A call about the presence of RDX onboard a Dubai-Mumbai flight was received on Saturday afternoon, following which security was beefed at the international airport in Mumbai.

It was later turned out to be a hoax, a Mumbai Police official said.

The call that RDX was placed onboard the flight was received by officials at the ATC tower around 3.40 pm, the official said.

He said Mumbai Police was immediately informed and security at the airport was beefed up.

The flight was checked thoroughly after landing by the police and security agencies but nothing suspicious was found onboard, he said.

After investigation, it was found to be a hoax call, he said.

Another flight that landed at the Mumbai international airport from Dubai in the evening was also checked but no RDX was found onboard, another official said.   -- PTI

Afghanistan on Saturday strongly condemned the abduction of its envoy Najib Alikhil's daughter in Pakistan and called upon Islamabad to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of the 'heinous act' at the earliest.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stated with 'deep regret' that the daughter of the Afghan ambassador to Islamabad Silsila Alikhil was abducted for several hours on July 16, 2021 and severely tortured by unknown individuals on her way home.

The statement said that after being released from the kidnappers' captivity, Silsila Alikhil is under medical care at the hospital.

'The MoFA strongly condemns this heinous act and expresses its deep concern over the safety and security of diplomats, their families, and staff members of the Afghan political and consular missions in Pakistan,' it said.

Afghanistan MoFA called upon Pakistan to take 'immediate necessary actions to ensure full security of Afghanistan embassy and consulates as well as the immunity of the country's diplomats and their families in accordance with international treaties and conventions.

'While the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs is following the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, we urge the Pakistani government to identify and prosecute the perpetrators at the soonest possible time,' the statement said. -- ANI

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Saturday recommended Tuberculosis (TB) screening for all COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 screening for all diagnosed TB patients.

According to a release by the Union Health Ministry, there have been some media reports alleging that a sudden rise in cases of Tuberculosis (TB) has been noticed among patients who were infected with COVID-19 recently, leaving the doctors worried on receiving around a dozen similar cases every day.

States/UTs have been asked for convergence in efforts for better surveillance and case finding of TB and COVID-19, as early as August 2020.

'Apart from this, multiple advisories and guidance have also been issued by MoHFW to reiterate the need for bi-directional screening of TB-COVID and TB-ILI/SARI. The States/ UTs have been implementing the same,' read the release.

'Due to the impact of COVID-19 related restrictions, case notifications for TB had decreased by about 25 per cent in 2020 but special efforts are being made to mitigate this impact through intensified case finding in OPD settings as well as through active case finding campaigns in the community by all States,' it said.

Moreover, there is not enough evidence currently to suggest that there has been an increase in TB cases due to COVID-19 or due to increased case finding efforts.

The dual morbidity of Tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19 can be further highlighted through the fact that both the diseases are known to be infectious and primarily attack the lungs, presenting similar symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in breathing, although TB has a longer incubation period and a slower onset of disease, the Union health ministry said.

'Furthermore, TB bacilli can be present in humans in a dormant state and has the potential to start multiplying when the individual's immunity is compromised for any reason. The same is applicable in post COVID scenarios, when an individual may develop decreased immunity due the virus itself or due to the treatment, especially immune-suppressants like steroids,' the release said.

'SARS-CoV-2 infection can make an individual more susceptible to developing active TB disease, as TB is an opportunistic infection like black fungus,' it added. -- ANI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday refused to commit on contesting polls in future or be the party's CM face in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections next year.

The Congress leader, who is on a two-day visit to Lucknow, said her party will continue to raise people's issues.

When asked if she will contest elections in future, Priyanka told reporters in Lakhimpur Kheri, "We will see."

When asked if she will be the party's CM face for the UP polls, the Congress leader said, "Should I tell you everything now?"

On what would be her party's strategy, Priyanka said wherever there is problem or pain, they will go and stand with people.

"In the past year and a half, our party has raised the strongest voice. We have hit the roads, our party workers have courted arrest. Rest of the parties have not spoken so much nor they came out (on streets) as compared to us, and we will continue with this," she said.

Priyanka was in Lakhimpur Kheri to meet two women workers of the Samajwadi Party with whom Bharatiya Janata Party workers had allegedly misbehaved during the recent block panchayat chief elections.

She demanded repolling at places where violence took place.   -- PTI

A graphic showing state-wise data of Covid vaccination.

The Union health ministry said on Saturday that over 41.69 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses have so far been provided to states and Union Territories, and more than 2.74 crore jabs are available with them and private hospitals.

In a statement, the ministry said 18,16,140 more doses are in the process of being supplied.

It said that 41,69,24,550 vaccine doses have been provided to states and Union Territories (UTs) so far through all sources.

Of this, the total consumption, including wastage, is 38,94,87,442 doses, according to data available at 8 am Saturday,  the ministry said.

It said that 2,74,37,108 Covid vaccine doses -- balance and unutilised -- are still available with states and UTs, and private hospitals.

The new phase of universalisation of COVID-19 vaccination programme commenced from June 21.   -- with PTI inputs

Rajya Sabha member and Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Ripun Bora on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct an inquiry into allegations that newly appointed Union Minister Nisith Pramanik is a Bangladeshi national.

However, sources close to Pramanik strongly refuted the allegations, saying the minister was born, brought up and educated in India.

In his letter, which was also posted on his Twitter handle, Bora claimed that the reports in news channels namely Barak Bangla and Republic TV Tripura and digital media, India Today and Business Standard, showed that Pramanik a Bangladeshi national.

Quoting the reports, the MP claimed that the union minister's birthplace was Harinathpur under Palasbari police station in Gaibandha district of Bangladesh and he reportedly came to West Bengal for computer studies.

After getting a computer degree, he first joined the Trinamool Congress and later the BJP and was elected as an MP from Cooch Behar, Bora claimed.

According to the news channels, Bora claimed, Pramanik showed his address as Cooch Behar in election papers 'by manipulation'.

The channels also highlighted the 'jubilant scenario', including a statement of 'his elder brother' and some villagers of his native village in Bangladesh expressing their satisfaction on Pramanik being appointed as union minister of state for home.

"If it is so, this is a very serious matter for the country, that a foreign national is appointed as a union minister.

"Therefore, I urge upon you to conduct an inquiry about the actual birthplace and nationality of Nisith Pramanik in a most transparent way and clarify the whole issue as it creates confusion across the country," Bora said in his letter to Modi.

When contacted, sources close to Pramanik said the minister is a 'patriotic Indian' who was born, brought up and educated in India and asserted that the allegations were baseless.

The sources said if some relatives of the minister were celebrating in another country, what can he do.

"If an Indian relative of a Canadian MP feels proud and celebrates in India, what can the Canadian MP do about it," a source said.

It may be a similar case, the sources noted and hit out at Bora saying a responsible MP  should know what is wrong and what is right.   -- PTI

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Minister Nisith Pramanik. Photograph: Press Information Bureau of India

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the Chardham Yatra will not be livestreamed as 'it is not written in the Vedas'.

"After taking into account all the suggestions, we have decided not to hold livestreaming of Chardham Yatra as it is not written in the Vedas. We are also going to file an affidavit in the high court in this regard," Dhami said.

On Friday, the Chardham Devasthanam Board had decided not to permit livestreaming of ceremonies from the sancta sanctorum of Uttarakhand's famous Himalayan temples 'in reverence to the religious beliefs associated with them'.

"Considering the religious beliefs and conventions associated with Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, the board unanimously decided not to allow live-streaming of the ceremonies from the sanctum sanctorums," an official said.

The decision was taken at the third meeting of the board headed by the CM, he said.

Earlier, staying the state Cabinet's decision to start the chardham yatra partially for locals from July 1, the Uttarakhand high court had suggested the state government to make arrangements for nationwide live-streaming of ceremonies inside the temples.

On an objection raised by the state government that telecasting such events does not go with the scriptures, the court had said the government was being sympathetic towards the emotions of the priests.   -- ANI/PTI

A case has been registered against three persons, including Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, who sat on a silent protest in front of a Mahatma Gandhi statue in  Lucknow along with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, police said on Saturday.

The case has been registered for damaging public property, sitting on protest without permission and without giving prior information, Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur said.

Gandhi, on a two-day visit to Lucknow, had protested along with other party members in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at GPO Park on Friday.

Police said the Congress workers damaged an iron net structure located in the GPO Park, and violated the Epidemic Act, during the protest.

"The FIR has been registered against UP Congress chief Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress leaders Ved Prakash Tripathi and Diljit Singh, and 500-600 unidentified party workers. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not named in the FIR," Thakur told PTI.

UP Congress spokesperson Ashok Singh said Gandhi sat on the silent protest to highlight the atrocities on women, anarchy of the administration and police.

"Women are not safe in the state. Priyankaji sat on a maun vrat (silent protest) at the feet of Mahatma Gandhi for ending this jungle raj and to uproot this dictatorial government," Lallu said on Saturday.   --  PTI

The Uttar Pradesh police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested three persons from Nagpur in Maharashtra in connection with a case registered in Lucknow under UP's anti-conversion law, an official said on Saturday.

The trio was arrested from Ganeshpeth area in Nagpur city on Friday night, he said.

The accused were identified as Prasad Rameshwar Kavale (from Nagpur), Kausar Alam Shaukat Ali Khan (from Jharkhand) and Bhupriya Bando Devidas Mankar (from Gadchiroli in Maharashtra), the police official in Nagpur said.

The three accused were staying at Hansapuri under the jurisdiction of Ganeshpeth police station, he said.

The UP police's ATS had arrested some persons last month and claimed to have busted a nationwide racket of religious conversions.

An FIR was lodged with Gomtinagar police station in Lucknow under the state's anti-conversion law.

The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, which was promulgated in November last year, prohibits unlawful religious conversions and nullifies marriages if they are carried out for the sole purpose of religious conversion.

The law provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 50,000 under different categories.

The UP police had said that they had recovered a register from some of the accused persons arrested earlier.

The register carried details of over 1,000 persons from Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Delhin with their names and addresses mentioned in it, they had said.   -- PTI

Any decision taken by the Congress president will be acceptable to all, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday after meeting All India Congress Committee general secretary and Punjab in-charge Harish Rawat. Rawat flew down to Chandigarh as tensions escalate in the Congress' Punjab unit over differences between Amarinder and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

There is intense speculation that the cricketer-turned politician may be appointed state Congress chief.

Rawat reached Chandigarh in a chopper around 12 noon and went straight to the chief minister's farm house in Mohali.

The visit is being seen as an effort to placate Amarinder, who wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday.

He is learnt to have said that giving the post of state party chief to Sidhu, a Jat Sikh, would upset the party's senior leaders representing the Hindu community and harm the party's prospects in the 2022 assembly elections.  -- PTI

The new academic session in universities and colleges across the county will begin from October 1 while the admission process has to be completed by September 30, according to new guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

Universities and higher education institutions (HEIs) have been asked to ensure that the admission process for undergraduate courses begins only after the declaration of results by the CBSE, ICSE and all state boards.  

'It is expected that all school boards will declare their results for class 12 exams by July 31. If there is any delay in declaration of the result of qualifying exams, the new academic session may begin by October 18,' the UGC said in the new guidelines.

The commission has clarified that the teaching-learning process must continue in offline, online or blended mode.

'The institutions may plan for classes, breaks, conduct of examinations, semester break etc. during October 1 to July 31, following necessary protocols and advisories issued by central and state governments from time to time in view of COVID-19 pandemic,' the guidelines said.

In view of the financial hardships faced by parents during the pandemic, the commission has asked varsities and HEIs to ensure fee is fully refunded in cases of cancellation of admission or migration of students.

It has also been made mandatory for universities and colleges to conduct final year or end term exams by August 31.

The exams can be conducted in either offline, online or in blended mode. -- PTI

Police have registered a first information report against a Surat-based travel agency for allegedly tampering with the entry tickets of 23 tourists visiting the Statue of Unity' located at Kevadia in Gujarat's Narmada district in order to overcharge them, officials said on Saturday.

The fraud came to light on Friday after the staff deployed at the entry gate of the Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue that is dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, thoroughly checked the tickets of the tourists, police said.

A Kevadia police station official said that the travel agency had edited the tickets of 19 adult visitors by showing the printed price of each ticket to be higher by Rs 50.

Similarly, the prices on the tickets of four children were raised by Rs 20 each.

"The ticket of an adult tourist was shown to cost Rs 430 even as the actual price is Rs 380, while that of a child was raised to Rs 250 when its official price is Rs 230. The agency tampered with the original documents and used them for entry to the Statue of Unity premises," he said.

The staff at the entry gate found that the prices of as many as 23 tickets -- 19 for adults and four for children -- were edited on computer to show the rates higher than what they actually are, an official of the Statue of Unity Tourism Authority said.

"During the scrutiny, it was found that the price of each ticket for an adult was raised by Rs 50 to Rs 430, and that of a child by Rs 20 to Rs 250 through editing," the official said.

It was found that this was allegedly done by My Value Trip travel agency, he said.

Deputy mamlatdar Satish Prajapati lodged a complaint against the agency, on the basis of which an FIR was registered at Kevadia police station on Friday night, the official said.

The case was registered against the travel agency under Indian Penal Code sections 465 (forgery) and 471 (fraudulently or dishonestly using as genuine any document or electronic record), as well as under section 60-D of the Information Technology Act for cheating by personation using computer resource, the police official said.   -- PTI

Nationalist Congress Party chief and Rajya Sabha MP Sharad Pawar on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

'Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sharad Pawar met PM Narendra Modi,' the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) tweeted.

The meeting came two days before the monsoon session of Parliament beginning July 19.

Earlier on Friday, newly-appointed leader of Rajya Sabha and Union Minister Piyush Goyal held consultations with former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, government officials said.

An all-party meeting will be held on July 18, sources had said on Wednesday.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has called an all-party meeting at 11 am on July 18 in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to be present, they added. -- ANI

Posters of Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui being painted at Gurukul School Of Art in Mumbai, as a tribute to the Pulitzer Prize winner, who was killed in Kandahar while coviering the clashes bewteen Taliban and the Afghan security forces.

Siddiqui worked with Reuters.

After the Uttarakhand government decided to cancel the Kanwar Yatra this year in light of COVID-19, Haridwar police on Saturday said that borders of the state will remain sealed and a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) of the police will also be deployed.

A notice issued by the Haridwar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Senthil Avoodai K Raj S said, "All the boundaries of the district will remain sealed so that the Kanwariyas cannot come to Haridwar. Along with this, QRT of the police will also be deployed."

He further said that mobile teams of police have also been formed, which will reach the spot as soon as the information is received.

"Under no circumstances will Kanwariyas be allowed to come to Haridwar," he said.

At the same time, the police have also banned the Kanwar market in Haridwar.

"This year there will be no Kanwar market," SSP said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Haridwar police asked people not to arrive in the district for the yatra, warning that those who try to enter the district, their vehicles will be confiscated and legal action shall be taken against them under the Disaster Management Act for violating the rules.

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted one last opportunity to the Uttar Pradesh government to reconsider its decision of holding 'symbolic Kanwar Yatra' amid the COVID-19 pandemic while stressing that the health of the citizens of India and the right to life is paramount.

A Bench headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman gave an ultimatum to the Uttar Pradesh government to either 'reconsider' its decision or the court will pass orders on Monday.

Soon after, Uttar Pradesh health minister Jai Pratap Singh on Friday said that the state government will look into the directions issued by the Supreme Court regarding the Kanwar Yatra and is likely to announce its decision by the evening today.

The Kanwar Yatra, in which Shiva devotees from northern states travel on foot or by other means to collect water from River Ganga at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, to offer at Shiva temples in their areas, is set to begin from July 25.   -- ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those killed in the well collapse incident in Madhya Pradesh.

President Ram Nath Kovind also expressed grief over the incident.

Eleven persons died, while 19 others were brought out alive from the well, in which several people had fallen while trying to rescue a boy in Vidisha district of the state.

'Anguished by the tragedy in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. My condolences to the bereaved families. An ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from PMNRF (Prime Minister's National Relief Fund) would be given to the next of kin of those who lost their lives,' Modi was quoted as saying in a tweet issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) late on Friday night.

Rashtrapati Bhavan's tweet quoting Kovind on Saturday morning said, 'Deeply saddened by the heartbreaking news of the death of many people in the accident in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. I wish success to all the rescue efforts and extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.'

On Friday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that families of the deceased would be given financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each, while the injured would be provided Rs 50,000 each and free medical treatment.

In a 24-hour long operation that ended late on Friday night, 11 bodies were recovered and 19 persons were brought out alive from the well in Lal Patar village in Ganj Basoda area of Vidisha.

The incident took place on Thursday night when the parapet wall of the well collapsed.

To make things worse, a tractor deployed for the rescue operation skidded into the well with four policemen.

According to local people, the well is around 50 feet deep and had about 20 feet of water.

Ravi, a teenage boy, fell into the well, after which some people climbed down to rescue him, while others were standing on the surrounding parapet wall to help them.

However, they fell into water when that wall caved in, eyewitnesses said. -- PTI

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Saturday dismissed rumours about his resignation, saying it is not at all true.

He also said that he will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party chief J P Nadda before returning to Bengaluru.

"Not at all. Not at all," Yediyurappa told reporters at the Karnataka Bhavan in  New Delhi when asked if he has resigned.

There is no truth in the rumour, asserted the chief minister, who will return to Bengaluru on Saturday after meeting the BJP chief and the Union ministers.

On Friday, Yediyurappa had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed pending state works, including Mekedatu project across river Cauvery.

The meeting came at a time political circles are abuzz with speculations of Yediyurappa being replaced as the chief minister.

Repeated open remarks by some disgruntled leaders within the Karnataka BJP targeting him and his family with accusations of corruption and interference in administration have embarrassed the party and the government, despite warnings of disciplinary action by the leadership.

Another section of the party is demanding the replacement of Yediyurappa, 79, citing his age and the need of projecting a new CM face ahead of assembly polls in 2023, sources had said.

On a possible cabinet rejig, Yediyurappa, before the meeting with the prime minister, had said, "I will tell you if there is any such discussion with (party) seniors over the restructuring or expansion of the Cabinet."

An official statement issued after the Friday meeting had said the chief minister discussed various state issues with the prime minister.   -- PTI

Tokyo Olympics organisers revealed the first COVID-19 case in the Games Village on Saturday.

Officials said it was not an athlete with the the Games opening in just under a week on July 23.

"There was one person in the Village. That was the very first case in the Village that was reported during the screening test," Masa Takaya, spokesman for the Tokyo organising committee, told a press conference.

Tokyo officials said the person was placed in a 14-day quarantine. 

The Olympic Village on Tokyo Bay will house about 11,000 athletes during the Olympics and thousands of other staff.

India recorded 38,079 new coronavirus cases, which took the infection tally to 3,10,64,908, while the death toll reached 4,13,091 with 560 more fatalities, according to Union health ministry data updated on Saturday.

   

The active cases have declined to 4,24,025 and comprise 1.36 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate stands at 97.31 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed.

It said that active COVID-19 cases have decreased by 6,397 in a span of 24 hours.

The ministry said that 19,98,715 tests were conducted on Friday, taking the total cumulative tests conducted for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 44,20,21,954.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 1.91 per cent and it has been less than three per cent for 26 consecutive days, it said.

During this session, Swami Parthasarathy will analyse the basis for our choices and their repercussions in different aspects of life. 

Swami Parthasarathy has spent over seven decades in the research and propagation of Vedanta, and continues to inspire people around the globe with his teachings on how to achieve greater prosperity and peace in life, a press release from the Vedanta Cultural Foundation said. 

You can register for the virtual event here.

A United Nations human rights expert has said that she is devastated to hear about the demise of Jesuit priest Stan Swamy in custody, saying there is "no reason" for a human rights defender to be denied his rights and that his death will forever "remain a stain" on India's human rights record.

Swamy, 84, who was arrested last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, died at a Mumbai hospital on July 5.

In a statement issued on Thursday, UN Special Rapporteur Mary Lawlor said Father Swamy's case should remind all states that human rights defenders and all those detained without sufficient legal basis, should be released.

Lawlor said the death in custody of Catholic priest Swamy, "a renowned human rights and social justice advocate for over four decades, will forever remain a stain on India's human rights record."

"There is no excuse, ever, for a human rights defender to be smeared as a terrorist, and no reason they should ever die the way Father Swamy died, accused and detained, and denied his rights," she said.

India has rejected international criticism over the handling of Swamy's case.

The Ministry of External Affairs has said the concerned authorities act against violations of law and do not restrain the legitimate exercise of rights.

It said India remains committed to the promotion and protection of the human rights of all its citizens and that the country's democratic polity is complemented by an independent judiciary and a range of national and state-level human rights commissions.

"Swamy was arrested and detained by the National Investigation Agency following due process under the law. Because of the specific nature of charges against him, his bail applications were rejected by the courts. Authorities in India act against violations of law and not against legitimate exercise of rights. All such actions are strictly in accordance with the law," the MEA said in a statement in New Delhi soon after Swamy's death.

It said Swamy was receiving all possible medical attention at a private hospital where he was admitted since May 28. His health and medical treatment were being closely monitored by the courts. He passed away on July 5 following medical complications.

Lawlor said Swamy was jailed last October "on fabricated terrorism charges" and had been subjected to harassment and repeated interrogations.

"I was devastated to hear that Father Stan, a Jesuit priest who had dedicated much of his life to defending the rights of indigenous peoples and the Adivasi minority, died in custody on July 5, despite many requests for his release as his health deteriorated in prison," she said.

She added that in early November 2020, UN experts joined her in raising his case with the Indian authorities, reminding them of their international human rights obligations. "I now ask again why he wasn't released, and why he had to die in custody?" she said.

Lawlor added that Swamy had been working for decades to protect the rights of Adivasi minority indigenous peoples and the Dalit minority, in particular violations involving forced displacement and illegal land acquisitions.

"We know that defenders working on environmental, land or indigenous people's rights are among the most vulnerable to being targeted," said Lawlor.

Lawlor's call has been endorsed by Special Rapporteur on minority issues Fernand de Varennes, Special Rapporteur on the right to physical and mental health Tlaleng Mofokeng. -- PTI

The Biden administration and United States lawmakers have mourned the death of Indian journalist Danish Siddiqui, who was killed in Afghanistan while covering the fighting between Afghan troops and Taliban militants.

Siddiqui, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2018, worked for Reuters news agency and was killed on Friday in the town of Spin Boldak, near the border with Pakistan. He was embedded with Afghan special forces at the time of his death.

 

"We are deeply saddened to hear that Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui was killed while covering fighting in Afghanistan," Jalina Porter, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the US Department of State told reporters.

 

"Siddiqui was celebrated for his work often in the world's most urgent and challenging news stories and for creating striking images that conveyed a wealth of emotion and the human face behind the headlines. His brilliant reporting on the Rohingya refugee crisis earned him a Pulitzer Prize in 2018," she said.

 

"Siddiqui's death is a tremendous loss, not only for Reuters and for his media colleagues but also for the rest of the world. Far too many journalists have been killed in Afghanistan. We continue to call for an end to the violence. A just and durable peace settlement is the only way forward in Afghanistan," Porter said.

 

Senator Jim Risch, Ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed his condolences over the killing of the Indian journalist.

"The tragic death" of Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui in Afghanistan while covering the Taliban "reminds us of the risk journalists take to share the news. No reporter should be killed while doing their job," he said.

 

"The death today of Reuters photojournalist Danish Siddiqui is a tragic notice that even as the US and its partners withdraw forces, journalists will continue to work in Afghanistan, documenting whatever comes next at great risk to their lives," said Steven Butler, CPJ's Asia program coordinator, in Washington, DC.

 

"Combatants need to take responsibility for safeguarding journalists, as dozens of journalists have been killed in this conflict, with little or no accountability," he said. -- PTI 

United States President Joe Biden on Friday criticized social media platforms like Facebook for spreading misinformation about the coronavirus and vaccines, as his administration has blamed them for stalling US vaccine rates.

Biden was asked by reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon what his message is to social media platforms on coronavirus misinformation.

"They're killing people," Biden said when asked by reporters what his message was to social media platforms like Facebook on the spread of false and misleading claims about the virus and the safety of vaccines that prevent it.

"I mean they really, look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated, and that's -they're killing people," Biden said on the south lawn of the White House.

Biden's comments on Friday afternoon echoed those of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, who warned earlier in the day that COVID-19 is "becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated."

"We are seeing outbreaks of cases in parts of the country that have a low vaccination coverage, because unvaccinated people are at risk," Walensky told reporters during a public health briefing.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki during her daily press briefing said that Facebook was not doing enough to stop the spread of false information on the coronavirus.

Psaki added that the White House made a number of recommendations to Facebook and other platforms to address the spread of misinformation, including removing 12 people who she said were responsible for almost 65 percent of anti-vaccine misinformation on social media platforms.

The "long-winding and cumbersome" nomenclature  'Common High Court of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh' has been changed to 'High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh', according to an order notified on Friday.

 

President Ram Nath Kovind has signed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2021, to effect the change. The order was notified by the Department of Justice in the Law Ministry on Friday.

It observed that the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, was enacted to provide for reorganisation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh. 

The order pointed out that the Act declared that the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir will be the "Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh".

"The present nomenclature is found to be rather long-winding and cumbersome. The said nomenclature may be substituted as High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which besides being convenient would also be in consonance with the name pattern followed in other common High Courts, namely, Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has jurisdiction over the states of Punjab and Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh," it said.

Considered views on the proposal were sought from the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh and the Chief Justice of the High Court. 

"The Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir vide letter dated October 27, 2020, and the Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh vide letter dated October 20, 2020, have conveyed their agreement to the proposed change in the name of the High Court.

"The then chief justice of the common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh vide letter dated November 21, 2020, has also conveyed her no objection to the proposed name," the order said. -- PTI

A moderate intensity earthquake of magnitude 3.1 shook Himachal Pradesh's tribal district Kinnaur on Friday night, the Meteorological Department said.

 

There was no report of any casualty or damage to property.

The quake's epicentre was at a depth of 10 km in Kinnaur district, the department said, adding that tremors were felt in and around the district at 11.32 pm. -- PTI 

In yet another sign of strengthening India-US defense relationship, the US Navy has handed over the first two MH-60R Multi Role Helicopters to the Indian Navy.

 

The Indian Navy is procuring 24 of these helicopters manufactured by Lockheed Martin under foreign military sales from the US government at an estimated cost of USD2.4 billion.

 

A ceremony was held at the Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island, San Diego on Friday that marked the formal transfer of the helicopters from US Navy to Indian Navy. 

It was attended by India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

The ceremony also witnessed exchange of documents between Vice Adm Kenneth Whitesell, Commander Naval Air Forces, US Navy and Vice Adm Ravneet Singh, DCNS. Senior leadership of the US Navy and Lockheed Martin Corporation were also present.

Sandhu said the induction of the all-weather multi role helicopters is an important milestone in India-US bilateral defense ties.

"India US friendship Touching the Skies!" he said in a tweet. 

He noted that the bilateral defence trade has expanded to over 20 billion dollars in the last couple of years.

 

Going beyond defence trade, India and the US are also working together on co-production and co-development of defense platforms, he said.

 

Sandhu also highlighted reform measures that have been undertaken by India in the defense sector in recent times that have opened up new opportunities for foreign investors.

 

The MH-60R helicopter is an all-weather helicopter designed to support multiple missions with state-of-the-art avionics.

 

The induction of these MRH would enhance Indian Navy's three-dimensional capabilities. 

The helicopters would also be modified with several unique equipment and weapons.

The first batch of the Indian crew is presently undergoing training in the US.

According to the Department of Defense, the proposed sale will provide India the capability to perform anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions along with the ability to perform secondary missions including vertical replenishment, search and rescue, and communications relay.

 

India will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defence. 

India will have no difficulty absorbing these helicopters into its armed forces, it had said in a communication to the Congress in April 2019.

 

The Indian cabinet had cleared the purchase of the helicopters in February 2020, weeks before the historic visit of the then US President Donald Trump. -- PTI

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday expressed grief at the killing of Indian photo-journalist Danish Siddiqui in Afghanistan, with the UN mission in the war-torn country calling for an investigation into his killing as well as those of other reporters.

The Secretary General grieves the journalists killed or indeed harassed anywhere in the world and the case of Danish Siddiqui is one such case, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing on Friday.

He was responding to a question by PTI on the killing of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Siddiqui, who worked for Reuters news agency and was killed in Afghanistan while he was covering the fierce fighting between Afghan troops and Taliban militants near a border crossing with Pakistan in Kandahar province.

This of course is also an example of the particular problems that we're facing in Afghanistan right now and as I just pointed out from the Mission side, this is something we're concerned about is the increasing threat to journalists in Afghanistan as well.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) tweeted that Media working in #Afghanistan & journalism itself in the country is under increasing threat.

Our deep condolences to family & friends of @dansiddiqi. A painful reminder of mounting dangers faced by the media in Afghanistan. Authorities must investigate this & all the killing of reporters.   -- PTI