4 JULY 2020: 12 Zualqada 1441: Vol: 12, No: 249

newsdigestdaily.in

Prime Minister’s PR coup in Ladakh turns into a PR disaster on Twitter

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/prime-ministers-pr-coup-in-ladakh-turns-into-a-pr-disaster-on-twitter

 Prime Minister’s visit to a ‘hospital ward’ in Leh on Friday generated mirth on Twitter as photographs surfaced of the PM addressing the injured jawans in the ward. The comments in lighter vein flooded Twitter with the hashtag #MunnaBhaiMBBS and trended on Saturday morning. The military hospital at Leh has been in existence since before 1962 and has over 300 beds under a Brigadier. But possibly because PM wished to visit jawans injured in the clash with PLA troops in the Galwan Valley on June 15, a conference room was converted into a makeshift ward. Sources in the Indian Army indicated that PM’s security protocol could also have played a role in what looked suspiciously like a contrived photo-op. A projector and a screen, the wood panelled hall with wooden flooring and the conspicuous absence of any medical equipment or accessory like the I.V. stand, medicine cabinet, a dustbin, oxygen cylinder or for that matter even doctors and nurses, strengthened the suspicion. And Twitterati had a field day. The Prime Minister’s penchant for publicity and photo-ops had already provoked a newspaper headline hinting at PMO treating the visit as a PR opportunity.

Fact Check: Hospital Ward or Seminar Room, Truth of Modi's Visit to Injured Soldiers

https://thewire.in/security/fact-check-hospital-ward-or-seminar-room-the-truth-of-modis-visit-to-injured-soldiers

New Delhi: An important part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s itinerary during his day-long trip to Ladakh on Friday was his visit to Indian Army soldiers hospitalised in Leh after the June 15 clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley on June 15.As with all of Modi’s engagements, his visit with convalescing soldiers was widely photographed. A video of the prime minister giving a short pep talk to the patients was also released on social media.Since the photo and video showed the injured soldiers sitting on beds arranged in rows inside what appeared to be a large conference room rather a hospital ward, this immediately triggered speculation about the event being stage-managed to provide Modi with yet another event for the cameras.The fact that the soldiers were all sitting upright in an identical pose on beds that looked unslept on only added to the suspicion that this was a ‘Potemkin’ ward, assembled for the occasion with patients who had no visible bandages or injuries, a point made on Twitter by Raju Narisetti, former editor of the Wall Street Journal Europe and Mint. The opposition Congress also leapt into the fray with one of its spokespersons, Abhishek Dutta, tweeting that this did not look like a hospital at all: “Instead of doctors, there are photographers. There are no medicines next to the bed, water bottle”. Another Congress leader called the whole exercise a “photo op”. On July 4, Indian Army issued a clarification stating that the room Modi visited was indeed part of the military hospital but one that had been outfitted to meet the shortage of space generated by the need to convert the main areas of the hospital into COVID isolation centres. Calling the accusations of a staged visit “malicious and unsubstantiated”, the army said: “COVID-19 protocol had necessitated some wards of the General Hospital to be converted into isolation facilities. Hence, this hall which otherwise was normally used as a Training Audio Video Hall was converted into a ward ever since the hospital was also designated as COVID treatment hospital.” The Wire also spoke to Indian Army officials to get their response to the questions circulating on social media and this is what they said.The room is indeed a conference room at the Military Hospital in Leh but it was converted to a makeshift ward in the aftermath of the coronavirus outbreak for the treatment of non-critical non-COVID patients. They pointed to video and photos of the visit of Army chief General M.M. Naravane to the same conference room/ward on June 23 to underline the fact that the room was not set up just for Modi’s visit.

 

Ladakh face-off | India set for more talks on LAC

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lac-face-off-new-delhi-readies-for-meeting-of-india-china-special-representatives/article31990110.ece

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to the Union Territory of Ladakh, the government is preparing for the next round of meeting of the ‘Special Representatives of India and China on the Boundary Question,’ as it looks for military and diplomatic measures to ease the tensions along the LAC in Ladakh, according to a senior Home Ministry official.The Hindu has not been able to confirm the date of the meeting.

 

China, Pakistan Foreign Ministers discuss Kashmir, LoC

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/foreign-ministers-of-pakistan-china-discuss-situation-in-kashmir-loc/article31986371.ece

The “deteriorating” situation on the Line of Control in Kashmir in Kashmir came up for discussion between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday, according to statements from Islamabad and Beijing.The phone call between them comes amid speculation that China and Pakistan are presenting a common front in the stand-off between the Indian Army and PLA troops at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, which may require India to prepare for a “two-front war” if action increases at the LoC as well.

 

Photo of toddler sitting atop grandfather’s body latest addition to list of children caught in J&K conflict

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/india/photo-of-toddler-sitting-atop-grandfathers-body-latest-addition-to-list-of-children-caught-in-jandk-conflict

On Wednesday, the harrowing picture of an old man and his grandson sitting over his lifeless body was widely shared on social media. While many say the images lay bare a Goebbelsian mindset, the pictures are another addition to the list of images showing the plight of children in a region torn apart by conflict.At around 7.30 am on Wednesday, the car of Bashir Ahmad Khan, who was travelling along with his barely 3-year-old grandson, was caught in crossfire between militants and security forces in north Kashmir's well-heeled Sopore town. While the slugs pierced through the body of Khan, killing him instantly, the toddler was unhurt.A CRPF man also got killed and three others suffered injuries. Besides the image showing the child sitting on Khan’s supine body, another picture shows the moppet in the lap of a cop. The picture was also shared by the police on its Twitter handle.It is not yet clear who snapped these pictures in the midst of a shoot out. A local journalist told National Herald over phone that the pictures had not been taken by the photo journalists working in the area."Normally there are local stringers and journalists who reach the spot first, but they always attribute their work to themselves," he said.Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone,Vijay Kumar said that whosoever had clicked the pictures would face action.

 

Follow ‘raj dharma’, tell people about reality of Chinese incursions: Congress to PM Modi

https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/follow-raj-dharma-tell-people-about-reality-of-chinese-incursions-congress-to-pm-modi

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Leh and addressed frontline soldiers, the Congress on Saturday said the time has come for him to follow his "raj dharma" and tell the people of the country about the reality of Chinese "incursions".Addressing a virtual press meet, Congress leader Kapil Sibal used satellite images of Ladakh's Pangong Tso from May and June to show Chinese structures in the area and asked the prime minister to at least speak the truth about it.He also asked Modi to stop doing the politics of "illusion and delusion" and showing "red eyes" to China, and protect Indian territory."The times warrant India to look eye-to-eye at China and unequivocally tell them to retreat from their illegal and brazen occupation of Indian territory. Mr Prime Minister, this is the only 'raj dharma' that you must follow," Sibal said.Posing a set of five questions to the prime minister, he asked Modi to say whether the actual picture of "Chinese occupation of our territory" up to the "Finger 4 Ridge" in the Pangong Tso area depicts the truth on the ground.

 

J&K: Militant killed in encounter with security forces in Kulgam, ops underway

 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kulgam-encounter-jk-militant-security-forces-6489890/

At least one militant has been killed in an ongoing encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.The gunfire broke out Saturday afternoon after a cordon and search operation was launched by joint forces in Arrah area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. Police said militants present in the area fired at security forces, triggering the encounter.“The cordon and search operation was launched in Kulgam police station jurisdiction where terrorists fired upon joint forces triggering an encounter. Updates will be given post conclusion of the operation,” the Kulgam Police said.

 

 Nepal’s ruling communist party meet to decide PM Oli’s fate deferred till Monday

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/nepals-ruling-communist-party-meet-pm-oli-fate-deferred-6490348/

A crucial meeting of Nepal’s ruling communist party to decide the political future of embattled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was postponed until Monday to allow more time for the top leadership to iron out their differences over his autocratic style of functioning and anti-India statements. The meeting of Nepal Communist Party’s 45-member powerful Standing Committee was scheduled to be held on Saturday at 11 AM local time. But it was postponed at the last minute. Prime Minister’s press advisor Surya Thapa said the meeting was postponed until Monday as the top leaders of the NCP required more time to forge an understanding on the outstanding issues.

 

'I've Been Framed Due to Political Reasons': Ex-Faizabad DM to Babri Masjid Demolition Trial Court

https://www.news18.com/news/india/ive-been-framed-due-to-political-reasons-ex-faizabad-dm-to-babri-masjid-demolition-trial-court-2700359.html

Former Faizabad DM R N Srivastava on Friday told a special CBI court holding trial in the 1992 Babri masjid demolition case that he has been falsely implicated in the case due to political vendetta. Srivastava was the district magistrate of erstwhile Faizabad, now Ayodhya, when the disputed structure was pulled down by a group of agitated 'kar sevaks' on Dec.6, 1992. Deposing before the court of Special Judge S K Yadav, Srivastava asserted that he was innocent and implicated in the case due to political vendetta. Seeking to refute the prosecution evidence against him, Srivastava said the evidence led by prosecution agency CBI was fabricated and the witnesses acted against him and other accused under political pressure.Srivastava appeared before the court as the 20th accused in the case and deposed under the provisions of section 313 of the CrPC, a stage which follows the recording of prosecution evidence.His deposition, however, could not be completed and ASJ Yadav asked him to appear again on Saturday to complete his deposition.The court is yet to record statements of 12 accused including former Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, the then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh and BJP leader Murli Manhoar Joshi.

 

 

Chargesheet in Delhi riots names BJP leader for murder of 25-yr-old

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/riots-chargesheet-bjp-leader-for-murder-delhi-police-6489177/

One of those chargesheeted in the murder of a 25-year-old during the riots in Northeast Delhi in February, under arrest since March, is the mahamantri (general secretary) of BJP’s Brahampuri Mandal and has been associated with the party for over a decade.While the chargesheet, filed on June 23, before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak at Delhi’s Karkardooma Court, talks of Brijmohan Sharma’s political ambitions, saying he was known locally as ‘Netaji’, it does not mention any party. Brijmohan, 41, was arrested on March 28, along with his neighbour Sunny Singh (32), over the killing of Irfan during the riots at Kartar Nagar, Pusta-4 on February 26. The chargesheet quotes him as confessing to the murder.

 

9 of those killed in Delhi riots were forced to chant Jai Shri Ram, police tells court

https://theprint.in/india/9-of-those-killed-in-delhi-riots-were-forced-to-chant-jai-shri-ram-police-tells-court/453904/

New Delhi: Some of the rioters used a WhatsApp group to coordinate with each other during north-east Delhi riots in February and killed nine Muslims after they refused to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, Delhi police has alleged in its charge sheets filed in a court here.The accused were part of a WhatsApp group — Kattar Hindut Ekta — that was created on February 25 to take revenge on Muslims, the charge sheets said, adding that they used it to coordinate with each other and provide, men, arms and ammunition to each other.The creator of the WhatsApp group is still absconding, police said in the charge sheets.‘Kattar Hindut Ekta’ group was created on February 25 at 12.49 Hrs. Initially there were 125 members in this group, out of these 125; total 47 had exited the group by March 8, it said.The charge sheets were filed before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Kumar Gautam on June 29 for the alleged bludgeoning of nine people — Hamza, Aamin, Bhure Ali, Mursalin, Aas Mohd, Musharraf, Akil Ahmed, and Hashim Ali and his elder brother Aamir Khan — to death.

Delhi riot message: ‘I have just killed two’

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/delhi-riot-message-i-have-just-killed-two/cid/1785253

 

Delhi riots: Links to Zakir Naik, Saudi Arabia, PFI established in police probe

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/delhi-riots-links-to-zakir-naik-saudi-arabia-pfi-established-in-police-probe-1696849-2020-07-04

New details have emerged from Delhi Police's Special Cell investigation which revealed that Khalid Saifi, who was arrested in connection with the riots, met Islamic preacher Zakir Naik in Malaysia. Saifi is allegedly one of the facilitators of the Delhi Riots and close friends with Umar Khalid and Tahir Hussain.According to the status report filed by Delhi Police's Special Cell, funds have been traced back to Saudi Arabia to an NRI in Singapore.The investigations have revealed that former Congress municipal councilor Ishrat Jahan got funds from a suspicious route in Ghaziabad and other relatives in Maharashtra. Ishrat was also arrested by Delhi Police in March for her involvement in the Delhi riots case.The interrogation of Khalid Saifi and Ishrat Jahan remains pending due to the coronavirus outbreak and the lockdown.Further, the probe has revealed that Khalid Saifi got funds for the riots through an NRI account from Singapore. This money was transferred to an NGO in India run by Umer Khalid and his Meerut-based partner who is in quarantine. The investigation is underway to identify the Singapore NRI.

 

'Did No Wrong': Named in Murder Chargesheet, Delhi Doctor Who Treated Riot Victims Is Unafraid

https://thewire.in/rights/delhi-riots-dr-anwar-al-hind-clinic

New Delhi: Mohammad Imran, 22, was on the streets of Delhi’s Mustafabad with his father when suddenly the police started firing and instructing residents to go home.It was February 25 and North East Delhi was in the grip of the kind of communal violence the national capital has not seen in the last few decades. Amid the chaos, a bullet hit Imran’s genital area, ripping apart his scrotum and penis. The bleeding would not stop. Imran’s family knew he needed immediate medical attention, but with the violence on the streets, they couldn’t take him to a government hospital. Luckily for them, a clinic in Old Mustafabad was open – to provide first aid to victims of the riots. Run by Dr M.A. Anwar, Al-Hind is a small clinic. It is not equipped to be a hospital, in spite of its name. But considering Imran’s condition, Dr Anwar took him in and treated him. The next day, Imran was shifted to LNJP Hospital. Nearly four months later, Imran, a daily wage worker, is still recovering. He believes Dr Anwar saved his life that day. “Had it not been for him and his selfless work during the riots, I and others like me who couldn’t reach big hospitals immediately wouldn’t have survived,” Imran says.

 

Despite Senior Officer's Nod, Delhi Police Refuses to Give Information About Riots

https://thewire.in/rights/delhi-police-riots-rti-the-wire-refuse

New Delhi: Defying the order of a senior officer, the Delhi Police has once again refused to furnish details of the Northeast Delhi riots, such as FIRs lodged in connection with the violence and the names of the accused, the dead and the injured.Despite a senior police official giving the nod to make these details public, the police have refused to do so, arguing the information is ‘sensitive’.The Delhi Police have recently filed several chargesheets in connection with the riots, including some where people who seemingly did not have anything to do with the violence have been named. In one chargesheet, the police have named the owner of Al-Hind Hospital, Dr M.A. Anwar, even though he was offering medical assistance to the injured during the riots.Though some Hindutva activists have been arrested and charged, the police have been accused of ignoring the role of senior politicians and mainly targeting Muslims while making arrests, as well as apprehending the victims of violence instead of those who instigated the riots. Consequently, several students of Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU and members of civil society organisations have been arrested in the case.

 

Elgaar Parishad case: No interim bail for Sen, court says suffering from ‘some diseases’ not ground for release

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/elgaar-parishad-case-no-interim-bail-for-shoma-sen-6489325/

IN THE detailed order rejecting interim bail to 62-year-old academic Shoma Sen, accused in the Elgaar Parishad case, a special court on Friday said the mere fact that she is suffering from “some diseases” cannot be a ground for release on interim bail.Sen, lodged in Byculla Women’s Jail, had filed an interim bail plea on medical grounds stating that she has a history of hypertension, osteoarthritis and other ailments which make her vulnerable to coronavirus.Last month, it rejected interim bail to both Sen and 81-year-old poet-writer, Varavara Rao, who has been behind bars since 2018.

 

I held Najeeb’s picture to my heart, wept inconsolably but my voice didn’t reach the Chowkidar: mother of disappeared Najeeb

http://twocircles.net/2020jul03/437874.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Twocirclesnet-IndianMuslim+%28TwoCircles.net+-+Indian+Muslim+News%29

What is common among Junaid, who was brutally attacked with knives on returning from Eid shopping, and Najeeb from JNU – whose name got lost in oblivion, and Rohith Vemula – whose last words were ‘My fault is my caste’ before he painfully took his life and engineer Yusuf Khwaja – who was killed in police custody, is the shared pain of their families.To this day, the mothers of all these four individuals are fighting for justice. This is the story of one such mother – Fatima Nafees, mother of disappeared JNU scholar Najeeb. “In a big country like India, there are thousands of mothers who suffer the same pain as us, they are not living but suffocating every moment. Their problems are the same as ours. Many people might find our fight as a personal issue but this is not personal. Our struggle for justice is our fight, but this fight will not only ensure justice for us but will also open a way for others so that there are no more Junaid and no more Najeeb,” said Fatima Nafees, mother of missing JNU scholar Najeeb.

 

 

 

 

Vikas Dubey's House Razed, Spl Task Force Roped in: Day After Killing of Cops, UP out to Nab Gangster

https://www.news18.com/news/india/vikas-dubeys-house-razed-spl-task-force-roped-in-day-after-killing-of-8-cops-up-goes-all-out-to-nab-gangster-2700989.html

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh district administration on Saturday demolished the house of history-sheeter Vikas Dubey, a day after eight police personnel were gunned down by criminals during an attempt to arrest him.Police officials also said the surveillance team was scanning over 500 mobile phones and efforts were on to retrieve information pertaining to Dubey, who has faced about 60 criminal cases. The Special Task Force of UP Police has also been roped in. Inspector General of Police, Kanpur, Mohit Agarwal said a cash reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for providing information about Dubey and the identity of the information provider will be kept secret.He added that to nab Dubey and his accomplices, as many as 25 teams have been formed, "which are conducting raids in different districts of the state and other states as well."Eight police personnel, including a DSP, were gunned down in a village near the city by the henchmen of a criminal who lost two of them in a firefight later, officials said.

 

Okhla AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan may return as Wakf Board chief

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2020/jul/04/okhla-aap-mla-amanatullah-khan-may-return-as-wakf-board-chief-2165266.html

NEW DELHI: AAP Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan is likely to return to Delhi Wakf Board (DWB) as the chairman. The proposal for his nomination as member to the panel, forwarded by the Delhi government, has reportedly been cleared by L-G office.A government official, aware of the matter, said that the file pertaining to his appointment to the board as its member had already been cleared about 10 days ago and his nomination might be notified soon. “His appointment should have been notified long ago but opposition by a section in the government has delayed the decision. Following the approval by L-G’s office, the notification is expected soon,” said the official.   After the reconstitution of the DWB, the election for the chairmanship will be held among the members and if Khan is elected, this will be his third term as the head of the body, which is the custodian of over 2,000 Waqf properties such as mosques, graveyards, schools, residential buildings, shops and land parcels across the national capital.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With Photo of a Goat, PETA’s ‘Go Vegan’ Hoardings in Lucknow Spark Row; Locals Say it Hurts Sentiments Ahead of Bakri Eid

https://www.news18.com/news/india/hurting-muslim-sentiments-as-eid-al-adha-kab-hai-2020-peta-hoardings-against-eating-meat-lucknow-islam-non-veg-2700497.html

As festival of Eid-Ul-Azha approaches, controversial hoardings allegedly put up by the 'People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal' (PETA) in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, are attracting criticism from Islamic clerics.One such hoarding in Qaiserbagh crossing carries a huge picture of a goat and reads - ‘Mai Jeev Hoon, Maans Nahi. Hamare Prati Nazariya Badlen, Vegan Bane’ (I am a living being and not just meat. Change your view towards us and become a vegan). It carries a PETA logo at its corner.After wide circulation of the hoardings' pictures on social media, Chairman of Islamic Centre of India, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, has written to police demanding for them to be taken down on grounds that they are hurtful to Muslim sentiments. PETA has not yet commented on the hoardings. “On the occasion of Eid-Ul-Azha, there is a religious tradition of sacrificing goats, and such hoardings are hurting the sentiments of lakhs of Muslims," Maulana Mahali said.He said the organisation has written a letter to the Commissioner of Police, Lucknow, asking him to take down the hoardings from the city as soon as possible. "It seems that these hoardings were deliberately put up in a mischievous attempt to hurt Muslim sentiments," he added.Other Islamic clerics have also objected to the hoardings, saying they have been put up to "spoil the law and order situation in the state capital ahead of the festival of Eid-Ul-Azha."

 

Muslim Body Urges Maha Govt To Equip Abattoirs For Bakri Eid

https://www.republicworld.com/india-news/general-news/muslim-body-urges-maha-govt-to-equip-abattoirs-for-bakri-eid.html

All India Jamiatul Quresh has urged the Maharashtra government to make necessary arrangements at government-run abattoirs for the upcoming Bakri Eid festival. Bakri Eid will be celebrated across the country on August 1. "We have asked the state government to set up shelter sheds for livestock keeping in mind the monsoon season and also arrange for security, electricity and water supply," said Imran Babu Qureshi, the national vice-president of the All India Jamiatul Quresh.Apart from this, the organisation has also sought the deployment of veterinarians and doctors for emergencies, he said, adding that the abattoirs should charge a regular fee for their services. Social distancing norms should be strictly followed, to prevent overcrowding in markets at Mumbai and Pune amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while civic bodies should make provisions to set up ward-wise markets for sale of animals, Qureshi said.

 

MP: Tension in Khargone after murder of minority leader

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhopal/tension-in-khargone-after-murder-of-minority-leader/articleshow/76777826.cms

KHARGONE: Tension gripped Bhikangaon town in MP's Khargone district on Friday after a minority community leader was shot dead in clear daylight close to a police station.The accused surrendered before police, minutes after he pumped two bullets into the chest of 52-year-old Mansoor Pathan, police said. The victim was first taken to the district hospital and then referred to Indore, about 115km away, but died on the way.“Mansoor was the Sadar (Muslim community leader) of Bhikangaon. The reason for the attack is not yet known, but during interrogation, the accused claimed that he had been picking fights with Mansoor after they stared each other down on many occasions,” DIG Tilak Singh said.Police are yet to reveal the identity of 21-year-old accused. Khargone SP Shailendra Singh Chouhan said the suspect is being interrogated and police are trying to identify the trigger for the shooting. “We are also trying to find out if anyone else was behind the attack,” the SP said. The shooting triggered protests in Bhikangaon town, forcing heavy deployment of police. “We are considering it a sensitive case, so police have been deployed in strength,” Singh said.

No international flights until July 31: why has DGCA extended the ban on flying abroad?

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/ban-on-international-flights-india-coronavirus-6490105/

India’s aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday extended the ban on international flights until July 31. The ban was until July 15 so far, and the restarting of normal scheduled international passenger flights has now been deferred further. According to senior government officials, the ban was extended because it was felt that it would take some more time for India to prepare before it can resume scheduled international operations. The resumption of international flights depends mainly on the destination country allowing Indian citizens into its borders, or removing travel restrictions that they put in place over the last few months.

 

ICMR defends August 15 Covid vaccine deadline, says process ‘as per global norms’

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/icmr-india-vaccine-update-covaxin-august-15-deadline-6490179/

Defending the August 15 target for launching Covaxin, India’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate, amid criticism from the scientific community, ICMR Saturday said the process is “in accordance with the globally accepted norms to fast-track the vaccine development”.“ICMR’s process is exactly in accordance with the globally accepted norms to fast-track the vaccine development for diseases of pandemic potential wherein human and animal trials can continue in parallel,” ICMR said in a statement after the scientific community questioned the “near impossible timeline” in getting a vaccine ready for public health use.

 

Domestic airlines may need USD 3-3.5 bn funding amid travel demand uncertainty: CAPA

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/domestic-airlines-may-need-usd-3-3-5-bn-funding-amid-travel-demand-uncertainty-capa-6489792/

Domestic airlines, excluding IndiGo, may require funding requirements to the tune of USD 3-3.5 billion, with travel demand likely to remain subdued until the September quarter and no certainty of revival in the second half, aviation consultancy CAPA said in a report on Friday.Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) had in late April said that Indian airlines, excluding IndiGo, will need to raise a minimum of USD 2.5 billion to survive the temporary grounding of the operations due to the lockdown imposed to contain COVID-19 spread.

 

Coronavirus | Nearly 78% of COVID-19 patients in India are under 50: Health Ministry data

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/three-fourths-of-covid-19-patients-under-50-60-have-at-least-one-co-morbidity-idsp-data/article31990822.ece

In India, 60% of COVID-19 patients had at least one ‘co-morbidity’ and nearly 78% of them were under 50, says data from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), a Health Ministry body, that’s tasked with monitoring disease outbreaks across the country.The data is only a fraction — less than 1,00,000 — of the confirmed positive cases that today exceeds over 6,50,000 but is based on hospital data and offers glimpses into the unique characteristics of the spread of the disease.For instance, while co-morbidities are known to be a major risk factor for death, well-known risk factors — hypertension and diabetes — appeared to play a limited role as far as testing positive for the disease is concerned. Only 8% of 16,155, whose data was publicised by the IDSP, were diabetic and 9% hypertensive. Previous studies have shown that the overall prevalence of hypertension was 29% and diabetes, around 11%. Nearly 30% of those whose co-morbidities were publicised were categorised as ‘others’. Experts say there were a wide range of co-morbidities among those who tested positive and frequently it was difficult to tease out the contribution of the virus in worsening health. “Cancers, a history of a bypass, hepatic disorders, kidney ailments come in the category of others,” said Sujeet Kumar Singh, Director, National Centre for Disease Control. The IDSP is a unit of this. ”We now have enough cases to call for a deeper analysis of the peculiar characteristics of the pandemic. It isn’t enough to rely on Western or international data alone to understand Indian disease peculiarities.” Laying out the symptoms recorded by hospital of 19,813 patients, ‘fever’ was the dominant symptom but noted only in 26% of the cases; cough in 19%. A

 

Delhi dad returned home last week after Covid treatment. Today his family buried him

https://theprint.in/in-pictures/delhi-dad-returned-home-last-week-after-covid-treatment-today-his-family-buried-him/454575/

New Delhi: Shaji John, a 56-year-old private firm employee in Bawana, Delhi, stopped going to work in January because of a kidney ailment. He had to visit the hospital twice a week for dialysis.Towards the end of May, he started having breathing problems and was advised by doctors to get a Covid-19 test. When the result came back positive, John was admitted to LNJP on 3 June. He was discharged after he tested negative on 26 June and was sent back home to his wife and 2 daughters.However, because of his kidney ailment, he still had to go for his dialysis procedure, for which he needed two Covid-negative test reports. When the family went to a private hospital for the test, he tested positive again.John had to be readmitted at LNJP Hospital on 1 July, where his condition started deteriorating 2 days later. On 3 July, when his younger daughter Aliza called him around 11.45 pm, doctor received the call and informed them that his condition was critical.“The doctor told us he is having breathing problems, we will carry out dialysis tomorrow morning,” Aliza told ThePrint.

East Jerusalem: Israel accused of ploy to increase control

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/east-jerusalem-israel-accused-ploy-increase-control-200704162512805.html

An Israeli municipal government is planning to turn an industrial neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem into a technology hub.But opponents say the project is another attempt to illegally solidify Israeli control over occupied Palestinian land.

 

Stop using ‘militant’ for ‘terrorists’ who kill cops. Police officers have families too:SANDEEP CHAUDHARY

https://theprint.in/opinion/stop-using-militant-for-terrorists-who-kill-cops-police-officers-have-families-too/453174/

It’s time for China, Pakistan, even India to rethink the fantasy Modi called expansionism:SHEKHAR GUPTA

https://theprint.in/national-interest/its-time-for-china-pakistan-even-india-to-rethink-the-fantasy-modi-called-expansionism/454258/