India
Two Bangladeshi women trafficked to India returns via Benapole
Indian authorities on Wednesday sent back two Bangladeshi women, who were trafficked to the country, through the Benapole border.
The two women have been identified as Moushumi Khatun, 24, and Mariam Khatun, 25, residents of Sirajganj and Jashore districts, respectively.
India’s Petrapole immigration authorities handed over the two women to their counterparts in Benapole this morning.
Also read: Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole
Office-bearers of ‘Justice and Care’, an NGO in Jashore, Shaoli Sultana, said, "Moushumi and Mariam went to India’s Mumbai illegally with the hope of grabbing well-paid jobs but ended up getting risky jobs there."
Tipped off, Indian cops arrested them and an NGO subsequently kept them at its shelter home, she said.
The Indian police sent the women back to Bangladesh on travel permits following exchange of letters at Home Ministry level, said Shaoli.
Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration police said that after the immigration formalities, the two women were sent to the Benapole hotel to undergo the mandatory 14-day institutional quarantine.
Border guards eaxchange sweets and Eid greetings at Hili border
On the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, border guards of Bangladesh and India exchanged sweets and greetings on Wednesday morning.
Hili CP Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) camp commander Subedar Showkat Ali Molla said that sweets were gifted to the commander of Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indian side fro Joypurhat-10 BGB battalion.
Also read: BSF won't let BGB build mosque at 200-year-old site
Commander Ramakant Singh of BSF Hili camp reciprocated by sending sweets as gifts.
During religious and national celebrations, BGB and BSF exchange gifts, greetings and sweets as a tradition with an aim to bolster friendly ties between the two countries, the BGB camp commander said.
Also read: Bangladeshi youth killed in BSF firing along Lalmonirhat border
Meanwhile, the BSF camp commander said that "this kind of exchange of sweets and greetings motivates the border guards of both the countries".
Passengers can travel to India every day, but return on 3 days through Benapole
Despite the extension of travel ban to India through land ports till July 31, passport-holding passengers are now allowed to travel through Benapole land port every day and return on only three weekdays.
Collecting Covid-19 negative certificates and NOCs from Bangladesh High Commission in India passengers can return through the land port on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, said the Benapole immigration authority on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the police immigration process will remain open from 8am to 3pm every day.
Also read: Benapole to allow entries from India on 3 days a week
Before the travel ban imposed nine to ten thousand passengers used to move through the Beanpole land port. This has now decreased to 60 to 70 passengers a day.
Officer-in-Charge of Benapole immigration Ahsan Habib said only the passengers who have passes issued from the Home Ministry and Bangladesh High Commission in India are moving through the port on applied conditions now.
In general travel for all passengers will not be possible yet considering the extension of border closure, he said.
India returnee passengers have to remain in a minimum of 14-day institutional quarantine in hotels of Benapole and Jashore, he added.
Sub Director of beanpole port Mamun Tarafdar said, BGB police and port security patrol the area to ensure Indian truck drivers remain within the port area.
Also read: 304 enter through Benapole after fresh regulations
Commissioner of Benapole Customs house Azizur Rahman said, export-import trade through the land port has remained normal, maintaining all the health guidelines.
KL Deemed-to-be University, India announces Counselling for Engineering and Non-engineering
VADDESWARAM, India, July 19 (UNB/AsiaNet) - KLEEE Results announced for 40,000+ students appeared for KL Deemed-to-be University's online proctored Engineering Entrance Exam 2021.
- Counselling from 19th July for Engineering, Management, Science & Humanities,
Lateral Entry and all Programs at its two Campuses in India
- USD 6 Million Scholarships for International students
KL Deemed-to-be University [https://www.kluniversity.in/], one of the leading universities in India for graduation and higher education, has announced the results of KL Engineering Entrance Exam 2021 (KLEEE-2021) and will conduct Counselling from 19th July for all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the University.
Read: How to Pick a College or University Abroad for Higher Education in 2021
The results were presented by Dr. N.Venkatram, Incharge Vice-Chancellor, Dr. K Ramakrishna, Convenor, Admissions Committee, Dr. J Srinivasa Rao, Director, Admissions and Dr. M Kishore Babu, Dean, Management, Humanities and Sciences.
Dr. J. Srinivasa Rao mentioned that 40,000+ students from India and various countries have appeared for the entrance examinations for Engineering and other courses of management, humanities and sciences, and the institution will be giving high priority to students from International countries.
To encourage and nurture talent, KL Deemed-to-be University has announced an allocation of USD 6 Million of Scholarships for international students. "To enable a strong platform for talent coming from other countries with high potential, KL Deemed-to-be University will be offering 50% scholarships for its undergraduate and postgraduate programs that include Engineering and Non-engineering streams," said Dr. N. Venkatram.
Scholarships through exemptions in fees will be provided to the students attending the online counselling.
The details are available on https://www.kluniversity.in/IR.
About KL Deemed-to-be University
Founded in 1980 as KL College of Engineering, KL Deemed-to-be University, India brings an academic legacy of 40 years. It was accredited by NAAC with A++ grade and Category-I Institution by UGC, MHRD, Govt. of India in 2019.
Read: WURI Ranking 2021: ULAB among global top 100 innovative universities
Ranked 41st in the NIRF 2020 rankings of top Universities of India, it is situated in a spacious 100-acre campus in Vijayawada and has another world-class campus in Hyderabad. The University has collaborations with 64 foreign Universities across 16 countries providing students international exposure through internships and exchange programs. The intellectual resources include 1,200+ faculty members, with 700+ Ph.D. faculty members. The University also rejoices an impeccable placement track record of placing 20,000 students in reputed companies so far.
For more details please visit https://www.kluniversity.in.
Trade through Hili land port to remain suspended for 6 days
Export-import activities between Bangladesh and India through the Hili land port will remain suspended for six days from Monday on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, the second largest religious festival of Muslims.
Read:No trade activities at Panchagarh border from July 12-30
Abdur Rahman Liton, general secretary of Hili land port C&F Agents association, said the authorities concerned of the port, export-import groups and C&F Agents association took the decision after a joint meeting in this regard, he said.
“All activities of the port will resume from July 25,” he added.
25 die as heavy rains batter India's Mumbai
As many as 25 people have been killed in house collapses triggered by heavy monsoon rains in India's financial capital Mumbai in the past 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.
Mumbai received 177 mm rainfall between 8pm Saturday and 8am Sunday, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
"While 20 people lost their lives after getting trapped under the debris of their houses in the hilly Chembur area, a Mumbai suburb, five more died in the neighbouring Vikhroli area," a civic body official told the media.
Also read: Indonesia landslides death toll rises to 126, dozens missing
In Vikhroli, a two-storey building collapsed like a pack of cards unable to withstand the heavy overnight showers, the official added.
So far, 15 people have been pulled out alive by rescuers from under the debris in these two areas. "These injured survivors have been admitted to nearby hospitals. The victims include women and kids," he said.
Local TV channels beamed footage of live rescue operations in these areas.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to offer his condolences and also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. "Rs 50,000 would be given to those injured."
Also read: Typhoon, landslides leave 35 dead, 59 missing in Vietnam
A probe has been ordered into the building collapses, the civic body official added.
Building collapses are common in India, particularly during the monsoon months of June, July and August. Poor construction quality is often blamed for such collapses.
Ready For Mutually Acceptable Solution On "Emergency", China Tells India
With India firmly conveying to China that the prolongation of the existing situation in eastern Ladakh was visibly impacting the bilateral ties in a "negative manner", Beijing today said it is ready to seek a mutually acceptable solution to the issues that require "emergency response" through negotiation and consultation.
During their hour-long in-person meeting on the sidelines of the SCO conclave in Dushanbe on Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar also told his Chinese counterpart and State Councilor Wang Yi that any unilateral change in the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was "not acceptable" to India and that the overall ties can only develop after full restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh.
Read:China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation Centre starts journey
The meeting in Tajikistan's capital took place amid a stalemate in the disengagement process between the two militaries in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh after they withdrew troops and weapons from the Pangong Lake areas in February following series of military and diplomatic talks to resolve the standoff since May last year.
In a statement posted on its website on Thursday on Wang Yi's talks with Dr Jaishankar, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, the minister stated the overall situation in the border area has de-escalated after the withdrawal of troops from the Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake areas.
However, the relations between India and China are still at a "low level" which is not in the interest of either side, Wang Yi said.
While reiterating China's oft-repeated stand that it was not responsible for the China-India border standoff, Wang Yi, however said that "China is ready to find a solution acceptable to both sides on the issue that needs emergency response through negotiation and consultation."
"The two sides must place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, expand the positive momentum of bilateral cooperation and create favourable conditions for resolving differences through negotiation," he said.
The nature of China-India relations is how two adjacent developing countries look at each other, coexist in harmony and help each other succeed, he said.
"China's strategic assessment of China-India relations has not changed. China and India pose no threat but offer development opportunities to each other. The two countries are partners rather than rivals or enemies," the Chinese foreign minister said.
The principles of China-India relations should still be mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, and mutual respect for each other's core interests, he said.
Read: China's foreign minister says Indo-Pacific strategy should be dumped
The interaction between the two countries should still be seeking mutual benefits and complementarity, pursuing healthy competition and avoiding confrontation, with cooperation as the main theme, Wang Yi said.
While China moved its troops from Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso, the disengagement has not been completed from other friction points like Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh.
In his meeting with Wang Yi, Dr Jaishankar firmly conveyed that the prolongation of the existing situation in eastern Ladakh was visibly impacting the bilateral ties in a "negative manner" and rued that there was no forward movement from the Chinese side since the disengagement in Pangong Lake areas in February that had created conditions for resolving the remaining issues.
Dr Jaishankar told Wang Yi that any unilateral change in the status quo along the LAC was "not acceptable" to India and that the overall ties can only develop after full restoration of peace and tranquillity in eastern Ladakh, according to statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on the talks.
Wang Yi, according to the Chinese foreign ministry, also said that the two sides must consolidate the results of disengagement that have been achieved, strictly abide by the agreement and common understanding of the two sides, and "refrain from taking unilateral actions in sensitive and controversial areas, in order to avoid any recurrence of tensions due to misunderstanding and miscalculation."
"We must take a long-term perspective and gradually move from emergency response toward regular management and control, to avoid unnecessary interruptions of border-related issues to China-India relations," he was quoted as saying by the Chinese foreign ministry statement.
Recalling their last meeting in Moscow, in September 2020, Dr Jaishankar also emphasised the need to follow through on the agreement reached then and complete the disengagement, resolving the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh at the earliest.
Read:Biden backs Trump rejection of China’s South China Sea claim
It has been reported that each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the sensitive sector.
The Chinese foreign ministry statement pointed out that during the meeting between Wang Yi and Dr Jaishankar, both sides believe the two countries must lift bilateral relations out of the low level and achieve healthy and stable development. The two sides encourage strengthening consultations on the border issue through the existing mechanism to consolidate the achieved results, and working towards turning emergency response to regular management and control to safeguard the peace and tranquillity of the border area, the statement added.
Covid-19: Government orders 66 crore vaccine doses worth RS 14,505 crore
The government is placing its largest order yet of Covid vaccines at 66 crore doses worth Rs 14,505 crore to procure Covishield and Covaxin shots that will help it to substantially meet the vaccine availability projections it had made in the Supreme Court, reports Times of India.
The order is in line with the Centre's estimate of 135 crore doses being available between August-December as stated in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court on June 26. Apart from the order for 66 crore doses, the government has made an advance payment to reserve 30 crore doses of Hyderabad based Biological-E's Corbevax vaccine, official sources said.
Read:India's human rights body favours federal probe into Bengal post-poll violence
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This means a total of 96 crore doses are expected to be available on account of government procurement during August December. While the 96 crore doses comprises Centre's share of 75% of the total manufactured doses, the private sector will also have another 22 crore doses of Covishield and Covaxin available during the period.
The order and other anticipated supplies, said officials, will help India remain on track to ensure vaccination for the 18+plus population by the year-end.
The total production of Covishield and Covaxin in August-December is placed at 88 crore doses. Despite a shortfall of around 3.5 crore doses in July, Covaxin production is put at 38 crore in this period, slightly less than the 40 crore mentioned in the SC affidavit. The glitches in its production are understood to have been sorted out.
Read:Nepal, India sign deal for $1.3 billion Lower Arun Hydropower project
Apart from Covishield, Covaxin and Corbevax, the government's estimate of 135 crore doses also included Sputnik V and Zydus Cadila's vaccine. While Sputnik V locally manufactured supplies are yet to start, Cadila's approval is pending. Ten crore Sputnik and five crore Cadila are estimated to be available this year, according to the Centre's affidavit.
"Government has already made an advance payment 96 doses and another 22 crore doses will be available for the private sector, thus securing a large bulk of the expected supply well in advance," said an official source.
The order assumes significance as it assures a supply of jabs to ensure ramping up of vaccination drive amid fear of a third wave. The government aims to inoculate the entire adult population above 18 years age by December. A total of 39.49 crore doses have been administered across the country till Thursday 7pm.
Read: Sputnik V's commercial roll-out in India in coming weeks: Dr Reddy's Laboratories
The Centre has indicated availability of 13.5 crore doses during July, which would translate into an average 50 lakh doses per day. While daily vaccinations have been modest in July so far with a little over 5 crore doses given so far in the month, the states have been asked to ramp up sessions along with that in the private sector where pick up has been slow so far.
While some states have raised concerns about irregular supplies of jabs, the health ministry has emphasised on advance planning and logistics management to ensure that neither people are turned away nor doses are wasted. The health ministry indicates availability of doses to states 15 days in advance to enable planning of vaccination centres and sessions accordingly.
Dispiriting setback: COVID deaths, cases rise again globally
COVID-19 deaths and cases are on the rise again globally in a dispiriting setback that is triggering another round of restrictions and dampening hopes for a return to normal life.
The World Health Organization reported Wednesday that deaths climbed last week after nine straight weeks of decline. It recorded more than 55,000 lives lost, a 3% increase from the week before.
Cases rose 10% last week to nearly 3 million, with the highest numbers recorded in Brazil, India, Indonesia and Britain, WHO said.
The reversal has been attributed to low vaccination rates, the relaxation of mask rules and other precautions, and the swift spread of the more-contagious delta variant, which WHO said has now been identified in 111 countries and is expected to become globally dominant in the coming months.
Read:US COVID-19 cases rising again, doubling over three weeks
Sarah McCool, a professor of public health at Georgia State University, said the combination amounts to a “recipe for a potential tinderbox.”
“It’s important that we recognize that COVID has the potential for explosive outbreaks,” warned Dr. David Dowdy, an infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University.
Amid the surge, the death toll in hard-hit Argentina surpassed 100,000. Daily coronavirus deaths in Russia hit record highs this week. In Belgium, COVID-19 infections, driven by the delta variant among the young, have almost doubled over the past week. Britain recorded a one-day total of more than 40,000 new cases for the first time in six months.
In Myanmar, crematoriums are working morning to night. In Indonesia, which recorded almost 1,000 deaths and over 54,000 new cases Wednesday, up from around 8,000 cases per day a month ago, people near Jakarta are pitching in to help gravediggers keep up.
“As the diggers are too tired and do not have enough resources to dig, the residents in my neighborhood decided to help,” Jaya Abidin said. “Because if we do not do this, we will have to wait in turn a long time for a burial.”
In the U.S., with one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, newly confirmed infections per day have doubled over the past two weeks to an average of about 24,000, though deaths are still on a downward trajectory at around 260 a day.
Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the U.S., reported its fifth straight day Tuesday of more than 1,000 new cases.
Tokyo is under a fourth state of emergency ahead of the Summer Games this month, with infections climbing fast and hospital beds filling up. Experts have said caseloads could rise above 1,000 before the Olympics and multiply to thousands during the games.
The spike has led to additional restrictions in places like Sydney, Australia, where the 5 million residents will remain in lockdown through at least the end of July, two weeks longer than planned. South Korea has placed the Seoul area under its toughest distancing rules yet because of record case levels.
Parts of Spain, including Barcelona, moved to impose an overnight curfew. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said masks will be required on buses and trains even after other restrictions in England are lifted next week. Italy warned all those going abroad that they might have to quarantine before returning home.
Read: Immunized but banned: EU says not all COVID vaccines equal
Chicago announced that unvaccinated travelers from Missouri and Arkansas must either quarantine for 10 days or have a negative COVID-19 test.
Connecticut lawmakers voted Wednesday to again extend Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont’s emergency declarations, despite pushback from Republicans and some Democrats who argued it is time to get back to normal. Among other things, the move keeps in place orders requiring masks in certain settings.
An Alabama military base has ordered troops to show proof of vaccination before they can go maskless as the state sees an uptick in COVID-19 cases, a rise attributed to low vaccination rates. The measure was put in place Tuesday at Fort Rucker, home to the Army’s aviation program.
As troubling as the figures are around the world, they are still well below the alarming numbers seen earlier this year.
Seven months into the vaccination drive, global deaths are down to around 7,900 a day, after topping out at over 18,000 a day in January, according to Johns Hopkins data. Cases are running at around 450,000 a day, down by half since their peak in late April.
WHO acknowledged that many countries are now facing “considerable pressure” to lift all remaining precautions but warned that failing to do it the right way will just give the virus more opportunity to spread.
Pressure is growing worldwide to boost vaccination rates to counter the rise.
“If you have been waiting, if you have been on the fence, sign up and get that shot as soon as possible,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi pleaded.
Eighteen-year-old actress and singer Olivia Rodrigo appeared at the White House on Wednesday as part of an effort by President Joe Biden to persuade more young people. Getting a vaccination is something “you can do more easily than ever before,” she said.
While nearly 160 million Americans have been fully vaccinated, or over 55% of the population, young adults have shown less interest.
Read:FDA adds warning about rare reaction to J&J COVID-19 vaccine
Ohio is planning another prize program to encourage vaccinations, and Gov. Mike DeWine urged the government to give the vaccines full approval instead of just emergency authorization to ease people’s doubts.
“The reality is we now have two Ohios,” said Bruce Vanderhoff, the state’s chief medical officer. “An Ohio that is vaccinated and protected on the one hand, and an Ohio that is unvaccinated and vulnerable to delta on the other.”
Michigan already started a COVID-19 vaccine sweepstakes and announced the first four $50,000 winners Wednesday. Bigger prizes, including a $2 million jackpot, are coming.
In Missouri, second only to Arkansas with the worst COVID-19 diagnosis rate over the past week, political leaders in and around St. Louis have stepped up efforts to get people vaccinated through gift cards and by enlisting beauty salons and barbershops to dispense information.
No trade activities at Panchagarh border from July 12-30
Trade activities between India and Bangladesh through Banglabandha land port in Panchagarh district will remain suspended for 12 days due to Eid-ul-Azha.
The suspension will remain in force from July 19 to July 30, said Abdul Latif Tarin, president of the Banglabandha Land Port Export Association.
Read:Passengers’ movement through land ports with India to remain shut until July 14
The decision to suspend the trade activities through the land port was taken after a meeting with the associations of exporters, clearing agents, traders and workers on both sides of the border, he said.
Trade activities will resume on July 31.