INDO-NEPAL TIES ARE NOT ORDINARY; NO POWER IN WORLD CAN BREAK THEM: RAJNATH

Making an overture to Nepal, which is angry with India for making a road to

Lipulekh Pass, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said "if there is

any misunderstanding among citizens of Nepal we will resolve it through

talks; we will sit down and resolve it".

"Relations between the two nations are not ordinary, it is 'roti-beti ka

rishta', he said. "No power in the world can break it," Singh said in an

obvious reference to China's growing proximity to Nepal.

Singh was speaking at the 'Uttarakhand Jan Samwaad' virtual rally organised

by the BJP.

Notably, in the past two such rallies, one on June 8 and the other on June

14 for Maharashtra and J&K, respectively, he had spoken about the ongoing

India-China dispute along the LAC in Ladakh. On Monday, he avoided China and

addressed Nepal where Parliament has approved a new map showing Indian

territory in Uttarakhand as Nepalese land.

On the Dharchula-Lipulekh road, he said, "The 80 km road is in Indian

territory; however, in Nepal there is a misunderstanding over this," Singh

said. "India and Nepal not only have social, cultural, historical and

geographical relations, we have spiritual relations. How can we forget Baba

Pashupati Nath", he said referring to the temple by the same name in Nepal.

"Can anyone delink Pashupati Nath, Kashi Vishwanath and Somnath from

Amarnath? The link between India and Nepal is of a 'different world', no one

can change the link despite wanting to do it. Indians cannot have any

ill-feeling about Nepali citizens," Singh said.

Singh went on to highlight ties with Nepal and cited the Gorkha regiment of

the Indian Army. The war cry of the regiment is "Jai Mahakali, ayo

Gorkhali", the Defence Minister said.

But at the same time, India has decided to play hardball with Nepal by

accusing its Prime Minister K P Oli of creating a difficult situation and

seeking conducive conditions for talks. "We will wait to see how the

Government of Nepal creates a positive environment. Everyone knows what the

positive and conducive atmosphere is. It is up to the Government of Nepal to

do that. We have already reiterated our commitment on earlier occasions,"

media reports quoting highly-placed sources say.

TWO INDIAN HIGH COMMISSION STAFFERS IN PAK GO MISSING AND THEN RETURN

Two staffers of the Indian High Commission in Pakistan, who went "missing"

for most of Monday, have "returned". In between, India summoned Pakistan's

Acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and issued a demarche.

Pakistan TV channel Geo News claimed that Islamabad Police had arrested the

two staffers for allegedly attempting to flee after the "accident". The

report claimed that while "the pedestrian was critically injured and shifted

to a hospital.the car was stopped by a huge crowd of people who handed over

the two men to Islamabad Police".

The latest incident comes 10 days after reports emerged of ISI personnel

chasing a vehicle in which India's Acting High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia

was travelling in Islamabad.

Earlier, on May 31, India had expelled two officials of the Pakistan High

Commission in New Delhi on charges of spying - the first time since 2016

that such a move was taken.

RAHUL'S LATEST SWIPE AT GOVT: ARROGANCE MORE DANGEROUS THAN IGNORANCE

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the government using a quote of

world-renowned physicist Albert Einstein on Monday, saying the only thing

more dangerous than ignorance is arrogance.

"This lock down proves that: 'The only thing more dangerous than ignorance

is arrogance'," he wrote on Twitter quoting Einstein.

Gandhi also shared a graph that showed how the four lockdowns have flattened

the wrong curve of the economy, instead of COVID-19 deaths, which are rising

in the country.

The former Congress president has been critical of the government's handling

of the coronavirus pandemic by imposing lockdowns, which he has claimed as

failure as they have not given the desired results.

He has also accused the government of arrogance and not listening to the

voice of the Opposition.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD - (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE)

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 3,43,007 (+10,034) / 81,13,679 (+1,25,064)

Total Deaths 9,915 (+395) / 4,39,085 (+3,639)

Total Recovered 1,80,320 (+10,629) / 42,13,601 (+1,06,081)

Active Cases 1,52,772 (-990) / 34,60,993 (+15,344)

Serious / Critical Cases - N.A. / 54,568 (+111)

Top impacted nations so far: (And some of India's Neighbours)

Country, Total Cases / Total Deaths / Recovered Cases / Active

Cases

1 USA 21,82,950 / 1,18,283 /

8,89,866 / 11,74,801

2 Brazil 8,91,556 / 44,118 /

4,64,774 / 3,82,664

3 Russia 5,37,210 / 7,091 /

2,84,539 / 2,45,580

4 India 3,43,026 / 9,915 /

1,80,320 / 1,52,791

5 UK 2,96,857 / 41,736 / N/A

/ N/A

6 Spain 2,91,189 / 27,136 / N/A

/ N/A

7 Italy 2,37,290 / 34,371 /

1,77,010 / 25,909

8 Peru 2,32,992 / 6,860 /

1,19,409 / 1,06,723

9 Iran 1,89,876 / 8,950 /

1,50,590 / 30,336

10 Germany 1,88,044 / 8,885 /

1,72,600 / 6,559

11 Turkey 1,79,831 / 4,825 /

1,52,364 / 22,642

15 Pakistan 1,44,478 / 2,729 /

53,721 / 88,028

18 Bangladesh 90,619 / 1,209 / 18,731 /

70,679

100 Sri Lanka 1,905 / 11 /

1,342 / 552

Top 18 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of

Deaths)

State / Confirmed Cases / Active Case / Recovered /

Deceased

Maharashtra 1,10,744 / 50,554 / 56,049 /

4,128

Tamil Nadu 46,504 / 20,681 / 25,344 /

479

Delhi 42,829 / 25,002 / 16,427 / 1,400

Gujarat 24,104 / 5,926 / 16,672 / 1,506

Uttar Pradesh 14,091 / 5,064 / 8,610 /

417

Rajasthan 12,981 / 2,895 / 9,785 /

301

West Bengal 11,494 / 5,515 / 5,494 /

485

Madhya Pradesh 10,935 / 2,567 / 7,903 /

465

Haryana 7,722 / 4,057 / 3,565 /

100

Karnataka 7,213 / 2,982 / 4,140 /

88

Bihar 6,662 / 2,398 / 4,226 / 38

Andhra Pradesh 6,456 / 2,985 / 3,385

/ 86

Jammu and Kashmir 5,202 / 2,536 / 2,604 /

62

Telangana 5,193 / 2,240 / 2,766 /

187

Assam 4,310 / 2,093 / 2,206 / 8

Odisha 4,055 / 1,187 / 2,854 / 14

Punjab 3,267 / 753 / 2,443 / 71

Kerala 2,544 / 1,348 / 1,174 / 21

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

BEIJING COVID-19 CLUSTER GROWS

A section of Beijing was locked down on Monday as the government rushed to

contain a new coronavirus outbreak - an unnerving breach in the capital,

which President Xi Jinping had said should be a "fortress against the

pandemic".

City officials said they had tracked down 79 infections in Beijing over the

previous four days, including 36 on Sunday. All appeared traceable to the

bustling Xinfadi food market. To contain the outbreak, authorities have put

about 90,000 people under lockdown in the city of 20 million and suspended

Monday's planned restart of some primary schools.

Inspectors found 40 samples of the virus in the closed market, including on

a chopping board for imported salmon. That prompted some supermarket chains

to take salmon off their shelves over the weekend, and inspect markets,

stores and restaurant.

Beijing health officials said gene sequencing showed the virus strain

causing the new outbreak was related to that in Europe, although it wasn't

clear if it was being spread by the movement of people or transportation of

food. Experts were doubtful the virus was being spread through salmon or

other food products. Ian MacKay, who studies viruses at the University of

Queensland in Australia, said there was no evidence to suggest a link

between outbreaks and food.

The emergencies chief of the WHO said he "fully expects" China to share the

genetic sequences from the resurgence of coronavirus, even though they have

not yet done so.

CORONAVIRUS: US REVOKES EMERGENCY USE OF MALARIA DRUGS

The US Food and Drug Administration is revoking its emergency authorization

for malaria drugs promoted by President Donald Trump for treating Covid-19

amid growing evidence they don't work and could cause deadly side effects.

The agency said on Monday that the drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine

are unlikely to be effective in treating the coronavirus. Citing reports of

heart complications, the FDA said the drugs pose a greater risk to patients

than any potential benefits.

The decades-old drugs, also prescribed for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis,

can cause heart rhythm problems, severely low blood pressure and muscle or

nerve damage.

THE REST

========

CHENNAI TO SWITCH TO SHUTDOWN MODE FOR 12 DAYS FROM JUNE 19: CM PALANISWAMI

With Chennai and suburbs continuing to witness a surge in COVID-19 cases,

Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Monday declared a total lockdown in these

areas from June 19 to 30. Also, a full-scale shutdown will be implemented on

two Sundays during the 12-day period, he said.

After a meeting with an expert panel and amid rising coronavirus cases,

Palaniswami said the lockdown will be applicable in Chennai and several

areas that fall under the jurisdiction of Greater Chennai Police and

situated in Tiruvallur, Chengelpet and Kancheepuram districts.

During the 12-day period, only essential services will be allowed with

restrictions, Palaniswami said following a Cabinet meeting. On the two

Sundays, barring milk supply, pharmacies, hospitals and ambulance services,

no other services or shops shall be permitted, he said.

Mobile vans, pushcarts and outlets selling vegetables and other essential

commodities, and petrol pumps can operate only between 6 am and 2 pm by

following anti-COVID-19 norms, including social distancing.

CONGRESS MLAs HERDED IN A JAIPUR RESORT, BJP MAY CHECK IN TODAY

From morning walks to cricket matches, and Richard Attenborough's Gandhi to

satire, the Congress leadership has planned a packed agenda to keep the MLAs

sequestered by it at a five-star resort on the Jaipur-Delhi highway

entertained, ahead of Rajya Sabha elections on June 19.

Apart from Congress MLAs, led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, legislators of

other parties as well as 13 Independents - more than 100 in all - are housed

at the JW Marriott resort.

With three days to go for the voting, the BJP too is expected to herd its

MLAs to a resort on Tuesday.

The tweets and photos trickling out of JW Marriott tell a story of what's

happening inside. In one, Dudu MLA and former minister Babulal Nagar and

Revenue Minister Harish Choudhary can be seen on morning walk together;

Niwai (Tonk) MLA Prashant Bhairwa is making good use of a cycling track in

another; while Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Ashok Chandna can be seen

using an overcast day for a spot of cricket, along with Rafeek Khan,

Independent MLA Sanyam Lodha and AICC secretary (organisation) Qazi

Nizamuddin, among others.

Minister of State for Health Subhash Garg tweeted a photo of himself

batting, with a caption saying he enjoyed football and cricket with his

colleagues in the council of ministers and MLAs.

That backfired, with reactions questioning the MoS, Health, for "enjoying"

himself amidst a pandemic. One of those tweets, calling Garg's actions a

"shame", was liked by Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh. Both of them are

MLAs from Bharatpur district (Garg from Bharatpur Assembly seat and Singh

from Deeg-Kumher), and not on the best of terms. Earlier, Singh had publicly

taken on Garg for the condition of health facilities in Bharatpur.

A photo of Women and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh showed her

attempting a pull shot. CM Gehlot has also turned up in the photos,

attempting to hit a football as others crowd around him - a violation of

social distancing, as noted by some.

ICMR CLEARS CHEAPER, FASTER ANTIGEN TEST BUT ACCOUNTS FOR FALSE NEGATIVES

As the country ramps up its Covid-19 testing, the Indian Council of Medical

Research has approved a new on-site diagnostic kit for containment zones and

healthcare settings, which can produce rapid results without needing a

laboratory and cost much less.

Unlike the RT-PCR test used for diagnosis now - requiring heavy laboratory

work to multiply the genetic material of the virus - the rapid antigen

detection test is reliant on the amount of virus, or the virus load, in a

nasal swab. It can give a result in 30 minutes. An antigen means any toxin

in the body which produces an immune response.

Laboratories usually take at least a day to give results in case of an

RT-PCR test.

In containment zones, the rapid antigen test would be used for all people

with high fever and cough (influenza-like illnesses) and all contacts of a

case who are direct, asymptomatic, and have high co-morbidities.

In healthcare settings, the test will be used for all patients of

influenza-like illnesses (ILIs) who are suspected of having Covid-19 and

asymptomatic patients who are immunosuppressed, have had transplants, or are

undergoing chemotherapy, have a malignant disease, or other co-morbidities.

The test will also be available for asymptomatic patients undergoing certain

procedures or interventions such as neurosurgeries, dental work, dialysis

and bronchoscopies,

However, the rapid test has been found to have a higher chance of false

negatives. So, while positive results will be considered confirmed, in case

of negative results, an RT-PCR would be done for reconfirmation.

On May 9, the US's Food and Drug Administration had given emergency

authorisation for use of such an antigen test kit. Japan approved a similar

test kit four days later. Some experts worldwide have considered deploying

these tests as home-kits in the future.

TELANGANA CAPS TESTING AND TREATMENT PRICE FOR COVID-19

The Telangana Government has allowed private hospitals and labs to conduct

COVID-19 tests, but at the same time capped the prices for the diagnostic

tests.

State Health Minister Eatala Rajender said private and corporate hospitals,

including private laboratories, would charge Rs 2, 200 for a single

coronavirus test.

Under a lot of criticism for not testing enough, the government has now

brought in private hospitals and labs.

But to ensure that the ordinary people are not fleeced, as was happening in

other parts of the country, it has asked corporate hospitals to charge Rs

4,000 per day for isolation facilities from mild COVID-19 positive patients

and Rs 7, 500 per day from positive patients who need Intensive Care Unit

(ICU) facilities without ventilator support. Those who need to be on a

ventilator in ICUs will be charged Rs 9,000 per day.

The health minister clarified, "These charges are separate from the cost of

antiviral drugs that the private hospital will administer to the coronavirus

patients." Some anti-viral injections cost Rs 40,000-50,000, the minister

pointed out.

SUSHANT'S DEATH BRINGS UP FRESH NEPOTISM CHARGE AGAINST BOLLYWOOD

Karan Johar is facing a brutal attack on social media after filmmaker

Shekhar Kapur dropped a bombshell implying that Sushant Singh Rajput may

have been forced to end his life by certain individuals in Bollywood.

Reacting to the 34-year-old actor's suicide, Kapur wrote on Twitter, "I knew

the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you

down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder. I wish Iwas around the last

6 months. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their

Karma. Not yours."

Although Kapur did not name any individual, many began to troll Karan Johar

for allegedly running a 'nepotism gang,' which may have played a role in

Sushant's death.

Karan Johar had written a heartwrenching note after Sushant's death saying

that he blamed himself for not being in touch with him for the past year.

Sushant Singh Rajput was the quintessential 'outsider' in Bollywood. During

an interview with DNA after the success of his film on MS Dhoni, Sushant had

spoken out about how the industry didn't acknowledge and celebrate his

success like it would do of other "insiders." "I think all this is also

nepotism. Anybody who says it isn't is either very ignorant or very

powerful," he had said.

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha also appeared to take a dig at the "privileged"

Bollywood lot as he tweeted, "The Bollywood Privilege Club must sit down and

think hard tonight."

Other 'outsiders' like Taapsee Pannu and Rajkuma Rao have also spoken out

against nepotism at times. During her TEDx talk in 2016, actress Richa

Chadha had also touched upon how a Bollywood bloodline comes with countless

advantages.

Notably, it has been four years since Kangana Ranaut showed courage to speak

out against the practice of nepotism in Bollywood, calling Karan the "the

flag bearer of nepotism" on his own chat show. Over the years, her words

have only found greater significance amongst many outsiders even as her

infamous episode with the Dharma productions head allowed a lot of new

actors, who hail from outside the industry, to talk about their experiences

on the ground.

Meanwhile, the police said the actor had shown symptoms of clinical

depression and was consulting a psychiatrist.

HIMA NOMINATED FOR KHEL RATNA AWARD

Hima Das, India's top sprinter among women, has been nominated for the

prestigious Khel Ratna award by the government of Assam. The 20-year-old

from Assam's Dhing village is one of the youngest nominees for the Khel

Ratna this year. She will compete with javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra,

wrestler Vinesh Phogat, table tennis player Manika Batra, women's team

hockey captain Rani Rampal and cricketer Rohit Sharma for the country's

highest sporting honour. Hima had received the Arjuna Award in 2018.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often. - John

Henry Newman

OFF TRACK

Little Johnny was at the mall with his mother when a man came walking toward

them.

Little Johnny hopped up and down, laughed, pointed, and screamed, "Mommy!

Look at that bowlegged man!"

His mother was so embarrassed. "Johnny, your manners are atrocious! You need

some culture, young man!"

For the next month Little Johnny was forced to read Shakespeare every night.

When his detention was finally over, she again took him to the same mall and

sure enough, the same bowlegged man came walking toward them.

Had Little Johnny learned anything from the great bard? Yes.

This time, as the man approached, Little Johnny cried out, "Hark! What

manner of man is this me sees, who wears his balls in parentheses?"