LIVE! US nears 8 million total Covid-19 cases

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Fri, 16 October 2020

US nears 8 million total Covid-19 cases

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23:41 US nears 8 million total Covid-19 cases

The US reported more than 65,000 cases across the country -- the most in a single day since July - as it inches toward a total of eight million infections.

Uncontrolled outbreaks are raging on in the Upper Midwest, in states like Wisconsin and Montana. Nearby, North Dakota and South Dakota are now adding more cases than any states have since the start of the pandemic.

The return of students to colleges and universities has been linked to the rapid spread. A recent study from the US Centers for Disease Control on the almost 100,000 coronavirus cases reported between August 2 and September 5 -- around when college students began their return to school - found that weekly cases among those aged 18-22 increased by 55 per cent nationally.

Authorities have also pointed to a rise in "pandemic fatigue", now more than six months after the outbreak reached the US.

23:17 Stabbing attack reported near Paris

A man has been stabbed in a suburb north-west of the French capital Paris, media reports say, with the attacker shot dead by police.

The reports suggest the victim in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine was beheaded but police have not confirmed this.

The French anti-terrorist prosecutor has been called in to lead an investigation.

France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, travelling to Morocco, is returning urgently to Paris.

The attack occurred near a school.

Police arrived at the scene after receiving a call about a suspicious individual loitering near the school, a police source was quoted as saying.

The French news agency says the officers found the dead man and then sighted the suspect about 200m (220 yards) further in Eragny. He was threatening them with a knife-like weapon. The attacker was then shot dead by police.

The scene is now sealed off, as the investigation continues.

US President Donald Trump was out-raised by Democrat Joe Biden in September and is being outgunned financially by his rival with just weeks to go until Election Day.

Trump's campaign, along with the Republican National Committee and associated groups, raised $247.8 million in September, well short of the $383 million raised by Biden and the Democratic National Committee in the same period.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh tweeted that the Trump effort had $251.4 million on hand at the end of September, compared with $432 million for Biden.

22:34 Blame game begins over Mumbai power outage

A blame game has begun between Tata Power and state-run transmission utility Mahatransco over the massive power outage in the financial capital earlier this week.

Mahatransco (Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited - MSETCL) Chairman and Managing Director Dinesh Waghmare said Tata Power's plants took time to start generating electricity following the grid collapse on Monday morning, resulting in the specially created 'islanding' system not working.

Hydel power stations can start generating power in 10 minutes, but Tata Power's took over five hours, while its thermal power stations came on board only past midnight, resulting in longer time required for restoration of power to residents, Waghmare told a TV news channel on Thursday.

Countering this, Tata Power on Friday said "the inconvenience caused to the Mumbai consumers was due the MSTECL transmission system failure which led to cascading impact on all the downstream suppliers of electricity including Tata Power and BEST."

-- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Maharashtra over the situation created in their states due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

He assured the two states of all possible support from the Centre in rescue and relief work. "Spoke to CM BS Yediyurappa Ji on the rainfall and flood situation in various parts of Karnataka. We stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of Karnataka affected by the floods. Assured all possible support from the Centre in rescue and relief works that are underway," the PM said in a tweet.

"Spoke to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray Ji regarding the situation arising due to flooding and heavy rain in parts of the state. My thoughts and prayers are with those sisters and brothers affected. Reiterated Centre's support in the ongoing rescue and relief work," he said in another tweet.

Both the chief ministers have been holding meetings regarding the flood situation in their states.

Yediyurappa held a meeting with district collectors and senior officials of districts affected by heavy rainfall and flood through video conferencing.

Thackeray had held a meeting on Thursday to take stock by flood situation in Solapur, Osmanabad, Pandharpur and Baramati following heavy rainfall.

-- ANI

21:41 Odisha's Soyeb Aftab bags top rank in NEET

The result of the medical entrance exam NEET was announced on Friday night, with Odisha's Soyeb Aftab bagging the top rank attaining a perfect score and Delhi girl Akansha Singh securing the second rank, according to officials of the National Testing Agency.

A total of 7,71,500 candidates have qualified the exam for which over 13.66 lakh candidates had appeared.

The highest number of qualifying candidates are from Tripura (88,889) followed by Maharashtra (79,974).

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test was conducted on September 13 amid strict precautions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

From this year, the admissions to MBBS course in 13 All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry, will also be made through NEET following the amendment in National Medical Commission Act, 2019, passed by Parliament last year.

The test was offered in 11 languages -- English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Odia, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu -- this year. Based on the initial report, more than 77 per cent aspirants took the test in English, around 12 per cent in Hindi and 11 per cent in other languages.

The exam was earlier postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the government decided to go ahead with it, despite opposition by a section, to mitigate any further academic loss.

-- PTI

21:13 HK bars Air India, Vistara flights till Oct 30

Hong Kong has banned Air India and Vistara flights from October 17 to 30 after a few passengers on their flights tested positive for COVID-19 post arrival, a senior government official said on Friday.

This is the third time that Air India flights from India have been banned by the Hong Kong government for bringing passengers who tested positive for the infection after arrival. Previous bans were during September 20-October 3 and August 18-August 31.

Vistara's flights are being banned for the first time by the Hong Kong government during the coronavirus pandemic.

Passengers from India can arrive in Hong Kong only if they have a COVID-19 negative certificate from a test done within 72 hours prior to the journey, according to rules issued by the Hong Kong government in July.

Moreover, all international passengers are required to undergo a post-flight COVID-19 test at the Hong Kong airport.

"A few passengers who travelled on Delhi-Hong Kong flight of Air India and Chennai-Hong Kong flight of Vistara on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 post arrival," the senior government official said.

-- PTI

20:44 Next 2.5 months crucial for Covid: Vardhan

The next two-and-a-half months are going to be crucial in the fight against coronavirus because of the winter season and festivals, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Friday.

Vardhan, who is also Science and Technology Minister, said three vaccine candidates are progressing well in India with one of them in the advanced stage-III clinical trial and two others in stage-II trial.

He expressed hope that India will soon have indigenous production of vaccine against coronavirus.

"The next two-and-a-half months are going to be very crucial for us in our fight against corona because of the winter season and the festival season. It becomes the responsibility of every citizen to not let our guard down and follow COVID-19 appropriate behaviour to curb the spread of the infection," Vardhan said.

The minister was chairing a meeting on COVID-19 appropriate behaviour with heads/directors of institutions of the Department of Science and Technology and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

He said the virus has adversely affected the whole world but simple precautionary measures are effective in preventing the coronavirus to a large extent.

"Wearing mask, face cover especially in public spaces, and following hand and respiratory etiquettes are the cardinal principles of social vaccine," Vardhan said.

He stressed on the importance of physical distancing for effective containment of the disease.

On the country's fight against COVID-19, the minister said India is continuously recording new milestones in treatment of COVID-19.

"Our recovery rate is highest in the world and the fatality is among the lowest. The active cases are constantly declining. All the parameters have proven the success of the COVID-19 containment strategy followed by all states and union territories.

"We have successfully ramped up our testing capacity to meet the requirements. India also has now become self-reliant in terms of masks, PPE kits and ventilators which we earlier used to import," the minister said.

-- PTI

20:19 11,447 new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra

Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally on Friday increased to 15,76,062 with 11,447 new cases coming to light, said a state health official.

The state also reported 306 fatalities during the day, taking death toll to 41,502, he said.

A total of 13,885 patients were discharged, taking the tally of recovered persons to 13,44,368.

The number of active patients in the state stands at 1,89,715.

Mumbai city reported 1,823 cases during the day, which pushed its overall case count to 2,38,544, while its death toll rose to 9,638 with 37 deaths being reported on Friday.

Pune city added 476 COVID-19 cases, raising its tally to 1,67,406, while 44 deaths took toll to 3,856.

The state has so far conducted 79,89,693 tests.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 figures are as follows: Positive cases: 15,76,062, new cases: 11,447, death toll: 41,502, discharged: 13,44,368, active cases: 1,89,715, people tested so far:79,89,693.

-- PTI

Actor Vivek Oberoi, a vocal supporter of the BJP who starred as Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an adulatory biopic, must be investigated for possible links to the drug abuse scandal being probed by the Narcotics Control Bureau or NCB, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said on Friday.

Deshmukh's comments came after a Congress party delegation met him with the demand following a raid at Mr Oberoi's residence by the Bengaluru Police on Thursday in connection with the drugs scandal involving the Kannada film industry.

The police were looking for Vivek Oberoi's wife Priyanka Alva's brother Aditya who has been evading arrest after being named as in the drugs probe by the Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru Police.

Priyanka Alva, the daughter of former Karnataka minister Jeevaraj Alva and Nandini Alva, has been served a notice by the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch as well.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said the Narcotic Control Bureau or NCB should probe Vivek Oberoi in the separate drug case involving members of the Hindi film industry in Mumbai known as Bollywood.

"If the NCB does not probe it, then we will ask the Mumbai Police to probe it," Deshmukh said.

19:27 Remdesivir has no effect on survival: WHO

Anti-viral drug remdesivir has little to no effect on Covid patients' chances of survival, a study from the World Health Organization has found.

The WHO trial evaluated four potential medications for Covid-19, including remdesivir and hydroxychloroquine.

Remdesivir was among the first to be used to treat coronavirus, and was recently given to US President Donald Trump when he was in hospital.

The drug's manufacturer Gilead rejected the findings of the trial.

For its Solidarity clinical trial, the WHO tested the effects four potential treatments - remdesivir, an Ebola drug, was one, but they also looked at malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, auto-immune drug interferon, and the HIV drug combination of lopinavir and ritonavir.

The results, which are yet to be peer-reviewed, suggest that none of these treatments has a substantial effect on mortality or on the length of time spent in hospital, the WHO said on Thursday.

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday that their trials on hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir were stopped in June because they had already proven ineffective. However, the other trials continued.

Abdullahs with Mufti (left)

18:55 Why Abdullahs and Mufti decided to join hands

In an important development, major political parties from the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir came together on October 15 to form the Peoples' Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, for the restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state as it existed before August 5 last year and also to initiate a dialogue between all stakeholders in the issue.

Among the leaders who attended the meeting at the residence of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and attended by People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone, Peoples Movement leader Javaid Mir and Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami.

How did the political leaders manage to sink their differences -- notably the Abdullahs and Mufti, who have for long remained implacable political foes in the state?

In an interview to Rajdeep Sardesai for India Today TV, Omar Abdullah explains their compulsions in coming together.

You can watch the interview, here.

The Maharashtra government on Friday said that more Mumbai local trains will be opened for all commuters on basis of regular tickets/pass. The railways will announce more details, dates, etc.

The government also announced that women commuters will be allowed to travel in suburban trains from 11 am to 3 pm and 7 pm till the end of local services for the day.

Requesting the railways to increase the frequency of local trains, a letter from the Maharashtra government's Disaster Management and Relief & Rehabilitation said that the decision could be implemented after October 17.

Railway officials in Mumbai said that they have received the letter but were awaiting further directives and guidelines from the Ministry of Railways.

There are many things that Dr Viral Acharya discloses as he and Mercatus Senior Research Fellow Shruti Rajagopalan discuss Indian monetary policy, the banking system and reforming the financial sector, in the Ideas of India podcast, but the bit that caught our attention was where he talks about "pav-bhaji' index of inflation.

The former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India, who is currently the C V Starr Professor of Economics in the Department of Finance at New York University Stern School of Business, tells Rajagopalan while discussing inflation, "I would say on the inflation front, the challenges are somewhat muted in my view because I think in its wisdom, the inflation-targeting framework is based on a consumer price index, and in my view, it's good that it puts a significant weight on food because what you find is that in India, food inflation has a tendency to generalize into other forms of inflation because it affects household inflation expectations in a very, very significant way. A series of papers at the Reserve Bank have shown that food and fuel are very important components in affecting inflation expectations in India."

And then he goes on to say: "I used to check with my mom every month when I was in India as to what were the -- I call it the "Pav bhaji" index. What is the cost of the peas, onions, tomatoes and potatoes, mainly the last three -- tomatoes, potatoes and onions -- because they are very volatile, but they do shape what the average person in India thinks, as we call it, monghavaaree [dearness] in the food in the Indian languages. That affects inflation expectations in a very significant way.

"It's also a way of ensuring that the monetary policy decision is not skewed towards the urban economy entirely, that food, which is a very big part of the consumption basket of the poor, actually also gets an important weight in the decision-making of the central bank."

You can read the transcript of the podcast, here.

Dr G N Saibaba, who has been lodged in Nagpur Central Jail under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) since 2014, will be going on hunger strike to demand the basic rights of every prisoner, and access to reading material, letters and medicines.

The Committee for the Defence and Release of Dr Saibaba, in a press release, said he has resolved to observe a hunger strike starting from October 21 in light of the denial of basic medical facilities to him and the denial of books and letters sent to him from family and friends.

Unfair restrictions and harassment faced by him are compounded by the inability of family or lawyers to visit him in jail due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, it said.

Dr Saibaba, a professor of English in Delhi University with 90% disability, has spent the last several years suffering grave physical ailments, including the gradual paralysis of his functional limbs due to neglect and continuous denial of adequate treatment by the jail authorities, the release added.

The repeated denial of parole or medical bail to Dr Saibaba despite his deteriorating physical health and the vulnerabilities of a person with co-morbidities facing the threat of contracting Covid-19 inside the over-crowded jail is a grave threat to his life. At this stage, withholding medicine provided by the lawyer is extremely concerning, and deprives him of crucial life-saving medicines that he may require, it said.

The committee said it appeals to the Nagpur Central Jail authorities to intervene and ensure the basic rights of Dr Saibaba are upheld, he is provided medicines, books and letters and ensures that his life is not endangered.

18:16 PM motivated people to wear masks: Jaishankar

EAM S Jaishankar calls out America's distant relationship with the face mask. Speaking at an event, Jaishankar said, "When I look at Europe and US it's amazing how many unmasked people I see on street. You won't see it in India. People rose to the occasion. In many ways, PM was a great motivator. He went up there and really got people to take this very seriously."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians several times over in the last seven months not to take coronavirus lightly and follow the rule of wearing face masks and maintaining social distancing till scientists develop a vaccine. "I have certain expectations from you. That is to follow the rule of wearing a mask and Do Gaj ki Doori (a distance of two yards)."

17:45 PM focused on results, not casteism: BJP

Political culture has undergone a drastic change under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with parties and governments presenting their report cards during elections instead of leaders promoting casteism and hatred through their speeches, BJP chief J P Nadda said on Friday.

Addressing an election rally in Banka, Bihar, Nadda also listed out a slew of development measures launched by the Modi government for Bihar. "Before 2014, political leaders used to hurl accusations at each other...they promoted casteism, enmity, and tried to break society through their speeches. Political culture of the country has changed since Narendra Modi came to power. Now they are showing to people the report card of the work they have done," he said.

Referring to the priority Modi attached to Bihar, he said the prime minister had announced a Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the state in 2015, besides Rs 40,000 crore for infrastructure development. A cautious and watchful society recognises such (cautious and watchful) leader and appreciates him.

A watchful society knows its interests and is ready to protect itself from any harm, Nadda said, seeking a clear mandate for the NDA in the state assembly elections. Referring to the potential market that Bhagalpuri silk has, the BJP president asked the youth to raise its brand value in line with the prime minister's "vocal for local" appeal.

He asserted Bihar saw all-round progress under the NDA government. Rail, road, health and education sectors benefited in a big way. The BJP president also raised the contentious issues of Ram temple, abrogation of provisions of Article 370 that bestowed special status on Jammu and Kashmir, and scrapping of the practice of instant triple talaq.

He said while people wanted a grand Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya, the Congress party tried everything to ensure it lingered on. "It tried to obstruct and deviate the issue," he alleged.

"We are grateful to the Supreme Court for its judgement. Modi ji laid the foundation stone and the construction of a grand temple to Lord Ram will now start," he said. -- PTI

17:31 Sushant trial by TV: Check content, asks HC

The Bombay High Court on Friday asked the Union government if there is any mechanism for checking the content of broadcast by news channels before the "damage is done".

Hearing Public Interest Litigations about coverage of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death, the court also said that if the media crossed the line, it is for the legislature to act.

"In a case where the media crosses the `Lakshman Rekha', it is for the Parliament to step in. Why should the court do it?" the HC said. The petitioners, which includes several former IPS officers, have said there is a "media trial" going on in the Rajput case, and it should be stopped.

"All public officers are liable to be removed if something happens. Same for private employment. People are taken to task for not behaving properly," a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni said.

"For print media you have censor, something is there by the state. You do not seem to be in the mood to ruffle feathers with respect to electronic media," the bench said.

Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, appearing for the Union government, argued that the Supreme Court has maintained that the government must not interfere with the freedom of press, and the press must be encouraged to have a system of self-regulation. But the HC noted that the judgments cited by Singh were old.

"These judgments are from 2012-2013. Times have changed. This is the most misused freedom now," it said.

The bench also referred to the Chief Justice of India's recent remark that freedom of speech is most abused. The high court further said it was concerned with the efficiency of the present mechanism of regulation with regard to news channels. -- PTI

Cinema halls have opened across the country this month

16:34 India's Covid death rate lowest in 7 months

India has one of the lowest 81 Covid-19 deaths per million population in the world with less than 1,000 fatalities registered daily since October 4, while the fatality rate of 1.52 per cent on Friday was the lowest since March 22, the Union Health Ministry said.

These results have been boosted by 22 states and Union Territories which have demonstrated better performance and are reporting even lower deaths per million population compared to the national average, it said. "The COVID-19 case fatality rate has been on the slide continuously. At the current figure of 1.52 per cent, it is the lowest since March 22," it highlighted.

Thirteen states and Union Territories, including Puducherry (403), Maharashtra (335), Goa (331), Delhi (317), Karnataka (152), Tamil Nadu (135) and Punjab (131), had deaths per million population more than the national average.

As part of COVID-19 management and response policy, the Centre's sharp focus has been not only on containing the spread of the disease but also to reduce deaths and save lives by providing quality clinical care to the critical and severe patients, the ministry said. A total of 2,212 dedicated Covid hospitals have been providing quality medical care. The Centre has also issued a standard of care guidelines thus ensuring the standardised quality of medical care for all coronavirus patients in government and private settings.

A unique initiative to build the capacities of the ICU doctors in the clinical management of critical patients towards reducing the fatality, e-ICU has been started by AIIMS, New Delhi. India on Friday too maintained the trend of registering more recoveries than the new cases, with 70,338 people having recuperated in 24 hours as against 63,371 fresh instances of the infection being reported. The total number of recoveries have surged to 64,53,779 and exceed active cases of COVID-19 by 56,49,251. -- PTI

The Maharashtra government will ask the Centre to provide compensation to farmers who have suffered crop damage and lost their source of livelihood due to heavy rains and subsequent floods in parts of the state, a minister said on Friday. Relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar said farmers, mostly in districts coming under the Pune division, have suffered huge crop damage in heavy rains on October 14 and 15 caused by a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

"I am going to ask the Union government to provide some compensation to farmers who have lost their livelihood. "An assessment of damaged crop is going on. I have asked officials to speed up the damage assessment exercise," he said.

So far, 28 people have died in rain-related incidents in the Pune division, half of them in the worst-hit Solapur district, said an official. Besides Solapur, the other flood-affected districts in western Maharashtra are Pune, Sangli and Satara.

"The heavy showers also took a toll on domestic animals. As many as 379 fully grown cattle and 134 smaller ones have died," he said. The downpour has forced 21,292 people to move out of their homes. They cannot return to their homes immediately because roads and houses are filled with mud and items carried by floodwaters, the official said.

The rains have also damaged 2,319 homes so far, he said. "Primary reports suggest crops spread over 57,354 hectares have been damaged. These include sugarcane, soyabean, rice, lentils, pomegranate and cotton, among others, the official said. -- PTI

Image: People wade through a waterlogged street in Pune. Pic: ANI

16:04 Ghulam Nabi Azad tests positive for Covid

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has tested positive for Covid-19 and has quarantined himself at home. The 71-year-old Congress leader shared the information on Twitter and asked those who came in contact with him in the recent past to follow protocols on self-quarantine and testing.

"I have tested positive for Covid-19. I am in home quarantine. Those who came in contact with me in the last few days may kindly follow the protocol," he said in a tweet.

Earlier senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vora and Abhishek Singhvi had tested positive for Covid-19. While Singhvi has recovered, other leaders are still under treatment. PTI

Four minor siblings were allegedly hacked to death with an axe by an unidentified person in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra, a police official said on Friday. The incident came to light this morning after the children were found lying in a pool of blood inside a house built at a farm in Raver taluka's Borkheda Shivar village, he said.

"The incident occurred when the children's parents had gone to Madhya Pradesh along with their elder son for 'dashkriya' (tenth day ritual) of a dead relative," the official said. "When the farm owner visited the house in the morning, he was shocked to find the four siblings lying in a pool of blood. He alerted the villagers as well as the police," the official said.

Raver police rushed the spot and bodies of all the children, identified as Sangita (13), Rahul (11), Anil (eight) and Nani (six), were taken to a hospital for post-mortem, he said. "All the children were hacked to death with an axe. Deep wounds were found on their necks," the official added -- PTI

The Calcutta High Court in its interim order says money donated by the West Bengal Govt to each Durga Puja club should be used for improving police and public bonding, and procuring masks, sanitizers and face shields. This money cannot be used for any other entertainment purposes, it states.

The order comes after public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by Sourav Dutta, a CITU activist asking for a stay on the state government's grant of Rs 50,000 to the puja committees.

A Division Bench of Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee of Calcutta High Court today asked whether apart from Durga puja, such grants are given by the government in other religious festivals too. The Division Bench asked the state counsel that though it is proud of Durga puja but can funds be disbursed in this manner. The court pointed out that the reason for such funds was enunciated as aiding committees to buy masks and sanitisers, however, it observed, the state could have purchased it which would have cost less.

Amid the ongoing China border conflict, Indian Air Force's offensive capabilities will get a boost as 3-4 Rafale fighter jets would be arriving at the Ambala airbase in Haryana by the first week of November.

This would be the second batch of these French-origin fighter jet aircraft as the first batch of five Rafales had arrived in India on July 28 and were officially inducted on September 10 by the Narendra Modi government.

"The second batch of 3-4 Rafale fighter jets would be arriving in India by first week of November from France and preparations are on for their arrival in the country," government sources told ANI.

"With the induction of these aircraft, the IAF would have 8-9 fighter aircraft which will be operationalised within a few days in view of the ongoing situation," they said.

The Rafale fighters have already been operationalised and have also been deployed in the conflict zone of Ladakh in the short duration of time they have been with the Air Force.

An IAF team headed by Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Projects) Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari in France for reviewing the project as part of the annual routine meeting.

The Indian pilots are training there in France and by March 2021, the Indian side is likely to complete the training phase there.

The IAF will deploy one squadron each of the Rafale combat aircraft at its airbases in Ambala in Haryana and Hashimara in West Bengal. -- ANI

A portion of Kangana Ranaut's demolished office

15:20 Kangana office demolition: Court grants journo pre-arrest bail

A sessions court here has granted pre-arrest bail to a television journalist booked for allegedly causing disturbance and preventing a public servant from discharging his duties during the civic body-initiated demolition at actor Kangana Ranaut's office in suburban Khar last month.

Additional sessions judge R M Sadrani granted anticipatory bail to Pradeep Bhandari, a journalist with Republic TV, who was booked by the Khar police under IPC sections 353 (assault), 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and relevant provisions of the Bombay Police Act.

The prosecution's case was that the accused person had paid a group of around 15 to 20 persons to gather outside the premises, where the demolition was on. The group had shouted slogans and tried to prevent policemen from discharging their duties, it alleged. Bhandari, in his plea, argued that section 353 is not attracted in the case, as he had not assaulted any public servant. -- PTI

Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal will be undergoing a procedure to remove a kidney stone. The minister made the announcement on Friday through a tweet. "I shall be undergoing a procedure to remove a kidney stone. Will be back soon," he said in the tweet.

Recently, Goyal was given the additional charge of the Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution ministry, a portfolio held by the late Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan, who passed away on October 8. -- ANI

The brother of the Hathras victim says the family want to move to Delhi

15:11 Hathras victim's kin want case moved to Delhi

The family of the Hathras incident victim wants the case to be shifted to Delhi, adding that they themselves want to move to the national capital. The victim's brother on Friday told ANI that the family wants to be safe wherever they are.

"The family wants the case to be shifted to Delhi, we also want to shift there. The government should help us in this regard, we are dependent on them. We just want to be safe wherever we are," brother of the Hathras victim told ANI.

This comes after a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is investigating the Hathras incident, had questioned the family members of the accused in the alleged gang-rape of a woman who died last month.

The accused in the case were identified as Sandeep, Ravi, Ramu, and Lavkush. The CBI on Wednesday had questioned the Hathras victim's family members for over six hours.

The CBI has set up a camp office in Hathras on premises belonging to the agriculture department.

As a part of the investigation, the CBI team on Tuesday collected samples from the spot where the victim of the alleged gang-rape was cremated on September 30.

The 19-year-old Dalit woman allegedly gang-raped and severely injured in Hathras on September 14. She succumbed to her injuries at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on September 29.

14:58 Bihar minister Kapil Deo Kamat dies of Covid

Bihar's Panchayati Raj minister Kapil Deo Kamat succumbed to COVID-19 early on Friday at AIIMS, Patna, family sources said. He was 70. Kamat is survived by two sons and four daughters. His wife died a few months ago.

"Kapil Deo Kamat died of COVID-19 at 1:50 am (Friday) at AIIMS, Patna. He was suffering from kidney failure and had been on ventilator over the past few days," Dr Sanjeev Kumar, the COVID-19 nodal officer of AIIMS-Patna, told PTI.

The JD(U) MLA from Babubarhi assembly constituency was admitted to the hospital on October 1 after he tested positive for the disease. Condoling the death of the panchayati raj minister, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Kamat will be cremated with full state honours.

"He was an efficient administrator and a popular leader. I am personally saddened by Kamat's untimely demise. His death has caused an irreparable loss to the field of politics," Kumar said.

Representational image

14:57 Dead man's head recovered in Bengaluru after torso found in MP

The head of a man whose torso was recovered from the railway tracks near Betul in Madhya Pradesh around two weeks back, was later found nearly 1,300 kms away in Bengaluru, as it had got entangled in the engine of Rajdhani express train, a police official said on Friday. The man's body, whose head and some other parts were missing, was found on October 3 on the Machna bridge near Betul by the Government Railway Police (GRP), he said.

"During the investigation, it came to light that the man was run over by the New Delhi-Bengaluru Rajdhani express train, following which an alert was sounded," GRP Betul's head constable Vedprakash said.

Police collected the body parts from the tracks, which were preserved after autopsy, he said.

"The railway staff in Bengaluru recovered the head on October 4. The police there circulated its photo to ascertain the identity of the victim. They finally zeroed in on Betul after they came to know that the headless body of a man was found there," he said.

"About four days back, the Betul GRP was informed about the recovery of a man's head found entangled in the engine of the Rajdhani express train. It was found to be that of Ravi Markam (28), a resident of Betul, as his family members identified it," Vedprakash said.

A police team from Bengaluru arrived in Betul to conduct a probe into the case, he said. "As the deceased's family members were unable to go to Bengaluru due to financial reasons, the police buried the head there only," he said, adding that the remaining dismembered body parts were handed over to the family for the last rites. -- PTI

The Supreme Court Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking dismissal of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra and imposition of President's Rule in the state. A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and JusticesA S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said that it could not entertain prayers like these.

"As a petitioner, you are at liberty to approach the President, but do not come here," the top court said in a hearing conducted via video conferencing.

One Vikram Gehlot had filed the PIL seeking dismissal of the government alleging that the affairs of the state were not being carried out in line with constitutional and legal provisions.

The plea had referred to the examples of actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death and the demolition of part of Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut's property as examples of poor law and order in the state. During the brief hearing, the top court took strong note of the submissions and asked as to how it can be said that the Constitution is not being followed in the state because of some incidents. Maharashtra is a big state, said the bench. PTI

14:45 SC ex-judge Lokur to monitor stubble burning

The Supreme Court Friday appointed retired apex court judge Justice Madan B Lokur as a one-man committee to take steps for preventing stubble burning in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh which is a source of pollution in Delhi-national capital region.

While directing that National Cadet Corps, National Service Scheme and Bharat Scouts be deployed for assisting the panel, a bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde rejected the objection of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on the appointment of the committee saying the concerned states have already been heard.

The apex court directed the court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) and chief secretaries of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to assist the Lokur panel to enable it in physical surveillance of fields where stubble is burnt. The bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, directed the states concerned to provide adequate security, secretarial infrastructure and transport to the Lokur panel.

It said the panel shall submit its report on stubble burning fortnightly to the apex court. During his tenure as an apex court judge, Justice Lokur had dealt with pollution matter which included the aspect of stubble burning. The bench was hearing a plea filed by one Aditya Dubey who has raised concern over pollution caused due to stubble burning. -- PTI

Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik on Friday stepped down as captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders team, handing over the reins to his English deputy Eoin Morgan hours before the IPL match against Mumbai Indians here.

Karthik told the KKR management that he wants to "focus on his batting and contributing more to the team's cause.

"We are fortunate to have leaders such as DK, who has always put the team first. It takes a lot of courage for someone like him to take a decision such as this," team CEO Venky Mysore said in the statement.

"While we were surprised by his decision, we are respectful of his wishes."

Midway into the ongoing season, KKR find themselves at fourth place in the points table with four wins and three losses.

"...DK and Eoin have worked brilliantly together during this tournament and although Eoin takes over as captain, this is effectively a role swap and we expect that this transition will work in a seamless manner," Mysore said.

"On behalf of everyone at Kolkata Knight Riders, we thank DK for all his contributions as the captain over the past two and a half years and wish Eoin the very best going forward."

The veteran Indian wicketkeeper-batsman's captaincy had come under intense criticism due to the team's erratic campaign so far. -- PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India has been providing free ration to about 80 crore poor for the last seven to eight months amid Covid-19 pandemic.

"During the coronavirus crisis, many kinds of discussions are going on around the world about starvation and malnutrition. India has been providing free ration to about 80 crore poor for the last 7-8 months. During this time, India distributed foodgrains worth about Rs. 1.5 lakh crores to the poor," Prime Minister Modi said during an event to release a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination to mark the 75th Anniversary of India's long-standing relation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

"Another important work is being done to tackle malnutrition. Now such crops are being promoted in the country, which are having nutritious substances like protein, iron and zinc in high quantity. This year's Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to the World Food Program is a big achievement. India is happy that our contribution and association with it has been historic," he added.

Prime Minister congratulated everyone on the occasion of World Food Day.

"I congratulate those who are continuously working to eradicate malnutrition from the world. Farmers of India, our agricultural scientists, Anganwadi and Asha workers, are the strong fort of the movement against malnutrition," he said.

The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation 17 recently developed biofortified varieties of eight crops on World Food Day. -- PTI

The recovery rate of Covid-19 patients in Maharashtra's Thane district is nearing 90 per cent, while the death rate stands at 2.53 per cent, an official said on Friday. Of the 1,97,000 cases of Covid-19 reported in the district so far, 1,77,206 patients have recovered from the infection and 4,983 have died of it, the official said.

The district currently has 14,810 active cases, he said. As many as 1,288 tested positive for the infection, while 36 succumbed to it on Thursday, the official said.

The recovery rate in the civic limits of Kalyan, Navi Mumbai, Ulhasnagar, Amberanth and Badlapur has crossed 90 per cent each, he said. With 47,148 cases, Kalyan has recorded the maximum number of infections, followed by Thane city with 42,626, Navi Mumbai with 41,383, he said. Meanwhile, neighbouring Palghar district has reported 38,641 cases and 801 deaths so far, an official said. PTI

13:52 Central teams deputed to 5 Covid-hit states

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has deputed high level Central teams to Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal as these states have been reporting a surge in the number of new Covid-19 cases in the recent days.

According to a statement by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday, each team comprises a Joint Secretary (nodal officer for the respective state), one public health expert to look after the public health aspects, one clinician to look after infection prevention practices to ensure clinical management protocol being followed by the state.

The teams will support the state efforts towards strengthening containment, surveillance, testing, infection prevention and control measures and efficient clinical management of the positive cases.

The Central teams shall also guide in effectively managing the challenges related to timely diagnosis and follow up.

The total cases in Kerala are 317,929, which form 4.3 per cent of the total cases. The cases per million stand at 8,906. "Total number of recovered vases is 222,231 accounting for recovery rate of 69.90 per cent. The active cases are 94,609 (comprising 11.8 per cent of the total national figure). Total deaths in the state are 1,089 with case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.34 per cent and deaths per million of 31.

Karnataka has reported 7,43,848 cases, accounting for 10.1 per cent of the national figure. It has 11,010 cases per million population. As many as 6,20,008 patients have recovered in the state resulting in recovery rate of 83.35 per cent. The active cases are 1,13,557 (14.1 per cent of national figure). The state has reported total of 10,283 fatalities, CFR of 1.38 per cent and 152 deaths per million population. The TPM is 95,674 and positivity rate is pegged at 11.5 per cent.

Rajasthan has registered 1,67,279 cases, 2,064 cases per million and 1,43,984 total number of recoveries with recovery rate of 86.07 per cent.The active cases as on date are 21,587 (2.7 per cent share in the national numbers). The numbers of fatalities in the state is 1,708; CFR is 1.02 per cent; and deaths per million stands at 21. TPM is 38,605 with positivity rate of 5.3 per cent.

West Bengal reported 3,09,417 cases, Chhattisgarh has 1,53,515 cases.

13:47 Gadkari inaugurates 10 major road projects

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday dedicated to the nation 10 major road projects, including two important flyovers on national highways in Vijayawada city, completed at a cost of Rs 8,038 crore in Andhra Pradesh.

Gadkari also conducted the bhumi puja (ground- breaking) for the development of another 16 projects at a cost of Rs 7,585 crore. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy presided over this event conducted in virtual mode via a video conference from New Delhi and Vijayawada.

The projects inaugurated included the long-awaited 2.7-km Kanaka Durga flyover, a new jewel for Vijayawada city, built at a cost of Rs 501 crore, with the state governments contribution of Rs 146 crore. An engineering marvel, it is only the third six-lane bridge in the country with a unique spine-and-wing design supported by a single pier. -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured the daughters of the country that the government will decide the right age for marriage as soon as the concerned committee gives its report.

"Discussion is underway to decide the right age for marriage of our daughters. From across the country, daughters have written to me asking why the concerned committee has not given its decision yet. I assure you that as soon as the report comes, the government will act on it," Prime Minister Modi said during an event to release a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination to mark the 75th Anniversary of India's long-standing relation with the Food and Agriculture Organisation.

He also spoke about the steps taken by his government towards the maintenance of the health and hygiene of women.

"We are taking appropriate actions for our daughters' well-being. Through Jal Jeevan Mission, work is going on to provide water to every household. We are providing sanitary pad for Re 1 each," he said.

The central government on September 22 had said that a task force has been constituted to examine the correlation of the age of marriage and motherhood.

"A task force has been constituted to examine the correlation of the age of marriage and motherhood with (i) health, medical well-being and nutritional status of mother and neonate/infant/child, during pregnancy, birth and thereafter, (ii) key parameters like Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate, Total Fertility Rate, Sex Ratio at Birth, Child Sex Ratio, and (iii) any other relevant points pertaining to health and nutrition in this context," Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani had said in a written reply to Rajya Sabha MP Sushil Kumar Gupta during the last Parliament session.

Gupta had asked whether it is a fact that the government is reconsidering the legal marriage age for women, which currently stands at 18. -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the government is committed towards procurement of agri crops at minimum support price and termed it as an important part of the country's food security.

He further said that efforts are being made to improve Mandi infrastructure so that MSP buying continues in a scientific way.

"MSP and government procurement are an important part of the country's food security. It is important that it continues to function with better facilities and in a scientific way. We are committed towards this," Modi said after releasing a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination on the 75th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization.

He said the government in the last six years has been investing in boosting infrastructure facilities at Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees or APMCs.

APMCs (mandis) have their own identity and strength and they have been in the country for years, he added. -- PTI

13:05 Disgruntled employee stabs senior, arrested

A senior executive of Century Rayon was attacked with a knife allegedly by a disgruntled worker inside the company premises near Thane in Maharashtra, leaving him injured, the police said on Friday.

The worker, Arun Masand, has been arrested after the attack which took place inside the company premises at Sahad in Thane district on Thursday, an official from the Ulhasnagar police station said.

According to the police, the knife-wielding accused inflicted a couple of stab wounds on O R Chitlange, business head, Century Rayon, when the latter was about to get into his car.

Those present at the spot, including the company's security staff, pinned Masand down and thrashed him before handing him over to the police, which later placed him under arrest, they said.

Chitlange was rushed to the company's hospital where he is under treatment and said to be out of danger, the police said.

Masand, who had been working with the Aditya Birla group firm for several years, was annoyed over not being allotted company quarters and this was the trigger for the knife attack, the police said.

The accused has been charged under IPC sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 506 (criminal intimidation), they said.

-- PTI

13:01 PM Modi to hold 12 poll rallies in Bihar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold 12 election rallies in Bihar, Bharatiya Janata Party Bihar poll in-charge, Devendra Fadnavis, said.

The PM to hold rallies in Sasaram, Gaya and Bhagalpur on October 23.

On October 28, Modi to hold rallies in Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur and Patna

On November 3, the prme minister will hold rallies in West Champaran, Saharsa and Araria

Facebook on Friday said it is investigating the blocking of former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar's page on the social media platform.

The development comes a day after Kumar's official page on Facebook was blocked and later unblocked.

"We've restored Ms Meira Kumar's Facebook page that was unpublished. We regret the inconvenience caused and are investigating the issue," a Facebook spokesperson said.

In a tweet on Thursday, Kumar said the blocking of the page was an 'injury to democracy'.

Tweeting in Hindi, she said, "Facebook page block kiya gaya! Aakhir kyu? Loktantra par aaghaat! Ye mahaz sanyog nahi ho sakta ki Bihar Vidhan Sabha chunaav se pehle Facebook mere page ko block karta hai!" (Facebook page has been blocked! But why? Injury to democracy! This cannot be mere coincidence that Facebook blocked my page ahead of Bihar Assembly elections).

In another tweet, she said after much protest, her Facebook page had been unblocked.

Over the past many months, Facebook in India has been facing heat over its decisions allegedly being influenced by political leanings of individuals in the company and its handling of alleged hate speeches.

Facebook, however, had rejected those charges saying its platform remains neutral and non-partisan, and that the process followed is designed to ensure no one person can influence outcomes, let alone take any unilateral decisions.

Facebook has over 300 million users in India, while its group company WhatsApp has more than 400 million users in the country. -- PTI

The Special Investigation Team, constituted by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to investigate the Hathras case, has completed its probe and will submit its report soon, said sources on Friday.

"The SIT could submit its report to the government by today evening," a source said.

The SIT was supposed to submit its report earlier on October 7, but following the directions of Adityanath, their submission date was extended by 10 days.

The 19-year-old Hathras woman died at Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital on September 29.

The SIT probe was ordered on September 30 after a 19-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries a day earlier, following a brutal assault by four men in UP's Hathras village.

All four accused in the incident have been arrested.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation is also probing the case. -- ANI

12:20 India bans import of ACs with refrigerants

India has completely banned the import of air conditioners with refrigerants, as per a notification issued by the Union ministry of commerce and industry on Thursday.

"Import policy of air conditioners with refrigerants under HS Codes 84151010 and 84151090 is amended from 'Free' to 'Prohibited'," the ministry said.

The ban is imposed on both window and split ACs with refrigerants.

Days after the US appointed Robert A Destro as the country's coordinator for Tibetan issues, Lobsang Sangay, president of the Tibetan-government-in-exile, was invited to the US state department for the first time in six decades.

Expressing gratitude, Sangay said in a tweet, "Great honor to meet with the Special Coordinator on Tibetan Issues @DRL_AS. This is the first time a Sikyong (president) of the Central Tibetan Administration was formally invited inside the State Department."

He also said in a Facebook post that the meeting with Robert A Destro, United States Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, was a historical moment.

"Great honor to meet with the Special Coordinator on Tibetan Issues Robert A Destro. This is the first time in six decades, a Sikyong (President) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) was formally invited inside the State Department. I want to thank the State Department for acknowledging the democratically elected leader of CTA and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for approving the visit. History is made today!" he said.

On October 14, Michael Pompeo had designated Destro to serve concurrently as the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues.

-- ANI

United States President Donald Trump has blamed countries like China, Russia and India for adding to the global air pollution and asserted that his country has the best environmental numbers.

Speaking to his cheering supporters at an elections rally in the key battleground State of North Carolina on Thursday, Trump said the US under his administration has achieved energy independence while protecting its pristine environment.

"We have the best environmental numbers, ozone numbers, and so many other numbers. In the meantime, China, Russia, India all these countries they're spewing stuff into the air," he alleged during the rally.

He said the US has achieved energy independence while protecting its pristine environment.

Trump in June, 2017 announced his decision to withdraw from the Paris deal, saying the accord would have cost America trillions of dollars, killed jobs, and hindered the oil, gas, coal and manufacturing industries.

He has continuously argued that countries like China and India are benefiting the most from the Paris agreement and the agreement itself was unfair to the US, as it badly hit its businesses and jobs.

During Thursday's rally too, Trump said to the cheering crowd that it were a few nations that were contributing to global pollution.

"I keep telling my people you know, I love clean air but Russia and China, you look at a map you have all these spots and India and many others are spewing it in. What do you suggest?" he asked his thousands of supporters who had gathered at a city airport here to listen to his election speech.

Trump also mocked at those who call for replacing plastic with paper.

"Well, we don't think you should sell straws anymore. Oh great ok. You ever hear that, the straw, right? I say ok the straw is good, what about the plastic plate? What about the carton? What about the glass that's out of plastic? Well we'll get to that later. These people are crazy," he said.

11:24 Nitish is tired, can't handle Bihar: Tejashwi

Ahead of state Assembly polls, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday hit out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over unemployment, education and health infrastructure, stating that the Janata Dal (United) chief was tired and cannot handle the state.

"Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is tired and can not handle the state. He does not want to talk about development, unemployment, education, health infrastructure and poverty. He says Bihar is a landlocked state hence industries can not be set up resulting in no job creation," Yadav told media reporters.

This comes days after the RJD leader filed his nomination from Raghopur constituency to contest the upcoming Bihar polls.

Soon after filing nomination from Raghopur constituency on October 16, he said: "We will fulfill our promises. We will form the government. We are hopeful that the people of Bihar will elect us."

Congress, CPI, CPM are part of the "Mahagathbandhan" (grand alliance) under the leadership of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

Bihar with 243 Assembly seats will go to polls in three phases: October 28, November 3 and November 7. The results will be declared on November 10. -- ANI

Vivek Oberoi with his wife Priyanka Alva

10:53 Vivek Oberoi's wife served notice in drugs case

The City Crime Branch Bengaluru has served a notice to Priyanka Alva Oberoi over links with brother Adithya Alva in connection with the Sandalwood drug case. The Karnataka CCB raided actor Vivek Oberoi's Mumbai residence in search of Aditya Alva in connection with the case yesterday.

Aditya, who is the son of the late Karnataka minister Jeevaraj Alva and Oberoi's brother-in-law, has been absconding ever since he was accused of being a part of the drug racket involving Kannada film stars, dealers and party organisers.

"Acting on information that Aditya was hiding in his brother-in-law's house in Mumbai, the CCB obtained a search warrant from the court. The search is still on," said Joint Commissioner (Crime) Sandeep Patil.

10:47 Pakistani troops shell LoC areas in Poonch

Pakistani troops engaged in heavy firing and shelling on forward areas and posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday in violation of a ceasefire agreement, officials said. Indian Army personnel retaliated to the Pakistani fire in the Mankote sector befittingly, they said.

A defence spokesperson said, "At about 0515 hours today, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling mortars along LoC in Mankote sector in district Poonch."

Pakistani troops have violated the ceasefire for 18 times this month. On Thursday, a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was injured in Pakistani shelling in the Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district. On October 1, an Army jawan was killed and another injured when the Pakistan Army violated the ceasefire along the LoC in the Krishnagati area of Poonch district, officials said.

An Army personnel was killed and two others, including an officer, were injured on September 5 when Pakistani troops opened heavy fire and shelled the Line of Control in the Sunderbani sector, officials said. On September 2, a JCO was killed in the ceasefire violation by the Pakistan Army along the LoC in Keri sector of Rajouri. -- PTI

Scientists have finally cracked why women ruled countries are responding more effectively to coronavirus pandemic as surveys suggest a difference in attitudes towards the Covid-19 pandemic in the genders which impacts the gender differences in mortality.

Original data from two waves of a survey conducted in March-April 2020 in eight Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries show large gender differences in COVID-19-related beliefs and behaviours.

Women are more likely to perceive the pandemic as a very serious health problem and to agree and comply with restraining measures. These differences are only partially mitigated for individuals cohabiting or directly exposed to Covid-19.

This behavioural factor contributes to substantial gender differences in mortality and is consistent with women-led countries responding more effectively to the pandemic. It calls for gender-based public health policies and communication.

Gender differences in attitudes and behaviour are sizable in all countries.

They are accounted for neither by sociodemographic and employment characteristics nor by psychological and behavioural factors. They are only partially mitigated for individuals who cohabit or have direct exposure to the virus.

Researchers show that their results are not due to differential social desirability bias.

This evidence has important implications for public health policies and communication on COVID-19, which may need to be gender-based, and it unveils a domain of gender differences: behavioural changes in response to a new risk. -- ANI

10:39 Singer Kumar Sanu tests Covid positive

Veteran singer Kumar Sanu's team on Thursday evening announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus. The announcement was made on the official Facebook page of the 62-year-old singer.

"Unfortunately Sanuda has tested Corona positive, please pray for his good health. Thank you. Team KS," the musician's team wrote in the Facebook post. The post did not make it clear if the 'Jab Koi Baat Bigad Jaaye,' singer was symptomatic for Covid-19.The announcement prompted scores of comments from the fans of the acclaimed singer, wishing him a speedy recovery. -- ANI

Passenger vehicle wholesales in India increased by 26.45 per cent to 2,72,027 units in September as against 2,15,124 units in the same month last year, auto industry body SIAM said on Friday. According to the latest data by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), two-wheeler sales also rose 11.64 per cent to 18,49,546 units, compared with 16,56,658 units in the same month last year.

Motorcycle sales were at 12,24,117 units as against 10,43,621 units in September 2019, up 17.3 per cent. Scooter sales were also up marginally at 5,56,205 units from 5,55,754 units in the same month last year.

In the July-September 2020 quarter, passenger vehicles sales increased 17.02 per cent to 7,26,232 units from 6,20,620 units in the same period of last fiscal. Two wheeler sales during the September quarter this fiscal rose marginally to 46,90,565 units as compared with 46,82,571 units in the same period last fiscal. - PTI

The health condition of legendary actor Soumitra Chatterjee improved a lot on Friday morning following which doctors have removed him from the BiPAP and put on a nasal mask. The 85-year-old thespians oxygen saturation has also improved while his sodium and potassium have been both corrected, doctors, treating him at the city-based private hospital, said.

"Mr Chatterjee has slept well last night. His restlessness has also improved. He was on BiPAP in the night but now (in the morning) put on nasal mask. His oxygen saturation is normal and both Sodium and Potassium levels have been corrected. This is a very good sign," Dr Arindam Kar, leading the team of 15 doctors, treating the veteran actor, said.

Talking about their planned treatment, he said that a few normal and regular tests will be conducted on Chatterjee on Friday. "Normal and regular tests will be repeated today. We are grateful to the Almighty," he said.

The critically acclaimed actor, who has the rare distinction of having worked with maestros like Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha and Tarun Mazumdar, was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata on October 6 after he tested positive for Covid-19. He had to be shifted to the ITU as his condition turned critical. Chatterjee tested negative for Covid-19 on Wednesday following which he was shifted to a non-Covid ITU for treatment. PTI

10:17 Covid: Maha leads India tally with 1.92L cases

With a spike of 63,371 new cases and 895 deaths in the last 24 hours, India's Covid-19 count reached 73,70,469 on Friday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

As per the MoHFW, the Covid-19 count includes 8,04,528 active cases, and 64,53,780 cured and discharged or migrated cases.

Further, with 895 deaths reported due to the disease in the last 24 hours, the toll due to the disease is at 1,12,161 in the country.

Meanwhile, with 1,92,936 active cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state by COVID-19 in the country. While 13,30,483 patients have recovered from the disease in the state, 41,196 died so far.

Among other severely affected states, Karnataka has 1,13,557 active cases; while 6,20,008 people have recovered, 10,283 succumbed to the novel coronavirus.

Kerala currently has 94,609 active cases. As many as 2,22,231 people have recovered from the viral infection there, 1,089 people have lost their lives to it.

Andhra Pradesh has 40,047 active and 7,25,099 cured cases, besides 6,357 deaths.

Tamil Nadu has 41,872 active cases, with 6,22,458 recoveries, alongside 10,472 fatalities.

Delhi's count of active cases is at 22,605, while 2,92,502 patients have recovered, besides 5,924 succumbing to the disease.

Meanwhile, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the total samples tested for Covid-19 in the country crossed the 9.2-crore mark.

A total 9,22,54,927 samples have been tested in the country for Covid-19 till Thursday. This includes 10,28,622 samples tested on October 15.

Several Bollywood personalities, including actors Aamir Khan, Renuka Shahane and Simi Garewal, have mourned the passing away of Oscar-winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya.

Athaiya, 91, died at her home after prolonged illness on Thursday.

She won an Oscar for her work in the Richard Attenborough's 1983 film Gandhi.

Her daughter, Radhika Gupta, told PTI that the costume designer was diagnosed with a tumour in her brain eight years ago and was bedridden for the last three years as one side of her body was paralysed.

One of her closest friends, Garewal said Athaiya was suffering from dementia and didn't remember anything or any of the films, except Gandhi.

"It was very hard to talk to her. I felt sad... Is this what happens to talented human being? It is a huge sense of loss. She had brain tumour too for eight years. Maybe it was time for her to be at peace. She has left a legacy," Garewal told PTI.

Khan, who worked with Athaiya for his 2001 period drama Lagaan, extended his condolences to her family and said that the veteran will missed by the industry.

"Bhanuji was one of those film people who beautifully combined accurate research and cinematic flair to bring to life the director's vision. You will be missed Bhanuji," he tweeted on Thursday.

Shahane remembered Athaiya as an "amazing, committed costume designer" and reminisced about working with her during the making of 1996 Marathi feature Katha Don Ganpatravanchi.

"Winner of an Oscar award, the pride of our country, yet so very humble. I had the great privilege of working with her in the Marathi film Katha Don Ganpatravanchi," she tweeted.

Producer Boney Kapoor said Athiya's achievement brought laurels to the country and he feels fortunate to have collaborated with her for 1995 drama Prem, starring Sanjay Kapoor and Tabu.

"Her achievements brought glory to Indian cinema and Pride to the entire Country. Was blessed to have her for our film #Prem. She will always be an inspiration to all costume designers n stylists," Kapoor tweeted.

Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty said Athiya has been a "guiding light".

"When nobody even heard of the Oscars you won it for us, you been an inspiration... May your soul Rest In Peace... It's a huge loss for me personally and The Academy," he tweeted.

Fashion designer Neeta Lula took to her Instagram story and shared Athiya's picture with the caption, "You will be missed Bhanu ji."

Athaiya, who was born in Kolhapur, began her career as a costume designer in Hindi cinema with Guru Dutt''s 1956 superhit C.I.D..

She won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Attenborough's Gandhi, with Ben Kingsley as the Mahatma, along with John Mollo.

The lavish biopic of Mahatma Gandhi swept the Oscars with eight awards.

In 2012, she had returned her Oscar to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for safe-keeping.

In a career spanning five decades and over 100 films, she won two National Awards -- for Gulzar''s mystery drama Lekin (1990) and the period film Lagaan directed by Ashutosh Gowariker (2001). -- PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a dig at the Centre on Friday over International Monetary Fund's projection that the Indian economy is set to contract by a massive 10.3 per cent this year, saying it was another "solid achievement" by the government.

Gandhi took a swipe at the government on Twitter by tagging a chart that showed IMF growth projections for 2020-21 for Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, China, Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and India.

The chart showed that the Indian economy is projected to contract by a massive 10.3 per cent this year, the highest contraction among the countries mentioned.

"Another solid achievement by the BJP government. Even Pakistan and Afghanistan handled Covid better than India," Gandhi tweeted with the chart.

The former Congress chief on Wednesday had also taken a dig at the government over IMF growth projections showing Bangladesh closing in on India in terms of per capita GDP this year and described it as a "solid achievement" of six years of BJP's "hate-filled cultural nationalism".

The Indian economy, severely hit by the coronavirus pandemic, is projected to contract by a massive 10.3 per cent this year, the International Monetary Fund had said on Tuesday.

However, India is likely to bounce back with an impressive 8.8 per cent growth rate in 2021, thus regaining the position of the fastest growing emerging economy, surpassing China's projected growth rate of 8.2 per cent, the IMF said in its latest 'World Economic Outlook' report. -- PTI

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09:24 Militants ambush oil convoy in Pak, kill 14

Militants ambushed a convoy of oil and gas workers escorted by paramilitary troops in Pakistan's restive southwestern province of Baluchistan, killing 14 people, including 7 soldiers.

The attack was carried out on Thursday on the state-run Oil & Gas Development Company Ltd workers in Ormara town in Gwadar district.

The Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, confirmed that the militants had also sustained heavy losses in the exchange of fire and seven Frontier Corps soldiers and seven private security guards were killed in the attack.

"The terrorists attacked the convoy from the mountains near Ormara on the Balochistan-Hub-Karachi coastal highway and heavy exchange of fire took place. The convoy was returning to Karachi from Gwadar," a top police official in Gwadar said.

He said it was a planned attack and the militants had prior information about the convoy going to Karachi.

"They were waiting for the convoy. Despite the FC and security guards losing their lives, the other FC personnel managed to safely get the convoy away from the spot near Oramara," the official said.

Gwadar port is the focal point of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor development projects and a number of officials of the state-owned institutions and foreigners work at the port city under heavy security cover.

The ISPR, without giving the exact numbers, said a "large" number of terrorists had attacked the convoy.

"Security forces responded effectively, ensured security of the OGDCL persons and managed their safe exit from the area," it said in a statement, adding that "substantial losses were also incurred to the terrorists" during the exchange of fire.

According to the ISPR, the security forces have cordoned off the entire area and a search was underway for the militants involved in the attack.

No banned separatist or terrorist outfit or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Prime Minister Imran Khan condemned the attack and sought a report into the incident, the Radio Pakistan said. -- PTI

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday said that the lockdowns imposed by various states across the country to curb the coronavirus cases were "unconstitutional".

"The fact is that we are winning all these cases because it's unconstitutional what they are doing and I think they are doing it for political reasons. But you cannot let this go on with the lockdowns," Trump said at the Town Hall Miami.

Speaking on the issue of wearing masks, he said that "as a President, I cannot be locked in a room and do nothing. As the President, you have to be out there. I am all for it. I say wear the mask, I am fine with it."

On asked if he supported herd immunity as a strategy to deal with COVID-19, he said that the cure cannot be worse than the problem adding that the US did the right thing.

"The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. We were expected to lose 2 million people and maybe more than that. We are at 210,000 (deaths) people -- one person is too much. It should have never happened. It happened because of China and you have to get," he said.

According to CNN, Trump, on the subject of white supremacy, said that he has denounced it.

"I denounced White supremacy. I denounced White supremacy for years but you always start off with the question, you didn't ask Joe Biden whether or not he denounces Antifa," CNN quoted Trump as saying, adding, "I denounced White supremacy. I denounce Antifa and I denounce these people on the left that are burning down our cities, that are run by Democrats." -- ANI

Amruta Fadnavis, wife of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, on Thursday sparred with the Shiv Sena, saying she had no reason to fear its "bulldozer sarkar".

A woman leader of the Shiv Sena had reportedly said on Wednesday that if Sena leaders spoke up, Amruta Fadnavis won't know where to hide her face.

Reacting to it, Amruta Fadnavis twitted, "Mere paas na ghar, na dwar; Fir kya ukhadegi bulldozer sarkar". (I have no house, so what harm this bulldozer government can do to me).

The jibe "bulldozer sarkar" apparently referred to the demolition of `illegal structures' carried out by the Mumbai civic body at actor Kangana Ranaut's bungalow last month.

The Border Security Force and the Border Guard Bangladesh held a meeting on Thursday and agree to reinforce their commitment to cooperate in minimising boundary-related problems.

This is the first meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic struck and it was conducted adhering to strict safety protocols, a BSF statement said.

"The nodal officer level meeting between the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh was held at Tamabil in Bangladesh," it said.

Both sides agreed to jointly prevent trans-border crimes and pursue all pending development works to further strengthen the relation between the two countries, the statement said.

The construction of Meghalaya's first Integrated Check Post at Dawki also figured in the discussion, it added.

Various problems faced by both the forces such as smuggling of cattle, narcotic drugs, fake currency and other contraband items, were also discussed. -- PTI

08:48 Kaziranga National Park to reopen on Oct 21

The iconic Kaziranga National Park in Assam will reopen from October 21 after being shut since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the monsoon season, officials said.

"Kaziranga National Park & Tiger Reserve will be opened for the current tourist season on 21st October 2020. The opening ceremony will commence from 11am onwards. Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam will grace the occasion," KNP said on its Facebook page.

The park is thronged by domestic and international tourists in large numbers for its famed one-horned rhinos.

In September, the Assam government had approved expansion of the park totalling 3,053 hectares. -- PTI

08:18 Cong begins process for organisational polls

The process for organisational elections has started in the Congress party as the central election authority met on Tuesday and finalised the initial program of the process.

The meeting was held at the All India Conress Committee headquarters under the chairmanship of Madhusudan Mistry.

According to sources, if everything goes as per schedule, Congress will have a newly-elected president by early 2021.

This comes after a letter was written by 23 leaders in the party to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi in August demanding organisational elections from top to the bottom and visible leadership on the ground.

In the meeting, it was decided to start the process and to wind it up by November.

After that, the committee will inform Sonia Gandhi that the party is prepared for the internal elections, following which the Congress Working Committee meeting will be called for giving a go-ahead.

Interestingly, the demand of the dissenters has been accepted to hold elections for the members of Congress Working Committee -- the supreme body of the party, but it will need to get a green signal from the CWC.

According to Congress party's Constitution, out of 24 members of CWC, 11 members must be elected and the rest 12 can be nominated by the party president.

It's a challenging task for the group as it has to combine the list of AICC members from across the country, and if everything goes as per schedule, the party will have a newly-elected president by January 2021, the source added. -- ANI

Pakistan will celebrate the 551th birth anniversary of Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev from November 28 to 30, the Foreign Office said on Thursday.

Every year, a large number of Sikh pilgrims from India and different parts of the world gather at the Gurdwara Janamasthan Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak, in Pakistan's Punjab province to mark his birth anniversary.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to affect festivities this year.

Addressing a media briefing here, Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said that the 551th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak would be celebrated from November 28 to 30.

He said that Pakistan reopened the Kartarpur corridor on July 29, but India has not yet opened from its side.

The corridor which allows Indian pilgrims to undertake visa-free travel to the historic Kartarpur Sahib gurudwara -- was closed on March 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India has said a decision to re-open the Kartarpur corridor would be taken in accordance with the protocols relating COVID-19 and easing of restrictions. Chaudhri expressed the hope that India will review its decision in view of the upcoming 551th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.

The corridor links Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur in India to Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan - the final resting place of Guru Nanak.

In response to a question about the construction of a bridge on the Ravi river, Chaudhri said that Pakistan has already started the construction work on its side of the bridge, but India has not yet provided engineering design of its side of the bridge.

Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara is located in Pakistan's Narowal district across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine.

In November last year, the two countries threw open the corridor linking Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan, in a historic people-to-people initiative. -- PTI

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