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Thu, 19 August 2021
Mandaviya says Covid vax for children very soon
Timeline Refresh
23:27 Terrorists in J-Ks Kulgam kill Apni Party leader
Terrorists Thursday shot dead a Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party leader in Kulgam, officials said here.
Ghulam Hassan Lone was shot at by the ultras in his native Devsar area, they said, adding he was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Police said they have taken cognisance of the incident.
This comes just two days after terrorists shot dead BJP leader Javeed Ahmad Dar in the same district.
Before that, two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists on August 9 barged into the house of a BJP sarpanch in Anantnag district and killed him and his wife.
Lone's killing also evoked widespread condemnation from mainstream political parties including the PDP, the National Conference and the People's Conference.
"Unfortunately there seems to be no end to the spree of political killings in Kashmir. Unreservedly condemn the killing of Apni party leader Ghulam Hassan Lone. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family," PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti tweeted.
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said the "renewed trend" of militants targeting mainstream leaders is "very worrying".
"Very sorry to hear about the assassination of Ghulam Hassan Lone in Devsar area of South Kashmir. This renewed trend of targeting mainstream politicians by militant outfits is very worrying & I condemn the same in the strongest possible terms. May Allah grant the departed Jannat," Abdullah tweeted.
People's Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone said, "Strongly condemn the killing of @Apnipartyonline leader Ghulam Hassan Lone in Kulgam. Recent spate of attacks on mainstream leaders is worrying.
"Violence only brings miseries to people. Such killings only create more widows and orphans. These heinous acts must cease," he added.
23:02 Mandaviya says Covid vax for children very soon
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said results of an ongoing research for development of COVID-19 vaccines for children may arrive next month and the antidote may be launched "very soon".
He said the Centre is committed to vaccinate every citizen against coronavirus.
"Our aim is to vaccinate every citizen. The Indian government has already given permission to Zydus Cadila and Bharat Biotech to conduct research for developing a COVID-19 vaccine for children.
"We are expecting that results of their research will arrive next month. I am confident that vaccines for children would become a reality very soon," Mandaviya told reporters in Rajkot.
Recently, AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria had said that data of phase two and three trials of Bharat Biotech's Covaxin on 2 to 18 years age group is expected by September.
The Centre had recently informed the Supreme Court that the vaccine developed by Zydus Cadila will be available soon for children who are 12 and above, subject to statutory permissions.
It is claimed Zydus Cadila's coronavirus vaccine ZyCoV-D can be given to both adults and children.
22:48 Apurva Chandra appointed I&B secretary
Senior bureaucrat Apurva Chandra has been appointed information and broadcasting secretary, a personnel ministry order said Thursday.
Chandra, a 1988-batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre, is currently secretary, ministry of labour & employment.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Chandra as secretary, ministry of information & broadcasting, the personnel ministry's order said.
Higher education secretary Amit Khare was holding the additional charge of the post of information and broadcasting secretary for over a year now.
22:20 Raje-BJP patch up? Frmr CM's pic back on posters
Former Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje is back on BJP posters, indicating efforts for a "patch up" in the party nearly two months after a row over the issue.
Posters made for the Jan Ashirwad Yatra being taken out by Union labour minister Bhupendra Yadav have photos of Raje, along with that of PM Narendra Modi, party president J P Nadda, Gajendra Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal and Kailash Chaudhary.
Raje's photo was missing from the new poster of the party put outside the party state office in June, which had fuelled speculations about an internal dispute.
A few days ago during her Jhalawar visit, Raje broke her silence for the first time on the issue and said she does not believe in the politics of posters but wants to dwell in people's hearts.
Commenting on the new poster having a photo of Raje, a senior leader of the party said this might have been done on directions of the Union minister.
The leader, who did not wish to be named, said apart from Raje, photos of other senior leaders and ministers are also there on the poster.
The Jan Ashirwad Yatra, which started from Alwar's Bhiwadi on Thursday, will cover a distance of over 400 km in three days.
Yadav and other leaders will interact with people at 40 places in Alwar, Jaipur and Ajmer.
The yatra is aimed at highlighting achievements of the central government and to strengthen the saffron party's connect with people at the grassroots level.
Representational pic
21:34 Police report active bomb threat near US Capitol
The US Capitol Police reported an hour ago that they are investigating an active bomb threat near the US Capitol.
'This is an active bomb threat investigation. The staging area for journalists covering this situation is at Constitution and First Street, NW for your safety. Please continue to avoid the area around the Library of Congress,' they tweeted from the official twitter handle
21:10 COVID-19 positivity rate falls to 1.94%
The COVID-19 positivity rate, which measures the number of patients who test positive per hundred tests, has fallen to 1.94% as on Aug 19.
21:03 Covid sword still hanging over our head: Maha CM
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday warned that coronavirus is still hanging over people's heads like a sword of Damocles and the threat is far from over.
The chief minister was speaking at the virtual function to inaugurate the district headquarters building complex in Palghar, and civic and government-run health facilities in Virar and Vasai.
"Coronavirus is still hanging over our heads like a sword of Damocles and the threat is far from over. It is good that oxygen plants are being installed while setting up COVID-19 hospitals to prevent casualties," Thackeray said.
Talking about the facilities made available in Palghar, the chief minister said the region was different from other districts of the state, as it had both forest land and a sea coast, with a rich tribal culture and historic locations.
As it is adjacent to Mumbai, Palghar has been neglected for long and it will not be in the future, he said.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, ministers Eknath Shinde, Dada Buse, MPs, MLAs and senior officials were present for the virtual inauguration of the administrative complex, developed by CIDCO, comprising the collector's office, Zilla Parishad office and DSP office.
Nirav Modi
20:35 Court returns Nirav Modi's seized assets to PNB
A special court in Mumbai has allowed the "restoration" of properties worth Rs 440 crore of fugitive jeweler Nirav Modi, confiscated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), to the Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi are accused of committing a Rs 14,000 crore scam by obtaining credit facilities fraudulently from the PNB, a public sector bank.
The order was passed by V C Barde, special judge for Prevention of Money Laundering Act, last week. The detailed order became available on Thursday.
PNB in July 2021 had filed multiple applications seeking release of the properties mortgaged with the bank against the credit facilities extended to Nirav Modi's two firms, Firestar Diamond International Private Ltd (FDIPL) and Firestar International (FIL).
The applications were filed by PNB as an individual claimant and also as lead bank of the PNB consortium and authorised representative of the UBI consortium.
The court allowed two pleas seeking the release of properties of FIL worth Rs 108.3 crore and those of FDIPL worth Rs 331.6 crore.
"The claimants' (banks) quantifiable loss has been recognized by the DRT (Debt Recovery Tribunal) who has passed judgments in their favour," the court noted.
During its probe, the ED attached several properties owned by Nirav Modi though his family members and these companies. Several of the properties were confiscated after he was declared a "fugitive economic offender" in December 2019.
The bank and lenders' consortium had objected to the confiscation, as the properties had been mortgaged with them when Modi and Choksi availed of Letters of Undertaking (LOUs).
The court has now also directed the PNB to give an undertaking to return the properties or their value if directed in future.
Nirav Modi and Choksi along with some bank officials are accused of cheating the Punjab National Bank of Rs 14,000 crore by obtaining LoUs fraudulently.
LoUs are issued as a guarantee for the applicant to seek loans from overseas Indian banks. Nirav Modi is currently lodged in a UK jail and is fighting extradition to India.
20:25 What spirit! Haryana's ex-CM Chautala writes Class 10 English paper
Former Haryana Chief Minister and INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala has written the Class 10 English subject exam of the Haryana School Education Board at a centre here at the age of 86 years.
He said he had prepared for the exam thoroughly and would pass with cent per cent marks.
"I had appeared in the Class 10 examination two years ago while I was in the Tihar Jail. However, I did not appear in the English paper. The education board gave me a compartment in the subject, so I wrote the paper now," Chautala said after appearing in the exam at the Arya Kanya Senior Secondary School on Arya Samaj Road in Sirsa on Wednesday.
The former chief minister said even though he could not get much education when he was young, he used to listen to English words with attention and then write those.
"That is how I got hold of the subject," he said.
A court in Rohini had convicted Chautala in the junior basic teachers recruitment case in Haryana and sentenced him to 10 years of imprisonment. The INLD leader was lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail from January 2013 to July this year.
"During my prison term, I decided to work on my educational qualification," Chautala said.
The Haryana education board withheld Chautala's Class 12 results on August 5 as he had not cleared the Class 10 English paper.
A class 10 student of the Sirsa school, Malkiat Kaur, assisted Chautala as a writer for the paper.
"He was well prepared, his pronunciation was very good and his marks are expected to be good in this subject," she said.
19:55 SC collegium clears 6 judges for Telangana HC
The Supreme Court Collegium has approved the proposal for elevation of six judicial officers as judges of the Telangana High Court.
The Collegium headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana in a meeting held on August 17, 2021 okayed the proposal and the statement was uploaded on the apex court website on Wednesday.
The judges who have been elevated are -- P Sree Sudha, C Sumalatha, Dr (Ms) G Radha Rani, M Laxman, N Tukaramji, and A Venkateshwara Reddy.
Besides them, the Collegium has also approved the proposal for elevation of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal judicial member P Madhavi Dev as judge of the Telangana high court.
Besides Ramana, Justices U U Lalit and A M Khanwilkar are part of the three-member Collegium which takes decisions with regard to the high court judges.
Pic courtesy: Finance ministry on Twitter
19:29 Lakshmi Mittal meets Nirmala Sitharaman
NRI billionaire Lakshmi N Mittal met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday.
"Shri Lakshmi N. Mittal, Executive Chairman - @ArcelorMittal, calls on Smt @nsitharaman," a finance ministry tweet said.
It was not immediately known what transpired in the meeting.
Mittal is the executive chairman of Luxembourg-based global steel giant ArcelorMittal.
Representational image. Pic: Stringer/Reuters.
19:03 BJP MLA wants 'Talibani style' attacks on TMC
A ruling BJP MLA in Tripura, Arun Chandra Bhowmik, has stoked a controversy by allegedly saying that his party activists should counter Trinamool Congress leaders in 'Talibani style' if they land at Agartala airport.
The saffron camp, however, said it is the MLA's version and not that of the BJP.
With an eye on the Tripura assembly polls in 2023, TMC leaders, including its national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, are visiting the hilly state frequently to try and build a base and an organisation for the party which till now has been confined to West Bengal.
"The TMC is trying to harm the Biplab Kumar Deb-led government in Tripura that came to power by ending the 25-year-long Communist rule. All these are happening due to the instigation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee," the legislator, who represents Belonia constituency, said.
Bhowmik made this remark on Wednesday during a felicitation ceremony for newly inducted Union minister of state for Social Justice and Empowerment, Pratima Bhowmik at Belonia old town hall in South Tripura district.
"I appeal to all of you that we need to attack them in Talibani style. We need to attack them once they land at the airport here. We will protect our government led by Biplab Kumar Deb with every drop of blood," he said.
A video clip of his comments went viral on the social media, inviting wide criticism.
Reacting to his remarks, Tripura TMC leader Subal Bhowmik demanded the BJP MLA's arrest.
Image: Mr Java/Flickr/Creative Commons
18:47 VP in fin services firm accused of unnatural sex by wife
A 40-year-old woman has registered a complaint against her husband, a vice-president at a well-know financial firm, accusing him of forcing her into unnatural sex, and also alleged that her in-laws and other family members harassed her for dowry, a police official said on Thursday.
According to the official, the victim, who works in a multi-national company, had approached the Powai police station in suburban Mumbai with her complaint.
Based on the complaint, in which she has named eight family members for dowry harassment, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 498-A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 377 (unnatural offences) on August 17, he said.
No arrests have been made so far and an investigation was underway, the official added.
In her statement to the police, the woman said she got married in May 2013. After the marriage, her parents-in-law, brother-in-law and other family members started harassing her for dowry and her husband, too, used to support them, the police said, quoting from the complaint.
The woman said she financially helped her husband and other family members and yet she was assaulted at multiple occasions.
The victim, in the complaint, claimed that her husband and other family members persuaded her to part with gold jewellery and cash collectively worth around Rs 1.5 crore in the name of safekeeping.
The woman also accused her husband of forcing her into unnatural sex, the police said.
Fed up with their daily harassment and her husband's behaviour, she decided to lodge the complaint, they said.
The woman, a mother of twins, is currently residing with her parents, the official said.
18:11 Telangana declares end of Covid 2nd wave in state
The second wave of COVID-19 has come to an end in Telangana with the virus situation fully under control in the state at present, a Health department official has said.
"It can be said that second wave has fully come to an end in Telangana. If we take various parameters like the number of new cases being reported, daily positivity rate and hospitalisation rate, coronavirus, as of now, is fully under control across Telangana, in all districts and all regions," state Director of Public Health G Srinivasa Rao said.
He said the administration is, however, fully alert in dealing with the situation and urged people not to let their guard down.
Telangana on Wednesday recorded 424 new COVID-19 cases taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 6,53,626.
The recovery and case fatality rates were at 98.35 per cent and 0.58 per cent, compared to the national average of 97.50 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively.
While the COVID-19 situation is under control, seasonal diseases like dengue and malaria are being reported in some districts of the state, he told reporters on Wednesday.
Observing that the state government has initiated various measures to deal with the rise in cases of malaria and dengue, he urged people to take precautionary measures to avoid contracting them.
Though the state is at a stage of eliminating malaria, he said the districts of Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu have seen cases of malaria this year, Rao said.
Dengue cases are witnessed predominantly in urban areas, with 50 per cent of them being reported in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), he said.
The state government has taken up anti-larva operations and other measures to prevent the spread of the seasonal diseases, he said. A door-to-door fever survey has been taken up in the GHMC. Preparedness in hospitals has also been stepped up.
The Health department official cautioned people against mistaking or neglecting the symptoms of seasonal diseases with COVID-19 symptoms and suggested seeking medical care without delay.
17:26 At home with my people: Afghan governor
Abdul Quayom Rahimi, the former governor of Herat in Afghanistan shares this image of calm and composure, writing, "An end to war, peace and mutual acceptance has long been the dream of all Afghans. Today when this dream is coming true what better way than using the energy we used for war, used for development and progress. I am at home with my people. Please do not believe the rumors; I'm fine."
Afghanistan wants peace, and seemingly so does the Taliban.
17:13 Mapped: India's trade with Afghanistan
The falling curve of India's import-export trade with Afghanistan.
17:11 Taliban more rational than before: China
China on Thursday said it is in talks with the Taliban and called for an objective judgement on their actions after it seized power in Afghanistan, saying the militant group appears to be more clear eyed and rational and hoped that it will deliver on its promises, including protection of women's rights.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that although the situation hasn't cleared up completely, it is believed that the "Afghan Taliban will not repeat the history of the past and now they are clear-eyed and rational compared to their last rule. Actually, the rapid resolution in the country shows that there is a lack of objective judgement in this situation and failure to accurately grasp public opinion in Afghanistan, especially certain Western countries should draw lessons from this," she said.
"Leaders of the Taliban and its spokesperson have openly stated that the militant group will work to resolve the problems faced by the people, meet their aspirations and strive to build an open, inclusive Islamic government," Hua told a media briefing when asked whether China is in talks with the Taliban and Beijing's conditions for recognising its government.
"Actually, we have been saying on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of the country and the will of various factions, China maintained communication and contacts with the Afghan Taliban during the last couple of days after the major changes have taken place in Afghanistan," Hua said.
On Wednesday, China said it will decide on extending diplomatic recognition to the Taliban in Afghanistan only after the formation of the government in the country, which it hoped would be "open, inclusive and broadly representative".
In her media briefing on Thursday, Hua came up with Beijing's positive assessment of the Taliban in what was seen here as a build-up towards recognising the Taliban government when it is formed.
16:39 Desperate Afghan women throw babies into airport
Kabul airport has become a picture of chaos and desperation after the fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban.
As per the reports of Sky News, in a heartbreaking incident, desperate Afghan women were seen throwing their babies over the razor wire of the Kabul airport compound. A senior British officer told Stuart Ramsay from Sky News that they can hear the sound of shouting, the noise of desperation as thousands of people are flooding towards Kabul airport that will, for some, be the gateway to freedom - and for many others, the end of a dream of escaping the Taliban.
"It was terrible, women were throwing their babies over the razor wire, asking British soldiers to take them, some got caught in the wire," he told Ramsay.
"I'm worried for my men, I'm counselling some, everyone cried last night," added the officer.
The report of Sky News narrated that day and night families - often with children - have risked their lives, ducking past gunfire at the gates of the civilian side of the airport; passing aggressive Taliban, who occasionally beat and harass them.
On either side of a narrow road, inside the walls of the compound at Kabul airport, exhausted British soldiers lie in the shade waiting for their turn to head back outside into the chaos once again. - ANI
16:13 Only six per cent fully vaccinated in UP
The Uttar Pradesh government has sought five crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines per month but is getting around seven to eight lakh doses per day, state Health Minister Jai Pratap Singh said on Thursday.
He also said that so far 5.9 per cent of the total eligible beneficiaries in the state have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Replying to a question of SP member Shatrudra Prakash, Singh said in the legislative council that till Aug 3, 32 per cent of the total population of adult citizens in the state was given the first dose of Covid vaccine and 5.9 per cent of the population has received both doses.
He said Covid vaccination in the state was being done through the vaccines being provided by the Central Government. "Till August 11, 5.55 crore vaccine doses were administered," he said Prakash asked the minister how many doses of vaccine the Uttar Pradesh government had asked for from the Centre and how many the Centre has been given so far.
15:54 Assam now calls detention centres as transit camps
The Assam government has said that detention centres, which house 'foreigners' in Assam, will now be called 'Transit camps'. A notification, signed by Niraj Verma, principal secretary of home and political department, on August 17, stated that "the nomenclature of detention centre is changed to 'Transit Camp' for detention purpose' in partial modification of an earlier notification dated June 17th, 2009.
The change of nomenclature will perhaps give a more humane look to detention centers which detractors say are like concentration camps.
The detention centres are isolated cells in the conventional jails and the inmates are allegedly treated on a par with the criminals lodged in jails.
Assam has six detention centres where 181 declared foreigners are currently lodged. The Goalpara detention centre has 41 inmates, Kokrajhar 11, Silchar 49, Dibrugarh 13, Jorhat 22 and Tezpur 45.
15:46 Parts of Gujarat anti-'Love Jihad' law can't operate: HC
The Gujarat High Court on Thursday put a stay on the operation of some sections related to interfaith marriages of the state's new anti-conversion law.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Biren Vaishnav said the interim order has been passed to protect people from unnecessary harassment.
The Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, which penalises forcible or fraudulent religious conversion through marriage, was notified by the state government on June 15.
Last month, the Gujarat chapter of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind filed a petition saying some of the amended sections of the law were unconstitutional.
On Thursday, Chief Justice Nath said, "We are of the opinion that pending further hearing, rigors of section 3,4, 4a to 4c, 5, 6, and 6a shall not operate merely because the marriage is solemnised by a person of one religion with another religion without force, allurement or fraudulent means and such marriages cannot be termed as marriage for the purpose of unlawful conversion."
"This interim order is to protect the parties which solemnised interfaith marriages from unnecessary harassment," he said. PTI
15:16 President Kovind undergoes cataract surgery
President Ram Nath Kovind underwent cataract surgery this morning at the Army Hospital (Referral & Research), New Delhi. Surgery was successful and he has been discharged from the hospital.
15:14 I fear for my Afghan sisters: Malala
Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has expressed fear for women and girls in Afghanistan as the Taliban has once again taken control of the war-torn country after 20 years of US military operations.
"The Taliban -- who until losing power 20 years ago barred nearly all girls and women from attending school and doled out harsh punishment to those who defied them -- are back in control. Like many women, I fear for my Afghan sisters," Malala wrote in an op-ed published in New York Times on August 17.
She added: "In the last two decades, millions of Afghan women and girls received an education. Now the future they were promised is dangerously close to slipping away.
"We will have time to debate what went wrong in the war in Afghanistan, but in this critical moment we must listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls. They are asking for protection, for education, for the freedom and the future they were promised. We cannot continue to fail them. We have no time to spare," Malala also said.
However, the Taliban has vowed to "respect women's rights" in the country.
Raising scepticism of the Taliban's vow, Yousafzai wrote in New York Times: "Taliban's history of violently suppressing women's rights, Afghan women's fears are real. Already, we are hearing reports of female students being turned away from their universities, female workers from their offices."
Yousafzai, long an advocate for girls' education, survived a Pakistani Taliban assassination attempt when she was just 15 years old when they shot her in the head.
15:07 HC rejects WB govt's poll violence blame on EC
The Calcutta High Court today said that the West Bengal government's argument that the Election Commission was responsible for the post-poll violence in the state as police were under it due to enforcement of election code till May 3, 2021, "deserves to be rejected outrightly".
Calcutta High Court earlier today ordered a court-monitored CBI probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal.
"Civil or police administration is under the control of the Election Commission during election process only to ensure free and fair elections. That does not mean that the police stop discharging its normal duties to control law and order," observes Calcutta HC in its verdict.
A five-judge bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal also ordered the formation of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe all other offences related to the alleged post-poll violence.
An IAF plane evacuated 120 Indians on Tuesday
14:45 Updates from Afghanistan
Denmark says that a plane with 84 people who had been evacuated from Afghanistan has landed in Copenhagen and were now on safe ground in Denmark.
Spain has evacuated 53 people from Afghanistan on its first flight to airlift Spanish citizens and Afghan workers and their families from Kabul.
The European Union said that 106 staff members of EU delegations and their families had safely left Afghanistan but said that some 300 still remained behind.
14:39 Partition: The Other Part
The story of refugees from East Pakistan settling in Calcutta is well known, but Partition also set off a chain of events that led many from the other Punjab to make this city their home. On the 75th year of India's Independence, we bring you slices of their lives and legacy. Read more here.
14:33 Rahul's Wayanad visit ends
Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi shared this image on Instagram writing, "With your blessings I renew my pledge to fight for our people.
To be a voice for those being silenced.
To stand up for those who are forced to kneel.
To defend the rights of those who face grave injustice.
To hear the cries of those in pain."
On Monday Rahul Gandhi arrived on a two-day trip to his Wayanad constituency.
Earlier, on most occasions, the entire top brass of the Congress leaders would be present to receive him, but on Monday it was just the Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan and Kozhikode party MP M.K. Raghavan who were present.
File pic
14:10 Taliban seen capturing US weapons, dollars
Post its "so-called" victory over the United States after 20 years in Afghanistan, the Taliban have now got hold of "sophisticated weapons" and currency of the western superpower, according to videos that have surfaced on social me, a viral video showed.
In one such video, a man can be seen displaying hundreds of USD bundles stored in a room. He is also seen opening one of the bundles and showing the US currency.
In another clip several purported Taliban members are seen strolling inside a room filled with ammunition. They were displaying weapons and seem to be proud to have captured it.
Meanwhile, according to local media reports Taliban have also captured the US military's biometric devices compromising crucial data of the US army and the local Afghans who played crucial roles during the war.
Several videos have also been circulated on the Internet of "celebrations" of purported Taliban seen frolicking at an amusement park in Herat and enjoying rides on bumper cars and on merry-go-around.
The terror group took control over Afghanistan on Sunday after entering the presidential palace in Kabul.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Taliban had announced a "general amnesty" for all Afghan government officials and urged them to return to work, including women corresponding with Sharia law.
The Taliban leaders are discussing future government plans in Doha and are in touch with the international community and intra-Afghan parties to make government in Afghanistan.
The world is closely watching the unfolding situation in Afghanistan as the countries have scrambled to evacuate its citizen from Afghanistan in an attempt to secure their people. -- ANI
13:26 Taliban leaders told to focus on social justice
Dr Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of HCNR (High Council for National Reconciliation) on the meeting held with Khalil Al-Rahman Haqqani and his accompanying delegation of Taliban in Kabul at his residence. Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai was also present at the meeting.
They exchanged views on the security of citizens in Kabul and across Afghanistan and unity and cooperation for the future of the country.
Dr Abdullah asked the Taliban leaders to pay attention and prioritise the security and protection of the life, property and dignity of the people. Referring to the concerns of the citizens of Kabul and other provinces, he emphasised that the collective security of the people, protecting their life and property should be the main priority.
Dr Abdullah reiterated his official position that he supports an independent and unified Afghanistan based on justice and fairness and said that history shows that in the absence of social justice, providing security and strengthening national unity is impossible.
Haqqani assured the participants that they will work hard to provide the right security for the citizens of Kabul and asked for the help and support of political leaders and elders of the country to provide security for the people.
In the first sign of engagement with the Taliban since the ouster of the Afghanistan government, key political leaders such as Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah met Haqqani on Wednesday.
The former Afghanistan president has formed a Coordination Council along with High Council for National Reconciliation of Afghanistan chairman Abdullah Abdullah and former Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to ensure a peaceful transfer of power. However, talks between the two sides were stuck owing to certain "unacceptable conditions" imposed by the Taliban.
The Haqqani Network is an important faction of the Taliban based on the border with Pakistan.
13:10 Kerala to create 20 lakh quality jobs in five years
Kerala will create 20 lakh quality jobs in the next five years through an ambitious mission, a senior state government official has said as he discussed a strategic paper for turning the state into a knowledge society. Dr K M Abraham, Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has said the strategic paper for building a knowledge society was formulated as per the decision taken in the first cabinet meeting after this government came to power.
The Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission of the government aims to provide skills training to students in higher education institutions and enable them to adapt to changing times, he said during a consultation with media early this week.
The scheme will cover returnees who have lost their jobs abroad, those who have completed their studies here and have not been able to find employment and those who have had to drop out of school, Abraham said. -- PTI
12:54 Rahul Gandhis young Congress team isnt happening
Former Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev's exit from the Congress hardly comes as a surprise. The latest entrant in the Congress' growing list of young leaders jumping ship is further evidence of what is fast becoming an accepted reality -- India's grand old party is imploding, falling apart like a pack of cards in a wild storm. Read the column here.
12:43 Pfizer, AstraZeneca vaccines works less on Delta
The COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer and AstraZeneca are less effective against the Delta variant of coronavirus compared to the Alpha variant, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Oxford.
The researchers, however, noted that with Delta, Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and Oxford-AstraZeneca preventive, known as Covishield in India, still offer good protection against new infections.
Two doses of either vaccine still provided at least the same level of protection as having had COVID-19 before through natural infection, they said.
The researchers analysed 2580,021 test results from nose and throat swabs taken from 384,543 participants aged 18 years or older between December 1, 2020 and May 16, 2021.
They also analysed 811,624 test results from 358,983 participants between May 17, 2021 and August 1, 2021. The yet to be peer-reviewed study found that the people who had been vaccinated after already being infected with COVID-19 had even more protection than vaccinated individuals who had not had COVID-19 before.
However, Delta infections after two vaccine doses had similar peak levels of virus as those in unvaccinated people, the researchers said. -- PTI
12:41 Over threefold rise in trauma cases in Afghanistan: WHO
There has been more than a threefold rise in the number of trauma cases in Afghanistan in recent weeks, said the World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, urging that delivery of lifesaving aid and medical supplies to millions of Afghans must not be cut.
According to the UN health agency, 70 WHO-supported medical facilities across Afghanistan treated nearly 14,000 conflict-related cases last month, which compares with 4,057 cases seen a year ago. This comes amid an intensification of violence in Afghanistan. On Sunday, the Taliban took control of the Afghan's capital Kabul after months of an offensive against civilians and Afghan forces.
"Sustained access to humanitarian assistance, including essential health services and medical supplies, is a critical lifeline for millions of Afghans, and must not be interrupted", said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
In a related development, following the Taliban takeover and amid ongoing apprehension over the safety of minorities, rights defenders and others in the country, the Human Rights Council announced a special session to address "serious human rights concerns".
The all-day debate, scheduled for Tuesday, follows an official request submitted yesterday jointly by Pakistan and Afghanistan with the support of 89 countries, to date.
12:20 Over 58.31 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses with states: Govt
News of the other war that every country is fighting -- the Covid pandemic.
More than 58.31 crore Covid-19 vaccine doses have been provided to states and union territories so far, and another 81,10,780 doses are in the pipeline, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.
Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 56,29,35,938 doses, according to data available at 8 am. More than 38 lakh balance and unutilised vaccine doses are still available with the states, UTs and private hospitals to be administered, the ministry said.
The Union government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of Covid-19 vaccination throughout the country, it added. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through the availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to states and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain, the ministry stated. -- PTI
12:14 Afghans in India ask for help
Afghan nationals gather outside the US Embassy in Delhi. "My family back home is scared after the Taliban take over. We request support from India and the US. We don't have any jobs here and are facing financial troubles," says an Afghan national.
12:08 Trouble at the door
The Taliban's triumph has implications for India's security, writes Swapan Dasgupta. Read the column here.
11:45 Court-monitored CBI probe into WB poll violence
The Calcutta High Court orders a court-monitored CBI probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal.
The Kolkata Police Commissioner, Soumen Mitra, will be part of that special team, the court said.
The BJP had alleged that after the Trinamool's sweeping victory its goons attacked women members, killed workers, vandalised houses and looted shops and offices belonging to party members.
The Bengal government has said the reports have been greatly exaggerated, with fake videos and images, and most of the incidents of violence that took place around the May 2 counting day happened when the state police were under the control of the Election Commission.
11:33 Housing sales may rise 30% in 2021; to remain below pre-COVID levels: Report
Housing sales are likely to rise by 30 per cent across seven major cities to nearly 1.8 lakh units in 2021, but demand will still be lower than the pre-COVID levels, according to property consultant Anarock.
According to Anarock research, housing sales are expected to increase 30 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to 1,79,527 units across seven cities in 2021 from 1,38,344 units last year. In 2019, housing sales stood at 2,61,358 units across seven cities -- Delhi-NCR, Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata. The consultant also estimated sales to further rise in 2022 and 2023 to 2,64,625 and 3,17,550 units, respectively. -- PTI
Afghan women flee the country in 1996. Pic: Reuters
11:07 Taliban have seized US military biometric devices
The devices could aid in the identification of Afghans who assisted coalition forces, current and former military officials have told The Intercept. Read more here.
10:51 Afghanistan VP: We're too big for Pak to swallow
Amrullah Saleh, Afghanistan's vice president since February last year, said today that nations must respect the rule of law and not violence. Hitting out at neighbouring Pakistan for its support to the Taliban which has taken over Afghanistan, Saleh said, "Afghanistan is too big for Pakistan to swallow and too big for Talibs to govern. Don't let your histories have a chapter on humiliation and bowing to terror groups."
Pakistan's political and military leadership vehemently denies supporting the Taliban. Nonetheless, the Taliban have found refuge in Pakistan for over two decades.
Saleh had cited the Afghanistan Constitution to declare himself the de factor head of the Islamic republic after President Ashraf Ghani fled on Tuesday to an undeclared destination.
A follower of the slain Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, Saleh has said he will "never be under one ceiling with Taliban." The vice president has for years been critical of Pakistan, and in recent tweets has denounced 'Pak backed oppression & brutal dictatorship'.
10:38 Focus on safe return of citizens from Kabul: EAM
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that India is following the events in Afghanistan "very carefully" and the focus is on ensuring the security and safe return of its nationals who are still in the war-torn country.
"At this point of time, we are looking at the evolving situation in Kabul... as Taliban and its representatives have come to Kabul and I think we need to take it from there," he said at a press conference after attending the UNSC meeting in New York on Wednesday (local time).
Being asked whether India will continue its investments and engagement in Afghanistan, the minister said the "historical relationship with the Afghan people continues."
"That will guide our approach in the coming days. I think at this time, these are early days and our focus on safety and security of the Indian nationals who are there," he said.
He also said that the situation in Afghanistan is "really what has been very much the focus of my own engagements here, talking to the UN Secretary General, the US Secretary of State and other colleagues who are here."
"At the moment we are, like everybody else, very carefully following developments in Afghanistan. I think our focus is on ensuring the security in Afghanistan and the safe return of Indian nationals who are there," he added.
India is the president of the Security Council for the month of August.
10:22 ICMR study: Vaccination reduces death due to Delta variant
An Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study conducted in Chennai has found that the Delta variant has the potential to infect both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, but it reduces mortality among the former group.
According to a study published in the Journal of Infection on August 17 and approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee of ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, Chennai indicates that the prevalence of the Delta variant or B.1.617.2 was not different between the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups.
"B.1.617.2 has the potential to infect both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. However, the progression of illness seems to be prevented by vaccination. Therefore, non-pharmaceutical interventions must continue to slow down the transmission. Additionally, the pace and scale of vaccination have to be increased to mitigate the further waves of the pandemic," the report read.
10:03 India logs 36,401 new Covid cases
India has added 36,401 new Covid-19 infections, taking the total tally of cases to 3,23,22,258, while the death toll has climbed to 4,33,049 with 530 more fatalities, according to Union health ministry data updated on Thursday.
The national recovery rate has improved to 97.52 per cent, the highest since March last year, according to the data updated at 8 am. The ministry said that active cases have declined to 3,64,129, the lowest in 149 days, and comprise 1.13 per cent of the total infections, the lowest since March last year.
A reduction of 3,286 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. The ministry said that 18,73,757 tests were conducted on Wednesday, taking the total tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 50,03,00,840. The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 1.94 per cent and it has been less than three per cent for the last 24 days, it said.
The weekly positivity rate has been recorded at 1.95 per cent and it has been below three per cent for the last 55 days, according to the ministry. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 3,15,25,080, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.
Cumulatively, 56.64 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered under the nationwide vaccination drive so far. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7 last year 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19 last year. India crossed two crore cases on May 4 and three crore cases on June 23. PTI
09:25 Afghanistan: UN relocates 100 staff to Kazakhstan
The United Nations has moved about 100 of its personnel from Afghanistan to Kazakhstan in view of the security and other constraints in Kabul and they will return to the country as conditions permit, according to the spokesman of the UN chief.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan on Sunday. Their sudden victory, which comes as the US withdraws from the country following a 20-year-war, has sparked chaos at Kabul's airport, from where America and allied nations are trying to safely evacuate thousands of citizens and allies. Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters on Wednesday that the group of about 100 UN personnel from across the system travelled from Kabul to Almaty, where they will continue their work remotely.
He said the UN thanks the Government of Kazakhstan for the offer to host a temporary remote office of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. As the Secretary-General told the Security Council on August 16th, the United Nations presence in Afghanistan will adapt to the security situation," Dujarric said.
"In light of the security and other constraints in Kabul and other parts of the country at the moment, it was decided to move a part of the UN staff out of the country. Personnel will return to Afghanistan as conditions permit, he said. -- PTI
09:10 Jaishankar to chair UNSC meet
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will chair the United Nations Security Council briefing on "threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts" on Thursday, under India's presidency in August.
The Foreign Minister also chaired a high-level meeting at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday.
The event was an Open Debate on 'Protecting the Protectors: Technology and Peacekeeping'.
This comes as the Taliban on Sunday took control of Kabul and installed themselves in the presidential palace in Kabul.
The Ministry of External Affairs in a press release said that both these topics are priorities for India during its UNSC innings.
Jaishankar reached New York on Monday to preside over two high-level meetings of the UNSC on UN peacekeeping and terrorism.
"Today in the UNSC. EAM @DrSJaishankar will chair UNSC meetings: Adoption of Resolution on "Protecting the Protectors" on @UNPeacekeeping; Open Debate on Technology and Peacekeeping," India at UN tweeted.
On Tuesday, Jaishankar met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and held discussions on Afghanistan. "Good to meet UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres. Our discussions focused on Afghanistan, following upon the Security Council meeting yesterday," Jaishankar tweeted.
08:42 Didn't steal money, went in sandals to UAE: Ghani
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday defended his decision to flee Afghanistan, saying it as the only way to prevent bloodshed.
"I didn't want the bloodshed to commence in Kabul as it had in Syria and Yemen. So I decided to go, to leave Kabul," Ghani said in a video message posted on his Facebook page.
"If I had stayed the President of Afghanistan, people would have been hanged and this would have been a dreadful disaster in our history. I am not fearful of an honorable death, and dishonoring Afghanistan was not acceptable to me, but I had to. I was taken out of Afghanistan to avoid bloodshed and the destruction of Afghanistan," he added.
Ghani also confirmed that he was in the United Arab Emirates.
He denied claims by his country's ambassador to Tajikistan that he had stolen millions of dollars from state funds.
"Accusations were charged in these days that money was transferred, these accusations are fully baseless," he said.
He claimed that he was "forced to leave Afghanistan with one set of traditional clothes, a vest and the sandals I was wearing".
Ghani backed the recent talks between the terror group and former Afghan president Hamid Karzai to stabilise the country.
On Sunday, as the Taliban entered Kabul, Ashraf Ghani left the country.
02:08 No Taliban in control of any part of Kabul airport
Here are some salient points that highlight the mammoth task before the US troops on the ground in Afghanistan, and in control of Kabul Airport, that are overseeing the safe and secure evacuation of American citizens as well as of those Afghans with Special Immigration Visas, who have helped the US troops since they first landed in the country in the aftermath of 9/11.
This is what Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby told mediapersons during an off-camera interaction:
1. Currently, US military footprint in Afghanistan is approximately 4,500 total troops on the ground in Kabul, and when I say in Kabul I mean at the airport. We are not anticipating a big shift in personnel beyond that right now.
2. Non-combatant evacuation operation support is something that (US) Marines are well trained in and do well. So, we're glad to have them on the ground.
3. Kabul Airport remains secure and open for flight operations, military flights are arriving and departing consistently, and there is limited commercial flight operations as well as some foreign contracted flights that are coming and going.
4. 18 C-17s have departed in the last 24 hours. These flights have carried around 2,000 passengers. And I can confirm that 325 of those passengers are American citizens. The remainder of the number will include Afghans and some NATO personnel.
We got 1,100 US citizens out at the end of our day.
5. But we also want to point out that the -- the 621st Contingency Response Group out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst arrived also in the last 24 hours. They were part of that flow-in.
This is a dynamic Air Force unit highly specialized in the rapid deployment of personnel to quickly open airfields and establish, expand, sustain, and coordinate air mobility operations. So, this is a group that knows how to run airfields. And can help with the -- the actual air operations on the ground.
6. The (Defense) Secretary (Lloyd J Austin) and the chairman are focused on what we're doing today and tomorrow and -- and trying to help get as many people out as safely and as efficiently as possible. That's the focus of the US military right now, and that is not changed.
7. (Defense) Secretary (Lloyd J) Austin authorized the use of Fort Bliss, Texas, and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin to provide additional support in addition to Fort Lee to provide additional temporary housing and sustainment and support inside the United States for a number up to 22,000 of Special Immigrant Visa applicants.
8. US Northern Command will coordinate all the details with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services as necessary.
We're simply trying to get as many people out (of Afghanistan) as quickly as we can.
Will be able to evacuate 5,000 to 9,000 people max per day when we reach at full throttle.
9. We are continuing to have communication with the Taliban about making sure we can continue that flow and that our special immigrant visa applicants are included in it.
10. I do not have a breakdown of foreign forces at the airport. But the Turks are still there and they have been very helpful in terms of helping us establish security at the airport.
11. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is reviewing the incident with that one C-17 that taxied in and took off with Afghans clinging to the airframe. Clearly we know just by visual evidence and by the Air Force's statement that there were at least several fatalities involved in that, but I don't want to get ahead of the Air Force's review in terms of hard numbers of what the total toll was.
12. When it comes to US-provided equipment that is still in Afghanistan and may not be in the hands of ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces), there are several options that we have at our disposal to try to deal with that problem set. We don't obviously want to see our equipment in the hands of those who would act against our interest or the interest of the Afghan people, and increase violence and insecurity inside Afghanistan.
The decisions about disposition of that level of equipment in Afghanistan haven't been made yet.
13. Some shots were fired largely around the (airport) gate areas, and it's our understanding that at least some of these -- I can't account for every bullet, but at least some of these were fired by US personnel on the airport side of the perimeter as crowd control measures, as non-lethal warnings if you will. No shots were fired by American troops at Afghans or anybody else.
None of these shots that we're aware of have anything to do with hostile intent or hostile activity. Simply used as crowd control.
14. The secretary has made clear, we want to assist all the brave Afghans who have helped us. And if these ANSF soldiers want to be a part of that process they will absolutely find us open and willing to do what we can to help them.
15. I don't know how many Americans are in Afghanistan. That's a question put to the State Department, not the Department of Defense. We don't have that kind of granularity.
16. There is constant communication with the Taliban commanders outside the field with respect to helping us with the flow (of people to the Kabul airport). And we are talking to them about the effect that their curfew and the limits that they're putting on flow outside the airport is having on our ability to accomplish the mission.
Commanders on the ground obviously have the authority to adjust the force posture as they see fit.
17. About expanding the perimeter (around Kabul airport). I'm just not going to talk about potential future operations one way or the other. The focus right now is on security at the airport on the airport premises itself and on assisting the State Department with the flow of people through the various gates at which they can enter the airport. That's our focus right now and I think I'd just leave it at that.
18. We're at 4,500 today, that number's going to go up. We've been talking about the authorization of up to 6,000 to go in there. And again, we'll make this adjustment day by day.
19. The (Kabul) airport is secure and it's being secured by US, Turkish and allied troops. There are no Taliban in control of any part of the airport. They do have positions outside the airport which is one of the reasons why we continue to communicate with them. But the airport is secure and is being secured by American and other foreign troops.
On your second question about the date. Again, the mandate by the president (of the United States of America Joe Biden) is to complete this mission by the 31st of August, and that's the target we're shooting for.
20. My understanding is that the individual that (Rear) Admiral (Peter) Vasely (the top US Commander in Kabul) is communicating with is designated by the Taliban as their appropriate commander for what they're doing at the airport. I confess to not knowing the Taliban order of battle or their organizational structure, but Admiral Vasely is coordinating with this individual, and it appears to be the appropriate level and the appropriate person with the appropriate authorities to command the Taliban elements that are outside the airport.
21. We have agreed to some safe passage arrangements with the Taliban. I'm not going to walk you away from the idea that that's not important. Of course, it's important. But to say that the evacuation all hinges on goodwill of the Taliban, I think, is to overstate all the efforts that have to go into this, including working with the State Department on the manifest list and their work to notify individuals when to get to the airport, as well as the military efforts to provide the airlift and to provide the security at the airport, and to make sure that the airport is up and running.
22. We do know some Afghan Air Force aircraft piloted by Afghan Air Force pilots did leave the country and went to third country locations that they flew them out. We do know that.
23. Admiral Vasely is in touch with his Taliban counterpart to try to make sure that doesn't happen and that those that we are trying to evacuate, the special immigrant visa applicants, the special Afghans at risk, that we're able to -- we're working very hard to make sure that they can get through safely so that they can be properly processed.
00:21 HC verdict on Bengal post-poll violence today
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday will pass the judgement on a set of PILs seeking impartial probe into alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal.
As per the 'cause list' released by the high court on Wednesday, a five-judge bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal will pronounce the judgement on the matter.
The bench had ordered the NHRC chairman to constitute an inquiry committee to probe accusations of human rights violations during the "post-poll violence".
The panel, in its report, indicted the Mamata Banerjee government, as it recommended handing over the investigation in grievous crimes like rape and murder to the CBI and said that the cases should be tried outside the state.
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