COVID TASK FORCE HEAD WARNS OF A FRESH VIRUS SPREAD

With daily case detections still above 40,000 and reports and pictures of blatant violations of social distancing norms coming from tourist spots, the head of India’s pandemic task force has again warned that the second wave of Covid-19 is not over yet, and that cases can explode if people continue to behave recklessly.

Responding to a question on the daily new cases graph that has plateaued over the last two weeks, Dr V K Paul said on Friday that the slow rate of decline was an indicator that the virus could take the “upper hand” if the current situation did not change.

India needed to achieve a “baseline” of 10,000 cases for at least three consecutive weeks before it could be said that the situation was under control, Paul said.

The Health Ministry said on Friday that 80 per cent of new cases were now coming from 90 districts in the country. Six states have 10 or more of these districts — Maharashtra (15), Kerala (14), TN (12), Odisha (12), AP (10), and Karnataka (10).

“With a lot of effort and difficulty, we have reached a situation where cases are on the decline. The situation is bad only in a few districts. But all this can be snatched away from us because we have not contained the virus completely. If we give the virus an opportunity, and chains of transmission are launched…this is something we cannot afford,” Paul said.

He warned that localised surges were seen after the first wave too, and they could result in an explosion of the infection.

Paul flagged the blatant violations of Covid norms in several parts of the country, especially at hill stations. Massive waves of tourists have descended on places such as Mussoorie and Manali in recent days.

The govt pointed out that countries like the United Kingdom, Russia, Bangladesh, South Korea, and Indonesia were witnessing a resurgence of cases. “In the countries where the situation was under control, the virus has freshly re-emerged. These include our neighbours and European countries. If we look at cases per million population, at this stage, it is more than the cases we saw during our (second) peak. The virus returns to infect the susceptible population. This shows that we cannot lower our guard in our country,” Paul said.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 4,49,478

New Cases in last 24 hours: 42,633

Recovered in last 24 hours: 45,159

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -3,732

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 1,206 (4,07,173)

Daily Tests (Thursday): 17,90,708

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 2.4%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 22.4% / 5.3%

J&K DELIMITATION EXERCISE WILL BE FAIR, TRANSPARENT, ASSURES COMMISSION

Amid apprehensions raised by some in Kashmir over the delimitation exercise, the visiting Delimitation Commission on Friday assured that it will act in a fair, transparent and judicious manner. The Commission said that before preparing the final report on carving of the assembly constituencies, it will prepare a draft taking into account the inputs and demands placed by people before it and put the same in public domain for comments.

“The inputs of the associate members of the Commission will also be taken and put in public domain along with the draft for comments from public,” said Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra, who forms part of the three-member Delimitation Commission headed by Justice (Retired) Ranjana Prakash Desai.

Over the past four days, the Commission members, including State Election Commissioner K K Sharma, have met around 290 groups, apart from senior officials of the UT administration, seeking their inputs and concerns regarding the delimitation. “Opportunity will be given to the public at large who lodge their objection again on the draft and only then things will be finalised,’’ Chandra told reporters.

DELHI HC CALLS FOR UNIFORM CIVIL CODE, ASKS CENTRE TO TAKE ACTION

Underlining the need for a Uniform Civil Code, the Delhi High Court has said that youth belonging to different communities, tribes, castes or religions who solemnise their marriage “ought not be forced to struggle with issues” arising due to conflicts in various personal laws, especially in relation to marriage and divorce.

In an order released Friday, Justice Prathiba M Singh said: “The hope expressed in Article 44 of the Constitution that the State shall secure for its citizens Uniform Civil Code ought not to remain a mere hope. The Supreme Court had in 1985 directed that the judgment in Ms Jordan Diengdeh be placed before the Ministry of Law to take appropriate steps. However, more than three decades have passed since then and it is unclear as to what steps have been taken in this regard till date.”

The High Court directed that its judgment be communicated to the Secretary of Ministry of Law & Justice “for necessary action as deemed appropriate”.

The remarks on the UCC came on a petition questioning the applicability of The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 in respect of a couple belonging to the Meena community.

Even though the parties admitted that the marriage was solemnised by them as per Hindu rites, the wife, in response to a divorce petition filed by her husband, said the Act did not apply to them because they were members of a notified Scheduled Tribe in Rajasthan and were thus covered by exclusion under Section 2 (2) of the Act.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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AF SEEKS PAK HELP TO PERSUADE TALIBAN FOR TALKS

Afghanistan has sought Pakistan’s help to persuade the Taliban to hold talks with authorities in Kabul as fierce fighting between Afghan and insurgent forces claim dozens of lives on a daily basis across the country. “We have great expectations from Pakistan. I hope Islamabad will persuade the Taliban for talks again,” Afghan foreign minister Hanif Atmar told a private Pakistani TV station on Friday.

PM Imran Khan, however, had said several times that Washington’s pullout deadline from Afghanistan had diminished Islamabad’s leverage over Afghan insurgents.

The situation in Afghanistan has become more volatile, with the Taliban launching a blistering campaign and capturing key districts of the country, in an escalated move as the US forces gradually withdraw from the country. Responding to a question whether the Afghan govt thinks the US betrayed it, Atmar said that Washington had signed an agreement with the Taliban with honest intentions. “The Taliban did not fulfil their part of the deal... The Taliban are making a huge mistake. All of us have extended a hand of friendship towards them,” he said. He said the Afghan govt was telling the Taliban to honour the Doha peace deal, adding that Kabul had fulfilled its obligations of the deal. The Afghan minister further said that the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and al-Qaida have banded forces with other terrorist elements and are fighting alongside the Taliban against the Afghan govt forces.

Taliban officials said on Friday the insurgent group had taken control of 85% of territory in Afghanistan. Govt officials dismissed the assertion by a Taliban delegation visiting Moscow as part of a propaganda campaign.

CITING DELTA, PFIZER PURSUES BOOSTER SHOT AND A NEW VAX

Amid the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, pharma giant Pfizer has begun pitching for a booster shot of its vaccine saying the efficacy of its two-shot regimen declines after six months. But in an implicit rebuke of the pushiness with which a third dose is being proposed, US agencies CDC and FDA are saying a determination on this is yet to be made, science will dictate the process, and for now, a booster is not called for.

Pfizer and German partner BioNTech also said they were designing a new version of the vaccine targeting Delta with a trial likely to begin in August, but added that it was just a “backup effort” and the current version had “the potential” to protect against the strain.

The clash between the drug industry and the US govt surfaced on Thursday after Pfizer-BioNTech announced they plan to seek FDA approval for a booster shot, predicting that people would require a third shot six to twelve months after the first two because the vaccine’s effectiveness erodes in less than a year. They said they would submit data to regulators within weeks showing that a booster at six months caused antibody levels to shoot up five to ten times higher than the original two-dose regimen.

Pharma giants evoke suspicion among sceptics who feel they are predatory, and will use the pandemic to boost profits. The vaccine is expected to net Pfizer $26 billion in 2021. Some experts are arguing that two doses are quite effective and third dose may not be needed at all.

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DELHI GEARS UP FOR A POSSIBLE 3RD WAVE, WITH A DEFINED GRADED RESPONSE PLAN

The four colour-coded alerts -- Yellow, Amber, Orange and Red -- under the graded response action plan will remove any confusion about enforcement and lifting of various restrictions in the national capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

Under the new plan, night curfew from 10 pm to 5 am will be imposed in the national capital during three stages -- Yellow, Amber and Orange -- but there will be "total curfew" if 'Red' alert is sounded.

The plan was approved in a DDMA meeting chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal and attended by Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, Health Minister Satyendar Jain, Niti Aayog member V K Paul, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria and others.

The stage of alert will be based on positivity rate (on two consecutive days), cumulative number of new cases (over a week) and average oxygenated-bed occupancy (for a week).

The 'Yellow' (Level-1) alert will be sounded when the positivity rate crosses 0.5 per cent or new cases increase to 1,500 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 500.

The next level of alert coded with 'Amber' (L-2) will come into force if the positivity rate rises above one per cent or new cases number 3,500 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaching 700.

The 'Orange' or L-3 alert will kick-in if the positivity rate crosses two per cent or new cases number 9,000 or oxygenated bed occupancy becomes 1,000.

The 'Red' alert (L-4) will be the highest level and will come into force if the positivity rate crosses five per cent or new cases rise to 16,000 or oxygenated bed occupancy reaches 3,000.

The meeting stressed ensuring an ICU bed capacity of 12,000, sufficient oxygen, drugs and ambulances among others to tackle a possible third wave.

15 EUROPEAN NATIONS ACCEPT COVISHIELD

Fifteen countries in the EU now recognise Covishield for travelers, former diplomat Syed Akbaruddin posted on his Twitter account. These countries are Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia, he said in his tweet.

However three major nations, France, Poland and Italy, have still not accepted Covishield.

Until last week, nine EU\EFTA countries had decided to accept Covishield as and when they opened their borders to citizens of countries hit by deadly Covid variants.  These countries were Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland and Estonia.

SEND BANK STAFF IN SENSITIVE OPERATIONS ON LEAVE WITHOUT INTIMATION: RBI

Bankers working in sensitive positions, including treasury operations and currency chests, will get a surprise holiday of at least 10 working days in a single spell every year under the modified risk management guidelines of the RBI. This should be done “without giving any prior intimation to these employees, thereby maintaining an element of surprise”, say the guidellines.

Banks have been told to ensure that the employees, while on “mandatory leave”, do not have access to any physical or virtual resources related to their work, with the only exception being internal/corporate email, which is usually available to all employees for general purposes. Banks will also prepare a list of sensitive positions to be covered under “mandatory leave” requirements and the list will be reviewed periodically.

WHATSAPP BLINKS, WON’T FORCE USERS TO ACCEPT NEW TERMS

The lawyer for WhatsApp told Delhi High Court on Friday that users of the instant messaging platform would not be compelled to sign up for the new privacy policy as “it had been put on hold”, and that the company would not limit functionality for those who were yet to accept the policy, or de-platform them.

A company spokesperson said this would be the approach at least until the new personal data protection Bill became law.

This is a shift from WhatsApp’s earlier position, in which it said that users of personal accounts would have to either accept the new privacy policy or risk having their services restricted, and eventually being told to leave the platform.

ELON MUSK TRIAL ASKS THE $2-BILLION QUESTION: WHO CONTROLS TESLA?

Does Elon Musk control Tesla or does Tesla control Elon Musk?

More than $2 billion hinges on that question as a trial kicks off on Monday. Shareholders allege that Musk used his control of Tesla to force the company in 2016 to rescue SolarCity, saving the solar panel maker— and Musk’s investment in the company — from bankruptcy.

The union pension funds and asset managers leading the case want Musk to repay to Tesla the cost of the $2.6 billion deal and to disgorge the profits on his SolarCity stock. If they win, it would be one of the largest judgments against an individual.

Few executives dominate their company’s image as much Musk, known for taunting regulators, battling naysayers and personally engaging with his 57 million Twitter followers.

Plaintiffs allege that Musk drove the negotiations and even pushed Tesla's board to raise, not lower, the price for SolarCity.

TOP ATHLETES ACCUSE TN COACH OF ABUSE, GOING BACK YEARS

Two months after a 19-year-old national-level runner filed a sexual harassment complaint against renowned coach P Nagarajan at a Chennai police station, seven more women athletes, among them India internationals, have come forward with similar allegations against him.

All the complainants had trained as juniors under Nagarajan, 59, and the alleged abuse is said to have happened over many years. Some of the athletes are now long-retired. As a coach, Nagarajan is credited with mentoring several national medalists over three decades.

The complainants are in the process of recording their statements before a magistrate.

Hours after the first complaint, filed on May 28, Nagarajan had allegedly attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills. Following his discharge from hospital, he was arrested and is facing charges under the IPC and POCSO Act.

INDIA'S LIMITED-OVERS SERIES AGAINST SRI LANKA RESCHEDULED

India’s limited-overs’ six-match series (3 ODIs and 3 T20s) against Sri Lanka has been rescheduled following an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in the home team’s camp.

The first ODI will now be played on July 17, instead of July 13.

Sri Lanka's batting coach Grant Flower and data analyst G T Niroshan tested positive for COVID-19 on return from the United Kingdom, forcing Sri Lanka Cricket to extend the hard quarantine period from the stipulated three days.

Before testing negative, Sri Lanka's squad faced an anxious wait for the results of their PCR tests on returning home, following a COVID-19 outbreak in the England squad after the final match of their tour in Bristol on Sunday.

IT’S NOVAK DJOKOVIC VS. MATTEO BERRETTINI IN WIMBLEDON FINAL

Denis Shapovalov was serving for the first set in the semifinals of Wimbledon on Friday, and Novak Djokovic was sliding to his right, bent forward with his left hand on the Centre Court dirt. The court was open. All Shapovalov had to do was find it with his forehand.

Instead, he overhit the shot, striking it just a bit long.

It was just one moment in a three-set match, and if you had not been watching Djokovic for 15 years, it would have been tempting to attribute the moment to luck.

But such big-point turnarounds happen for him far too often to qualify as happenstance. Even when he is out of position, way out of position, Djokovic’s defensive wizardry and mental fortitude make his opponents think they have to go for more — which, so often, is too much.

Before you know it, he has won again.

“Against Novak, you’re going to have some chances that you’re not going to get,” said Shapovalov, his eyes still red from crying after his 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 defeat.

On Sunday, Djokovic will try to win his 20th Grand Slam singles title, tying the men’s record shared by his two career-long rivals, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. “Well, it would mean everything,” Djokovic said. “That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m playing.”

If Djokovic defeats him, he will not only equal Federer and Nadal. He will remain on track for the so-called Golden Slam, which requires a player to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. Only Steffi Graf, in 1988, has done it.

This will be Djokovic’s 30th Grand Slam singles final. It will be the first for 7th seed Matteo Berrettini, who defeated No. 14 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, 6-3, 6-0, 6-7(3), 6-4, in Friday’s opening semifinal. Berrettini is also the first Italian, man or woman, to reach a Wimbledon singles final.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. - Wilhelm Stekel

OFF TRACK

I was headed for a blind date last night, but I was worried... what to do if she was really unattractive.

My friend told me not to worry as there is an app for just that situation. It's called Mum Are You Okay. It schedules your phone to ring just after you meet your date. If you like her, you just ignore your phone. If you want to cut short the date, you answer with; Mum? What's the matter? Are you okay? It works every time, so no worries.

So anyway, I knocked on the girl's door and it turns out I needn't have worried at all. She was absolutely gorgeous with stunning looks.

But just when I was about to speak to her, her phone rang. She answered it and said, "Mum? What's the matter? Are you okay?"