Junior Digest

Geneva [Switzerland], July 8 ,2020:: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed that there is an “emerging evidence” of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, CNN reported.
The confirmation came after the publication of a letter on Monday signed by 239 scientists urging the agency to be more forthcoming about the likelihood that people can catch the virus from droplets floating in the air.
“We acknowledge that there is emerging evidence in this field, as in all other fields regarding the COVID-19 virus and pandemic and therefore, we believe that we have to be open to this evidence and understand its implications regarding the modes of transmission and also regarding the precautions that need to be taken,” Dr Benedetta Alleganzi, WHO Technical Lead for Infection Prevention and Control was quoted as saying.
Infectious disease epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkove, with WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, said, “We have been talking about the possibility of airborne transmission and aerosol transmission as one of the modes of transmission of Covid-19, as well as droplet. We have looked at fomites. We’ve looked at fecal-oral. We have looked at mother to child. We’ve looked at animal to human, of course as well.”
Alleganzi added that more research still needs to be done on the COVID-19 transmission.
“So, these are fields of research that are really growing and for which there is some evidence emerging but is not definitive,” she said.
“And therefore, the possibility of airborne transmission in public settings, especially in very specific conditions like crowded, closed, poorly ventilated settings that have been described cannot be ruled out. However, the evidence needs to be gathered and interpreted,” she added.

July 09,2020: Scientists warned on Wednesday of a potential wave of coronavirus-related brain damage as new evidence suggested COVID-19 can lead to severe neurological complications, including inflammation, psychosis and delirium.

A study by researchers at University College London (UCL)described 43 cases of patients with COVID-19 who suffered either temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage or other serious brain effects.

The research adds to recent studies which also found the disease can damage the brain.

“Whether we will see an epidemic on a large scale of brain damage linked to the pandemic – perhaps similar to the encephalitis lethargica outbreak in the 1920s and 1930s after the 1918 influenza pandemic – remains to be seen,” said Michael Zandi, from UCL’s Institute of Neurology, who co-led the study.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, is largely a respiratory illness that affects the lungs, but neuroscientists and specialist brain doctors say emerging evidence of its impact on the brain is concerning.

“My worry is that we have millions of people with COVID-19 now. And if in a year’s time we have 10 million recovered people, and those people have cognitive deficits … then that’s going to affect their ability to work and their ability to go about activities of daily living,” Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist at Western University in Canada, told Reuters in an interview.

In the UCL study, published in the journal Brain, nine patients who had brain inflammation were diagnosed with a rare condition called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) which is more usually seen in children and can be triggered by viral infections.
The team said it would normally see about one adult patient with ADEM per month at their specialist London clinic, but this had risen to at least one a week during the study period, something they described as “a concerning increase”.

“Given that the disease has only been around for a matter of months, we might not yet know what long-term damage COVID-19 can cause,” said Ross Paterson, who co-led the study. “Doctors need to be aware of possible neurological effects, as early diagnosis can improve patient outcomes.”

Owen said the emerging evidence underlined the need for large, detailed studies and global data collection to assess how common such neurological and psychiatric complications were.

He is running a international research project at covidbrainstudy.com where patients can sign up to complete a series of cognitive tests to see whether their brain functions have altered since getting COVID-19.
“This disease is affecting an enormous number of people,” Owen said. “That’s why it’s so important to collect this information now.”

July03,2020:PM Narendra Modi arrived in Leh today to take stock of the situation after June 15 clash in Ladakh when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in face-off with Chinese troops.
He interacted with personnel of Army, Air Force & ITBP. CDS Rawat and Army Chief MM Naravane were also present. Located at 11,000 feet,this is among the tough terrains, surrounded by Zanskar range and on the banks of the Indus.

GENEVA/CHICAGO,July 6, 2020: The World Health Organization (WHO) is reviewing a report urging it to update guidance on the novel coronavirus after more than 200 scientists, in a letter to the health agency, outlined evidence the virus can spread in tiny airborne particles.
The WHO says SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, spreads primarily through small droplets expelled from the nose and mouth of an infected person that quickly sink to the ground.

But in an open letter to the Geneva-based agency, published on Monday in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, 239 scientists in 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows floating virus particles can infect people who breathe them in.

Because those smaller particles can linger in the air, the scientists are urging WHO to update its guidance.

“We are aware of the article and are reviewing its contents with our technical experts,” WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said on Monday in an email.
How frequently the coronavirus can spread by the airborne or aerosol route – as opposed to by larger droplets in coughs and sneezes – is not clear.

Any change in the WHO’s assessment of risk of transmission could affect its current advice on keeping 1-metre (3.3 feet) of physical distancing. Governments, which rely on the agency for guidance policy, may also have to adjust public health measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus.

Although the WHO has said it is considering aerosols as a possible route of transmission, it has yet to be convinced that the evidence warrants a change in guidance.

Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, said the WHO has long been reluctant to acknowledge aerosol transmission of influenza, “in spite of compelling data,” and sees the current controversy as part of that simmering debate.

“I think the frustration level has finally boiled over with regard to the role that airborne transmission plays in diseases like influenza and SARS-CoV-2,” Osterholm said.
Professor Babak Javid, an infectious disease consultant at Cambridge University Hospitals, said airborne transmission of the virus is possible and even likely, but said evidence over how long the virus stays airborne is lacking.

If it can hang in the air for long periods of time, even after an infected person leaves that space, that could affect the measures healthcare workers and others take to protect themselves.

WHO guidance to health workers, dated June 29, says SARS-CoV-2 is primarily transmitted through respiratory droplets and on surfaces.

But airborne transmission is possible in some circumstances, such as when performing intubation and aerosol-generating procedures, the WHO says. They advise medical workers performing such procedures to wear heavy duty N95 respiratory masks and other protective equipment in an adequately ventilated room.

Dr. William Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said the report under review at the WHO “makes many reasonable points about the evidence that this mode of transmission can happen, and they should be taken seriously.”

But how often airborne transmission happens, which is unknown, also matters.
“If airborne transmission is possible but rare, then eliminating it wouldn’t have a huge impact,” he said in emailed comments.

Officials at South Korea’s Centers for Disease Control said on Monday they were continuing to discuss various issues about COVID-19, including the possibility of airborne transmission. They said more investigations and evidence were needed.

Washington, Jul 10,2020: Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has filed a federal suit to prevent the US government from enforcing a rule that would imperil international students if their universities switch to online-only courses in the fall due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order and preliminary and permanent injunctive relief to bar the US Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from enforcing the federal guidelines released on Monday, according to the Harvard Crimson newspaper. The new rule has caused anxiety among the tens of thousands of foreign students studying in the United States.

“The order came down without notice — its cruelty surpassed only by its recklessness,” Harvard president Lawrence Bacow wrote in an email to affiliates.

“We believe that the ICE order is bad public policy, and we believe that it is illegal,” he added.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of Boston, came as guidelines released Monday by the ICE vowed to invalidate foreign students’ F-1 and M-1 visas if the educational institution they are enrolled in only offers online courses this coming fall, possibly depriving them from legally remaining in the United States.

Students facing such a situation “must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,” the release said. Those who violate the rules “may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings.”

“(The) ICE’s action proceeded without any indication of having considered the health of students, faculty, university staff, or communities … or the absence of other options for universities to provide their curricula to many of their international students,” the lawsuit by the two prestigious universities reads.

Harvard announced Monday it will only allow up to 40 percent of undergraduates, including all first-year students, to return to campus for the fall semester. The rest of the students will continue to learn remotely.

Meanwhile, MIT said Tuesday seniors will be the only undergraduates to be invited back to campus this fall. Non-seniors may “request special consideration for housing if they face challenges related to safety, living conditions, visa status, or other hardship,” the university said in a plan posted on its website.

New Delhi,08,2020: Taking yet another step towards adoption of clean fuel, Indian Railways has successfully tested a batterypowered rail engine. The engine named ‘Navdoot’ has been built in the Jabalpur division of the railway and works in dual mode.

Railways Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted a video of the engine to inform of the success of the ‘Navdoot’ test run. He wrote, “This battery-powered loco is a sign of a bright future, which will be a major step forward in saving foreign exchange with diesel and preserving the environment.”

July 7,2020: U.S Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said late on Monday that the United States is “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps, including TikTok.

“I don’t want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re looking at,” Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News.

London , July 7,2020: Probiotics either taken alone or combined with prebiotics, may help to ease depression, suggests a review published in the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention and Health.
But as per the researchers, whether they might help to lessen anxiety isn’t yet clear.
Foods that broaden the profile of helpful bacteria in the gut are collectively known as probiotics, while prebiotics are compounds that help these bacteria to flourish.
In the UK in 2016-17, 1.4 million people were referred with mental health issues, over half of them (53 per cent) had anxiety or stress-related disorders, while a third (33 per cent) had depression.
A two-way relationship exists between the brain and the digestive tract, known as the gut-brain axis. And the possibility that the microbiome — the range and number of bacteria resident in the gut — might help treat mental ill health has become a focus of interest in recent years.
To explore this further, the researchers searched for relevant studies published in English between 2003 and 2019, which looked at the potential therapeutic contribution of pre and probiotics in adults with depression and/or anxiety disorders.
Out of an initial haul of 71 studies, just seven met all the criteria for inclusion. All seven investigated at least one probiotic strain; four looked at the effect of combinations of multiple strains.
In all, 12 probiotic strains featured in the selected studies, primarily Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, and Bifidobacterium bifidium. One study looked at combined pre-probiotic treatment, while one looked at prebiotic therapy by itself.
The studies varied considerably in their design, methods used, and clinical considerations, but all of them concluded that probiotic supplements either alone or in combination with prebiotics may be linked to measurable reductions in depression.
And every study showed a significant fall or improvement in anxiety symptoms and/or clinically relevant changes in biochemical measures of anxiety and/or depression with probiotic or combined pre-probiotic use.
Of the 12 different probiotics investigated, 11 were potentially useful, the findings showed.
The researchers highlight several caveats to their review: none of the included studies lasted very long, and the number of participants in each was small.
This makes it difficult to draw any firm conclusions about the overall effects, whether they are long-lasting, and whether there might be any unwanted side effects associated with prolonged use, they say.
Nevertheless, on the basis of the preliminary evidence to date, pre and probiotic therapy warrant further investigation, they suggest.
Probiotics may help reduce the production of inflammatory chemicals, such as cytokines, as is the case in inflammatory bowel disease, suggest the researchers. Or they may help direct the action of tryptophan, a chemical thought to be important in the gut-brain axis in psychiatric disorders.
As anxiety disorders and depression affect people very differently, they require treatment approaches that take account of these complexities, they say. “In this way, with a better understanding of the mechanisms, probiotics may prove to be a useful tool across a wide range of conditions,” they write.
People with depression and/or anxiety disorders also often have other underlying conditions, such as impaired insulin production and irritable bowel syndrome, they point out.
“As such, the effect that probiotics have on patients with [common mental disorders] may be twofold: they may directly improve depression in line with the observed findings of this review, and/or they might beneficially impact a patient’s experience of their [common mental disorder] by alleviating additional comorbidities,” they write.
“Purely from the information gathered for this review, it is valid to suggest that, for patients with clinically recognised depression: isolate, or adjuvant prebiotic therapy is unlikely to affect an individual’s experience of their condition in a quantitatively evident way; and that isolate or adjuvant, probiotic/combined prebiotic-probiotic therapy may offer quantitatively measurable improvement in parameters relating to depression,” they conclude.
“However, there are inadequate data to suggest anything meaningful to support or refute the use of either pre/probiotic agents (or a combination of both) in patients with clinically recognised anxiety disorders; this would be a useful area to investigate further.”

New Delhi , July 7,2020: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted one more month’s time to the Central government to ensure complete compliance with the February verdict that granted permanent commissions and command posts for eligible women officers in the army.
A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud was hearing an application filed by the Centre seeking directions for an extension of six months’ time to implement the grant of permanent commissions and command posts for eligible women officers in the army.
The Central government, through the Ministry of Defence (MoD), submitted before the court that the decision-making process is almost at a final stage and the only formal orders remain to be issued in the matter.
The Ministry of Defence sought six months’ time to comply with the earlier order attributing the delay to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It further submitted and clarified that the apex court’s orders will be complied with in true letter and spirit.
The top court had in February held that women should be considered for command roles and that all women officers are entitled to permanent commissions.

New Delhi, Jul 4,2020: The JEE and NEET examinations, for admission to undergraduate engineering and medical courses respectively, have been postponed and the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-Main) will be now be held from September 1-6, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The JEE Advanced will be held on September 27 and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) on September 13.
Stating that “students’ health is the first priority”, Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Friday announced the decision to postpone the entrance examinations for the NEET UG 2020 and JEE till September.
The decision will impact over 25 lakh students as the postponement will lead to corresponding delay in the beginning of the academic year for new students, possibly reducing a semester. As many as nine lakh candidates have registered to take the JEE Main, and approximately 16 lakh for NEET.
In his address to the students, Mr Pokhriyal said “our priority during this epidemic is to ensure safety and academic welfare of students. We will ensure that while conducting the examination, we strictly follow the guidelines given by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Health Ministry so that students are kept away from the grip of this epidemic.”
He said social distancing will also be followed in the examination centres and all other precautionary arrangements will also be made. Mr Pokhriyal advised all the students to remove all kinds of stress from their minds and pay attention to their studies.
The National Testing Agency has prepared a testing App for all the candidates through which students can complete their preparations.
JEE-Main was originally scheduled to be held between April 7 to 11, while NEET was scheduled for May 3, after school board examinations were completed. However, due to COVID-19-induced lockdown from March 24, board examinations were affected.
JEE-Main and NEET were then rescheduled to July 18-23 and July 26 respectively. For IIT aspirants, JEE-Main is only the first stage, followed by the JEE-Advanced examination which had been rescheduled for August 23.
Earlier this evening, Mr Pokhriyal, who was taking part in a webinar on Fit India, was pestered by demands from anxious students and parents to postpose the examinations.
The announcement came after the Fit India webinar, during which the HRD Minister was persistently questioned regarding the dates for NEET and JEE Main exams.
Recently, parents of candidates from West Asian countries, who are aspiring to appear for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET UG 2020), had filed a plea in the Supreme Court demanding that the medical entrance exam be postponed.
A committee was set up by the HRD Ministry to review the Covid-19 situation in the country and whether conducting the NEET and JEE tests would be safe or not.
“Looking at the prevailing circumstances and requests received from students and parents appearing for #JEE & #NEET examinations, a committee consisting of DG NTA and other experts has been advised to review the situation & submit its recommendations to HRD Ministry latest by tomorrow,” Mr Pokhriyal had tweeted.

July03,2020:Democratic presidential candidate and former US vice president Joe Biden has said that he will lift the temporary suspension on H-1B visas, the most sought-after by Indian IT professionals, if he wins the November presidential elections.

On June 23, in a huge blow to Indian IT professionals eyeing the US job market, the Trump administration suspended the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year.

Biden, in a digital town hall meeting on Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) issues organised by NBC News, praised the contribution of H-1B visa holders.

He (US President Donald Trump) just ended H-1B visas the rest of this year. That will not be in my administration, Biden, 77, said responding to a question during the town hall. He was referring to the temporary suspension of the H-1B visas and other foreign work visas by Trump for the rest of the year.

The people on the company visa have built this country, Biden said when asked what his administration will do in the first 100 days of his presidency.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Lhasa, Jul 8,2020: The Central Tibetan Administration President Lobsang Sangay has expressed gratitude to United States for imposing visa restrictions on Chinese officials under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act.
“Thank you for the support”, Mr Sangay said in a tweet reply to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
In a biting criticism of China’s continued restrictions over access to Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan areas, the US State Department had announced visa restrictions on PRC government and Chinese Communist Party officials under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018.
Mr Pompeo, in a statement, said that Tibetan areas are increasingly vital to regional stability, given the PRC’s human rights abuses there, as well as Beijing’s failure to prevent environmental degradation near the headwaters of Asia’s major rivers.
Secretary Pompeo said under the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act, PRC government and CCP officials determined to be “substantially involved in the formulation or execution of policies related to access for foreigners to Tibetan areas” will be issued visa sanctions.
The announcement came just a day after Tibetans and supporters worldwide marked the 85th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
‘The United States will continue to work to advance the sustainable economic development, environmental conservation, and humanitarian conditions of Tibetan communities within the People’s Republic of China and abroad’, Pompeo said.
He further said that the US remains committed to supporting meaningful autonomy for Tibetans, respect for their fundamental and unalienable human rights, and the preservation of their unique religious, cultural, and linguistic identity.
Based on the diplomatic principle of reciprocity, the Reciprocal Access to Tibet calls on countries to give equal rights to one another’s citizens.
The landmark bill signed by President Trump on 19 December 2018 was introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Randy Hultgren, R-Ill., and in the Senate by Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc. introduced in the Senate.
The latest implementation of the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act sends a strong message to the Chinese government that it will face consequences for its discriminatory and repressive policies against the Tibetan people inside Tibet.
Meanwhile, Mr Sangay, while speaking to a media channel, said that there is consensus in the international community that we must hold China accountable for human rights violation.
“For last 40 years US was at the forefront of saying ‘we should cooperate with China and they would be responsible and democracy will prevail there’; now, however, the conclusion is that this will not happen”, the Tibetan President in exile said.
Responding over a video where Tibetan community members were seen sloganeering in support of Indian Armed Forces, he said, “India has done the most for the Tibetan people, we are showing our reciprocity.”
Over the last six decades in exile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and the Tibetan people have been carrying out a non-violent movement to regain their lost freedom and dignity from China.

New Delhi, Jul 6 ,2020: India and China have begun disengagement as per their agreed terms in the Corps Commanders-level held last week, sources in the government establishment said on Monday.
As per the sources, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) were seen uprooting tents and structures at Patrol Point-14 in Galwan Valley of Eastern Ladakh.
“Rearward movement of vehicles of the PLA was seen at general area Galwan, Hotspring and Gogra,” sources added.
However, specific distances have yet not known.
Patrol Point 14 in Galwan saw the violent clash between the troops of both nations on June 15 that led to killing of 20 Indian soldiers. The Chinese side also suffered a huge casualties but they have yet not revealed any numbers.
Sources said, Indian side is cautiously observing Chinese moves and the situation will be verified on the ground over a period of time.
Following the marathon 11 hours talks between Indian and Chinese forces on June 29, both have arrived at a “mutual consensus” on disengagement.
Corps Commander level talks on Monday last at Chusul on the Indian side was to chalk out the differences on the ground in the aftermath of 15 June face-off, that saw casualties on both sides.
During the meeting, modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed which would be taken forward by both the sides.
Since early May 2020, the Chinese side has been hindering India’s normal patrolling pattern in the LAC area in Ladakh.
In mid-May, the Chinese side attempted to transgress the LAC in other areas of the Western Sector of the India-China border areas and this was met with an appropriate response by Indian forces.

Tokyo, July 06, 2020: Deep floodwaters and the risk of more mudslides that left at least 34 people confirmed or presumed dead hampered search and rescue operations Sunday in southern Japan, including at elderly home facilities where more than a dozen died and scores were still stranded.

Helicopters and boats rescued more people from their homes in the Kumamoto region. More than 40,000 defense troops, the coast guard and fire brigades were taking part in the operation.

Large areas along the Kuma River were swallowed by floodwaters, with many houses, buildings and vehicles submerged almost up to their roofs. Mudslides smashed into houses, sending people atop rooftops waving at rescuers.
More than 200,000 residents in Kumamoto prefecture were urged to evacuate following pounding rains on Friday evening and into Saturday. But the evacuation was not mandatory and many people opted to stay home because of concerns over catching the coronavirus, even though officials say shelters are adequately equipped with partitions and other safety measures.

Flooding also cut off power and communication lines, further delaying the search and rescue. Nearly 6,000 homes in Kumamoto were still without electricity Sunday, according to the Kyushu Electric Power Co.

The rainfall that exceeded 100 millimeters (4 inches) per hour has since subsided, but the Japan Meteorological Agency kept mudslide warnings in place across Kumamoto. Prefectural officials said evacuation advisories were still in place due to more rain in the forecast.

Rio De Janeiro, Jul 7,2020: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, in an interview with CNN Brazil, said he had the symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
Bosonaro, 65, has a temperature of 38 degrees Celsius and a blood oxygen level of 96 per cent. He has canceled meetings and is taking hydroxychloroquine, the TV channel said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus a pandemic on March 11.
According to the WHO, the global coronavirus death toll has surpassed 532,000 people, with the number of cases worldwide exceeding 11.3 million.
Brazil’s Health Ministry has said the death toll from COVID-19 in the country increased by 620 over the past 24 hours to 65,487.
The case tally grew by 20,229 to 1,623,284, it said. A total of 927,292 people have recovered from COVID-19 since the disease outbreak start.

New Delhi, Jul 8,2020: The Supreme Court Wednesday asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to look into a plea seeking action against illegal ashrams run by bogus Babas’ across the country and rescuing women from jail-like conditions in Adhyatimik Vidyalaya’ at Rohini here.

“Look into this, what can be done. This gives a bad name to everyone,” the top court told Mehta.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices R Subhash Reddy and A S Bopanna asked the copy of the petition to be served to Mehta and posted the matter after two weeks.

The plea filed by one Dumpala Ramreddy claimed in his petition that his daughter, a post-doctoral scholar from Iowa State University, USA, has been living in a jail-like condition from July 2015 in Adhyatmika Vidyalaya’, founded allegedly by a rape accused.

He said the founder of the ashram has been declared as absconding for about three years and a Joint Committee formed by the Delhi High Court had submitted a report giving details of the pathetic conditions prevailing in the ashram run by Veerendar Dev Dixit.

The plea said the apex body of sages — ‘Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad’ — has declared a list of 17 fake babas’ in the country which include the name of Veerendar Dev Dixit.

Ramreddy, apperaring in person, sought rescuing of his daughter along with about 170 women inmates from Adhyatmika Vidyalaya as it was done in the case of inmates of jails across the country.

Take stringent action on 17 illegal Ashrams in India run by bogus Babas … , his plea said, adding, that hundreds/thousands of disciples are residing in 17 fake ashrams in the country and national capital and his daughter is one among such persons trapped by these fake babas’.

That due to inaction of the Respondents and government authorities, fake Babas’ are running the ashrams and trapping the innocent people particularly women.

“Thousands of women have been forced to stay in the ashrams and they were given drugs and narcotics so that they will not leave the place, he alleged in his plea.

New Delhi, Jul 09,2020: India on Wednesday said that Kulbhushan Jadhav, an Indian national who is on death row in a Pakistan jail, has been coerced by Pakistan not to file a review petition in his case.
“Pakistan’s claim that Mr Jadhav, who is incarcerated in Pakistan’s custody, has refused to initiate review petition is a continuation of the farce that has been in play for the last four years. He has been sentenced to execution through a farcical trial. Mr Jadhav remains under custody of Pakistan’s military. He has clearly been coerced to refuse to file a review in his case,” Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement here.

“India sought unimpeded access to Mr Jadhav to discuss his remedies under the Ordinance. In a brazen attempt to scuttle even the inadequate remedy under the Ordinance, Pakistan has obviously coerced him to forego his rights to seek an implementation of the judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” he added.
On May 20, Pakistan has passed an Ordinance to allow for the High Court to review the sentence awarded by their military court.

“They have all along maintained that their laws allowed for effective review and reconsideration while we have protested it all along. Now, after almost a year, they have made a u-turn and issued an Ordinance to ostensibly provide for some sort of review,” Mr Srivastava said.
“We have already expressed our serious concerns at the content of the Ordinance and how it violates the ICJ judgment. Pakistan is only seeking to create an illusion of remedy,” he added.
India has repeatedly made requests but Pakistan continues to deny free and unimpeded access to Mr Jadhav.
“We have also repeatedly asked to allow a lawyer from outside Pakistan to appear for Mr Jadhav in any review and reconsideration proceedings. Pakistan has denied it,” the spokesperson said.
Since 2017, when Military Court carried out a farcical trial, Pakistan has refused to hand over any relevant document, including FIR, evidence, court order, etc in the case to India.
Clearly, “Pakistan is attempting to create a mirage of compliance with the ICJ judgment,” he added.
ICJ has already held that Pakistan is in egregious violation of international law.
“Government will do its utmost to protect Shri Jadhav and ensure his safe return to India. To that end, it would consider all appropriate options,” he said.
Earlier in the day, according to Pakistan’s Additional Attorney General Ahmed Irfan, Mr Jadhav has refused to file a review petition against the death sentence imposed on him.
On 17 June 2020, he was invited to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction.
Exercising his legal right, he refused to file a petition for review and reconsideration of his sentence and conviction,’ informed Pakistan’s Additional Attorney General.
Pakistan media has reported that Kulbhushan Jadhav instead preferred to follow up on his pending mercy petition which he had filed on April 17, 2017 and Pakistan has offered second consular access to him.

BENGALURU,08,2020: State bank of India, country’s largest lender’s executive committee has approved a further investment of upto 17.60 billion rupees in public offering of Yes Bank, according to a regulatory filing.

In March this year, SBI board had approved an investment of 72.50 billion rupees into the troubled lender Yes Bank.

Earlier this year the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had taken control of Yes Bank, after the bad-debt laden lender had failed to raise the capital it needed to stay above mandated regulatory requirements.

Since then SBI had stepped in to acquire a stake in the private lender and to keep it afloat. However, SBI’s total investment is not likely to exceed 100 billion rupees, according to the bank’s chairman.

Washington DC , July 7 ,2020: The international students pursuing courses in the United States must leave the country if their institutes have switched to complete the online course due to the coronavirus pandemic, said the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
“The US Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools and/or programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will US Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States. Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status. If not, they may face immigration consequences including, but not limited to, the initiation of removal proceedings,” read the order.
The new order has created uncertainty among the international students, Brad Farnsworth, vice president of the American Council on Education, was quoted as saying by CNN. “We think this is going to create more confusion and more uncertainty.”
“This is going to create I think more anxiety on the part of international students and for those who are still thinking about where they are going to go in the fall. I think this may push them in the direction of attending a university in another country,” he said.
Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said in this situation, the bigger issue is “some of these countries have travel restrictions on and they cannot go home, so what do they do then? It is a conundrum for a lot of students.”

Pyongyang, Jul 7,2020: Amid possiblity of talks between North Korea and US, the Pyongyang on Tuesday dismissed all speculations saying they have no plan to sit down with US for dialogue.
Kwon Jong-gun, director-general of the ministry’s department of US affairs, made the remark in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, adding that time will show that such efforts to set up a meeting “will succeed or it will only suffer a loss and ridicule.”
He further accused South Korea of meddling in their affairs.
“Irony is that the south, which fails to manage its own business, came out to offer “a helping hand” allegedly to solve the DPRK-U.S. relations which are getting more and more complicated.
It is just the time for it to stop meddling in other’s affairs but it seems there is no cure or prescription for its bad habit”, the statement quoted by KCNA read.
He further said that the inter-Korean relations are bound to go further bankrupt as Seoul only talk nonsense, unaware of the time.
“We feel sorry to see it trying so hard to become the “mediator” but it may try as much as it wants if it cherishes so strong wish to try it to the end”, he added.