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-Top News COVID-19 Europe

No EU ban on Covishield, but request must for approval

Asked why ‘Vaxzervria’ vaccine, also developed by AstraZeneca has been permitted in EU and not Covishield, he said every approval process must be conducted on its own merit…reports Naveen Kapoor.

EU Ambassador to India Ugo Astuto has clarified that there is no ban in the European Union on Covishield vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University.

Astuto told ANI in an interview that Pune-based SII has apparently not yet applied to European Medicines Agency (EMA) with a request for approval of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Asked why ‘Vaxzervria’ vaccine, also developed by AstraZeneca has been permitted in EU and not Covishield, he said every approval process must be conducted on its own merit.

“Obviously these are medical sensitivities, medical experts will be better placed to respond. Every approval process of vaccine must be conducted on its own merit. No matter how close the process is, it is because vaccines are biological products so even a tiny difference in manufacturing conditions can result in differences. So each and every product needs to undergo its own scrutiny process,” Astuto told ANI.

“Based on what I read, status from European Medicines Agency (EMA), they say they have not received a request for approval of Covishield. I’m sure when they receive they will process it based on their own internal procedures. I think EMA cannot start any procedure on its own if it hasn’t received a request,” he added.

The EU Ambassador said that a new system has been put in place of the digital COVID certificate.

“It is to clarify there is no banning on Covishield. We have set up in place a new system of Digital Covid Certificate which is meant to facilitate travel within the European Union. Basically, this certificate is proof that a person is vaccinated against COVID or received a negative test or recovered from COVID-19. So this is meant as a facilitator but it is not a precondition for travel.

“For example, people who are not vaccinated should still be allowed to travel, subject to the usual restrictions like testing, quarantine, self-isolation measures related to COVID health policy,” he said.

He said that under the new digital COVID certificate system, EU member states can accept a vaccine that has received EU-wide approval from EMA, but the regulation of digital certificate also leaves open to member states the possibility of accepting vaccination certificates issued in relation to the vaccine that has been authorized by WHO.

“That’s a relevant feature to the system,” the EU Ambassador said.

He also confirmed that talks at the diplomatic level are also on to resolve the issue.

“We always talk with our friends from the Ministry of External Affairs about all issues of common interest so this is not excluded and whenever any issue arises, together we work in a way so that outcome is satisfactory to all sides,” he said.

Covaxin, an indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, is also awaiting approval from the WHO for emergency use authorization.

Covishield has been and is exported to many countries and until EMA gives approval, there will be issues faced by people in many countries.

“There is a process to be followed and again I’m not best placed to tell you. That’s why we have EMA, an independent agency. I’m sure they will examine with due care any request,” the EU Ambassador said. (ANI)

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Asia News COVID-19 India News

India asks Cambodia to lift ban on meat imports

Indian ambassador to Cambodia said that in the absence of any scientific basis to prove that Covid-19 virus spreads through food and packaging material, the temporary ban is becoming a non-tariff barrier and is also harmful for business sentiments, reports Ateet Sharma

India has asked Cambodia to withdraw the temporary ban on import of buffalo meat and other meat products from India immediately, making it clear that the move is harmful for business sentiments, especially when both countries are trying to negotiate a Bilateral Free Trade Agreement.

As New Delhi battled a massive surge in Covid-19 cases during the second wave, Phnom Penh had on May 1 imposed a ban on import of frozen meat products from India labeling them as a “high risk”.

In a letter addressed to Customs and Excise Director General Kun Nhem, Cambodia’s Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak said that the ban is in accordance with Article 20 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and Article 12 of the ASEAN-India Commodity Trade Agreement on the basis of “urgent public health protection”.

As many as 35 containers of frozen meat items shipped from India had also recently remained stuck at the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port customs control for several weeks before finally being released in the last week of May after no trace of the deadly virus was found in the shipment.

With things making little headway, Devyani Khobragade, Ambassador of India to Cambodia, raised the issue with the Cambodian Minister of Economy and Finance Aun Pornmoniroth on June 3. Khobragade requested Pornmoniroth to withdraw the ban immediately as the Pasteur Institute of Cambodia, which collected and tested the samples from meat exported from India, had already certified that the products were Covid-19 negative and fit for human consumption.

The Indian ambassador also conveyed that, in the absence of any scientific basis to prove that Covid-19 virus spreads through food and packaging material, the temporary ban is becoming a non-tariff barrier and is also harmful for business sentiments.

India revealed that the Cambodian minister assured that the ban would be reviewed expeditiously.

Rapid increase in India’s meat exports to Cambodia

Indian have been supplying good quality meat and meat products to Cambodia for a long time now. In 2020, buffalo meat exports from India reached US $ 17.7 million from US $ 6.4 million in 2019, garnering 12.28% share of total bilateral trade. Buffalo meat exports from India to Cambodia in the first two months of 2021 had already reached $ 9.32 million and are expected to see exponential growth in the coming times.

On April 28, just a few days before the temporary ban decision was taken by the Cambodian government, the Indian embassy in Phnom Penh had organised the first-ever virtual Buyer Seller Meet (BSM) of buffalo and other meat exporters from India and importers from Cambodia, an event which saw participation of around 61 companies from the both sides.

The joint activity was done in coordination with India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Cambodian Chamber of Commerce.

During the meeting, Khobragade had expressed hope that given world class facilities and the resilient nature of Indian meat industry, Indian companies will be able to supply good quality meat and meat products to Cambodia at a much cheaper price and increase its already growing market share. This would obviously lead to further strengthening of trade and commercial relations between the two countries.

APEDA Chairman M. Angamuthu had assured the Cambodian businessmen that, as per the current export and import policy of the Indian government, each export consignment of meat is already subjected to compulsory microbiological and other tests. India’s all export-oriented abattoirs are also most modern while the state-of-the-art integrated meat plants, which are certified for quality management, are under constant inspection and monitoring by various government agencies and veterinarians.

Vaccines to road connectivity, India strengthens bond with Cambodia

The current standoff has however not hampered the warm and cordial relations between both the countries.

Cambodia remains an important interlocutor and a good partner in the context of India’s ‘Act East’ policy and the ASEAN. From recognizing the new government after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime to restoring the famous Angkor Wat temple and now supplying the Covid-19 vaccine doses as a part of the ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative, India has always assisted Cambodia in diverse fields for its economic and social growth.

India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had described the arrival of Indian vaccines in Cambodia as a “civilizational commitment” while recalling the age-old civilzational and cultural linkages between the two countries.

In April, the Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen received his second shot of ‘Made-in-India’ Covid-19 vaccine before departing for the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia. The Premier’s wife and several ministers of his cabinet were also administered shots of Indian vaccine.

New Delhi has also been considering an eastward extension of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway towards Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

On Wednesday, Khobragade met Cambodia’s Senior Minister of Public Works and Transport, Sun Chanthol, to brief him about the availability of USD 1 billion Line of Credit (LoC) offered by India to all ASEAN countries for physical and digital connectivity projects. The ambassador requested the Cambodian minister to look into the possibility of undertaking some physical connectivity projects utilising the available LoC, including projects falling under eastward extension of India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway into Cambodia from Laos and further connecting Vietnam and Thailand.

Vaccine (ANI)

Cambodia was also briefed about the Luang Namtha-Muang Singh Junction-Friendship Bridge Road project across the Mekong river that is under consideration from Laos.

Chanthol, while noting that physical connectivity is not only important for economic growth and people-to-people exchanges but will also enhance trade between India and Cambodia, welcomed the suggestion and instructed his officials to identify infrastructure projects of considerable importance with the LoC of $1 billion available for connectivity projects.

(This content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

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Asia News India News Nepal

Nepal bans distribution of Patanjali’s Coronil

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits…reports Asian Lite News

Coronil, the so-called immunity booster kit manufactured by yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali group in India, has landed in a controversy in Nepal after the Himalayan nations Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine imposed a ban on its distribution.

The Health Ministry of Nepal, however, has remained silent over the ongoing controversy regarding the distribution of Coronil kits, which have also landed in controversy in India and Bhutan.

The controversy erupted in Nepal after the Patanjai Yoghpeeth on last Thursday handed over Coronil kits, sanitisers, masks and other immunity booster medicines worth crores of rupees to outgoing Health Minister, Hrydesh Tripathi.

The day after he received the support from local officials of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Nepal, Tripathi was removed as the Health Minister.

“The Coronil kits provided by the Patanjali Yogpeeth did not receive permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we have decided not to distribute it,” Basudev Upadhyay, the Director General of the Department of Ayurveda and Alternative Medicine, said in a press conference.

“The Coronil kit could be beneficial for the treatment of respiratory disorders, but it has not taken permission from the Department of Drug Administration, so we cannot distribute it,” Upadhyay added.

As per the Nepali law, any drug can be imported only after obtaining permission from the DDA.

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Meanwhile, the spokesperson at Nepal’s Health Ministry, Krishna Poudel, told IANS that he is not aware about the distribution of Coronil kits in Nepal.

“We do not know if the outgoing Health Minister Tripathi accepted the support. We have heard that it is yet to get permission from the DDA,” said Poudel.

“Coronil is not registered with the DDA and it cannot be distributed or sold out without registration,” DDA spokesperson Santosh K.C. told IANS.

“We have not received any document for its registration as well as seeking permission for selling out in Nepal. We do not know how the former Health Minister accepted the donation. We have not received any letter from the Health Ministry to grant permission for its distribution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Patanjai Yogpeeth said that the consignment of 1,500 Coronil kits was provided upon the request from the government of Nepal.

Officials at Nepal’s Health Ministry said that officials from Patanjali Yogpeeth in Nepal and India had approached former Health Minister Tripathi directly, handing over some documents that received permission from the government of India for its distribution and provision of selling for the general public as an immunity booster.

The Bhutan government had already rejected the support provided by Patanjali.

ALSO READ: India, Nepal reiterate shared commitment to uninterrupted trade

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-Top News Sports UK News

Boris agrees Robinson ban went ‘over the top’

Dowden said the tweets were “offensive and wrong” but “also a decade old and written by a teenager”…reports Asian Lite News.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has backed comments made by the Culture Secretary that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) went “over the top” in suspending bowler England pace bowler Ollie Robinson for historical racist and sexist tweets.

Robinson, 27, has been dropped for the second Test, which begins at Edgbaston on Thursday, pending an investigation, the BBC reported.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden asked the ECB to “think again”, it was reported.

Dowden said the tweets were “offensive and wrong” but “also a decade old and written by a teenager”.

Prime Minister’s spokesperson said the Johnson was “supportive” of Oliver Dowden’s comments. “As Dowden set out, these were comments made more than a decade ago written by someone as a teenager and for which they’ve rightly apologised.”

A statement from the ECB reads: “England and Sussex bowler Ollie Robinson has been suspended from all international cricket pending the outcome of a disciplinary investigation following historic tweets he posted in 2012 and 2013.”

“He will not be available for selection for the LV= Insurance second Test against New Zealand starting at Edgbaston on Thursday 10 June. Robinson will leave the England camp immediately and return to his county,” added the statement.

Robinson, who plays for Sussex, took seven wickets against New Zealand at Lord’s in the first Test that ended in a draw on Sunday. Robinson also scored 42.

England skipper Joe Root said after the match, “From a performance point of view, on the field, he has had an exceptional debut. With regards to the stuff that has happened off the field, it is not acceptable within our game — we all know that.

Root added, “He has dealt with a huge array of emotions over this last week and he has got to learn some hard lessons.”

Robinson had last week apologised for his tweets between 2012 and 2014 that led to controversy.

“On the biggest day of my career so far, I am embarrassed by the racist and sexist tweets that I posted over eight years ago, which have today become public. I want to make it clear that I’m not racist and I’m not sexist,” he had said in a statement.

“I deeply regret my actions, and I am ashamed of making such remarks. I was thoughtless and irresponsible, and regardless of my state of mind at the time, my actions were inexcusable. Since that period, I have matured as a person and fully regret the tweets,” added the right-arm bowler Robinson in the statement.

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-Top News India News Social Media

India gives final notice to Twitter

it also said that the Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person nominated by the platform are not its employees in India as required under the new rules…reports Asian Lite News.

The Union Ministry of Electronics and IT has sent its final notice to Twitter over non-compliance of the new IT rules and has again warned of penal action in case the US-headquartered social media platform fails to comply to the norms.

The notice sent by the ministry noted that in view of Twitter Inc’s non-compliance with the rules which came into effect on May 26, 2021, “consequences follow”.

“However, as gesture of goodwill, Twitter Inc is hereby given one last notice to immediately comply with the rules, failing which the exemption from liability available under section 79 of the IT Act, 2000 shall stand withdrawn and Twitter shall be liable for consequences as per the IT Act and other penal laws of India,” it said.

The ministry said that it is clear from the responses of the company that till date it has not informed about the details of the Chief Compliance Office as required under the Rules. Further, it also said that the Resident Grievance Officer and Nodal Contact Person nominated by the platform are not its employees in India as required under the new rules.

“The office address of Twitter Inc as mentioned by you is that of a law firm in India, which is also not as per the rules.”

It said that the refusal to comply demonstrates Twitter’s lack of commitment and efforts towards providing a safe experience for the people of India on its platform.

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-Top News COVID-19 EU News

EU nations urged to halt travel from India

The European Commission outlined that it should not affect those travelling for compelling reasons such as for imperative family reasons or persons in need of international protection or for other humanitarian reasons, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

The European Commission on Wednesday called on the EU Member States to take coordinated action to further restrict travel from India on a temporary basis, with a view to limiting the spread of the B.1.617.2 variant, first detected in India.

According to a statement by the Commission, the decision came after a proposal of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on May 10 to change the classification of that variant from “variant of interest” to “variant of concern”.

“It is important to limit to the strict minimum the categories of travellers that can travel from India for essential reasons and to subject those who may still travel from India to strict testing and quarantine arrangements,” the statement read.

The Commission outlined that it should not affect those travelling for compelling reasons such as for imperative family reasons or persons in need of international protection or for other humanitarian reasons.

“Any restrictions on essential travel from India should be temporary and regularly reviewed. Member States should assess their effectiveness in containing the new variant. When triggering the ’emergency brake’ mechanism to further restrict travel from a non-EU country, the Member States meeting within the Council structures should review the situation together in a coordinated manner and in close cooperation with the Commission,” the statement further said.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical lead COVID-19 at WHO, had said that the variant has three sub-lineages.

“Our team has been discussing this with our virus evolution group. Everything we know about it in terms of transferability, studies that are being done, in India as well as in other countries where this virus is circulating. It is important to note that B.1.617 has three sub-lineages- .1, .2, .3.”

The WHO on Wednesday informed that the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19, first found in India in October last year, had been detected in sequences uploaded “from 44 countries in all six WHO regions”.

“As of 11 May, over 4500 sequences have been uploaded to GISAID (platform of data sharing mechanism for influenza) and assigned to B.1.617 from 44 countries in all six WHO regions, and WHO has received reports of detections from five additional countries,” the WHO had said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.

The WHO report also said that it has received “reports of detections from five additional countries.

The coronavirus variant B.1.617 first identified in India last year has been classified as a “variant of global concern”, with some preliminary studies showing that it spreads more easily, a senior WHO official had said on Monday.

“B.1.617 virus variant that was first identified in India has been classified as a variant of interest by WHO,” said Dr Kerkhove.

The B.1.617 variant is the fourth variant to be designated as being of “global concern”.

India is currently battling a deadly second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is believed to be led by this variant. The current wave has strained the country’s health infrastructure and overburdened frontline medical workers.

‘Vaccines in EU effective against B.1.617’

 Most of the Covid-19 vaccines currently in use in the European Union (EU) should be effective against the variant first identified in India, an official from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.

In a statement on Wednesday, Marco Cavaleri, the EMA’s head of Biological Health Threats and Vaccines Strategy, said that messenger RNA vaccines “should guarantee sufficient protection” against the variant.

“Data seems to be rather reassuring on the fact that at least the messenger RNA vaccines would be able to neutralise this variant,” said Cavaleri.

Regarding viral vector vaccines, they are also expected to be effective against the variant.

“We are gathering more evidence from real world data in India, where a version of the AstraZeneca vaccine is in use, in order to have a good understanding to what extent this vaccine is protecting.

AstraZeneca vaccine

“So far overall pretty confident that these vaccines generally will be covering variant,” said Cavaleri.

Four vaccines are currently being used in the EU after being granted conditional marketing authorization from the EMA.

The vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer and Moderna use the messenger RNA technology, while those from AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson use the viral vector technology. (with inputs from ANI)

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Asia News COVID-19

Pakistan bans processions on Youm-e-Ali

The provincial secretaries and representatives of law enforcement agencies attended the session through video link…reports Asian Lite News.

Amid surging coronavirus cases in Pakistan, the federal government on Saturday imposed a ban on Youm-e-Ali processions, while majalis will be permitted under strict SOPs which are already in place for Ramadan.

An important session on the conduct of Youm-e-Ali was held at the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), chaired by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar. Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed, Minister for Religious Affairs Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and SAPM on Health Dr Faisal Sultan were also present, Geo TV reported.

The provincial secretaries and representatives of law enforcement agencies attended the session through video link.

“Keeping in view the risk factor due to the ongoing surge in Covid spread across the country and particularly in major urban centres, it was decided to ban all sort of processions while holding of Majalis has been permitted under strict Covid SOPs which are already in place for Ramazan ul Mubarik,” read an NCOC statement.

The forum emphasised the need to engage religious scholars and community leaders at provincial and district levels for the implementation of these decisions.

Pakistan’s medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)

Pakistan has seen record deaths in recent days from the coronavirus, and stricter restrictions on movement and gathering in public are planned for the upcoming Eid holiday.

Officials are worried the country’s health care system, already under strain, could reach breaking point if more contagious variants of the virus begin to spread, as has happened in neighbouring India.

On Saturday, authorities reported 4,696 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours and 146 deaths from the disease.

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-Top News Asia News India News

China’s Sichuan Airlines suspends cargo flights to India

The move may disrupt efforts by Indian private companies to import medical supplies including oxygen concentrators to fight the pandemic from China…reports Asian Lite News

In the wake of surge in Covid-19 cases, the largest cargo flight operator from China to India, the Chinese state-owned Sichuan Airlines has suspended its services to India for 15 days, media reported.

This was after China’s repeated offers of “support and assistance” to India to fight the second wave of pandemic. Sichuan Airlines operated 10 flights on six routes to four India cities comprising Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

According to Hindustan Times, it is likely to disrupt frantic efforts by Indian private companies to import medical supplies including oxygen concentrators to fight the pandemic from China.

In a letter to the sales agents on Monday, the Sichuan Chuanhang Logistics Co. Ltd, part of the Sichuan Airlines said the airline has suspended its cargo flights on all six routes – Xi’an-Delhi, Xi’an-Mumbai, Chengdu-Chennai, Chongqing-Chennai, Chengdu-Bangalore, and Chongqing-Delhi – for 15 days, it was reported.

The airlines said “…in the face of sudden changes in the epidemic situation (in India), in order to reduce the number of imported cases, it is decided” to suspend the flights.

Meanwhile, The Chinese mainland on Monday reported 11 new Covid-19 cases, all of which were imported, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Tuesday.

Of them, five were reported in Sichuan, two in Guangdong and one each in Inner Mongolia, Shanghai, Zhejiang and Chongqing, Xinhua reported.

No new suspected cases or deaths related to Covid-19 were reported on Monday, the commission said.

Meanwhile, having lifted the ban on the supply of vaccine raw materials and Covid-fighting products for India, US President Joe Biden on Monday assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the US will work closely with India to fight the pandemic.

“The President pledged America’s steadfast support for the people of India who have been impacted by the recent surge in Covid-19 cases,” the White House said in a readout of their conversation.

“The two leaders resolved that the United States and India will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the effort to protect our citizens and the health of our communities,” it said.

In a tweet, Modi called their conversation “fruitful” and said: “We discussed the evolving COVID situation in both countries in detail. I thanked President Biden for the support being provided by the United States to India.”

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Gujarat India News Maharashtra

Liquid oxygen use banned for non-medical purposes

Further, all stocks of liquid oxygen should also be made available to the government for use for medical purposes, it said, adding that no exception is allowed…reports Asian Lite News.

To ensure that there is no lack of oxygen in the Covid-19 hospitals across the country, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday banned use of liquid oxygen for any non-medical purpose while directing its manufacturing units to maximise production and make it available to the government for medical purposes only.

The ministry, in an order, stated that the National Executive Committee (NEC), under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, has taken certain decisions to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country.

“And whereas, it has been considered necessary to restrict industrial usage of oxygen for ensuring availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen across the country for the management of Covid-19 patients and necessary order in this regard was issued on 22.04.2021 to restrict the use of industrial oxygen.

“Now, therefore, in the exercise of powers conferred under section 10(2)(I) and section 65 of the DM Act, the undersigned, hereby directs the state/Union Territory governments and state/Union Territory Authorities to ensure that use of liquid oxygen is not allowed for any non-medical purpose and that all manufacturing units may maximize their production of liquid oxygen, and make it available to the government for use for medical purposes only, with immediate effect and until further orders,” the order stated.

Further, all stocks of liquid oxygen should also be made available to the government for use for medical purposes, it said, adding that no exception is allowed.

Relatives of COVID-19 patients wait to refill cylinders with medical oxygen, in New Delhi  on Sunday, April 25, 2021 (Pallav Paliwal)

On April 22, the MHA prohibited supply of oxygen for industrial purposes, except those exempted by the government.

The ministry had also issued a directive to states and Union Territories asking them to make sure there are no restrictions in the supply of medical oxygen.

It said that the availability of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen is an important prerequisite for managing moderate and severe cases of Covid-19 and with the increasing cases, the medical oxygen supply will need to keep pace with the requirements of the states and Union Territories.

Empowered Group-II (EG-II) was set up with the mandate for coordinating medical logistics, including medical oxygen, and has reviewed the supply of oxygen for industrial use in order to divert the same to meet the rising demand for medical oxygen in the country and save precious lives.

Accordingly, EG-II had recommended prohibiting the supply of oxygen for industrial purposes by manufacturers and suppliers forthwith from April 22, till further orders, with the exception of nine specified industries.

The recommendations were accepted by the Central government and the said decision, along with the list of nine exempted industries, have been conveyed by Secretary, Health and Family Welfare on April 18, 2021.

The ministry in the order stated that all District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, and Deputy Commissioners of Police of districts concerned will be personally liable for implementing the directions and ensuring there is no hindrance in oxygen supply.
“No restriction shall be imposed on the movement of medical oxygen between the states and transport authorities shall be instructed to accordingly allow free inter-state movement of oxygen-carrying vehicles,” the MHA directive stated.

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India News World News

Nithyananda bans travelers from India

The controversial godman is a rape-accused spiritual guru who was suspected to have fled India in October 2019…reports Asian Lite News.

Swami Nithyananda, the high-profile, self-styled godman who founded a country last year has banned devotees from India, as India is witnessing a spurt in Covid cases. Nityananda took to Twitter and issued the statement regarding this.

Nithyananda bans people from Brazil, European Union, and Malaysia to ‘Kailasa’ besides India. As per the media reports, Kailasa borders have closed for the visitors. Anyway, people have trolled Nityananda with brutal ‘smiling’ emojis and several social media users have retweeted this ‘executive order of the authority as troll.

The controversial godman is a rape-accused spiritual guru who was suspected to have fled India in October 2019. Later he settled on an island off the coast of Ecuador in South America in the South Pacific Ocean. In December 2020, Nithyananda declared he had laid the foundation of his own Hindu country ‘Kailasa’.

He had plans to settle at least 100,000 to his nation. He had also set up a Reserve Bank in Kailasa. Nithyananda had started issuing visas for visitors. The visas were being issued for a visit to Kailasa, a Hindu sovereign nation that was set up by the absconding godman.

Earlier he had informed that the visitors will be allowed to stay in ‘Kailasa’ for “not more than three days. According to him, visitors to be admitted to visit “Param Shiva” during their stay in the ‘island nation’ only.

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