircraft carrier exercise in the South China sea.

USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) are conducting dual carrier ops exercises in South China Sea to support free and open Indo-Pacific, said Lt Commander Sean Brophy, Accreditation in Public Relations+Military Public Affairs Officer for Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

US-China relations have been suffering in recent times as US President Donald Trump has decided to play hardball with China on trade and the Dragon refusing to bulge. Both countries have been going at each other by taking steps to hamper each others interest.

AICC General Secretary in-charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has called for a virtual meeting of Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders on Saturday to discuss the issue of Law and Order in Uttar Pradesh.

On late Thursday, as many as eight police personnel including Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra lost their lives during an encounter with criminals. The incident took place when a police team had gone to raid history-sheeter Vikas Dubey's house.

Following the incident, leaders including the Advisory Group, CLP leader, PCC President and other prominent leaders will discuss the issue of Law and Order in Uttar Pradesh.

The state unit had asked party workers to light candles outside their houses to pay tribute to the policemen who sacrificed their lives and show solidarity towards their families. Kanpur incident has raised serious questions on the law and order situation of the state and Opposition parties are taking on the Yogi-led government over the issue.

Priyanka in her roughly translated tweet has said, "After the dreadful incident in Kanpur, another incident had come to the notice where four people of a family were killed in Prayagraj. While Father and daughter were murdered in Ghaziabad."

"In UP, it is unusual for criminals to dominate like this. Looking at this #JungleRaj we will have to fix accountability," she added.

-- ANI

07:54 WHO urges focus on first wave of coronavirus

The World Health Organization's emergencies chief says "we need to put up a fight now" during a peak in the current wave of the coronavirus pandemic, rather than focusing on when a second wave might come.

Dr Michael Ryan said the world will be much better at fighting a second wave, if people can learn the lessons of fighting the first wave.

WHO officials emphasised mask-wearing, social distancing, and hygiene by individuals, along with contact-tracing and tracking of cases by health authorities as key strategies to fight the virus.

They say governments and individuals should contour their policies and behaviour based on the outbreak's status in their countries.

Ryan said the world was experiencing a "second peak in the first wave" a situation in which the virus hasn't been suppressed enough to quell transmission to end the first one.

The fourth of July - or Independence Day - is one of the biggest holidays in the US, but this year it coincides with an increase in coronavirus infections across the country.

The US surgeon general has therefore called on Americans to wear masks during their celebrations.

"An important reminder this #July4th holiday weekend: I wear my mask to protect you. Your wear your mask to protect me," he said on Twitter.

But not everyone will be following the advice.

US President Donald Trump is due to head to Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Friday for a fireworks display, with about 7,500 reportedly expected to attend. The governor of South Dakota has said social distancing won't be enforced at the event, and masks will be optional.

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