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India not to send Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year amid Covid fears

New Delhi (NVI): The Indian Government today said it will not send Haj pilgrims from the country to Mecca this year, a day after the Saudi Arabia Government announced that a very limited number of people will be allowed to perform it in wake of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing a press conference, Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said, “…honouring the decision of the Saudi Arabia Government because of serious challenges of Corona pandemic and keeping in mind the health and well-being of the people, it has been decided that Muslims from India will not go to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj (1441 H/2020 AD).”

Naqvi said that he received a phone call from Haj and Umrah Minister of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten yesterday and the Saudi Arabia Minister suggested not to send Haj pilgrims from India to Haj for this year.

He said that the Government has decided to refund the application money of pilgrims without any deduction.

“2 lakh 13,000 applications had been received for Haj 2020. The process has been started today to immediately refund full amount of money deposited by the applicants without any deduction. The money will be refunded through online DBT mode into bank accounts of the applicants,” Naqvi said.

The Minister informed that this year, more than 2300 women had applied to perform Haj without Mehram (male companion). “These women will be allowed to go to Haj 2021 on the basis of their application for Haj 2020 only. Besides, women who file new application, will also be allowed to go to Haj next year,” the minister said.

He further said that a total of 2 lakh Indian Muslims had performed Haj in 2019. These pilgrims included 50 per cent women. A total of 3,040 women have performed Haj after the Government ensured Muslim women can perform Haj without Mehram (male companion) in 2018.

In a statement issued last night, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Haj and Umrah said, “Due to Corona pandemic and the risks of Coronavirus spreading in crowded spaces and large gatherings, it has been decided that Haj for this year (1441 H/ 2020 AD) will be held whereby a very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia, would be able to perform it.

“This decision is taken to ensure Haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols.”

-RJV/ARK

After Ladakh, China eyeing Taiwan Islands?

Dongsha Islands (Source: Focus Taiwan)

New Delhi (NVI): At a time when the Chinese Army is locked in a face-off with India in Ladakh, Taiwan is beefing up its security in its Dongsha Islands, amid apprehensions that the Chinese PLA may take control of these.

Taiwan is sending its Marine Corps to these outlying islands in the South China Sea and considering plans to deploy military dirigibles to offshore islands, according to local media reports.

The airships could serve to complement the military’s reconnaissance system by providing early warnings to allow for a swift response to threats.

The proposal comes at a time when Chinese warplanes are menacing Taiwan’s airspace on a regular basis, with at least eight sightings recorded over the past two weeks, the Taiwan News reported.

The “provocative” Chinese manoeuvres have intensified since the coronavirus pandemic began, with one coinciding with an unusual flight by a U.S. military aircraft earlier this month, it said.

The Dongsha Islands are a group of strategically important atolls 310 kms southeast of Hong Kong and are reportedly a target of PLA drills set to take place in August. The Taiwan Marine Corps has been reassigned to the islands for training and defence.

The Taiwan Marine Corps will be reassigned to the Dongsha Islands (Pratas Islands) for short-term training programmes, the report said, quoting the Ministry of National Defence (MND).

Taiwan’s move comes amid heightened concerns over the islands’ combat preparedness following a report by Kyodo News last month that the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command will be conducting a simulated invasion of the islands involving large-scale manoeuvres.

Prior to the year 2000, the Marine Corps was deployed on the Dongsha Islands, armed with two guided-missile equipment carriers and a LAADS (Low-Altitude Aircraft Detection System) air defence radar system. The Coast Guard took over its defences in 2000, when relevant arms were pulled back over maintenance difficulties, report said.

The MND has stressed that Coast Guard personnel will receive adequate training before they are stationed on the islands, and exercises are constantly conducted to ensure their combat readiness, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA).

The lighter-than-air aircraft, planned to be deployed, could be used for reconnaissance and surveillance purposes on the Pengjia Islet in the East China Sea and the Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea. The Ministry of National Defence is studying those currently in service in the U.S., Singapore, and the Philippines, reported Up Media.

In order for dirigibles to be deployed around Pengjia Islet, which lies to the north of Taiwan, they must be able to remain aloft for 15 days, with a surveillance range of 200 kilometers.

In the Dongsha Islands to the southwest, the aerostats are expected to hover in the skies for one month, carry equipment weighing up to 1,600 kilograms, and have a surveillance range of 600 km.

The strengthening of defence measures by Taiwan comes at a time when China is locked in a stand-off with India in Ladakh after it transgressed into the Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) over a month back. The Chinese actions highlight its expansionist designs.

Puri Rath Yatra: Jagannath temple servitor tests coronavirus positive

Bhubaneshwar (NVI): A servitor of Puri Jagannath Temple has been tested positive for Covid-19 as the seven-day Rath yatra began in the state of Odisha today after Supreme Court allowed the annual chariot festival yesterday while laying some guidelines on the conduct of rituals, in view of the pandemic.

COVID-19 tests of servitors were conducted yesterday as per the SC guidelines and one of them was tested positive and shifted to COVID hospital before the rituals begin, official sources said, adding that contact tracing was underway after the test reports came in.

In a historic first, the rituals for the world’s biggest chariot festival – Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra – began this morning in Odisha’s Puri without public attendance.

Yesterday, the apex court gave a go-ahead to the Odisha Government to make necessary arrangements to conduct the seven-day long chariot festival from today, while keeping in view the necessary Covid protocols including social distancing.

Following the top court’s order, the Puri district administration, temple priests and servitors, civic authorities, officials from the Naveen Patnaik government in Odisha made arrangements as per the guidelines issued.

Bangladesh COVID-19 tally tops 1.19 lakh; 1,545 dead

New Delhi (NVI): As Bangladesh is witnessing a spurt in the number of coronavirus cases and deaths, 43 new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total death toll to 1,545.

In addition to this, 3,412 new cases were also detected during this period, taking the total number of Covid-19 patients in the country to 1,19,198, according to United News of Bangladesh.

So far, 47,635 people have recovered in the country after 880 more patients were recovered during this period.

The detection rate of new patients was recorded 20.94 percent.

Against the total number of detected cases, the recovery rate is 39.96 percent and the mortality rate is 1.30 percent in the country.

-CHK

India asks Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi to reduce staff strength by 50%

New Delhi (NVI): India has decided to reduce the staff strength at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent, days after two Pakistani officials at the embassy were caught red-handed for their involvement in espionage activities and were deported.

The Indian foreign ministry today summoned the Charge d’ Affaires of Pakistan here and informed that India had repeatedly expressed concern about the activities of officials of his High Commission, the MEA said.

“They have been engaged in acts of espionage and maintained dealings with terrorist organizations. The activities of the two officials caught red-handed and expelled on 31 May 2020 was one example in that regard,” the MEA said in a statement.

India would reciprocally reduce its own presence in Islamabad to the same proportion. The decision, which is to be implemented in seven days, was conveyed to the Pakistani Charge d’Affaires Haider Shah.

In an official statement, MEA said that While Pakistani officials indulged in actions that are not in conformity with their privileged status in the High Commission, Pakistan has in parallel engaged in a sustained campaign to intimidate the officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad from carrying on their legitimate diplomatic functions.

“The recent abduction at gunpoint of two Indian officials and their severe ill-treatment underlines the extent to which Pakistan has gone in that direction. These officials who have returned to India on 22 June 2020 have provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies,” the foreign ministry said.

The behaviour of Pakistan and its officials is not in conformity with the Vienna Convention and bilateral agreements on the treatment of diplomatic and consular officials. On the contrary, it is an intrinsic element of a larger policy of supporting cross-border violence and terrorism, it added.

-ARK

Coronavirus cases in Pakistan exceed 1.85 lakh; death toll at 3,695

New Delhi (NVI): Pakistan has been witnessing a daily surge in the number of coronavirus cases as the tally crossed 1,85,034 today with more than 3,695 deaths.

Looking at the breakdown of cases, Sindh province has reported 71,092 coronavirus cases, highest among all the provinces, while Punjab has 68,308 positive cases.

On the other hand, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has recorded 22,633 cases, Balochistan is at 9,587, Gilgit-Baltistan at 1,326, Islamabad at 11,219 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is at 869 cases so far, according to media reports.

So far, nearly 73,471 people have recovered from the deadly contagion in the country.

Meanwhile, as many as 65 medics, most of them doctors, in Pakistan have died of coronavirus and around 5,000 infected so far while battling on the frontline against the deadly disease.

-CHK

COVID-19 cases surpasses 29,400 in Afghanistan; death toll tops 600

New Delhi (NVI): The Afghan authorities confirmed 324 new coronavirus cases in Afghanistan in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 29,481, according to Afghan media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Public Health said, 9,260 people have been cured and discharged so far, while 618 died from the respiratory disease in Afghanistan.

Among the fresh cases, Herat was on the top of the list with 98 new cases, followed by Kabul with 92 positive cases.

Other provinces which reported cases included are Balkh (40), Paktia (18), Nangarhar (4), Ghazni (39), Badakhshan (19), Laghman (10), Kunar (3) and Zabul (1).

In last 24 hours, 20 people were reported to have died from deadly contagion. Among them five died in Balkh, six in Logar, five in Badakhshan, two in Kabul, one in Paktia and one in Nangarhar.

Meanwhile, the ministry has also conducted 66,800 tests since February across the country.

-RJV

India has one of the lowest COVID-19 deaths per lakh population

New Delhi (NVI): As against the global average of 6.04, the COVID-19 deaths in India is at 1 per lakh population which is one of the lowest in the world, according to latest WHO situation report.

Union Health Ministry credited the timely detection of cases, extensive contact tracing and effective clinical management for the low mortality rate.

It is also a testimony to the graded, pre-emptive and pro-active approach of the Government of India along with the States and Union Territories for the prevention, containment and management of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has witnessed 63.13 cases of COVID-19 related deaths per lakh population, while the metric for Spain, Italy and US is 60.60, 57.19 and 36.30 respectively.

The recovery rate in the country continues to improve and it is 56.38 percent amongst COVID-19 patients, the Health Ministry stated.

So far, a total of 2,48,189 patients have been cured after 10,994 patients were cured in the last 24 hours.

Currently, there are 1,78,014 active cases and all are under active medical supervision.

-CHK

Nepal coronavirus tally exceeds 10,000-mark

New Delhi (NVI): Nepal reported 538 new cases of coronavirus today, taking the national tally to 10,099, according to local media reports.

The country’s Ministry of Health and Population said, of total cases, 2,224 have been cured and discharged while 24 died from the pandemic in Nepal.

The ministry also said, among the newly-infected are 448 males and 90 females. As of today, 76 persons were discharged after recovery.

The deadly disease has been spread across 76 districts of the country, as per the reports.

In addition to this, coronavirus has spread to all districts in Nepal expect Rasuwa in Bagmati Province.

So far, 457,920 samples have been tested for coronavirus in Nepal. Of these, 186,366 samples were tested through the PCR and 271,584 through the RDT.

Meanwhile, in various parts of the country, 85,813 people have been quarantined waiting to be tested for COVID-19 and 7,851 people are in isolation.

-RJV

748 Indians stranded in Pakistan to return from Jun 25 via Wagah border

137 people struck in India due to Covid cross over to Pakistan

New Delhi (NVI): Around 748 Indians stranded in Pakistan amid the Covid-19 pandemic, including students from Kashmir, will return to India via Attari-Wagah border from June 25-27, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said today.

“@IndiainPakistan is facilitating the return of 748 Indians from Pakistan to India on June 25-27. The repatriation will be carried out as per the attached list,” the Indian embassy tweeted with a link of the list.

The Indian Embassy in Pakistan tweeted in this regard while releasing a list of 748 Indian citizens who will be repatriated. The Indian High Commission, which is facilitating the return of Indian nationals, has asked them to make necessary arrangements to reach at the Wagha-Attari border in time.

“Serial no. 1-250 will return on June 25. Serial no. 251-500 on June 26 and 501-748 on June 27. Please make necessary arrangements to reach at the Wagha-Attari border in time for your repatriation,” the embassy tweeted.

The evacuation is part of the Indian government’s efforts under Vande Bharat Mission to repatriate Indians stranded in different parts of the world amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

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