Month: July 2022

As many as 4,000 people have been affected by cholera in Afghanistan’s northern Jawzjan province.

“1,000 people were affected with cholera in Aqcha district, while 3,000 others were infected with the disease in Shiberghan, the capital city of the province, in less than a few weeks,” Ghawsuddin Anwari, a senior official for the provincial public hospital said as quoted by Xinhua.

Despite the rapid outbreak, till now no death has been reported in the province so far but the cases are still rising, according to the official.

Notably, most of the patients are from the Aqcha district, where there was a lack of access to clean water.

Health officials in the province said an equipped 100-bed hospital has been dedicated to cholera-affected patients, and it has the capacity of admitting up to 500 patients if needed.

Meanwhile, in Helmand province, at least 20 children have lost their lives due to cholera. And 180 people, including women and children, were infected with the disease in one week in the southern Kandahar province.

Earlier, looking at the cases, doctors urged citizens to take precautionary measures and prevent infections like cholera and diarrhoea.

Mohammad Naeem Akbari, a physician at Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kabul, said that other seasonal diseases include cold, malaria and measles, TOLO News reported.

“In this season of the year, diarrhoea cases have spiked. Around 1,000 to 1,500 people are brought to the (infectious diseases) hospital in Kabul and every doctor visits around 50 to 60 patients a day,” Dr Abdulrahman Jawad said.

The doctors added that there is a surge in seasonal diseases because of warm weather and inattention to personal hygiene.

“People should not drink unclean water. They should wash vegetables and soak them in salty water for five minutes,” advised Aliya, a physician.

Many children were taken for treatment at Kabul hospital by their parents after they were infected suddenly, local media reported.

“It has been a while since my son is sick. He has got cold,” a local Zuhal said.

Earlier, on Saturday, more than 600 people were found infected and around 15 people died in a recent cholera-like outbreak in Afghanistan.

Health officials said that this disease, which causes severe diarrhoea and nausea, has been spreading in the small villages of Dasht, Giro Joy, Tak, Shina, and other areas for the past week or so. (ANI)

To mark the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav and to popularize the Har Ghar Tiranga campaigns on the country’s 75th Independence Day, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has launched a North West Frontier ITBP Mountain Terrain Bike (MTB) Expedition from Leh in Ladakh.

The Expedition team will travel through the high-altitude terrains of Ladakh to reach Karakoram Pass and will return to Leh on August 7, 2022.
The Expedition consisting of 30 team members was flagged off from Leh, Ladakh, by Shri Sanjay Arora, DG ITBP, Manoj Singh Rawat, ADG, Western Command and Lhari Dorjee Lhatoo, IG North West Frontier were also present on the occasion.

The DG ITBP interacted with the bikers and officials of the team on the occasion. The team will be propagating the message of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav during the expedition. Meanwhile, the team will also spread awareness about the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

The team is expected to reach the Karakoram Pass which is situated at around 18,176 feet covering a distance of approximately 400 Kilometers in about 10 days before starting a return journey to Leh, Ladakh. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Droupadi Murmu at her residence on Thursday and greeted and congratulated her on being elected as the new President of the country.

Bharatiya Janata Party president JP Nadda was also present during the meeting.
Murmu has already got 50 per cent of the total value of valid votes at the end of the third round of counting in the Presidential election. She will be India’s 15th President.

Briefing the media, Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody, who is returning officer for the election, said Droupadi Murmu has got 2161 votes whose electoral value is 5,77,777.

The presidential contest was between Murmu and opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.

“Up to this round, the cumulative total is – total valid votes is 3219 with a total value of 8,38,839 of which Droupadi Murmu gets 2161 votes of the value of 5,77,777. Yashwant Sinha get 1058 votes of the value of 2,61,062,” Mody said.

He said the states covered in the third round are Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha and Punjab.

“In this round, total valid votes 1,333. Total value of valid votes is 1,65,664. Droupadi Murmu got 812 votes, Yashwant Sinha got 521 votes,” Mody said.

Odisha’s Rairangpur village, the native place of NDA’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu erupted in celebrations in anticipation of Droupadi Murmu’s victory.

A large crowd gathered outside BJP Headquarters in Delhi earlier this evening to celebrate Murmu’s victory. (ANI)

Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena has returned the proposal regarding the Singapore visit of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to attend the ‘Eighth World Cities Summit and WCS Mayors Forum’, and advised him to not attend a conference that is prima facie a conference of mayors not befitting attendance by a Chief Minister, said sources.

Having carefully studied the nature of the forum and the profile of other attendees, as also the subjects being deliberated upon at the Conference, the LG has pointed out that the conference will be covering different aspects of urban governance which in the case of Delhi are addressed by diverse civic bodies ranging from New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) apart from the Delhi government.
Sources said that the LG has underlined the fact that GNCTD does not have exclusive domain over the issues corresponding with the theme of the conference and hence it will be inappropriate for a Chief Minister to be attending the same.

The LG’s office believes in the context of the WCS Smart City Workshop that is being organized as a part of the conference, it has been pointed out that the Smart City Project in Delhi is being anchored by the NDMC. Apart from the above facts, a Chief Minister attending such a conference will also set bad precedent, said sources.

Earlier on Sunday, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sought permission to attend the World Cities Summit in Singapore.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government and the Centre locked horns over Kejriwal’s proposed visit to Singapore to attend the global conference in Singapore.

In his letter to Modi, Kejriwal said, “The Government of Singapore has invited us to present the Delhi model at the global summit. During the summit, the Delhi model has to be presented in front of many big leaders of the world. Today the whole world wants to know about the Delhi model. This invitation is a matter of pride and honour for the country.”

He said he had written to the Centre on June 7 seeking permission to attend the summit but no response was received till today.

He said, “It is a matter of pride for India as the world is inspired by the health and education model of Delhi. The country will feel proud when I will present the model of Delhi’s schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics, free electricity and others. My Singapore visit will elevate the country’s pride and stature.”

The AAP convenor said the country’s internal differences should not reflect on the global stage.

“In such a situation, it is against the interest of the country to stop a Chief Minister from visiting such an important platform. I request you to give permission as soon as possible so that I can elevate the name of the country in this summit,” urged Kejriwal.

The World Cities Summit is a forum for leaders and industry experts to address the challenges of a livable and sustainable city and to deliberate on integrated urban solutions.

This year the summit is being held between July 31 and August 3. (ANI)

Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri is confirmed to be living in Afghanistan and ‘communicating freely’, according to a recent report by the United Nations which also warned against the growing strength of terrorist groups including Al Qaeda and Islamic State posing a great threat to the world.

According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the 30th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team stated that the proof that Al-Zawahiri was alive comes from the video messages issued by the group.
“Al-Zawahiri’s apparent increased comfort and ability to communicate has coincided with the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the consolidation of power of key Al Qaeda allies within their de facto administration,” it noted.

The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the UN took notice of the recent activities of Al Qaeda, the militant Islamic State (IS) group and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan, and stated that the two terrorist outfits remain active in conflict-hit regions and neighbouring countries though both these terrorist groups could attempt to strike in non-conflict areas.

The committee monitors the activities of major militant groups like Al Qaeda, Taliban and various factions of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, which is also known as Daesh. The report covered the activities of terrorist groups in different parts of the world, but majorly included Taliban-run Afghanistan, which has become a ‘safe haven’ for Al Qaeda.

Al Qaeda’s traditional strongholds in Afghanistan have been in the south and east of the war-ravaged country, but recently it appears to be expanding its footprint to the west to the Farah and Herat provinces and possibly to the north, the Dawn reported.

“The situation in Afghanistan remains complex, the terrorist groups based in Afghanistan view the Taliban’s military success as a motivating factor for propaganda in neighbouring countries and other parts of the world,” the report stated.

The terror outfit is enjoying a comfortable stay in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime and some of its senior cadres are providing advisory services to the de facto government there.

“Al Qaeda leadership reportedly plays an advisory role with the Taliban, and the groups remain close,” the report stated.

Al Qaeda and IS pose varying levels of threats to international peace. IS-Khorasan, the group’s Afghanistan-based chapter, is seen as a bigger threat in the short and medium term, while Al Qaeda is a danger over the long term, the Dawn reported.

Sanaullah Ghafari alias Shahab al-Muhajir, an Afghan national, has been leading the IS-K chapter since June 2020. However, IS core has set up a separate structure called Al-Siddiq office under Sheikh Tamim al-Kurdi alias Abu Ahmed al-Madani for pursuing the group’s regional agenda.

The report said that Afghanistan is a base for expansion for IS, which is also trying to recruit fighters from other terrorist groups besides luring disaffected Taliban fighters and dissatisfied local ethnic minorities. The group, moreover, attracts fighters by offering higher wages than other militant groups operating there.

IS-K has increased its presence in northern and eastern Afghanistan. The group that initially started by recruiting members of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan and Afghan Taliban now has in its ranks fighters from Central Asia, who have increased activities in the north, which borders Central Asian states of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, the report further noted.

The outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) with a strength of 3,000 to 4,000 fighters, is now more cohesive and presents a greater threat to the region, the report added. (ANI)

Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday promised 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers and 24×7 supply to cities and villages across Gujarat if his party is voted to power in the state Assembly elections that are scheduled to be held this year.

Addressing a press conference in Gujarat’s Surat, the AAP national convenor said also promised to waive all pending electricity bills up to December 31, 2021.
“We will provide 300 units of free electricity to all domestic consumers. We will ensure 24*7 electricity supply in all cities and villages, and all pending electricity bills up to 31st December 2021 will be waived off,” said the AAP leader in Surat,” he said.

The Delhi Chief Minister further said, “These people say “the electricity of the ministers will be free, not of the people. But I say if the power of ministers is free, then the electricity of the people will also be free.”

Slamming the BJP for opposing free electricity, he said, “BJP people oppose free electricity. I have given the option to the BJP people in Delhi that those who do not want free electricity can give me in writing I will not give them.”

Kejriwal said, “Many parties come before the elections come up with a “Sankalp Patra”. When you ask him after the election that you promised to give Rs 15 lakhs, they say that that was only ‘jumla’. We don’t say election ‘jumla’, we do what we say.”

Responding to BJP’s statement on freebies, Kejriwal said that when “rewari” is distributed among the public for free then it is called “prasad”.

“Some people are talking about ‘rewari’ (sweet)..when ‘rewari’ is distributed among the public for free, then it’s called ‘prasad’ (devotional offering). But when it is given for free to your own friends, ministers, then it is ‘paap’ (sin),” he added.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned people against what he called was a “rewari culture” under which votes were sought by promising freebies.

Kejriwal on Wednesday reached Surat and said the people of Gujarat have given us full support as they are tired of 27 years of BJP government in Gujarat.

Earlier, the party had announced that the party will be contesting the polls from all 182 seats in the state.

After its landslide victory in the recently held Punjab Assembly elections, AAP is seeking to expand its footprint in other states.

The party had made its debut in Gujarat in the 2017 Assembly polls, but could not open its account.

The Gujarat Assembly elections are slated to be held this year.

AAP’s Gujarat hope has been fuelled by its performance in the February 2021 Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) polls in which BJP won 93 seats, while Aam Aadmi Party bagged 27 seats in the Surat Municipal Corporation election and Congress drew a blank. (ANI)

A fire broke out in a school bus carrying 21 children and the driver in Delhi’s Rohini on Thursday afternoon.

According to Delhi Police, prompt action by the bus driver ensured that nobody was hurt.

“A fire call was received about a school bus from Bal Bharti Public School near Sector-7, Rohini. A total of three fire tenders rushed to the site. The fire was in the bus carrying 21 children and the driver,” the Delhi Fire Service said.

Three cars were also gutted in the fire.

All children and the driver have been safely evacuated, it added.

The fire was extinguished around 2.50 p.m.(ANI)

After a hiatus of 5 years, one of the most popular dance reality shows ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Ja’ is returning to TV screens.

As per a source, Nia Sharma, Dheeraj Dhoopar, Niti Taylor and Paras Kalnawat are confirmed to showcase their dancing skills on the upcoming show.

Nia is best known for featuring in TV shows such as ‘Ek Hazaaron Mein Meri Behna Hai’, ‘Jamai Raja’ and ‘Naagin’. She gained more popularity when was declared the third sexiest Asian woman in 2016.

Dheeraj has won many hearts with his acting stint on ‘Kundali Bhagya’.

Niti rose to fame with her role in MTV’s ‘Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan’.

Speaking about Paras Kalnawat, he is known for his role in ‘Anupama’.

Reportedly, Lasith Malinga, Harbajan Singh, Hina Khan, B Praak, Sumeet Vyas, Tony Kakkar and Ali Asgar have been approached to be a part of the reality show.

On the judging panel, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Karan Johar and Nora Fatehi have come on board.

Excited to be a part of the show, Madhuri said, “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa is a huge platform for all the celebrities to connect with their fans and showcase their unseen dance avatars. I have witnessed many non-dancers evolve into great dancers on the show and have an incredible transformation journey. Having judged four seasons in the past, this show holds a very special place in my heart, and it feels like a homecoming to me. With Karan Johar and Nora Fatehi joining in, it is going to be a house on fire, and I am eagerly looking forward to it.”

“Nothing gives me more joy than to be a part of a show that is a one-stop destination for impeccable dance, glamour, and entertainment. ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa’ has been one of the most beloved dance reality shows of our country. It is my first reality show as a judge and has been a huge part of my television journey. I am excited to return on this show and join Madhuri and Nora on the judges’ panel. Brace yourselves, as this upcoming season promises to flood your screens with fabulous performances and endless entertainment,” Karan said.

Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Season 10 is most likely to premiere in September. (ANI)

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti on Thursday took to Twitter to warn Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi to stop Congress supporters from protesting over her summons by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the National Herald case, or else she said people will not forget that Sonia is of Italian origin and that she does not respect the Indian Constitution and laws.

Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti wrote on Twitter in Hindi, “If Sonia Gandhi Ji stops the protesters protesting her appearance before the ED in the National Herald case today, then it will be decided that she is really a citizen and a serious leader of this country.”
Her other tweet read, “Otherwise we will not be able to forget that she is of Italian origin and does not respect Indian law and Constitution.”

Uma Bharti’s social media comments appeared in the wake of the summons by ED over her alleged involvement in a money laundering case involving the National Herald. The ED had on June 1 summoned Sonia Gandhi to appear before its investigators on June 8.

The agency had issued similar summons to Sonia Gandhi on June 21. Sonia Gandhi could not appear for questioning after testing positive and being hospitalised for Covid-19. The Congress leader had developed a mild fever on June 1 evening and was found COVID-19 positive upon testing the next morning.

After her discharge from the hospital, she had asked for more time to appear before the agency. The ED wanted to record both Sonia Gandhi’s statements under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Last month the ED questioned Rahul Gandhi on several occasions in the case.

The case to investigate alleged financial irregularities under the PMLA was registered about nine months ago after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe carried out on the basis of a private criminal complaint filed by former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

The petitioner had approached the court alleging that the assets of Associated Journals Limited (AJL), which published the National Herald newspaper, were fraudulently acquired and transferred to Young Indian Pvt Limited (YIL), in which Sonia Gandhi and her son owned 38 per cent shares each.

The YIL promoters include Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Swamy had alleged that the Gandhis cheated and misappropriated funds, with YIL paying only Rs 50 lakh to obtain the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that AJL owed to Congress.

Congress argued that YIL was a not-for-profit company under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 that can neither accumulate profits nor pay dividends to its shareholders. Calling it a case of political vendetta, senior Supreme Court advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi had said, “This is truly a very weird case — an alleged money laundering case on which summons are issued with no money involved.”

The federal agency’s move followed the questioning of senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress Treasurer Pawan Bansal in April this year in New Delhi in connection with its money laundering probe into the National Herald case.

The agency then recorded the statements of both the Congress leaders under the PMLA. The National Herald is published by AJL and owned by YIL. While Kharge is the CEO of YIL, Bansal is the Managing Director of AJL.

The ED is currently investigating the shareholding pattern and financial transactions as well as the role of Congress party functionaries in the functioning of AJL and YIL. (ANI)

The Supreme Court on Thursday adjourned the appeal filed by the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee to October first week, saying it will wait for the decision of the Varanasi court on the Committee’s plea questioning the maintainability of the suit filed by Hindu women.

A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Surya Kant and PS Narasimha also declined to entertain a fresh plea to offer water to the ‘Shivling’, said to be found in the Gyanvapi mosque.
The bench said such prayers can’t be entertained when the suit is already pending. The plea has said that since the month of ‘Shravana’ is starting, Hindus may be allowed to offer puja and exercise their right.

It also declined to entertain another plea filed by seven women seeking carbon dating and ground penetrating radar survey of the discovered Shivling within the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The advocate in the case then withdrew the plea with the top court granting liberty to pursue other remedies as available under law.

During the hearing, senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi appearing for the mosque management committee said that the order appointing the Commissioner to survey the premises is like a poison tree whose poison fruit — the report — has created a situation and perception which attempts to alter the status quo of the mosque existing for centuries.

Ahmadi said these reports are used to create some kind of perception and the top court will have to go into the correctness of the order appointing the Commission.

The bench was hearing an appeal filed by the Committee that manages the Gyanvapi mosque challenging an order of Allahabad High Court permitting a court-appointed commissioner to inspect, conduct a survey and videography of the Gyanvapi mosque to which Hindus and Muslims have laid claim for the right to worship.

On May 20, the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of the case related to worship at Gyanvapi mosque from the civil judge to the District Judge, Varanasi.

It had ordered that its interim order passed on May 17 — to protect the area where the Shivling was found and access to Muslims for namaz — shall continue in operation till maintainability of the suit is decided and thereafter for eight weeks to enable parties to pursue legal remedies.

It had said that District Judge should decide the maintainability of the civil suit in the Gyanvapi-Kashi Vishwanath on priority as sought by Committee of Management Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Varanasi. (ANI)