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Soldiers injured in Ladakh clash stable, 58 can resume duty in a week: Army

Amshipora encounter

New Delhi (NVI): All 76 Indian soldiers injured in the violent face-off with the Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley are stable and no one is critical now, the Indian Army said today.

Giving further details, 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.

“No one critical as of now. All stable. 18 soldiers at our hospital in Leh. Will be out on duty in about 15 days. 58 soldiers at other hospitals. Should be back on duty within a week. Status as of today afternoon,” the Army said in an official statement.

The Army has also requested media to not hype the numbers. “As you can see, most soldiers will be back on duty within this week itself,” it said.

The Army’s clarification came after some exaggerated figures were doing rounds in some sections of media.

20 Indian soldiers including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar regiment were killed in the violent face-off at Galwan Valley with China’s PLA on the intervening night of June 15 and 16.

Earlier in the evening, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that no Indian troops are missing in the Monday night’s violent clashes in the area along LAC.

“This has been clarified by the Army today afternoon that there are no Indian troops missing in action,” said MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

PM appeals people to observe this Yoga Day at home

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to people to mark the sixth International Yoga Day at home with family while following all norms of physical distancing.

Ahead of the IYD-2020, the Prime Minister released a short video message, appealing people to remain indoors on the occasion and celebrate the day despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation.

“We are marking the sixth International Yoga Day in extraordinary times. Usually, Yoga Day is about public events, mass participation. This year, Yoga Day goes indoors,” PM Modi said, adding the theme of this year is “Yoga at home and Yoga with family.”

“The world is fighting a pandemic of monumental scale but Yoga provides multidimensional solutions to the multiple challenges Covid-19 has brought. Yoga gives you the opportunity to know your immune system better,” he said.

-ARK

Galwan face-off: No Indian troops missing in action, says MEA

India-China face-off: Core issue is to 'strictly' follow bilateral border pacts, says MEA

New Delhi (NVI): No Indian troops are missing in the violent clashes with the Chinese Army that took place Ladakh‘s Galwan Valley on Monday night, the Ministry of External Affairs said today in response to a question during a media briefing.

MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “This has been clarified by the Army today afternoon that there are no Indian troops missing in action.”

Srivastava also reiterated that both sides are in regular touch with each other to solve the matter through diplomatic and military level talks.

“The two sides are in regular touch through their respective embassies and foreign offices.  At the ground level the two sides have maintained communication at the commanders’ level. Meetings of other established diplomatic mechanisms such as Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) are under discussion,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Major-General level talks between the two sides continued for the third day today but the details of the meeting are yet to come.

During the media briefing today, the MEA spokesperson reiterated that it was the Chinese side that departed from the consensus to respect the LAC in the Galwan valley that was arrived on June 6 meeting between the top military commanders from both the sides.

“On the late evening and night of 15th June 2020, a violent face-off happened when the Chinese side unilaterally attempted to change the status quo there,” the External Affairs spokesman said while recalling the Monday night incident.

“They took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties suffered by both sides. This could have been avoided had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side,” he added.

Srivastava also mentioned the telephonic conversation between EAM S Jaisankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where the Indian FM “conveyed that the need of the hour was for the Chinese side to reassess its actions and take corrective steps.”

Apart from that, the MEA spokesperson echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stand on the issue saying while India remains firmly convinced of the need for maintenance of peace and tranquility in the borders areas and the resolution of differences through dialogue. “At the same time, we are also strongly committed to ensuring India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.

20 Indian soldiers including the commanding officer of 16 Bihar regiment were killed in the violent face-off with China’s PLA on the intervening night of June 15 and 16.

India-China stand-off: J&K DGP says terror outfits may try to foment trouble in Kashmir

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh today said that in the wake of Galwan Valley stand-off in Ladakh, there were reports that infiltration may increase as various terrorist outfits have joined hands across Line of Control (LoC) to foment trouble in Kashmir.

DGP Singh chaired a high-level security review meeting in Jammu today, which was attended by top Police, Army, BSF, CRPF and intelligence officers from the UT’s security grid. All the officers gave their feedback on the prevailing situation in J&K in the backdrop of the recent violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley of Ladakh in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, including an officer.

Officials said that at the outset of the meeting, the participants paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty in Galwan Valley clashes with China’s PLA on Monday night.

The officials said that DGP Singh complimented the Police, Army and paramilitary forces for outstanding performance and exhorted them to continue with the efforts to maintain peace and create a further conducive environment.

“Our officers and policemen, paramilitary forces and the army is continuing with successful operations in counter-insurgency grid and on borders. Cross LoC infiltration attempts are being made continuously from Pakistan even in times of pandemic and we have to be extra alert to thwart all such attempts,” the DGP said in the meeting.

He said that in view of the Ladakh standoff, Pakistan will try to push more militants into this side and also give impetus to violence in Kashmir and elsewhere.

“Border alongside Pakistan needs extra attention in view of the Ladakh developments. He said that there are reports that militant outfits in Pakistan like Jaish, Hizbul, Lashkar etc are joining hands to create mischiefs in our Union Territory. There are greater challenges for which we have to be prepared in the changed environment,” the DGP said and directed the officers to take care of the vital installations as also review minority guards.

He also said that the security presence on the highway grid has been increased by putting in service mobile patrols and the number of Nakas (checkpoints) has also been increased.

The J&K police chief also said that there is an urgent monitor social media space as anti-national feelings can be whipped-up at such time, which “we need to guard against.”

A police spokesman said that during the meeting, ceasefire violations and infiltration dynamics were discussed. “There are a number of camps all across the borders in various sectors where militants are ready to infiltrate,” he said.

The spokesman said that in the meeting, IG BSF Jammu, NS Jamwal gave a presentation with regard to strengthening of border grid and briefed on the security plans being made on LoC and International Border (IB).

CAIT appeals Indian celebrities to stop endorsing Chinese products

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI) In an open letter to India celebrities, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has appealed to them to join the call for boycotting all Chinese products and stop endorsing them, as a mark of respect for the fallen Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley attack.

The traders’ body has appealed to celebrities including actors and cricketers “unite in this national movement” and stand in solidarity with the Indian soldiers who face “continued unabated aggression from China.”

The confederation has requested Aamir Khan, Virat Kohli, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif, Ranbir Kapoor, Salman Khan to stop endorsing Chinese brands as a mark of respect for Indian soldiers.

“At a time when China’s army in the most clandestine manner has committed a barbaric attack on the Indian army at Ladakh border, the heart of every Indian is filled with deep anguish, resentment and abhorrence against the atrocities of the Chinese and their persistent attitude of antagonism towards India. The blood of every Indian today is boiling with a strong sense of vengeance and a firm resolve to hit back at China not only militarily but also economically,” read the letter.

CAIT has also invited Amitabh Bacchan, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Madhuri Dikshit, MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Sonu Sood to join the nationwide campaign of “boycott Chinese goods” under its flagship movement “Bhartiya Saaman – Hamara Abhiman”.

20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent face-off with China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on the intervening night of June 15 and 16 in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley near Line of Actual Control (LAC).

There is a strong anti-China sentiment in the country after the “pre-meditated and planned” attack by the Chinese army on Indian troops that lead to violent clashes and casualties on both sides.

-RJV/ARK

COVID cases in Afghanistan climb to 27,532; death toll at 546

New Delhi (NVI): The coronavirus cases in Afghanistan saw a rise of 658 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the total number to 27,532, according to Afghan media reports.

The death toll due to the virus rose to 546 with 42 new fatalities being reported in the last 24 hours.

Among the fresh cases reported, the highest count of new positive cases was reported in Kabul with 415, followed by Bamiyan with 62 positive cases.

Likewise, 40 cases were reported in Takhar, 27 in Kandahar, 6 in Balkh, 21 in Logar, 17 in Baghlan, 2 in Ghazni, 7 in Parwan, 22 in Kunduz, 14 in Panjshir, 4 in Faryab, 5 in Ghor, 6 in Zabul, and 10 in Daikundi.

In terms to fatalities, 17 COVID-19 deaths in Kabul, 19 in Herat, 1 in Balkh, 2 in Samangan and 3 in Faryab in the last 24 hours, as per media reports.

The Afghan Ministry of Public Health said 7,660 people have recovered from the respiratory disease in Afghanistan.

So far, 61,599 people have been tested for COVID-19 in the country, as per media reports.

-RJV

Nepal COVID-19 tally hits 7,848; death toll 22

New Delhi (NVI): Nepal reported 671 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the national tally to 7,848, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, Of the newly infected, 591 are males and 80 females. In total, 7,229 males and 619 females have been recorded to have contracted the disease, so far.

Currently, 75 of the 77 districts in the country have witnessed the transmission of COVID-19 virus, as per media reports.

In the last 24 hours, 19 persons have been discharged from health facilities following recovery. With this total recovery cases stands at 1,186, of which 1,072 are males while 114 females.

Meanwhile, two COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed in Nepal by the ministry today, taking the total death-toll of the disease to 22 in the country.

-RJV

Bangladesh coronavirus cases exceed 1,00,000-mark

(Image source: United News of Bangladesh)

New Delhi (NVI): The total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Bangladesh crossed the 100,000-mark today after detection of 3,803 new cases in the last 24 hours.

In addition to this, 38 more patients lost their lives due to the deadly contagion, raising the death toll to 1,343 in the country.

So far, 40,164 people have recovered in the country after 1,975 more patients were recovered during this period.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 39.26 percent.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate was recorded at 1.31 percent in the country.

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

-CHK

Coronavirus cases exceed 1.60 lakh in Pakistan; death toll tops 3,000

COVID-19: Pakistan imposes mini-lockdown in Islamabad

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has been witnessing a daily surge in the number of coronavirus cases as the tally crossed 1,60,000 today with more than 3,000 deaths.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Punjab province has reported 60,138 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Sindh has 59,983 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 19,613 cases, Balochistan is at 8,794, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,213, Islamabad at 9,637 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 740 cases so far, according to Geo News.

So far, nearly 59,215 people have recovered from the deadly contagion in the country.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has announced plans to repatriate all of its those citizens stranded around the globe, including in the Middle East, as a result of the pandemic, according to media reports.

Between 40,000 and 45,000 of their nationals will be brought home every week, starting June 20.

About 1,20,000 Pakistanis are expected to return in the coming weeks and they will have to quarantine themselves at homes for 14 days.

-CHK

Over 1% of humanity, nearly 80 mn people displaced: UNHRC report

New Delhi (NVI):  Forced displacement is now affecting more than one percent of humanity. Nearly 80 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to violence and persecution, according to a report by UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report, which comes two days ahead of 20 June World Refugee Day, found that by the end of last year, a record 79.5 million people were living either as refugees, asylum seekers or in so-called internal displacement within their own countries, marking a dramatic increase of nearly nine million from a year earlier.

By the end of 2019, one out of every 97 people in the world was living uprooted and displaced, the report states.

The report also highlights that swelling displacement are from conflicts in places like Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“One percent of the world population cannot go back to their homes because there are wars, persecution, human rights violations, and other forms of violence,” UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said.

He further added, “We are witnessing a changed reality in that forced displacement nowadays is not only vastly more widespread but is simply no longer a short-term and temporary phenomenon.”

Reportedly, the annual increase, from a figure of 70.8 million at the end of 2018, is a result of two main factors. First is worrying new displacement in 2019, particularly in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Sahel, Yemen and Syria – the latter now in its tenth year of conflict and accounting on its own for 13.2 million refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people, fully a sixth of the world’s total.

The agency appealed to countries worldwide to do far more to find homes for millions of refugees and others displaced by conflict, persecution or events seriously disturbing public order.

The report also notes diminishing prospects for refugees when it comes to hopes of any quick end to their plight. In the 1990s, on average 1.5 million refugees were able to return home each year. Over the past decade that number has fallen to around 385,000, meaning that growth in displacement is today far outstripping solutions.

-CHK

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