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Fri, 21 May 2021
Time for PM to act instead of giving speeches: Cong
Timeline Refresh
23:48 Time for PM to act instead of giving speeches: Cong
The Congress on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been missing in action all through the COVID-19 pandemic and it is time for him to act instead of giving speeches and advice.
The party said India needs compassion and healing instead of "tears of guilt" and a strong resolve to defeat COVID-19 through good governance.
Earlier in the day, Modi had turned emotional while paying condolences to those who lost their lives due to coronavirus during a virtual interaction with doctors, paramedical staff and frontline health workers in his parliamentary constituency of Varanasi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the prime minister saying he should provide people vaccines instead of procrastinating.
"Mr Modi, Vaccinate! Don't Procrastinate," he said on Twitter and shared a media report claiming that 70 per cent of districts have received less than 20 doses per 100 population.
Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "India doesn't need 'tears of guilt', India needs compassion and healing, India needs resolve to defeat Covid, India needs governance and delivery."
Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said instead of giving speeches and advice, it is time the prime minister acted as he has been missing during the pandemic.
"I think, instead of speeches, instead of advice, the prime minister has to act at least now action from the central government, action from the prime minister has been totally missing during this entire pandemic period, he told reporters at a virtual press conference.
"Now, the country is asking again and again what action you have taken. Instead of speeches, instead of advice, we need actions from the central government," he added.
Venugopal said Rahul Gandhi had cautioned the prime minister about the COVID-19 tsunami last year, but everybody took it very lightly and instead mocked the Congress leader.
Recalling Modi's remark in March last year that the Mahabharata war was won in 18 days but the war against coronavirus will take 21 days -- referring to the 21 day nation-wide lockdown announced by him back then -- Venugopal said the prime minister is now realising that it is a long battle.
But, for fighting this long war, how much precaution has been taken by the central government, the country is now asking, he said.
Venugopal asked how the central government was compensating the poor people who have lost their livelihoods as most states are under a lockdown.
"What is the government going to do? There is no answer," Venugopal said.
He also sought to know the government's plan to tackle the shortage of oxygen and medicines even as the threat posed by increasing cases of 'black fungus' is looming large.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera wondered if the prime minister shedding tears will console those who have lost their dear ones to COVID.
"Will their pain be reduced? Someone who has lost a mother, father, brother, husband, wife, children, will their pain be compensated," he said.
"This country is far greater than the prime minister. What is more important than the prime minister's tears are the tears of every Indian that could have been stopped and lives saved had the mistakes not been done in the last one year," he said. -- PTI
Samantha Akkineni in 'The family man 2'
23:29 'The family man 2' seeks to portray Tamils as vicious: Seeman
The The family man 2 web series, which is set to be released soon on Amazon Prime, sought to portray the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as terrorists and Tamils as vicious, Naam Tamilar Katchi top leader Seeman
alleged on Friday.
Demanding that the airing of the web series be cancelled, Seeman said the trailer-visuals were shocking and there would be "dire consequences" if the series that "tries to misrepresent Tamils" was released.
The web series is set for release on June 4.
Chennai was picked as the location of the series and it was no coincidence, he said, adding that a Sri Lankan Tamil woman, the pivot of the story, has been portrayed as a militant.
Her dress colour resembled the LTTE uniform and dialogues refer to links between the militant group and the Pakistani ISI, he said in a statement.
Recalling the 2009 civil war in the island nation, he alleged that two lakh Tamil people were slaughtered and an attempt to portray the Tamils as terrorists was highly condemnable.
"It is completely unacceptable to release this web series. Films like 'Inam' and 'Madras Cafe' that portrayed Tamils in a 'wrong' manner were not screened in movie theatres due to widespread opposition."
"Similarly, Family Man-2 should be cancelled and I warn that there will be dire consequences if the Family Man 2 web series that tries to misrepresent Tamils across the country is released," he said.
A filmmaker, Seeman began his political innings by launching NTK over a decade ago and is known for his Tamil nationalist ideology.
The LTTE was defeated by Lankan forces in 2009 and its chief V Prabhakaran was killed. -- PTI
23:20 Govt widened vaccination drive without considering stock: SII
Amid an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines in the country, executive director of Pune-based Serum Institute of India Suresh Jadhav on Friday alleged that the government began inoculating people from multiple age groups without taking into account the available stock of vaccines and the WHO guidelines.
Speaking at an e-summit organised by Heal Health, a health advocacy and awareness platform, Jadhav said the country should have followed the WHO guidelines and prioritised vaccination accordingly.
Initially, 300 million people were to be administered the vaccine for which 600 million doses were required. But before we reached the target, the government opened vaccination for all above 45 years followed by those aged 18 and above despite "knowing well that so much vaccine is not available", Jadhav said.
"That is the greatest lesson we learnt. We must take into account the availability of the product and then use it judiciously," added Jadhav.
Jadhav stressed that vaccination is essential but even after getting jabbed, people are susceptible to the infection.
"Therefore, be cautious and follow COVID preventive guidelines. Although the double mutant of Indian variants are neutralised, yet variants can create problems in vaccination," he said.
"As far as the selection of vaccine is concerned, as per CDC and NIH data, whatever vaccine is available can be taken provided it is licensed by the regulatory body. And it is too early to say which vaccine is efficacious and which is not," he added.
22:27 Covids herd immunity may be unrealistic: Experts
Achieving herd immunity against the COVID-19 may be unrealistic due to the mutations of the virus that causes it, South African experts have said, as they called for long-term vaccination strategies amid uncertainty about current vaccine efficacy.
"Many governments are targeting herd immunity, but it is unachievable in the same way it is unachievable for flu," said Professor Alex van den Heever, health and social security systems specialist of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) School of Governance.
Van den Heever was speaking on an expert panel hosted by leading managed care provider and medical scheme administrator Agility Health.
The other panellists were virology expert Prof Sim Mayaphi and clinical pharmacology expert Dr Jacques Snyman.
"If we are vaccinated this year, this could mean we don't necessarily have immunity for the strains that emerge next year," said Snyman.
"Various vaccines are targeting various sites of the virus. That particular antibody will only be effective as long as that part of the virus has not mutated.
"The Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer vaccines are only partially effective, but they reduce the likelihood and severity of illness," he added.
Snyman said nobody knew whether the current vaccines would protect in the future.
"The next strain may not be affected by the antibodies we have vaccinated for. It is therefore likely that long-term vaccination strategies will be required," Snyman said.
Mayaphi, who is head of the Department of Medical Virology at the University of Pretoria, said the pandemic had caught everyone by surprise, as he called for better planning to prevent the next pandemic.
"Surveillance programmes are needed to look at the animal-human interface of viruses and the prevalence of viruses in animal hosts to see if we can predict these viruses being transmitted from host animals to humans. We already have many examples of this, including COVID-19," Mayaphi said.
Van der Heever also expressed concern about the late discovery that COVID-19 was an airborne virus.
"This poses the most extreme risk for a pandemic (as) it is the fastest (way in which) it could be transmitted. That is the one that is going to overrun testing and tracing - it's going to overrun border controls," he said. -- PTI
22:16 CPEC achieves 'remarkable results': Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday that the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has achieved "remarkable results" and brought important benefits to people of both countries.
He made the remarks in an exchange of congratulatory messages with his Pakistan counterpart Arif Alvi on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In recent years, with joint efforts of both sides, the construction of CPEC has achieved "remarkable results", bringing important benefits to the two peoples and adding strong impetus to regional prosperity, the state-run news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.
India has protested to China over CPEC, the flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as it traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
In his message, Xi said China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic cooperative partners and firmly support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns.
The mutual trust and friendship between the two countries have withstood the test of the changing international landscape over the past 70 years and always remained rock solid, he said.
In a separate message to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said China has always prioritised Pakistan in its foreign policy, and is ready to work with it to lift their all-weather strategic cooperative partnership to a higher level in the next 70 years.
Khan said in his message that the Pakistani government was firmly committed to speeding up the construction of CPEC and is willing to work with China to push for further development of the strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, so as to create a better future for their people.
The CPEC is a flagship project of China's prestigious Silk Road project, officially called OBOR.
The 3,000-km CPEC is aimed at connecting China and Pakistan with rail, road, pipelines and optical fibre cable networks and It will connect Xinjiang province with Gwadar port, providing China with access to the Arabian Sea.
The project, when completed, would enable China to route its oil supplies from the Middle East through pipelines to Xinjiang, cutting considerable distance for Chinese ships to travel to China. -- PTI
21:56 Covid deaths 'significant undercount' globally: WHO
At least 3 million people are estimated to have died from the COVID-19 pandemic globally in 2020, about 2 times higher than the 1.8 million official fatality figure reported by countries to the WHO, a "significant undercount" of total deaths directly and indirectly attributed to the coronavirus, the global health agency said on Friday.
The World Health Organisation, in its World Health Statistics report, said that as of December 31, 2020, COVID-19 had infected over 82 million people and killed more than 1.8 million worldwide.
But preliminary estimates suggest the total number of global excess deaths directly and indirectly attributable to COVID-19 in 2020 amount to at least 3 million, 1.2 million higher than the official figures reported by countries to the World Health Organisation.
"With the latest COVID-19 deaths reported to WHO now exceeding 3.3 million, based on the estimates produced for 2020, we are likely facing a significant undercount of total deaths directly and indirectly attributed to COVID-19," WHO said in the report.
It said the term "excess deaths" describes deaths beyond what would have been expected under "normal" conditions.
"Excess deaths" captures not only confirmed deaths, but also COVID-19 deaths that were not correctly diagnosed and reported as well as deaths attributable to the overall crisis conditions.
WHO said these estimates provide a more comprehensive and accurate measure when compared with confirmed COVID-19 deaths alone.
"All countries must have the necessary capacity and resources to accurately collect and use health data even in the midst of an ongoing crisis," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of data and science to build back more resilient health systems and equitably accelerate towards our shared global goals," he said.
The report noted that some countries only report COVID-19 deaths occurring in hospitals or the deaths of people who have tested positive for COVID-19. In addition, many countries cannot accurately measure or report cause of death due to inadequate or under-resourced health information systems.
21:21 Mumbai sees 1,416 COVID-19 cases
Mumbai on Friday added 1,416 COVID-19 cases to its tally, taking it to 6,95,080, while in a sign that the second wave of infections was easing, the case doubling time crossed the 300 day mark and surged to 317, officials said.
As on the Thursday, the time taken for the caseload to double was 297, they added.
The country's financial capital now has a toll of 14,522 after 54 deaths took place during the day, while the recovery rate climbed to 6,49,389, or 93 per cent of the caseload, as 1,766 people were discharged from hospitals. The number of active cases is 29,013, civic data showed.
BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal said the 1,416 cases detected on Friday were from 33,078 tests, some 4,000 more than the tests conducted on Thursday, which had revealed 1,425 cases.
The overall number of tests in the city stands at 60,19,422, civic officials said.
The city's overall case growth rate was 0.23 per cent for the period between May 14 and 20, and it now has 69 containment cones and 273 sealed buildings. -- PTI
20:28 Senior journalist Rajkumar Keswani passes away
Senior journalist Rajkumar Keswani, who warned about the 1985 Bhopal gas tragedy, passed away.
Read his special interview with Rediff.com HERE
20:22 Lockdown in Karnataka extended till June 7
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday announced extension of lockdown from May 24 to June 7 for a period of 14 days to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state.
The stringent restrictions are already in effect from May 10 and was supposed to end on May 24. However, due to the new order, they would end on the morning of June 7.
"We have taken some decisions regarding the lockdown after discussing them with our senior Ministers, chief secretary and other officials," the Chief Minister told reporters.
"Heeding to the suggestions of experts, we have decided to extend the stringent restriction from May 24 to June 7," he said.
"In view of public health and the suggestions of the experts, the restrictions have been extended, and we expect people's cooperation, Yediyurappa said.
"I appeal to the people to abide by the COVID appropriate behaviour of wearing facemasks in public places, maintaining hygiene and social distancing in public places," he said.
The Karnataka government had put restrictions since April 7 but imposed strict restrictions from May 10 when the COVID cases and fatalities did not abate.
Karnataka today reported 32,218 fresh infections and 353 fatalities taking the total infections and deaths due to COVID to 23,67,742 and 24,207 respectively.
The state has 5,14,238 active cases. -- PTI
19:52 Farmers' union body writes to PM to resume talks
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of over 40 protesting farmer unions, Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging resumption of talks over the three farm laws they have been agitating against at Delhi borders since November last year.
Several rounds of talks between farmers and the government have failed to break the deadlock over the three Central legislations.
The farmers' body said in a statement on Friday it has again asked the government to reinitiate a dialogue with the protesting farmers.
A government panel had met farmer leaders on January 22. There has been no talks between the two sides since January 26 when the farmers' tractor rally in the national capital turned violent.
"Today, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha has written a letter to the Prime Minister, asking for the resumption of talks with farmers. This letter touches upon several aspects of the farmers' movement, and the ignorant attitude of the government," the SKM said in the statement.
It said that while the protesting farmers do not wish to expose anyone to the health hazards of the pandemic, it "cannot also give up on the struggle, as it is a matter of life and death, and also of future generations".
"Any democratic government would have repealed the three laws that have been rejected by the farmers in whose name these were enacted, and seized the opportunity to provide legal guarantee of MSP to all farmers.....as the Head of the government of the largest democracy in the world, the onus of resuming a serious and sincere dialogue with the farmers lies with you," the letter reads.
The farmers' body had recently announced to observe May 26 as 'black day' to mark six months of their protest at Delhi borders.
Farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal had appealed to people to raise black flags at their houses, vehicles and shops on May 26 to protest against the contentious farm legislations.
Hundreds of farmers have been camping at Delhi's borders since November 2020 demanding that the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers' (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee minimum support price for crops.
However, the government has maintained the laws are pro-farmer. -- PTI
19:31 'UP healthcare Ram bharose': SC stays HC order
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed order of
Allahabad high court in which it said that entire medical system in
villages and small cities of Uttar Pradesh is at God's mercy ('Ram
bharose') amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A vacation bench of Justices
Vineet Saran and BR Gavai said that the directions of high court passed
on May 17 shall not be treated as directives but an advice to Uttar
Pradesh government.
It said that high courts should refrain
themselves from passing directions which cannot be implemented.
On May
17, the high court while hearing a public interest litigation over the coronavirus spread and
the condition of quarantine centres in the state passed slew of
directions while taking into account the death of one Santosh Kumar
(64), who was admitted to an isolation ward at a Meerut hospital.
The
doctors there had failed to identify him and disposed of the body as
unidentified, according to a probe report.
Santosh had fainted at a
hospital bathroom on April 22 and efforts were made to revive him but he
died.
The hospital staff could not identify the dead and failed to
locate his file.
Thus, it was taken as a case of an unidentified body.
-- PTI
19:12 Google to open first offline retail store in NYC
Tech giant Google has revealed that it would be opening its first-ever physical retail store in New York City this summer.
According to Mashable, located at 15th and 9th Streets, the Chelsea location will host "an extensive selection of products made by Google," including Nests, Pixel phones, Fitbit devices, and much more.
Like any other tech product store, the Google store will also have its own experts on hand to help troubleshoot issues with products and host their how-to demonstrations.
Google said in a blog post that its main motivation for opening the store is to let customers experience Google hardware before buying.
However, recognising that the pandemic has altered how most people shop, the Google store will also have handy pickup options and an online presence, which is now live at GoogleStore.com.
19:07 Dera Sacha Sauda chief gets day's parole to meet ailing mother
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is currently lodged in a Rohtak jail, was on Friday granted one-day parole to meet his ailing mother, officials said.
For the daylong parole, he was taken from the Rohtak's Sunaria jail to meet his mother at a location, which has been kept as "classified" in view of the security reasons and to avoid his followers from gathering there, they said.
The dera head left the jail under heavy police escort, the officials said.
Earlier this week, the dera chief had sought an emergency parole to meet his ailing mother.
Serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples, he had submitted some documents regarding the ailment of his mother to the prison authorities and had sought a 21-day parole to attend to her, prison officials had said earlier.
Prison officials had written to the Haryana police in this regard and sought an NoC from them, after which the daylong parole was granted.
Before taking a decision on his parole plea, considerations mainly on law and order ground are taken into account, sources said.
In October last year too, the Sirsa dera head was given a day's parole to meet his ailing mother.
The dera chief was in August 2017 sentenced by a special CBI court in Panchkula to 20 years in jail in the two rape cases.
18:51 13 Naxals killed in police encounter
13 Naxals, including 6 men and 7 women, neutralized in a police operation in the forest area of Etapalli, Gadchiroli earlier today. AK-47, SLR Rifle, 303 Rifle, Carbine, 12 Bore Rifle and explosives recovered.
18:50 HC bars WhatsApp, Telegram from sharing ToI e-paper
The Delhi high court on Friday passed an interim order restraining social networking platforms WhatsApp and Telegram and certain individuals from allegedly illegally circulating e-papers of Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd on their respective platforms.
Justice Jayant Nath said prima facie the act of illegally circulating the e-papers of plaintiff on the defendants' platforms is violative of its copyright and ad-interim injunction is granted in the favour of Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd.
The court also issued notices to WhatsApp and Telegram, platforms on which photos, documents and videos are also shared, and certain individuals who are administrators of various groups on the platforms. The court asked them to respond to the suit and comply with the order.
The court, which listed the matter for further hearing on August 18, also issued notice to the ministry of electronics and information technology for its response on the suit.
The counsel for the media house contended that e-papers of Times of India and Navbharat Times are being circulated on various WhatsApp groups and Telegram without any authority and this amounts to infringement of its copyright.
He said the issue cropped up since lockdown was imposed in 2020 to contain the spread of Covid-19 and individuals started downloading the e-papers and circulated it on other groups, which was not permissible.
The counsel said in June 2020, the media house came to know about illegal usage of its copyright on WhatsApp which was providing free usage of its e-papers and notice was issued to the platform but to no avail.
18:45 The danger posed by Yogi Adityanath to democracy
'The peculiar challenge for Indian democracy is that the Adityanath brand of politics could be a threat both if it succeeds and if it fails. We are reaching a stage in Indian democracy when we should not be complacent about peaceful transitions of power. The BJP is attempting to subvert an overwhelming democratic mandate in West Bengal, first by trying to communalise the political violence, violence for which the TMC must bear some blame.
'But the attempt to use the CBI to have four ministers arrested, is a reminder that as the BJP begins to lose prestigious battles, its commitment to peaceful transitions will be tested. UP will be ground zero for testing this commitment, precisely because the stakes there are the highest. The motives are present. So are the means. The infrastructure of fomenting violence is present,' writes Pratap Bhanu Mehta in the Indian Express, here.
Beneficiaries queue up to get vaccinated
18:43 500 vials of Covishield missing from hospital
A total of 500 Covishield vials, used to treat Covid patients, have been reported missing from a government hospital in Hyderabad, police said on Friday. The medical superintendent of the hospital at Kondapur has lodged a complaint that 50 boxes containing 500 Covishield vaccines have gone missing, the police said.
The boxes were found missing when the superintendent asked one of his colleagues to check the stock on May 19, they said. While examining CCTV footage, the police said they saw one of the hospital staff suspiciously moving in the refrigerated room. Further investigation is on, the police said.
There is a severe shortage of both Covishield and Covaxin in India.
18:13 Centre Asks Twitter To Drop "Manipulated" Tag For Toolkit Tweets
The government has asked Twitter to remove "manipulated media" tags for tweets on an alleged "Congress toolkit" to discredit Covid efforts, NDTV reports. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra's tweet on May 18 posting screenshots of the alleged "toolkit" was marked "manipulated media" by Twitter last evening.
Sources say the government has objected to the tag saying the case "is pending investigation before a law enforcement agency".
"Investigation will determine the veracity of the content not Twitter. Twitter should not interfere in the investigation process. Twitter cannot pass its judgment while the matter is under investigation," the sources said.
The Congress had urged Twitter to remove tweets by Sambit Patra and other BJP leaders, citing its police complaint calling the so-called "toolkit" forged.
18:06 I was willing to take drugs: Harry on Di's death
Britain's Prince Harry has spoken out about how he used alcohol and even thought about drugs as he struggled with mental health issues following his mother Princess Diana's death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.
In a new documentary series for Apple TV which he has made with American talk show host Oprah Winfrey, the Duke of Sussex also accuses the British royal family of total neglect when his wife Meghan Markle was feeling suicidal amid harassment on social media.
"I felt completely helpless. I thought my family would help but every single ask, request, warning, whatever it is, just got met with total silence or total neglect," said the 36-year-old, who stepped back as a frontline royal last year and relocated to California, US, with his family.
"We spent four years trying to make it work. We did everything that we possibly could to stay there and carry on doing the role and doing the job," he said.
Speaking to Oprah Winfrey for the series The Me You Can't See', Harry described being aged 28 to 32 as "a nightmare time in my life", in which he had panic attacks and severe anxiety.
"I was just all over the place mentally," he said. "I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling," he added.
Harry reveals that he would drink a week's worth of alcohol on a Friday or Saturday night, "not because I was enjoying it but because I was trying to mask something".
Prince Harry famously walked behind his mother's coffin at her funeral in 1997, alongside his brother William and father Prince Charles. "For me the thing I remember the most was the sound of the horses' hooves going along the Mall. It was like I was outside of my body and just walking along doing what was expected of me. Showing one tenth of the emotion that everybody else was showing: this was my mum you never even met her," he recalls.
The excerpts from the series were released just as a long-running inquiry into the BBC's handling of a 1995 interview with Diana two years before her death concluded that the late Princess of Wales had been deceived by the reporter in charge. In relation to that, Harry issued a separate statement to say that the "ripple effect of a culture of exploitation and unethical practices" ultimately took his mother's life. PTI
Crew rescued from Barge P305 walks out of INS Kochi
17:53 Barge accident: Afcons to pay Rs 35-75 lakh to families of deceased personnel
Afcons Infrastructure, whose chartered barge had sunk in the Arabian Sea due to a cyclone this week leaving at least 51 people dead, on Friday said it will provide compensation ranging from Rs 35-75 lakh to the families of the deceased personnel.
The chartered barge P-305 sank in the Arabian Sea near the ONGC oil wells in Bombay High due to cyclone Tauktae on Monday. There were 261 people on board and 51 of them are dead while 24 of them are yet to be traced.
"We will compensate families of each of the employees/ personnel who lost their lives in the tragedy equivalent to the balance service period of up to 10 years salaries through a combination of ex-gratia payouts and insurance compensation. This would in absolute terms range from a minimum of Rs 35 lakh and a maximum of Rs 75 lakh per family," an Afcons spokesperson told PTI.
The modalities of the payments are being worked out. Earlier in the day, the Navy said it has traced and brought the bodies of 51 people who perished in the tragedy and is yet to trace 24 of them. Of the 261 personnel who were on barge P-305, 186 have been rescued so far.
Of the 13 persons on Varaprada, two have been rescued while the search for the remaining 11 is on.
"While we can never compensate the loss of a loved one, but in this time of grief, we hope we can relieve the financial loss faced by the family members," the spokesperson said. The ill-fated barge had 13 of its employees on board and so far 3 of them have been confirmed dead. -- PTI
A patient with Black Fungus treated in hospital
17:34 Nearly 200 black fungus cases in Delhi hospitals
Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said there were 197 cases of black fungus or mucormycosis in hospitals across Delhi till Wednesday night, including non-residents who have come to the city for treatment. The minister also said many inoculation centres for the 18-44 age group are being shut in Delhi from Friday as the city has run out of vaccine for this category.
"Delhi had exhausted its Covaxin stock many days ago. Covishield doses, too, have been consumed. Many centres are being shut today," Jain said.
"There were 197 cases of black fungus across all hospitals in Delhi till Wednesday night. These included patients who have come from other states for treatment," he told reporters.
Jain said there is an acute shortage of Amphotericin-B injections used in the treatment of black fungus in the entire country. The Centre is likely to provide 2,000 injections to Delhi, which will then be given to hospitals. He cautioned COVID-19 patients against taking steroids without doctor's advice.
"This is very dangerous. A patient's immunity becomes zero when he/she takes steroids. Black fungus, which is found in soil or decaying matter inside homes, doesn't affect healthy people. Chances of infection are more in those with low immunity," he said.
"People who have been on steroids should take care of these things. They should exercise caution, not get out of home or meet people for at least a week, the minister said. It is imperative to control blood sugar levels. Any virus, fungus or bacteria multiplies rapidly when blood sugar levels increase in the body," he said.
It is better to take precautions because black fungus is hard to cure, Jain added. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had on Thursday said the Delhi government will declare black fungus an epidemic if need arises.
He had also said dedicated centres will be set up for treatment of mucormycosis at three city government-run hospitals, Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Guru Tegh Bahadur Hospital and Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital. The Union health ministry has urged states and union territories to make black fungus or mucormycosis a notifiable disease under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, stating that the infection is leading to prolonged morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients. Jain also said that fortunately not many children became seriously ill due to coronavirus.
"The Delhi government will share data on children in some days," he said. "It is being said that the third wave of coronavirus will affect children in large numbers. We are making preparations for it," he added.
The minister also said that out of 28,595 normal beds for COVID patients, 16,712 are vacant. Also, 1,748 ICU beds are available for such patients. PTI
17:19 Sunderlal Bahuguna cremated with full state honours
Renowned environmentalist Sunder Lal Bahuguna who died of Covid-19 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Rishikesh on Friday, was cremated with full state honours at the Poornanand Ghaat on the banks of the Ganga.
His body was brought to the ghat wrapped in the national flag and was given a guard of honour by the Uttarakhand police. Dehradun District Magistrate Ashish Kumar Shrivastava and SSP Yogendra Rawat laid wreaths on his body to pay their last respect to the environmentalist known for his pioneering role in the Chipko movement of the 1970s.
The funeral pyre was lit by his son Rajiv Nayan Bahuguna in the presence of his wife Vimla, daughter Madhu and other relatives. Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Prem Chand Aggrawal and Rishikesh Mayor Anita Mamgai were also present. PTI
17:14
Rebel YSR Congress MP K Raghurama Krishnam Raju, arrested on sedition charges, granted bail by Supreme Court.
17:07 Over 1L Covid deaths in MP in 2 months: Kamal Nath
Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath on Friday claimed that over one lakh people have died in the state due to COVID-19 in March-April this year as per the figures provided by the cremation grounds and graveyards, and accused the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government of hiding the real fatality count.
The state government, however, termed his claim as false and misleading. Addressing a virtual press conference, Nath said, We have collected figures from cremation ground and graveyards in March and April this year, and came to the conclusion that 1,27,503 bodies arrived there for the last rites and 80 per cent (1,02,002) of these deaths were caused due to COVID-19."
"The government is misleading people on the issue. It asks people to bring certificates from competent authorities to prove that they died of COVID-19," he said.
Responding to his claim, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra asserted that what Nath said was false and misleading, and challenged him to give evidence about it. Mishra said if Nath fails to give evidence then he should resign from his party post, and added that he would step down from his position as a minister if the allegations turn out to be true.
The minister also urged the Madhya Pradesh Governor to act against Nath for "spreading falsehood and for indulging in anti-national activities by defaming the country at the international level on the issue". PTI
16:55 Days after sculptor Raghunath's death, his two sons die of COVID
The two sons of eminent sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra died of COVID-19 within days of their father succumbing to the infection, family sources said on Friday.
Raghunath Mohapatra (78), a former Rajya Sabha member who was conferred with Padma Vibhushan, died at AIIMS- Bhubaneswar on May 9 while undergoing treatment for COVID-19, they said.
His younger son Prasanta Mohapatra (47), a former captain of Odisha's Ranji Trophy cricket team, died of the infection at the same hospital on Wednesday, they added.
The sculptor's eldest son Jashobanta Mohapatra (52), who was shifted to the SUM Covid Hospital from AIIMS on Wednesday in a critical state, succumbed on Thursday despite the best efforts of the medical team, the hospital said in a statement.
Prasanta was the first to be found COVID-positive, following which the father and the brother tested positive. All three of them were admitted to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar but Jashobanta was shifted to the private hospital after his father and brother died at the government facility.
Mohapatra's youngest son Sushant had died in a road accident three years back.
Mohapatra's wife Rajani and her three daughters-in-law are distraught as the family witnessed three deaths in less than a fortnight, said his elderly uncle Bhaskar Mohapatra. Mohapatra was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the President.
16:52 No interim bail for Asaram Bapu
Rajasthan HC rejects the interim bail plea of Asaram Bapu, serving life imprisonment in a rape case. He was seeking interim bail on health grounds He was admitted to AIIMS after contracting COVID and as per his health bulletin he has completed his quarantine period and can be discharged.
Another godman also convicted or rape charges, Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, got bail today. Singh who is undergoing a 20-year jail sentence for raping two followers, was granted parole today to look after his ailing mother.
16:49 News updates from Delhi
--Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal meets the family of Nitin Tawar, a teacher who succumbed to COVID-19, and hands over a cheque of Rs 1 crore to them.
-- SN Shrivastava, presently holding the additional charge of Commissioner of Police, Delhi is hereby appointed to the post of Commissioner of Police: Ministry of Home Affairs.
-- Delhi High Court says the imposition of IGST on the import of Oxygen Generators as a gift for personal use, is unconstitutional.
Cyclone Amphan had hit Bengal end May last year
16:13 NDRF readies for Cyclone Yaas in WB, Odisha
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has begun positioning its teams in West Bengal and Odisha as Cyclone Yaas is likely to hit these states on the eastern coast of the country around May 26-27, officials said on Friday.
Some of the teams dispatched to undertake evacuation, rescue and restoration work in states affected by Cyclone Tauktae on the western coast are being called back, they said. NDRF Director General S N Pradhan tweeted that the force has decided to "airlift" West Bengal and Odisha-based teams of the force in view of Cyclone Yaas and its "possible impact" in the coastal districts of the two states.
The exact number of NDRF teams to be earmarked for the latest cyclone will be decided as per inputs received from the India Meteorological Department. The situation is developing, the officials said.
The central force had earmarked a total of 101 teams for the extremely severe cyclonic storm Tauktae that developed in the Arabian Sea and mainly affected the costal areas of Gujarat and states like Maharashtra and Goa, apart from a few others on the western coastline of the country. Tauktae made landfall on Monday night near Una town in Gir Somnath district of Gujarat and wreaked havoc for around 28 hours before it weakened into a depression.
Each NDRF team has 47 personnel who are equipped with tree and pole cutters, communication gadgets, inflatable boats and basic medical aid. Due to the COVID-19 spread, these teams have been provided orange-coloured full-bodied personal protection gear that includes a face shield for each rescuer.
The NDRF has earlier said that most of its troops deployed for these operations have been vaccinated for coronavirus. Talking about Yaas, the IMD had on Thursday said that a low pressure area is very likely to form over north Andaman Sea and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal around May 22.
The name Yaas has been given to the potential cyclone by Oman, as per a standard protocol of naming such cyclonic storms in rotation by affected countries in the same area.
16:06 Sensex zooms 976 pts as financial stocks pump market mood
Equity benchmark Sensex skyrocketed 976 points on Friday, led by gains in index heavyweights HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and SBI as steady earnings reported by key financial stocks lifted investor sentiment.
The 30-share BSE index ended 975.62 points or 1.97 per cent higher at 50,540.48, and the broader NSE Nifty soared 269.25 points or 1.81 per cent to 15,175.30.
HDFC Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, rallying over 4 per cent, followed by SBI which zoomed after the lender posted robust quarterly earnings. The country's largest lender reported an 80 per cent surge in standalone net profit at Rs 6.450.75 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 2021, aided by decline in bad loans. IndusInd Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and HDFC were also among the gainers. On the other hand, PowerGrid and Dr Reddy's were the laggards.
Arun Gawli gets his 1st Covid vax jab
16:02 Gangster Arun Gawli's fortress Dagdi Chawl to be redeveloped
The once infamous den of underworld don Arun Gawli's criminal activities, Dagdi Chawl in Byculla here is all set to be redeveloped and make way for two swanky 40-storey residential buildings, an official said on Friday.
The chawl, which was once a housing facility for workers employed in the nearby textile mills, currently has more than 350 tenants, with 10 four-storey structures. The original tenants of the chawl, who spent their entire lives in their 120 sq ft homes, will get 450 sq ft apartments in the high-rises, the official said.
The proposal for redevelopment of the cessed building, sent by the landlord, has been approved by the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA), he said. Gawli is the landlord of the property, which was once known as his fortress.
Speaking to PTI, Vinod Ghosalkar, chairman of the MHADA's Mumbai Building Repairs and Redevelopment Board said the structures in the chawl compound are more than 100 years old and two of them were in a dilapidated condition. "The owner and tenants had come together and submitted a proposal for redevelopment in January. According to the rule, priority will be given to the owner in the redevelopment plan," he said.
While a Letter of Intent (LoI) has been issued for redevelopment, they will choose the builder and plan will be submitted to the BMC, the official said.
The chawl has been in the limelight since the late 1970s, after Arun Gawli and his brother Pappa Gawli began their criminal activities. Gawli is known to organise his 'darbar' in the chawl, and often it was a place for settlements, said Suresh Walishetty, retired assistant commissioner of police.
The place was also in news due to the frequent police raids, which were conducted to nab dreaded members of the Gawli gang, he said. Walishetty said he had to use a sten gun to arrest Gawli in one such raid at the chawl.
A Black Fungus infected patient in Hyderabad
15:53 10 pharma companies to make Black Fungus drug
The Union Health Ministry on Friday said licenses have been given to five more manufactures for production of Amphotericin-B, used in the treatment of black fungus, and they will start producing 1,11,000 vials of the drug per month from July.
Efforts are being made to supplement the domestic availability of the anti-fungal drug through import, the ministry said, adding that 3,63,000 vials of Amphotericin-B will be imported in May, resulting in the total availability of 5,26,752 vials (inclusive of the domestic production) in the country.
It said 3,15,000 vials will be imported in June and along with the domestic supply, the countrywide availability of Amphotericin-B will be enhanced to 5,70,114 vials in June.
Several states and union territories have reported an increasing number of patients suffering from COVID complications in the recent days in the form of Mucormycosis, popularly known as black fungus, the ministry said in a statement.
There is also a reported shortage of Amphotericin-B, it stated. The Union Health Ministry along with the Department of Pharmaceuticals and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) are making proactive efforts for significantly ramping up domestic production of Amphotericin-B drug, it said.
The Union government has also made effective efforts in supplementing the domestic availability through securing supply from global manufacturers, the statement said.
The five manufacturers which have been given the license to produce the Amphotericin-B within the country are NATCO Pharmaceuticals, Hyderabad, Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Vadodara, Gufic Biosciences Ltd, Gujarat, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, Pune and Lyka in Gujarat. These companies will start producing 1,11,000 vials of Amphotericin-B per month from July this year, the statement said
There are five existing manufacturers of Amphotericin-B in the country and one importer -- Bharat Serums & Vaccines Ltd, BDR Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Sun Pharma Ltd, Cipla Ltd, Life Care Innovations and Mylan Labs (importer).
Doctors treat patients at a Black Fungus ward
15:39 Black Fungus cases update
Maharashtra: Dy CM Ajit Pawar says, "Presently there are over 300 cases of black fungus in Pune, including many outsiders (residents of other districts). There's a shortage of injections for them. If there are 300 patients, around 1800 injections a day are needed and that is not available in required number."
Karnataka: Dy CM Dr. Ashwathnarayan CN says, "Based on the number of Black Fungus cases, we are trying to procure Amphotericin-B drug, to address the demand. The allocation of the drug by the Centre will be done based on the number of cases in the state."
Govt of India: "Health Ministry along with Dept. of Pharmaceuticals and MEA is making efforts for significantly ramping up domestic production of Amphotericin-B drug. 5 additional manufactures have been given license to manufacture within the country. Production by existing five manufacturers being ramped up."
Bhowanipur MLA Sovandeb Chatterjee (right) with the Speaker
15:31 Was only protecting Mamata's seat: Bhowanipur MLA
TMC's Sovandeb Chatterjee resigns as MLA from Bhawanipore. West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee said, "I have enquired from him if he has resigned voluntarily and without coercion. I am satisfied, and I have accepted his resignation."
Bhowanipur MLA Sovandeb Chatterjee said, "The CM had won twice from Bhowanipore. All party leaders discussed and when I heard she wants to contest from here, I thought I should vacate my seat; there's no pressure. Nobody else has the courage to run the government. I spoke to her. It was her seat I was just protecting it."
15:20 Goa govt to appeal Tarun Tejpal's acquittal
The Goa government will appeal against the acquittal of founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka Magazine Tarun Tejpal. Goa CM Pramod Sawant says his government is very serious about pursuing the case.
A Sessions Court in Goa acquitted Tejpal of all charges in the alleged sexual assault case.
Tejpal, who was already out on bail, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in 2013. He was arrested on November 30 in 2013 after allegedly raping his colleague at a five-star resort in North Goa.
On September 29, 2017, the court had charged him with various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement. He, however, pleaded not guilty.
Following the framing of charges, Tejpal moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the charges levelled against him.In August, the top court refused to quash the charges and directed the trial to be concluded within six months.
15:00 Sonia slams Centre for 'exploiting' farmers
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of indulging in anti-people activities, playing with the future of farmers and acting against their interests by bringing new agriculture laws.
She praised the Congress government in Chhattisgarh, saying that it was trying to bring about a change in the lives of common people, particularly farmers, by empowering them financially.
Gandhi said this in a written message read out by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel at a function held at his official residence here to disburse cash benefits to farmers and cattle-rearers under two schemes of the state government on the occasion of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's death anniversary.
"In the current situation, when the BJP government at the Centre is involved in anti-people activities, playing with the future of cultivators, taking every steps against interests of farmers by bringing laws (referring to new farms laws) and exploiting them, I am satisfied that Congress government in Chhattisgarh has been seriously fulfilling its poll promises," Gandhi said in the message.
The government led by Baghel has been continuously making efforts to bring happiness and change in lives of common people, particularly 'annadata' (food providers), by economically empowering them, she said.
"Rajiv Gandhi ji always kept the interest of common people in his thoughts and resolution. He wanted to see farmers, workers, poor and backward people economically strong and happy. The step by Chhattisgarh government (to provide cash benefit to farmer and cattle rearers) on his death anniversary is a tribute in a true sense to him," she added.
-- PTI
14:49 5.7L black fungus drug vials to be available in June
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday talked about mucormycosis and how it is emerging as a new challenge, the Centre said it has taken a slew of measures to ensure mucormycosis medicine Amphotericin-B is available in the country adequately.
Be it ramping up the capacity of the existing manufacturers or allowing new manufacturers or enabling the import of the drug, the Centre is on its toes, it said. As a result of this "whole of government" approach, around 5.7 lakh Amphotericin-B vials will be available in the country in June.
The per-month availability will also go up as 11 manufacturers, including an importer, are now working towards increasing the supply of the drug in the country.
Mucormycosis is a fungal infection reported among Covid-19 patients, who have a high blood sugar level. Though the fungal infection is not a new occurrence, the number of cases has seen an unprecedented rise in India amid the ongoing second wave of the pandemic. The shortage of Amphotericin-B has added to the crisis, while prompted by the Centre, states and Union territories have now started notifying under the epidemic act. Separate wards, facilities are being brought in place to exclusively treat this fungal infection.
14:36 MLA quits Bhowanipur seat for Mamata to contest
Veteran TMC leader and Bengal minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay says he will vacate Bhowanipur assembly seat, three weeks after he won elections from there. Bhowanipur was Mamata Banerjee's constituency for the last 10 years, but this time she choose Nandigram and was pitted against BJP's Suvendu Adhikari.
Article 164 says, "A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister.' The TMC says that Mamata Banerjee is likely to contest the bypoll from Bhowanipur assembly constituency.
In case the EC doesn't hold elections within six months, the duration in which Banerjee has to become an MLA to remain chief minister, the Trinamool Congress is ready with Plan B. Read the report here.
14:14 EAM to focus on Covid vaccine shortage on US trip
Procurement of coronavirus vaccines and raw materials to boost domestic production is set to be a major focus area of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's five-day visit to the United States beginning Monday.
Announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar will hold discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and meet other senior officials of the Biden administration during his visit from May 24 to 28. It will be the first visit by a senior Indian minister to the US after President Joe Biden assumed office in January.
It is learnt that Jaishankar is likely to press for further speeding up of the supply of raw materials from the US to boost vaccine production in India besides exploring the option of joint production.
There is a view in India that the Defence Production Act (DPA) of the US has put some restrictions on the export of raw materials by American companies.
In early February, the US government invoked the DPA to limit exports of the raw materials to expand domestic vaccine production. Hit by a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, India has been focusing on ramping up domestic production of COVID-19 vaccines as well their procurement from abroad.
"In Washington DC, the External Affairs Minister will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship," the MEA said in a statement. It said he will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between the two countries. Jaishankar had met Blinken earlier this month on the sidelines of a meeting of foreign ministers of G-7 countries in London. The MEA said Jaishankar will also meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York.
Indira Gandhi with Rajiv, Sonia, Maneka, and the kids, Priyanka and Rahul
14:00 'Rajiv Gandhi's legacy is quite inspirational'
May 21, 2021, marks the 30th death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated on this day in 1991 by Sri Lankan Tamil terrorists in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, while on an election campaign.
Rediff.com's Syed Firdaus Ashraf spoke to veteran Congress watcher Rasheed Kidwai, a Visiting Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation and the author of two books on the Congress party, about the Rajiv years, their impact on the country and in what lessons they hold for today.
Read the interview here.
13:57 Remembering Rajiv Gandhi
Senior Congress leader Margaret Alva's son, Nivedith, tweets this picture with former PM Rajiv Gandhi, on his death anniversary today. @nivedithalva: "One of my favourite pics. December 1989. #RememberingRajivGandhi Tributes to a visionary leader on his death anniversary."
13:50 Jaishankar to begin 5-day visit to US from Monday
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will begin a five-day visit to the United States from Monday with a focus on procurement of coronavirus vaccines from American companies as well as explore the possibility of their joint production.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar will hold discussions with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken besides meeting senior officials of the Biden administration during his visit from May 24 to 28.
In New York, Jaishankar is expected to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "In Washington DC, the External Affairs Minister will hold discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He will also be meeting Cabinet members and Senior Officials of the Administration dealing with the bilateral relationship," the MEA said in a statement.
It said he will have two interactions with business forums on economic and COVID-related cooperation between the two countries. PTI
13:48 Gum disease may lead to severe Covid infection
As per a new report, studies show that maintaining good oral hygiene can help you overcome COVID-19, implying that there is a direct connection between oral hygiene and the deadly infection.
report was published in the US's leading organisation of periodontists, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP). Dr James G. Wilson, President of the AAP, mentioned in the report, "It is well-established that systemic inflammation is not only linked with periodontal disease but to several other respiratory diseases as well. Therefore, maintaining healthy teeth and gums in an effort to avoid developing or worsening periodontal disease is absolutely crucial in the midst of a global pandemic like COVID-19, which is also known to trigger an inflammatory response.
"Furthermore, a report by McGill University in Montreal, Canada, found a direct link between gums with inflammation and infection and even connected how oral hygiene can play a role in aggravating COVID-19 complications and even lead to deaths.
According to this study, people that have gum issues or periodontitis are 8.8 times more likely to die of COVID-19. Not just this, such people are 3.5 times more likely to require hospitalisation for COVID-19 and 4.5 times more likely to require a ventilator.
Doctors treat a Black Fungus infected patient in Jabalpur
13:16 Read: The big 3 factors to prevent Black Fungus
AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria on the Black fungus infection that has caused several hundred deaths in Covid patients.
"There has been an increasing trend in the fungal infection being seen in COVID patients. This was also reported to some extent during SARS outbreak. Uncontrolled diabetes with COVID can also predispose to the development of Mucormycosis.
"Steroid use has become much more in this COVID wave, and steroids given when not indicated in mild or early disease can cause a secondary infection. Those given high dose of steroids when not indicated can lead to high blood sugar levels and a high chance of Mucormycosis.
"There're a lot of false messages going around that it can happen due to eating raw food but there is no data to suggest that. It also has nothing to do with the type of oxygen being used. It is also being reported in people in home isolation.
"We have to see at prevention of this outbreak. Three factors are very important - good control of blood sugar levels, those on steroids must monitor blood sugar levels regularly, and be careful about when to give steroids and their dosage."
13:09 Fight against Covid going to be long: PM
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday lauded Varanasi for fighting efficiently against the second wave of the COVID-19 crisis.Modi choked with emotion while thanking doctors, frontline workers during the video conference with them and said the fight against COVID-19 is going to be long.
While interacting with doctors, paramedical staff and other frontline health workers of his parliamentary constituency, PM Modi said, "Varanasi has set a great example by the way it has equipped Pandit Rajan Mishra COVID hospital and increased the number of oxygen beds and ICU beds in the city, in such a short span of time."
The Prime Minister also thanked the doctors, nurses, technicians, ward boys and ambulance drivers in Varanasi for their service during the pandemic.
"As a servant of Kashi, I thank everyone in Varanasi, especially the doctors, nurses, technicians, ward boys and ambulance drivers who have done a commendable work," he said."We have controlled the pandemic to a great extent, thanks to our common efforts. But there is no time to relax as we have to fight a long battle. We have to shift our focus towards villages in Purvanchal and Varanasi," he added.
He also appreciated the role of ASHA and ANM workers to curb the COVID-19 cases in the villages.
The Prime Minister reviewed the working of various COVID hospitals in Varanasi including Pandit Rajan Mishra COVID Hospital, which was recently started through the joint efforts of DRDO and the Indian Army.
13:05 Sunderlal Bahuguna dies of Covid
Chipko movement leader Sundarlal Bahuguna dies of Covid-19 at AIIMS, Rishikesh today, says AIIMS Rishikesh Administration.
12:50 Tarun Tejpal thanks court for 'rigorous, impartial, free trial'
After his acquittal on Friday in the alleged sexual assault case, Tehelka magazine Editor-in-Chief Tarun Tejpal said he had been "fasely accused" and thanked the additional sessions judge court in Goa for its "rigorous, impartial and fair trial.
"In a statement after the verdict, Tejpal also thanked the additional sessions court judge Kshama Joshi who delivered the verdict for "standing by the truth" in an "awfully vitiated age, where ordinary courage has become rare".
"In November 2013 I was falsely accused of sexual assault by a colleague. Today, the Trial Court of Additional Sessions Judge Kshama Joshi, in Goa, has honourably acquitted me. In an awfully vitiated age, where ordinary courage has become rare, I thank her for standing by the truth," Tejpal said in a statement.
"It is with profound respect that I thank this court for its rigorous, impartial and fair trial and for its thorough examination of CCTV footage and other empirical material on record," said Tejpal.
The Tehelka Magazine founder said that the past seven-and-a-half years had been traumatic for his family as they dealt with "the catastrophic fallout" of the "false allegations" on every aspect of their personal, professional and public lives.
"We have felt the boot of the state, but through it all, we have co-operated fully with the Goa police and the legal system, through hundreds of court proceedings. We have unwaveringly followed every mandate of due procedure and abided by every principle of law as laid down in the Constitution. We have also endeavoured to uphold every norm of decency expected in a case like this," he said.
Tejpal also thanked his lawyer Rajiv Gomes, who died of Covid.Tejpal, who was already out on bail, was accused of sexually assaulting his colleague at a five-star resort in North Goa. He was arrested on November 30, 2013.
12:47 Internet Explorer to retire on June 15, 2022: Microsoft
Microsoft has said that it is retiring its long-standing browser Internet Explorer on June 15 next year after serving the netizens for over 25 years. The veteran web browser was released with Windows 95, the tech giant said in a blog post on Wednesday.
The Internet Explorer 11 desktop application will be retired and go out of support on June 15, 2022, for certain versions of Windows 10. Sean Lyndersay, a Microsoft Edge programme manager said while commenting on the decision.
"The future of Internet Explorer on Windows 10 is in Microsoft Edge. Not only is Microsoft Edge a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience than Internet Explorer, but it is also able to address a key concern: compatibility for older, legacy websites and applications.
12:42 Narada: HC orders house arrest of 4 TMC leaders
The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered house arrest of four political leaders, including two Bengal ministers, who were held in the Narada sting tapes case earlier in the week.
The judges of the division bench -- presided by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal -- differed in opinion over vacating a stay given by it on bail granted by a special CBI court to ministers Subrata Mukherjee and Firhad Hakim, TMC MLA Madan Mitra and former Kolkata mayor Sovan Chatterjee. The bench, also comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee, finally directed that the leaders, placed under judicial remand so far, will remain in house confinement for now.
It also decided to refer the matter to a different bench owing to difference of opinion between Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Arijit Banerjee. Hearing in the case is still in progress following prayers from both sides for further arguments on the court's house arrest order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, has pleaded for a stay on the execution of the order. The four leaders were arrested by the CBI on Monday morning in connection with its probe into the Narada sting tape case. The high court had on Monday night stayed the lower court's decision to grant bail to the four leaders. PTI
12:12 Dalai Lama's successor to be approved by us: China
China on Friday said that any successor to the present Dalai Lama should be approved by it, ruling out recognition to any heir nominated by him or by his followers. The reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and other grand Living Buddhas has been subjected to approval by the central government since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), claimed an official white paper issued by the Chinese government here.
The document has also asserted that Tibet was an inseparable part of China since ancient times.
"In 1793, after dispelling Gurkha invaders, the Qing government restored order in Tibet and promulgated the Imperially Approved Ordinance for Better Governance of Tibet, improving systems by which the central government-administered Tibet," the white paper titled 'Tibet Since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity" said.
The ordinance stipulated that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and other grand Living Buddhas had to follow the procedure of "drawing lots from the golden urn" and that the selected candidate would be subject to approval by the central government of China, the document said.
The 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959 following a Chinese crackdown on an uprising by the local population in Tibet. India granted him political asylum and the Tibetan government-in-exile has been based in Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh since then.
The Dalai Lama is 85 years old now and the issue of his successor has gained prominence in the last couple of years due to his advanced age. The Dalai Lama's succession issue was in the limelight, especially in the last few years after the US has stepped up campaign that the right relating to the reincarnation of Dalai Lama's successor should be within the exclusive authority of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people.
The Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020 (TPSA) passed by the US Congress makes it official United States policy that decisions regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama are exclusively within the authority of the current Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhist leaders and the Tibetan people. Chinese Foreign Ministry officials have been asserting time and again that while the institution of reincarnation of the Dalai Lama has been in existence for several hundred years, the 14th (present) Dalai Lama himself was found and recognised following religious rituals and historic conventions, and his succession was approved by China's central government. -- PTI
11:50 2 doses of AstraZeneca vax 90% effective: UK body
Two doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine are around 85 per cent to 90 per cent effective against symptomatic disease, Public Health England (PHE) has said, citing a new analysis of real-world data from the rollout of the shot in the UK. (The AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, as Covishield).
In its latest weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance report on Thursday, the PHE also estimated that 13,000 deaths have now been prevented in people aged 60 years or older in England up to May 9, 2021 (11,100 deaths in individuals aged 80 years and older, 1,600 in individuals aged 70 to 79 and 300 in individuals aged 60 to 69 years).
New analysis for the first time estimates that 2 doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine provide around 85 to 90 per cent protection against symptomatic disease, PHE said in a press release.
That compares to 90 per cent estimated effectiveness against symptomatic disease for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, according to reports.
Commenting on the PHE data, UK Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock said the new statistics show the vaccine "saves lives and protects you from ending up in hospital with COVID-19."
"The 13,000 deaths and the 39,100 hospitalisations that have been prevented are not just numbers. They are our family, our friends, our loved ones and a poignant reminder of the impact the vaccine is having," he said.
With the threat of new variants, it has never been more important to get the vaccine, Hancock added. UK's Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi said: "This new data highlights the incredible impact that both doses of the vaccine can have, with a second dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine providing up to 90 per cent protection."
"There is no better weapon to send this virus into retreat than our life-saving vaccines. A second dose is vital to ensure you have the strongest possible protection so we can return to normality and get back to the things we love," Zahawi said.
PHE estimates also indicate that the vaccination programme has prevented around 39,100 hospitalisations in those aged 65 years and over in England (approximately 4,700 admissions in those aged 65 to 74, 15,400 in those aged 75 to 84 and 19,000 in those aged 85 and over).
The method for analysing the approximate number of deaths and hospitalisations prevented by the vaccine programme now takes into account the impact of both first and second doses, due to more data being available. Previously, the method only used the impact of the first dose of vaccination on hospitalisations and deaths. PTI
Uddhav Thackeray arrives at Chipi airport
11:50 Maha CM visits cyclone-hit Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is on a tour of cyclone Tauktae-hit Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts in Konkan region on Friday, where he directed the administration to complete within two days the assessment of crops loss. Thackeray arrived at Ratnagiri in the morning and held meetings with the district authorities to take stock of the damages caused by the cyclone.
"I have asked that the panchnama (assessment) of horticulture and agriculture losses be completed in two days. After the completion of the procedure and getting an idea of the extent of the damage, a decision on the financial aid will be taken, the chief minister said. After Ratnagiri, he visited Sindhudurg district. The cyclone, which made landfall in Gujarat on Monday night, affected several coastal districts of Maharashtra. PTI
11:11 Tarun Tejpal acquitted of all charges
Breaking news: Former Editor-in-Chief of Tehelka Magazine, Tarun Tejpal acquitted of all charges in the alleged sexual assault case against him.
Tejpal, who is out on bail, was accused of sexually assaulting a junior colleague in 2013 on the sidelines of a conference at a five-star resort in Goa.
In 2017, the court had charged him with rape, sexual harassment, and wrongful confinement. Tarun Tejpal challenged the charges in the Supreme Court, which said the trial in Goa must be concluded within six months.
10:48 Fuel prices hiked, petrol crosses Rs 93 in Delhi
After a gap of two days, petrol and diesel prices again witnessed a minor hike across the metros on Friday.
In Delhi, petrol prices went up by 19 paise from 92.85 per litre on May 19 and reached 93.04 per litre while the diesel prices have gone up by 29 paise from Rs 83.51 per litre to Rs 83.80 per litre. The rates of petrol and diesel are the highest in Mumbai. In Mumbai, the petrol prices saw an increase of 18 paise and are at Rs 99.32 per litre while diesel rates saw a surge of 30 paise and it is now being sold at Rs 91.01 per litre.
Rates have been increased across the country and differ from state to state depending on the incidence of value-added tax
-- ANI
10:35 Twitter calls Sambit Patra's tweet 'manipulated media'
Twitter has labelled as "manipulated media" a tweet of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on the alleged toolkit prepared by the Congress to target the Modi government.
Twitter says it "may label Tweets that include media (videos, audio, and images) that have been deceptively altered or fabricated."
The Congress on Thursday wrote to Twitter asking it to permanently suspend the accounts of BJP leaders including party chief JP Nadda and Union minister Smriti Irani for allegedly "spreading misinformation and unrest in the society".
The opposition party has insisted that the toolkit documents flagged by the BJP are "fake" and has filed police complaint against its leaders. The Chhattisgarh police has registered an FIR to probe the matter.
The BJP has been attacking the Congress over some controversial content of the so-called toolkit. BJP leaders, including Patra, have posted numerous tweets to attack the Congress over the toolkit.
Patra's tweet, now labelled "manipulated media" had posted a document and said, "Friends look at the #CongressToolKit in extending help to the needy during the Pandemic! More of a PR exercise with the help of 'Friendly Journalists' & 'Influencers' than a soulful endeavour. Read for yourselves the agenda of the Congress".
10:19 Case filed against captain of barge that sank
The Mumbai Police registered a case against the captain of the barge which sank in the Arabian sea during Cyclone Tauktae. As many as 49 lives were lost in the incident. The captain was booked on the basis of the rescued barge engineer's complaint.
Mumbai's Yellow Gate police station registered the case under sections 304(II) (an act done with knowledge that it is likely to cause death), 338 (causing grievous hurt by an act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
According to Afcons Infrastructure, which leads the consortium that had chartered the barge, the captain of P305 chose to stay in the sea along with his crew despite receiving instructions to return to the Mumbai harbour in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae.
09:51 At least 13 Naxals killed in Gadchiroli, encounter underway
Bodies of at least 13 Naxals were recovered on Friday from the forest area of Etapalli in Gadchiroli district where an encounter is underway between the C-60 unit of Maharashtra Police and Naxals.
According to Sandip Patil, Deputy Inspector General of police, Gadchiroli, the operation was a huge success for Maharashtra Police and there is a possibility that more Naxals were wiped out in the encounter.
The encounter between Maharashtra Police and Naxal's broke out during early morning on Friday at Paydi-Kotmi forest in Etapalli.
09:31 India's Covid daily deaths go above 4,000
The number of coronavirus disease cases recorded in India in the last 24 hours dipped to 2.59 lakh, the Union health ministry data showed on Friday. With this, the nationwide tally reached 26,031,991.
The daily fatality count - an area of concern in the second wave of the pandemic - once again went over 4,000 (4,209 to be exact) according to health ministry update at 8 am. This pushed the nationwide death toll up to 291331.
The number of active cases of the infection saw another drop of 1,01,953 and came down to 30,27,925.
On Thursday, the country recorded 2,76,110 new cases of Covid-19 and 3,874 fatalities.
09:16 'Half of India isn't wearing a mask': Health ministry cites Covid-19 study
The Union health ministry said that 50 per per cent of the country's population isn't wearing a mask, as it shared an update about Covid-19 situation in India. At the media briefing, health ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said that eight states have more than 1 lakh active cases of Covid-19, nine states have 50,000 to 1 lakh active cases and 19 states have less than 50,000 active cases of the infection.
The ministry's statement on facial masks is based on a survey carried out in 25 cities, which involved 2,000 respondents.
According to the survey, cited by the health ministry and posted on Twitter by the ministry of information and broadcasting, of the 50 per cent people who do not wear mask, 64 per cent cover mouth but not nose, 20 per cent have it on chin and two per cent on the neck.
Only 14 per cent people wear the mask correctly, said the survey, which covers nose, mouth, chin and with a clip on the nose.
08:43 Pilot killed in MiG-21 crash near Punjab's Moga
An Indian Air Force pilot sustained fatal injuries after his MiG-21 aircraft crashed near Punjab's Moga, the Indian Air Force said on Friday.
The aircraft was on a routine training sortie when the accident happened. The IAF lost Squadron leader Abhinav Choudhary in the accident. IAF took to Twitter to inform about the accident.
"There was an aircraft accident last night involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector. The pilot, Sqn Ldr Abhinav Choudhary, sustained fatal injuries," IAF tweeted.
"IAF condoles the tragic loss and stands firmly with the bereaved family," it said.
The IAF further said, "A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident involving a Bison aircraft of IAF in the western sector."
-- ANI
08:37 Priyanka Chopra Jonas raises Rs 22 crore for Indias fight against Covid-19
Priyanka Chopra, who started a fundraiser along with GiveIndia organisation, informed fans that she has managed to raise Rs 22 crore with the help of contributions made by her fans and people across the globe.
Your contributions are making things happen. Heres a quick update. With funds received so far, we have procured around 500 oxygen concentrators, which means providing more than 2500 patients with oxygen supply each month. Manpower for 10 vaccination centres, which will help over 6000 people to get vaccinated over a span of two months. 422 oxygen cylinders each of which has a capacity of 6000 litres of oxygen. Thank you to every single one of you who have donated and made these actions possible. Please know that you have helped save lives. With your support, we have now accelerated our fundraiser to Rs 22 crore, Priyanka posted on her Instagram stories.
08:10 Israel, Hamas agee to truce to end 11-day war
Israel and Hamas announced a ceasefire ending a bruising 11-day war that caused widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip and brought life in much of Israel to a standstill.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel accepted the Egyptian proposal after a late-night meeting of his Security Cabinet. Hamas quickly followed suit and said it would honour the deal.
The agreement would close the heaviest round of fighting between the bitter enemies since a 50-day war in 2014, and once again there was no clear winner.
Israel inflicted heavy damage on Hamas but was unable to prevent the rocket fire that has disrupted life for millions of Israelis for more than a decade.
The fighting began May 10, when Hamas militants in Gaza fired long-range rockets toward Jerusalem after days of clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, a flashpoint site that is known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount.
Heavy-handed police tactics at the compound and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers had inflamed tensions.
Israel launched hundreds of airstrikes during the operation, targeting what it said was Hamas' military infrastructure, including a vast tunnel network. Hamas and other militant groups embedded in residential areas fired over 4,000 rockets at Israeli cities, with hundreds falling short and most of the rest intercepted.
At least 230 Palestinians were killed, including 65 children and 39 women, with 1,710 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not break the numbers down into fighters and civilians.
Hamas and the militant group Islamic Jihad said at least 20 of their fighters were killed, while Israel said the number was at least 130.
01:12 329 docs died of Covid during 2nd wave: IMA
The Indian Medical Association on Thursday released fresh figures on Covid-related fatalities among doctors, saying 329 of them succumbed to the disease during the ongoing second wave of the pandemic.
Bihar alone saw 80 deaths, the maximum among states, followed by Delhi (73), Uttar Pradesh (41), Andhra Pradesh (22) and Telangana (20), the IMA said.
According to the IMA COVID-19 registry, 748 doctors had died due to the disease during the first wave of the pandemic.
IMA President Dr JA Jayalal said the IMA maintains a registry based only on the input of its various branches across the country.
"We do not want to release the name list as it is a sensitive matter," he said.
Asked as to how many of these doctors had been fully vaccinated, Dr Jayalal said, "We are not confident about the vaccination status of all, But by the data we got, not (being) fully vaccinated is the main cause (of the deaths)."
He further stated that on an average, at least 20 doctors are dying per day due to COVID-19.
These include doctors working in government facilities, private hospitals and medical colleges.
"The second wave of the pandemic is turning out to be extremely fatal for all and especially those who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19," Jayalal had said earlier. -- PTI
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