LIVE! Progress being made on COVID-19 vaccines: Trump

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Fri, 05 June 2020

Progress being made on COVID-19 vaccines: Trump

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23:48 Progress being made on COVID-19 vaccines: Trump

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that tremendous progress is being made on vaccines (for coronavirus) and the country has over "two million ready-to-go if it checks out for safety."

"We had a meeting on vaccines yesterday. We are doing incredibly well. We can have some very positive surprises. Tremendous progress is being made on vaccines," said Trump during a press briefing. He said: "In fact, we are ready to go in terms of transportation and logistics. We have over 2 million ready to go if it checks out for safety."

"As we had the greatest economy in the history of the world, it helped us get through this horrible pandemic largely through," he added.

Speaking about the opening of the US economy, Trump said that the cities like Georgia, Florida, South Carolina have opened up and are now having good business in comparison to others, which are still under lockdown.

He also urged the Governors to take the help of the National Guard in tackling the protesters, who are ripping apart their cities post the death of African-American George Floyd.

-- ANI

The Pune Municipal Corporation has issued a show-cause notice to a private hospital in Pune for allegedly denying treatment to two patients.

Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad issued a notice to Poona Hospital on Friday.

According to the notice, a medical officer at the hospital allegedly asked two patients -- a 60-year-old man and a 75-year-old woman -- to go to another hospital when they sought to be admitted.

"Looking at the health condition of both the patients, the hospital was expected to conduct complete health check-up of the patients and provide the proper medication and also admit them into oxygen step-down ward. But the hospital did not do so.

"Instead of arranging an ambulance, the patients were sent in the auto rickshaw (to another hospital) which is a shameful act," said Gaikwad.

The hospital has been issued a show-cause notice and asked to submit a written clarification, he added.

-- PTI

22:48 This is what failed lockdown looks like: Rahul

Questioning the government's lockdown strategy to counter COVID-19, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi compared India's disease graph to other countries to say this is "what a failed lockdown looks like".

Gandhi, who had earlier said that India is the only country to have relaxed the lockdown when COVID-19 cases are rising, also shared graphs of Spain, Germany, Italy and the UK, which had shown a decline in cases after the lockdowns.

"This is what a failed lockdown looks like," he said on Twitter, while taking a swipe at the government.

The former Congress president had earlier too termed the lockdown in India as "failed" which has not helped see a decline in cases.

India has seen a steady rise in the number of cases ever since the lockdown has been relaxed since June 1.

India saw a record single-day jump of 9,851 coronavirus cases and 273 deaths on Friday, pushing the nationwide infection tally to 2,26,770 and the death toll to 6,348, according to the Union health ministry.

India stood seventh among the nations worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic after the US, Brazil, Russia, the UK, Spain and Italy.

Gandhi had earlier said that if the government functions haphazardly and takes ad-hoc measures during the non-lockdown period, the country will face a second wave of coronavirus which will be "extremely devastating".

"We want to ask the government, what is their strategy as far as India's opening up is concerned and what precautions they are going to take, how are they thinking and how they are going to support the migrants and our states?" he had asked earlier.

-- PTI

The World Health Organisation is changing its recommendations for the use of masks during the coronavirus pandemic and is now recommending that in areas where there is widespread transmission, people should wear masks when social distancing is not possible, such as on public transport and in shops.

In a press briefing on Friday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also said people over age 60 or those with underlying medical conditions should wear a medical mask in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained.

WHO has previously only recommended that health care workers, those sickened by COVID-19 and their care givers wear masks.

Tedros emphasised that masks on their own will not protect you from COVID-19 and emphasised the importance of hand-washing, social distancing and other measures.

He added that health workers in areas with widespread transmission should now wear medical masks in all areas of health facilities and not just those with confirmed COVID-19 patients, saying that doctors working in cardiology or other wards, for example, should continue to wear a medical mask even if there are no known coronavirus patients.

22:05 COVID-19 a very bad gift from China: Trump

Coronavirus is 'a very bad gift' from China, said US President Donald Trump on Friday while questioning the reason for the spread of the virus in the rest of the world but not in other areas of China, besides Wuhan.

"COVID-19 is a gift from China. Not good, they should have stopped it at the source. A very bad gift. How come Wuhan, where it started, was in very bad trouble, but it did not go to any other parts of China," said Trump during a press conference.

He said: "China has taken tremendous advantage of the United States; we helped rebuild China; we gave them 500 billion dollars a year. How stupid are the people who represented our country with China and many other countries? But that's all changing."

On May 30, the Trump administration banned some Chinese students and researchers from entering the United States after accusing them of stealing intellectual property, the White House had said in a statement cited by the Chinese state media.

-- ANI

Easing the lockdown curbs in accordance with the Centre's guidelines, the Kerala government on Friday decided to allow functioning of malls, restaurants and places of worship, including the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple, from June 9, but made it clear that the elderly and children will have to stay away from any such places and remain home.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that shrines, malls, restaurants and other institutions can open on June 8 for disinfecting the place and it can start functioning from June 9, over two and half months after it was shut due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

The maximum number of people inside a place of worship will be decided as per its size.

"Only 15 people per 100 square metre, maintaining a six feet distance between each other, can be allowed but

must restrict to a maximum of 100 people at a time in the premises," Vijayan said.

The devotees would be allowed to offer prayers at the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa through virtual queue and a

maximum of 50 people would be allowed.

Vijayan said restaurants and food courts can function, but only with 50 per cent seating capacity and under strict health protocols, but urged that takeaways and home-delivery should be encouraged.

Disposable menu cards and paper napkins should be used, tables and seats should be disinfected after each customer leaves and waiters and other employees should be wearing masks.

-- PTI

Cash-strapped Pakistan is expected to record around 3 million jobs loses due to the coronavirus outbreak, the finance ministry told the country's Senate on Friday.

In response to Senator Mushtaq Ahmed's question on estimated damage to the economy due to the pandemic, the finance ministry said the industrial sector is likely to lose 1 million jobs and the remaining 2 million will be lost in the service sector.

The ministry cited the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics study and said the job loss could be greater at an estimated 18 million jobs, including agricultural, services and industrial sectors.

The novel coronavirus has spread at a rapid rate in Pakistan, since its first case diagnosed on February 26. So far, 89,249 cases have been reported in the country with 1,838 deaths.

However, economic constrains have led to the coronavirus lockdown being lifted. Prime Minister Imran Khan had called the enforcing of a strict lockdown a "mistake" as it aggravated the economic situation. "Lockdown is not a solution as it can only slow down. So it was a mistake to shut down business in the country," Khan had said on Monday, after reviewing the coronavirus situation.

-- PTI

India and China on Friday held diplomatic talks over their military standoff in eastern Ladakh and agreed to handle their "differences" through peaceful discussions while respecting each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations, and not allow them to become disputes.

The talks through video conference were held between Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the External Affairs Ministry Naveen Srivastava and Director General in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao.

Without directly referring to the military standoff, the external affairs ministry said the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations including the current developments.

"In this context they recalled the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, that peaceful, stable and balanced relations between India and China will be a positive factor for stability in the current global situation," the MEA said in a statement.

It said both sides agreed to resolve differences in accordance with guidance provided by leadership of two countries, in a reference to decisions taken at the two informal summits between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Both sides agreed that in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership, the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion bearing in mind the importance of respecting each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations and not allow them to become disputes," the MEA said.

Troops of India and China are locked in a bitter military standoff in at least four areas in eastern Ladakh for a month.

-- PTI

A 44-year-old telephone operator posted at the Delhi Fire Services' control room tested positive on Friday after which the office was sanitised, officials said.

The employee is a resident of Shahdara and lives with his wife and two children. He used to attend to fire-related calls, they said.

He came on duty last on June 1 and has been on medical leave since then.

He was unwell and got himself tested for coronavirus. The results came on Friday and he has tested positive for the virus. He is currently in home isolation as advised by the doctors, a senior fire official said.

As a precautionary measure, the control room of the fire department has been sanitised and disinfected and the operations have resumed, he said.

According to fire officials, during the last few months, a few employees of the fire department have been infected with coronavirus and as per protocal, they were advised medical rest.

However, this is the first positive case of COVID-19 reported from the Delhi Fire Service control room, they said.

-- PTI

The country's foreign exchange reserves surged by $3.43 billion to a new all-time high of $493.48 billion for the week ended May 29 on a handsome accretion of the core currency assets, the Reserve Bank of India said on Friday. The reserves - which are counted as a key strength as the country faces the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic - had risen by $3 billion to an all-time high of $490.044 billion in the previous week.

During the week ended May 29, foreign currency assets - a major component of the overall reserves - increased by $3.50 billion to $455.21 billion, data from the Reserve Bank of India showed.

Expressed in dollar terms, foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves.

Total value of the gold reserves continued to decline and were at 32.68 billion, lower by $97 million compared to the previous week, according to central bank data.

19:45 Brazil has third highest COVID-19 death toll

Brazil's death toll has now surpassed Italy's to be the third highest in the world at 34,021 -- behind the US and the UK.

It is one of the countries where deaths are rising fastest.

In Europe, most countries have passed through the peak although the UK's daily death toll remains higher than other European countries.

Maharashtra records 139 deaths today, the highest number of deaths due to Covid-19 in a single day. 2,436 persons tested positive for Covid-19 in the state today. Total cases in the state are now at 80,229, including 2,849 deaths. 35,156 patients recovered, says State Health Department.

18:50 BJP leader caught on cam hitting official

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sonali Phogat has landed in a controversy as a video fo her beating an official in Haryana's Hisar district has gone viral. The video shows her beating Balsamand Market Committee Secretary Sultan Singh.

Sonali Phogat is a TikTok star-turned-BJP leader and had contested the 2019 Haryana assembly elections from Adampur and lost to Congresss Kuldeep Bishnoi.

In the video, Sonali Phogat can be heard accusing Sultan Singh of abusing her. "Am I working to hear abuses from people like you? Do I not have the right to a dignified life. You ...you have no right to live," she says in an undated video.

Phogat then goes on to tell the police that Singh used "indecent, derogatory language" while talking to her earlier.

Police officials were present at the time of the incident but they did not try to stop Phogat from beating the market official.

According to reports, Sonali Phogat and Sultan Singh earlier had a heated discussion as farmers alleged that Sultan Singh was creating hurdles in the procurement process.

In the video, Sultan Singh can be seen telling the cops that he has noted down everything Phogat asked her to do, including building a shed.

18:37 Big gainers at the Sensex

Here's how the market performed today

A case has been registered against former Executive Director of human rights advocacy group Amnesty International Aakar Patel for posting an "offensive" content on social media, which allegedly sought to instigate a section of people against the government.

The case was registered on Tuesday following a complaint by the police inspector of JC Nagar police station alleging that the twitter post by Patel was "offensive."

Referring to the protests in cities across the US following the death of an African-American man in police

custody, Patel in a tweet on May 31 said, "We need protests like these from Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis, poor and women. World will notice. Protest is a craft."

The case has been registered for making comments conducing to public mischief and giving provocation with intent to cause riot.

Reacting to the police action against Patel, Director of Amnesty International India, Avinash Kumar said, "The FIR filed by the Bengaluru police against Aakar Patel is just another example of how the right to dissent is being increasingly criminalised in the country."

"The Bengaluru police must stop abusing its authority and put an end to the intimidation and harassment of Aakar Patel for exercising his constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression.

People of this country have the right to agree or disagree with those in power and to express these opinions in peaceful protests without fear or unlawful interference. Peacefully protesting against the government is not a crime. Not agreeing with the policies of those in power does not make you a traitor either," he said in a statement.

-- PTI

With an inmate of the Guwahati Central Jail testing positive for COVID-19, the district authorities on Friday have sealed the complex with immediate effect to contain spread of the virus.

Issuing the order, Kamrup Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner Biswajit Pegu declared the entire jail premises as "containment zone" after detecting the first jail inmate to have tested coronavirus positive in Assam.

"In view of the detection of a COVID-19 positive patient at Central Jail in Guwahati city, in the interest of maintenance of public hygiene and to prevent further spread of COVID-19 virus in the said area, the Central Jail area is declared as a Containment Zone," the order said.

Pegu directed the circle officer of Dispur revenue circle to seal the entire area immediately.

The order mentioned that any unauthorised entry or exit and movement of any vehicle have been barred till the area is declared safe as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

An official, who did not wish to be named, said that the person who had tested COVID-19 in the jail had been arrested on charges of theft. He was brought in with six other persons on June 1 after a local court sent them to judicial custody.

-- PTI

Five employees of the Union health ministry, including a director, an under-secretary have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last seven days, prompting the authorities to carry out a "major and comprehensive disinfection and sanitisation" of office premises from June 6-7.

Besides two officers and a doctor, two employees who have contracted the disease are from the Centre for Health Informatics under the Health Ministry. They frequented the Nirman Bhawan building, sources said.

"Those who had come in contact with these COVID-19 infected officials have been advised to quarantine themselves. Further contract tracing is on," a source said, adding a few more staff had tested positive earlier.

In view of these developments, the Union Health Ministry on June 4 issued a fresh office memorandum stating, "It has been decided to initiate major and comprehensive disinfection and sanitization of office premises (Nirman Bhawan) on June 6-7."

"Accordingly, the entire premises of the Ministry of Health and DGHS, Nirman Bhawan will remain closed from June 6 to 7 except for emergency COVID-19 team," the memorandum read.

As part of the "deep sanitisation" exercise, rooms, washrooms, door knobs, switches, handles, tables, workstations, chairs, armrest of chairs, sofas, almirahs, and office equipment such as computers and printers, will be sanitised.

The ministry has issued another office memorandum on June 3 advising all staff to follow precautionary measures strictly in order to contain the spread of the disease.

-- PTI

Image used for representational purpose. Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

17:11 Pets can be taken out for walks, govt tells Bombay HC

Pet owners in Maharashtra have been allowed to take their animals outside for walks during lockdown, the state government told the Bombay high court on Friday.

A circular to this effect was issued on June 1 and the police and civic officials were asked not to prohibit owners from walking their pets, said advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhkoni.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Dipankar Datta was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Pune resident seeking permission to take her dogs outside.

The state government's directive followed a circular issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) stating that pet owners should be allowed to take animals for walks and prohibiting it would amount to animal cruelty.

The AWBI circular, also issued on June 1, was placed before the HC by the Union government on Friday.

As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India registered 2,26,770 cases and 6,348 deaths due to Covid-19. In the New Delhi the number of cases crossed the 25,000 mark. The death toll in the capital city now stands at 650.

Amid surge in coronavirus cases, recovery rate of Covid-19 patients in the national capital has gradually fallen in the last 10 days, dipping to 39.58 per cent as reported on June 4, according to official figures.

This is the first time in the past two weeks that the recovery rate has fallen below 40 per cent.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday announced an emergency relief of Rs 100 crore for Raigad due to the damage caused by cyclone Nisarga.

"In Raigad district, an immediate inquiry has been ordered into the damage caused by Cyclone Nisarga and Rs 100 crore will be provided as emergency relief," said Uddhav Thackeray. Maharashtra CM visited Raigad's Alibaug to take stock of the situation in the wake of cyclone Nisarga.

Ministers Aaditya Thackeray, Aslam Shaikh and others accompanied the chief minister.

Earlier, the chief minister directed officials to file a report on the damage caused by the cyclone within two days, in order to assure that speedy help is provided to the farmers and villagers.

Noting that six persons had lost their lives due to the natural disaster, the chief minister directed officials to provide aid of Rs 4 lakh to the families of the deceased.

The CM also ordered officials to ensure early restoration of electricity in Raigad district, where uprooting of poles has led to a disruption in the power supply.

-- ANI

16:09 International Yoga Day to go digital this year

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's International Yoga Day would be celebrated on digital media platforms and there would be no mass gatherings, the government said on Friday.

This year's theme will be 'Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family'. People will be able to join Yoga Day celebrations virtually at 7 am on June 21.

Indian missions abroad are trying to reach out to the people through digital media as well through the network of institutions which support yoga, officials said.

The AYUSH ministry had earlier planned to hold a grand event at Leh which, however, had to be cancelled because of the pandemic.

Besides, through the 'My Life, My Yoga' video blogging competition which was launched by the prime minister on May 31, the ministry of AYUSH and ICCR seeks to raise awareness about yoga and to inspire people to prepare for and become active participants in the observation of IDY 2020.

The contest will run in two legs--- the first one consisting of an international video blogging contest, wherein the winners will be picked within a country.

This will be followed by global prize winners who will be selected from different countries.

To enter into the contest participants are required to upload a three-minute video of 3 yogic practices (kriya, asana, pranayama, bandha or mudra), including a short video message/description on how the said yogic practices influenced their life.

They can do it in any language, Ayush Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, said.

Entries can be submitted by participants under three categories-- youth (male and female aged under 18), adults (male and female above 18 years) and yoga professionals, Kotecha said.

This makes it a total of six categories in all. For India contestants, prizes worth Rs 1 lakh, 50K and 25K will be given for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions within each of the categories.

Abroad Indian missions will give away prizes in each country. At the global level, cash prizes worth USD 2,500, USD 1,500 and USD 1,000 along with trophy and certificate will be given to those ranking first, second and third .

The video blogging competition will provide us a huge amount of testimonial which will help us in spreading the word about yoga and its overall benefits not just health-wise but also towards the approach to human life as well, Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddh, President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, said.

"It will also bring to the fore the multiple facets of yoga. Yoga is not just a physical activity, it also has to do with physical and emotional health and people will share the benefits they have experienced," he said.

The videos may be uploaded on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the contest hashtag #MyLifeMyYogaINDIA and appropriate category hashtag.

Kotecha further informed that over 2 Lakh people so far have downloaded the 'Sanjivani' mobile application which was launched on May 7 to generate data on acceptance and usage of AYUSH advocacies and measures among the population and its impact in prevention of COVID-19. -- PTI

16:05 Good rainfall activity expected next week: IMD

Rainfall activity in central and south India is likely to pick up pace from next week due to a cyclonic circulation which is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal and aid in the progress of the monsoon, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.

IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said a low pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal and move towards Odisha next week.

A low pressure is a cyclonic circulation and the first stage of any cyclone. However, it is not necessary that every low pressure intensifies into a cyclone.

"This will help advance monsoon and bring good rainfall during the next week," Mohapatra said.

Monsoon had hit Kerala on June 1 on its normal onset date. The IMD had earlier predicted that the monsoon would be delayed by four days, but Cyclone Nisarga helped push the monsoon to reach Kerala on its normal onset date.

"Conditions are becoming favourable for further advancement of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, southwest and east central Bay of Bengal, entire southeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of west central Bay of Bengal during next 2 days," the IMD said.

According to the IMD, the country as a whole has received 9 per cent more rainfall than the normal since June 1.

The north Indian plains will also witness rainfall due to a western disturbance, the IMD said.

A western disturbance is a cyclonic circulation that originates in the Mediterranean Sea. It crosses central Asia and brings in rains to hills and north Indian plains after it comes in contact with the Himalayas.

East Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan are also likely to witness rainfall, the IMD added. -- PTI

Road connectivity to the remote Shi-Yomi district in Arunachal Pradesh snapped after a bridge was washed away in the floods triggered by incessant rains over the last couple of days, officials said on Friday.

Shi-Yomi district, bordering China, was cut-off from the rest of the country after the RCC bridge (reinforced cement concrete) near Yapik village on the Aalo-Mechuka Road was washed away on Wednesday night, they said.

Transportation of people and essential commodities to the remote district would be badly affected as it is likely to take days to restore the bridge, the officials said, adding that people travelling between Mechuka and Aalo were also left stranded.

Expressing serious concern over the incident, state Assembly Speaker Pasang D Sona, who represents the district, has urged the Border Roads Organization (BRO) to restore the bridge on war footing.

In a letter to the chief engineer of Project Brahmank of the BRO based at Pasighat in East Siang district, the speaker said the Aalo-Mechuka Road "is the key and strategic

road for movement of people, transportation of essential commodities, life-saving drugs, construction material, and movement of defence personnel in the entire Shi-Yomi district".

He said that owing to the inclement weather, supply of essential items and evacuation of emergency patients through sorties would also not be possible.

The bridge is required to be constructed on war footing to restore the connectivity and to mitigate the problems, Sona said, urging the BRO chief engineer to take immediate action. -- PTI

With a trend of steady decline in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai, the average daily growth rate of infections has gone down, claimed officials of the city civic body, spearheading the metropolis's response to the pandemic.

According to a top Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation official, as per the data till June 2, the average daily growth of COVID-19 cases went down from more than 8 per cent a a few days ago to 3.64 per cent.

Till June 2, a total of 41,986 COVID-19 cases and 1,368 deaths were recorded in the city, the worst-hit by the disease in Maharashtra.

According to the BMC, it has conducted over 2.08 lakh tests till June 2, of those only 20.18 per cent people tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"Even the COVID-19 case doubling rate has gone up to 19 days," said the official.

According to BMC's health department data, in the past one month, the maximum number of cases, 1,739, on a single-day were detected on May 22, while the minimum, 404, was recorded on May 13.

Another senior BMC official said, the daily number of cases are seeing a declining trend with the count remaining below 1,500 on most of the days since May 22.

According to the officials, due to aggressive screening, testing and contact tracing of suspected COVID-19 patients, the civic body has been successful in keeping the spread of the pandemic under control. -- PTI

15:40 On World bicycle day, Atlas Cycles shuts shop

Atlas Cycles -- a name that became a synonym for bicycles in India -- has shut its last manufacturing unit in Sahibabad, just outside the national capital, citing lack of funds to run the factory.

Its CEO N P Singh Rana, however, insists the shutdown is only temporary, and the company will resume operations once it is able to raise around Rs 50 crore by selling surplus land.

The company shut the factory on June 3, which ironically was also happened to be the World Bicycle Day.

It laid off 431 remaining employees, though Rana insists they continue to be on the roll of the company and will be paid "lay-off wages" upon marking attendance daily.

While he did not elaborate on the payment to employees, "lay-off wages" typically equal to 50 per cent of basic salary and dearness allowance.

The plant, the biggest in the country, started in 1989.

It was the last operational plant of the Atlas cycle with a monthly production of over two lakh bicycles.

Employees claimed the unit was shut without notice.

On Wednesday, a notice was pasted on the factory gates that read: "... the company had been passing through a financial crisis for several years and had exhausted all its funds to keep the factory afloat. But now, there are no funds left. We are facing difficulty in arranging funds for our day-to-day operations. We are also unable to buy raw materials. In these conditions, the management is not in a position to operate the factory."

However, the laid off employees have been asked to mark attendance except on holidays, failing which they would not be entitled to any lay-off entitlements.

The company started making losses in 2014 and its first plant in Malanpur was shut down in December 2014. The losses continued to mar the growth and its second plant in Sonepat, Haryana was also closed in February 2018.

The Sonepat plant was the first unit established in 1951 by Jankidas Kapoor. Starting from a modest tin shed at Sonepat, Atlas Cycle Industries Ltd catapulted into a 25-acre factory complex in just 12 months.

It soon became India's largest bicycle manufacturer and was the official supplier of bicycles to the 1982 Asian Games held in the national capital.

The financial crunch it faced since 2014 turned from bad to worse in the last one-and-a-half years and the coronavirus lockdown only compounded it.

"We have not closed down the plant. In fact, there has been a lot of misinformation...The plant is very well open, we have not terminated any employee. We have only temporarily suspended the operations," Rana told PTI.

The company had on June 2 informed bourses the Sahibabad unit of the company is not in a position to resume manufacturing operations due to financial constraints.

Hence, the workforce of the Sahibabad unit of the company will be laid off with effect from June 3, 2020, till adequate arrangement of funds is made," Atlas Cycles had said in a regulatory filing.

Explaining the situation, Rana said, "All the employees are on the rolls of the company...Laying off does not mean that people have been terminated or their employment is discontinued. Laying off is a provision in the law where people are required to come once in a day to sign their attendance...So currently they are on the rolls of the company and they will continue to get their employment. They will get the lay-off wages for their period."

He said the worker's strength at the plant was 800 in 2017 but the "finance situation was getting from bad to worse in the last one-and-a-half years, presently we have laid off only 431 employees".

Commenting on the road ahead for Atlas Cycles, he said, "We have already put up an application to the NCLT seeking permission to sell our surplus land. Once we get the permission, we will sell off our surplus land and the surplus land money will be much higher to pay back all the dues of suppliers and our people and we will resume production."

When asked how much fund the company was looking to raise by selling surplus land, Rana said, "We have a lot of land bank. We are only looking for a small fund to run the day-to-day operations. We are just looking for Rs 50 crore at the moment."

On the expected timeline for resumption, Rana said it is difficult to say as "NCLT has given us a date for June 18. As soon as we get permission we will advertise to sell the land and as soon as we get the funds from the prospective buyers we will resume production."

The Sahibabad unit has an installed capacity of 40 lakh units per annum.

However, the company was producing about 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh bicycles per month, he said.

Started in 1950 from Sonepat, Atlas Cycle grew to emerge as India's largest cycle manufacturer in 1965.

It even ventured overseas and became one of the top bicycle producing companies in the world with a capacity to produce 40 lakh bicycles per year.

The manuscript of a research paper on the website of the Cambridge University Press, which says it is 'subject to change during the editing and production process', has triggered a controversy of sorts over a claim that elements were inserted into the Covid-19's genetic sequence to make it better bind itself to cells.

For the record, this is what the research paper says:

'It is well documented that the receptor binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein uses the ACE2 receptor. But clinical findings discussed below observed in Covid-19 patients suggest that other receptors for attachment such as CLEC4M/DC-SIGNR may be involved as well. We have investigated and sustained this supposition from amino-acid scale bio-chemical analysis.

'Cumulative data suggests that the general method of action of this chimeric virus includes membrane components other than the ACE2 receptor, which may explain clinical evidence of its infectivity and pathogenicity. Data shows the non-spike receptor binding domain dependent phagocytic general method of action to be specifically related to cumulative charge from inserted sections on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike poised to form salt bridges with attachment receptors.

'This suggests that attachment to such previously reported membrane proteins has been enhanced directly due to the basic and positive charged inserts in the Spike protein together with other basic and positive charged amino acid substitutions enabling formation of salt bridges with the receptor CLEC4M/DC-SIGNR or, indirectly, by the additional salt bridges formed between the positive charged amino acids and negative charged phospholipids on the cell membrane.

'Positive charged amino acids are inserted into peptides and proteins to enhance cell affinity and can also be used for transport of peptides and proteins through the cell wall (Richard et al., 2003; Thorn et al., 2000; mand et al., 2011). In addition, these positive charges may be used for co-receptor binding where the opposite negative charge is available.

'It is a matter of fact that there are unique inserts in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein when they are aligned with other SARS-CoV sequences as shown in (Zhou et al., 2020).'

You can read the complete paper, here.

Image: The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 novel coronavirus is seen in an illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, US, on January 29, 2020. Photograph: Reuters

The country's largest lender State Bank of India on Friday reported over four-fold jump in standalone net profit at Rs 3,580.81 crore for March quarter 2019-20.

State Bank of India had registered a profit of Rs 838.4 crore during January-March period of 2018-19, the lender said in a regulatory filing.

Income of the bank during March quarter of the last financial year rose to Rs 76,027.51 crore from Rs 75,670.5 crore in the same period of 2018-19, SBI said.

On the asset front, gross non performing assets (NPAs) of the bank improved at 6.15 per cent of gross advances as on March 31, 2020 as against 7.53 per cent by the same period of 2019.

Net NPA or bad loans stood at 2.23 per cent as on March 31, 2020 as compared to 3.01 per cent by the year-ago same period.

SBI stock was trading at Rs 178.70 on the BSE, up 2.67 per cent from the previous close. -- PTI

15:21 No new schemes for a year, announces Fin Min

The finance ministry has asked all ministries and departments not to initiate any new scheme in the current financial year and said that there is a need to use resources prudently in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

However, funds for schemes under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package and any other special package or announcement would be allocated, according to an office memorandum by the department of expenditure, which comes under the finance ministry.

Also, schemes that are already approved for the currrent financial year will remain suspended till March 31 next year or further orders.

This would also include those schemes for which in-principle approval has been given by the department.

"It may be appreciated that in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an unprecedented demand on public financial resources and a need to use resources prudently in accordance with emerging and changing priorities," the expenditure department said adding that it has been receiving many new proposals for in-principle approval from various ministries or departments.

"No new proposals for a scheme/sub-scheme should be initiated this year (2020-21) except the proposals announced under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package, the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan package and any other special package/announcement," it said.

With regard to the existing ongoing schemes, the department said it has already given an interim extension till March 31, 2021, or till the date the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission come into effect, whichever is earlier.

"No funds may be released for schemes that are not in strict conformity to the instructions...nor should budgetary provisions be made available by re-appropriation to such schemes," it said adding any exceptions to these guidelines would require approval of the expenditure department. -- PTI

M P Veerendra Kumar

14:48 The chief editor 'Mathrubhumi' didnt have

'While the hard numbers for the 84-year-old media baron lay themselves out neatly -- 24 books, 27 positions held, 106 awards and honours -- a vital blank is helmsmanship of the paper he was director for 43 years, and its chairman and managing director for 41.

'But even without his name in the imprint line, it was Veerendra Kumar who guided Mathrubhumi's stellar role in puncturing Coca-Cola's plans in Plachimada in the early 2000s, by channelling the resistance of adivasis and dalits into the national consciousness.'

The blog Indian Journalism Review pays tribute to M P Veerendra Kumar, 'the socialist media baron who brought two globalising forces to their knees in Kerala: Coca-Cola and The Times of India, here.

The Supreme Court on Friday said it intends to give 15 days to the Centre and states for transporting all stranded migrant workers to their native places, commencing hearing on their plight during the Covid-19 lockdown period.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, SK Kaul and MR Shah was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that till June 3, over 4,200 'Shramik Special' trains have been deployed to transport migrant workers to their native places.

Mehta said that till now over one crore migrant workers have been transported to their destinations and most of the trains ended up in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

He said state governments can tell as to how many more migrant workers need to be shifted and how many trains are required for that purpose.

The hearing in the case, which has been taken cognizance on its own by the top court, is underway.

On May 28, the top court had directed that the migrant workers wanting to return to their home states will not be charged train or bus fares and those stranded across the country will be provided food free of cost by the authorities concerned. -- PTI

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has approved the nomination of senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge as party candidate for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka.

Kharge, who had lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is certain to win as the Congress has the required number of state legislators to elect one member.

As per the existing strength of the parties in the state assembly, each candidate needs at least 45 votes to get elected. The Congress has 68 MLAs.

The BJP, which has 116 legislators, can get two members elected to the Rajya Sabha.

The elections will be held on June 19.

China on Friday said that it is committed to properly resolve the "relevant issue" with India ahead of the key talks between senior Indian and Chinese military officials on Saturday to end the border standoff.

Both the sides are expected to deliberate on specific proposals to end the month-long bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh during the first extensive talks between the Indian and Chinese military on Saturday, led by lieutenant generals from both the armies.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing in Beijing that "at the moment the situation in the boundary region between China and India is overall stable and controllable".

"We have full-fledged border-related mechanisms and we maintain close communications though military and diplomatic channels," he said when asked about reports that Indian and Chinese military officials are due to hold talks on Saturday.

"We are committed to properly resolve the relevant issue," Geng said.

The general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, Lt Gen Harinder Singh, is expected to represent India at the talks which is scheduled to be held at one of the border meeting points, the official sources in New Delhi said.

The Indian side is expected to present specific proposals at the talks to de-escalate tension in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and Demchok -- the three areas in eastern Ladakh where the two sides have been on a bitter standoff for the last one month, the sources said.

It is not immediately known what will be the proposals that the Indian military will take to the negotiating table but it is understood that it will insist on return to status quo in all the areas.

The two sides have already held at least 10 rounds of negotiations between local commanders as well as major general-rank officials of the two armies but the talks did not yield any positive result, they said. -- PTI

13:46 India kicks off campaign for elected UNSC seat

India on Friday laid out the priorities of its campaign to secure an elected seat on the United Nations Security Council with external affairs minister S Jaishankar asserting that the country can play a "positive global role" at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave economic repercussions will test the world like never before.

Jaishankar launched a brochure at an event here outlining India's priorities for its forthcoming campaign to secure an elected seat on the UN Security Council at the elections slated for June 17, 2020.

As a single endorsed candidate of the Asia-Pacific Group, India's candidature is very likely to succeed, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement.

If elected, it would be India's eighth term on the UN Security Council and this two-year tenure will start in January 2021.

"Ten years since we were last elected to the Security Council, we are facing four very different challenges to international peace and security the normal process of international governance has been at an increasing strain as frictions have increased, traditional and non-traditional security challenges continue to grow unchecked -- terrorism is the most egregious of such examples," Jaishankar said.

"Global institutions remain unreformed and under representative, they are therefore less able to deliver, the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave economic repercussions will test the world like never before," he said.

In this extraordinary situation, India can play a positive global role, Jaishankar asserted.

"We have always been a voice of reason and a votary of international law. We advocate dialogue, consultation and fairness in our approach to global issues," the minister said.

"As a rule abiding democracy and a positive contributor to the security of the global commons, India will work constructively with partners to overcome old and new faultlines and offer innovative and inclusive solutions, help developing countries obtain the necessary support to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, help focus more on development, support greater involvement of women and youth in shaping a new paradigm and finally enhance transparency, credibility, representation and effectiveness of the council," Jaishankar said. -- PTI

Twenty Delhi Metro staff, staying in Delhi-NCR, have tested positive for COVID-19 till date, sources said on Thursday.

Many Delhi Metro Rail Corporation officials have been coming to office or to station premises to ensure smooth resumption of services, whenever the orders come from the government.

Twenty Delhi Metro staff, living in Delhi and its neighbouring cities, have tested positive for COVID-19 till date, the sources said.

The DMRC on Thursday also put out a tweet, saying, "Along with the rest of the country, DMRC is also fighting the battle against COVID-19. Delhi Metro's employees have shown exemplary resilience in reporting back to their duties to keep the Metro system in all readiness for eventual resumption of services. #DMRCFightsCOVID".

The tweet carried a poster showing the Metro girl, DMRC's mascot, wearing a mask and a pair of gloves. -- PTI

Ahead of the crucial Rajya Sabha polls in Gujarat on June 19, Congress MLA Brijesh Merja on Friday resigned from the assembly membership.

The assembly secretariat confirmed that speaker Rajendra Trivedi has accepted the resignation of Merja, who was elected from the Morbi seat.

He has become the third Congress legislator to quit in the last three days.

Before quitting as a legislator, Merja also resigned from the primary membership of the Congress.

Two other Congress MLAs, Akshay Patel and Jitu Chaudhary, resigned on Wednesday evening, Trivedi had said on Thursday.

Merja is the eight Congress MLA to quit the assembly membership since March. -- PTI

12:10 Another baby born on Shramik train

A 19-year-old migrant woman, who was returning home in Odisha after being stuck in Telangana due to the lockdown, gave birth to a baby on a 'Shramik Special' train on Friday, railway officials said.

The woman, identified as Meena Kumbhar of Thodibahal in Balangir district, was travelling in the Balangir-bound 'Shramik Special' train from Lingampali in Telangana when she complained of labour pain in the morning, an East Coast Railway spokesperson said.

As per information received from Titilagarh, the woman delivered a baby boy on the train. A railway doctor in Titilagarh attended and examined the woman and the baby and found them to be in good condition, he said.

Subsequently, the woman and her baby were shifted to the government hospital at Titilagarh on the advice of the medical authorities of Balangir district, he added.

This was the third baby born on a 'Shramik Special' train in Odisha. This was the 37th baby born on such a train nationwide since they began services to transport stranded migrant workers, the railways said.

While a migrant woman, the native of a village in Balangir district, had given birth to a baby boy on a 'Shramik Special' train at Balangir on May 22, another woman returning home in Chhattisgarh had delivered a baby girl on a train at Titilagarh on May 24, it said. -- PTI

12:02 India to host 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022

The Asian Football Confederation has awarded the hosting rights of the 2022 Women's Asian Cup to India for the first time since 1979.

The decision was taken at the AFC Women's Football Committee meeting.

In February, the AFC Women's Football Committee had recommended India to be hosts.

In a letter to the All India Football Federation, Dato Windsor John, General Secretary, AFC wrote: "The Committee awarded the hosting rights of the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2022 Finals to the All India Football Federation."

The tournament will likely be held in the second half of the year.

In the 1979 edition, India had finished as runners-up.

"I need to thank the Asian Football Confederation for finding us suitable to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup in 2022," AIFF President, Praful Patel said.

"The tournament will galvanise the aspiring women players and bring in a holistic social revolution as far as women's football in the country is concerned," he added.

The tournament will feature 12 teams, expanded from the previous slot of eight teams.

India qualify directly as hosts. The event will also serve as the final qualification tournament for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

The tournament comes as the latest boost to AIFF as India are slated to host the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup next year.

India had also hosted the AFC U-16 Championships in 2016 and the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2017. -- PTI

Pakistan's coronavirus cases rose to 89,249 on Friday after a record 4,896 new infections were detected in the country, while the death toll due to COVID-19 has reached 1,838, according to the health ministry.

The Ministry of National Health Service said that 68 patients died in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll to 1,838, whereas another 31,198 people have recovered.

It was the third consecutive day when a record number of cases were reported in Pakistan after the Eid holidays and easing of lockdown restrictions at the end of May.

Sindh province reported 33,536 infections, Punjab 33,144, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 11,890, Balochistan 5,582, Islamabad 3,946, Gilgit-Baltistan 852 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir 299.

The authorities have conducted 638,323 tests, including a record 22,812 tests in the last 24 hours, the ministry said.

Despite the spike in number of COVID-19 cases, both houses of parliament are scheduled to meet separately on Friday. The Senate session started this morning while the National Assembly will be held in the afternoon, Radio Pakistan reported.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani and Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser at a meeting at the parliament house in Islamabad reviewed arrangements made for the two sessions.

Fumigation was also carried out in the parliament house for the safety of the lawmakers and staff.

Earlier, the Opposition rejected the idea of virtual meetings and insisted that the sessions be held in person, noting that it was an important session of parliament because the budget is expected to be presented in the National Assembly in the next week.

The novel coronavirus which first originated from China's Wuhan city in December last year has claimed 391,249 lives and has infected over 6 million people globally, according to Johns Hopkins University data. -- PTI

11:36 1 arrested in Kerala elephant killing case

One person has been arrested in the case relating to the death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala, the state forest department said on Friday.

"KFD has zeroed in on the culprits and recorded the first arrest in the wild elephant death case", the department said in a tweet.

The incident had triggered a national outrage.

Forest department sources had said yesterday that three people were under the scanner of the joint investigation team of Kerala police and their personnel and a search was on for two more people.

The 15-year-old elephant is suspected to have consumed a pineapple filled with powerful fire crackers, which exploded in its mouth in the Silent Valley forest.

The pachyderm died in the Velliyar River a week later on May 27. -- PTI

Representative image

11:22 35 migrants injured as bus falls into ditch in UP

At least 35 migrant labourers were injured, 10 of them seriously, when a bus carrying them from Rajasthan to Hamirpur fell into a ditch, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday at about 11 pm when the bus driver lost control and the vehicle fell into a roadside ditch, Circle officer, Massa Singh, said.

Hearing screams of passengers, villagers rushed to the scene and pulled them out.

Later, police reached the spot and rushed the labourers to a hospital, where condition of 10 of them is stated to be serious. -- PTI

Many Indians, mostly on H-1B visa, have said that they feel being left out as their US-born children are ineligible to travel to India due to the restrictions put in place by the Indian government in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Vande Bharat mission, launched last month, is the Indian government's largest-ever exercise to repatriate its nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown. Over 1.07 lakh people have so far returned to the country under the programme.

Anguraj Kailasam, who is now out of status in the US as her work visa has expired, requested the Indian government to allow minors of Indians with visas to travel in the Vande Bharat mission as well.

The US laws expect her to leave the country as soon as possible, but the current Indian law would not allow her with her US-born daughter.

"She (daughter) has an entry and emergency visa, but due to the current travel visa restrictions, we cannot go back to India since all visas are suspended by the government of India, Anguraj said.

"The Indian consulate considered my request for an emergency visa and they approved it last week, but even with that I cannot travel unless visa restrictions are relaxed for categories like emergency/entry visa," she said.

Gopinath Nagarajan said that his mother is in coma in India.

"Doctor said that it's better I have to be there immediately as her life is at very risk and she is breathing her last days," he told PTI.

"I am planning to visit India as soon as possible, but I have a US born infant of four months (Prakruthi Gopinath). Myself and my wife are Indian passport holders," he said.

Jincy Mathew said "we are in a situation that we cannot be a part of repatriation flights as my baby (six months old) doesn't have an Indian visa or Overseas Citizenship of India card. We have a valid reason to fly back to India but we cannot because our minor baby cannot be left alone in the US".

The student visa of Jincy is to expire soon.

"I have registered with the Indian mission in San Francisco and tried to apply for an emergency visa for my baby but the mission in San Francisco is not accepting any applications. We are really stranded here with no food and money.

"My husband lost his job around March second week. A charity is helping us for food, diapers among others... Please help us to get an emergency visa for my baby and please help for repatriation," Jincy said.

Rose Merin Pathrose, who was working in Chicago on an H-1B visa, vacated her apartment, sold her car and furniture and packed her suitcases to move back to India with her three-year-old son, for whom she said was able to get an Indian tourist visa.

"I was never able to apply for his OCI since my visa was expiring soon and having six months validity on the parents visa was one of the requirements to apply for OCI," she said.

There are many people with similar situations who would be running out of money to survive unless they reach India and resume work, Pathrose said.

"I am not having medical insurance either for me or my son, you can imagine how risky it is to stay here with this situation," she said.

"I am in an emergency situation," said Sayooj Valsan from San Francisco. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pitched for collective efforts to ensure that the planet becomes a better place for future generations.

"On #WorldEnvironmentDay, we reiterate our pledge to preserve our planet's rich biodiversity. Let us collectively do whatever possible to ensure the flora and fauna with whom we share the Earth thrive," he wrote on Twitter.

"May we leave an even better planet for the coming generations," he said.

Modi also shared a brief video of his latest "Mann ki Baat" programme in which he had referred to World Environment Day.

"The theme this year is biodiversity...(it) is especially pertinent in the current circumstances. During lockdown in the last few weeks the pace of life may have slowed down a bit but it has also given us an opportunity to introspect upon the rich diversity of nature or biodiversity around us," he had said.

Much of the avian fauna had sort of disappeared due to sound and air pollution, and now after years people can once again listen to their melodic chirping in their homes, Modi had said.

He had also pitched for saving rainwater, saying the traditional conservation methods are in the form of very simple remedies, and employing these "we can tap the water".

He also urged people to plant trees and make resolutions so that a daily relationship with nature can be forged.

Temperature is on the rise, so do not forget to "facilitate water for the birds," he said. -- PTI

British Sikh Opposition Labour Party MP Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi called for an independent inquiry into the extent of the involvement of the then Margaret Thatcher-led British government in Operation Blue Star in June 1984.

The UK's first turbaned Sikh member of Parliament, who raised the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday to mark 36 years since the Indian Army's operation at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, also called for a debate on the issue.

"This week marks 36 years since the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, ordered her abhorrent attack on the most revered Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple complex in Amritsar," Dhesi said.

"Despite recent revelations and given the huge demand from within the British Sikh community and the support of the Labour party and other Opposition parties, an independent inquiry to establish the extent of the Thatcher government's involvement in the attack has still not been held," he said.

Leader of the Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, responded on behalf of the government to describe it as an "important anniversary".

"I have every confidence that Margaret Thatcher, one of the greatest leaders this country has ever had, would always have behaved properly," said Rees-Mogg.

The demand for an inquiry arose a few years ago when it emerged that British military advice was given to Indian forces prior to the Operation Blue Star.

The then British Prime Minister, David Cameron, had ordered an internal review into this discovery, which led to a statement in Parliament declaring that Britain's role had been purely "advisory" and the Special Air Service advice had "limited impact" on the Operation Blue Star in June 1984. -- PTI

India has reported 9,851 new COVID19 cases and 273 deaths in the last 24 hours.

The total number of cases in the country is now at 2,26,770 including 1,10,960 active cases, according to the Union health ministry.

Total 1,09,462 people have been cured/discharged/migrated while 6,348 deaths have been reported so far.

09:24 Study that said HCQ unsafe for Covid retracted

The authors of the research linking the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and increased death risk during COVID-19 treatment have retracted the Lancet study as they were unable to share the full dataset for an independent peer-review.

"Several concerns were raised with respect to the veracity of the data and analyses conducted by Surgisphere Corporation and its founder and our co-author, Sapan Desai, in our publication," the authors of the study wrote in the retraction statement published in The Lancet journal.

When an independent third-party peer review of Surgisphere was initiated with the consent of the co-authors of the study to evaluate the origination of the database, and to replicate the analyses presented in the paper, the peer reviewers noted that Surgisphere would not transfer the full dataset.

They were also unable to obtain details on client contracts to their servers for analysis since such transfer would violate client agreements with the company and confidentiality requirements.

"Based on this development, we can no longer vouch for the veracity of the primary data sources. Due to this unfortunate development, the authors request that the paper be retracted," the retraction statement noted. -- PTI

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will visit Raigad district on Friday to take the stock of the damage caused by cyclone Nisarga.

The CM on Thursday directed officials to file a report of the damage caused by the cyclone within two days, in order to assure that speedy help is provided to the farmers and villagers.

Noting that six persons have lost their lives due to the natural disaster, the chief minister directed officials to provide aid of Rs 4 lakh to the family of the deceased.

Thackeray also ordered officials to ensure early restoration of electricity in Raigad district, where the uprooting of poles has led to a disruption in the power supply. -- ANI

The vandalisation of Mahatma Gandhi's statue in Washington DC is disrespectful and such incidents do not bring people together, top US lawmakers have said.

The statue, which is across the road from the Indian Embassy, was vandalised with graffiti and spray painting on Wednesday, prompting the mission to register a complaint with the local law enforcement agencies.

The incident happened during the week of nationwide protests against the custodial killing of African-American George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

The Trump campaign termed the incident "very disappointing", while US Ambassador to India Ken Juster apologised, saying sorry to see the desecration of the Gandhi statue.

The incident is reported to have taken place on the intervening night of June 2 and 3, officials said.

"More evidence that violent radicals and run of the mill crazies have hijacked legitimate protests to create anarchy or for their own purposes," Senator Marco Rubio said on Thursday.

Vandalising Gandhi's statue outside the Indian Embassy has nothing to do with what the protests are about, the senator said.

Protests against the custodial killing of Floyd turned violent in some places in the US and prestigious monuments were damaged. In Washington DC this week, protestors burnt a historic church and damaged monuments like the Lincoln Memorial.

"It's disgraceful to see the defacing of the Gandhi statue in DC," North Carolina Senator Tom Tillis said.

"Gandhi was a pioneer of peaceful protesting, demonstrating the great change it can bring. Rioting, looting and vandalizing do not bring us together, he said.

The vandalized statue of Gandhi, the design of which was created by Gautam Pal, has been covered and efforts are on clean up the site at the earliest.

"We condemn this disrespectful act and are working with the relevant authorities and the Embassy of India to rectify the situation," a state department spokesperson said.

"Very disappointing," tweeted Kimberly Guilfoyle, advisor to Donald J Trump for President Inc. and National Chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committees.

Guilfoyle tweeted along with a quote of Gandhi: "Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization."

US Ambassador to India, Ken Juster said, So sorry to see the desecration of the Gandhi statue in Wash, DC. Please accept our sincere apologies."

"Appalled as well by the horrific death of George Floyd and the awful violence and vandalism. We stand against prejudice & discrimination of any type. We will recover and be better," he said in a tweet. -- PTI

Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor Mubadala Investment Company will buy 1.85 per cent stake in Jio Platforms for Rs 9,093.6 crore, Reliance Industries Limited said on Friday.

With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs 87,655.35 crore from leading global technology and growth investors, including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR and Mubadala, in less than six weeks.

The investment from Mubadala comes in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore.

"Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala) will invest Rs 9,093.60 crore in Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs 5.16 lakh crore. Mubadala's investment will translate into a 1.85 per cent equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis," RIL said in a statement.

RIL subsidiary Jio Platforms is a next-generation technology platform focused on providing high-quality and affordable digital services across India, with more than 388 million subscribers. The telecom services arm Reliance Jio comes under Jio Platforms.

"Through my longstanding ties with Abu Dhabi, I have personally seen the impact of Mubadala's work in diversifying and globally connecting the UAE's knowledge-based economy. We look forward to benefitting from Mubadala's experience and insights from supporting growth journeys across the world," RIL chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said.

Mubadala owns electronic chip manufacturing company Global Foundries and has stake in several technology companies like AMD.

It has an investment portfolio across several fields, including petroleum, renewable energy, aerospace, satellite communications, agriculture, healthcare, metals and mining.

"We have seen how Jio has already transformed communications and connectivity in India, and as an investor and partner, we are committed to supporting India's digital growth journey. With Jio's network of investors and partners, we believe that the platform company will further the development of the digital economy," Mubadala Investment Company managing director and Group CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak said.

Mubadala established its ventures arm in 2017 to partner early with visionary founders and support innovative businesses. Mubadala's Ventures business currently manages several venture funds in the US, Europe and Middle East. -- PTI

08:38 Mild earthquakes hit Karnataka, Jharkhand

An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter Scale jolted Karnataka on Friday morning while another with a magnitude of 4.7 was felt in Jharkhand.

The tremors were felt in Hampi (Karnataka) and Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), according to the National Center for Seismology.

According to NCS, the aftershocks were felt at 6:55 am in both the places today.

08:22 Honour Tiananmen Square victims: US to China

The White House has called on China to provide a full accounting of those who were killed, detained or remain missing in connection with events surrounding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

"The Chinese Communist Party's slaughter of unarmed Chinese civilians was a tragedy that will not be forgotten," White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement on Thursday, joining the global condemnation of the massacre.

The American people reflect on the courage and optimism of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens who gathered peacefully 31 years ago in Beijing and throughout China to protest widespread official corruption and demand a greater say in the governance of their country, she said.

"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, McEnany said on the 31st anniversary of the incident.

On this day of remembrance, the people of the US call upon the Chinese government to fulfil its commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, to uphold the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Chinese citizens under China's constitution, and to end the systematic persecution of millions of ethnic and religious minorities, she said.

"The American people stand together with all Chinese citizens in their pursuit of fundamental rights, including the right to accountable and representative governance and freedom of speech, assembly, and religious belief," the press secretary said.

A day earlier, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Tiananmen Square survivors at the Department of State.

"We mourn the victims of June 4, 1989, and we stand with the people of China who continue to aspire to a government that protects human rights, fundamental, freedoms, and basic human dignity," said State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus.

In a joint statement, a bipartisan group of more than a dozen influential senators from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the 31st anniversary is not just a time for mourning, but a call to action.

"Let us ensure that the United States remains a champion for freedom, and a defender of those who stand for democracy, freedom and equality for all," they said in the statement.

In the years since the Tiananmen massacre, the CCP has continued down a path of repression, the senator alleged.

"Under Chairman Xi, we have seen further deterioration of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the rule of law in China", they said.

"Daily freedoms have also been lost to the CCP's widespread and intrusive mass surveillance system. Even more concerning is that this model of authoritarianism is becoming more influential to regimes around the world as the CCP seeks to reshape international rules and norms to accommodate its interests," according to the statement..

The massacre was no accident said House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy.

"It was caused by China's fear of freedom and democracy. Today, as China has risen on the world stage, that fear has gone global. The crackdown in Hong Kong, the concentration camps in Western China, and the unwarranted aggression towards democratic India and Taiwan are just the latest signs, he said.

For more than three decades, protesters around the world, including in the US, have been inspired by the bravery shown by the protesters of Tiananmen, many risking their lives to fight for their rights, said Senator Ed Markey. -- PTI

Image: The unforgettable 'tank man' stands in front of a line of tanks during the protests. Photograph: Arthur Tsang/Reuters

00:26 Soldier killed in Pak shelling in Rajouri

An Army soldier was killed when Pakistan troops resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district on Thursday night, official sources said.

The Pakistan army targeted the forwards areas in Sunderbani sector, they added.

A soldier was killed in the ceasefire violation, the sources said.

Indian troops guarding the border mounted a befitting retaliation and cross-border firing was underway when last reports came in, they added. -- PTI

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