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Coronavirus cases in Afghanistan cross 13,000 as 580 more test positive

New Delhi (NVI): 580 positive cases have been recorded across in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 13,036, Afghan media reported.

Among the new cases, 322 were reported in Kabul, 139 in Herat, 27 in Panjshir, 22 in Balkh, 21 in Farah, 20 in Paktia, 15 in Faryab and Parwan.

The official of Ministry of Public Health said that 40 percent of the total COVID-19 cases were from the past ten days.

The ministry is running out of medical facilities and there is a dire need for face masks, ventilators and other necessary equipment, official added.

So far, 34,936 people have been tested in the country.

Afghanistan has been reporting close to 600 new cases every day, rapidly moving from 10,000 cases to 12,000 within five days, as per media reports.

Around, 40 percent of total new cases were recorded in the past 10 days.

The Afghan health ministry also reported eight death in the last 24 hours, taking the death toll from coronavirus to 235.

At least, 1,209 patients have been cured from virus or discharged.

Nepal reports 156 Covid-19 new cases, tally hits 1,042

Representational image

New Delhi (NVI): 156 new persons have been tested positive for coronavirus in Nepal, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases to 1,042, local media reports said.

The Ministry of Health and Population said, of the infected, 29 people are from Dhanusha district, 25 from Jhapa, 20 from Rautahat, 17 from Mahottari, 14 from Saptari, 13 from Surkhet, eight from Dailekh, seven from Sarlahi, six from Siraha.

In addition, three each from Bardiya and Syangja, two each from Dolakha and Kailali, one each from Nawalpur, Solukhumbu, Bajhang, Darchula, Makawanpur, Banke, and one person whose location has not been disclosed.

Among the total infected people, 940 are male and 102 female.

As of today, 51 districts have witnessed the transmission of COVID-19. As many as 129 cases have been detected in eight districts of Province 1; 415 cases have been seen in eight districts of Province 2; and 44 cases in 12 districts of Bagmati Province, as per media reports.

Likewise, 17 cases have been reported in four districts of Gandaki Province; 369 cases in nine districts of Province 5; 47 cases in three districts of Karnali Province; and 21 cases in seven districts of Sudurpaschim Province.

The ministry also said, four persons have been discharged from various health facilities across the country taking the total number of recoveries to 187.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also confirmed the fifth COVID-19 death in the country. A 56-year-old man with Alcoholic Liver Disease, who passed away at a Lalitpur based hospital on Wednesday, has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

J&K: Pulwama-type terror attack averted, forces neutralise IED recovered from car

Srinagar (NVI): Security forces in Kashmir today averted a major terror attack, which could have been like the one witnessed in February last year on CRPF convoy in Pulwama.

The security forces, including Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF, intercepted a car which was laden with 40-45 kgs of explosives and was being driven in Rajpora area of Pulwama district.

Police said a suicide bomber, who was driving the car with fake registration number, jumped two security check posts late last night and left behind the vehicle laden with explosives when forces fired shots to stop him.

A controlled explosion was carried out later to neutralise the bomb.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said three terrorists of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, led by one Adil, who works for both, were planning a suicide attack on security forces on May 11. But the plan failed as the security forces had intensified operations against the terrorists, he said.

If the terrorists had succeeded in their plans, there could have been a major disaster like the one witnessed on February 14 last year when a similar explosive-laden vehicle was driven by a suicide bomber into a convoy of CRPF on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Lethpora area of Pulwama district.

40 CRPF personnel were killed in that attack, which provoked India to carry out an airstrike on a major terror camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan, on February 26 and led to the escalation of military tensions between the two countries.

Indian Army Major to receive UN Military Gender Advocate award

New Delhi (NVI): Major Suman Gawani from the Indian Army, a former UN peacekeeper in South Sudan, will be honoured with the 2019 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.

Major Gawani will be the first Indian peacekeeper to get the prestigious award.

She will receive the award along with Brazilian Naval Officer, Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo during an online ceremony presided over by UN Chief António Guterres on May 29, which is marked as the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Gawani, an Indian Army officer and a UN military observer, was formerly deployed with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Created in 2016, the United Nations “Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award” recognises the dedication and effort of an individual military peacekeeper in promoting the principles of UN Security Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security in a peace operation context.

However, this will also be the first time that two peacekeepers will receive the award jointly for their contribution to the cause.

During her deployment in South Sudan, Major Goswami mentored over 230 UN Military Observers (UNMO) on conflict-related sexual violence and ensured the presence of women military observers in each of the Mission’s team sites.

She also trained the South Sudanese government forces and helped them to launch their action plan on conflict-related sexual violence.

Apart from this, five Indian peacekeepers, who laid down their lives serving in UN peacekeeping missions in 2018-19 will also be honored this week with a UN medal awarded posthumously for courage & sacrifice in the line of duty.

Major Ravi Inder Singh Sandhu and Sergeant Lal Manotra Tarsem, who served with the UN Mission in South Sudan; Sergeant Ramesh Singh with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon; Private Johnsion Beck with the UN Disengagement Observer Force and Edward Agapito Pinto, who served in a civilian capacity with the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in Congo, will posthumously receive the Dag Hammarskjold Medal on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers observed on May 29.

In observance of the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, on Friday, Secretary-General António Guterres will lay a wreath to pay tribute to all the UN blue helmets who have lost their lives since 1948. 

The theme for this year’s International Day of UN Peacekeepers (May 29) is “Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace” to mark the 20th anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.

India signs $177 mn loan with ADB to upgrade roads in Maharashtra

New Delhi (NVI): The Centre today signed a USD 177 million loan with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to upgrade 450 kilometers of state highways and major district roads in the state of Maharashtra, the Ministry of Finance said.

The project will upgrade 2 major district roads and 11 state highways, with a combined length of 450 km, to 2-lane standard across seven districts of Maharashtra, the Ministry said in a statement.

The project will improve connectivity to national highways, interstate roads, seaports, airports, rail hubs, district headquarters, industrial areas, enterprise clusters and agricultural areas, it said.

The project will also focus on training the Maharashtra Public Works Department project staff to build their capacity in climate change adaptation and disaster-resilient features in road design, road maintenance planning and road safety.

The signatories to the Maharashtra State Road Improvement Project were Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance who signed on the behalf of GOI, and Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission who signed for ADB.

After signing the loan agreement, Khare said that the project will improve connectivity between rural areas and urban centers in the state enabling rural communities to better access markets, employment opportunities and services.

“Improved mobility will expand development and livelihood opportunities outside of the state’s major urban centers to second-tier cities and towns thus reducing income disparities,” he said.

ADB’s Yokoyama said that the project will also strengthen road safety measures by developing a road safety audit framework that will protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, women, and children, following the international best practice.

“Another feature of the project is to update road maintenance system by encouraging 5-year performance-based maintenance obligations to contractors to sustain asset quality and service levels,” he added.

Established in 1966, ADB is owned by 68 members—49 from the region. The Bank is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty.

Suicide attacker escaped, left behind car with 45 kg explosives: IGP Kashmir

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar (File photo)

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Police today said that a three-member “suicide squad” of Jaish-e-Muhammad and Hizbul Mujahideen had plans to target security forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, with a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) weighing at least 40 to 45 kg fitted inside a car, that was traced on time and destroyed.

While addressing a press conference here, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that a suicide bomber driving the car jumped two nakas ( security check posts) late last night at Ayegund area of Rajpora in Pulwama and left behind the vehicle laden with heavy explosives when forces fired shots to stop him.

“Three militants of Jaish and Hizbul led by one Adil, who works for both, were planning a suicide attack on security forces. They were planning to target security forces on Ramadhan 17 (Jang-e-Badr), but couldn’t succeed as we had already intensified the operations against the militants,” the IGP said while addressing a press conference at Police Control Room (PCR), Srinagar.

The day of Badr falls on 17th Ramadan (May 11) every year and security forces in J&K are alert around this time as terrorists try to show their presence in the Valley. ‘Jang-e-Badr’ or the Battle of Badr was fought by Prophet Muhammad along with his companions 1400 years ago in the battlefield of Badr in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

IGP Kashmir said that at least 40 to 45 kgs of explosive material was fitted in the Santro car that had a fake number plate. “Police, Army and the CRPF were getting inputs about the possible fidayeen attack by the militants. Yesterday, the lead matured and nakas were laid at various points. Our men stopped the suicide attacker at two naka points and fired warning shots at both sites but he jumped at both places,” the IGP said.

“A few meters away from the second naka point, he left behind the vehicle late night yesterday at Ayegund area of Rajpora, Pulwama,” he added.

He said that when the dawn broke, the security forces found that the vehicle was suspicious and the Bomb Disposal Squad was instantly called.

“After preliminary investigations, we found that the vehicle was laden with at least 40 to 45 kg of explosive material which included ammonium nitrate, RDX and other material like gelatin sticks, etc. Earlier, we thought it must be around 10 to 15 kg,” he said.

“We concluded that 40 to 45 kg of explosive material was used by militants after seeing that the vehicle went up to 15 meters up in the air when the IED was detonated.”

He said that the timely action of Police, Army and the CRPF in detecting and defusing the IED is laudable. “I compliment all the security agencies for this successful operation,” the IGP said, adding “Timely action of the security agencies helped avert a major tragedy.”

Earlier in the day, a top security official told NVI that terrorists had a plan to carry out February 14, 2019 like terror attack in which 40 CRPF men were killed, but timely input and action of forces helped prevent a major mishap.

J&K: Baramulla man tests positive day after his death; toll at 27

Srinagar (NVI): A middle-aged man from north Kashmir’s Baramulla district tested positive, a day after his death today, taking the number of Covid-19 deaths in J&K to 27, health officials said.

They said that a 55-year-old man from Baramulla district who died at SMHS hospital Srinagar yesterday was tested positive for COVID-19 today. His test results came today as positive.

“His body was kept in GMC mortuary and his reports came positive for COVID-19 on Thursday,” officials said, adding that he was having underlying problems that include chest congestion, etc.

A doctor at the SMHS hospital said that the patient breathed his last within a span of few hours of his admission. “He developed breathing issues and succumbed. We had taken his samples the results of which came as positive today,” he said, adding that the body of the deceased was sent to his home in Baramulla and his family members were informed to follow proper guidelines. They were informed that only a few family members must take part in the funeral and burial deceased, he said.

With the fresh death, the death the toll due to coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 27 of which 24 were reported from Kashmir and three from the Jammu region.

Pulwama-like attack averted in J&K as IED-laden car detected, destroyed

Abid Bashir

Srinagar (NVI): A major 2019-like terror attack was averted by security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir today after they detected a car with around 5 kilograms of IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in Rajpora area, police officials said.

The Santro car with a fake number plate was traced by a joint team of Police, Army and the CRPF in the wee hours today, they said.

“The IED was fixed on the rear side of the vehicle bearing fake number—JK08B 1426. Security forces personnel had to break the rear side windscreen of the vehicle to check the nature of the explosives. Bomb Disposal Squad of the forces was called and it was found that there was an IED weighing above 5 kgs,” a police official told NVI, requesting anonymity.

He said that the IED was successfully detonated in a controlled manner by the BDS.

Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, Vijay Kumar said that a major mishap has been averted due to the timely input and action by Pulwama police, Army and the CRPF.

Eye-witnesses said that while destroying the IED, a residential house suffered partial damage as its window panes collapsed and a few walls developed cracks.

“A huge explosion was heard when forces detonated the IED. The vehicle also got completely damaged during the process,” he added.

Police sources said that the explosives were very powerful in nature and it seemed that militants had a plan to attack the security forces in a similar way they did on February 14, 2019, at Lethpora, Pulwama in which at least 40 CRPF men were killed. “Primary investigation reveals that the number mentioned on the number plate is of a two-wheeler belonging to a person from Kathua district of Jammu region,” sources said.

Security forces immediately sealed off the area and a massive manhunt has been launched to nab the militants involved in planting the IED in the vehicle with the aim of targeting security forces in Pulwama district.

State-wise details of Covid-19 cases in India

New Delhi (NVI): Coronavirus cases in India continue to surge with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat being the worst affected states in the country.

The total number of positive coronavirus cases in India has reached 1,58,333 while a total of 4,531 deaths have been reported so far, according to Union Health Ministry tally.

Maharashtra tops the country with the maximum number of coronavirus cases and has reported nearly 56,000 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- 3,171

Arunachal Pradesh- 2

Assam- 781

Bihar- 3,061

Chandigarh- 279

Chhattisgarh- 369

Dadar Nagar Haveli- 2

Delhi- 15,257

Gujarat- 15,195

Goa- 68

Haryana– 1,381

Himachal Pradesh- 273

Jammu and Kashmir- 1,921

Jharkhand- 448

Karnataka- 2,418

Kerala- 1,004

Ladakh- 53

Madhya Pradesh- 7,261

Maharashtra- 56,948

Manipur- 44

Meghalaya- 20

Mizoram- 1

Nagaland- 4

Odisha- 1,593

Puducherry- 46

Punjab- 2,139

Rajasthan- 7,703

Sikkim- 1

Tamil Nadu- 18,545

Telangana- 2,098

Tripura- 230

Uttarakhand- 469

Uttar Pradesh- 6,991

West Bengal – 4,192

State/UT wise total death toll:

Andhra Pradesh- 58

Assam- 4

Bihar- 15

Chandigarh- 4

Delhi- 303

Gujarat- 938

Haryana- 18

Himachal Pradesh- 5

Jammu and Kashmir- 26

Jharkhand- 4

Karnataka- 47

Kerala- 7

Madhya Pradesh- 313

Maharashtra- 1,897

Meghalaya- 1

Odisha- 7

Puducherry- 1

Punjab- 40

Rajasthan- 173

Tamil Nadu- 133

Telangana- 63

Uttar Pradesh- 182

Uttarakhand- 4

West Bengal- 289

A total of 67,692 people have been cured or discharged from hospitals in India. There are around 86,110 active cases currently, according to the Health Ministry.

COVID-19 death toll surpasses 1,00,000 in US; tally tops 5.6 mn globally

Coronavirus cases

New Delhi (NVI): The death toll from the coronavirus has surged past 1 lakh in the United States, according to John Hopkins University tally. Nearly 1.7 million positive cases of the deadly contagion have been reported in the country.

Meanwhile, more than 5.68 million cases of coronavirus have been confirmed around the world, while at least 3,55,575 people have died globally.

In addition to this, death toll from COVID-19 in Brazil has exceeded 25,000 people with around 1,086 deaths being reported in the last 24 hours. While the number of cases rose by 20,599, reaching 4,11,821.

Japan’s Health Ministry reported 41 new coronavirus cases and 9 Covid-19 related deaths were reported in the country on Wednesday.

In another development, a new cluster emerged in South Korea, dozens of people have contracted the virus a logistics center near Seoul. Authorities in the country reported 79 new cases in a day, the most in a single day since April 5.

Spain began 10 days of mourning and held a moment of silence on Wednesday to honor those who died of the coronavirus. The silent tribute marked the start of a period of national mourning.

Furthermore, the number of coronavirus cases in the Arab Gulf region, which includes Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Oman, has passed 2,00,000, as Saudi Arabia and the UAE have begun to ease restriction.

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