December 2022 - Page 8 of 51 - Lokmarg

AIADMK To Decide On Seat-Sharing For 2024 LS: Jayakumar

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

With over a year still left for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre, on Tuesday said that the decision on seat-sharing for the parliamentary elections would be decided by AIADMK.

AIADMK interim general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami chaired a meeting of district secretaries at the party headquarters. Party MPs, MLAs and spokespersons also attended the meeting.
AIADMK spokesperson D Jayakumar said, “Today we had a meeting of district secretaries chaired by our interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami at the party headquarters.

We discussed the 2024 parliamentary election preparations.”

This was the second such meeting held at the AIDMK headquarters since the leadership rift began in the party.

Asked about seat-sharing for the 2012 LS polls, Jayakumar said, “It is not the right time to discuss seat-sharing since one year is still there. There is no doubt that the alliance will be led by AIADMK. Those parties which come under our AIADMK leadership will be inducted into our alliance. In the AIADMK alliance for the parliamentary election, seat allocation will be done by AIADMK.”

The AIADMK leader said people are oppressed by the DMK government in Tamil Nadu. He said DMK will get a befitting reply from people in the elections.

“This current DMK-led state government doesn’t procure sugarcane which affects farmers. It will be good if the Assembly elections also come along with the Lok Sabha polls,” Jayakumar said.

Jayakumar censured the reports of internal conflict in the party.

“There are no issues within our party. We all are united. We did not discuss O Panneerselvam, Sasikala, or TTV Dhinakaran since they are not at our party. How can Panneerselvam claim on our party flag and symbol when he is not in our party?”

Notably, Panneerselvam called a meeting of AIADMK district secretaries and other leaders of his faction on Wednesday.

Earlier on Friday, expelled AIADMK leader Sasikala hinted at the reunion of the party before the general elections in 2024.

“All factions will be united with the AIADMK and face the next general elections unitedly and emerge victorious,” she said. (ANI)

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‘Not An Inch’ Will Be Ceded: Bommai On Border Row

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

Amid the ongoing Karnataka-Maharashtra border row, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said that not an inch of land will be ceded to Maharashtra.

Bommai said Karnataka is confident of getting justice as the States have been organised on the basis of the States Reorganisation Act 1956.
“Not an inch of Karnataka will be ceded to Maharashtra at any cost. The Karnataka government is fully committed to protecting every bit of land. States have been organised on basis of the States Reorganisation Act 1956. Maharashtra politicians are doing such things as their case pending before Supreme Court is very weak,” CM Bommai told reporters here.

Bommai’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passing the resolution on the state’s dispute with Karnataka over border areas.

Karnataka CM said the resolution of the Maharashtra Assembly did not have any value and they are doing such things since their case pending before the Supreme Court is very weak.

“The resolution of the Karnataka Assembly is very clear and the State is clear in its stand which is constitutionally and legally valid. The people of both States are living cordially. The Maharashtra politicians are known for such tricks as they know well that their case is very weak. The Karnataka government is committed to Kannadigas living in the neighbouring state. We are right constitutionally and legally,” Bommai added.

Maharashtra Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday tabled a resolution in the state Assembly on the state’s dispute with Karnataka over border areas.

The state assembly unanimously passed the resolution which says that Maharashtra will fight the pending case in the Supreme Court with full strength for the inclusion of each and every inch of 865 villages including Belgavi, Karwar, Nipani, Bidar Bhalki in Maharashtra.

The resolution also condemned the Karnataka administration for its anti-Marathi stand in the border area.

According to the resolution the Maharashtra government will stand behind the Marathi people in border areas and will go for a legal fight in the Supreme Court to ensure that these areas become a part of Maharashtra.

The Central Government should urge the Karnataka Government to implement the decision taken in the meeting with the Union Home Minister and the government should be given the understanding to guarantee the safety of the Marathi people in the border areas, the resolution read.

Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that the disputed areas be declared as Union Territory.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Thackeray said, “We supported today’s resolution. Whatever happens in favour of Maharashtra, we will support it. But there are some questions. For over two years, people (living in border areas) have been demanding to include them in Maharashtra. What are we doing about that?”

Thackeray stated that the Opposition stands in support of the resolution.

“Today government replied that the disputed area cannot be declared as a Union Territory as said by Supreme Court in 2008. However, the situation is not the same now. The Karnataka government is not following it. They are doing an Assembly session there and renamed Belagavi. So we should go to Supreme Court and ask SC to declare it as UT,” added Thackeray.

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar condemned the Maharashtra Assembly resolution and called it a political gimmick.

“There is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in both States and in the Centre. There was no need to pass the resolution. It is done because of elections. We know how to protect our people. They might speak Marathi but live in Karnataka. We condemn this resolution,” Shivakumar told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka legislature said that the state’s stand over the border issue is a settled one and not an inch of land will be given to the neighbouring state.

Notably, the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka dates back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956. The then Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.

Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states. The Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer 260 predominantly Kannada-speaking villages, but the proposal was turned down by Karnataka. Both governments later approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter. (ANI)

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M’rashtra-K’taka Row: Uddhav Demands ‘Disputed Areas’ Declared As UT

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

Amid the row over the Maharashtra-Karnataka border dispute, Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday demanded that the disputed areas be declared as Union Territory.

Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on the border issue with Karnataka, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray stated that the Opposition stands in support of the resolution.
Speaking to reporters, Thackeray said, “We supported today’s resolution. Whatever happens in favor of Maharashtra, we will support it. But there are some questions. For over two years, people (living in border areas) have been demanding to include them in Maharashtra. What are we doing about that?”

Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the resolution on the state’s dispute with Karnataka over border areas.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday tabled a resolution in the state Assembly on the state’s dispute with Karnataka over border areas.

The resolution also condemned the Karnataka administration for its anti-Marathi stand in the border area.

On Monday, former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray speaking in the state Legislative Council said Maharashtra should be declared a Union Territory. (ANI)

“It is not just a case of language and border, but of ‘humanity’. Till the issue is pending before the Supreme Court, the Karnataka-occupied Maharashtra should be declared as a Union Territory by the central government,” he said.

Thackeray further said that Marathi people residing in the border villages have faced “injustice”.

“Marathi-speaking people have been residing in the border villages for generations. Their daily life, language, and lifestyle are Marathi. They do not understand Kannad,” he said speaking in the Upper House.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka legislature said that the state’s stand over the border issue is a settled one, and not an inch of land will be given to the neighboring state.

Thackeray also had hit out at the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

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Tunisha’s Last Rites: Family, Friends Bid Final Goodbye

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

The last rites of Actor Tunisha Sharma, who died allegedly by suicide on the sets of a TV serial, were performed on Tuesday at Mira Road cremation ground in Mumbai.

Tunisha’s mother Vanita Sharma broke down when her last rites were being performed, and she was seen as inconsolable.

Actors- Kanwar Dhillon, Reem Shaikh, Ashnoor Kaur, Avneet Kaur, Siddharth Nigam, Abhishek Nigam, Shivin Narang, Vishal Jethwa, and others attended the cremation of the late actor.

Tunisha was found dead on the sets of her ongoing TV show Alibaba – Dastaan-e-Kabul on Saturday. A day later, her ex-boyfriend and co-star from the show, Sheezan Khan was arrested on charges of abetment to suicide. If reports are to be believed, Khan and Tunisha broke up 15 days ago. Sharma was reportedly hospitalized after she suffered anxiety attacks a few months ago. The actress suffered from depression and anxiety around 2018 as well.

No suicide note was recovered at the spot by police.

Earlier on Monday, the deceased actor’s mother accused Sheezan Khan, the prime suspect in her daughter’s death case of cheating on her and breaking his promise to marry her as she urged the police not to spare him.

Vanita Sharma accused her daughter’s former boyfriend of cheating on Tunisha and said Sheezan broke up with the 21-year-old despite promising to marry her.

Releasing a statement, Tunisha’s mother said, “Sheezan cheated on Tunisha. Started a relationship with her first, promised her of marriage and then broke up with her.”

“He (Sheezan) had involvement with another girl, while he was in a relationship with Tunisha,” she added.

“He used her for three-four months,” Tunisha Sharma’s mother said, adding that Sheezan should not be spared.

The police are now probing the reason behind her alleged suicide. (ANI)

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BJP Lashes Rahul Over Comparisons With Lord Ram

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

BJP lashed at Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday for comparing Rahul Gandhi with Lord Rama. BJP National Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia on Tuesday said that the Congress can do any kind of politics to get votes.

“It is in the DNA of the Congress party. If they want votes, they can do any kind of politics and this is the reason behind Salman Khurshid comparing our adorable deity Lord Shri Ram with such a person (Rahul Gandhi) who is out on bail and the people of India will give him the answer,” said Gaurav.
Saying that it is complete sycophancy comparing a person who is out on bail on the charges of corruption with Lord Ram, the BJP spokesperson said that this in itself shows that there is no dearth of sycophancy in the Congress party.

“The victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideology is clearly visible. This is the same Congress which used to say that Lord Ram is imaginary,” he said.

“It is very clear that the Congress leaders won’t hesitate to do politics only for the sake of votes. It is in the DNA of Congress party leaders,” he added.

It is not wrong to call Rahul Gandhi a Hypocrite Hindu, said Gaurav. “When elections come, he becomes a hypocrite Hindu,” teased Bhatiya.

“Why did PV Narasimha Rao or Sitaram Kesari not get proper respect? Whether it is Iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel or Dr. BR Ambedkar or Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, no one was given their deserved respect by the Congress,” alleged the BJP spokesperson.

He said, “Dr. BR Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel received Bharat Ratna in 1990 and 1991. However, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi were given Bharat Ratna by their own cabinets. Even Rajiv Gandhi also got Bharat Ratna in 1991.”

He also said that it shows that Rahul Gandhi indulges in the politics of hypocrisy and it would be better if he thinks about the ideals of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. (ANI)

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ICICI Bank-Videocon Case: Interim Relief Refused To Chanda, Deepak Kochhar

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

The Vacation Bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday refused any interim relief to former Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank, Chanda Kochhar, and her husband Deepak Kochhar in connection with their arrest in the ICICI Bank-Videocon loan fraud case.

The bench asked the petitioners to approach a regular bench when the court reopens after the Christamas-New Year holidays.
The couple approached the HC challenging their arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the loan fraud case contesting the CBI’s claim of non-cooperation.

The CBI on Monday got three-day custody of Chanda, Deepak, and Videocon Group Chairman Venugopal Dhoot, a co-accused in the ICICI Bank money laundering case.

Deepak Kochhar’s advocate Vikram Chaudhary said, “In the remand, it is said that Deepak Kochhar was not cooperating in the investigation but nothing is explained about how and why.”

His advocate further said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already conducted an investigation.

He said the investigation went on for six months but the CBI arrested Deepak Kochhar after he got bail.

Chaudhary further alleged that Deepak Kochhar was arrested in an inhumane manner and the agency needs to explain his arrest.

“Deepak Kochhar got bail in the ED case. The agency approached the Supreme Court challenging my client’s bail but it refused to intervene. My client was arrested in an inhumane manner at a time when his son’s marriage has been fixed. This is illegal. The arrest of Deepak Kochhar needs to be explained. It was not a routine arrest,” said Chaudhary.

Chaudhary added that the arrest could not be made on the allegations alone.

“It is a 2017 case. If they think that my client committed a crime, why did they not arrest him for 5 years? This is a blatant misuse of power and a violation of my client’s fundamental rights,” said Chaudhary.

He said the high court has said no offense was made out in all cases and even the Supreme Court refused to intervene in the matter.

Amit Desai, the advocate for Chanda Kochhar, told the court that there is no instance where the CBI filed a charge sheet against his client and she was found guilty as charged.

“The CBI did not investigate for two days. How can it then say that my client is not cooperating?” Desai said.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, said, “Dhoot has not disclosed full and true facts and for making proper investigation and taking the case to the logical end. He is required to be confronted with Chanda Kochhar and Deepak Kochhar.”

Kochhar’s advocate said they would not apply for bail immediately as the case is at the remand stage.

The case is related to alleged irregularities and corrupt practices in the sanction of a Rs 1,875 crore loan disbursed by ICICI Bank to the Videocon Group between 2009 and 2011.

During its preliminary inquiry, the CBI found that six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore were sanctioned to the Videocon Group and companies associated with it between June 2009 and October 2011, in an alleged violation of the laid-down policies of ICICI Bank.

The agency claimed the loans were declared non-performing assets in 2012, causing a loss of Rs 1,730 crore to the bank. (ANI)

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Kerala CM Meets Modi In Delhi

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the latter’s official residence in the national capital.

The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) released photographs of the meeting.

The Kerala chief minister is in the capital to attend the politburo meeting of the CPM, which is being held in Delhi today. (ANI)

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States, UTs Conduct Mock Drills To Check Covid Preparedness

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

On the advice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remain cautious and prepared to deal with any eventuality related to COVID-19, mock drills are being conducted on Tuesday in various hospitals across the country in view of rising covid-19 cases in some countries including China, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said.

This comes after four international travellers from Myanmar tested positive for the Coronavirus infection at the Delhi airport.
“To make sure there isn’t a Covid surge in the country, PM Modi has asked us to be careful. The government is also preparing if the covid cases increase. Today mock drills are conducted across covid hospitals in the country to make sure people get proper treatment,” Mansukh Mandaviya said.

As there have been reports of a surge in Covid cases in some countries, the operational readiness of health facilities is being reviewed in all States and Union Territories in case of another wave.

BK Mohapatra, Director of Health Services in Odisha said, “Mock drill is being conducted today to see how prepared we are. We need to have full monitoring & keep all the logistics ready. There is excess oxygen in our state. If any shortcoming is found (during the mock drill), it will be addressed.”

Mock drills are conducted at (MCH) Hospital at Gandhi Nagar in Jammu, and Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya visited Safdarjung Hospital to review Covid Mock drill while Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian visited Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital in Chennai to review Covid Mock drill.

Four international travellers from Myanmar tested positive for the Coronavirus infection at the Delhi airport on Monday. The Genome sequencing of their samples is being done, the sources said.

“Four of the 690 Covid-19 sample tests of the International travellers from Myanmar at Delhi Airport have tested positive for the infection. The infected persons have been admitted at the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) hospital in Delhi and their samples have been taken for genome sequencing,” people aware of the matter said.

Following the advisory ‘Guidelines for International Arrivals’, issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has commenced random post-arrival testing for International arrivals at Delhi Airport, said Dr Gauri Agarwal, Founder of Genestrings Diagnostic Center on Sunday.

Earlier in the day, four foreign nationals who came to attend the religious preaching of Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama at Bihar’s Gaya have been found to be Covid positive raising fears of a surge in the number of Covid cases at the religious place. The foreigners have currently been isolated at a hotel in Bodh Gaya, said Civil surgeon Dr Ranjan Kumar Singh.

Recently, the IMA also issued an advisory and appealed to the public to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour with immediate effect.

“In view of the sudden surge of COVID cases in different countries, the Indian Medical Association alerts and appeals to the public to follow COVID appropriate behaviour with immediate effect.”

“As per available reports, nearly 5.37 lakhs new cases have been reported in last 24 hours from major countries like USA, Japan, South as per the available reports, nearly 5.37 lakhs new cases have been reported in last 24 hours from major countries like USA, Japan, South Korea, France and Brazil,” read the statement of IMA.

“Indian Medical Association appeals to the Government to upscale the preparedness for any such situation as seen in 2021 by issuing necessary instructions to the concerned Ministries and Departments to make available emergency medicines, oxygen supply and ambulance services,” it said.

The Indian Medical Association has also issued an advisory to its state and local branches to take necessary steps in case of a Covid outbreak in their areas. The IMA also appealed to all its members to work proactively as done in the past to combat the future outbreak.

The entire country is gearing up for a possible fourth wave of Covid-19, with the new Omicron sub-variant BF.7, which is said to be the reason behind the surge in Covid cases in China, being detected in India. (ANI)

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Shinde To Move Resolution Over M’rashtra-K’taka Border Dispute

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will move a resolution in the State Assembly on Tuesday over the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra, said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking to media persons today, the Deputy Chief Minister hoped that the resolution will be passed by the majority.
“Today Chief Minister will move a resolution in the state assembly on the border dispute. I hope the resolution will be passed by the majority,” he said.

Targeting the former CM and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray for requesting the central government to declare “the disputed areas” as a Union Territory, Fadnavis said, “I was surprised that those who spoke yesterday, he did nothing for 2.5 years as CM. The border dispute did not start after our government came to power.”

He further said that the previous governments in the State is making the Eknath Shidne government responsible for the border dispute which is going on for years.

“It started with the creation of Maharashtra and the language-wise formation of provinces. It is going on for years. Since then, for years those who have governments are showing that the border dispute started after our government came. In this way, politics has never happened on the border dispute. We stood with the government every time because the question was of Marathi-speaking people,” said the Deputy Chief Minister.

He further urged other parties not to do politics on this.

“We never did politics on this issue and we hope that no one does politics on this. People of border areas should feel that entire Maharashtra is with them,” he added.

Earlier on Monday, Uddhav in the state Legislative Council said, “It is not just a case of language and border, but of ‘humanity’. Till the issue is pending before the Supreme Court, the Karnataka-occupied Maharashtra should be declared as a Union Territory by the central government.”

Uddhav further said that Marathi people residing in the border villages have faced “injustice”.

“Marathi-speaking people have been residing in the border villages for generations. Their daily life, language and lifestyle are Marathi. They do not understand Kannad,” he said speaking in the Upper House.

Hitting out at the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Uddhav said that he is showing any “calm” towards the matter.

Shiv Sena leader also stated that at the present, the states need to pass a resolution declaring “these areas” a union territory.

Notably, the border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka goes back to the implementation of the State Reorganization Act, of 1956. The then Maharashtra government had demanded the readjustment of its border with Karnataka.

Following this, a four-member committee was formed by both states.

The Maharashtra government had expressed willingness to transfer 260 predominantly Kannada-speaking villages, but the proposal was turned down by Karnataka.

Both governments later approached the Supreme Court to expedite the matter. (ANI)

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China To Drop COVID-19 Quarantine For Inbound Travellers From Jan 8

By LokMarg 27th December 2022

Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country, China on Monday announced an end to the coronavirus quarantine rule for inbound travelers from January 8, reported Reuters.

The National Health Commission scrapped the rule which had been in place since the start of the pandemic three years ago.
China’s management of COVID-19 will also be downgraded to the less strict Category B from the current top-level Category A, the health authority said in a statement.

However, travelers will still require a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to enter the country, reported Reuters.

Further, the National Health Commission also stopped announcing daily Covid-19 cases on Sunday, and passed the baton to a disease control agency, a practice more in line with the management of lower-level infectious diseases.

Authorities will also no longer refer to Covid-19 as a form of pneumonia.

While Covid-19 has always been a category B infectious disease in China – a class that also includes HIV, viral hepatitis, and H7N9 bird flu – authorities have managed it as category A, empowering local governments to impose strong measures such as lockdowns, isolation, and quarantine.

It also allows them to enlist law enforcement to aid with disease control.

Meanwhile, cases have surged since China largely dismantled its zero-tolerance policy towards the coronavirus in recent weeks, inducing nationwide shortages of test kits and medication.

The intensity and magnitude of the country’s first nationwide outbreak have remained largely a mystery as official figures from the central government remain low, reported The New York Times (NYT).

The government has a narrow definition of which deaths should count as caused by Covid. Anecdotal evidence, like social media postings of hospital morgues overcrowded with body bags, is quickly taken down by censors.

Now, a picture is emerging of the virus spreading like wildfire. One province and three cities have reported Covid estimates far exceeding official tallies in recent days, reported NYT.

At a news conference on Sunday, an official in Zhejiang Province, home to 65 million people, estimated that daily Covid cases there had exceeded one million.

In the eastern city of Qingdao, population 10 million, a health minister said on Friday that there were roughly half a million new cases each day, a number he expected would rise sharply in the coming days, local news sites reported.

In Dongguan, a city of seven million in central Guangdong Province, a city health commission report on Friday estimated between 250,000 and 300,000 new cases daily.

And in northwestern Shaanxi Province, officials in Yulin, a city of roughly 3.6 million people, logged 157,000 infected on Friday, with models estimating that more than a third of the city’s population had already been infected, according to local media.

These numbers contrast sharply with those from China’s national health commission, which on Friday reported about 4,000 Covid cases for the entire country, reported NYT.

Health experts and state media outlets have downplayed Covid’s severity, focusing on stories of recovery rather than of severe illness. The result has been a one-sided presentation of an outbreak that some experts believe could cause over a million deaths in the coming few months.

Notably, the Communist Party has cast aside the restrictive “zero Covid” policy, which set off mass protests that were a rare challenge to the Communist leadership.

Meanwhile, there is a shortage of medicine, as Covid rips through parts of China, millions are struggling to find treatment — from the most basic cold remedies to take at home to more powerful antivirals for patients in hospitals.

Gripped with grief and anxiety, many in China want a national reckoning over the hard-line Covid policy. Holding the government accountable may be a quixotic quest, reported NYT.

Despite Beijing’s assurances that the situation is under control, data on infections has become more opaque amid loosened pandemic constraints. As Covid sweeps across the Chinese capital, Beijing looks like a city in the throes of a lockdown — this time, self-imposed by residents.

China has acknowledged only seven deaths from Covid in the past two weeks and a few thousand new cases daily, which health experts call a vast to undercount, reported NYT. (ANI)

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