Delhi Records Less Than 2,000 Cases In 24 Hours

 

May 24,2021

New Delhi:  Delhi recorded 1,649 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest since March 30, and 189 fatalities on Sunday, while the positivity rate slipped to 2.42 per cent, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended the lockdown in the capital by another week. 

This is the second day on the trot that the number of deaths remained less than 200. 

This is also the lowest daily spike in cases recorded since March 30 (992) and the first time that the count has gone below the 2,000-mark since April 1, when 2,790 people tested positive for the infection. 

Meanwhile, India delayed the process of bulk-buying vaccines unlike several other nations and may now have few options available in the international market. "Aren't we a little late to the table on this one?" said Dr Gagandeep Kang, a top virologist who is also a member of the Supreme Court-appointed committee on medical oxygen. 

"The rest of the world has been buying vaccines at risk for a year, so what's the supply that is available in the market for us to go now and say we want to buy vaccines?" she said.

Don’t force me to use my constitutional powers: WB Governor to TMC Govt

 

Don’t force me to use my constitutional powers: WB Governor to TMC Govt

            KOLKATA:    WEST Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar has warned the State’s newly-elected Trinamool Congress (TMC) Government to “not force me to use my constitutional powers”, sparking a fresh artillery exchange with the ruling party. “He forgot his constitutional position by calling for a change in the State. His appeal was rejected, so old man is now obviously frustrated,” said Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, while reacting to the Governor’s warning. Governor Dhankhar has been touring ‘violence-hit areas’ since the Trinamool returned to power with a landslide.

His visit to Sitalkuchi in Northern Bengal provoked angry response from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who reminded Dhankhar of his constitutional obligations of working on the ‘aid and advice’ of the elected Government. The trip to Sitalkuchi, hit by poll-time violence where some voters were killed in firing by Central forces, was followed by Dhankhar’s visit to makeshift camps in Assam where ‘victims of political violence’ in West Bengal were sheltered.

His comment that this was a ‘blot on governance’ in West Bengal provoked accusations that Dhankhar was ‘less a Governor and more a BJP functionary.’ Dhankhar on Saturday said he was shocked at the condition of several families who were rendered homeless after they had allegedly faced atrocities at the hands of ruling TMC workers. He wondered whether the Chief Minister has heard the cries of women and children, who took refuge in camps after clashes. 

UN General Assembly To Consider Call For Myanmar Arms Embargo

 

UN General Assembly To Consider Call For Myanmar Arms Embargo

       United Nations, United States: The UN General Assembly on Tuesday is set to consider a draft non-binding resolution calling for "an immediate suspension" of the transfer of weapons to the military junta of Myanmar, a UN official said Sunday.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are non-binding but carry strong political significance.

If an approval by consensus cannot be reached then the full General Assembly  193 member states  will vote on the measure.

Introduced by Liechtenstein, with support from the European Union, Britain, and the United States, the measure will be considered at the plenary meeting set for Tuesday at 1900 GMT.

The draft resolution calls for "an immediate suspension of the direct and indirect supply, sale, or transfer of all weapons, munitions, and other military-related equipment to Myanmar."

"The meeting will be in person," a UN spokesman told AFP.

The draft, which has been under negotiation for weeks, is co-sponsored by 48 countries, with South Korea the sole Asian country.

It also calls on military to "end the state of emergency" and immediately stop "all violence against peaceful demonstrators," as well as "immediately and unconditionally release President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi" and everyone who has been "arbitrarily detained, charged or arrested" since the February 1 coup.

The draft adds a call to "swiftly implement" a five-point consensus reached with leaders from the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on April 24, to "facilitate the visit" of the special UN envoy to Myanmar, and to provide "safe and unimpeded humanitarian access."

Several NGOs have long been calling for an arms embargo on Myanmar.

Since February 1, the Security Council has unanimously adopted four statements on Myanmar, but each time, they have been watered down in negotiations, notably by Beijing. 

Barcelona routs Chelsea 4-0 to win Women’s Champions League final for 1st time

 

Barcelona routs Chelsea 4-0 to win Women’s Champions League final for 1st time

         Barcelona’s slow start two years ago doomed its European dream so this time it came out firing against Chelsea, scoring after just 32 seconds  route to a 4-0 victory and its first Women’s Champions League title on Sunday.

In a ruthless offensive display, Barcelona’s attackers sliced through Chelsea’s defense and did all of their scoring inside 36 minutes, beginning with an own-goal.

Barca is the first team from Spain to win Europe’s top club competition, which had been dominated recently by seven-time champions Lyon.

In its only other appearance in the final, Barcelona lost 4-1 to Lyon in 2019 after conceding a goal after five minutes and falling behind 4-0 before halftime in Budapest.

“The idea is to keep dominating European football,” Barcelona coach Lluis Cortes said. “Winning this game is part of the journey and losing in Budapest was part of it, too.”

Making its first appearance in the final, Chelsea was under pressure immediately and went down 1-0 when a clearance ricocheted off Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz and over goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger into the net.

Alexia Putellas scored from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Leupolz was adjudged to have fouled Jenni Hermoso in the box. Seven minutes later, Aitana Bonmati collected a pass from Putellas in front of goal, shot past Berger, and the rout was on for Cortes’ side.

Lieke Martens brilliantly set up the fourth goal, dribbling down the left side and crossing to Caroline Graham Hansen, who blasted it into the net from close range in the 36th minute at an empty Gamla Ullevi stadium.

The 34-year-old Cortes said his side played with confidence right from the start.

“The final is to be won, and that’s what we did,” he said, adding that it’s a victory for all of Spanish women’s soccer.

The championship is also a boost for a Barcelona club that is heavily in debt and with a men’s side that has stumbled lately. The club could also face sanctions for its support of the ill-fated European Super League.

Chelsea was the first English team to reach the final since 2007, when Arsenal won the competition.

“We didn’t have the start to the game that we wanted and in these types of games against these opponents, you can’t concede sloppy goals,“ Chelsea defender Millie Bright told BT Sport.

The loss ended Chelsea’s bid to match Arsenal’s quadruple from 14 years ago. The Blues have won the Women’s Super League title and League Cup this season and are still alive in the women’s FA Cup.

Chelsea threatened after the own-goal when Pernille Harder caught up to a cross but shot high.

Blues manager Emma Hayes cited inexperience and “naivety at times” by her side.

“Today was difficult because the game was over before it began,” she said. “To concede so early and then we had two good chances, then they got the second through a penalty. The damage was done.”

The Blues started the second half with more urgency but barely threatened.

This campaign, Barcelona eliminated Manchester City in the quarterfinals and Paris Saint-Germain in the semis. PSG had earlier beaten Lyon.

Over 200 dead, UN Security Council hears pleas to end Israel-Palestine violence, no action yet

 

Over 200 dead, UN Security Council hears pleas to end Israel-Palestine violence, no action yet

   Palestinian and Israeli leaders both appealed for support at a UN Security Council session Sunday but little action was in sight despite soaring violence, with China accusing the United States of obstructionism. 

After a delay pushed by the United States, Israel's critical ally, the Security Council held its first public meeting on nearly a week of violence that has claimed 200 lives. 

Opening the virtual session, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the violence "utterly appalling" and urged both Palestinian militants Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel and the Jewish state to stop its massive air campaign on the Gaza Strip. 

"Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately," Guterres said. 

"It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole," he said.

Pointing to the heavy toll on civilians, Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki accused Israel of "war crimes" and -- in a terminology angrily rejected by Israel -- "apartheid." 

"Act now to end the aggression and the assault on our people, our homes, our land. Act now so freedom can prevail, not apartheid," he said. 

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, began lobbing rockets after Israeli troops entered the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, sacred both to Muslims and Jews, following moves to expel Palestinians from their homes in the holy city. 

Maliki -- part of the Palestinian Authority that runs the West Bank, not rival Hamas -- said that Israel could not expect to "bear no consequences" for its actions as an "occupying colonial power."

"Israel always says, put yourselves in our shoes. But Israel is not wearing shoes. It is wearing military boots."

Speaking afterward, Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, charged the tensions were "completely premeditated" by Hamas as part of an internal power play after the Palestinian Authority delayed long-awaited elections. 

 

"Do you really believe that this property dispute is what caused Hamas to launch these large-scale attacks on the people of Israel?" Erdan said. 

He urged the Security Council to condemn Hamas, insisting on a moral difference as he said Israel "makes every effort to avoid civilian casualties." 

"Hamas targets civilians; Israel targets terrorists," Erdan said. 

Palestinians, including civilians, have borne the overwhelming brunt of the violence, with authorities in Gaza reporting that at least 55 children are among the 190 people who have died. Ten people have died in Israel.

CHINA REGRETS US STANCE

Erdan hailed the support of the United States, where President Joe Biden has repeatedly defended what he says is Israel's right to self-defense. 

China, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said the United States had blocked its efforts for "strong action" -- and invited Israelis and Palestinians to come negotiate in rising the Asian power. 

"Regrettably, simply because of the obstruction of one country, the Security Council hasn't been able to speak with one voice," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. 

"We call upon the United States to shoulder its due responsibilities."

The Biden administration has insisted that it is working behind the scenes, including through a visit to the region by an envoy, and that a UN statement could backfire, according to diplomats.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, stopped short of insisting on an immediate ceasefire and said the Biden administration was in touch with all sides including Qatar, which has close ties with Hamas, and Egypt, which has a peace deal with Israel and borders Gaza.

"The United States has made clear that we are prepared to lend our support and good offices should the parties seek a ceasefire," she said. 

"We believe Israelis and Palestinians equally have a right to live in safety and security."

One diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, called the US stance "a little strange" seeing as Biden came to office vowing a return to multilateral diplomacy. 

"We thought that they will be eager also to show that the Council is relevant in situations like this," the diplomat said.

 Biden defeated the staunch unilateralist Donald Trump who was also a zealous backer of Israel, with his Republican Party already accusing Biden of not doing enough for the Jewish state.

Myanmar beauty queen takes up arms against junta

 

Myanmar beauty queen takes up arms against junta

               Htar Htet Htet, who represented Myanmar in the first Miss Grand International beauty pageant in Thailand in 2013, has taken up arms against the southeast Asian country's military junta.  

Eight years after competing against 60 contenders in the beauty pageant, the 32-year-old gymnastics instructor has joined ethnic armed groups in Myanmar's border regions.  

On her Facebook page, she wrote: “The time has come to fight back. Whether you hold a weapon, pen, keyboard or donate money to the pro-democracy movement, everyone must do their bit for the revolution to succeed."

 

"I will fight back as much as I can. I am ready and prepared to give up everything. I am even ready to pay with my life," she wrote. 

“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall. (Che Guevara) We must Win,” tweeted Htar Htet Htet.  

The coup ended the country's decade-long experiment with democracy after half a century of military rule.  

This may be noted that Myanmar has been in chaos since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and seized power on February 1.  

"As of 10 May, at least 782 people have been killed as security forces used unnecessary, disproportionate and lethal force, to suppress demonstrations and other forms of public participation, since the military coup on 1 February," reported UN News.

 

While addressing a media briefing, UN rights office (OHCHR) spokesperson Rupert Colville said, "The military authorities are showing no sign of letting up in their brutal crackdown on opponents in a bid to consolidate their hold on power."

 

"While much of the world's attention has been on the number of peaceful protesters and bystanders killed by the security forces, the authorities continue to commit other gross human rights violations against the people of Myanmar", added Colville.

 

In the wake of the unrest, thousands of people from urban parts of the country have fled to border regions.

 

Ethnic armed rebel groups have intensified attacks on the military and police in recent months.

Taliban declare three-day Afghan ceasefire for Eid holiday

 

Taliban declare three-day Afghan ceasefire for Eid holiday

                        The Taliban on Monday declared a three-day ceasefire in Afghanistan to mark this week's Eid al-Fitr holiday, just two days after the government blamed the insurgents for bombs outside a school that killed more than 50 people, mostly young girls.

 "Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are instructed to halt all offensive operations against the enemy countrywide from the first till the third day of Eid," a statement released by the insurgents said.

 "But if the enemy conducts any assault or attack against you during these days, stand ready to robustly protect and defend yourselves and your territory," it added.

 Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and the holiday begins according to the sighting of the new moon.

 The ceasefire comes after the government blamed the Taliban for the attack outside a girls' school in Dasht-e-Barchi, a suburb of the capital largely populated by the Shiite Hazara community, which is often targeted by extremist Sunni Islamist militants.

 The Taliban have denied they were involved in the attack, the deadliest in the country in more than a year.

Saturday's blasts came as the United States continues to pull out its last 2,500 troops from the violence-wracked country despite faltering peace efforts between the Taliban and Afghan government to end a decades-long war. 

Myanmar counts cost of coup, 100 days on

 

Myanmar counts cost of coup, 100 days on

              One hundred days after the military seized power in Myanmar, the nun who pleaded for protesters on her knees in the street says the coup has cast a pall of fear and depression over the country.

 The image of Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng kneeling in the dust, arms spread, begging police not to shoot "the children" went viral in March as an uprising swelled in Myanmar.

  Today, the 45-year-old nun works in a clinic in Myanmar's northernmost Kachin state, tending to patients injured by security forces, sickened from stress, and even those who try to kill themselves.

 "With the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and brutal actions of the military, there are more people who feel depressed and want to commit suicide," she told AFP.

  "People are living in fear and they feel hopeless."

 On Tuesday, 100 days will have passed since the generals made their lightning power grab in the early morning of February 1, ousting and detaining civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

 The period has seen Myanmar plunge into chaos as the army struggles to control widespread opposition to its rule.  

Around 780 civilians have been killed, according to a local monitoring group, as security forces have sought to suppress near-daily protests with brutal crackdowns and live rounds.

  While praised for her bravery months ago, Sister Ann Rose Nu Tawng said she thinks instead of the youths who are still fighting.

 "They are sacrificing their lives for their future." 

Night after night, soldiers and police raid homes to arrest suspected activists -- both protesters and those taking part in the civil disobedience movement that has crippled the state's ability to function.

  Despite the dangers, the movement persists, fuelled by a young generation who came of age since democracy dawned and the country began opening up a decade ago.

 "We want to stand on the right side of history," said a protester in Myanmar's former capital Yangon.

 - 'It's not going to quiet down' -

 The bloody intensity of the crackdowns has ebbed in recent weeks -- partly as demonstrators have switched to flashmob tactics to avoid the risk of being shot.

 But if the violence in Myanmar's urban centres has slowed, clashes between the military and ethnic rebel armies in its border regions have intensified.

 "It's not going to quiet down," said Yangon-based political analyst Khin Zaw Win.

 "The regime thinks that everything will be okay by June, but it is a delusion."

 In eastern Karen state, the Karen National Union -- who are sheltering dissidents fleeing to their territory -- has captured military posts and been hit with multiple air strikes in return.

 Clashes in northern Kachin state have also ticked up, and in a dramatic display of the rebel forces' capabilities, last week the Kachin Independence Army shot down a military helicopter.

 Several groups have come out in support of the anti-junta movement, even providing basic training to the young protesters.

 

But so far, calls for the disparate rebel factions to unite into a "federal army" have not borne fruit.

 A group of ousted lawmakers, who set themselves up as a shadow "National Unity Government" (NUG), announced the creation of a "people's defence force" to protect civilians from the military.

 Details are scant and the NUG, whose members are in hiding, has not shown itself able to wield much influence.

 But the junta on Saturday designated it a "terrorist group", blaming it for "bombing, arson, manslaughter and intimidation to disrupt state administrative machinery".

 'The people did not choose this' –

So far neither calls for restraint nor United States, European Union and British sanctions have shown signs of deflecting the generals off their chosen course.

 A summit of regional bloc ASEAN last month -- attended by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing -- yielded no more than a "five-point consensus" calling for dialogue, an end to violence and the appointment of a special envoy.

 But even this limited achievement was undermined days later, when the junta said it would heed "suggestions" only when "the situation returns to stability".

 On the global stage, hard-hitting UN-level sanctions have been stymied by China and Russia, who say they would be counterproductive.

 Myanmar's economy -- reeling as workers nationwide down tools rather than cooperate under military rule -- is expected to contract by a staggering 10 percent in 2021, according to the World Bank.

 And the UN Development Programme warned the combined effect of the pandemic and the coup turmoil could see nearly half of the population living in poverty by next year.

 "The military has chosen the wrong moment to launch a coup and to face a civil war," said analyst Khin Zaw Win, adding that they have "lost all public support".

 "The people did not choose this. It is the generals who did and they will pay the price."

 So far neither calls for restraint nor United States, European Union and British sanctions have shown signs of deflecting the generals off their chosen course.

Covid-19: India records 3.66 lakh new cases, 3,700 deaths in 24 hours

 

 Covid-19: India records 3.66 lakh new cases, 3,700 deaths in 24 hours

                      India's daily rise in coronavirus cases retreated from the 400,000 mark on Monday, while its daily rise in deaths also fell after two straight days of more than 4,000 fatalities.

The health ministry reported 366,161 new Covid-19 infections and 3,754 more deaths. India's total caseload now stands at 22.66 million, with 246,116 deaths.

 

Over the last week (May 3 to May 9) India reported more than 27,000 deaths and over 27.4 lakh new cases, its highest weekly Covid numbers to date.

However, the growth of cases in this period, at 5 per cent, was also the lowest during the second wave, indicating that perhaps the second wave had reached, or was nearing its peak.

Deaths grew at a faster pace of nearly 15 per cent, with the daily case fatality rate crossing 1 per cent for the first time in the second wave in the last three days.

 

The weekly toll had crossed 25,000 for the first time as the country recorded 27,243 deaths during May 3-9, up from 23,781 reported in the previous week.

Underworld don Chhota Rajan's death rumours, AIIMS official said 'He is alive now'

 

Underworld don Chhota Rajan's death rumours, AIIMS official said 'He is alive now'

            Meanwhile, there was another rumour that underworld don Chhota Rajan had died due to corona virus infection, which has been reported to be incorrect. The AIIMS official has confirmed his survival. Chhota Rajan was admitted to AIIMS Hospital for treatment with covid infection in the past. Chhota Rajan had tested corona positive as he was lodged in Tihar jail.

Underworld don Chhota Rajan's death rumours, AIIMS official said 'He is alive now'

He was admitted to the hospital in the last week of April after his report came positive. His condition remained stable for several days, but he succumbed to his injuries on Friday. Chhota Rajan was booked in more than 70 cases including several cases of kidnapping and murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for criminalising the murder of senior Mumbai journalist Jyotirmay Dey. However, he was recently released by a special CBI court in connection with the murder of Hanif Kadawala.

AIIMS official refutes allegations of Chhota Rajan's death on Friday. Rajan had tested positive for Covid-19 and was admitted to the New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Services (AIIMS). He is 61 years old.

 Chhota Rajan was also a criminal in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai. Chhota Rajan's real name was Rajendra Nikaje. He was extradited from Indonesia to India in 2015. He was taken to AIIMS on April 26 for treatment with corona infection. An tihar jail official had said during the hearing of a case on April 26 that Chhota Rajan cannot be brought for a muscle on video conferencing. This is because he has been found corona positive and admitted to the hospital.

Myanmar's Karen Insurgents Burn Another Government Outpost

 

Myanmar's Karen Insurgents Burn Another Government Outpost

                   Guerrilla soldiers from Myanmar’s Karen ethnic minority burned down a government military outpost on Friday after capturing it without a fight when its garrison fled, a senior Karen officer said.

The position is approximately 15 kilometers (nine miles) from a larger camp that the Karen National Liberation Army stormed and burned 10 days earlier. The KNLA is the armed wing of the Karen National Union, the main political organization representing the Karen minority, whose homeland is in eastern Myanmar. 

The Karen and the Kachin in northern Myanmar are the two major ethnic armed organizations that have allied themselves with the movement against the junta that took power in Myanmar after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February. 

The role of the ethnic fighting groups has become more important as the number of people joining street protests in Myanmar’s cities and towns has declined, in large part due to deadly violence increasingly used by security forces to suppress them. Hundreds of demonstrators and bystanders have died.

There is now daily fighting between the government and the military forces of the Karen and the Kachin. 

A shadow National Unity Government formed by the junta’s foes announced this week the formation of a “People’s Defense Force” intended to serve as a precursor to a “Federal Union Army” of democratic forces including ethnic minorities, underlining the major rule they may play. 

Video provided to The Associated Press showed KNLA soldiers on Friday inside the U Thu Hta base  a group of wooden buildings and trenches cut into a forest  inspecting mortar shells left behind by the government military. The camp is close to the Salween River, which marks the border with Thailand. 

“Yesterday our troops fired a few shots and today when we approached there was no one there, so we just entered,” KNLA Maj. Gen. Ner Dah Mya said by phone Friday. 

Fighting between the guerrillas and the Myanmar army has been increasing since last year but escalated after the military’s seizure of power. 

The Karen National Union has been fighting for greater autonomy for the region for decades. It has denounced the February coup and given shelter to opposition supporters evading arrest. As well as confronting the army on the battlefield, the KNLA has reportedly been training hundreds of young activists from the cities in the rudiments of guerrilla warfare. 

The attack raised the likelihood of retaliatory air strikes by the Myanmar military and a surge of refugees trying to flee into Thailand. Myanmar military jets have launched around 30 attacks since the end of March, targeting Karen villages as well as KNLA positions, according to aid groups active in the area. 

Several thousand people crossed the Salween River into Thailand in April but Thai authorities insisted they go back to Myanmar. 

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said last week that 40,000 people have been newly displaced in Karen territory by intensified fighting between the government and the KNLA, and by “indiscriminate attacks” by Myanmar’s army on civilian areas. 

Many of the displaced villagers have been hiding out in jungles, caves and valleys.

 

WHO warns of airborne transmission of corona

 World Health Organisation (WHO) has admitted that there is a possibility of airborne transmission of the coronavirus.

In its updated guidelines, WHO has included safety measures for the same. “Current evidence suggests that the virus spreads mainly between people who are in close contact with each other, typically within 1 metre (short-range). A person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth,” it said.

WHO added: “The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings, where people tend to spend longer periods of time. This is because aerosols remain suspended in the air or travel farther than 1 metre (long-range).”

“People may also become infected by touching surfaces that have been contaminated by the virus when touching their eyes, nose or mouth without cleaning their hands.”

“Further research is ongoing to better understand the spread of the virus and which settings are most risky and why. Research is also under way to study virus variants that are emerging and why some are more transmissible.”