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Coronavirus cases near 31 million worldwide; death toll tops 9.59 lakh

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): More than 30.9 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus and more than 9,59,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 21.1 million people have recovered.

In the US, number of coronavirus infections have surpassed 6.8 million while the death toll is almost nearing 2 lakh deaths.

Brazil’s health ministry has reported 16,389 additional confirmed cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to more than 4.52 million, though the latest numbers do not include three states. At least 363 new deaths were also reported. Nearly 137,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil, second only to the United States.

Mexico’s health ministry has reported 3,542 new coronavirus cases and 235 new deaths. The number of infections officially reported in the country now stands at 697,663, while the death toll has hit at least 73,493 although the government reported recently that excess deaths hit over 1,20,000.

UK has reported almost 3,900 new cases on Sunday, prompting a call by London Mayor Sadiq Khan for quick action with the situation in the capital “clearly worsening”. The UK has more than 3,96,000 cases and more than 41,800 deaths.

South Korea has reported 70 new coronavirus cases, the second consecutive day that it reported infections below 100, but the government also admitted that “high number” of untraceable cases remain.

Australia’s second largest state of Victoria is on course to ease more restrictions as the number of cases continues to drop.

The state capital of Melbourne reported 35 new cases on Monday – below the target of 50 cases or less by September 28, when many of the restrictions are expected to be lifted.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that the coronavirus restrictions in the city of Auckland will be eased starting on Thursday, while lockdown limits will be lifted altogether in other parts of the country.

Germany’s infectious diseases agency has reported 922 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number of cases to more than 2,72,300. Meanwhile, there were no new deaths recorded keeping the total to 9,386.

China’s National Health Commission has reported 12 new coronavirus cases, raising the number of cases in the country to 85,291, although most of the infections have now recovered. No new deaths were reported keeping the death toll at 4,634.

-CHK

India’s COVID tally nears 55 lakh, death toll at 87,882

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): India registered a single-day rise of 86,961 new cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, taking the overall caseload to 54,87,580, Union Health Ministry confirmed.

The country’s death toll has gone up to 87,882 with 1,130 new fatalities being reported during this period.

So far, 43,96,399 patients have recovered all over the country, while active cases stands at 10,03,299. With this, the recovery rate also improves further to 80.12 per cent.

In terms of total number of cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 12,08,642 coronavirus cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 6,25,514 cases, Tamil Nadu with 5,41,993 positive cases.

The other worst affected states includes Karnataka (5,19,537), Uttar Pradesh (3,54,275) and Delhi (2,46,711).

In terms of fatalities, Maharashtra tops the tally with 32,671 deaths followed by Tamil Nadu 8,811, ministry said.

The death toll in the national capital surged to 4,982 while another 2,09, patients have recovered so far, healthy ministry data shows.

According to the Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR), total samples tested up to September 20 for COVID-19 are 6,43,92,594 including 7,31,534 samples tested yesterday.

Meanwhile, the government said that India occupies the top position in the world in terms of total recoveries. More than 43 lakhs have recovered and the country’s recoveries constitute 19 per cent of total global recoveries.

 

-RJV

Reduced to ashes: Pakistan army set fire to huge forest area in Balochistan

New Delhi (NVI): Acres of forest area, including fields and palm trees, has been set on fire allegedly by the Pakistani army in Balochistan’s Dasht, in yet another oppressing and atrocious action against the Baloch people for resisting the Pakistan government’s illegal occupation in the region and raising their voices for a free Balochistan.

According to reports, a fire broke out in Hapsagz Hasadi and Dabebi forests of Dasht tehsil, in Kech district last night.

Thousands of different types of trees are reportedly charred by the blaze. Flames of the fire appeared in the distance, reports The Balochistan Post.

As per the locals, the fire spread out up to at least 50 Km range and damaged all the trees within. While it is a huge loss for local farmers in the region, it is also a huge environmental loss for people in the area.

While the exact cause of the forest fire is yet to be ascertained, no action has been taken by the district administration yet, the Baloch media reported.

However, locals in the area have blamed Pakistani forces for the blaze. Several Baloch activists and human rights experts have also said that this is a sort of collective punishment by the Pakistani army for the people in the region.

“This wild fire isn’t caused by the climate change. This is part of Pakistan army’s collective punishment policy of Baloch people. After continues operations for 2 weeks, last night, they set the fields on fire. Almost 50 KM were destroyed, including thousands of palm trees,” tweets Hakeem Baloch, President of Baloch National Movement from UK Zone and also a freelance journalist.

“THIS IS HIGHLY CONDEMNABLE! #PakistanArmy is practicing Scorched Earth Policy in Occupied #Balochistan. This will never matter to the world. We are not #Labenon nor #Syria, neither we are #Australia nor the #Amazon. This is our #Balochistan that has been set on fire by #PakArmy,” tweets Jamal Baloch, a human rights activist from Balochistan.

This is just another instance of malicious damage that Pakistan is inflicting on the people of Balochistan. Not a single day passes by when a person in not abducted by Pakistani forces in Balochistan.

Recently, a female journalist, artist and social activist, Shaheena Shaheen Baloch, was allegedly shot in Tehsil Turbat of district Kech in Balochistan.

She was the host of a morning show on PTV Bolan, Chief-in-editor of the Baloch magazine ‘Dasgohar’ and an artist. She believed in gender equality and had also campaigned for women rights in Balochistan.

Last month, a Baloch youth was shot dead in the same district of Balochistan by Pakistani forces, in retaliation to an alleged attack on them in Turbat city, according to a local media report.

The deceased, Mohammad Hayat, son of Mirza Baloch, was a final year student of University of Karachi’s department of Physiology.

Hayat’s death has almost turned into a massive campaign against human rights violations by Pakistani forces and killing, abductions of innocent people in the name of security, backed by Islamabad’s propaganda.

-ARK

Covid-19 death toll crosses 1000-mark in J&K, 1,457 more test positive

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): The death toll due to Covid-19 crossed the 1000-mark in Jammu and Kashmir today as 14 more patients succumbed to the virus. A total of 1,001 deaths have been recorded in the UT so far.

In the last 24 hours, 14 persons who had tested positive for COVID-19, have died, which include five from the Kashmir division and nine from Jammu division.

As per media bulletin, patients who have died include two from Bandipora and one each from Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag in Kashmir division while nine from Jammu division include three from Jammu district, two from Kishtiwar and one each from Rajouri, Udhampur, Kathua and Doda.

The UT continues to witness a surge in coronavirus cases as 1,457 fresh cases were detected, taking the tally of positive cases in the Union Territory to 63,990.

Of the total 63,990 cases, 41,087 are from Kashmir and 22,903 from Jammu division.

Officials said that among 1,457 new cases, 640 belong to Kashmir division while 817 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir has reached 41,087 including 31,100 recoveries and 769 deaths while the total number of positive cases in Jammu division has reached 22,903 including 9,857 recoveries and 232 deaths.

They said that the total number of active cases in J&K is 22,032, including 9,218 from Kashmir division and 12,814 from Jammu division.

With 692 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in J&K has reached 40,957 which is 64.005 percent of the total cases and was over 78 percent over two weeks back.

Notably, for the first time since COVID-19 outbreak, the active cases have reached over 22,000 in the UT and active cases in Jammu division are more than recovered cases.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 228 from Srinagar, 78 from Budgam, 86 from Baramulla, 50 from Pulwama, 49 from Anantnag, 35 from Bandipora, 29 from Kupwara, 57 from Ganderbal, 19 from Kulgam and 09 from Shopian in Kashmir division while as 817 from Jammu division include 266 from Jammu, 76 from Rajouri, 62 from Udhampur, 46 from Kathua, 151 from Doda, 33 from Samba, 60 from Poonch, 65 from Ramban, 14 from Reasi and 44 from Kishtwar,” officials disclosed.

As per the daily Covid bulletin, 5,43,541 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while 25,983 persons have been kept under home quarantine. Besides that, 22,032 persons are in isolation.

According to the bulletin, 4,27,376 persons have completed surveillance period and 67,149 persons are under home surveillance.

So far, results of 13,96,729 samples are available out of which 13,32,739 stand negative while 63,990 have tested positive. Among positive cases, 22,032 are active, 40,957 persons have recovered and 1,001 persons have died.

-ARK

Huge ruckus in RS over farm bills

New Delhi (NVI): The Upper House of Parliament today witnessed chaos and drama during the passing of farm bills as Opposition members were seen rushing to the Well of the House, attempting to tear up the rule book and the microphone of the Deputy Chairman.

A voice vote was held after a short adjournment. The Opposition also moved a no-confidence motion against the Deputy Chairman.

Unruly scenes which also went viral on social media showed TMC MP Derek O’Brien attempting to tear rule book near the chair. Members of Opposition parties also snatched and threw papers from the table and even broke the chairman’s mic.

Defence Minister Rajntah Singh held a press conference later in the evening with five other Union Minister, where he termed the behaviour of the opposition MPs in the Rajya Sabha as “saddening, unfortunnate and shameful.”

Singh said he is himself a farmer and is hurt by the way opposition members flouted the Parliament decorum by tearing off rule book and breaking microphones.

The Bills, which seek to replace the two ordinances promulgated on June 5 this year and which were already cleared in by the Lok Sabha, were passed by voice vote in the Upper House.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said passing of the bills was a “watershed moment in history of Indian agriculture”.

‘Watershed moment’ for agricultural sector: PM on passage of farm bills

modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (file photo)

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today welcomed the passage of two farm bills that were cleared in Rajya Sabha and congratulated farmers, saying that it is a ‘watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture”.

“A watershed moment in the history of Indian agriculture! Congratulations to our hardworking farmers on the passage of key bills in Parliament, which will ensure a complete transformation of the agriculture sector as well as empower crores of farmers,” the Prime Minister said in a series of tweets.

The PM said that the development will also free the farmers of several adversities they face while selling their produce including and that they can avoid ‘bullying middlemen’ with this legislation.

“For decades, the Indian farmer was bound by various constraints and bullied by middlemen. The bills passed by Parliament liberate the farmers from such adversities. These bills will add impetus to the efforts to double income of farmers and ensure greater prosperity for them,” he said in another tweet.

He said that now the farmers will be able to boost their production with the help of new tools. “Our agriculture sector is in desperate need of latest technology that assists the industrious farmers. Now, with the passage of the bills, our farmers will have easier access to futuristic technology that will boost production and yield better results. This is a welcome step,” he tweeted.

Since the bill has been passed amid strong opposition in both the houses, the Prime Minister today reassured the farming community that the system of MSP will be there and the government procurement will also continue.

“I said it earlier and I say it once again: System of MSP will remain. Government procurement will continue. We are here to serve our farmers. We will do everything possible to support them and ensure a better life for their coming generations,” he said in another tweet.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 which were passed by Lok Sabha on 17th September 2020, were passed by the Rajya Sabha also today.

The Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on September 14 by Union Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a statement.

Amid opposition over the bills, the Agriculture minister again clarified that the procurement at Minimum Support Price will continue, and that the assurance for this has been given by Prime Minister himself. He added that rate of MSP has been increased considerably during 2014-2020 and MSP for coming Rabi season will be announced in coming week.

He said that full protection has been ensured to farmers in these legislations.

-ARK

T cells play a bigger role than antibodies in body’s immunity against Covid-19: Study          

New Delhi (NVI): A new study has found that T cells, a type of white blood cell plays a bigger role than antibodies, in protecting the body against coronavirus infection.

The findings published in the journal Cell, indicate that both T Cells and the antibodies have a coordinated response against Covid but the T cells play a larger role in fighting the infection.

As per the study, vaccine candidates should aim to elicit a broad immune response that includes antibodies as well as T cells to ensure immunity against Covid-19.

This also explains why older Covid-19 patients are more vulnerable to the infection as the number of T-cells declines with ageing the body’s immune response becomes less coordinated.

The researchers from La Jolla Institute for Immunology in the US, who did the study, collected blood samples from 50 Covid-19 patients and analysed SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies as well as T cells.

They found that a strong SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell response was predictive of milder infection. The findings indicate that T cells are more important in the body’s fight against Covid-19.

Apart from that, another study finds that conditions linked to obesity also make people more susceptible to Covid-19.

Rajya Sabha passes two farm bills

New Delhi (NVI): Two farm bills, aimed at transforming agriculture in the country and raising farmers’ incomes, were passed by the Parliament today.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020 which were passed by Lok Sabha on 17th September 2020, were passed by the Rajya Sabha also today.

The Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on September 14 by Union Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, to replace ordinances promulgated on 5th June 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said in a statement.

Amid opposition over the bills, the Agriculture minister again clarified that the procurement at Minimum Support Price will continue, and that the assurance for this has been given by Prime Minister himself. He added that rate of MSP has been increased considerably during 2014-2020 and MSP for coming Rabi season will be announced in coming week.

He said that full protection has been ensured to farmers in these legislations.

Under the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, the new legislation will create an ecosystem where the farmers and traders will enjoy freedom of choice of sale and purchase of agri-produce.

It will also promote barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce outside the physical premises of markets notified under State Agricultural Produce Marketing legislations.

On the other hand, under the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, the new legislation will empower farmers for engaging with processors, wholesalers, aggregators, wholesalers, large retailers, exporters etc., on a level playing field. Price assurance to farmers even before sowing of crops. In case of higher market price, farmers will be entitled to this price over and above the minimum price.

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of coronavirus cases in India has reached 54,00,619, with another huge surge of 92,605 positive cases in the last 24 hours, according to Union Health Ministry data.

1,133 more deaths due to the virus have taken the death toll to 86,752.

In terms of total number of cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 11,88,015 coronavirus cases followed by Andhra Pradesh with 6,17,776 cases and Tamil Nadu with 5,36,477 positive cases.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 3,644

Andhra Pradesh- 6,17,776

Arunachal Pradesh- 7,250

Assam- 1,55,453

Bihar- 1,66,788

Chandigarh- 9,796

Chhattisgarh- 84,234

Dadra Nagar Haveli & Diu – 2,887

Delhi- 2,42,899

Gujarat- 1,21,768

Goa- 28,022

Haryana– 1,08,952

Himachal Pradesh- 11,908

Jammu and Kashmir- 62,533

Jharkhand- 69,860

Karnataka- 5,11,346

Kerala- 1,31,005

Ladakh- 3,708

Madhya Pradesh- 1,03,065

Maharashtra- 11,88,015

Manipur- 8,724

Meghalaya- 4,557

Mizoram- 1,578

Nagaland- 5,392

Odisha- 1,75,550

Puducherry- 22,456

Punjab- 95,529

Rajasthan- 1,13,124

Sikkim- 2,423

Tamil Nadu- 5,36,477

Telangana- 1,71,306

Tripura- 22,032

Uttarakhand- 40,085

Uttar Pradesh- 3,48,517

West Bengal– 2,21,960

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 52

Andhra Pradesh- 5,302

Arunachal Pradesh- 13

Assam- 548

Bihar- 861

Chandigarh- 119

Chhattisgarh- 664

Dadra and Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 4,945

Goa- 342

Gujarat- 3,302

Haryana- 1,120

Himachal Pradesh- 116

Jammu and Kashmir- 987

Jharkhand- 615

Karnataka- 7,922

Kerala- 519

Ladakh- 49

Madhya Pradesh- 19,43

Maharashtra- 32,216

Manipur- 55

Meghalaya- 36

Nagaland- 15

Odisha- 691

Puducherry- 462

Punjab- 2,757

Rajasthan- 1,322

Sikkim- 25

Tamil Nadu- 8,751

Telangana- 1.033

Tripura- 239

Uttarakhand- 478

Uttar Pradesh- 4,953

West Bengal- 4,298

There are 10,10,824 active cases in the country now and more than 43 lakh people have recovered. Apart from that, the country’s mortality rate is 1.61%.

-ARK

UNSC committed to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, national unity: Khalilzad

New Delhi (NVI): US Peace envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, in a tweet last night said that a statement issued by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Afghan peace negotiations has underscored the international commitment to the country’s  “sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity.”

“The UNSC statement supports the path the parties are currently on, which is to find a political settlement that accommodates all Afghans, one the region and international community can endorse in spirit and in action,” Khalilzad said in a tweet.

“This is a unique moment for Afghanistan. Not only are Afghan parties negotiating directly, but as indicated by the UNSC statement, there is broad international support for a negotiated political settlement and peace in Afghanistan. This unique opportunity must be seized,” he added.

The crucial Afghan peace talks are currently underway in Doha under the US watch, with the Taliban and the Afghanistan government negotiating with each other on power-sharing and steps to be taken towards the country’s future and end years-long war.

The UNSC, in a statement that was released on Friday, has welcomed the start of the Afghanistan peace negotiations in Doha, Qatar, reports TOLO news.

As per the statement, the members of the UNSC also recognized that “a sustainable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process that aims at a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, as well as an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan.”

The members of the Security Council also reaffirmed the importance of the United Nations role in promoting peace and stability in Afghanistan and welcomed the efforts of all regional and international partners of Afghanistan in facilitating intra-Afghan negotiations and in helping the parties reach peace. The members of the Security Council thanked the Government of Qatar for facilitating the first round of negotiations.

They emphasized the importance of the implementation of its relevant resolutions, including resolution 2513 (2020).

Meanwhile, a joint meeting between the negotiating teams of the Afghanistan government and the Taliban is expected on Saturday evening in Doha to resolve disputed points regarding rules and regulations of the peace talks, reports TOLO news.

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