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Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam passes away

S P Balasubrahmanyam

New Delhi (NVI): Veteran singer S P Balasubrahmanyam who tested positive COVID-19, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai today.

SP Charan, Balasubrahmanyam’s son announced that SPB passed away at 1:04 pm today and thanked all those who prayed for the singer’s recovery.

He was undergoing treatment at MGM Healthcare in Chennai and was admitted there on August 5 after testing positive for COVID-19.

On September 24, MGM Healthcare released a statement about his health. The statement mentioned that the singer had been put on ‘maximal life support system’ after his health deteriorated.

Earlier, it was reported that Balasubrahmanyam was responding well to the treatment and was also expected to be discharged.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the passing away of singer SP Balasubrahmanyam.

“With the unfortunate demise of Shri SP Balasubrahmanyam, our cultural world is a lot poorer. A household name across India, his melodious voice and music enthralled audiences for decades. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” PM Modi tweeted.

Moreover, in a career spanning over five decades, other than singing in movies across 16 languages including Tamil, Telugu Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi, Balasubrahmanyam also played significant roles in many films.

He also won six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer. The Government of India honoured the singer-actor with Padma Shri in 2001 Padma Bhushan in 2011.

-RJV

Four civilians injured in explosion at J&K’s Anantnag encounter site

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): An unexploded shell went off at the encounter site at Sirhama in Anantnag district of south Kashmir leaving four persons injured, two of whom were referred to Srinagar for specialized treatment.

Police official said that the incident took place when a group of people were clearing debris from the house razed to the ground during the gunfight where two Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists were killed in the encounter that broke out last night.

“Banners were already put in place at the site, appealing people not to go closer to the encounter spot till the area is sanitized. However, people went to the encounter area where a left over unexploded shell or grenade exploded resulting in injuring four people,” the official said.

The injured youth were identified as Muhammad Yasin Rather, Shahid Yousuf,  Irfan Ahmed Bhat and Mudasir Ahmed Magray of Sirhama. Officials said that Yasin and Shahid have been referred to SMHS hospital, Srinagar, for specialized treatment.

Meanwhile, police have registered a case and investigations have started to find out what caused the explosion.

-CHK

India conducts nearly 15 lakh Covid tests in a day

COVID
Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): India has achieved another milestone in COVID-19 testing by conducting nearly 15 lakh tests in a single day, the Union Health Ministry said.

“With 14,92,409 tests conducted in the last 24 hours, the cumulative tests have touched nearly 7 crore (6,89,28,440),” the Health Ministry said in a statement.

It added that this exponential surge in the daily testing capacities strongly demonstrates the determined escalation of the testing infrastructure in the country.

The ministry also informed that the last one crore tests were conducted in merely 9 days, while the Tests Per Million (TPM) stand at 49,948 as of today.

“Evidence has revealed that higher numbers of testing subsequently leads to lowered positivity rate. The states that are testing the highest numbers are also reporting a gradual decline in the positivity rate,” it said.

The national cumulative positivity rate stands at 8.44 per cent today. Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Jharkhand and Telangana are among the states recording a positivity rate even lower than 5 per cent.

Moreover, with the expansion of testing infrastructure, the daily testing by States and Union Territories has also increased. Almost 23 States and UTs have better tests per million than the national average of 49,948 tests.

The ministry further stated, “As reiterated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as he reviewed the status and preparedness of 7 States and UTs with high burden of caseload recently, testing forms an integral pillar of COVID-19 response and management. The Centre’s three-pronged strategy of ‘TEST TRACK TREAT’ begins with testing.”

Meanwhile, the expanded diagnostic lab network has given a sharp boost to the enhanced testing numbers. India currently has network of 1,818 labs comprising 1,084 labs in the government sector and 734 private labs.

So far, the recovery rate in the country stands at 81.74 percent, while the case fatality rate (CFR) is on a continuous positive slide and currently stands at 1.59 percent, the ministry noted.

-RJV

J&K: Two Lashkar terrorists killed in overnight gun battle in Anantnag

encounter
File photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Two unidentified Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists were killed in an ongoing encounter that raged between government forces and terrorists in Sirhama village of Bijbehara sub-division in south Kashmir’s Anantnag last night, officials said today.

An official said that two terrorists were killed during the ongoing operation in Anantnag.

They said that one among the slain terrorirts is a top commander who has been active since past three years.

Kashmir Zone Police on its official twitter handle wrote, “Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants have been killed in Sirhama, Anantnag encounter. Incriminating material, arms and ammunition recovered. Search going on.”

Earlier, an official said that joint teams of Police, Army’s 03 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) based on specific information about the presence of terrorists in the area.

He said that as the joint teams of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding terrorists fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter. The officials said that intense search operation is on in the area to rule out the possibility of the presence of any other terrorist.

-CHK

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

COVID-19

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India crossed the 58 lakh-mark today and reached 58,18,571, with another huge surge of 86,052 positive cases in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data.

The country’s death toll has gone up to 92,290 after 1,141 new fatalities were reported in the country during this period.

In terms of total number of cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 12,82,963 coronavirus cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 6,54,385 cases, Tamil Nadu with 5,63,691 positive cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 3,744

Andhra Pradesh- 6,54,85

Arunachal Pradesh- 8,416

Assam- 1,65,582

Bihar- 1,74,071

Chandigarh- 10,968

Chhattisgarh- 95,623

Dadra Nagar Haveli & Diu – 2,977

Delhi- 2,60,623

Gujarat- 1,28,787

Goa- 30,552

Haryana– 1,18,554

Himachal Pradesh- 13,386

Jammu and Kashmir- 68,614

Jharkhand- 76,438

Karnataka- 5,48,557

Kerala- 1,54,456

Ladakh- 3,969

Madhya Pradesh- 1,15,361

Maharashtra- 12,82,963

Manipur- 9,537

Meghalaya- 5,078

Mizoram- 1,786

Nagaland- 5,730

Odisha- 1,96,888

Puducherry- 24,895

Punjab- 1,05,220

Rajasthan- 1,22,720

Sikkim- 2,692

Tamil Nadu- 5,63,691

Telangana- 1,81,627

Tripura- 24,130

Uttarakhand- 44,404

Uttar Pradesh- 3,74,277

West Bengal– 2,37,869

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 52

Andhra Pradesh- 5,558

Arunachal Pradesh- 14

Assam- 608

Bihar- 878

Chandigarh- 144

Chhattisgarh- 752

Dadra and Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 5,123

Goa- 383

Gujarat- 3,381

Haryana- 1,255

Himachal Pradesh- 150

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,084

Jharkhand- 652

Karnataka- 8,331

Kerala- 613

Ladakh- 54

Madhya Pradesh- 2,122

Maharashtra- 34,345

Manipur- 62

Meghalaya- 43

Nagaland- 16

Odisha- 752

Puducherry- 487

Punjab- 3,066

Rajasthan- 1,397

Sikkim- 31

Tamil Nadu- 9,076

Telangana- 1,080

Tripura- 265

Uttarakhand- 542

Uttar Pradesh- 5,366

West Bengal- 4,606

There are 9,70,116 active cases in the country now and more than 47 lakh people have recovered.

-CHK

Govt sanctions 670 electric buses, 241 charging stations under FAME scheme

Prakash Javadekar

New Delhi (NVI): The government has sanctioned 670 electric buses for Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Chandigarh Phase-II of the ‘FAME India’ Scheme, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

He also announced that 241 charging stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port Blair have been sanctioned under the scheme.

Javadekar further said, “This is a big push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of eco-friendly public transportation.”

Announcing this in a series of tweet, the Union Minister said that the decision reflects government’s commitment to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and to address issues of vehicular emissions.

He also said Maharashtra has been sanctioned 240 E-buses of which 100 E-buses each are for MSRTC’s Intercity and Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport and 40 E-buses are for BEST-Mumbai, adding that, 100 electric buses have been sanctioned for Goa’s Kadamba Transport Corporation.

Javadekar further added, these environment friendly e-buses for the intercity services of Goa would help protect the environment as well as improve mobility.

The Minister said, 250 electric buses have also been sanctioned for Gujarat of which 150 e-buses are for Surat Municipal Corporation and 100 e-buses for Rajkot Rajpath Limited.

Since April 2015, the Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) under Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, is administering the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme, to promote adoption of electric or hybrid vehicles in the country.

“In the first phase of the scheme upto March 31 last year, about 2,80,987 hybrid and electric vehicles were supported by way of demand incentive, amounting to about Rs 359 crore,” the Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises said in a statement.

Further, DHI sanctioned 425 electric and hybrid buses to various cities in the country with total cost of about Rs 280 Crores, it added.

Moreover, the DHI had also sanctioned 520 Charging Stations for Rs 43 Crore in cities like Bangalore, Chandigarh, Jaipur and NCR of Delhi under Phase-I of FAME-India Scheme.

At present, Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of 3 years with effect from April, 2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore, the ministry stated.

However, this phase focuses on supporting electrification of public and shared transportation and aims to support, through subsidies, approximately 7,000 e-Buses, 5 lakh e-3 Wheelers, 55,000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers.

“In addition, creation of charging infrastructure is also supported to address the anxiety among users of electric vehicles,” it noted.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases surge past 32.1 million globally, death toll tops 9.80 lakh

Coronavirus cases surpass 52 mn globally; US reports record 1.36 lakh infections

New Delhi (NVI): Nearly 32.1 million people around the world have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and nearly 9,82,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. More than 22.1 million people have recovered from the disease.

In the US, the number of coronavirus infections are nearing 7 million while the death toll has surpassed 2,02,000 in the country.

Brazil’s coronavirus cases have surged past 4.65 million meanwhile the number of fatalities are nearing 1,39,000.

South Korea on Friday said it would impose tighter restrictions during the Chuseok autumn holiday weeks when people traditionally reunite with families, flagging the risks of new clusters of coronavirus infections. The new curbs apply to at least 11 high-risk facilities in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, including nightclubs and bars.

Israel further toughened its lockdown measures on Thursday after existing restrictions failed to bring down the infection rate. The country has 212,115 cases out of a population of just under 9 million: roughly equivalent to one case per 23 people.

France set a new record for daily new cases. Health authorities reported 16,096 new confirmed cases on Thursday, a significant increase on the previous record of 13,498 and setting a fourth all-time high of daily additional infections in eight days.

Australia’s coronavirus hot spot, Victoria, is set to ease restrictions over the weekend. The two-week average of new infections in Melbourne dropped below 26, well below the 30-50 level which the state has set as a precondition to relax its strict curbs.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 2,153 to 2,80,223. The reported death toll rose by 15 to 9,443, the tally showed.

-CHK

India’s COVID tally crosses 58-lakh mark, death toll at 92,290

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): India registered a single-day rise of 86,052 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 58,18,571, Union Health Ministry confirmed.

The country’s death toll has gone up to 92,290 with 1,141 new fatalities being reported during the same period.

So far, 47,56,165 patients have recovered all over the country, while active cases stands at 9,70,116. The recovery rate also improves further to 82 per cent.

In terms of total number of cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 12,82,963 coronavirus cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 6,54,385 cases, Tamil Nadu with 5,63,691 positive cases.

The other worst affected states includes Karnataka (5,48,557), Uttar Pradesh (3,74,277) and Delhi (2,60,623).

In terms of fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 34,345 deaths followed by Tamil Nadu 9,076, ministry said.

The death toll in the national capital surged to 5,123 while another 2,24,375, patients have been cured so far, healthy ministry data shows.

According to the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), a total 6,89,28,440 samples tested up to September 22 for COVID-19. Of these, 14,92,409 samples were tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases was due to the massive scaling up of testing from 20,000 tests per day previously to 60,000 tests every day at present.

-RJV

Talks on, but necessary to ensure stability on ground: MEA on India, China standoff

Chinese troops

New Delhi (NVI): Two days after the sixth round of senior commander level talks between India and China, the Ministry of External Affairs today said that even as the military and diplomatic talks are underway, at the same time, it is also “necessary to ensure stability on the ground”.

“As we have pointed out earlier, disengagement is a complex process that requires redeployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the LAC. This would require mutually agreed reciprocal actions,” MEA spokesman Anurag Srivastava said during a virtual interaction here.

“Even as two sides work towards complete disengagement in all friction areas, it is at the same time also necessary to ensure stability on the ground. The latest Senior Commander’s meeting should be seen in all this overall context,” he added.

Srivastava also mentioned that the sixth meeting gave the Senior Commanders an opportunity to have candid and in-depth exchanges of views on stabilizing the situation along the LAC.

The Senior Commanders met after a period of nearly 50 days, the MEA spokesman added.

“The two sides have also decided to strengthen the ground communication to avoid any further misunderstandings and misjudgments, stop sending more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation,” he said.

“The way ahead will be to refrain from making any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo, while the two sides continue their discussions to achieve complete disengagement in all friction areas and to ensure full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas,” he said.

In this regard, the two sides have also decided to have the next meeting of the Senior Commanders at the earliest. In parallel, the next meeting of the WMCC is also likely to take place soon, the MEA spokesman said.

The sixth commander level meeting took place in the backdrop of the meeting of the Defence Ministers of India and China in Moscow on 4th September and also the meeting of the two Foreign Ministers on 10 September.

The two Foreign Ministers had reached an agreement that the two sides should continue the dialogue and quickly and comprehensively disengage in all the friction areas.

-ARK

22 more deaths, 1,104 fresh cases take J&K’s Covid tally to 68,614

Over 3,200 cops COVID positive in J&K and 15 succumbed to virus
File photo

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 1,104 fresh cases of coronavirus, taking the tally of positive cases to 68,614 in the Union Territory to 68,614. 22 more Covid deaths have taken the toll to 1,084 in the UT.       

Of the total total cases, 43,142 are from Kashmir and 25,472 from Jammu division. Officials said that among 1,104 new cases, 480 belong to Kashmir division while 624 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division has reached 43,142 including 34,084 recoveries and 801 deaths.

On the other hand the total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached 25,472 including 139,95 recoveries and 283 deaths.

The officials said that total number of active cases in the UT is 19,451 including 8,257 from Kashmir division and 11,194 from Jammu division.

With 1,549 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in J&K has reached 48,079 which is 70.07 percent of the total cases and was over 78 percent over two weeks back.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 194 from Srinagar, 49 from Budgam, 72 from Baramulla, 33 from Pulwama, 24 from Anantnag, 20 from Bandipora, 42 from Kupwara, 28 from Ganderbal, 11 from Kulgam and 07 from Shopian in Kashmir division while as 624 from Jammu division include 242 from Jammu, 49 from Rajouri, 49 from Udhampur,  36 from Kathua, 54 from Doda, 37 from Samba, 44 from Poonch, 38 from Ramban, 36 from Reasi and 39 from Kishtwar,” officials disclosed.

Notably, in the last 24 hours, 22 persons who were tested positive for COVID-19 have died which include eight from Kashmir division and 14 from Jammu division.

As per the media bulletin, patients who have died include five from Srinagar and three from Baramula in Kashmir division while as 16 from Jammu division include  eight from Jammu district, two each from Rajouri, Kuthua and Samba.

As per the daily bulletin, 5,58,098 persons in J&K are under observation while 15,800 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides that, 19,451 persons are in isolation.

Apart from that, 4,67,177 persons have completed surveillance period and 54,586 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 14,87,962 samples are available out of which 14,19,348 stand negative while 68,614 have tested positive. Among positive cases, 19,451 are active, 48,079 persons have recovered and 1084 persons have died.

-ARK

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