Friday, June 26, 2026
Home Blog Page 1208

J&K records 330 fresh Covid cases, 5 deaths; tally at 9,261

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

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir today witnessed yet another single-day jump in the Covid-19 cases as 330 more people tested positive for the deadly virus, taking the overall tally in the UT to 9,261.

Apart from that, J&K recorded five fresh deaths due to the virus, taking the total number of fatalities in the UT to 148. 134 have died in Kashmir and 14 in Jammu.

Of the five deaths, two patients died at Chest Diseases hospital and two at SMHS hospital while one succumbed at SKIMS, Soura. Medical Superintendent CD hospital, Dr Salim Tak that a 44-year-old patient from Sopore area of Baramulla district died at the hospital after testing positive for the virus.

“The Sopore patient was suffering from bilateral pneumonia and had respiratory failure. He was on a ventilator,” Dr Tak said. He died this morning.

About the 75-year-old Batamaloo resident, Dr Tak said that the patient was suffering from chronic kidney disease, hypertension, and hypothyroidism and had bilateral pneumonia. “He died a day after he was admitted to the hospital,” he said.

Another 65-year-old man from Nadihal, Baramulla had died at SMHS hospital. “The patient was admitted to the SMHS hospital on July 6. He had tested positive. The patient was sick and had underlying medical conditions that include bilateral pneumonia,” Dr Nazir Choudhary Medical Superintendent SMHS said.

He said that a 70-year-old woman from South Kashmir’s Shopian district was admitted in the hospital with breathing issues on July 6. “She had tested positive for the virus and died late last evening,” Dr Choudhary said.

The fifth Covid death took place in SKIMS, Soura. Dr Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent SKIMS, Soura said that a woman, aged 36 from the Nehru Park area of Srinagar, died due to cardiopulmonary arrest in the early morning today.

“She had a history of hypertension and had gone for renal transplant in 2016. She was admitted in the hospital on June 28 after complaining of breathlessness,” Dr Jan said, adding that the deceased was tested positive for the virus.

Officials said of the 330 new cases, 59 are from Jammu division while 271 were from Kashmir division. 168 more patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals that include 38 from Jammu Division and 130 from Kashmir Division.

According to the daily media bulletin, out of 9261 positive cases, 3545 are Active Positive, 5567 have recovered and 149 have died; 14 in Jammu division and 135 in Kashmir division.

The bulletin further said that out of 421571 test results available, 412310 samples have been tested as negative till July 8, 2020.

Additionally, till date 304585 travelers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which included 39156 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 45 in Hospital Quarantine, 3,545 in hospital isolation and 46106 under home surveillance. Besides, 215584 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Of the total 9261 positive cases in J&K, 2623 have been reported as travelers while 6638 as others.

The bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing.

-ARK

J&K BJP leader, his brother, father shot dead at Bandipora

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) young face in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father and brother were today killed after suspected terrorists shot at them outside their residence in the district, police officials said.

They said that the gunmen fired indiscriminately at BJP’s J-K executive committee member and party’s face in Bandipora Sheikh Waseem Bari, his father Bashir Ahmed and his brother Sheikh Umar Bari, just outside their Muslimabad residence in Bandipora.

“The locals of the area immediately shifted all three to the Bandipora district hospital,” witnesses said.

Doctors at the Bandipora hospital said that the injured had received multiple bullet wounds and couldn’t make it. “All three died minutes after reaching the hospital,” he said.

Bari lived opposite to the police station in Muslimabad area of Bandipora. Condemning the killing in strong words, BJP J&K spokesman Altaf Thakur said that the act is cowardly and those behind the killing of Bari, his father and brother, should be punished immediately. “Police must track the killers within 24 hours and hang them,” Thakur said and expressed solidarity with the family members of the slain.

-ARK

Pakistan coerced Kulbhushan Jadhav to refuse to file review petition: MEA

Kulbhushan Jadhav
Kulbhushan Jadhav. (File photo)

New Delhi (NVI): India today slammed Pakistan over its claims that Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Navy officer who is on a death row on charges of espionage in 2016, has refused to review petition in his case.

The Ministry of external affairs said that Jadhav has been sentenced to execution through a “farcical trial”. The MEA’s reaction came hours after Pakistan said that Jadhav has refused to file a review petition and wants to proceed with his pending mercy petition.

Pakistan has also claimed that it has offered a second round of consular access to the 49-year-old Indian Navy officer, who was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of “espionage and terrorism” in April 2017.

Just weeks after the sentence, India had approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenging the death sentence.

“Jadhav has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial. He remains under custody of Pakistan’s military. He has clearly been coerced to refuse to file a review in his case,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said today in response to a question on the case.

“India sought unimpeded access to Shri Jadhav to discuss his remedies under the Ordinance. In a brazen attempt to scuttle even the inadequate remedy under the Ordinance, Pakistan has obviously coerced Shri Jadhav to forego his rights to seek implementation of the judgment of the ICJ,” Srivastava added.

The MEA spokesman further stated that Pakistan has on 20 May, 2020 passed an Ordinance to allow for the High Court to review the sentence awarded by their military court. They have all along maintained that their laws allowed for effective review and reconsideration while we have protested it all along, he said.

“Now, after almost a year, they have made a U-turn and issued an Ordinance to ostensibly provide for some sort of review. We have already expressed our serious concerns at the content of the Ordinance and how it violates the ICJ judgment. Pakistan is only seeking to create an illusion of remedy,” he added.

Despite our repeated requests, Pakistan continues to deny India free and unimpeded access to Shri Jadhav, Srivastava said. “India has repeatedly asked to allow a lawyer from outside Pakistan to appear for Shri Jadhav in any review and reconsideration proceedings. Pakistan has denied it. Since 2017, when Military Court carried out a farcical trial, Pakistan has refused to hand over any relevant document, including FIR, evidence, court order, etc in the case to India. Clearly, Pakistan is attempting to create a mirage of compliance with the ICJ judgment.

ICJ has already held that Pakistan is in egregious violation of international law,” he said during the weekly MEA briefing.

“Government will do its utmost to protect Shri Jadhav and ensure his safe return to India. To that end, it would consider all appropriate options,” he added.

-ARK

Affordable rental housing complexes to accommodate urban poor gets cabinet nod

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for developing Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (AHRCs) for urban migrants/ poor as a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY–U).

As part of the scheme, existing vacant government-funded housing complexes will be converted in ARHCs through Concession Agreements for 25 years.

“Concessionaire will make the complexes livable by repair/retrofit and maintenance of rooms and filling up infrastructure gaps like water, sewer/septage, sanitation, road etc. States/UTs will select concessionaire through transparent bidding. Complexes will revert to ULB after 25 years to restart next cycle like earlier or run on their own,” according to an official release.

Special incentives like use permission, 50 per cent additional FAR/FSI, concessional loan at priority sector lending rate, tax reliefs at par with affordable housing etc. will be offered to private/public entities to develop ARHCs on their own available vacant land for 25 years, as per the Union Cabinet’s decision.

A large part of workforce in manufacturing industries, service providers in hospitality, health, domestic/commercial establishments, and construction or other sectors, labourers, students etc. who come from rural areas or small towns seeking better opportunities will be the target beneficiary under ARHCs, the Government said.

An expenditure of Rs 600 Crore is estimated in the form of Technology Innovation Grant which will be released for projects using identified innovative technologies for construction. Approximately, three Lakh beneficiaries will be covered initially under ARHCs.

ARHCs will create new ecosystem in urban areas making housing available at affordable rent close to the place of work. Investment under ARHCs is expected to create new job opportunities. ARHCs will cut down unnecessary travel, congestion and pollution.

Government-funded vacant housing stock will be converted into ARHCs for economically productive use. The scheme would create a conducive environment for entities to develop AHRCs on their own vacant land which will enable new investment opportunities and promote entrepreneurship in rental housing sector.

-ARK

Intense rainfall over northern parts of India during next 4 days: IMD

Representational Image

New Delhi (NVI): Northern parts of Punjab and Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and northeastern states are likely to receive heavy rainfall during July 9 to 12, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Isolated extremely heavy falls (≥ 20 cm) are also very likely over Uttarakhand on July 11th 12th; over East Uttar Pradesh during 10th to 12th; over Bihar on 10th & 11th; over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh during 09th to 11th July, 2020, according to IMD.

As per the weather department, the western end of monsoon trough lies to the south of its normal position and its eastern end lies near to its normal position. It is very likely to shift northwards towards the foothills of Himalayas from 9th July onwards.

In addition, moist southwesterly/southerly winds from Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric levels very likely to converge over northeast & adjoining east India from today, the 8th July and southwesterly/southerly winds from Arabian sea very likely to converge over northwest India from 09th July, 2020 onwards.

“Under the influence of above synoptic conditions, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls very likely over Western Himalayan Region, northern parts of Punjab & Haryana, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim and northeastern states during 9th to 12th July 2020,” the IMD said in a statement.

-ARK

West Bengal to impose strict lockdown in containment zones for 7 days from tmrw

(Source: Twitter)

New Delhi (NVI): Amid the rising coronavirus cases in West Bengal, the State Government today decided to impose strict lockdown in the containment zones from tomorrow for seven days.

As per the government’s official notice in this regard, a stricter lockdown in containment will begin from 5 pm tomorrow (July 9) till July 16.

Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Alapan Bandyopadhyay, while announcing the decision, said that the state’s containment zones and buffer zones around them will be clubbed together and constitute a “broad-based” containment zone where total lockdown will be imposed.

The order has been issued on a day when the state reported 850 infections, and a record 25 deaths, which takes the overall fatalities in the state to 804. It was the fourth straight day of highest-single day spike in fatalities, and the third straight day of 800-plus jumps in the caseload. There are 7,243 active cases in the state now. The state has reported 23,837 confirmed cases so far.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that the lockdown may be extended if needed. Since 1 July, there have been 5,278 new cases and 136 deaths in the state.

Meanwhile, there have been 7,42,417 Covid confirmed cases in the country so far, with the death toll at 20,642. There are 2,64,944 active cases and 4,56,830 cured or discharged cases.

-ARK

Afghanistan’s COVID tally crosses 33,500; death toll at 937

New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus cases in Afghanistan saw a rise of 210 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 33,594, according to Afghan media reports.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said, in the past 24 hours, 591 suspicious COVID-19 cases were tested in the laboratories, in which, 210 cases were positive.

At the same time, 17 patients died from the virus. With this number of fatalities has reached 937 so far.

Among the new COVID-19 reported in last 24 hour cases, Kabul was on the top of the list with 141 new cases followed by Takhar with 14 cases and Paktia with 12.

The MoPH also said, 20,700 people have recovered from the deadly disease in Afghanistan.

The recoveries were reported in Kandahar (4), Balkh (10), Nangarhar (1), Baghlan (2), Logar (2), Kunduz (9), Nimruz (3), Badakhshan (7), Parwan (2), Kunar (1), Panjshir (1) and Kapisa (1).

So far, 75,501 people have been tested for coronavirus in the government’s testing centres in Afghanistan.

-RJV

Bangladesh COVID-19 tally surpasses 1.72 lakh; 2,197 dead

New Delhi (NVI): Coronavirus cases in Bangladesh exceeded 1.72 lakh after 3,489 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours.

In addition to this, 46 new deaths were reported during this period, taking the total number of Covid-19 fatalities in the country to 2,197, according to United News of Bangladesh.

The daily infection rate was today recorded at 22.26 percent in the country.

So far, 80,838 people have recovered in the country after 2,736 more patients were recovered during this period.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is nearly 47 percent and the mortality rate is 1.28 percent in the country.

-CHK

Cabinet approves extension of PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till Nov

New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), under which additional food grain will be provided to the poor, for further five months from July to November.

Under this scheme, five kilograms of wheat or rice will be given to every member of the beneficiary family for five more months from July-November. It will benefit more than 80 crore people covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).

However, keeping in view the need for continuous support to the poor and the needy, the PM-GKAY scheme has been extended further for a period of next 5 months, at a total estimated cost of Rs 6,849.24 crore.

About 19.4 crore households would be covered under the scheme while all expenses on the extended PM-GKAY are to be borne by the central government.

The scheme is in line with the commitments of the government not to allow anyone, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption during the next five months.

Earlier, in the first phase of the PM-GKAY from April to June 2020, 4.63 lakh MTs of pulses have been distributed already, benefiting 18.2 crore households across the country.

On June 30, the Prime Minister announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package till end of November, 2020 to ameliorate the hardship faced by the underprivileged or poor on the account of economic disruption caused by the pandemic.

-RJV

Coronavirus cases exceed 2.37 lakh in Pakistan; death toll nears 5,000

COVID-19: Pakistan imposes mini-lockdown in Islamabad

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan reported 2,980 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 2,37,489.

Meanwhile, 83 people lost their lives due to the deadly contagion, taking the total number of fatalities to 4,922.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 97,626 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 83,559 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 28,681 cases, Balochistan is at 10,919, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,595, Islamabad at 13,650 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 1,419 cases so far, according to media reports.

A total of 1,40,965 patients have recovered from the disease so far, making it almost half of the total cases.

-CHK

1...1,2071,2081,209...1,647Page 1,208 of 1,647

MUST READ