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Thu, 08 October 2020
Paswan dead: National flag to fly at half mast
Timeline Refresh
23:44 Paswan dead: National flag to fly at half mast
The national flag will fly at half mast in Delhi and capitals of all states and union territories on Friday as a mark of respect to Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan who passed away on Thursday, the home ministry has announced.
A state funeral will also be accorded to the Union minister.
"The national flag will be flown at half mast on October 9 in Delhi and capitals of all states and UTs where it is regularly flown, and also on the day of the funeral at the place where the funeral takes place," a home ministry spokesperson said.
Paswan died at a hospital here on Thursday at the age of 74.
Paswan, the Lok Janshakti Party founder and Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, was admitted to the private hospital in New Delhi for several weeks and had recently undergone a heart operation. -- PTI
23:10 17.22 lakh Indians returned under 'Vande Bharat'
As many as 17.22 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the 'Vande Bharat' evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the ministry of external affairs said on Thursday.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that under the phase seven of the mission, operational since October 1, 873 international flights have been scheduled from 25 countries to be operated during the course of October 2020.
These include flights from among the 14 countries with which India has a bilateral 'air bubble' arrangement in place, he said at an online media briefing.
The air bubble arrangement has been working satisfactorily adding to the capacity, he added.
Srivastava said as on October 7, 17.22 lakh Indians have been repatriated through different modes of the Vande Bharat Mission.
The flights in phase seven include Air India and Air India Express flights, private and foreign carriers, chartered flights, naval ships and land border crossings, he said.
These flights will reach 24 airports across India, repatriating an estimated 1.7 lakh people. As on 7 October, 210 flights have already been operated from 18 countries, Srivastava said.
"We continue to assess demand for repatriation from other countries and project the requirements to Air India so that more flights can be scheduled in the coming days," he said. -- PTI
22:32 There's free media in India: MEA taunts China
India on Thursday took oblique potshots at China over the guidelines issued by its embassy in New Delhi to the Indian media to not violate New Delhi's 'One-China' policy ahead of the national day of Taiwan, saying there is a 'free media' in this country.
"There is a free media in India that reports on issues as it sees fit," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a media briefing.
The spokesperson said this when asked for comments about a letter sent to journalists by the Chinese embassy that called for honouring the 'One-China' policy.
'All countries that have diplomatic relations with China should firmly honor their commitment to the One-China policy, which is also the long-standing official position of the Indian government,' the letter dated October 7 said.
'We hope Indian media can stick to Indian government's position on Taiwan question and do not violate the One-China principle,' it said.
The letter was issued in the wake of advertisements issued by the Taiwan government in a couple of leading newspapers in India ahead of Taiwan's national day on October 10.
A Chinese embassy spokesperson on Thursday also tweeted that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory.
India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
In 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges.
The India-Taipei Association has also been authorised to provide all consular and passport services.
In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Delhi. -- PTI
21:45 President, PM Modi condole Paswan's demise
President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the demise of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Thursday.
'In the demise of Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, the nation has lost a visionary leader.
'He was among the most active and longest-serving members of parliament.
'He was the voice of the oppressed and championed the cause of the marginalised,' President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.
'A firebrand socialist in youth, mentored by the likes of Jayaprakash Narayan during anti-Emergency movement, Paswan ji had enviable rapport with masses and he ardently strove for their welfare.
'Condolences to his family and supporters,' Kovind said in another tweet.
'I am saddened beyond words. There is a void in our nation that will perhaps never be filled. Ram Vilas Paswan ji's demise is a personal loss.
'I have lost a friend, valued colleague and someone who was extremely passionate to ensure every poor person leads a life of dignity,' the PM said in a tweet. -- ANI
21:16 Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan passes away
Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan died on Thursday, his son Chirag Paswan tweeted.
Ram Vilas Paswan (74), who was the Lok Janshakti Party patron, had undergone a heart surgery at a hospital in New Delhi a few days ago.
He had been in active politics for more than five decades and was one of the country's most noted Dalit leaders.
He was the minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution.
Chirag Paswan tweeted, 'Papa...you are not in this world today but I know no matter where you are, you will always be with me. Miss you papa.'
20:28 Fake TRPs: BARC welcomes Mumbai police probe
Amid controversy over an alleged plot to manipulate TRPs, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) on Thursday said it is committed to report a true picture of television viewership and welcomed the Mumbai Police's investigation into the case.
Earlier in the day, Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh claimed to have busted a racket to manipulate TRPs and arrested two persons.
TRP (television rating point) is a tool to judge which TV programmes and channels are viewed the most.
'As in all our previous cases of suspected panel homes intrusions, BARC India continues to follow its established vigilance and disciplinary guidelines... BARC India appreciates the efforts of the Mumbai Police and will provide the support asked of it,' a BARC India spokesperson said.
The body added that it remains 'steadfastly true' to its purpose to accurately and faithfully report 'what India watches'.
In a statement, the city police said BARC functions under the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and it has installed 30,000 barometers in homes to monitor TV consumption and come out with the TRP numbers.
It is based on these TRPs that marketers place advertisements and manipulation of the numbers may have resulted in losses, the police said.
Singh told reporters that a national TV news channel, facing flak over its attack on Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, was also involved in the TRP racket.
The Detection Crime Branch of Mumbai Police has arrested owners of two Marathi channels for manipulating viewership ratings.
The national news channel is also involved in the TRP racket and persons responsible for this will also be arrested, whether one is director, promoter or any other employee of the channel, the police commissioner said.
Bank accounts of these channels are also being probed and people responsible for the TRP racket are being summoned by police for further investigation in the case, he added. -- PTI
Chirag Paswan
19:43 BJP turncoats in LJP's 1st list for Bihar polls
The Lok Janshakti Party on Thursday named its 42 candidates for the Bihar assembly polls with some BJP turncoats figuring in the list as Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan's party works to make the contest harder for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal-United.
As the party released its first list of candidates, its president Chirag Paswan again gave a call to defeat the JD-U, claiming that a vote for the state's ruling party will amount to "destroying" Bihar.
All these 42 seats are among the 71 constituencies going to polls in the first phase on October 28, the LJP said.
As expected, the LJP has fielded Rajendra Singh and Usha Vidyarthi, two senior Bihar BJP leaders who joined it recently, from Dinara and Paliganj respectively.
The LJP has announced that it will fight from the seats where the JD-U is also contesting and that it will not take on the BJP.
Though the party may contest from a few constituencies where the BJP is also in the fray due to political reasons, but it will mostly avoid such a situation.
LJP sources said the party had given preference to upper caste and Dalit nominees in its choice of candidates.
Thursday was the last day of filing for nominations for the first phase of the three-phase Bihar elections.
Hitting out at Kumar's leadership, Chirag Paswan had walked out of the NDA in Bihar and had claimed that a BJP-LJP government will come to power in this state after the polls.
The BJP has, however, worked to placate the JD-U leader, maintaining constantly that he will be the state's chief minister again if the ruling alliance is voted to power for one more time.
-- PTI
19:03 India refuses to test Russia's Covid vaccine
India's drug regulator has knocked back a proposal from Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd to conduct a large study in the country to evaluate Russia's Sputnik-V COVID-19 vaccine and has asked it to first test the vaccine in a smaller trial.
The recommendations by an expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation noted that safety and immunogenicity data from early-stage studies being conducted overseas is small, with no inputs available on Indian participants.
India's move comes as a setback for Russia's plan to roll-out the vaccine even before full trials show how well it works, while pushing back its efforts to win approval for the vaccine in the country that leads the world on average number of new infections.
India is expected to overtake the United States over the next several weeks as the country with the world's largest number of cases.
The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is marketing the Sputnik V, and Dr Reddy's Laboratories last month announced their partnership to run clinical trials and distribute the vaccine in India.
18:54 Where does he get such 'nasha': MP minister's dig at Rahul
Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Thursday ridiculed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remark that the UPA government would have thrown out China in 15 minutes, and sought to know from where does he get such "intoxicating stuff".
Referring to the Ladakh standoff, Gandhi on Tuesday said had the UPA been in power, "we would have evicted and thrown out China and it would not have taken 15 minutes to do so".
In 2018, during the campaign for Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh Assembly polls, Gandhi had said the Congress will waive off farmers' loans within 10 days if it comes to power.
"In ten days, loan will be waived off. China will be wiped out in 15 minutes. I bow to that teacher who has taught him. I am unable to understand from where he gets such high quality 'nasha' (intoxicating stuff)," Mishra told reporters.
-- PTI
18:36 Will file defamation case: Republic TV to Mumbai Police over TRP scam
Republic TV issued a statement on Thursday in response to a press conference held by Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. In the press conference, the commissioner identified Republic TV along with Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema for manipulating TRPs (television rating points).
Responding to the claims, Republic TV has now issued a statement claiming the Mumbai Police Commissioner is making false allegations because the network questioned him in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Going further, Republic TV stated that it will file a criminal defamation case against the Mumbai Police Commissioner.
"There is not a single BARC report that mentions Republic TV," the network went on to claim. Going further, the network added," Param Bir Singh's investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case is under a cloud and this is a desperate measure because of Republic TV's reportage on Palghar, the Sushant Singh Rajput case or any other case."
The network has demanded an apology from Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
18:16 Sonia pens consolation letter to former CBI chief Ashwani Kumar's family
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi penned a letter to the family of former CBI chief Ashwani Kumar mourning his loss.
18:13 Trump refuses to do virtual debate with Biden
US President Donald Trump, who has the coronavirus, says he will not participate in next week's presidential debate if it's held virtually.
Trump says in a Fox Business interview that that arrangement is "not acceptable to us".
And he accused moderators of trying to protect his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had announced moments earlier that the second debate between Trump and Biden will take place virtually because of the president's diagnosis of COVID-19.
The commission cited a need "to protect the health and safety of all involved with the second presidential debate" and said the candidates would "participate from separate remote locations" while the participants and moderator remain in Miami.
17:47 No democracy left in Bengal, cries BJP
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has lost people's confidence and there is no democracy left in West Bengal, the BJP said on Thursday as it hit out at the TMC supremo over clashes between saffron party workers and police during protests in Kolkata and Howrah.
BJP president J P Nadda in a tweet said the party's struggle to save the rich glory of Bengal will continue. Parts of Kolkata and adjoining Howrah resembled a battle zone on Thursday as BJP workers and supporters clashed with police, hurling stones and blocking roads with burning tyres, to protest a string of killings of saffron party workers.
"We stand with the people of Bengal despite the brazen misuse of state power by Mamata didi. Our brave BJP Yuva Morcha karyakartas' compelled her to close the Secretariat. This is an admission that she has lost public confidence," Nadda said.
Clashes erupted at several places in the two cities in West Bengal during a march called by the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP, to Nabanna, the state secretariat, when they tore down barricades, officials said.
Police personnel in riot gear burst teargas shells, beat up agitators and used water cannons to break up the protests which are still raging in Kolkata and Howrah.
"There is no democracy in West Bengal. Those who protest against the government are implicated in cases or harassed by police or murdered," senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters at the party's headquarters here. He condemned the "barbaric treatment" of his party workers by the state police.
"I would like to say to Mamata Banerjee and her party that if they think they can stop BJP's progress in West Bengal by lathi-charges and atrocities by the police, I assure them, they would fail in their attempts," Prasad said. He asserted that Banerjee and her party are resorting to violence as they are losing political ground in the state and said that there is feedback from the ground that the BJP will form the next government in West Bengal.
"Is protest allowed in Mamata Banerjee's reign? People who raise their voice against her party are killed. The only reason behind this is TMC losing their political ground in the state," Prasad said. He said so far 115 BJP workers have been killed in the state. PTI
17:07 Covid vaccines not affected by mutations: Study
Vaccines currently being developed for Covid-19 should not be affected by recent mutations in the novel coronavirus, according to researchers, including one of Indian origin, who said the finding is good news for the hundreds of vaccine candidates around the world.
The researchers, including those from the University of York in the UK, noted that most vaccines under development worldwide have been modelled on the original 'D-strain' of the virus, which were more common amongst sequences published early in the pandemic.
Since then, the virus has evolved to the globally dominant 'G-strain', which now accounts for about 85 per cent of published SARS-CoV-2 genomes, they said. There had been fears the G-strain, within the main protein on the surface of the virus, would negatively impact on vaccines under development.
However, the research by Australia's national science agency the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), found no evidence the change would adversely impact the efficacy of vaccine candidates. The study, published in the journal npj Vaccines, tested blood samples from ferrets given a candidate vaccine against virus strains that either possessed or lacked this mutation known as 'D614G'.
"This is good news for the hundreds of vaccines in development around the world, with the majority targeting the spike protein as this binds to the ACE2 receptors in our lungs and airways, which are the entry point to infect cells," said Professor Seshadri Vasan, who holds an honorary chair in Health Sciences at the University of York.
"Despite this D614G mutation to the spike protein, we confirmed through experiments and modelling that vaccine candidates are still effective, Vasan said in a statement.
"We've also found the G-strain is unlikely to require frequent 'vaccine matching' where new vaccines need to be developed seasonally to combat the virus strains in circulation, as is the case with influenza," he said.
16:52 American poet Louise Gluck wins Literature Nobel
Just in: The 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature is awarded to the American poet Louise Gluck "for her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal." Gluck was born 1943 in New York and lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Apart from her writing she is a professor of English at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
Gluck made her debut in 1968 with 'Firstborn' and was soon acclaimed as one of the most prominent poets in American contemporary literature. She has published twelve collections of poetry and some volumes of essays on poetry.
16:39 Airlines may soon be permitted to operate 75%of pre-COVID domestic flights: Puri
Airlines may be permitted to operate maximum 75 per cent of their pre-COVID scheduled domestic flights if the passenger numbers continue to remain healthy during the next 7-10 days, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.
The government on September 2 had said Indian airlines can operate up to 60 per cent of their pre-Covid services within the country. On June 26, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had allowed the airlines to operate a maximum of 45 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights.
The ministry had restarted domestic passenger services from May 25, after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. However, the airlines were allowed to operate not more than 33 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights at that time.
"Our internal thinking is that we will watch it for another week or 10 days....If the figures (of passengers travelling) continue to be healthy, we would open domestic civil aviation to 75 per cent of the pre-COVID levels," Puri said at a press conference on Thursday.
Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country since March 23 due to the pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral air bubble pacts signed with various countries since July. PTI
16:29 HM appeals to people to follow PM's fight against Covid
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday appealed to everyone to join Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public movement against COVID-19 and said a global pandemic can be fought only when all the countrymen come together.
Shah also said there are only three mantras to protect ourselves from the coronavirus -- wearing a mask, practising two meters of social distancing and washing hands frequently -- as suggested by the prime minister.
"A global pandemic like COVID-19 can be fought only when all the countrymen come together. Let us all unite to fight against it by joining this mass movement started by PM Modi and play an important role in making India COVID-19 free by making everyone aware of this pandemic," he said in tweets in Hindi. Appealing everyone to follow the three principles, the home minister said these steps will "not only keep yourself safe but also to keep your family, friends and colleagues safe from COVID-19". The prime minister has said India's coronavirus fight is people-driven and gets great strength from its COVID warriors and he has urged people to follow COVID- appropriate behaviour.
"We have to continue the momentum and protect our citizens from the virus," the PM tweeted using the hashtag 'Unite2FightCorona'. "Let us #Unite2FightCorona! Let us always remember: Wear a mask. Wash hands. Follow social distancing. Practice Do Gaj Ki Doori.' Together, we will succeed. Together, we will win against COVID-19," Modi said in another tweet. PTI
16:08 Covid vaccine soon, govt maps out cold storages
With the likelihood of a vaccine against coronavirus being available within months, the government has begun a massive exercise to map out cold chain storage facilities to ensure the vaccine is delivered quickly across the country.
A national expert group is talking to public and private sector entities in the pharmaceutical sector, food processing industry and agro businesses as well as food delivery start-ups such as Swiggy and Zomato to identify cold storages or fridges at the taluka level that can stock and distribute the vaccine, sources with direct knowledge of the discussions said.
A draft scheme for the vaccine distribution is likely to be released around the middle of next week, they said. At least one domestic and three foreign vaccines are likely to be available to India in the coming months. Most of the vaccine candidates will require a cold supply chain, with temperatures that can go well below zero degree Celsius, down to -80 degrees Celsius, though most need to be kept at between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. The sources said that majority of vaccine candidates are in liquid form except a few freeze-dried products.
They are to be administered through intramuscular injection/ route and requirement will be a two-dose regimen. The majority of vaccine candidates would be available in multi-dose vials (2.5, 10, 20, and 50 doses per vial).
An estimation of cold chain space needed for vaccines has been made considering 18 per cent of the population would need to be covered within six months, they said, adding that both the current temperature ranges (+2 to +8 degrees Celsius and -15 to -20 degrees Celsius) have been considered for the scenario to account for adequate storage in either condition.
The Union health ministry has already initiated a cold chain augmentation plan to address the additional cold chain space required for the vaccine. The sources said there will be a temporary requirement (2-3 months) of surge capacity for large cold storage at the state/ regional level to store and distribute large incoming quantities of the vaccine.
While most of the vaccine products under development require traditional cold chain temperature range (+2 to +8 degrees Celsius and -15 to -20 degrees Celsius), some products might require -60 to -80 degrees Celsius temperature for which support of the private sector which maintains such storage can be sought. With multiple immunisation sessions getting planned, additional support by increasing the fleet of refrigerated vans to transport vaccines will support the mega immunisation drive, they said. -- PTI
15:43 Aaj Tak fined for Sushant reporting
The News Broadcasting Standards Authority has directed electronic news channels, Aaj Tak, Zee News, News24 and India TV to air an apology for 'insensitive reporting and sensationalising the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
NBSA also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh to Aaj Tak for telecasting fake tweets relating to Sushant Singh Rajput.
It said that the channels violated the privacy and affected the dignity of the deceased.
India TV and Aaj Tak have also been censured for showing images of Sushant Singh Rajput's body.
15:31 Hathras accused: Victim's mother framed us
The accused in the Hathras incident have written to the Superintendent of Police alleging they have been framed in the case and have urged for an investigation for justice to be delivered in the matter.
The letter, written on October 7, in Hindi, states that the four accused had been framed on the basis of "false claims" of indulging in sexual acts and then manhandling the girl, leading to her death.
Sandeep, an accused, further stated that he was friends with the victim, and the two also used to talk with the girl over the phone, which the girl's family did not approve of.
"On the day of the incident I met her in the fields, she was accompanied by her mother and brother. Upon her telling me I returned to my house and started giving water to the animals along with my father. Later on, I got to know from the villagers that her mother and brother have beaten her up due to her friendship with me, due to which she received serious injuries, leading to her death," the letter read.
"I have never beaten or indulged in any kind of wrong acts with the victim. Her mother and brother framed me and three others in false charges and sent us to jail. We are innocent, please conduct an investigation in this matter to ensure we get justice," it added.
Meanwhile, Alok Singh, SP, Aligarh Jail, said that they have forwarded the letter to the concerned investigating agency.
"He (Sandeep Singh) gave us a letter for SP Hathras. We have forwarded the letter as per the rules. Accused has put across his version in the letter and the concerned investigating agency will look into it," Alok Singh said.
15:01 #Babakadhaba wins Twitter, help pours in for couple
After a video featuring the teary-eyed owners of Baba Ka Dhaba in Malviya Nagar, Delhi, went viral and was shared by the likes of @ReallySwara, & @TandonRaveena, the small eatery is seeing such large crowds that they sold out all their food in the morning itself. "There were no customers, we had to return home with food... Now we are happy, it feels like we have many extended families," says Badami Devi of Baba Ka Dhabha.
The stall in Delhi's Malviya Nagar saw heavy footfall of customers after video of the owner couple went viral.
"There was no sale during COVID-19 lockdown but now it feels like whole India is with us," says owner Kanta Prasad, who's running the stall since 1990.
Salut the power of social media.
15:00 Hathras: Teesta moves SC for court-monitored probe
Civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad led Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) has approached the Supreme Court to transfer the Hathras case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and ensure proper witness protection is accorded in the case.
The plea said that there are senior police officials and elected representatives who were "underplaying" the heinous offence and "prejudging" the issue. The CJP moved the court while filing an intervention application seeking to intervene in the Hathras case pending before it.
The application has urged the apex court that a retired Supreme Court judge be appointed to examine the circumstances which led to the cremation of the girl at night without her family.
It also referred to reports where it was stated that an officer involved in the probe said that there was "no sexual assault."
The mother of the victim had clearly stated that sexual assault had indeed taken place and that the victim in her video statements too gave a description of the upper caste men who sexually assaulted and raped her, the application said.
However, it added that even then certain videos were being circulated with mala fide intent stating that the girl never said she was raped.
The application also pointed out the October 2 statement from the Uttar Pradesh government, where it was stated that a polygraph and a narco analysis test for the victim's family would be conducted.
The CJP sought directions from the court to assign Central Reserve Paramilitary Force (CRPF) for the security of the witnesses in the case and asked that none of the officers assigned should be from the cadre of Uttar Pradesh.
It said that witness protection is needed while considering the economic background of the victim's family and to avoid their further alienation and intimidation.
Priyanka Gandhi met the family of the Hathras rape victim
14:44 Defaming Hathras victim revolting: Priyanka
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday accused the BJP of building a narrative to defame the Hathras victim, saying she deserves justice and not slander. She charged that a narrative is being built by the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh for holding the woman responsible for crimes committed against her.
"Creating a narrative that defames a woman's character and holding her somehow responsible for crimes committed against her is revolting and regressive," she said on Twitter.
"A heinous crime has been committed at Hathras, leaving a 20-year-old Dalit woman dead. Her body has been burned without the participation or consent of her family. She deserves justice not slander," Gandhi also said.
The Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh also used a hashtag, accusing the BJP of being "shameless".
Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had earlier visited the victim's family last Saturday. The 19-year-old Dalit woman from Hathras was allegedly raped and attacked by four upper-caste men. She later succumbed to injuries at a Delhi hospital. The incident has triggered outrage across the country after TV footage showed that the local police cremated the body at night.
Her family members alleged they were not allowed to bring the body home one last time, but police claimed they had the family's consent for the cremation. The family is now demanding a judicial probe into the incident while the UP government has sought a CBI probe. PTI
14:32 Cong cares about dal hit not dalit: BJP
Congress is not interested in saving Dalits but only seeks to attain "dal hit" (own benefits)," said Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr Narrotam Mishra on Thursday, over the party's role in the Hathras incident. The Madhya Pradesh Minister was speaking about reports which had surfaced regarding a Congress leader explaining the plan to instigate riots in UP's Hathras using the incident.
"Congress' hand is with the rioters. They do not worry about Dalits, but about dal hit (own benefits). Congress has always been seen standing with forces which would seek to break India. From Bharat tere tukde honge, Bharat ki barbaadi, Afzal hum sharminda hain, the first person to reach them was Rahul Gandhi. The same Rahul Gandhi's Hathras links have now been found, the man is clearly saying we will riot and then Rahul Gandhi will come," Mishra said at a press conference.
The BJP leader further slammed the Congress stating that it wanted to divide the country on caste lines.
14:24 Sharad Pawar's NCP to contest Bihar polls
The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday said it will contest the Bihar assembly polls, and released a list of its 40 star campaigners for the elections.
The party in a statement said it will share details of its poll outing in the eastern state soon.
NCP president Sharad Pawar will be the party's key star campaigner for the polls, it said.
Maharashtra minority affairs minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik, party MPs Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, Supriya Sule and Fauzia Khan are among the other star campaigners.
Elections for the 243-member Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10. -- PTI
14:22 Head of Afghan peace council meets PM Modi
Afghanistan's top peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the ongoing peace initiative to bring back stability in the war-ravaged country.
Following the meeting, Abdullah tweeted that Modi assured him of India's continued support for the peace process in Afghanistan.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said Modi reaffirmed India's long term commitment to further deepen ties with Afghanistan.
Abdullah arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday on a five-day visit as part of the efforts to build a regional consensus and support for the Afghan peace process.
"Pleased to meet HE Narendra Modi @narendramodi, the Prime Minister of Republic of #India. In our friendly discussion we took stock of the latest developments on the #AfghanPeaceProcess, the talks in Doha, & India's support for the peace efforts," Abdullah said on Twitter.
"HE PM assured me of India's continued support for the peace process, & Afghanistan. I thanked him & the people of India for the invitation, & generous hospitality. I also thanked India for its principled position on the #AfghanPeaceProcess," he said.
On Wednesday, Abdullah, the head of Afghan peace council, held extensive talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The visit of the influential Afghan leader to India comes in the midst of peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha.
The Taliban and the Afghan government are holding direct talks to end 19 years of war that has killed tens of thousands of people and ravaged various parts of the country.
India has been a major stakeholder in the peace and stability of Afghanistan. It has already invested USD two billion in aid and reconstruction activities in the country.
India has been supporting a national peace and reconciliation process which is Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled.
On September 12, an Indian delegation attended the inaugural ceremony of the intra-Afghan negotiations in Doha while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar joined it through video conference.
India has been keenly following the evolving political situation after the US signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February. The deal provided for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, effectively drawing curtains to Washington's 18-year war in the country.
The US has lost over 2,400 soldiers in Afghanistan since late 2001.
14:10 BJP workers burn tyres in Nabanna Chalo march
West Bengal: BJP workers set ablaze tires in Howrah during party's state-wide 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation against the alleged killings of its workers.
13:59 Another Uyghur becomes victim of China's repressive regime
Another Uyghur has fallen victim to the Chinese regime's persistent actions to imprison prominent Uyghurs on false charges, Campaign for Uyghurs has reported.
On September 4, Hursan Hassan, 50-year-old Uyghur, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for separatism. He was earlier detained for more than 20 months.According to Campaign for Uyghurs, the Beijing authorities level the charge of separatism against Uyghurs in the same way that corruption charges are leveled at Han Chinese officials who express any dissent with Xi Jinping's administration.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, President Xi Jinping on September 22 said, "We should respect a country's independent choice of development path and model. The world is diverse in nature, and we should turn this diversity into a constant source of inspiration driving human advancement. This will ensure that human civilisations remain colorful and diversified."
Questioning President Xi's statement, Campaign for Uyghurs said, "We are left to ask the very rhetorical question: how does one define civilization? If the way his authoritarian regime defines civilization is as China is at present, the world should seek no part of it.
The Chinese Communist Party has turned China into the least civilized place in the world. The mass detainment of Uyghurs and the sentencing of people like Hursan Hassan should never occur in a "civilised" nation."
13:57 Rajasthan: Journalist, Sachin Pilot's media advisor booked for spreading rumours
Rajasthan Police have registered an FIR against journalist Sharat Kumar and Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's media advisor Lokendra Singh on Thursday for spreading rumours over the alleged phone tapping of some MLAs and leaders.
"An FIR has been registered against the accused journalist Sharat Kumar and Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot's media advisor Lokendra Singh for spreading rumours over the alleged phone tapping of some MLAs and MPs," said Manoj Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (DCP), Jaipur South.
Kumar added that the police received information that fake news of phone tapping of some MPs and MLAs was being spread on Whatsapp.
"The Cyber Crime branch investigated the matter and asked the people who were spreading the news about its source. They were unable to provide satisfactory information and therefore an FIR has been registered under sections 501 (1b), 505 (2) & 120 B of Indian Penal Code against the two accused," he added. -- ANI
TMC rallies also without masks, says BJP's Vijayvargiya
13:54 BJP-police clash en route to Mamata's office
Hundreds of BJP protesters clashed with the police outside the Bengal secretariat "Nabanna" today, throwing to the wind all safety measures for coronavirus including the use of masks and social distancing.
Visuals from the spot showed the police trying to disperse them with tear gas and water cannons.
"Police is lathi charging our people. Stone-pelting being done from Khidirpur side. Can't the police see that?" BJP leader Locket Chatterjee said the during BJP's 'Nabanna Chalo' agitation against the state government, in Kolkata.
"We are protesting democratically, but Mamataji has tried to turn our peaceful demonstration into a violent protest. Goons along with police pelted stones at us," BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said.
"All workers are wearing masks. But are rules only for us? Mamata Ji holds demonstrations with thousands, and we're being taught lessons of social distancing. Do same rules not apply to her? Vijayvargiya, on question of party workers without masks at 'Chalo Nabanna' protest.
13:43 Pompeo slams China on hegemony over neighbours
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has reprimanded the China for using its economic power to increase its hegemony over the neighbouring countries in South Asia. The threat posed by China resulted in Pompeo's trip to Japan this week wherein he discussed the simmering tensions with the trio of key Indo-Pacific allies, Australia, India, and Japan, which is a rare meeting in times of the coronavirus pandemic, reported Washington Examiner.
The US is trying to rally democratic allies to counter the threats posed by Beijing, who is simultaneously modernising its military might through espionage and reverse engineering (Intellectual Property theft).Pompeo brought to the forum a denunciation of China's "exploitation, corruption, and coercion" of neighboring countries.
He said, "This is for the soul of the world. This is about whether this will be a world that operates in this sense that we're on a rules-based international order system or one that's dominated by a coercive totalitarian regime like the one in China."
The Quad members have also reiterated their support to Pompeo. "If you look at the single thing that's driving all this, it's a sudden turn toward gross aggression by the Chinese government in its entire periphery," the senior State Department official said.
The development has made the Dragon anxious that the bloc would develop into a "mini-NATO," but US officials put an emphasis on other forms of cooperation, reported Washington Examiner.
13:40 Fiscal deficit of Centre, states may rise 14%: Ex-RBI chief
The combined fiscal deficit of states and the centre during the current year may go up to 14 per cent against the mandated level of six per cent, former Reserve Bank Governor C Rangarajan said on Thursday. Speaking at a programme organised by the ICFAI Business School in Hyderabad, the former Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister said banks should neither be timid nor adventurous while lending as the loans of today should not become NPAs of tomorrow.
"So therefore we are essentially talking about 13.8 per cent or 14 per cent of the GDP (gross domestic product) as the overall fiscal deficit of the states and the Centre. It is obvious this is twice the mandated level. The mandated level for both the Centre and state is 6 per cent of the GDP. It is twice or even more than twice of the estimated figure," he said.
According to him, the fiscal deficit may further go if the government decides to go in for additional borrowings to meet GST compensation part. Rangarajan said RBI's monetary policy is "consistent" under the present circumstances and as a result banks have adequate liquidity for more lending. He opined that governments need to spend more when the economy is in slump and it is essential to spend on healthcare, relief and rehabilitation and on stimulus to spur the economy.
"There are three types of expenditure required. One- expenditure on healthcare second is the expenditure on relief and rehabilitation. Third is expenditure on stimulus. And it appears that the government both at the Centre and states are somewhat slow in increasing expenditures," he said.
13:28 IAF chopper makes precautionary landing in UP
An ALH Dhruv helicopter of the Indian Air Force on routine training sortie carried out a precautionary landing in the rural areas of Saharanpur district in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday.
People gathered in the area while the ALH Dhruv helicopter carried out the precautionary landing in Saharanpur.
The landing was carried out in an open field.
13:19 Passenger vehicle retail sales rise 10 pc in Sept: FADA
Automobile dealers' body, Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, on Thursday said passenger vehicle retail sales in September witnessed year-on-year increase of 9.81 per cent to 1,95,665 units, amid shift in customer preference for personal mobility over public transport.
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, which collected vehicle registration data from 1,254 out of the 1,461 regional transport offices, PV sales stood at 1,78,189 units in September 2019.
Two-wheeler sales, however, declined 12.62 per cent to 10,16,977 units last month, as compared to 11,63,918 units in September 2019.
Commercial vehicle sales also declined 33.65 per cent to 39,600 units, as compared to 59,683 units a year ago.
Similarly, three-wheeler sales fell 58.86 per cent to 24,060 units last month, as against 58,485 units in the year-ago period.
Tractor sales grew by 80.39 per cent to 68,564 units last month, as compared to 38,008 units in the same month last year.
Total sales across categories declined 10.24 per cent to 13,44,866 units, last month as against 14,98,283 units in the year-ago period.
"With social distancing in customer's mind coupled with the government's push to further normalise business conditions and banks becoming more considerate to finance vehicles, entry level passenger vehicles saw good demand thus indicating a preference for personal mobility over public transport," FADA President Vinkesh Gulati said.
New launches and availability of vehicles played their part as a catalyst while a lower base during the last fiscal also helped the cause, he added.
Tractor sales continued its dream run as Kharif sowing witnessed record progress of area covered till date when compared to last year, Gulati said.
With good Rabi season resulting in good disposable income, the rural market also saw its rub off effect on two-wheeler, small passenger vehicle and small commercial vehicle sales, he added.
Till recently, the economic revival was mostly limited to rural India and the impact of COVID-19 was still felt on larger states and urban centres, Gulati said.
"The top states which make up half of India's economic output -- Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and West Bengal, are now showing signs of revival as economic activities in these states are at its peak since lockdown began in March. This has also helped in creating a demand for automobile sales," he noted.
With no more lockdowns in sight, FADA anticipates a high growth period during October and November for automobile sales in the country, Gulati said. -- PTI
13:18 India will need more cold storage for Covid vaccine: Experts
The safe delivery of vaccines for mass immunisation against COVID-19 is a massive challenge and India will need to significantly ramp up its cold chain facilities, say experts as the world's second most populous nation moves into the next stage of management of the disease and looks towards a preventive.
With most frontrunner vaccine candidates likely to require 'extra cold' storage, the private sector could also be roped in for effective delivery of a preventive when it is available, suggest several experts and industry insiders.
Some vaccine frontrunners are in advanced stages of trial and could hit the market by early next year, making the task of securing "last mile connectivity" and ensuring that nothing goes wrong before the shot is administered more urgent.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said earlier this week that the government expects to receive and utilise 400-500 million vaccine doses for COVID-19, and cover approximately 20-25 crore people by July 2021.
The Centre has also reportedly directed states to make a robust plan for vaccine storage and distribution by October 15.
"Most if not all the current frontrunners require extremely stringent cold chains, making them immensely challenging for India to implement," said Satyajit Rath from New Delhi's National Institute of Immunology.
The immunologist noted that some COVID-19 vaccines will need storage temperatures that simply cannot be realistically managed in any large-scale Indian campaign.
He said the real problems will arise once vaccines are ready to go into the market.
Vaccine candidates by Moderna and Pfizer will require stringent standards for refrigeration that may hamper how they are distributed to millions of people across India's length and breadth, according to scientists.
Unlike drugs, virtually all vaccines need to be transported at cold temperatures, usually between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, said Raghavan Varadarajan, professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru.
"The necessity is to keep the vaccine product cold, either refrigerated or frozen. This is a constraint especially with large numbers of doses, Varadarajan told PTI, explaining the particular problems of India that has a population of 1.3 billion, second only to China.
Many vaccines lose potency when exposed to higher temperatures, he said, and re-cooling does not help.
Thus we need what is called the cold chain of handling before use, said Varadarajan whose team at IISc is working on a "warm vaccine" that can be stored for over a month at 37 degrees Celsius, and needs no cold chain for storage.
Pawanexh Kohli, the founding CEO of India's National Centre for Cold-Chain Development, agreed that protocols will require COVID-19 vaccines to be kept between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, while in transport and storage until delivery.
"The Moderna vaccine candidate is shipped in minus 20 degrees Celsius and held at 2-4 degrees for seven days. The Pfizer (vaccine) that requires minus 70 degrees temperatures," Kohli, honorary professor of post-harvest Logistics at the University of Birmingham in the UK, told PTI.
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use a synthetic version of genetic material from part of the coronavirus.
The genetic material called messenger RNA (mRNA) then prompts the cells to make a tiny piece of the virus, which the immune system recognises as foreign. I
f the person is later exposed to the real virus, the immune system will attack it.
Noting that RNA vaccines have never been used on humans, Vardarajan said it is possible high temperatures can affect these structures and thus affect the efficacy of the formulation.
While a bulk of the vaccines will be distributed through the Centre's Universal Immunization Programme mechanism, experts also suggest that the government rope in private cold chain operators.
The vast scale of India's UIP is supported by more than 27,000 functional cold chain points of which 750 (3 per cent) are located at the district level and above. The rest are located below the district level, according to the government's comprehensive multi-year UIP plan for 2018-22.
This includes 76,000 cold chain 'equipment', 2.5 million health workers, and 55,000 cold chain staff, the plan report said.
Cold chain logistics involves many moving parts, including cold storage facilities that store products waiting to be transported, cooling systems to keep it at an appropriate temperature during all aspects of the supply chain such as storing and transporting. Gel packs are also often used for medical and pharmaceutical shipments.
Approximately 390 million doses are administered annually at nine million sessions held across the country to immunise 26 million children and 30 million pregnant women, it said.
Noting that cold storage protocols are well established in India, Kohli said the public health network is limited in capacity.
"Luckily, the food cold chain has synergistic use for this purpose and should assist in this battle. Existing cold chain enterprises may need to allocate specific resources in their network," noted Kohli. -- PTI
13:02 PM Modi to deliver keynote address at Invest India Conference
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the keynote address at the Invest India Conference in Canada via video conferencing on Thursday evening.
The forum aims to give the Canadian business community a first-hand perspective of the opportunities to invest in India and showcase India as an investment destination, an official statement said.
The conference is expected to witness participation of representatives from banks and insurance companies, investment funds, companies in sectors like aviation, electronics and manufacturing, consultant firms and universities among others, it said. -- PTI
12:40 India's GDP to plunge 9.6% in 2020-21: World Bank
The World Bank on Thursday said that India's GDP is expected to contract by 9.6 per cent this fiscal which is reflective of the national lockdown and the income shock experienced by households and firms due to the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the country's economic situation is "much worse" than ever seen before.
The Washington-based global lender, in its latest South Asia Economic Focus report ahead of the annual meeting of the World bank and International Monetary Fund, forecasts a sharper than expected economic slump across the region, with regional growth expected to contract by 7.7 per cent in 2020, after topping six per cent annually in the past five years.
"India's GDP is expected to contract by 9.6 per cent in the fiscal year that started in March," the World Bank said in the report released.
Regional growth is projected to rebound to 4.5 per cent in 2021, it said.
Factoring in population growth, however, income-per-capita in the region will remain 6 per cent below 2019 estimates, indicating that the expected rebound will not offset the lasting economic damage caused by the pandemic, it said.
"The situation is much worse in India than we have ever seen before," Hans Timmer, World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia told reporters during a conference call.
"It is an exceptional situation in India. A very dire outlook," he said.
There was a 25 per cent decline in GDP in the second quarter of the year, which is the first quarter of the current fiscal year in India.
In the report, the World bank said that the spread of the coronavirus and containment measures have severely disrupted supply and demand conditions in India.
With the intent to contain the spread of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with effect from March 25, announced a nationwide complete lockdown that brought as much as 70 per cent of economic activity, investment, exports and discretionary consumption to a standstill. Only essential goods and services such as agriculture, mining, utility services, some financial and IT services and public services were allowed to operate.
Dubbed as the world's biggest lockdown, it shut a majority of the factories and businesses, suspended flights, stopped trains and restricted movement of vehicles and people.
According to the World Bank, monetary policy has been deployed aggressively and fiscal resources have been channeled to public health and social protection, but additional counter-cyclical measures will be needed, within a revised medium-term fiscal framework.
Despite measures to shield vulnerable households and firms, the trajectory of poverty reduction has slowed, if not reversed, it said. -- PTI
12:13 IAF displays its air might on 88th Air Force Day
The grandeur and might of the various types of aircraft in the Indian Air Force were on full display on the occasion of the 88th Air Force Day celebrations on Thursday.
The newly inducted Rafale fighter jet displayed its ability to carry out sharp turns during the flypast at the IAF base in Ghaziabad on the occasion.
The Rafale flew in the 'Vijay' formation, flanked by two Jaguars and Mirage 2000 each.
It also carried out a minimum radius turn within an area smaller than a hockey field forming a figure of eight.
Further, the IAF also showcased its heli-lift capability with two Chinooks carrying a container and a field artillery gun underslung over the parade venue.
The tandem-rotor helicopter is one of the most reliable and efficient heavy-lift helicopters around the world.
Chinook, with its operating ceiling of 20,000 feet, will redefine heli-lift operations in the country that includes operations like inter-valley transport of troops, airlifting artillery guns and heavy underslung loads for the Border Roads Organisation.
It can also be used to deploy artillery guns at high altitude positions with the China border in the northeast.
The Eklavya formation, including Apache and Mi-35 attack helicopters, also fired flares as a part of the display of the prowess of the aerial wing of the defence force.
Apart from this, the fighter jet also carried out vertical charlie manoeuvre and formed the 'Trishul' as part of the IAF's anniversary day celebration.
12:01 Technical glitches stalls Delhi HC's virtual hearing
Virtual hearings in the Delhi high court were delayed by nearly 45 minutes on Thursday morning due to a technical fault in the video conferencing software.
The hearings were to start at 10.30 am but commenced around 11.15 am.
Court masters of several benches said the WebEx platform being used for online proceedings apparently faltered and they had to face anxious calls from lawyers and litigants.
They said courts across the country where the WebEx software was being used were facing this problem.
The Delhi high court Registrar General's office also confirmed the software did not work.
When trying to log in to the hearings via the video conference link, a message was displayed: "Cisco WebEx had a problem processing your request. Contact support or your administrator and provide the following error tracking ID: 857FB792F41344E2A77DEB0EC62B8C28_1602135310759."
Some lawyers reported that the software was facing operational issues in other courts too, like in the Rajasthan High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court.
WebEx is a software developed by the US-based Cisco WebEx.
Since the courts in the national capital switched to virtual hearings, from March 24 onwards, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been using the WebEx platform.
The Supreme Court, however, does not use the software and its proceedings are held on another software called the 'Vidyo' app. -- PTI
11:54 Jharkhand allows 50 people at a time at places of worship
The Jharkhand government has said a maximum of 50 people can enter a place of worship at a time and devotees must wear masks and maintain social distancing.
The state government allowed religious institutions to reopen after more than six months on Thursday.
Places of worship in areas other than containment zones can reopen and heads of these religious institutions must ensure adherence to the COVID-19 protocol, a notification issued by Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh on Wednesday night said.
"Not more than 50 people will gather at a time at any place of worship and a distance of six feet between each devotee must be maintained," the notification said.
No fair or religious procession will be organised and only those devotees with masks will be allowed to enter the places of worship, it said.
The priests or clerics will have to wear masks and devotees should not hug each other or touch the idols, sacred texts or bells, the notification said.
People will have to bring mats from their homes and they cannot sit together to sing or speak. Priests cannot give 'prasad' to devotees or sprinkle water on them, it said.
Sanitiser will be kept at the entrance of the religious institutions and no person with coronavirus symptoms will be allowed to enter, the notification said.
Cafeterias and shops near the places of worship will also have to follow the COVID-19 protocol, it said.
Sanitisation of the floors of the religious institutions will have to be undertaken several times a day, the notification said.
Strict action will be taken against those violating the COVID-19 protocol, it added.
11:15 Revealed! How BJP plans to defeat Tejashwi Yadav
The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP ) has done extensive planning to defeat the Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD's) Tejashwi Yadav, on his home turf the Raghopur seat in the forthcoming State Assembly polls.
The top leader from RJD is the chief ministerial candidate from the "Mahagathbandhan". The NDA candidate from Raghopur Assembly will be from BJP as the seat has come in its half as a result of the seat-sharing arrangement with its ally Janata Dal-United (JDU). The BJP is yet to finalise its candidate from the seat.
Talking to ANI, on condition of anonymity, a senior BJP leader from Bihar said that a strategy has been worked out to ensure Tejashwi's defeat from the Raghopur seat in Vaishali district, from where he is also the sitting MLA.
"Bihar BJP has deputed dozens of dedicated cadres who are working day and night on the ground in Raghopur Assembly seat. They are working on the caste equation, as well as and taking opinion from cadres on the booth to block-level to increase the chances of the NDA candidate's victory. They are also motivating cadres that the RJD's top leader is not invincible. If BJP cadres work hard then definitely Tejashwi will have to face a tough time in the upcoming polls," he said.
The source, further added that in the general elections held last year, the RJD had registered a lead of merely 242 votes in the Raghopur Assembly segment.
In the 2010 Assembly elections, Tejashwi's mother and senior RJD leader Rabri Devi had also been defeated by JDU's then-candidate Satish Kumar on the seat. And the BJP hopes to repeat its performance in the upcoming polls.
The BJP leaders believe NDA can register a massive victory in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the upcoming Assembly elections.
JDU has been allotted 122 seats and BJP has got 121 seats for Bihar Assembly polls. JDU has given seven seats to Jitan Ram Manjhi-led HAM from its 122 seats while the BJP has given 11 seats to Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) from its share of 121 seats.
Elections to the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will be held in three phases--October 28, November 3, and 7, and the counting of votes will take place on November 10. -- ANI
11:08 Salma Hayek meditates before Goddess Lakshmi
The super-talented Salma Hayek tweets her faith in Hinduism. "When I want to connect with my inner beauty, I start my meditation focusing on the goddess Lakshmi. #innerbeauty #hinduism #lakshmi."
Hayek tweeted this image alongside of Goddess Lakshmi, somebody the world is looking at among Covid-induced penury.
10:55 Cover your nose and mouth when you wear a mask
Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik makes a point about wearing a mask properly. Most Indians wear a mask in public places, yet perch the mask on their chin.
10:42 Rafales, Apaches will transform IAF: Prez Kovind
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said the ongoing process of modernisation with induction of Rafale, Apache and Chinook will transform the Indian Air Force into an even more formidable strategic force.
On the occasion of Air Force Day, he said the nation remains indebted to the contribution of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in securing our skies and assisting civil authorities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
"The ongoing process of modernisation with induction of Rafale, Apache and Chinook will transform the IAF into an even more formidable strategic force. Confident that in the years to come, the Indian Air Force will continue to maintain its high standards of commitment & competence," Kovind tweeted.
"On Air Force Day, we proudly honour our air warriors, veterans, and families of the Indian Air Force. The nation remains indebted to the contribution of the IAF in securing our skies and assisting civil authorities in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief," the president said in another tweet. -- PTI
10:35 A silent crackdown sweeps through Delhi in the guise of probing riots conspiracy
The police have interrogated over 70 anti-Citizenship Act protestors. Some allege they were abused, threatened, coerced into giving false statements. Read the report here
10:33 Uday Shankar to step down as President of Walt Disney APAC, chairman Star & Disney India
Global media and entertainment conglomerate The Walt Disney Company on Thursday said Uday Shankar will step down as President of its Asia Pacific (APAC) business and Chairman of Star and Disney India with effect from December 31, 2020.
Shankar has quit to pursue entrepreneurial interests outside the company. "Shankar will step down as President, The Walt Disney Company APAC, and Chairman, Star and Disney India, effective as of December 31, 2020," Rebecca Campbell, Chairman of Disney's Direct-to-Consumer and International segment said in a statement. The company said that over the next three months, Shankar will work closely with Campbell to identify his successor to ensure a smooth transition.
Since February 2019, Shankar has served as President, The Walt Disney Company APAC, and chairman, Star and Disney India. Disney's Direct-to-Consumer and International segment includes the company's direct-to-consumer streaming businesses including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ Hotstar, as well as Disney's international media operations stretching from Europe to Asia to Latin America. -- PTI
10:14 IAF chief lauds 'air warriors' during LAC fracas
IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria inspects the 88th Indian Air Force Day parade at Hindon airbase on the occasion of IAF Foundation Day.
"As we enter the 89th year, the IAF is undergoing a transformational change. We are entering an era which will redefine where we employ aerospace power and conduct integrated multi-domain operations.
"This year has indeed been an unprecedented one. As Covid-19 spread across the globe, our nation's response was firm. The tenacity and resolve of our air warriors ensured that IAF continued to retain its capability to undertake full-scale operations throughout this period.
"I want to assure the nation that the Indian Air Force will evolve and be ever ready to safeguard our nation's sovereignty and interests in all circumstances.
"I commend all air warriors for quick response in the recent standoff on the northern frontiers, when we deployed our combat assets at short notice to handle any eventuality and provided proactive support to all requirements of deployment and sustenance for Indian Army."
09:59 President Trump betrayed America's friends, embraced dictators: Kamala Harris
Democratic vice president nominee Kamala Harris has accused President Donald Trump of "betraying our friends and embracing dictators" as she attacked his "unilateral approach" to his foreign policy that led to America pulling out of the landmark Iran nuclear deal and making the country less safer.
During the only vice presidential debate during the 2020 presidential election held in Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night, the 55-year-old California Senator stressed foreign policy "might sound complicated" but really is about relationships.
"You've got to keep your word to your friends. You've got to be loyal to your friends. People who've stood with you, you've got to stand with them, Harris said during the 90-minute debate.
"Donald Trump has betrayed our friends and has embraced dictators around the world," she said, inviting strong rebuttal from Vice President Mike Pence who said the Trump administration has "stood strong with our allies." "We've strengthened our alliances ... and stood strong against those who would do us harm," Pence said, strongly defending his boss. Criticising the Trump administration for taking the US out of the Iran nuclear deal and isolating America, Harris called Trump's foreign policy "unilateral", and "isolationist".
President Trump withdrew the US from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), also known as the Iran nuclear deal, in May 2018, in one of the biggest foreign policy decisions. The move was opposed by US allies France, Britain and Germany. The landmark deal was the crowning diplomatic achievement of former president Barack Obama. -- PTI
09:48 971 Covid deaths in 24 hours, India tally 68L+
India's Covid-19 tally crosses the 68-lakh mark with a spike of 78,524 new cases and 971 deaths reported in the last 24 hours. Total case tally stands at 68,35,656 including 9,02,425 active cases, 58,27,705 cured/discharged/migrated cases & 1,05,526 deaths, the Union Health Ministry, says.
File pic
09:45 Delhi's air quality turns 'poor' as AQI worsens
The national capital on Thursday woke up to 'poor' air quality, with the air quality index (AQI) stood at 210 and 214 in Delhi's Anand Vihar and Patparganj area respectively, according to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
The AQI in Delhi's Bawana area also slipped into the 'poor' category at 251.The AQI is forecasted to deteriorate for the next three days and forecasted to remain in 'poor' category with increasing magnitude until October 10, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) stated on Wednesday.
An AQI between 0-50 is marked good, 51-100 is satisfactory, 101-200 is moderate, 201-300 is poor, 301-400 is very poor and 401-500 is considered severe. -- ANI
09:41 Retreating monsoon rains worry paddy farmers in Maha
Farmers in Maharashtra's Gondia and Bhandara districts who have grown early maturing varieties of paddy are worried as the retreating monsoon rains pose a threat to their standing crops. Agriculture officials in the two districts told PTI that irregular drizzle will not affect the crops, but if rains continue, then it will cause damage to the standing crops.
Gondia and Bhandara fall under the paddy cultivation belt of the state and nearly 60 per cent farmers there prefer growing early maturing paddy varieties, which are ready for harvest in 90 to 120 days, officials said on Wednesday. Farmers have cultivated paddy on about 1.91 lakh hectare land in eight tehsils of Gondia and on 1.78 lakh hectare in seven tehsils of Bhandara, they said.
With good rains in the last four months of the monsoon season, farming are hopeful of a good harvest. Some farmers have already started cutting their crops, but spells of showers in the last few days have worried them.
Some farmers said their paddy fields in Lakhni tehsil of Bhandara have got water-logged following the downpour. Gondia district agriculture superintendent Ganesh Ghorpade and his Bhandara counterpart Hindurao Chavan told PTI that farmers need not worry as of now, but if rains continue for some more time, then "things would get tougher". They have asked cultivators to delay the crop cutting work by five to six days and also keep a tab on rain prediction before harvesting the crop. -- PTI
09:35 Air pollution may make Covid more deadly: Study
Researchers have found long-term exposure to urban air pollution may have made Covid-19 virus more deadly. "Both long-term and short-term exposure to air pollution has been associated with direct and indirect systemic impact on the human body by enhancing oxidative stress, acute inflammation, and respiratory infection risk," says Donghai Liang of Emory University, first co-author on the recent paper along with Liuhua Shi.
In a recent study conducted by researchers analyzed key urban air pollutants, including fine particle matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3), across 3,122 counties in the United States from January to July.
To examine the association between ambient air pollutants and the severity of Covid-19 outcomes, they investigated two major death outcomes, the case-fatality rate (i.e., number of deaths among the people who are diagnosed with Covid-19) and the mortality rate (i.e., number of Covid-19 deaths in the population).
The two indicators can imply the biological susceptibility to deaths from Covid-19 and offer information about the severity of the COVID-19 deaths in the general population, respectively.
Of the pollutants analyzed, NO2 had the strongest independent correlation with raising a person's susceptibility to death from COVID-19, Eurekalert reported.
A 4.6 parts per billion (ppb) increase of NO2 in the air was associated with 11.3 per cent and 16.2 per cent increases in Covid-19 case-fatality and mortality rate, respectively.
Moreover, researchers discovered that just a 4.6 ppb reduction in long-term exposure to NO2 would have prevented 14,672 deaths among those who tested positive for the virus. The team also observed a marginally significant association between PM2.5 exposure and Covid case-fatality rate, whereas no notable associations were found with ozone, Eurekalert added.
"Long-term exposure to urban air pollution, especially nitrogen dioxide, might enhance populations' susceptibility to severe COVID-19 death outcomes," said Liang.
09:24 US will be out of Afghanistan by Christmas: Trump
United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday sought withdrawal of all American troops from Afghanistan by Christmas this year.
"We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!" Trump said in a tweet Wednesday night.
After an agreement with the Taliban on February 29 this year, the US reduced its force level to 8,600 and turned five bases over to its Afghan partners.
This August, the president made a determination that the conditions in Afghanistan were sufficient to reduce the force presence to between 4,000 and 5,000 by November end.
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, David F Helvey, told lawmakers last month that Pentagon is making "prudent planning" to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by May next year. -- PTI
09:23 PM Modi greets IAF on its foundation day
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday greeted the Indian Air Force on its foundation day, saying the courage, valour and dedication of its soldiers to protect the country inspire everyone.
In a tweet on the Air Force Day, he lauded the force and said its brave soldiers do not only protect Indian skies, but also play a leading role in serving humanity during any crisis.
The prime minister also posted a brief video in which he speaks of the Indian Air Force's beginning in 1932 as a force of six pilots and 19 airmen and its rise to become one of the strongest forces in the 21st century.
It is a memorable journey, Modi said, as he praised the IAF and noted the pride and respect it commands from people. -- PTI
09:22 Ex-CBI chief Ashwani Kumar ended life due to disease: Suicide note
The suicide note of former governor of Manipur and Nagaland and ex-Central Bureau of Investigation director Ashwani Kumar, who allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Shimla on Wednesday, revealed that he ended his life due to 'disease and disability', informed Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh.
"We found a suicide note in which he wrote that he is ending his life due to disease and disability, of his own free will. He said his soul is embarking on a new journey and everyone needed to be happy, and that there should be no rituals or ceremonies," the DGP told media.
Kundu stated that Kumar's son and daughter-in-law were the ones who first found the ex-CBI director hanging in the attic of their residence in Shimla around 7.00 pm on Wednesday.
"He used to meditate in the attic around 7.00 pm every day, with all doors open. Today, around 7.00 pm when his son and daughter-in-law were going for a walk, they found all the doors of the attic locked. They broke the door and found Kumar hanging from a rope there. They cut the rope to bring him down. The forensic science lab team has collected the evidence and examined the scene. The police is recording the statements of witnesses including the family members," he said.
He added that the family has negated the possibility of foul play.
"The family is not suspecting any foul play in the matter. They said the whole family had lunch together. The post-mortem will be conducted and post that the body will be handed over to the family," he added. -- ANI
09:03 Together, we will win against COVID-19: PM
India's coronavirus fight is people driven and gets great strength from its COVID warriors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he urged people to follow COVID appropriate behaviour.
He made the appeal to people to follow social distancing norms and expressed confidence that the fight against the pandemic will be won.
The ministry of information and broadcasting had on Wednesday said the prime minister will launch a 'jan andolan' campaign for COVID appropriate behaviour on Thursday with a tweet in view of the upcoming festivals, winter season and opening up of the economy.
"India's COVID-19 fight is people driven and gets great strength from our COVID warriors," Modi said.
He said collective efforts have helped save many lives.
"We have to continue the momentum and protect our citizens from the virus," the PM tweeted using the hashtag 'Unite2FightCorona'.
"Let us #Unite2FightCorona! Let us always remember: Wear a mask. Wash hands. Follow social distancing. Practice 'Do Gaj Ki Doori.' Together, we will succeed. Together, we will win against COVID-19," he said in another tweet. -- PTI
08:38 Final speaking time tally for the VP debate
During the 90 minutes of the VP debate, Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris ended up with nearly the same amount of speaking time, differing by just a few seconds.
Pence spoke for 36 minutes 27 seconds while Harris talked for 36 minutes 24 seconds.
08:35 Fly lands on Pence's head during VP debate
During the vice-presidential debate earlier, a fly landed on Vice President Mike Pence's head.
08:24 VP debate more cordial than presidential debate
The vice presidential debate was much more cordial than raucous presidential debate with frequent interruptions and outbursts.
Image: US Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic vice presidential nominee and US Senator Kamala Harris applaud at the end of the 2020 vice presidential debate on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. Photograph: Morry Gash/Pool via Reuters
08:17 US vice presidential debate concludes
And with that the only US vice-presidential debate has come to an end.
08:14 What would Biden-Harris do if Trump refuses to leave?
The final topic question is on the election itself.
Susan Page says the president has repeatedly refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. So what, she asks Harris, would she and Biden do if he refused to stand aside?
Harris responds that she and Biden have built a broad coalition of supporters.
She says: "Vote! Please! Vote early! Come up with a plan to vote... We have it within our power in these next 27 days" to change the next four years.
She accuses President Trump of attempting to suppress the vote during the presidential debate last week.
08:11 Trump embraced dictators: Harris at VP Debate
Kamala Harris sharpened her attack on the Trump administration by saying that President Donald Trump betrayed friends, embraced dictators.
She highlighted that Russia interfered in the 2016 US Presidential Elections.
She also said that Trump's unilateral approach to foreign policy coupled with isolationism led to US pulling out of the Iran Nuclear deal and making the country less safer.
08:06 Was justice done with Breonna Taylor?
The next topic brings criminal justice and race issues on the table.
Was justice done in the case of Breonna Taylor, a Black medical worker who was shot and killed by Louisville police officers in March while they raided her apartment?
Harris is up first. She says her life was taken "unjustifiably, tragically, violently".
She then brings up George Floyd's death too, and how it brought diverse people together across the country to fight for change.
"We are never going to condone violence but we always must fight for the values we hold dear."
"Bad cops are bad for good cops," she says, bringing up her prosecutorial past.
08:01 Trump, Pence 'don't believe in science': Harris
Harris points out that her home state of California is burning.
"This administration took the word science off the website," Harris says looking at Pence.
"We have seen a pattern with this administration and that is they don't believe in science," she said.
She says Biden will deal with climate change as well as create jobs.
07:54 Pence is 'doing GREAT!': Trump on VP debate
Looks like United States President Donald Trump is watching the vice presidential debate along with all of us.
"Mike Pence is doing GREAT! She is a gaffe machine," Trump tweets.
07:51 US lost trade war with China, says Harris
Senator Kamala Harris criticises Vice President Mike Pence and the Trump administration's handling of trade, leading the vice president to fire back at Joe Bidens record on trade agreements.
"The vice president earlier said it's what he thinks as an accomplishment that the President's trade war with China," Harris said.
"You lost that trade war. You lost it. What ended up happening is because of a so-called trade war with China, America lost 300,000 manufacturing jobs," she said.
Harris went on to note that farmers have experienced more bankruptcies in recent years and manufacturing jobs have dipped.
Pence fired back: "Lost the trade war with China? Joe Biden never fought it."
'"Joe Biden has been a cheerleader for Communist China over the last several decades. And Sen. Harris, youre entitled to your opinion, not your own facts," Pence said.
07:36 Pence quizzed on climate change effects
Pence gets the first stab at this question: Does he believe that man-made climate change has made wildfires and hurrianes worse?
Pence says he's proud of the administration's record on the environment and conservation and he says that air is historically clean.
He says Trump has "made a commitment" to conservation with regards to climate change.
"The climate is changing. The issue is what's the cause and what do we do about it," he said.
Trump says we'll continue to listen to science, Pence promises, but he warns Biden-Harris would go back to the Paris Climate Accord and hurt the US economy with their focus on clean energy.
07:34 Mr. Vice President, I am speaking: Harris on Pence interruption
Sen. Kamala Harris hit back at Vice President Mike Pence trying to interrupt one of her answers about coronavirus by bluntly saying, "Mr. Vice President, I am speaking."
"The American people have had to sacrifice far too much because of the incompetence of this administration," Harris shot at the vice president, who attempted to defend the administrations record on coronavirus.
07:27 Won't take vaccine endorsed by Trump: Harris
Senator Kamala Harris said in a vice presidential debate against Vice President Mike Pence that she will not take a coronavirus vaccine if it is recommended by incumbent President Donald Trump.
"If Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I'll be the first in line to take it. Absolutely," Harris said.
"But if Donald Trump tells us to take it, Im not taking it," she added.
07:18 Harris attacks Trump's tax bills at VP Debate
Moving from discussing the country's Covid-19 response, Senator Kamala Harris attacked President Donald Trump tax bills by saying that Trump measures economy's strength based on how rich people are.
07:11 Biden's Covid plan looks like 'plagiarism': Pence
Vice President Mike Pence claims Joe Biden plagiarised the Trump administration's COVID-19 response.
Describing the Biden-Harris plan to combat coronavirus, Pence suggested it was ripped from the current Trump administration approach.
"It looks a little like plagiarism, which is something Joe Biden knows a little about," he said.
Pence said Trump did what no other president had ever done -- suspended all travel from China, the second-largest economy in the world.
The vice-president claims this saved numerous lives.
He echoes Trump's claim that there will soon be "tens of millions of doses" of the vaccine available.
07:06 Trump administration 'always' told people the truth: Pence
Responding to Harris's charges about covering up the coronavirus pandemic, Pence said he and the administration have "always" told the American people the truth.
The vice president also touted the "transparency" of Trump's medical team.
06:59 'Greatest failure': Harris on Trump's handling of Covid
Senator Kamala Harris attacks the Trump administration's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it the greatest failure in the history of the US government.
"The American people have witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history of our country," Harris said at the outset of the debate before attacking the Trump administration for obscuring the facts around the virus.
"They knew and they covered it up. They minimised the seriousness of it. The president said 'you're on one side of the ledger if you wear a mask, you're on the other side if you don't;" Harris said.
"They still don't have a plan, well Joe Biden does," she added.
That plan is focused on contact tracing and vaccines.
She says the Trump administration has "forfeited" the right to re-election because of their response to COVID-19.
06:52 Pence, Harris debate COVID-19 response
The candidates are talking about COVID-19 now that has claimed over 200,000 American lives and battered the country's economy.
06:42 US poll: VP debate between Pence and Harris begins
Here we go, the first and only vice-presidential debate has officially begun at the Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Moderator Susan Page laid down rules for the debate which include wearing of masks by audience, 12 feet distance between the candidates.
She further welcomed Senator Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence.
06:24 VP debate between Pence, Harris to begin shortly
United States Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Senator Kamala Harris are all set for a crucial debate, which comes as Donald Trump is ill with coronavirus that has claimed over 200,000 American lives and battered the country's economy.
Political analysts believe that an aggressive Harris, 55, who aspires to be the first woman vice-president in history, will easily prevail over Pence, 61, during the only vice-presidential debate and help Biden, 77, to widen his lead over Trump, 74.
The debate comes nearly a week after the first of the three presidential debates in Cleveland on September 29 wherein Biden termed Trump a "liar" and a "clown" as the two candidates fiercely clashed over a number of issues, including racism, economy and climate.
Following the first presidential debate, Trump was tested COVID-19 positive and admitted to a military hospital, a development that upended his hectic campaign just weeks before the presidential elections on November 3.
00:13 France Covid hospitalisations at 3-month high
French health authorities said more than 7,500 patients are being treated in hospital for Covid-19, marking a three-month high and an increase of more than 65 per cent versus a 29 August low point of 4,530.
The government has put in place restrictions all over the country -- including bars in Paris being ordered to close at 10pm -- to contain the second wave of the disease and prevent the hospital system from being overwhelmed.
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