New Delhi (NVI): Afghanistan today witnessed a rise in coronavirus cases with 319 new infections, taking the overall tally to 31,838 across the country, according to Afghan media reports.
The death toll due to the virus rose to 774 with 28 new fatalities being reported in the last 24 hours.
The Afghan Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said, among the fresh cases, Kabul was again on top of the list with 133 new confirmed cases followed by Daikundi with 56 positive cases.
In addition, 42 cases were reported in Herat, 10 in Kandahar, 8 in Balkh, 5 in Nangarhar, 11 in Badghis, 3 in Logar, 2 in Wardak, 6 in Badakhshan, 1 in Laghman, 21 in Farah, 1 in Panjshir and 1 in Zabul.
The ministry also said, 15,651 people have recovered from the deadly disease in Afghanistan.
So far, 72,996 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the country, as per media reports.
New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan reported 4,133 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 2,13,470.
Meanwhile, 91 people lost their lives due to the deadly contagion, taking the total number of fatalities to 4,395.
Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 84,640 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 76,262 positive cases.
On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 26,598 cases, Balochistan is at 10,476, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,489, Islamabad at 12,912 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 1,093 cases so far, according to media reports.
A total of 1,00,802 patients have recovered from the disease so far, making it almost half of the total cases.
New Delhi (NVI): Coronavirus cases in Bangladesh are nearing 1.5 lakh after 3,775 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 1,49,258.
In addition to this, 41 new deaths were reported during this period, taking the total number of Covid-19 fatalities in the country to 1,888, according to United News of Bangladesh.
The daily infection rate was today recorded at 21.12 percent in the country.
So far, 62,102 people have recovered in the country after 2,484 more patients were recovered during this period.
In addition to this, against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 41.61 percent and the mortality rate is 1.26 percent in the country.
New Delhi (NVI): Nepal reported 482 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the national tally to 14,046, according to local media reports.
The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, of the newly infected, 365 are males and 117 females. In total, 12,272 males and 1,774 females have contracted the disease so far.
The testing laboratories have been established in all seven provinces and currently, 23 labs are in operation across the country while the government is planning to add 10 more labs in the near future, the ministry official said.
Likewise, 4,656 patients have been cured of virus and discharged in Nepal
At present, 9,360 people are in isolation and 48,362 in quarantine centers across the country.
Meanwhile, one more COVID-19 death has been confirmed by the ministry, which has taken the total death-toll from the disease to 30 in Nepal.
New Delhi (NVI): Amid the ongoing diplomatic and military efforts to normalise the situation on India-China border, both sides have emphasised on the need for an “expeditious, phased and stepwise de-escalation” in Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as a priority, according to sources.
The Corps Commanders of Indian and Chinese armies held a meeting at the Chushul border point yesterday, that falls on the Indian side of LAC, as part of efforts to de-escalate the tense situation on the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, in the wake of violent June 15 Galwan Valley clashes.
This was the third military-level engagement between the two sides, the earlier one being on June 6 and 22 at Moldo, on the Chinese side.
India and China have been engaged in discussions through established military and diplomatic channels to address the situation along the LAC in India-China border areas.
The meeting was held in keeping with the agreement between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, during their conversation on June 17, that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of 6th June sincerely.
The meeting yesterday was long and held in a businesslike manner keeping in view the Covid-19 protocols, sources said. The discussions reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along the LAC. The process of disengagement along the LAC is complex and in such a context, speculative and unsubstantiated reports need to be avoided, they said.
Meanwhile, more meetings are expected both at the military and at the diplomatic level, in the future, to arrive at a mutually agreeable solution and to ensure peace and tranquility along the LAC as per bilateral agreements and protocols.
India and China are currently locked in a bitter standoff at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh, especially after the June 15 violent clash between the Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives.
Notably, the Indian Government has also banned 59 Chinese apps while citing the “emergent nature of threats” from mobile applications. The Ministry of Information and Technology on Monday said that it has banned the apps based on the information that they were engaged in activities “prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence, security and public order” in India.
New Delhi (NVI): The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has now allowed candidates to change the exam centre for the Civil Services Examination. The prelim exam is scheduled to be held on October 4.
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued a notice in this regards and said that applicants for Civil Services exam 2020, including the Indian Forest Service prelim exam 2020, can submit their revised choice of centre.
The option to change examination centre will be available in two phases – from July 7 to 13, and from July 20 to 24 on the commission’s official website.
“Keeping in view the large number of candidates of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2020 [including the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) Examination, 2020] and requests received from the candidates for changing their Centers, the Commission has decided to give an opportunity to them to submit their revised choice of Centre,” a statement released by UPSC read.
In addition to this, the Commission is also providing the option to change centres for Civil Services (main) examination 2020 and Indian Forest Service (main) exam 2020.
UPSC will consider request for change In exam centre against the enhanced capacity as intimated by the centres for accommodating extra candidates.
Furthermore, candidates who do not get a centre of their choice due to the capacity being over, will be required to choose from the available exam centres.
“The candidates may please note that their requests for change in the centers will be considered based on the principle of ‘first-apply-first-allot’ basis (which is followed in all the examinations of the Commission and was mentioned in the examination notices of the Civil Services (preliminary) examination, 2020 and Indian Forest Service examination, 2020) and once the capacity of a particular centre is attained, the same will be frozen,” the Commission stated.
Candidates who apply for UPSC Civil Services exam will also be allowed to withdraw their application from August 1 to August 8.
Reportedly, the Civil Services exams have been delayed this year due to the coronavirus outbreak. The exams were originally scheduled on May 31 and are now supposed to be held in October.
Srinagar (NVI): Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants, who were hiding in a mosque, carried out an attack on a CRPF party at model town Sopore, which led to the death of one force personnel and a civilian today, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said while rejecting allegations by the deceased local man’s family that he was killed in CRPF firing.
The IGP has appealed to all the heads of local masjids across Kashmir to ensure that no mosque is used by militants in carrying out their acts. Addressing a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar, he said that when CRPF stepped out of their vehicles to be part of joint naka party at model town Sopore, two militants hiding in the nearby mosque fired indiscriminately at the security personnel in which one jawan died and three others were injured. “A civilian also was hit by bullets and died later,” Kumar said.
He said that the attack was carried out by two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants that include a foreign militant Usmban Bhai and a local militant Adil. “They fired 30 bullets as evident from the magazine recovered from the mosque premises. Another magazine was also recovered which was full,” the IGP said. He said policemen rescued a three-year-old boy who was accompanying his grandfather (the deceased civilian).
“We have observed that wherever the civilian movement is more, militants are carrying out attacks to trigger law and order issues and to trigger disturbances,” he said. The IGP Kashmir said that he deliberately didn’t close the internet services in Sopore just to see how people would behave.
“The video message circulated on social media by the son and daughter of the slain man is totally baseless. They have levelled allegations under militant threat,” the IGP said. “I want to ask them whether they were present at the site of the incident. Did they see themselves who fired? They circulated video messages blaming forces of killing their father from Srinagar, which is totally baseless.”
He said if there is any eye-witness, let them come forward, police will act. He said there was no retaliation at all from the security forces side. “The search in the area is on to nab the attackers. We have not called out the search operation yet,” the IGP said.
Asked how the pictures of the boy being “rescued by the police went viral” when there was no public movement at the time of the incident, he said police rescued the boy who was near the body of his grandfather after the incident.
“Going to the operation area with mobiles is wrong. I will ensure police teams going for the operation don’t carry mobiles along as that may pose a threat to their lives. In 2018, many security forces personnel got killed while using their mobiles during duty hours, in various attacks,” he said, adding that “when they used mobiles during evening hours, militants took advantage of it and attacked them resulting in their killing.”
New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that the Covid-19 situation is improving in Delhi in the last few days but there is no room for complacency as the virus in unpredictable.
Addressing a virtual press conference, Kejriwal said, “The situation is improving in Delhi in the last few days. However, there is no room for complacency. This virus is unpredictable. We must continue our efforts with more vigour.”
He also said that the number of people recovering from novel coronavirus was increasing.
“It was predicted earlier that by June 30, Delhi would have 1 lakh cases out of which 60,000 would be active cases and 15,000 more beds would be needed in hospitals. But today, we only have 26,000 active cases. This is the result of everyone’s hard work. We have been able to control the situation,” Kejriwal said.
The chief minister further said that his government has increased the scope of testing in the national capital.
“Testing has been increased. Earlier of 100 tests, 31 would test positive. Now 13 cases are found in 100 samples. This shows the situation has come under control. We hope for the best but are prepared for the worst,” he said.
Situation is improving in Delhi in last few days. However, there is no room for complacency. This virus is unpredictable. We must continue our efforts wid more vigor https://t.co/m3nmQFd4oc
Delhi is the third worst-hit state in India with a total of 87,360 confirmed cases and the death toll at 2,742. 58,348 patients in the national capital have recovered so far.
New Delhi (NVI): Australia has decided to significantly increase military spending and acquire long-range missiles to protect overseas forces, allies and the mainland against rising threats including China, according to foreign media reports.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will today deliver a major update on the country’s defence strategy, including the purchase of long-range anti-ship missiles from the United States to equip its fleet of Super Hornets.
Morrison has also pledged $270 billion on new and upgraded defence capabilities over the next decade – a substantial increase from $195 billion committed in the 10 years from 2016, according to the reports.
Reportedly, in addition to new long-range anti-ship and land-strike weapons, Australia will also commit funds to the development, test and evaluation of high-speed long-range weapons, including hypersonic weapons.
These are a type of high-speed weapons more likely to withstand modern ballistic missile defence systems.
The new strike capability will be acquired to defend Australia and its allies against a number of threats as part of the new strategy, which focuses the nation on protecting itself and its allies in the immediate region of the Indo-Pacific, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
Prime Minister Morrison has also said that tensions are rising across the IPR, citing recent border clashes between India and China and tensions in the South China Sea.
“The risk of miscalculation – and even conflict – is heightening,” he warned.
The Australian government has also set three new strategic objectives for defence planning – to shape Australia’s strategic environment; to deter actions against Australia’s interests; and to respond with credible military force, when required, according to media reports.
Srinagar (NVI): Three-year-old Ayaad woke up early this morning to accompany his grandfather Bashir Ahmed Khan, a contractor, to visit Sopore where construction work was going on for the past few days. Khan had to visit the site to take stock of the ongoing work but little did he know that he would not return home alive.
At 9 am, Khan and little Ayaad had reached model town Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. All of a sudden bullets started raining from all directions. Many people, according to the police left behind vehicles and ran for cover. Khan, however, pushed his grandson to the backseat of his vehicle first and then came out of the vehicle in a bid to save his grandson. He was first hit in his shoulder and then in his belly.
Police said that an injured Khan then took the child out of the vehicle but fell on the ground and breathed his last. Eye-witnesses told NVI that the kid, unmindful of what actually happened to his grandfather, sat on his chest and started crying, “uthu daadu (wake up daadu),” but Khan had succumbed to his wounds.
The heart-wrenching pictures of the boy sitting on his dead grandfather’s chest, trying to wake him up, have left every eye moist in Kashmir and everyone in a deep shock. The boy was rescued by a J&K policeman during the encounter between security forces and militants.
In a video of the rescued kid in a police vehicle, he can be heard speaking in broken Kashmiri, “be gache gare (I want to go home)”. The policemen gave him a bunch of chocolates and rolls of biscuits to ensure he doesn’t cry much and come out of the shock.
J&K Police also uploaded a picture on its official Twitter account, showing a policeman holding Ayaad in his lap. The tweet reads: “JKP rescued a three-year-old boy from getting hit by bullets during militant attack in Sopore.”
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 1, 2020
At the Mustafabad area on Srinagar outskirts, the residence of deceased Khan, neighbours, relatives and family members were in a deep shock amid wails. A pall of gloom had descended on the family and the entire locality. “My father has been killed and those who killed him should be killed as well. Didn’t they see a little kid along with my father,” said the slain man’s daughter while crying.
CRPF, in a brief statement, said that its personnel were deployed at model town, Sopore for patrolling duties. Terrorists hiding in the attic of a nearby mosque fired indiscriminately on them, resulting in the injuries to four jawans while Head Constable Dipchand Verma got killed and three others- Bhoya Rajesh, Deepak Patil and Nilesh Chawde sustained injuries. “One civilian died on the spot in militant act,” the statement read.
