#self defence training by crpf

[u4u-voice]

Pakistan army says India should accept no surgical strike happened in 2016

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army took a jibe at India on Thursday after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj acknowledged that no civilian or soldier was killed in the Balakot attack, saying New Delhi should also take back its claim about the shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet and the 2016 surgical strike. The statement by army spokesman Major General Asif Ghafoor came hours after Swaraj said that no Pakistani soldier or civilian died in the air strike on a terror camp at Balakot in Pakistan in February. “Hopefully, so will be about other false Indian claims i.e. surgical strike 2016, denial of shooting down of 2 IAF jets by PAF and claim about F16. Better late than never,” Ghafoor said in a twet. Pakistan has denied that the Indian Air Force jets attacked Jaish camp in Balakot. In Ahmedabad, addressing BJP’s women workers, Swaraj said that the Indian military was given a “free hand” in the operation but was clearly told that no Pakistani civilian should be killed and also there be “not even a scratch” on the Pakistani army. “We told them (the international community) that our air strike was in self-defence…we had given a free hand to the Army but had also given two directions too – no civilian of Pakistan (Pakistan ka koi nagrik) should die. Pakistan’s Army should not be touched. “Your target should is those terrorists of JeM which had taken responsibility for killing 40 persons in Pulwama,” she said. The IAF had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) training camp in Pakistan on February 26, in response to the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Pakistan had categorically said that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF. Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Pulwama attack. India launched an operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1. (PTI) Read the full article

[sarkarimirror]

IAF hits JeM’s biggest camp, Pakistan vows ‘befitting response’

New Delhi, Feb 26 New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 26  Twelve days after a JeM suicide bomber killed 40 CRPF troopers, India on early Tuesday struck the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s (JeM) biggest training camp at Balakot killing “a very large number” of terrorists and their trainers. Within hours, Pakistan threatened a “befitting response”. While the Pakistani military claimed the area hit by India was close to the Line of Control (LoC), Reuters described Balakot as a town in a remote valley in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. There is also Balakote — as different from Balakot — in the Pakistani-administered Kashmir. As celebrations erupted across India, Foreign Secretary Vijay K. Gokhale told the media that “in an intelligence-led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jehadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. “This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yusuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of (JeM leader) Masood Azhar.” Pakistan admitted that the IAF planes struck Balakot but claimed that they returned when it scrambled its war planes and that there were no losses on the ground. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the Indian jets were forced to return “owing to the timely response of the Pakistan Air Force” and warned that Islamabad has “the right to self-defence and (give) a befitting response”. Pakistan Army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said earlier that the Indian intrusion in Muzaffarabad sector happened within “AJK” (Azad Jammu Kashmir), 3-4 miles from the LoC that divides Kashmir between the two countries. “Under forced hasty withdrawal the aircraft released payload which had free fall in an open area. No infrastructure got hit, no casualties,” he said following an uproar in Pakistan about Indian jets flying deep into its territory. Pakistan Prime Minister summoned a meeting in Islamabad to review the situation. In New Delhi, External Affairs Minister called an all-party meeting. Gokhale said the Indian government was “firmly and resolutely committed to taking all necessary measures to fight the menace of terrorism. Hence, this non-military pre-emptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp. “The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties.” He said India had been providing to Islamabad the “location of terrorist training camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir” from time to time. But Pakistan keeps denying their existence. Gokhale said that such “massive training facilities capable of training hundreds of jehadis could not have functioned without the knowledge of Pakistani authorities… But Pakistan has taken no concrete action to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil, he added. “Credible intelligence was received that the JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country (India), and the fidayeen jehadis were being trained for this purpose. “In the face of this imminent danger, a pre-emptive strike became absolutely necessary.” The JeM, which is based in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bombing at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir which killed 40 CRPF troopers. It was the worst attack  Read the full article

[brajeshupadhyay]

Coronavirus Outbreak LIVE Updates: Eight labourers dead, over 50 injured in bus-truck collision in Madhya Pradesh's Guna

08:41 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates 

28 more test COVID-19 positive in Lucknow

Twenty eight COVID-19 samples of the total 982 have tested positive on Wednesday, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow was quoted by news agency ANI.

"Out of the 982 samples tested on Wednesday for COVID-19, results of 28 came positive," 'read the statement from King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow.

08:32 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates 

Passenger train arrives in Karnataka from Delhi 

The first batch of passengers arrive at KSR Bengaluru railway station in a special superfast train from New Delhi on Thursday. The passengers were now being taken in buses to a place of their choice for institutional quarantine.

First batch of passengers arrive at KSR Bengaluru railway station as first special superfast train from #NewDelhi arrive in #Bengaluru. They are now being taken in buses to a place of their choice for institutional quarantine. @IndianExpress @KARailway @SWRRLY @WeAreBangalore pic.twitter.com/WYr1a76Iw2

— Ralph Alex Arakal (@ralpharakal) May 14, 2020

08:12 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates 

Eight labourers dead, 50 injured after truck they were travelling in collides with bus in MP

Eight labourers were killed and around 50 were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in Madhya Pradesh's Guna on Wednesday night, ANI reported.

The injured labourers have been shifted to a district hospital. They were going to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra.

Madhya Pradesh: 8 labourers dead & around 50 injured after the truck they were travelling in, collided with a bus in Cantt PS area in Guna last night. Injured persons shifted to district hospital.All the 8 killed labourers were going to their native places in UP from Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/OaB9SCLpjY

— ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2020

07:53 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates 

Six migrant workers mowed down by state bus in Muzaffarnagar, two injured

Six migrant workers were killed and two were injured after being mowed down by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar late Wednesday night.

The labourers, who were headed home in Bihar on foot, were killed in the Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur highway after a speeding bus ran over them late last night, near Ghalauli check-post. 

A case of negligence will be filed against the driver, Indian Express quoted Anil Kaparvan, SHO Kotwali police station as saying. 

👉6 migrant workers killed, mowed down by a bus in UP's Muzaffarnagar 👉Initial input suggests they were heading to their homes in Bihar on foot, cops verifying 👉Death toll of migrants by accidents during lockdowns rises to 70. 👉Details of the remaining 64 in my #THREAD 👇

— Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) May 14, 2020

07:36 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates 

51 people put in quarantine in Guwahati after arriving from Delhi 

Fifty one of��the total 130 people who arrived from Delhi to Dibrugarh have been put in quarantine after being brought to Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati, for mandatory screening, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. 

"The remaining have been sent back to their respective districts. After their swabs are taken, these 51 would be put in quarantine," said Sarma. 

Out of the 130 people who deboarded the train from Delhi to Dibrugarh, in Guwahati, 51 were brought to Sarusajai Stadium for mandatory screening, while remaining have been sent back to their respective districts. After their swabs are taken, these 51 would be put in quarantine. pic.twitter.com/qq9rAoRYDA

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 13, 2020

07:29 (IST)

Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates 

Like HIV, coronavirus unlikely to go away: WHO 

The novel coronavirus could become endemic in the same way like the HIV and the populations around the world will have to learn to live with it, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday.

Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan said the coronavirus "may never go away" and warned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear.

"It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away," Ryan told the virtual press conference from Geneva.

"HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus," he said. 

Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: Eight labourers were killed and around 50 were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in Madhya Pradesh's Guna on Wednesday night, ANI reported.

The injured labourers have been shifted to a district hospital. They were going to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra.

Six migrant workers were killed and two were injured after being mowed down by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar late Wednesday night.

The labourers, who were headed home in Bihar on foot, were killed in the Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur highway after a speeding bus ran over them late last night, near Ghalauli check-post.

A case of negligence will be filed against the driver, Indian Express quoted Anil Kaparvan, SHO Kotwali police station as saying.

The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases inched towards 75,000 on Wednesday with several large urban clusters reporting a further spread of the novel coronavirus, while the government unveiled measures amounting to about Rs 6 lakh crore in easy loans, additional liquidity and other incentives to help businesses fight the crisis.

The first installment of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, came on the 50th day of the coronavirus lockdown and merely four days before the end of its third phase on 17 May.

A decision on the future course of action on the lockdown is expected in the next few days, though Modi has said that the 'fourth' phase will be an 'improved' version of third phase, in which some relaxations were already given.

On Wednesday evening, the Centre also said that the PM-CARES Fund Trust has decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for the fight against COVID-19, out of which nearly Rs 2,000 crore will be earmarked for purchasing ventilators and Rs 1,000 crore for migrant labourers.

Another Rs 100 crore will be given to support coronavirus vaccine development, the PMO statement said.

The trust formed on 27 March is headed by the prime minister. The other ex-officio members of the trust are the defence minister, the home minister and the finance minister.

Centre unveils first dose of Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package

On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the first part of the economic package, which is aimed at making India 'self-reliant' and also promote 'local' businesses.

Sitharaman said that no global tenders will be issued for government contracts worth up to Rs 200 crore to promote Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Taking forward the new 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' (Self-Reliant India Mission), Home Minister Amit Shah separately announced that all canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF and the BSF will sell only indigenous products from 1 June.

These canteens cater to nearly 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh personnel. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said that the decision has been taken after Modi's appeal for being self-reliant and opting for local products.

There are expectations that many more steps might be announced soon to promote indigenous products, though Sitharaman said being self-reliant does not mean that India would look only inwards and become an "isolationist" country.

Modi said the measures announced by the finance minister will enhance liquidity, empower entrepreneurs and strengthen their competitive spirit, while addressing various issues faced by businesses, especially MSMEs.

The measures included Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loan for businesses including MSMEs, which Sitharaman said would benefit 45 lakh small businesses.

Consultancy major KPMG India's Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar said MSMEs are critical for employment preservation and growth and helping them is the surest way to accelerate job creation. He also welcomed measures for improving liquidity for lenders and businesses, including by helping non-banking finance companies.

Congress leader P Chidambaram, however, said that the Centre's COVID-19 economic stimulus package had nothing for lakhs of poor and hungry migrant workers who have been walking to their homes.

India's MSME sector employs nearly 11 crore people and accounts for about 45 percent of the country's total manufacturing output, 40 percent of exports and almost 30 percent of the GDP. However, the sector has been hit hard by the lockdown, with millions of units staring at the prospect of closure and the threat of job losses.

Lakhs of migrant workers were also left jobless and homeless due to the pandemic, especially after the lockdown came into effect on 25 March.

While special trains and buses have been arranged for them in the recent weeks and continue to operate to help them reach their native places, thousands of them had to walk or even hide in trucks and containers to reach their destinations.

In the past few days, the large scale migrant movement has raised another worry of the virus getting spread further. Also, some cases have come to the light, including in Kerala, of people testing positive after being airlifted from abroad under a massive evacuation scheme of the Centre which is currently underway to bring back Indians and expatriates stranded in different countries.

COVID-19 cases in India cross 75,000-mark, toll rises to 2,415

In its morning update, the Health Ministry said the toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,415 and the number of cases has climbed to 74,281, registering an increase of 122 deaths and 3,525 cases since Tuesday morning. This included over 47,000 active cases and more than 24,000 people who have recovered from the infection.

However, a PTI tally of numbers disclosed by states and UTs, as of 6.45 pm, showed at least 75,144 total cases across the country. It also showed nearly 25,000 having recovered so far.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that nine states and UTs, including Chhattisgarh, Ladakh, Manipur and Meghalaya, have not reported any new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours while Daman and Diu, Sikkim, Nagaland and Lakshadweep have not reported any cases so far.

Vardhan also said the the doubling time of cases has improved to 12.6 in the last three days, from 11 in the past 14 days. He further observed that the fatality rate is 3.2 percent and the recovery rate is pegged at 32.8 percent.

Kerala, where new cases had stopped coming up till a few days back, saw 10 more people testing positive, including four who have come from abroad.

At the same time, large numbers of new cases continued to come up in Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, among some other states and UTs.

Maharashtra saw the highest single-day jump in cases on Wednesday, with 1,495 new patients testing positive in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state, which is one of the worst hit, crossed 25,000 and toll reached 975.

Mumbai accounts for over 60 percent of all cases in Maharashtra, with around 1500 cases.

Lockdown eased in England, Saudi Arabia announces Eid curfew

The sound of a crisply struck golf ball could be heard in England for the first time in nearly two months as golf courses reopened on Wednesday as part of a modest easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions that has bred confusion and an increase in the use of public transport, AP reported.

People in England are allowed to exercise more than once a day and with one person from outside their household, provided they remain two meters (around 6.5 feet) apart. Other sporting activities, such as tennis and swimming in lakes and fishing, are allowed too.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced a new 24-hour nationwide curfew from 23 May and during the Eid holidays to curb the COVID-19 spread, CNN reported.

In Italy, the number of calls to a government run anti-violence helpline rose by 73 percent during the coronavirus lockdown, the report added.

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2Z2B69g

[brajeshupadhyay]

08:41 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates  28 more test COVID-19 positive in Lucknow Twenty eight COVID-19 samples of the total 982 have tested positive on Wednesday, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow was quoted by news agency ANI. "Out of the 982 samples tested on Wednesday for COVID-19, results of 28 came positive," 'read the statement from King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow. 08:32 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Karnataka Latest Updates  Passenger train arrives in Karnataka from Delhi  The first batch of passengers arrive at KSR Bengaluru railway station in a special superfast train from New Delhi on Thursday. The passengers were now being taken in buses to a place of their choice for institutional quarantine. First batch of passengers arrive at KSR Bengaluru railway station as first special superfast train from #NewDelhi arrive in #Bengaluru. They are now being taken in buses to a place of their choice for institutional quarantine. @IndianExpress @KARailway @SWRRLY @WeAreBangalore pic.twitter.com/WYr1a76Iw2 — Ralph Alex Arakal (@ralpharakal) May 14, 2020 08:12 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Madhya Pradesh Latest Updates  Eight labourers dead, 50 injured after truck they were travelling in collides with bus in MP Eight labourers were killed and around 50 were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in Madhya Pradesh's Guna on Wednesday night, ANI reported. The injured labourers have been shifted to a district hospital. They were going to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra. Madhya Pradesh: 8 labourers dead & around 50 injured after the truck they were travelling in, collided with a bus in Cantt PS area in Guna last night. Injured persons shifted to district hospital.All the 8 killed labourers were going to their native places in UP from Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/OaB9SCLpjY — ANI (@ANI) May 14, 2020 07:53 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Uttar Pradesh Latest Updates  Six migrant workers mowed down by state bus in Muzaffarnagar, two injured Six migrant workers were killed and two were injured after being mowed down by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar late Wednesday night. The labourers, who were headed home in Bihar on foot, were killed in the Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur highway after a speeding bus ran over them late last night, near Ghalauli check-post.  A case of negligence will be filed against the driver, Indian Express quoted Anil Kaparvan, SHO Kotwali police station as saying.  👉6 migrant workers killed, mowed down by a bus in UP's Muzaffarnagar 👉Initial input suggests they were heading to their homes in Bihar on foot, cops verifying 👉Death toll of migrants by accidents during lockdowns rises to 70. 👉Details of the remaining 64 in my #THREAD 👇 — Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) May 14, 2020 07:36 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak in Assam Latest Updates  51 people put in quarantine in Guwahati after arriving from Delhi  Fifty one of the total 130 people who arrived from Delhi to Dibrugarh have been put in quarantine after being brought to Sarusajai Stadium, Guwahati, for mandatory screening, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.  "The remaining have been sent back to their respective districts. After their swabs are taken, these 51 would be put in quarantine," said Sarma.  Out of the 130 people who deboarded the train from Delhi to Dibrugarh, in Guwahati, 51 were brought to Sarusajai Stadium for mandatory screening, while remaining have been sent back to their respective districts. After their swabs are taken, these 51 would be put in quarantine. pic.twitter.com/qq9rAoRYDA — Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) May 13, 2020 07:29 (IST) Coronavirus Outbreak Latest Updates  Like HIV, coronavirus unlikely to go away: WHO  The novel coronavirus could become endemic in the same way like the HIV and the populations around the world will have to learn to live with it, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday. Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan said the coronavirus "may never go away" and warned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear. "It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away," Ryan told the virtual press conference from Geneva. "HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus," he said.  Coronavirus Outbreak LATEST Updates: Eight labourers were killed and around 50 were injured after the truck they were travelling in collided with a bus in Madhya Pradesh's Guna on Wednesday night, ANI reported. The injured labourers have been shifted to a district hospital. They were going to their home towns in Uttar Pradesh from Maharashtra. Six migrant workers were killed and two were injured after being mowed down by a state transport bus while they were walking towards Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar late Wednesday night. The labourers, who were headed home in Bihar on foot, were killed in the Muzaffarnagar-Saharanpur highway after a speeding bus ran over them late last night, near Ghalauli check-post. A case of negligence will be filed against the driver, Indian Express quoted Anil Kaparvan, SHO Kotwali police station as saying. The nationwide tally of confirmed COVID-19 cases inched towards 75,000 on Wednesday with several large urban clusters reporting a further spread of the novel coronavirus, while the government unveiled measures amounting to about Rs 6 lakh crore in easy loans, additional liquidity and other incentives to help businesses fight the crisis. The first installment of the Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, came on the 50th day of the coronavirus lockdown and merely four days before the end of its third phase on 17 May. A decision on the future course of action on the lockdown is expected in the next few days, though Modi has said that the 'fourth' phase will be an 'improved' version of third phase, in which some relaxations were already given. On Wednesday evening, the Centre also said that the PM-CARES Fund Trust has decided to allocate Rs 3,100 crore for the fight against COVID-19, out of which nearly Rs 2,000 crore will be earmarked for purchasing ventilators and Rs 1,000 crore for migrant labourers. Another Rs 100 crore will be given to support coronavirus vaccine development, the PMO statement said. The trust formed on 27 March is headed by the prime minister. The other ex-officio members of the trust are the defence minister, the home minister and the finance minister. Centre unveils first dose of Rs 20-lakh-crore economic package On Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled the first part of the economic package, which is aimed at making India 'self-reliant' and also promote 'local' businesses. Sitharaman said that no global tenders will be issued for government contracts worth up to Rs 200 crore to promote Indian Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Taking forward the new 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' (Self-Reliant India Mission), Home Minister Amit Shah separately announced that all canteens of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF and the BSF will sell only indigenous products from 1 June. These canteens cater to nearly 50 lakh family members of about 10 lakh personnel. In a series of tweets in Hindi, Shah said that the decision has been taken after Modi's appeal for being self-reliant and opting for local products. There are expectations that many more steps might be announced soon to promote indigenous products, though Sitharaman said being self-reliant does not mean that India would look only inwards and become an "isolationist" country. Modi said the measures announced by the finance minister will enhance liquidity, empower entrepreneurs and strengthen their competitive spirit, while addressing various issues faced by businesses, especially MSMEs. The measures included Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free automatic loan for businesses including MSMEs, which Sitharaman said would benefit 45 lakh small businesses. Consultancy major KPMG India's Chairman and CEO Arun Kumar said MSMEs are critical for employment preservation and growth and helping them is the surest way to accelerate job creation. He also welcomed measures for improving liquidity for lenders and businesses, including by helping non-banking finance companies. Congress leader P Chidambaram, however, said that the Centre's COVID-19 economic stimulus package had nothing for lakhs of poor and hungry migrant workers who have been walking to their homes. India's MSME sector employs nearly 11 crore people and accounts for about 45 percent of the country's total manufacturing output, 40 percent of exports and almost 30 percent of the GDP. However, the sector has been hit hard by the lockdown, with millions of units staring at the prospect of closure and the threat of job losses. Lakhs of migrant workers were also left jobless and homeless due to the pandemic, especially after the lockdown came into effect on 25 March. While special trains and buses have been arranged for them in the recent weeks and continue to operate to help them reach their native places, thousands of them had to walk or even hide in trucks and containers to reach their destinations. In the past few days, the large scale migrant movement has raised another worry of the virus getting spread further. Also, some cases have come to the light, including in Kerala, of people testing positive after being airlifted from abroad under a massive evacuation scheme of the Centre which is currently underway to bring back Indians and expatriates stranded in different countries. COVID-19 cases in India cross 75,000-mark, toll rises to 2,415 In its morning update, the Health Ministry said the toll due to COVID-19 has risen to 2,415 and the number of cases has climbed to 74,281, registering an increase of 122 deaths and 3,525 cases since Tuesday morning. This included over 47,000 active cases and more than 24,000 people who have recovered from the infection. However, a PTI tally of numbers disclosed by states and UTs, as of 6.45 pm, showed at least 75,144 total cases across the country. It also showed nearly 25,000 having recovered so far. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that nine states and UTs, including Chhattisgarh, Ladakh, Manipur and Meghalaya, have not reported any new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours while Daman and Diu, Sikkim, Nagaland and Lakshadweep have not reported any cases so far. Vardhan also said the the doubling time of cases has improved to 12.6 in the last three days, from 11 in the past 14 days. He further observed that the fatality rate is 3.2 percent and the recovery rate is pegged at 32.8 percent. Kerala, where new cases had stopped coming up till a few days back, saw 10 more people testing positive, including four who have come from abroad. At the same time, large numbers of new cases continued to come up in Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, among some other states and UTs. Maharashtra saw the highest single-day jump in cases on Wednesday, with 1,495 new patients testing positive in the last 24 hours. The total number of cases in the state, which is one of the worst hit, crossed 25,000 and toll reached 975. Mumbai accounts for over 60 percent of all cases in Maharashtra, with around 1500 cases. Lockdown eased in England, Saudi Arabia announces Eid curfew The sound of a crisply struck golf ball could be heard in England for the first time in nearly two months as golf courses reopened on Wednesday as part of a modest easing of coronavirus lockdown restrictions that has bred confusion and an increase in the use of public transport, AP reported. People in England are allowed to exercise more than once a day and with one person from outside their household, provided they remain two meters (around 6.5 feet) apart. Other sporting activities, such as tennis and swimming in lakes and fishing, are allowed too. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced a new 24-hour nationwide curfew from 23 May and during the Eid holidays to curb the COVID-19 spread, CNN reported. In Italy, the number of calls to a government run anti-violence helpline rose by 73 percent during the coronavirus lockdown, the report added.

http://sansaartimes.blogspot.com/2020/05/coronavirus-outbreak-live-updates-eight.html