A ‘jatha’ of 815 pilgrims reached Pakistan’s Lahore on April 12 to celebrate Khalsa Sajna Diwas and Baisakhi at the religiously significant Sikh shrines…reports Asian Lite News.
At least 100 Sikh devotees mainly from Punjab, who returned from Pakistan after visiting several shrines on the occasion of Baisakhi, on Thursday tested positive for coronavirus on their return to India through the Wagah border near Amritsar, officials said.
A ‘jatha’ of 815 pilgrims reached Pakistan’s Lahore on April 12 to celebrate Khalsa Sajna Diwas and Baisakhi at the religiously significant Sikh shrines.
A total of 100 out of 350 devotees tested positive for coronavirus through a rapid antigen test, an official told. However, the result of many other devotees is awaited.
The Pakistani High Commission in Delhi had issued visas to 1,100 Sikh pilgrims. Before departing to Pakistan, all those who tested negative for Covid-19 were allowed to cross the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post.
They were granted a 10-day visa by Pakistan and were allowed to visit Sikh shrines besides attending the main function at Gurdwara Panja Sahib at Hasan Abdal on April 14.
On their return, they paid obeisance at the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur on April 19 and took out a ‘nagar kirtan’ from there to the Zero Line located along Dera Baba Nanak on the Indian side.
The problem India, in importing oxygen, facing is transportation due to an acute deficiency of containers to carry. The government is in talks with all the stakeholders to get the containers…reports Sumit Kumar Singh.
Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of Covid across the country, India will be importing oxygen generation plants and containers from Germany to cater the shortage.
Government sources said that 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being air lifted from Germany. These will be deployed in static hospitals and provide adequate oxygen to the needy.
Further, sources said that India is procuring a large number of oxygen containers for adequate supply of oxygen in Delhi and other states.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCwB6VjdwIc
The government planned to assign Indian Air Force to airlift in oxygen containers and equipment from friendly nations.
The problem India, in importing oxygen, facing is transportation due to an acute deficiency of containers to carry. The government is in talks with all the stakeholders to get the containers.
The government had roped in the air force to airlift oxygen cylinders, regulators, and essential medicines as the national capital region faces shortage of oxygen cylinders and medicines.
The IAF started airlifting personnel, doctors and nursing staff to help the government battle the pandemic.
So far IAF has airlifted doctors and nursing staff from Kochi, Mumbai, Vizag and Bengaluru for setting up of a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Covid hospital at Delhi. The force had also airlifted oxygen containers of DRDO from Bengaluru for Covid centres at Delhi.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh directed all the defence establishments to setting up of more Covid-19 hospitals, use emergency powers and to bring in retired personnel to tackle the crisis.
A roadmap on how military infrastructure can be used to ramp up the fight against Covid-19 was also discussed in a Covid preparedness review meeting chaired by the Minister.
Further after the directions of the government, Army hospital at Delhi Cantonment area has been converted into Covid facility for people infected with the virus in Delhi.
The DRDO had stated that they have set up a Covid hospital in Delhi with 250 beds, and the capacity will be increased to 500 and then 1,000 if required.
Rajnath Singh instructed more fully functional Covid hospitals to be set up in Lucknow, Patna, Varanasi, and Ahmedabad within 8-10 days and also in other places where required.
Ambulances with patients waiting inside dot the road outside this 1,200-bed facility – patients’ screams and their family members’ worried conversations present a grim scenario. (Pallav Paliwal)
He said that the ESIC Hospital, which was converted to Covid hospital in Patna, has started functioning with 500 beds. He added that work is on war footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, a 750-bed hospital in Varanasi, and a 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad.
There was also discussion on roping in retired military doctors and nursing staff for assistance if they volunteer.
The minister also had suggested utilizing the services of vaccinated retired armed forces personnel to assist the civil administration and state governments to deal with the current situation.
This move takes effect from 11.59 p.m. on Friday, and includes people who have prior approval to enter Singapore,said Education Minister Lawrence Wong…reports Asian Lite News
All long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have travelled to India within the last 14 days will not be allowed to enter or transit through Singapore, as the country goes on “heightened alert” against Covid-19.
This move takes effect from 11.59 p.m. on Friday, and includes people who have prior approval to enter Singapore, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday (April 22), the Straits Times reported.
In addition, people who have recently travelled to India and have not completed their 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) by 11.59 p.m. on Thursday night will have to complete their additional seven-day SHN at a dedicated facility rather than their places of residence.
This group will undergo three polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests for the virus: when they arrive, on the 14th day of their SHN and before the end of their SHN.
Explaining why Singapore has tightened its border measures, Wong said that the situation in India has worsened since the start of the week.
He added that the SHN period is not “100 per cent foolproof”, noting that any leaks among newly arrived Indian workers could possibly introduce new strains into dormitories and result in new clusters.
India reported 314,835 new Covid-19 cases on Thursday, the world’s biggest single-day surge. The country has recorded 16 million cases and 184,657 deaths so far. A new “double-mutant” variant has also emerged in India, and is thought to be fuelling the country’s second wave.
The Ministry of Health (MOH) also confirmed on Thursday that 17 recovered workers at Westlite Woodlands dormitory were found to have Covid-19, although there is no evidence that these cases were linked to India or to the new viral strain that has emerged there.
Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who with Wong co-chairs the multi-ministerial task force handling the pandemic, said that Singapore is on heightened alert against the coronavirus, given rising case numbers and emerging virus variants around the world.
The situation may escalate quickly, necessitating the tightening of measures in Singapore, he added at a virtual press conference.
Viral variants – including those first detected in South Africa and Brazil – have been found in 342 imported cases, said the Health Ministry’s director of medical services, Associate Professor Kenneth Mak. All the cases were isolated on arrival and no community spread has been detected.
He warned that this number may increase over time as more Covid-19 cases are detected and more testing done.
Gan urged Singaporeans to continue to be socially responsible and adhere to safe management measures.
This applies to those who have already been vaccinated as well, he said. “The recent spate of cases has reminded us that we cannot let our guard down.”
“We are facing an invisible and very formidable enemy,” Wong said, adding that the spate of new strains detected in other countries is a worrying development.
“Perhaps after this round of vaccination, we might have to continue with further rounds of vaccination,” he said. “Even up to beyond this year, because we will have to be confronting not just the virus today, but potentially new strains of the virus that maybe more infectious and virulent.”
A demonstrator takes part in a protest against Asian hate in New York, the United States
The Senate approved the bill in a 94-1 vote and sent it to the House on Thursday, which will soon take up their version of the legislation…reports Asian Lite News
The US Senate voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill combating surging hate crimes against Asian Americans during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Senate approved the bill in a 94-1 vote and sent it to the House on Thursday, which will soon take up their version of the legislation. The lone nay vote was cast by Missouri GOP senator Josh Hawley, Xinhua news agency reported.
“By passing this bill we say to the Asian American community that the government is paying attention to them, has heard their concerns and will respond to protect them,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, where anti-Asian violence has especially been running high.
People take part in a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes in San Mateo, California, the United States, on Feb. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Sponsored by Hawaii’s Democratic senator Mazie Hirono and New York’s Democratic congresswoman Grace Meng, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to designate an official to review coronavirus-related hate crimes. Hirono and Meng are both Asian Americans.
The bill also directs the DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance raising awareness of hate crimes amid the pandemic, and work with other agencies to establish an online platform for reporting those crimes.
Hirono said that the bill’s passage “sends a clear and unmistakable message of solidarity” to the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
The bill gained momentum after six women of Asian descent were killed in mass shootings in the Atlanta area in March.
People take part in a rally against anti-Asian hate crimes in San Mateo, California, the United States, on Feb. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Senators locked in a final deal on the bill late Wednesday night, allowing for several GOP-proposed amendments to get a vote. All of those changes would need 60 votes in favour in the now evenly-divided Senate, and it turned out none of them got added.
Susan Collins, GOP senator from Maine who managed to work with Hirono to change the language of the bill over the administration’s guidance, said that with the passage of the bill, “we can send an unmistakably strong signal that crimes targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our country will not be tolerated.”
Pakistani has closed the border with Iran at Gwadar, Turbat and Panjgur about a month ago and stopped the vehicles which had crossed into Pakistan from Iran…reports Asian Lite News
Four men died due to starvation while they were stranded in border areas of the Makran division of Balochistan due to the closure of the Iran-Pakistan border.
Pakistani authorities have closed the border with Iran at Gwadar, Turbat and Panjgur about a month ago and stopped the vehicles which had crossed into Pakistan from Iran at the check-posts of Frontier Corps, Dawn reported.
Hundreds of pick-ups and other vehicles loaded with Iranian petrol and diesel were stuck up in the border areas when authorities stopped them from moving ahead after they crossed into Pakistan from Iran.The drivers of these vehicles have no other source to get food and water. Four drivers died after their condition deteriorated due to the non-availability of food and water.
Fence along the Pakistan Iran Border
Family members of one of the deceased drivers, identified as Fazal Ahmed, said that people with stranded vehicles were facing an acute shortage of food and water due to the closure of the border with Iran. They urged the government to act immediately to save the lives of hundreds of people.
Hundreds of people belonging to different walks of life held a rally in Gwadar in protest against the suspension of trade activities at the Pak-Iran border. Chanting slogans, they marched on different roads of Gwadar.
Addressing the protesters, speakers opposed the closure of the border with Iran and said that they would close national highways in Makran if their demands were not accepted by April 23.
The president of the Border Trade Union, Mohammad Aslam, while speaking at a press conference along with Mir Shahdad Dashti and Gulzar Dost, said that the majority of people in Makran earned their livelihoods from the trade with Iran
Philippine President Duterte “has decided to remain in the country to attend to pressing domestic concerns in light of the surge of Covid-19 cases”…reports Asian Lite News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss2_ZH8f_C4
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will not attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit scheduled on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Thursday.
In a statement, the DFA said Duterte “has decided to remain in the country to attend to pressing domestic concerns in light of the surge of Covid-19 cases”, reports Xinhua news agency.
The Philippines now has over 962,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases, including 16,265 deaths.
The DFA said Duterte has designated Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin as his “special envoy” to the summit that will discuss ASEAN’s “collective efforts in addressing threats and challenges to peace and stability in the region”.
“This special leaders’ meeting will address urgent matters in the region, including recovery efforts, the situation in Myanmar, ASEAN community-building efforts, external relations, and regional and international issues,” the DFA statement added.
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Rouhani urged for the promotion of Tehran-Islamabad ties in trade, energy and border markets, adding it is necessary for both sides to implement the signed agreements to further cooperation..,reports Asian Lite News
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has called for the enhancement of security and economic cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad.
“Security is a common concern for the two countries, and it is essential to boost cooperation in this regard,” Rouhani said in a meeting on Wednesday with visiting Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
He also stressed the need to promote security along the Iran-Pakistan borders, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Iranian President urged for the promotion of Tehran-Islamabad ties in trade, energy and border markets, adding it is necessary for both sides to implement the signed agreements to further cooperation.
Also, Iran stands ready to work with Pakistan towards the peace process in Afghanistan, he noted.
The signing of the MoU is a manifestation of the importance the leadership of the two countries(Twitter)
The Pakistani Foreign Minister, for his part, hailed the relations between the two countries as “cordial” and called for the promotion of all-out ties.
Iran and Pakistan will hopefully witness a new chapter in their ties, especially in the fields of trade and economy, said Qureshi.
He also backed the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as a “big diplomatic achievement”.
“We are very happy that the JCPOA has been preserved with the efforts of Iran, and today we are witnessing negotiations again to revive this multilateral agreement,” the Pakistani diplomat said.
The signing of the MoU is a manifestation of the importance the leadership of the two countries(Twitter)
The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to establish joint border markets in efforts to strengthen cross-border economic exchanges.
The agreement, which was signed by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Qureshi, aims to promote economic relations between the two countries and the welfare of border residents.
The border markets will be administrated based on the agreements and protocols between the two sides.
Qureshi arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for a three-day official visit.
Earlier on Wednesday, the third joint border crossing between the two countries was opened.
Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan was the minister who removed from the post and replaced by Mehmet Mus…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed the Trade Minister and appointed chiefs of two newly established Ministries, according to a presidential decree.
Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan was removed from the post and replaced by Mehmet Mus, Xinhua news agency quoted the decree as saying on Wednesday.
Derya Yanik was appointed as head of the Family Ministry, and Vedat Bilgin took the post as the Labour Minister.
Ministries of labor and family had been under the same roof before the decree separated them.
The deal was signed during the visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak to the UK on April 19-20…reports Asian Lite News
Ukraine and the UK have reached an agreement on expanding the Orbital training mission and working on strengthening the Ukrainian Navy.
This agreement was reached during the visit of the Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Ruslan Khomchak to the UK on April 19-20 and his meeting with the British Chief of the General Staff, General Nick Carter, reports Xinhua news agency.
Khomchak thanked the UK for its assistance in increasing the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and their compatibility with NATO troops.
UK Ukraine ink military pact
Carter, in turn, said the British Armed Forces had trained over 20,000 Ukrainian servicemen as part of bilateral military cooperation.
He also said the British side leads the initiative to train the Ukrainian Navy and supports defense reform in Ukraine.
Britain-led Operation Orbital, a training program for the Ukrainian armed forces, was established in 2015 following the request of the Ukrainian authorities.
China’s ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was staying at the hotel, but was not there when the bomb exploded…reports Asian Lite News
Four people were killed and over a dozen others injured when an explosive-laden vehicle exploded inside the parking lot of a hotel hosting the Chinese ambassador in Pakistan’s Quetta city.
China’s ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong was staying at the hotel, but was not there when the bomb exploded, said Pakistan’s interior Minister, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad.
The Pakistan Taliban later claimed responsibility for the bombing which they said was a suicide attack.
Chinese ambassador Nong Rong had earlier in the day met provincial chief minister Jam Kamal Khan in the city, according to a tweet from the provincial government spokesman, Liaquat Shahwani.
There was a threat alert in Quetta and other major cities after some suspicious calls were intercepted, and security was on high alert including cities in Balochistan, Rasheed told Xinhua news agency on Wednesday night.
He said that despite the security measures, the vehicle carrying explosives managed to enter the parking lot from the main gate of the Serena hotel, which is a matter of big concern and the responsible people will be taken to task for creating security lapse which gave terrorists a chance to carry out the attack.
Terror group Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility in a text message to journalists saying a suicide bomber launched the attack targeting locals and foreigners, but the claim has not yet been officially confirmed.
The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital whose spokesman Waseem Baig told Xinhua that two of the injured people are in critical condition and a state of emergency has been declared at the hospital by the provincial government.
Soon after the blast, the hotel’s parking area located in its premises was sealed by the counter terrorism department of police who also restricted media to access the site for reporting, Inspector General Police of Balochistan Muhammad Tahir Rai said.
Nong Rong Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan(Twitter)
According to initial investigation, some 40 kg of explosives were used in the attack.
Fire erupted in several vehicles following the blast, badly destroying five to seven of them, he added.
Talking to Xinhua, intelligence sources, who were close to the hotel when the incident happened, said that the loud blast was heard many miles away from the blast site and fire erupted in the hotel’s parking following the explosion.
Security has been beefed up in other cities including Islamabad following the blast and all sensitive government buildings and installations are being guarded, according to local reports.
