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Coronavirus Vaccine India LIVE update: A coronavirus vaccine AstraZeneca developed by the University of Oxford prompted a strong immune response in over a thousand people who had got the shot. Indian medical experts hailed the coronavirus vaccine by Oxford and its trials will be conducted in India soon. Meanwhile, volunteers are being recruited to conduct the human clinical trials of the indigenously developed coronavirus vaccine candidate Covaxin in India as the coronavirus cases in India crossed the 11 lakh mark with no sign of Covid-19 peak anytime soon. India has been registering daily spike of over 30,000 coronavirus cases for last few days. However, on Monday, India reported its highest-ever single day tally of 40,425 Covid infections. Also, Delhi reported its cases in three digits for the first time since May. In fact, AIIMS Director said Delhi seems to have hit the coronavirus peak with the number of daily cases declining significantly. Catch coronavirus vaccine, India and world LIVE updates.

With India registering over 34,000 new cases and the total tally having crossed 10.38 lakh, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) today said community transmission of Covid-19 in India has started and the situation looks bad, the Times of India said quoting ANI.

Attributing this statement to Dr VK Monga, Chairperson of IMA Hospital Board of India, the report said “this is now an exponential growth”.

“Every day the number of cases is increasing by more than 30,000. This is really a bad situation for the country. There are so many factors connected with it but overall this is now spreading to rural areas. This is a bad sign. It now shows a community spread,” Dr Monga said.

This statement is significant because the Union Health Ministry has been maintaining that community transmission of Covid-19 has not started yet in India, claim strongly challenged by independent health experts.

The government maintains its claim despite the fact that India now has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world after the US and Brazil.

In its morning Covid-19 bulleting on Saturday, the Union Health Ministry said so far 10,38,716 people in India have tested positive for Covid-19. Of these, 6,53,751 have recovered, while 26,273 have died so far.

Speaking further about the current situation, Dr Monga said now the Covid-19 cases are “penetrating down” into towns and villages. He said this will make it “very difficult to control the situation”.

“In Delhi, we were able to contain it, but what about interior parts of the country in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Madhya Pradesh (which may be the new hotspots)?” Dr Monga, was quoted as saying.

Four months after the pandemic hit India, we have crossed the 1 million-cases mark, becoming the third country in the world to cross this level after the United States and Brazil.

On Friday, July 17, India recorded 34,956 new coronavirus cases, the highest single-day rise it has witnessed so far.

The India Today Data Intelligence Unit compares India’s position at a million cases with the US and Brazil when they had reached their first million cases based on the growth rate of cases, daily addition of cases, and deaths. Here is how India fares.

Growth rate of cases at 1 million

As of Friday, India’s weekly growth rate of coronavirus cases stands at 3.4 per cent. This is higher than the growth rate of Brazil and the US when they had reached their first million cases. This means that cases are doubling every 21 days in the country.

Brazil crossed a million cases on 20 June. The weekly growth rate in the country on that day was 3.3 per cent, which means that cases were doubling every 22 days. Since then, Covid-19 cases have doubled in Brazil, and on Friday, it crossed the 2-million mark.

The United States had a weekly growth rate of 3.1 per cent on 29 April, the day it reached its first million cases. Cases were doubling every 23 days then. Currently, more than 3.5 million people have been infected in the US by coronavirus.

Daily coronavirus cases

At 1 million cases, India’s daily addition of cases are alarming. For the past two days, India has recorded more than 30,000 cases. On 17 July, it recorded close to 35,000 new coronavirus cases, which brings its weekly rolling average to a little more than 30,000 now.

India’s tally of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus exceeded 10 lakh on Thursday with Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh among other states reporting spikes in the number of new cases.

As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s COVID bulletin on the morning of July 16, India had 9,68,876 confirmed cases. This figure was inclusive of 3,31,146 active cases and 6,12,815 recoveries along with 24,915 casualties. Maharashtra leads with the most number of confirmed cases followed by Tamil Nadu and Delhi.

Data indicates that the Health Departments of various state governments collectively recorded more than a lakh new cases in the last four days, pushing India’s tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases beyond the 10-lakh mark.

Maharashtra reported 8641 new cases on Thursday. With this development, the state now has 2,84,281 confirmed cases. Mumbai accounts for 23,694 cases on July 16.

The state with the second-highest number of confirmed cases in India, Tamil Nadu reported a spike of 4549 in its tally of confirmed cases. Now, there are 46,714 active cases in the state.

Uttar Pradesh government’s Health Department also informed reporters that it detected 2061 new cases across the state in the last 24 hours. The state’s tally of confirmed cases now stands at 43,444. This figure is inclusive of 15,723 active cases to date.

Similarly, the state of Andhra Pradesh reported 2593 new cases, West Bengal 1690 fresh cases and Delhi another 1652 cases on Thursday. Gujarat accounted for 919 fresh cases, Bihar another 1385 cases, and Jammu and Kashmir 493 new cases. Telangana also reported 1676 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 on July 16.

Karnataka also accounted for a massive spike in new cases with 4169 new cases.

India saw a record single-day jump of 32,695 COVID-19 cases pushing its tally to 9,68,876 on Thursday, while the death toll climbed to 24,915 with 606 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

This is the first day that COVID-19 cases in India have increased by more than 30,000.

The number of recoveries stands at 6,12,815, while there are 3,31,146 active cases of coronavirus infection presently in the country, the updated data at 8 am showed.

“Thus, around 63.24 per cent of patients have recovered so far,” an official said.

The total number of confirmed cases include foreigners.

谷歌计划未来五至七年投资印度100亿美元，以协助这个国家加速数字转型。

出身印度的谷歌母公司字母总执行长皮查伊，在该公司一年一度的Google for India活动上，透过视讯宣布这项消息。

他表示，2019冠状病毒病疫情的爆发，已让人们明白科技在经营事业和联系亲友上的重要性。

他说，这个“印度数位化基金”（India Digitization Fund），反映了他们对于印度和该国数位经济未来的信心。

谷歌表示，这项投资将聚焦于下列几个重要领域：

●提供所有印度民众负担得起的管道，获得他们自己母语版本的资讯，包括印地语、坦米尔语和旁遮普语

●建立符合印度独特需求的新产品和服务

●协助企业继续或着手数位转型

●在公共财方面发挥科技和人工智能（AI）的力量，例如在医疗、教育和农业等领域

印度的夺命毒蛇

印度眼镜蛇通常在天黑后攻击人畜，并引起内出血，需要立即就医。
一项新的研究发现，在过去20年中，印度估计有120万人死于蛇咬。

这项由印度和国际著名专家进行的研究称，近一半的受害者年龄在30至69岁之间，其中四分之一是儿童。

多种世界十大毒蛇中的山蝰（又被称为卢氏蝰蛇，Russell’s vipers），印度环蛇（又被称为银环蛇，Kraits）和眼镜蛇是造成大多数被蛇咬的印度人死亡的原因。

其余死亡是由至少12种其他毒蛇造成的。

印度很多人被蛇袭击咬伤后丧命，因为事故大多发生在无法迅速得到医治的地区。

有半数的死亡发生在6月到9月的季风季节，这段时间会有很多蛇在山区或者乡村出没。大多数受害者都是腿被咬伤。

这项研究发表在《eLife》生物科技期刊上，它是基于印度正在进行的雄心勃勃的“百万级提前死亡项目”研究中收集的数据。

印度环蛇昼伏夜出，因此通常白天相对安静，但在晚上变得凶猛。它可以长到1.75米的长度。
山蝰是印度著名三大毒蛇的其中之一，主要分布在印度次大陆，东南亚，中国南方，台湾岛。它由英国在印度的外科医生和爬虫类学者柏德烈·罗素（Patrick Russell，1726-1805）博士最早研究。

这是一种进攻性普遍很强的毒蛇。它以老鼠等啮齿动物为主食，因此经常在人类居住区附近被发现，无论是在印度一些城市还是在农村都有。

印度环蛇（又被称为银环蛇）昼伏夜出，因此通常白天相对安静，但在晚上变得凶猛。它可以长到1.75米的长度。

印度眼镜蛇通常在天黑后攻击人畜，并引起内出血，需要立即就医。

毒蛇最多的邦

上述研究还发现，在2001年至2014年之间，约70%的蛇咬死亡案例发生在8个邦：比哈尔邦、贾坎德邦、中央邦、奥迪沙邦、北方邦、安得拉邦（包括从中独立出来的新邦特伦甘纳邦），拉贾斯坦邦和古吉拉特邦。

这项研究称，印度人在70岁之前死于蛇咬伤的平均风险约为250分之一，但在某些地区，风险接近100分之一。

研究人员说，生活在乡下农村社区、在季风季节被蛇咬伤的风险最高。

研究人员说，这些地区应该重点以简单可行的方法教育民众在农业收获季节避免或降低蛇咬风险的方法，比如穿着橡胶靴，戴手套和使用手电筒等。

Since the ambush on a police party on its way to arrest gangster Vikas Dubey on June 2-3 night, six have died in police encounters in Uttar Pradesh. Vikas Dubey — the sixth — was shot dead Friday morning. Police said he tried to flee and attacked the cops who were taking him from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh – where he was arrested on Thursday – to Kanpur.

The circumstances of these encounters have created controversy over the genuineness of the police action. This is not, however, the first instance when an encounter has come under the scanner. Here are five others which led to raging controversies:

ISHRAT JAHAN

Ishrat Jahan was a 19-year-old woman from Mumbai, who was killed in an encounter in 2004. Three men were also killed in that encounter with the Gujarat police.

The police had said Ishrat Jahan was part of a terror plot hatched to assassinate Narendra Modi, then the Gujarat chief minister. The encounter became hugely controversial with human rights activists and BJP’s rival parties alleging that it was a targeted killing.

The Supreme Court ordered a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the killings, in which the role of several police officers of Gujarat came under probe.

DG Vanzara, the police officer who led the encounter and spent time in jail, was discharged from the case 17 years later, in 2019. The trial is still underway in a CBI court in Ahmedabad.

SOHRABUDDIN SHEIKH

Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi were killed in an encounter with the Gujarat police in 2005. The police said Sohrabuddin was part of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module.

This case was also handed over to the CBI after court’s intervention. Then Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah was named as one of the accused in this case. He was later discharged. In 2018, the special CBI court acquitted 22 accused for lack of evidence.

LAKHAN BHAIYA

Ramnarayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiya was killed in an encounter with the Mumbai Police in 2006. Lakhan Bhaiya was considered a member of the Chhota Rajan gang.

Within a week of the encounter, Lakhan Bhaiya’s family moved the Bombay High Court seeking a probe into the encounter. An investigation was ordered.

The probe showed Lakhan Bhaiya was killed at point-blank range. He had been picked up from Navi Mumbai by police on the day of his encounter. In 2013, 21 people including 13 police personnel were sentenced to life. It is one of the rare cases in which people involved in a police encounter were convicted.

WARRANGAL ENCOUNTER

This was a case in which public sentiment supported the police action. The Andhra Pradesh police had gunned down three men in Warrangal in 2008.

The deceased persons were accused of throwing acid on two engineering college students, who had rejected a proposal by one of the accused.

Police said they acted in self-defence but many believed the action was to pacify public sentiment of the time. VC Sajjanar was the superintendent of police in Warrangal at the time. Another encounter would take place under his police department in Hyderabad years later.

HYDERABAD ENCOUNTER

In November last year, a young veterinary doctor was abducted, gangraped, smothered to death and her body charred in Hyderabad. The news shocked the conscience of the nation.

Eight days after her body was found near NH-44, four persons accused in the case were killed near the same highway. The Cyberabad police said the four snatched police weapons and tried to flee during a spot-verification exercise.

Public sentiment was overwhelmingly in favour of the encounter. At some places, people even showered flower petals on the police. VC Sajjanar was the commissioner of police this time in Cyberabad, and like in Warrangal, he was hailed as a hero.

The Special Task Force (STF) has released a press note detailing its version of events leading up to the death of gangster Vikas Dubey. A fugitive ever since he and his men opened fire at a police team killing eight cops on July 2, Dubey was being taken to Kanpur via road by a team of STF personnel.

In its statement, the STF claims that a team of personnel was taking Vikas Dubey to Kanpur for him to be produced before a court. “During the accident of a vehicle in the convoy on the National Highway under Sachendi police station limits in Kanpur district, the criminal snatched Ramakant Pachauri’s pistol and tried to run while firing at the police party, this is when the police party retaliated in self-defence injuring Vikas Dubey who died during treatment,” the STF’s press note said.

A service pistol (9 MM) and two hollow shells were recovered from the site, added the STF.

According to the press note, the Lucknow team was transporting Vikas Dubey under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police (STF) Tej Bahadur Singh in a government vehicle. The STF claims that a herd of cattle waylaid the convoy out of the blue in front of the Kanhaiya Lal Hospital. “The driver, tired from the long drive, took a sudden turn in an attempt to save the animals which resulted in him losing control of the vehicle that overturned,” the press note goes ahead to claim.

Battling a surge in COVID-19 cases, the West Bengal government Tuesday decided to clamp a “total” lockdown in containment and buffer zones after merging them together, and impose tough restrictions on public mobility and trade from July 9, a top state official said.

The containment zones and buffer zones around them will be clubbed together and constitute a “broad-based” containment zone where a total lockdown will be imposed from 5 pm on Thursday, a government order signed by Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Alapan Bandyopadhyay said. 

The development comes after the state reported more than 800 cases for three successive days.

West Bengal has reported a total of 23,837 cases till Tuesday and the contagion has claimed the lives of 804 people, including those who had other concurrent illnesses called comorbidities in medical parlance.

“These broader containment zones may be subjected to strict lockdown and all offices, government and private, all non-essential activities, congregations, transportations and all marketing, industrial and trading activities be closed,” the order said.

Local authorities will try and arrange home delivery of essential commodities for the residents of these areas, he said.

“Residents of the containment zones may be exempted and prohibited from attending government and private offices: in fact, their ingress and egress may be strictly regulated,”
the order said.

It, however, did not mention how long the fresh spell of the shutdown will last.

A lockdown is currently in force essentially in the containment zones in the state and will last till July 31, if not extended further.

In the state capital, the Kolkata Municipal corporation and the city police will decide on the broad-based containment zones, while in districts the district magistrate and police superintendent will determine the areas.

In Kolkata alone, there are 33 containment zones, whereas in the neighbouring South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts there are 155 and 219 such zones.

The West Bengal government had allowed relaxations in the lockdown norms in May for which it had divided containment zones into three zones– affected zone, buffer zone and clean zone.

The state government’s decision drew sharp criticism from the opposition CPI(M) and the BJP, which slammed the TMC dispensation for being “clueless about the entire situation”.

“In all the notifications of the state and the central governments, it was clearly stated that strict lockdown would be implemented in all the containment zones, so what does this new order mean? The state government is clueless about what it has to do and what not to do,” said BJP state general secretary Sayantan Basu said.

CPI(M) legislative party leader Sujan Chakraborty said had the state government implemented the lockdown sincerely since March the situation would have been much better.

The TMC, however, defended its government and blamed the Centre for imposing an “unplanned” lockdown.

“The present situation, both in the state and across the country, is solely due to the unplanned lockdown announced by the central government from March 25. The state government, in fact, brought the situation under control,” senior TMC leader and minister Rajib Banerjee said. 

A letter, reportedly written by a policeman who led the raid on gangster Vikas Dubey, has alleged links between the now suspended Chaubeypur station officer and the criminal whose gang killed eight cops in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The purported letter, if found true, could be damning evidence that a tip-off to the absconding gangster about the raid was the handiwork of the senior police officer named in the letter.

The purported letter by Deputy Superintendent of Police Devendra Mishra, who led the raid and was killed along with seven other cops, surfaced on social media on Monday, alleging that station officer Vinay Tiwari had got a serious charge against Dubey dropped. However, the letter carried no serial number or date.

Police on Tuesday said there was no record of DSP Mishra having written any such letter.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dinesh Kumar Prabhu said that there was no record of the letter in which Mishra was supposed to have made the serious allegations against Tiwari.

The SSP said records at the offices of CO Bilhaur and SP rural were checked, but no such letter was found.

He further said that all office records were thoroughly checked in the confidential section of his own office, including police office and SSP camp office, but there was no entry of any letter.

“I also questioned the clerks who deal with the section, but they denied having any information regarding the letter,” SSP asserted.

The SSP, however, claimed that the matter is under investigation and efforts are on to probe the charges.

The police suspect that Tiwari may have tipped-off Dubey that a police team was on its way to arrest him.

According to the purported letter circulating on social media, Mishra had written that Dubey was booked on charges of rioting, extortion and criminal intimidation in a case.

“Showing sympathy to such a notorious criminal in such a way by the station officer and not taking any action brings the integrity of Vinay Tiwari into question,” it said.

It mentioned that it also came to light from other sources that Tiwari used to visit Dubey frequently.

Mishra’s alleged letter to the SSP said that if the station officer does not change his style of working, then a serious incident could occur.

Meanwhile, the police on Tuesday started house searches in Bikru villages in which they seized several documents related to Dubey, a senior police official said.

India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) analysed statistics for countries with more than 10,000 Covid-19 deaths and found that not only is India facing a high growth rate in terms of deaths, but also an upward sloping daily death curve.

ndia now has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases globally, and the eighth-highest number of deaths worldwide. However, in terms of growth rate of Covid-19 deaths, India’s numbers exceed any other country.

According to health ministry data, India had recorded 16,893 deaths on June 30, which spiked to 19,693 on July 6 – a growth rate of 2.6 per cent against the global average of 0.9 per cent in the same period.

On July 5, India recorded 613 deaths – its biggest single-day rise so far if we do not count reconciliations issued by Maharashtra on June 16 for which more than 2,000 deaths were recorded in a single day.

India Today Data Intelligence Unit (DIU) analysed statistics for countries with more than 10,000 Covid-19 deaths and found that not only is India facing a high growth rate in terms of deaths, but also an upward sloping daily death curve.

Countries that follow India are Mexico (2.1 per cent), Brazil and Peru (1.8 per cent), Russia (1.7 per cent) and Iran (1.4 per cent). Even the United States, with the highest mortality of over 1.3 lakh, recorded a growth rate of 0.5 per cent in the last one week – lower than the global average.

India’s twin troubles

On one side, growth rate of Covid-19 fatalities is not coming down significantly in India, and on the other, it is faced by a spike in daily deaths. For the last three weeks, growth rate of Covid-19 deaths in the country has been above 2.5 per cent.

The seven-day rolling average of new deaths is also moving upwards. Based on our calculations, India’s seven-day rolling average of new deaths on July 6 was 460. This means on an average, India added 460 deaths every day in the last one week and we haven’t reached the peak yet! Just three months ago, daily deaths in India had averaged 10.

India on Sunday replaced Russia as the country third worst-hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic. As per the figures, India is trailing the USA and Brazil, the two countries most affected by the outbreak.

As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s update on the morning of July 4, India had 6,73,165 confirmed cases. The figure was inclusive of 2,44,814 active cases, 4,09,083 recoveries, and 19,268 casualties. Later in the day, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi reported massive spikes in new cases reported by the Health Departments of the respective state governments.

With 6555 fresh cases in Maharashtra, 4150 new cases in Tamil Nadu, and 2244 fresh cases from Delhi, India’s tally of confirmed cases now stands at 6,86,114 as compared to Russia’s 6,80,283 as per the John Hopkins’ University’s Covid-19 dashboard. New cases reported from other states and union-territories are also to be added to India’s tally of confirmed cases.

Maharashtra with the most number of confirmed cases of infection in India reported 6555 new cases on Sunday along with 151 more deaths. The state now has 86,040 active cases while 1,11,740 patients have recovered and 8222 have succumbed to the infection. Mumbai city accounts for 23,732 of the total active cases in Maharashtra.

With 4150 new cases, Tamil Nadu now has 48,860 active cases while the infection has claimed 1510 lives in the state.

India’s national capital, Delhi has 25,038 active cases as of July 5 after the state government’s Health Department reported the detection of 2244 new cases on Sunday. The pandemic has killed 3067 patients in Delhi to date.

Breaking the proverbial glass ceiling has become commonplace in Assam’s Nalbari as women rule the roost in the district by occupying all the key posts including the head of civil administration, police and judiciary.

The already strong numbers of women in authoritative positions will be enhanced with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Purabi Konwar taking charge on Monday.

At least two dozen other key posts including the district’s inspector of schools, food, the social welfare, and information officer too are held by women.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Amanjeet Kaur is already heading the district police for about an year and a half.

Nalbari is located about 60 km west of Guwahati on the northern bank of Brahmaputra. According to 2011 census, Nalbari’s population was 7,71,639 of which 3,96,006 were male and 375,633 female.

Krishna Baruah is another key officer, who is holding the charge of chief executive officer of the ‘zila parishad’ and district development commissioner.

Nalbari’s five judges are women. They are: district and sessions judge Sharmila Bhuyan, assistant sessions judge Hemakhi Thakuria Buragohain, additional chief judicial magistrate Sarbina Bhattacharya, judicial magistrate (1st class) Smriti Rekha Bhuyan and ‘munsif’ Rubina Yasmin.

Kaur, a 2009 batch IPS officer, said women occupying key posts in the district is a positive affirmation of action by the government of Assam.

“When a woman is holding an important post, people, specially the women folk get the courage to approach her with their personal problems. It is always comforting for everyone. Women officers are always compassionate,” she told PTI over phone. Kaur, a native of Punjab’s Kapurthala, however, said women can get tough if the need arises.

Indian shares traded near four-month highs on Friday, tracking gains in broader Asian markets after robust data from the United States and China bolstered hopes of a global economic rebound, but a record spike in domestic coronavirus cases capped gains.

The benchmark indexes rose for a third day, with the Nifty rising 0.39% to 10,592.7 by 0513 GMT and the Sensex by 0.35% to 35,969.38. Both indexes were set for their third straight weekly gain.

Total Covid-19 infections in India jumped by a record 20,903 cases to 625,544, including 18,213 deaths, health ministry data https://www.mohfw.gov.in showed on Friday, days after the government eased lockdown rules to revive the economy.

“People on the ground have started realising that many people in their first degree of connection are now coming down with Covid-19, and the fear of what another lockdown will do to industries is the biggest overhanging worry for investors,” said Nikhil Kamath, co-founder and chief investment officer, Zerodha.

The Nifty and Sensex have rebounded sharply from a virus-led crash in March, but remain around 13% lower for the year.

“There is clearly a disconnect between India’s economic fundamentals and markets,” said VK Vijayakumar, chief investment strategist at Geojit Financial Services. “Markets are being driven by liquidity.”

Broader Asian markets rose after data showed China’s services sector in June expanded at the fastest pace in over a decade, and US nonfarm payrolls saw a better-than-expected jump. But higher infections in the United States capped gains.

Among individual shares, Reliance Industries Ltd rose as much as 1.4% to its highest since June 22 after saying Intel Corp would buy a 0.39% stake in its digital unit, Jio Platforms, for 18.95 billion rupees ($253.55 million).

Locusts have reportedly descended on East Africa, devouring crops, trees, and pastures as they move in swarms that look like storm clouds.

Locusts have been around for a long time, and are mostly associated with the deserts of Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Horn of Africa region.

Now, as the second wave of locusts threatens to invade East Africa, scientists are looking for some environmentally-friendly ways to get rid of them.

And they suggest eating them, poising them or driving them to cannibalism with a peculiar scent.

Locusts are usually controlled by spraying pesticides but the chemicals can damage other insects and the environment.

So scientists at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) are experimenting with biopesticides and the use of locusts as human and animal food as they look for environmentally-friendly extermination methods.

ICIPE researchers were part of a group that discovered an isolate from a fungus, Metharizium acridum, could kill locusts without harming other creatures. The isolate is now being used across East Africa.

At least 31 people died in lightning strikes in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, while the flood in Assam claimed one more life and inundated crop fields, even as Mumbai braced for extremely heavy rainfall.

However, the national capital sweltered under a stifling heat with no rains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted dry weather in the city for the next two days and rains on the weekend.

Most places in the city recorded the maximum temperatures between 39 degrees and 42 degrees Celsius.

In Bihar, 26 people were killed on Thursday after being struck by lightning, officials said. More than 100 have died in lightning strikes in the state in the last one week, they added.

According to the state disaster management department, the casualties were reported from eight districts — Patna, Samastipur, East Champaran, West Champaran, Sheohar, Katihar, Madhepura and Purnea.

Samastipur accounted for the highest number of seven deaths, followed by Patna (six), East Champaran (four), Katihar (three), Sheohar and Madhepura (two each) and West Champaran and Purnea (one each), the department said.

On June 30, 11 people were killed by lightning strikes in five districts, while 83 such deaths were reported from 23 districts within a span of 24 hours on June 25.

Expressing grief over the latest fatalities, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ordered a payment of Rs four lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of each deceased.

In the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, five people died and 12 others got injured in incidents of lightning strikes in Ballia district.

The dead included a 70-year-old retired Army man, Babulal Singh, and villager Nirmal Verma, 43, who were struck by lightning while working in their fields in Babu Ka Shivpur village of Dokati area, police said.

With an increase of 20,723 new Coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, India’s Covid-19 count soared to 6,17,833 by late Thursday, PTI news agency reported.

However, the Health Ministry said 19,148 new coronavirus cases were reported in the last 24 hours.

According to the PTI tally, based on the data provided by various state governments, the death toll across India due to Coronavirus has reached 18,204, with 365 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

Of 6,17,833 Coronavirus cases, 3,77,945 have been discharged or cured.

With 434 deaths reported from across the country, the death toll due to the disease has gone up to 17,834.

The Health Ministry said there are 1,32,912 more cured and discharged patients than active COVID-19 cases in the country.

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that around 91 lakh COVID-19 tests have been conducted across India so far and soon this figure will touch one crore.

Urging people not to panic, he said that the recovery rate has been improving and the doubling rate was 21-22 days. The recovery rate at present is 59.52 per cent.

Maharashtra continues to have the largest number of coronavirus cases. The state’s count stands at 1,80,298 including  79,091 active cases, 93,154 cured patients and 8,053 deaths due to the disease.

Maharashtra government had earlier extended lockdown till July 31 to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Tamil Nadu with 98,392 reported cases, including 41,047 active cases, is the second-worst affected state.  The state has seen the death of 321 persons due to the disease.

Delhi has reported 92,175 cases with 63,007 patients cured and discharged and  2,864 deaths due to the disease.

Karnataka saw 1,502 new COVID-19 cases till 5 pm today taking the total number of cases in the state to 18,016.  Nineteen persons lost their lives due to the disease in the state according to figures for the last 24 hours released on Thursday.  

Punjab’s COVID-19 case count has reached 5,784 with 120 new positive cases reported today.

Uttar Pradesh has 6,709 active cases while 16,629 patients have been cured and discharged so far. The state’s COVID-19 count stands at 24,056 with 718 deaths reported due to the disease.

Madhya Pradesh has reported 13,861 COVID-19 cases of which 10,655 have been cured or discharged and 581 persons have died.

Gujarat’s count of cases stands at 33,232 with 24,030 cured and discharged patients, 7,335 active cases and 1,867 deaths.

Haryana has reported 14,941 COVID-19 cases with 10,499 patients having been cured and discharged. The number of active cases in the state stands at 4,202 with 240 have died due to the disease.

In Rajasthan,  14,574 patients have been cured and discharged. The state has 3,317 active COVID-19 cases and 421 persons have died due to the disease.

全球最大疫苗生产商印度血清研究所（Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd.）将开始生产新型冠状病毒疫苗。将以授权生产方式，在2020年内首先生产4亿剂。新冠疫苗的供给量不足令人担忧，以发达国家为中心，出现“圈占”的趋势。随着具有低成本量产经验的印度企业涉足生产，新兴市场国家也将易于采购疫苗。

 　　

　　要在防止疫情扩大和预防“第2波”疫情发生的同时恢复经济，疫苗将发挥重要作用，因此制药企业和研究机构将加快开发。世界卫生组织（WHO）的统计显示，截至6月29日有17种疫苗推进到以人为对象的临床试验阶段。通过动物确认安全性的临床前阶段为132种。

 　　

　　英国牛津大学等已授权

 　　

　　印度血清研究所将生产的是英国牛津大学和大型制药企业阿斯利康（AstraZeneca）推进临床试验的疫苗。两者力争9月获得政府批准，使疫苗走向实用化。阿斯利康5月宣布将生产10亿剂疫苗，但最近把生产计划翻一番，提高至20亿剂。承担新增10亿剂生产任务的就是印度血清研究所。

对于牛津大学和阿斯利康的疫苗开发，美国最多提供12亿美元，其中至少3亿剂疫苗需供应美国。印度血清研究所与阿斯利康等的合约内容没有公开，但印度血清研究所除了印度本国之外，还将主要向亚洲和非洲等新兴市场国家供给。

   

　　该公司表示，疫苗价格“或为每剂1000卢比（约合人民币92元）左右”。在印度血清研究所的产品中，以肺炎球菌疫苗为例，能以其他厂商66分之1的价格进行供给，新冠疫苗的价格也可能大幅低于阿斯利康自身生产的疫苗。

                                                     

　　印度血清研究所的首席执行官（CEO）阿达尔·波纳瓦拉（Adar Poonawalla）针对新冠疫苗表示，“决定进行60亿卢比规模的设备投资”。需要2～3年时间建设，因此首先将借用印度国内的现有设备启动生产。最初产能为1个月200万～300万剂。将分阶段增加产能，在2020年内生产4亿剂，到2021年底合计生产10亿剂。

 　　

　　医药品通常在确定实用化之后才启动生产。此次由于全球存在希望尽快大量确保疫苗的需求，将在获批之前启动生产。

 　　

　　引人关注的是“数量和速度”

 　　

　　目前还有其他企业决定启动新冠疫苗生产，但印度血清研究所在速度和数量方面显得突出。美国生物医药新创企业Moderna的疫苗也在推进临床试验，承担生产的瑞士龙沙（Lonza）计划生产10亿剂，但没有公布时间。美国辉瑞则表示“2021年达到数亿剂”。

疫苗是向人体注入削弱致病性的病毒或部分灭活病毒，借此形成抵抗力。在量产疫苗时，要大量培养病毒，还要防止病毒泄露到外部，这需要先进的管理技术。严格的品质检查也不可缺少，还需要符合药品制造的严格国际标准，涉足疫苗生产的门槛很高。

  　　

　　按金额计算全球的疫苗市场份额，美国默克和辉瑞等4大企业达到8成。另一方面，印度血清研究所则以低价疫苗为主力，向约170个国家出口白喉、破伤风等3种混合疫苗和卡介苗（BCG Vaccine）等。世卫组织的统计显示，按数量计算全球的疫苗市场规模，达到每年35亿剂（2018年，不含军用和季节性流感等）。印度血清研究所的年产能为15亿剂，被视为全球最大制造商。

Thirteen people were killed and six injured on Tuesday in an explosion at a medical clinic in the north of the Iranian capital Tehran, Fars news agency reported, quoting a state official.

The blast was triggered by a gas leak, Tehran Deputy Governor Hamid Reza Goudarzi told state television.

Ten women and three men died in the explosion, Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said on the TV.

A video posted on social media appeared to show multiple explosions at the north Tehran site and another showed firefighters using a ladder to access the roof of the building.

Reuters could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.

A fire touched off by the blast has been extinguished, Jalal Maleki, the Tehran Fire Department spokesman said on state TV.

The clinic, which had 25 employees inside at the time of the blast, primarily carries out light surgeries and medical imaging, Harirchi said.

Last week, an explosion occurred close to a sensitive military site near Tehran which the defence ministry said was caused by a leaking tank at a gas storage facility. No deaths or injuries were reported.

The Union Home Ministry has announced guidelines for Unlock 2.0 and said it has decided to open up more activities outside the containment zones, while maintaining that there shall remain strict enforcement of lockdown in the containment zones.

The new guidelines issued today for Unlock 2.0 will come into effect from July 1. The government said with this, the process of phased re-opening of activities in the country has been further extended.

“The new guidelines are based on feedback received from states and UTs, and extensive consultations held with related central ministries and department,” the government said in a statement.

The central government’s announcement of Unlock 2.0 comes at a time when three of the most affected states–Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal–have announced an extension of the lockdown. The Maharashtra government today issued an order saying lockdown in the state has been extended till July 31.

WHAT WILL BE ALLOWED IN UNLOCK 2.0

1) As per the Unlock 2.0 guidelines issued today, domestic flights and passenger trains will continue to be allowed to operate in the country in a limited manner. The government has said it will further expand their operations in a “calibrated manner”.

2) In Unlock 2.0, the government has said it is further relaxing the timing of night curfew. The new timings for night curfew are: 10 pm to 5 am.

“Further, relaxations in night curfew have been given for seamless operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on national and state highways, loading and unloading of cargo and movement of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and airplanes,” the Unlock 2.0 guidelines said.
3) The government has given some relaxations to the number of people that can be present inside a shop at a time. In Unlock 2.0, shops depending upon their area, can have more than five people persons at a time. However, all of them will have to maintain adequate physical distance.

4) Training institutions of the central and state governments will be allowed to function from July 15 onwards. The government said SOP in this regard will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

5) In regards to international air travel, the Unlock 2,0 guidelines say these air travels have been allowed in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat mission. However, further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner.

印度首都新德里众多的新冠病毒检测站前，人们排起长队。该市政府称，感染人数骤升后，当局扩大了检测能力两倍。在很多地方设置了俗称的”免下车”（Drive-Thru）检测站，在原先的集装箱里，全副”武装”的医护人员们用棉签搜集车内人员唾液。检测结果当事人以后可在线查看。

市长克里瓦尔（Arvind Kejrival）初步总结说，”这些天，我们每天检测数量达２万，它意味着，我们把数量翻了三番。这一来，结果呈阳性的数字自然也提高了。目前，新德里约有7.4万新冠病毒感染病例。”他表示，这个数字很高，但当局控制了局势，人们不必忧虑。

列车车厢改装成急救站

在新德里多数医院出现不堪重负现象后，当局将废弃的列车车厢以及旅店和会议大厅改建成临时病房，收治新冠病毒患者。为此，需要大量医护人员。而正如新德里卫生部长西索迪亚（Manish Sisodia）所说，这恰是眼下最大问题：”人手不足是个大问题，我们需要专业医护人员。没有哪种卫生系统会被预设应对这种规模的大瘟疫。这样的情形100年来未发生过。”

据印度电视台报道，自新冠疫情发生以来，该国已有300多名医生因接触病毒而丧生。一段时间来，尤其是在免费收治穷人的国营医院，资源紧缺问题凸显。

谁有钱，立刻就能得到检测机会

库马尔（Pradeep Kumar）抱怨说，穷人得不到什么帮助。怀孕的妻子检测呈阳性后，他马上将妻子送入了医院。他看到，病人的浴室极脏，入院两天后，妻子还没能看到过医生一回，病房里还躺着另外6名妇女，而医护人员们的那种举动，”就好像她们都是麻风病人”。

来自新德里、被确诊感染新冠病毒的健身教练库玛（Manoj Kumar）说，他和很多人一样曾在医院外排长队，等很多个小时才能就医。他抱怨说，那些开豪车的病人，总是立刻能得到救治。

“富人们立刻就能进医院挂号就诊，我看到，那些医院门卫收了钱，就让这些人进去。其他人则要等数个小时。而有一些人根本就没钱买吃的”，库玛说。

多数地区仍放宽措施–尽管感染病例增加

尽管感染人数继续上升，全国范围内确诊病例已超50万，印度一度实施的全面”停摆” 却继续被放宽。目前，理发馆、美容店，还有健身中心，也恢复了营业。

不过，在若干城镇和地区，限制措施重又严格起来。例如，当地新感染数量急剧增加后，南部千万人口都市钦奈（Chennai）恢复实施”停摆”。

A video of the daring rescue of a goat from a deep pit in India, requiring a great deal of teamwork and a bit of acrobatics, has gone viral. Viewers were amazed by the bravery of one of the men.
Footage of the incident, shared online by Hardi Singh, a police chief in the State of Assam, shows an impromptu rescue team trying to reach for an animal stuck inside a narrow hole in the middle of a field. It turned out to be too deep, and one young local volunteered to be lowered into the pit.
Two others held the rescuer by his legs, as he tried to grab and ultimately pull the goat out. The animal was apparently not very pleased with its experience, and dashed into a field right after the rescue.

The exact purpose of the hole remains a mystery, but the video shows other similar openings nearby, suggesting they may have been dug for fence posts. Singh called upon the authorities to locate the holes and get them covered to avoid similar mishaps in future.

A controversial businessman and the owner of a tabloid in Madhya Pradesh, wanted for the past seven months in over 40 cases, including rape and human trafficking, was arrested from neighbouring Gujarat on Sunday, the police said.
Jeetu Soni, who had a bounty of Rs 1.6 lakh in his name and cases including those of land grabbing, blackmailing, rape, extortion and fraud, was arrested from his native Amreli district of Gujarat, a senior police officer said.

Soni was an influential businessman who enjoyed political patronage from both the Congress and the BJP in the state and had considerable clout with senior police officers.

However, he had found himself without any political favours after his tabloid ran racy articles centred around a sex scandal that was busted in in September last year that involved senior advisors of Shivraj Singh Chouhan during his previous term as the chief minister which had jolted the political, bureaucratic and police circles of the state.

When the Congress government was in power in the state last year, a dance bar, two bungalows, a hotel and restaurant among other properties owned by Soni were also was raided by police and three of his properties were demolished.

Five women and a man were arrested in the racket for allegedly blackmailing several influential people using the sex tapes.

Earlier, the state police had seized more than 4,000 files from the laptops and mobile phones of the accused arrested in the case.

According to sources, the audio recordings, video clips, and screenshots of chats were used to allegedly blackmail bureaucrats, politicians, and businessmen in the state.

Jitendra alias Jitu Soni, 62, the owner of a tabloid accused of rape, blackmail, extortion, human trafficking, land grab, was arrested from Gujarat on Sunday after remaining on the run for seven months, the Madhya Pradesh police said.

Deputy inspector general Harinarayanchari Mishra said of the 64 criminal cases, Soni, an Indore resident, faces, 47 have been lodged over the last six months. He added a local court has remained Soni in police custody for interrogation.

Soni had been on the run since escaping during a police raid in December after Harbhajan Singh, an Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) engineer, filed a case against the tabloid owner for defaming him based on “unfounded conversation” and for trying to blackmail him.

The tabloid published a transcript of the engineer’s alleged conversation with certain women arrested on charges of luring, trapping, and blackmailing high-profile people in states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. It also carried transcripts of purported conversations of two other high-profile people, including a former minister.

Indore inspector general Vivek Sharma said six police teams carried out raids at several places to track Soni over the last six months. He added Soni was eventually arrested from his ancestral Dhargni village in Gujarat’s Amreli district when he was about to change his location.

Sharma said Soni kept moving from one place to another in Maharashtra and Gujarat. “He has had a criminal history since 1991.” He added there was a Rs 1.50 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.

Sharma said Soni has primarily been arrested in connection with the case filed against him in December. “So far, Soni’s son, Amit Soni, and brother, Mahendra Soni, have been arrested. His other brother Hukum Soni, son Vikki Soni, nephews Jignesh Soni and Lucky Soni, four other members of his family, and 25 other accomplices are yet to be arrested.”

IMC and police razed Soni’s two bungalows in Indore and removed illegal structures at his two hotels and a cafe in December as part of an anti-encroachment drive. The demolition began on December 5 when police claimed to have rescued 67 women and several children from the hotel and arrested Amit Soni, his bouncer, and several members of their staff.

Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that India will win the battle against coronavirus, which has originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, as well as the border standoff in Ladakh with China which escalated on June 15.

Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a commanding officer (CO), were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15.

It was the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region.

Speaking to a news agency in an interview, Amit Shah said that he wants to assure the Indians that the country will both the battles under PM Modi’s leadership.

“Let me make this clear that we will win both the battles. I want to assure the people of India that under PM Narendra Modi’s leadership, India is going to win both the battles,” Amit Shah said.

Amit Shah also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of playing into China and Pakistan’s hand by indulging in “anti-India” propaganda during a crisis.

Referring to Rahul Gandhi’s “Surender Modi” tweet, Amit Shah said, “We’re capable of handling anti-India propaganda but it’s painful when the former president of a big party [Rahul Gandhi] does ‘ochhi rajneeti’ during a crisis.”

A locust swarm of three-kilometre length reached Gurugram and flew across the city in the NCR region on Saturday morning, according to officials.

The Gurugram administration resorted to using sirens and horns to make loud noises in order to prevent the locusts from settling on green vegetation and destroying them.

“Besides, we have been spraying chemicals through vehicle-mounted pump sets in rural areas,” said Amit Khatri, Gurugram Deputy Commissioner (DC).

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai called an emergency meeting to discuss the situation following the locust attack in Gurugram. He asked the national capital’s south and west districts’ administrations to remain on high alert.

“After the emergency meeting, an advisory will be issued on steps to be taken to deal with the situation,” Rai told PTI.

He also asked the officials of the Agriculture department to make field visits to areas close to Gurugram.

Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) on Saturday directed pilots of all airlines to take necessary precautions during landing and take-off of aircraft in view of locust swarms seen near the airport in areas along Gurugram-Dwarka Expressway, news agency ANI reported. A team has been set up to monitor the situation.

There is disagreement among different administrations over whether the swarm would enter Delhi.

“They are flying across the city [Gurugram] West to East due to the steady wind. They will most likely enter Delhi,” said Khatri.

However, KL Gujjar, deputy director, Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage (PPQS), Faridabad, said that it was unlikely that they would reach Delhi because they were moving towards East direction. PPQS comes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and it is a nodal body to take measures on locust control through its various sub-offices across the country.

“They have entered India from Pakistan through Jaisalmer and Barmer border area and reached Jhujhuna. From there, they travelled to Rewari. From Rewari, they came to Jhjhar and from there they have reached Gurugram. Now from here, they will fly to Faridabad and then considering the current wind direction they will move towards Palwal side. I don’t see that they will enter Delhi,” Gujjar said.

The locust attack has ravaged parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and few other states for over a month.

Experts say that the present locust crisis that many Indian states are faced with is intense due to the younger population of the insect, swarms of which have entered the country from the north-west areas bordering Pakistan.

A young locust is far more dangerous for crops than a mature and older one. While the mature locusts cover shorter distances and focus more on breeding, the younger ones can fly 150 km in a day and devour more green vegetation.

It took 110 days for coronavirus infections in the country to reach one lakh, while just 39 days more to go past the five lakh-mark.

Medical experts have pointed to the ramped-up Covid-19 testing, now available more extensively and at a reasonable price, as a big reason for the spike in cases recently.

Six days after recording four lakh infections, India’s Covid-19 tally went past the five lakh-mark on Saturday with the highest single-day surge of 18,552 cases, while the death toll climbed to 15,685, according to Union health ministry data.

The Covid-19 caseload increased to 5,08,953, while 384 fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours, the updated figure at 8 am showed.

This was the fourth consecutive day when coronavirus infection increased by more than 15,000, while there has been a surge of 3,18,418 infections from June 1 till 27. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh are the top contributors to the rising tally.

It took 64 days for Covid-19 cases in India to touch the (May 19) one lakh-mark from 100 cases, and another fortnight to cross two lakh cases on June 3. It took 10 days for the tally to touch the three lakh-mark and another eight days for the cases to climb to four lakh.

The nationwide lockdown was first imposed on March 25 for 21 days in a bid to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. The lockdown was first extended till May 3 and then again till May 17. It was further extended till May 31.

The lockdown is now restricted only in containment zones across the country and will continue till June 30. A large number of social, economic, religious and sports activities are currently allowed to function under what the Ministry of Home Affairs termed as ‘Unlock 1’.

消息人士透露，印度已在有争议的喜马拉雅边界上部署了超过3.6万名士兵。

据美国防务博客（Defence Blog）网站26日报道，印度向拉达克（Ladakh）的军事基地道拉特·贝格·奥尔迪（Daulat Beg Oldi）大约30公里处调派军队。三个印度步兵师被部署到与中国接壤的边界，印度还部署主战坦克和大炮，印度空军的战斗机定期在该地区巡逻。

消息来源说，印度方面已派驻超过3万6000名士兵。

一名印度高级政府官员说：“我们向拉达克派遣了一些部队，现在正在增加人数。”该官员强调，中国也正在将庞大的部队集中在有争议的喜马拉雅边界。

In an alarming rate of increase, India’s coronavirus tally crossed 5 lakh cases on Friday. The jump from 4 lakh cases to 5 lakh cases has come within six days.

Coronavirus cases have crossed the 5,00,000 threshold after new numbers from Maharashtra and other states came in today evening. The official number of total coronavirus cases, however, remains at 4.90 lakh as the Ministry of Health’s data dashboard is updated in the morning.

In its most recent update on Friday morning, the Union health ministry placed the total number of coronavirus cases in India at 4,90,401 and the death toll at 15,301.

Adding numbers released by the three worst-hit states — Maharashtra, Delhi and Tamil Nadu, India’s coronavirus tally crosses the 5 lakh-mark.

The latest development came as Maharashtra recorded over 5,000 cases, the highest-daily jump in coronavirus cases today. Maharashtra, on Friday, reported an increase of 5,024 cases. Maharashtra breached another threshold as the total number of cases crossed the 1.5-lakh mark and stood at 1,52,765.

Similarly, Delhi reported 3,460 cases while Tamil Nadu saw 3,645 cases. The total number of coronavirus cases in both states stood at 77,240 and 70,977 respectively.

By adding just these three states, India’s total number of coronavirus cases stood at 5,02,530.

The highest single-day surge in Covid-19 cases went past 17,000 on Friday, pushing India”s tally to 4,90,401, while the death toll climbed to 15,301 with 407 new fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

Updated at 8 am, the data showed the daily Covid-19 cases increased by the highest-ever 17,296 cases.

India registered over 14,000 cases for the seventh day in a row and witnessed a surge of 2,99,866 infections from June 1 till 26.

More than 80 people were killed today due to lightning in various places in Bihar. According to the Bihar government, 83 people were killed in various districts today due to lightning. Another 24 people were killed due to lightning in Uttar Pradesh.

On Thursday evening, the Bihar government revised the death toll in the state due to lightning to 83. The government also released a district-wise breakup of the death toll. The most number of deaths were reported from the Gopalganj district (13). Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has announced a Rs 4 lakh ex gratia each for the families of those killed.

Later at night, the Uttar Pradesh government reported that 24 people were killed in the state due to lightning. The most number of deaths in the state were reported from Deoria. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has announced Rs 4 lakh ex gratia each for the next of kin.

According to concerned departments, lightning strikes have left at least 32 and 12 injured in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh respectively. The strikes also caused damage to property and resulted in the deaths of over 40 animals in Bihar alone.

Reacting to the deaths, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said that the state governments of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are prompted responding to the situation.

For the first time, diesel has become costlier than petrol in India. The current rate of diesel is Rs 79.88 per litre and petrol Rs. 79.76 per litre in New Delhi, as oil marketing companies on Wednesday, raised pump prices of diesel by 48 paise, while keeping the price of the other fuel unchanged.

For the 18th day in a row, state-run oil companies on Wednesday raised the prices of diesel. A comparison with the global scenario shows that diesel has been the most expensive of auto fuels as the product has a higher cost of production in many foreign countries.

Even in India, the base price of diesel has been higher than petrol. However, diesel has always been cheaper because it is used by farmers along with truck and bus fleets. Thus, to reduce the burden on farmers and transport fleet operators, diesel is priced lower than petrol in India.

Hemlata Dhyani, General Manager, Competent motors, Maruti Suzuki told India Today, “Following the Supreme Court order of prohibition of registration of BS-IV vehicles after May 10, registration of BS-VI vehicles has started taking place. This has had an impact on automakers as many have stopped manufacturing diesel vehicles. Very few companies are making BS-VI standard of diesel cars because it’s costlier.”

“Recent times has seen an attitude change also, people now prefer petrol, electric, CNG or other alternative fuel cars over diesel ones,” Dhyani added.

At present, diesel vehicles account only for 15 per cent of the total automobile market.

However, customers are worried as many feel that the increased prices of fuel will burn a bigger hole in their pockets.

The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Pakistan’s Charge d’ Affaires Syed Haidar Shah today and asked him to reduce staff at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi as India is concerned over their conduct. MEA officials informed Shah that India had repeatedly expressed concern about the activities of officials of his High Commission.

India has asked Pakistan to reduce staff at its High Commission in New Delhi by 50 per cent within seven days. It said it will also be reducing its workforce at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.

According to MEA representatives, the staff at the Pakistan High Commission has been “engaged in acts of espionage and maintained dealings with terrorist organizations”.

India pointed out the activities of the two Pakistan visa officials who were caught red-handed and expelled on May 31, 2020, after it emerged that they were spying.

The MEA also raised concern over the harassment of Indian officials in Pakistan. On June 15, Pakistani authorities detained two officials of the Indian high commission in Islamabad in a case of alleged “hit and run” and released them after over 10 hours following India’s strong demarche and a blunt message to Islamabad that the duo must be freed immediately.

“While their 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,” MEA representatives said.

India said that once the abducted Indian officials returned home on June 22, they provided graphic details of the barbaric treatment that they experienced at the hands of Pakistani agencies.

Fifty-seven girls at a state-run children’s shelter home in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district have tested positive for Covid-19, with five of them found to be pregnant.

Two other girls in the shelter home, who are also pregnant, have tested negative for the virus. One of the inmates has also tested HIV positive and another inmate has hepatitis.

The girls were exhibiting symptoms of Covid-19 for some time but there was “delay” in taking them to the hospital for tests.

“The five pregnant girls, who have been found Covid-19 positive, were referred by the Child Welfare Committees of Agra, Etah, Kannauj, Firozabad and Kanpur under the Pocso Act. Two other pregnant girls have tested negative for Covid-19. The seven girls were pregnant at the time, when they came to the shelter home,” Kanpur DM Brahma Dev Ram Tiwari told reporters.

All girls found Covid-positive are being treated at the Kanpur Medical College. The shelter home has been sealed, and its staff has been quarantined.

The revelation of the coronavirus outbreak at the shelter home has raised serious questions over the management of state-run homes for juveniles.

The numbers are rising

“This freedom that we now have, not having to justify our journey to see our family and friends, this was something that we were really looking forward to,” Pedro Delgado, 23, said after arriving from Spain’s Canary Islands. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged people to take maximum precautions: “The virus can return and it can hit us again in a second wave, and we have to do whatever we can to avoid that at all cost.” At a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Trump said Saturday the U.S. has tested 25 million people, but the “bad part” is that it found more cases. 

“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Trump said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’ 

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on CNN that Trump was being “tongue-in-cheek” and made the comment in a “light mood.” 

Democratic rival Joe Biden’s campaign accused Trump of “putting politics ahead of the safety and economic well-being of the American people.” 

The US has the world’s highest number of reported infections, over 2.2 million, and the highest death toll, at about 120,000, according to Johns Hopkins. Health officials say robust testing is vital for tracking outbreaks and keeping the virus in check. 

In England, lockdown restrictions prevented druids, pagans and party-goers on Sunday from watching the sunrise at the ancient circle of Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. English Heritage, which runs the site, livestreamed it instead. A few people gathered outside the fence. 

Three separate brawls divided by time and space. Chinese troops who aren’t normally deployed at Patrol Point 14. And, a young Indian Army team that took a decision to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to square things up with the Chinese Army. The contours of the June 15 bloodletting have become cleared.

Plenty has been written so far about the clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. But contradictory claims, and gaps in the narrative have so far left the story bereft of cohesiveness. Several questions have remained unanswered, with individual aspects lending themselves to speculation and guesswork. Now with a series of conversations with Army personnel in the Galwan Valley, Thangtse and Leh, India Today TV pieces together the most detailed account so far of how things played out.

The context is well known. Ten days prior, Lieutenant General-level talks had taken place and disengagement between both sides had begun at Patrol Point 14, since both had mobilised very close to the Line of Actual Control.

A Chinese observation post, which had been set up at the vertex of the bend in the Galwan River was proven, during talks, to be on the Indian side of the LAC, and an agreement had been reached to remove it. A few days after talks the post was dismantled by the Chinese. Commanding Officer of the 16 Bihar infantry battalion controlling the area Colonel B Santosh Babu even held talks with a counterpart Chinese officer on the day after the Chinese dismantled the camp.

With the highest single-day spike of 3,630 Covid-19 cases, the total tally in Delhi rose to over 56,000 on Saturday, while the death toll mounted to 2,112, authorities said.

This is the second time in Delhi that over 3,000 cases have been reported in a day. The previous highest spike of 3,137 cases was recorded on June 19.

Seventy-seven fatalities have been recorded in the last 24 hours, the Delhi health department said in a bulletin.

It said the death toll due to the coronavirus infection has risen to 2,112, and the total number of cases now stood at 56,746.

India on Saturday crossed the 4 lakh-mark as the country reported over 14,000 cases, its highest ever single-day jump in infections. For the first time, India on Saturday morning reported 14,516 fresh coronavirus cases in a single day, pushing the country’s Covid caseload to over 3.95 lakh.

However, by evening, several states reported over 5,000 coronavirus cases.

This is the third consecutive day that India registered a record jump in the number of coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, an official said that around 54.13 per cent of the patients have recovered so far.

Maharashtra, the worst-hit state in the country by the pandemic, alone reported 3,874, its highest ever jump in a single day, on Saturday. The latest spike in cases took the state’s total tally to 1,28,205.

As many as 5,984 people have succumbed to Covid-19 in Maharashtra so far.

With the highest single-day spike of 3,630 Covid-19 cases, the total tally in Delhi rose to over 56,000 on Saturday, while the death toll mounted to 2,112. Delhi has reported over 3,000 cases for the second consecutive day. The previous highest spike of 3,137 cases was recorded on Friday.

Telangana reported 546 fresh cases of the novel coronavirus, while Uttar Pradesh reported 592.

Gujarat reported 539 new coronavirus patients on Saturday which took the tally of cases in the state to 26,737. With 20 Covid-19 patients dying during the day, the death toll due to the pandemic in Gujarat rose to 1,639.

Rajasthan reported four deaths and 381 fresh coronavirus cases on Saturday, taking the state’s death toll and infection tally to 337 and 14,537 respectively.

India is the fourth worst-hit nation by the pandemic after the US, Brazil and Russia. According to the Johns Hopkins University, which has been compiling Covid-19 data from all over the world, India is at the eighth position in terms of the death toll.

India reported a record daily jump in the number of novel coronavirus cases on Friday as Chennai locked down following fresh outbreaks there.

Given India’s high population density, experts have long worried that a sustained Covid-19 outbreak would lead to pressure on its stretched healthcare system.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lifted most restrictions that were part of a nearly three-month nationwide lockdown on June 8, despite the continuing rise in cases.

Data from India’s federal health ministry on Friday showed an additional 13,500 cases over the previous 24 hours, with over 300 deaths.

India now lags only the United States, Brazil and Russia in total number of infections and has reported four times more than China, which has a similar size population and is where the virus originated late last year.

On Friday Tamil Nadu imposed a lockdown with tough restrictions in Chennai and surrounding districts until June 30.

Roads in Chennai, known as “India’s Detroit” for its large car-making industry, were largely empty on Friday and most shops were closed amid heavy police patrolling to ensure adherence to the rules.

“Police officers and medical professionals are fighting for you. Please cooperate and be hopeful,” Tamil Nadu state Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said in a tweet on Friday.

“Let’s follow social distancing, stay aware and win this battle against this pandemic.”

Tamil Nadu has tested over 800,000 people for COVID-19 – the highest number in the country – and its mortality rate is nearly a third of the national average. But it has been facing criticism over delayed reporting of deaths, and the number of cases and casualties have been rising steeply in recent days, mainly in and around Chennai.

With the release of 10 Indian Army personnel who were in captivity of the Chinese army for three days, the dialogue between the two countries is expected to get back on track to discuss further disengagement at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

Ten Indian Army personnel, including four officers, were released by China on Thursday evening.

Over the last three days, discussions during the Major General-level talks revolved around release of the 10 Indian Army personnel who were held captive by the Chinese after the fierce clash in Galwan Valley. Twenty Indian Army personnel, including a commanding officer, were killed in action.

After the release on Thursday, no talks were scheduled for Friday, but a dialogue for further disengagement is likely to continue later, sources said.

On Thursday, the Army and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said no Indian army personnel were missing or not accounted for.

Since the brutal clash of June 15, the Major Generals of both armies met for three consecutive days to discuss the release of Indian Army soldiers. It is, however, not clear what led to Indians being taken in captivity by the Chinese.

While the 10 Indian army men returned to their units, the situation on the ground remains volatile as a troop build-up continues in Galwan Valley area and the Pangong Lake where a stand-off continues since May 5.

The ugliest clash took place on June 15 in Galwan Valley but there have been skirmishes at the north bank of the Pangong Lake where the Chinese have set up a camp at a point which was always under Indian control in a bid to change status quo.