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Bangladesh COVID-19 tally exceeds 1,05,000; 1,388 dead

(Image source: United News of Bangladesh)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Bangladesh crossed the 100,000-mark and reached 1,05,537 after detection of 3,243 new cases in the last 24 hours.

In addition to this, 45 more patients lost their lives due to the deadly contagion, raising the death toll to 1,388 in the country.

So far, 42,945 people have recovered in the country after 2,781 more patients were recovered during this period.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 40.69 percent and the mortality rate is 1.32 percent in the country.

Meanwhile, former Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister, Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, has tested positive for coronavirus.

Bangladesh reported its first coronavirus cases on March 8 and the first death on March 18, 2020.

-CHK

Nepal reports 426 new COVID-19 cases; tally reaches 8,274

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): Nepal reported 426 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the national tally to 8,274, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, Of the newly infected, 338 are males and 88 females. In total, 7,567 males and 707 females have been recorded to have contracted the disease, so far.

As of today, 73 of the 77 districts in the country have witnessed the transmission of COVID-19 virus, as per media reports.

In the last 24 hours, 6,231 samples have been tested through PCR. With this 161,749 samples were tested through the PCR and 247,874 through the RDT so far.

Meanwhile, no coronavirus transmission related fatalities were reported today in Nepal.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases surge past 1.65 lakh in Pakistan; death toll at 3,229

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has been witnessing a daily surge in the number of coronavirus cases as the tally crossed 1,65,062 today with more than 3,229 deaths.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 62,269 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 61,678 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 20,182 cases, Balochistan is at 8,998, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,225, Islamabad at 9,941 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 769 cases so far, according to Geo News.

So far, nearly 61,383 people have recovered from the deadly contagion in the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan government extended for another two months the validity of visas for foreign nationals who are stranded in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The expired visas will now be treated as valid till August 31, 2020.

In addition to this, Prime Minister Imran Khan asked the education officials to prepare a strategy to start educational activities in the country.

-CHK

Russia welcomes Indian Tri-Service contingent to its World War II Victory Day Parade

New Delhi (NVI): Russia has welcomed the Tri-Service contingent of Indian Armed Forces that will participate in its 75th World War II Victory Day Parade to be held in Moscow on June 24.

The Russian Embassy in India today tweeted in this regard, two days after India’s Defence Ministry said that India will send a contingent of 75 personnel from its three armed forces to Moscow to participate in the Parade.

“Russia welcomes the Tri-Service contingent of Indian Armed Forces who will participate in the majestic military parade on the Red Square in Moscow on June 24. Get a glimpse of the full dress rehearsal before their departure,” the Russian Embassy said in a tweet.

It also shared a video to show a glimpse of the full dress rehearsal by the Indian contingent, before their departure.

Earlier on Wednesday, the MoD said in a statement: “Defence Minister of Russia has invited an Indian contingent to take part in the Victory Day Parade scheduled to be held on June 24, 2020 in Moscow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written to Russian President Vladimir Putin a congratulatory message on the occasion of the Victory Day on May 9, 2020.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had also sent a congratulatory message to his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on the occasion.

Led by a colonel rank officer, the Indian contingent will participate in the Parade to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of Victory of the Soviet People in the great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the Ministry of Defence said in a release today.

The British Indian Armed Forces during World War-II were one of the largest Allied Forces contingents which took part in the North and East African Campaign, Western Desert Campaign and the European Theatre against the Axis powers, the MoD said.

These campaigns witnessed sacrifice by over 87 thousand Indian servicemen besides 34,354 being wounded. The Indian Military not only fought on all fronts, but also ensured logistic support along the Southern, Trans-Iranian Lend-Lease route, along which weapons, ammunition, equipment support and food went to the Soviet Union, Iran and Iraq.

“The valour of the Indian soldiers was recognised with the award of over four thousand decorations, which also included award of 18 Victoria and George Cross. In addition the then Soviet Union appreciated the valour of the Indian Armed forces and by the decree of 23 May 1944, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR signed by Mikhail Kalinin and Alexander Gorkin awarded the prestigious Orders of the Red Star to Subedar Narayan Rao Nikkam and Havildar Gajendra Singh Chand of Royal Indian Army Service Corps,” it said.

The marching contingent taking part in the Victory Day Parade is led by a major rank officer of the gallant SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY Regiment. The Regiment had fought with valour in the World War-II and has proud distinction of earning four Battle Honours and two Military Cross amongst other gallantry awards.

-ARK

Centre caps Delhi private hosp rates for COVID treatment

New Delhi (NVI): The Ministry of Home Affairs today said that the Centre has capped hospital rates to help the common man in Delhi to avail the COVID-19 treatment.

The rates will now start from Rs 8,000 and go on to Rs 18,000 as opposed to the current charges that begin at Rs 24,000 and go up to Rs 54,000 per day.

A committee constituted by Home Minister Amit Shah, under the member of the NITI Aayog, has recommended to fix the rates in private hospitals for isolation beds at Rs 8,000-10,000, for ICUs with ventilator at Rs 15,000-18,000 and ICUs without ventilator at Rs 13,000-15,000.

In addition to this, these rates will also include PP costs. The current rates that go up to Rs 54,000 do not include PPE costs, the ministry stated.

The ministry has further stated that house to house health surveys were completed in 242 containment zones in the national capital. A total of 2.3 lakh people have been surveyed.

So far, the number of coronavirus cases in Delhi stands at 49,979 and 1,969 people have died due to the deadly contagion in the city.

-CHK

8 terrorists killed in 24 hrs in Kashmir, over 100 this year: Lt Gen BS Raju

Kashmir
Lt Gen BS Raju

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Over 100 terrorists including top commanders have been killed in encounters with security forces in J&K this year, and Army will continue with its operations to wipe out militancy from Kashmir to restore peace in the Valley, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt. Gen. BS Raju said today.

Addressing a joint press conference at Army’s 15 Corps headquarters here, Lt Gen Raju said that over the past 24 hours, security forces were able to neutralise eight militants in two separate encounters in south Kashmir’s Pulwama and Shopian districts.

“In one of the encounters, where militants had gone inside a mosque, the forces on ground exercised extreme restraint and no damage was caused to the religious place. With every operation, we are moving on the path of peace. I can feel it on the ground that there is a palpable difference in the situation,” the top army commander said.

Flanked by Director General of Police (J&K) Dilbagh Singh, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar and IG CRPF Rajesh Kumar, the GoC said that successful operations are taking place with the active support of people. “In the next few months, we will try to ensure that the normalcy is restored in full across the Valley so that people resume all kinds of activities in a peaceful manner,” Raju said.

He said that this year so far, 102 militants have been killed in various operations. “There have been only one or two civilian casualties and that’s because of the extra-ordinary restraint exercised by the forces on ground,” he said. “This year, 49 youths had joined various militant ranks of which 27 were killed. It doesn’t give us a pleasure to kill young boys. But if anybody picks up arms we will do what we are doing.”

The GoC said that there was a limited success in persuading the youth who get trapped in encounters, to surrender. “But we have been able to prevent the new recruitment and to identify those behind the militant recruitment in Kashmir. My appeal to the people across Kashmir is to come forward and help us in preventing youth from treading the wrong path and to bring back those who have picked up arms,” he said, adding, “we assure them proper rehabilitation.”

Speaking on the occasion, J&K DGP Dilbagh Singh said, “During this year, there were a number of successful operations against militants and most of them were clean with least collateral damage. For that, I would like to compliment field officers who remain physically present during the operation,” the DGP said.

Seconding the GoC’s statement, the J&K police chief said that killing a local terrorist doesn’t bring pleasure to forces, nor to the slain militant’s family and the civil society. “But a person with a gun is a threat to everybody. There have been a large number of civilian killings and attacks on security forces, we can’t ignore that. We have to take required action and will continue to do that,” Singh said.

The DGP said that the new recruitment into militancy was going down drastically. “This is because of the joint efforts of parents, Police, Army, civil society and officers on ground, who maintain close contact with the families, whose children tread a wrong path,” he said. “The number of youth, who were on the brink of joining militancy, and were brought back on time, is huge.”

On the two anti-militancy operations in the past 24 hours in south Kashmir districts, the DGP said that both the operations were clean and there was no collateral damage. “At Meej, Pampore, local jamia masjid was used by militants, after they ran away from the target house. The field commanders exercised a lot of restraint and kept the area under cordon. They used slightly different tactics and ways to handle the operation and I am happy this morning the operation was over in a clean manner,” he said.

The DGP said that there was not even minute damage to the masjid. “I am glad to see local people hailing the security agencies for the clean operation and not causing any sort of damage to the mosque. Many videos are viral in this regard on social media,” he said. The DGP said that at Shopian district, five militants were killed and they belonged to Hizbul and Lashkar.

“This year, so far over 100 militants were killed. 50 belonged to Hizb and 20 were each from Lashkar and Jaish. Remaining belonged to Ansaar Gazwatul Hind and Al-Badr etc,” he said, adding that in Jammu region almost half-a-dozen militants were killed. “Doda district of Jammu is almost militancy free as there is only one militant active. In Kishtwar, militancy is on its last leg as only three militants are active there.”

The DGP also appealed to the gun-wielding youth willing to surrender to lay their weapons confidentially stating that they would get all the support to lead a new peaceful life. He said that in the coming days, security forces will give full chance to the militants who get trapped in encounters to surrender. “We will give them ample time to think and lay down weapons,” he said.

Also present on the occasion, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar, while replying to a query that whether militancy stands wiped out from South Kashmir, said that there are still 12 more days left for the month to end. “I had stated earlier that from next month, we will shift focus to north Kashmir. Let this month end first. In the remaining days, we will clean remaining militants from the south and accordingly move to the north,” he said.

Replying to a query about the situation in Ladakh, Lt Gen BS Raju said that Army’s 14 Corps is dealing with the situation there. “As far my information is concerned, the situation is under control in Ladakh,” he said.

On whether the new militant outfit ‘The Resistance Front’ was gaining ground in Kashmir, he said there is no organisation by this name and it was just a “social media entity and a combination of Jaish and Lashkar militants.”

The GoC added that frequent ceasefire violations on the LoC were an old strategy of Pakistan to push in more militants into the valley. “I can assure the people of Kashmir that there will be no misadventure allowed either on the LoC or in the hinterland,” he said.

-ARK

IIT Guwahati develops high-quality, low cost COVID-19 kits

New Delhi (NVI): In order to boost testing capabilities in the most efficient manner, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has developed several low cost and high-quality COVID-19 diagnostic kits.

The institute has developed Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits, RT-PCR kits and RNA isolation kits. The first lot of VTM kits, used to keep the collected nasal and throat swab samples, has been handed over to Assam government.

These testing kits have been developed at IIT-Guwahati jointly with RR Animal Healthcare Ltd with inputs from Guwahati medical college and hospital (GMCH).

The VTM kits are the first-stop source used to collect nasal and oral swab specimens from an individual source to a laboratory safely for culture and testing. During this period, the virus, if present, in the sample specimens should remain intact until the testing procedure is completed.

“To bring down the cost of kits, we have used materials that are available in the local market and are as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation. We have handed over two batches of these kits to the National Health Mission, Assam, and GMCH. We are making them in bulk to make it available to larger population,” said Prof Parameswar Krishnan Iyer, lead researcher, IIT Guwahati.

These kits comprise of a US CDC-recommended and validated transport medium and one each Nasopharyngeal and Oropharyngeal specimen collection swabs. The complete package is suitable for the collection, transport, maintenance, and long-term freezer storage of viral specimens.

The swabs have been designed ergonomically with a pre-molded breakpoint on their shaft for enabling secure sampling. The large-scale production of all these kits has commenced to meet the requirement of Assam and will be made available across the country soon.

“These kits will spur development of affordable and high-quality healthcare products in Assam and provide access to world-class kits and career opportunities to healthcare professionals and students,” Prof Iyer added.

-CHK

Over 1 bn children affected each year by physical, sexual or psychological violence

Representational image (Source: @UNICEF)

New Delhi (NVI): A Global status report on preventing violence against children has called for more government action and warns of a ‘dramatic impact’ of Covid-19 if the issue is not approached appropriately.

According to the report, half of the world’s children, or approximately 1 billion children each year are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, suffering injuries, disabilities and death, because countries have failed to follow established strategies to protect them.

The findings have emerged in a new report published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the End Violence Partnership.

WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “There is never any excuse for violence against children.” “We have evidence-based tools to prevent it, which we urge all countries to implement. Protecting the health and well-being of children is central to protecting our collective health and well-being, now and for the future,” he said.

This report is the first of its kind, charting progress in 155 countries against the “INSPIRE” framework, a set of seven strategies for preventing and responding to violence against children.

The report signals a clear need in all countries to scale up efforts to implement them. While nearly all countries (88 per cent) have key laws in place to protect children against violence, less than half of countries (47 per cent) said these were being strongly enforced.

It also includes the first-ever global homicide estimates specifically for children under 18 years of age – previous estimates were based on data that included 18 to 19-year olds. It finds that, in 2017, around 40,000 children were victims of homicide.

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said, “Violence against children has always been pervasive, and now things could be getting much worse.”

“Lockdowns, school closures and movement restrictions have left far too many children stuck with their abusers, without the safe space that school would normally offer. It is urgent to scale up efforts to protect children during these times and beyond, including by designating social service workers as essential and strengthening child helplines,” she added.

Of the INSPIRE strategies, only access to schools through enrollment showed the most progress with 54 per cent of countries reporting that a sufficient number of children in need were being reached in this way and between 32 per cent to 37 per cent of countries considered that victims of violence could access support services, while 26 per cent of countries provided programmes on parent and caregiver support, as per the report.

“21 per cent countries had programmes to change harmful norms; and 15 per cent of countries had modifications to provide safe physical environments for children.

“Although a majority of countries (83 per cent) have national data on violence against children, only 21% used these to set baselines and national targets to prevent and respond to violence against children.

About 80 per cent of countries have national plans of action and policies but only one-fifth have plans that are fully funded or have measurable targets. A lack of funding combined with inadequate professional capacity is likely contributing factors and a reason why implementation has been slow,” the report stated.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General said, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related school closures, we have seen a rise in violence and hate online – and this includes bullying. Now, as schools begin to re-open, children are expressing their fears about going back to school.”

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that schools are safe environments for all children. We need to think and act collectively to stop violence at school and in our societies at large,” Audrey said.

Apart from this, stay-at-home measures including school closures have limited the usual sources of support for families and individuals such as friends, extended family or professionals.

This further erodes victims’ ability to successfully cope with crises and the new routines of daily life, according to the study. Spikes in calls to helplines for child abuse and intimate partner violence have been observed.

While online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, an increase in harmful online behaviours including cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation have been identified, as per the statement.

Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children said, “Whilst this report was being finalized, confinement measures and the disrupted provision of already limited child protection services exacerbated the vulnerability of children to various forms of violence.”

-RJV/ARK

PM to hold all-party meet on Ladakh face-off today

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair an all-party meeting today on India-China border tensions which have been escalated after the death of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at 5 PM today.

“In order to discuss the situation in the India-China border areas, Prime Minister @narendramodib has called for an all-party meeting at 5 PM on 19th June. Presidents of various political parties would take part in this virtual meeting,” the PMO said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Around 20 parties are expected to attend the virtual meeting in which Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and BJP National President JP Nadda will also be present.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have not been invited, following which the parties have questioned the government’s criteria for organising the meeting.

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC Supremo Mamata Banerjee has also been invited in the meeting, apart from Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.

20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with China’s PLA in Galwan Valley in Ladakh near LAC, on Monday night.

Yesterday, the Army said that all 76 soldiers injured in Galwan Valley face-off were stable and no one was critical. In an official statement, the Army said that 18 soldiers are at its hospital in Leh and they will be able to join the duty in about two weeks. 58 are at other hospitals and can resume duty within a week.

-ARK

Four more militants killed in J&K’s Shopian, toll 5

IED expert among 2 terrorists to flee from encounter site in Kashmir's Pulwama
(File/Representational)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Four more terrorist were killed in an operation that started yesterday afternoon at Bandpawa in Chitragam area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district, taking the total number of terrorists killed in the encounter to five, defence officials said.

A security official said that the operation was resumed with the first light of the day today, amid heavy exchange of firing from both the sides.

“The bodies of the terrorists have been retrieved and their identity and affiliation is being ascertained,” the official said, adding that the arms and ammunition have been recovered from them.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir range, said that all the recent encounters were clean and zero collateral damage was ensured.

This year so far, 102 terrorists including top commanders of Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba have been killed which includes Reyaz Naikoo, the chief operational commander of Hizbul, Bashir Koka of Lashkar and Abdur Rehman alias Fouji Bhai of Pakistan, who was an IED expert of Jaish.

Figures suggest that 72 terrorists, including the five killed today, have been killed since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic in Kashmir on March 20. In the past two weeks, 32 terrorists have been killed in two southern districts of Shopian and Pulwama.

-CHK

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