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Monsoon arrives in Kerala, IMD issues yellow alert in 9 districts

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): With the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala today, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a yellow alert for nine districts in the state.

Monsoon has arrived in Kerala as the state received heavy rainfall at several places today. “Onset of Southwest Monsoon over Kerala: Southwest Monsoon set in over Kerala 2020 today, the 1st June, 2020 coinciding with its normal date.” IMD tweeted.

The department also informed that low pressure has formed in the Arabian Sea, north to Lakshadweep. Based on the predictions, it is most likely to intensify into a cyclone.

Although low pressure is formed near Kerala coast, the cyclone is not expected to affect the region directly, the weather department said.

In addition to this, IMD has warned of heavy rain in Kerala for the next five days and gusty winds at a speed of up to 65 kmph in the coastal area. Fishing is banned as the sea has turned rough.

The nine districts where yellow alert has been issued are Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam Idukki, Malappuram and Kannur. Heavy rains are expected at these places today.

According to the weather reports, monsoon may arrive in Delhi by June 30.

Pakistan cries foul after India expels Pak embassy officials over espionage

Indo-Pak trade

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan today cried foul after 2 of its officials posted in its High Commission in New Delhi were caught involved in spying and ordered to leave the country immediately.

Pakistan has summoned a senior Indian diplomat over India’s decision to expel two officials of its High Commission in New Delhi.

India had issued a statement yesterday after the two officials were apprehended by the Indian law enforcement authorities for indulging in espionage activities.

“The Government has declared both these officials persona non grata for indulging in activities incompatible with their status as members of a diplomatic mission and asked them to leave the country within twenty four hours,” an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs read.

After the two ‘Visa Assistants’ were caught red-handed yesterday, Pakistan’s Charge de Affaires was issued a demarche in which a strong protest was lodged with regard to the activities of these officials of the High Commission of Pakistan against India’s national security.

The MEA said that Pakistan’s Cd’A (Charge de Affaires) was asked to ensure that no member of its diplomatic mission should indulge in activities inimical to India or behave in a manner incompatible with their diplomatic status.

This is not the first time that Pakistani High Commission officials and other staffers have been found involved in spying and other anti-India activities. In one such case over a decade back, an officer as senior as Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan was found involved in providing hawala money to Kashmiri separatists. He was expelled immediately. Later, the Pakistani government rewarded the officer, Jalil Abbas Jilani, and made him the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan in 2012.

Despite curfews, mass protests continue in US over death of George Floyd

Protesters have taken to streets across the United States (Source: Twitter)

New Delhi (NVI): Thousands of protesters have taken to streets across the United States, despite curfews and deployment of National Guard troops, against the killing of African-American George Floyd by a white police officer.

On Sunday night, people defied curfew and gathered in large numbers in Washington DC to protest over Floyd’s death. In view of the massive and violent protests, US President Donald Trump had to take shelter in a White House Bunker, foreign media reports said.

At least 4,000 people have been arrested so far as riots ravage US cities and tensions with cops flare up. According to reports in foreign media, as many as 1,700 soldiers were called in at Washington to control the demonstrators after they collected road signs and plastic barriers to set them on fire.

Floyd’s death has sparked outrage and violent protests across the United States. The 43-year-old man died on Memorial Day (May 25) after he was pinned down by a white police officer in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The video footage of the incident, that was also boradcast by the US media, showed the police officer kneeling down on Floyd’s as he gasped for breath. He died later out of the police brutality as the video went viral and demonstrations, which began in Minneapolis, spread like wild fire in across the country in cities including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Miami, New York City and Chicago.

The cities extended curfews into Sunday night and beyond in an attempt to tackle the violence and vandalism. Reports in foreign media also reported clash between demonstrators and law enforcement officers at some places.

The curfew has been imposed in as many as 40 cities, along with Washington DC, in wake of the protests that have continued for almost a week now.

Around 5,000 National Guard members have been activated in 15 states and Washington, DC with another 2,000 prepared to activate if needed, according to reports.

Amid Covid-19 crisis, PM calls for ‘maximum discussion’ on these 3 things

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi today urged for maximum discussion and participation on three things including tele-medicine, ‘Make in India’ in the health sector and IT-based health services, amid the Covid-19 crisis in the country.

The PM was addressing the 25th Foundation Day of the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences at Bengaluru via video conferencing.


“Can we think of new models that make tele-medicine popular on a larger scale,” he said while calling for discussion and participation on advances in tele-medicine.

Speaking on the second thing- ‘Make in India’ in the health sector, PM said that the initial gains in this makes him optimistic as the domestic manufacturers have started production of PPEs and have supplied about 1 crore PPEs to Covid warriors.

On third topic- IT related tools for healthier societies, PM said: “I am sure you have heard of ‘ArogyaSetu’, 12 crore health-conscious people have downloaded it. This has been very helpful in the fight against Coronavirus.”

Apart from that, PM said that “In the battle of Invisible vs Invincible, our medical workers are sure to win.” He was referring to coronavirus as “Invisible” and all frontline workers or Covid warriors as “Invincible”.

“At the root of India’s brave fight against COVID-19 is the hardwork of the medical community and our CORONA warriors.  In fact, doctors and medical workers are like soldiers, but without the soldiers’ uniform,” he said while lauding the efforts of all frontline workers in combating corona.

In his address, PM also expressed concern at violent incidents, owing to mob mentality, against the front-line workers and said several steps have been taken by the Government to curb them. He said that the Government also provided an insurance cover of Rs 50 Lakhs to those on the front-line.

The Prime Minister further said that his government has given top-most priority to reforms in health and medical education. He said the government is broadly working on four pillars.

He said the first pillar would be Preventive Health Care where in the emphasis would be importance of Yoga, Ayurveda and General Fitness. He said more than 40,000 Wellness Centres were opened with a key focus on controlling life style related diseases. “The success of Swachch Bharat mission is another key area of preventive health care,” the PMO quoted his as saying

On second pillar – Affordable Healthcare- PM highlighted the success of Ayushman Bharat. He said that it is the world’s largest healthcare scheme and in less than two years, 1 crore people have benefitted from it, especially women and those living in rural areas.

“The third pillar is- Improvements on the supply side,” Modi said, adding that a nation like Indian has to have proper medical infrastructure and medical education infrastructure.

The fourth pillar, he said would be mission mode implementation of all the schemes and that it is very crucial for the success of a good idea.

The PM also cited how the implementation of the National Nutrition Mission is helping youngsters and mothers and also how India is determined to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025, which is 5 years ahead of the global target of 2030.

Delhi borders sealed for a week; salons, all shops to open: CM Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said that hair salon, barbershops can open in Delhi but spas will remain closed, besides announcing that Delhi borders are sealed for a week, amid a surge in cases in the national capital.

He was addressing a virtual press conference as the country enters the fifth phase of lockdown – ‘Unlock 1’.

The MHA on Saturday said that restrictions will remain in place in containment zones till June 30 while activities will resume at other places and the Health Ministry will soon release an SOP in this regard.

Addressing the press conference here today, Kejriwal said that only those people providing essential services will be allowed to cross the borders.

Delhi-Gurgaon border was opened by Haryana yesterday, but UP’s Noida, which also shares a border with the national capital, had closed the borders.

Meanwhile, the Delhi CM has also sought suggestions on the opening of borders Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Delhiites can send suggestions on the opening of borders to WhatsApp number 8800007722, [email protected] by Friday 5 pm.

Apart from that, Kejriwal said that there will be no staggered timings for industries and no odd-even rules for markets. He said that night curfew will be enforced from 9 am to 5 am in this phase of lockdown in Delhi.

The CM further said that Delhi will follow the Centre’s rules on cars, scooters. Autos, e-rickshaws will ply without any restrictions.

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): As India enters the fifth phase of nationwide lockdown, coronavirus cases in the country continue to surge with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat being the worst affected states.

India is now the seventh worst-hit country by the Covid-19 pandemic with a tally of 1,90,535 cases including 5,394 casualties, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) coronavirus tracker.

Maharashtra tops the country with the maximum number of coronavirus cases and has reported nearly 67,000 confirmed cases so far.

The first confirmed coronavirus case in India was reported in the state of Kerala on January 30. Since then, the virus has tightened its grip across the country.

Total positive cases in States/UTs:

Andaman and Nicobar Islands- 33

Andhra Pradesh- 3,679

Arunachal Pradesh- 4

Assam- 1,272

Bihar- 3,815

Chandigarh- 293

Chhattisgarh- 498

Dadar Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 19,844

Gujarat- 16,779

Goa- 70

Haryana– 2,091

Himachal Pradesh- 331

Jammu and Kashmir- 2,446

Jharkhand- 610

Karnataka- 3,221

Kerala- 1,269

Ladakh- 74

Madhya Pradesh- 8,089

Maharashtra- 67,655

Manipur- 71

Meghalaya- 27

Mizoram- 1

Nagaland- 43

Odisha- 1,948

Puducherry- 70

Punjab- 2,263

Rajasthan- 8,831

Sikkim- 1

Tamil Nadu- 22,333

Telangana- 2,698

Tripura- 313

Uttarakhand- 907

Uttar Pradesh- 7,823

West Bengal – 5,501

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 62

Assam- 4

Bihar- 21

Chandigarh- 4

Chhattisgarh- 1

Delhi- 473

Gujarat- 1,038

Haryana- 20

Himachal Pradesh- 5

Jammu and Kashmir- 28

Jharkhand- 5

Karnataka- 51

Kerala- 9

Madhya Pradesh- 350

Maharashtra- 2,286

Meghalaya- 1

Odisha- 7

Puducherry- 1

Punjab- 45

Rajasthan- 194

Tamil Nadu- 173

Telangana- 82

Uttar Pradesh- 213

Uttarakhand- 5

West Bengal- 317

A total of 91,819 people have been cured or discharged from hospitals in India. There are around 93,322 active cases currently, according to the Health Ministry.

Jaish module busted in J&K’s Budgam, minor among 6 held

Weapons, cash and drugs recovered from the militant associates. (Photo via arrangement)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir police today said that it has unearthed a “narco-militant module” of Jaish-e-Muhammad terror outfit in central Kashmir’s Budgam district by arresting six militant associates including a minor and recovered large quantities of heroin, money and weapons.

A police official said acting that on a specific input, Budgam police along with the Army and CRPF busted a narco militant module, who were operating in different parts of the Valley, including the Chadoora area in Budgam.

“Six militant associates have been arrested who were a part of this module,” the official said.

A police spokesman said that the arrested militant associates were identified as Mudassir Fayaz, Shabir Ganaie, Sageer Ahmad Poswal, Issaq Bhat of Shopian, and Arshid Thoker. The identity of the sixth one wasn’t revealed as he is a minor, police said.

The spokesman also said that a Chinese pistol, a pistol magazine, four pistol rounds, a grenade, one kg Heroine and Rs 1,55,000 in cash was recovered from the arrested people.

Police further added that as per the initial investigation, the module was working in close connection with militant handlers sitting across the LoC and were involved in “drug trade, the supply of weapons and money to active militants of Jaish outfit operating in various parts of Kashmir.”

Police said that with the arrest of six militant associates, “an interconnection between drug dealers and militants has also been exposed.”

In this regard, an FIR under relevant provisions of UA (P) Act and NDPS Act has been registered in Chadoora police station, Budgam, and an investigation has been taken up.

World Milk Day 2020: History, significance and theme

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): World Milk Day is observed on June 1 every year, to raise awareness about milk and its importance as a global food.

The day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and is being observed on June 1 since 2001.

Milk has been consumed for thousands of years. It is an integral part of the daily lives and has an entire industry that revolves around it.

In the past few years, India has become one of the largest producers of milk around the globe with over 150 million tonnes of production and per capita availability of over 300 grams per day.

This year, as the initiative has completed 20 long years, the theme is simply called ’20th Anniversary of World Milk Day’.

Due to COVID-19, no major events have been organised. However, this year activities will be done online to observe the day due to the ongoing pandemic.

The Global Dairy Platform has asked the participants to talk about the benefits of dairy and highlight the problems in accessing milk and dairy products in several parts of the world.

In India too, dairy products are a major part of the people. This Day is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and gives the people an opportunity to discuss various aspects of milk and dairy products in the country.

On the occasion, India’s Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu took to Twitter to wish people and said, “Greetings on World Milk Day. The day recognizes the importance of milk as a global food, and celebrates the dairy sector. India being the largest milk producer in the world, dairying holds a special place in our rural economy. #WorldMilkDay.”

The day encourages the benefits of dairy products related to health and nutrition, effectiveness and attainability, and the passion of the sectors and commitment to feeding our communities.

Coronavirus cases surge past 6.15 million globally

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): More than 6.15 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed around the world, while nearly 3,72,000 people have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

At least 2.64 million have recovered so far globally.

In the US, at least 19,788 new coronavirus cases and 600 virus-related deaths were identified in the last 24 hours. The total in the country now stands at 17,90,191 reported infections, including at least 1,04,381 deaths.

In Brazil, more than 5,14,000 infections have been recorded while at least 29,000 people have lost their lives due to the deadly contagion.

Meanwhile, the death toll in Latin America has now exceeded 50,000 with some one million cases reported across the region.

Many countries have now started to ease the restrictions put in place due to the virus, wherein, restaurants, cafes, museums, beaches and swimming pools are due to reopen in Turkey as the government further relaxes its lockdown.

In addition to this, residents of Moscow will be allowed to go out for a walk for the first time in more than two months, from today, while the UK is also preparing to relax its lockdown despite concerns among the government’s scientific advisory body.

In another development, Japan recorded 33 new coronavirus infections and one virus-related death on Sunday, according to the country’s health ministry.

South Korean health authorities identified 35 new coronavirus cases during this period – all but five of which were locally transmitted.

COVID cases in India climb to over 1.9 lakh, death toll at 5,394

New Delhi (NVI): As the nation enters lockdown 5.0, the total number of coronavirus cases in India increased to 1,90,535 with 5,394 deaths from the pandemic, Union Health Ministry confirmed.

At least 91,819 patients have been cured of the virus or discharged.

In the past 24 hours, 8,392 fresh COVID-19 infections were reported, the highest single-day spike in the country.

In terms of total number of cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state with 67,655 coronavirus cases followed by Tamil Nadu with 22,333 cases and Delhi with 19,844 positive cases.

The other worst affected states are Gujarat (16,779) Rajasthan (8,831) Madhya Pradesh (8,089) and Uttar Pradesh (7,823).

In terms of deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 2,286 fatalities, ministry said.

The death toll in the national capital surged to 473 while another 8,478 patients have recovered so far, healthy ministry data shows.

India has now become the world’s seventh worst-hit country in terms of coronavirus cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) coronavirus tracker.

Meanwhile, the Railways said it would begin operations of 200 special trains from today and over 1.45 lakh passengers would travel on the first day.

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