Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day's biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Here are the big stories you need to follow today: SC reverses Jagannath Rath Yatra orderIn a big win for tradition and religious fervour over coronavirus safety concerns, the Supreme Court has modified its June 18 ban on the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri.A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde had stopped the yatra in a previous order to avoid the spread of the disease.. Now, a day before the scheduled date of the yatra, the court, flooded by over a dozen intervention applications seeking a recall of the ban, decided to leave the conduct of a safe yatra in the hands of the State of Odisha and the temple management. The court simply said it did not want to "micro-manage" the festival. It asked the State and the temple authorities to consult the Centre about managing the festival in line with physical distancing norms. At one point, it ventured that the State could stop the festivities in case of a spike in infections. The yatra and its festivities are held over a period of 10 to 12 days. The order is yet to be published on the court's website. A reminder at this point that large religious gatherings, from those of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in South Korea to the Tablighi Jamaat convention in Nizamuiddin, are proven super-spreaders of Covid-19. Covid Watch: Numbers and developments A deserted look of the Kamarajar Salai near Marina Beach during the lockdown in Chenna, on June 22, 2020. The number of coronavirus cases in the country stood at 4,35,742 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 13,941. Despite the sharply rising infections, the Health Ministry is doing its best to put a positive spin on the numbers. In a release today, it said India's Covid-19 cases per lakh people is one of the lowest in the world despite its high population density, and the recovery rate has now reached almost 56 per cent. For every one lakh population, there are 30.04 coronavirus cases in India, while the global average is over three times this figure, at 114.67, the ministry said, referring to the WHO Situation Report 153, dated June 21. It has been pointed out by experts that the number of positive cases is linked to the scale of testing – if the testing rates are low, then the reported infections per lakh would also be low. India's testing rates is one of the lowest in the world. Delhi situation improving: Kejriwal Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the past week's numbers related to Covid-19 patients in the city indicated that things were improving. Delhi has lately been detecting a lot more cases as testing has been ramped up. Addressing a digital briefing, he said the country was fighting a two-pronged war: against China at the border, and against the pandemic in hospitals. "Today there are around 25,000 active coronavirus cases in Delhi; 33,000 people have been discharged after being cured. Precisely a week ago, there were 24,000 active cases. Only 1,000 active cases have increased, it seems the situation is getting balanced," Kejriwal said. Corps commander level talks between India and ChinaIndia and China are holding another round of talks at the Corps Commander level today at the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting point in eastern Ladakh to de-escalate tensions in the aftermath of the clashes in Galwan last week. The first round of Corps Commander talks were held on June 6, where the two sides reached an important understanding on limited "disengagement". However, the consensus was breached after Indian troops were attacked on June 15 during the de-escalation process, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel, in the Galwan Valley. Record hike in fuel prices File Image Petrol price on Monday was hiked by 33 paise per litre and that of diesel by 58 paise to take retail rates to a record high as oil companies increased prices for the 16th day in a row. The price of petrol in Delhi was hiked to ₹79.56 per litre from ₹79.23, while diesel rates were increased to ₹78.55 a litre from ₹78.27, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies. Over 16 days, the petrol price has been hiked by ₹8.3 per litre and diesel rates by ₹9.46 -- a record increase in rates of the fuel in any fortnight since pricing was deregulated in April 2002. Trump H1B visa ban likely today US President Donald Trump's plan to restrict employment-based visas could affect an estimated 240,000 people seeking to work in the U.S. in various sectors, from technology to finance and hospitality. Trump had announced in a Fox News interview on Saturday that he would announce new restrictions on various work visas on Sunday or Monday. But he did add that the plan won't affect certain categories of workers who are already in the U.S. In Brief: The Madras High Court on Monday acquitted B. Chinnasamy, the prime accused in the sensational 2016 'Udumalpet' Shankar murder case on all charges, and set aside the death sentence imposed on him by the trial court in December 2017. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday cautioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be "mindful" of the implications his statements could have on national security and not end up vindicating the Chinese position. Speaking for the first time on the India-China face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley, Singh said, "Disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. And the truth cannot be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements". In a statement, the former Prime Minister urged all organs of the government to work together to prevent the situation from escalating further. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. |
Post a Comment