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Taliban say they took Panjshir, last holdout Afghan province

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Kabul(AP): The Taliban said on Monday they have taken control of Panjshir province north of Kabul, the Afghan capital. The province was the last holdout of anti-Taliban forces in the country and the only province the Taliban had not seized during their sweep last month.

Thousands of Taliban fighters overrun eight districts of Panjshir overnight, according to witnesses from the area. They spoke on condition of anonymity fearing for their safety.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement on Monday, saying Panjshir was now under the control of the Taliban fighters.

The anti-Taliban fighters had been led by the former vice president and the son of the iconic anti-Taliban fighter Ahmad Shah Massoud who was killed just days before the 9/11 attacks in the United States. 

Soldiers detain Guinea’s president, dissolve government

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Conakry (Guinea)(AP): Mutinous soldiers in the West African nation of Guinea detained President Alpha Conde on Sunday after hours of heavy gunfire rang out near the presidential palace in the capital, then announced on state television that the government had been dissolved in an apparent coup d’etat.

The country’s borders were closed and its constitution was declared invalid in the announcement read aloud on state television by army Col. Mamadi Doumbouya, who told Guineans: “The duty of a soldier is to save the country.”

“We will no longer entrust politics to one man. We will entrust it to the people,” said Doumbouya, draped in a Guinean flag with about a half dozen other soldiers flanked at his side.

It was not immediately known, though, how much support Doumbouya had within the military or whether other soldiers loyal to the president of more than a decade might attempt to wrest back control.

The junta later announced plans to replace Guinea’s governors with regional commanders at an event Monday and warned: “Any refusal to appear will be considered rebellion” against the country’s new military leaders.

The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS quickly condemned the developments, threatening sanctions if Conde was not immediately released. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tweeted that he strongly condemned “any takeover of the government by force of the gun.”

The US State Department warned against violence and urged authorities in Guinea to avoid “extra-constitutional” actions that “will only erode Guinea’s prospects for peace, stability, and prosperity.”

Spokesman Ned Price added in a statement that the junta’s “actions could limit the ability of the United States and Guinea’s other international partners to support the country.”

Conde’s whereabouts had been unknown for hours after the intense fighting Sunday in downtown Conakry until a video emerged showing the 83-year-old leader tired and disheveled in military custody.

The junta later released a statement saying Conde was in contact with his doctors. But they gave no timeline for releasing him other than to do say: “Everything will be fine. When the time comes, we will issue a statement.”

Conde, in power for more than a decade, had seen his popularity plummet since he sought a third term last year, saying that term limits did not apply to him. Sunday’s dramatic developments underscored how dissent had mounted within the military as well.

Doumbouya, who had been the commander of the army’s special forces unit, called on other soldiers “to put themselves on the side of the people” and stay in their barracks. The army colonel said he was acting in the best interests of the nation, citing a lack of economic progress by leaders since the country gained independence from France in 1958.

“If you see the state of our roads, if you see the state of our hospitals, you realize that after 72 years, it’s time to wake up,” he said. “We have to wake up.”

Observers, though say the tensions between Guinea’s president and the army colonel stemmed from a recent proposal to cut some military salaries.

On Sunday morning, heavy gunfire broke out near the presidential palace and went on for hours, sparking fears in a nation that already has seen multiple coups and presidential assassination attempts. The Defense Ministry initially claimed that the attack had been repelled by security forces, but uncertainty grew when there was no subsequent sign of Conde on state television or radio.

The developments that followed closely mirrored other military coup d’etats in West Africa: The army colonel and his colleagues seized control of the airwaves, professing their commitment to democratic values and announcing their name: The National Committee for Rally and Development.

It was a dramatic setback for Guinea, where many had hoped the country had turned the page on military power grabs.

Conde’s 2010 election victory the country’s first democratic vote ever was supposed to be a fresh start for a country that had been mired by decades of corrupt, authoritarian rule and political turmoil. In the years since, though, opponents said Conde too failed to improve the lives of Guineans, most of whom live in poverty despite the country’s vast mineral riches of bauxite and gold.

The year after his first election he narrowly survived an assassination attempt after gunmen surrounded his home overnight and pounded his bedroom with rockets. Rocket-propelled grenades landed inside the compound and one of his bodyguards was killed.

Violent street demonstrations broke out last year after Conde organized a referendum to modify the constitution. The unrest intensified after he won the October election, and the opposition said dozens were killed during the crisis.

In neighbouring Senegal, which has a large diaspora of Guineans who opposed Conde, news of his political demise was met with relief.

“President Alpha Conde deserves to be deposed. He stubbornly tried to run for a third term when he had no right to do so,” said Malick Diallo, a young Guinean shopkeeper in the suburbs of Dakar.

“We know that a coup d’etat is not good,” said Mamadou Saliou Diallo, another Guinean living in Senegal. “A president must be elected by democratic vote. But we have no choice. We have a president who is too old, who no longer makes Guineans dream and who does not want to leave power.”

England make solid start after Pant-Shardul stand helps India set 368-run target

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London: England’s under-fire opening pair made a confident start after an indomitable Shadul Thakur and a calm Rishabh Pant ensured a 367-run lead for India as the fourth Test entered an engrossing home stretch.

Haseeb Hameed (43 batting, 85 balls) and Rory Burns (31 batting, 109 balls) put on 77 runs in 32 overs on a placid track that showed little signs of wear and tear after Thakur (60 off 72 balls) and Pant (50 off 107 balls) helped India put on a commendable 466 in their second essay.

With 291 runs out of the target of 368 required on the final day, England would at least fancy a draw if not a victory on the fifth day as the pitch has nothing on offer for the bowlers.

More so, Ravindra Jadeja (0/28 in 13 overs), whose primary skill has been overlooked by the team management, looked pedestrian during the overs that he bowled during the penultimate evening. A few balls did turn but Burns tackled them with ease.

The only bowler who made some impact was Jasprit Bumrah (7-3-11-0), who at least tried to exert some pressure on the openers.

However, India still have their nose ahead in the game largely due to the performance of the lower middle-order where Thakur the batsman exceeded everyone’s expectations with a second half-century in the match.

He was well complemented by Pant, who finally got some runs under his belt showing admirable restraint and sense of responsibility during the duo’s 100-run stand.

Credit should also go to Umesh Yadav (25) and Jasprit Bumrah (24), who also played their cameos in taking the target past 350-run mark.

Had Thakur-Pant not played their part, England would have ended up chasing a lesser total after yet another all-too familiar middle order collapse.

From 296 for 3, within 10 over space, it became 312 for 6 before Thakur and Pant joined forces.

It did help that the pitch became flatter as the day progressed and under bright sunshine, strokeplay became easier for both the batters as they could hit through the line.

While Shardul, who is fondly called ‘Beefy’ by team’s head coach Ravi Shastri for his Ian Botham-like exploits, is reinforcing his value as a bowling all-rounder.

His three straight drives were as good as any of the shots that his illustrious seniors Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara hit on the third day.

It was sight to behold as he picked an Ollie Robinson (32-7-105-2) slower early and dispatched it over long-on to reach 49 and then a pull shot for a single helped him complete his fifty.

If Shardul’s 57 in the first innings had helped the team reach a respectable total, his approach in the second innings ensured that Pant wasn’t in his usually “harakiri” mode that brought about his downfall during a number of occasions this summer.

The left hander curbed his instincts to charge down the track and played as per merit of each delivery. Only when he was in his 30’s that he lofted Moeen Ali for a one bounce four and in his 40’s charged out to slash James Anderson (33-10-79-1) over covers for a boundary.

His innings had 76 dot balls which showed that he had learnt from his mistakes but he was distraught when he failed to get the elevation, offering a return catch to Moeen (26-0-118-2).

In the first session of the day, Virat Kohli (44, 96 balls) showed promise with his cover drives but a beautiful slider from Moeen saw his back as his forward defensive prod found the outside edge into the slip’s hands.

But amid a good batting performance, what struck like a sore thumb was vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane’s another failure in what were the best batting conditions so far in the series.

Having survived a strong leg before appeal courtesy DRS, Rahane played across the line to a straight delivery from Chris Woakes (30-8-72-2) and his skiper at the other end told him not to review.

The veteran of 78 Tests with another failure is slowly making his place untenable in the playing XI.

UAE rolls out plan to invest in economy, liberalise laws

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Dubai: The United Arab Emirates announced Sunday a major plan to stimulate its economy and liberalise stringent residency laws for expatriates, as the country seeks to overhaul its finances and attract foreign residents and capital.

The country’s plan to lure foreign talent reflects a growing contrast with the other oil-rich economies of the Persian Gulf that are becoming increasingly protectionist.

Although many of the Emirati ministers’ promised overhauls remained vague at a press conference, their intentions to boost spending after the devastation of the pandemic and loosen laws to draw more residents was clear.

Abdulla bin Touq, the minister of the economy, pledged that the Emirati government would pour some USD 13.6 billion into the economy over the next year. He laid out a raft of investment opportunities for countries to boost development by 10 per cent in the coming years.

We are confident that these projects in the support of investment will make (the UAE) one of the most competent economies in the world, he proclaimed at the government’s first large in-person press conference since the pandemic.

The UAE for years since its independence has tied employment to residency status, giving employers outsized power and forcing people to immediately leave the country once they lost their jobs.

The new plans give residents more time to seek other jobs after termination, allow youth over age 15 to gain employment as they live with their parents, and enable widows and divorced couples to live longer without visa restrictions in the country.

Chhattisgarh: Right-wing activists manhandle pastor, 2 others at police station over conversion

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Raipur: A pastor and two others, including an officer-bearer of a Christian outfit, were allegedly manhandled and abused inside a police station at Raipur on Sunday by members of a right-wing organisation, a senior official said.

The group of right-wing activists accused pastor Harish Sahu of indulging in religious conversion and manhandled him as well as Ankush Bariyekar, general secretary of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum, and one Prakash Masih, inside Purani Basti police station, he said.

“Sahu had been called to the police station after a right-wing organisation submitted a complaint against him that he is indulging in religious conversions. Accordingly, he came to the police station today along with Bariyekar and Masih. But a group of right-wing activists present there manhandled and abused the trio inside the chamber of the station house officer (SHO),” he said.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

After the incident, Purani Basti station house officer (SHO) Yadumani Sidar was attached to the police lines by Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Yadav, the official added.

Bariyekar lodged a complaint in this regard, after which several people were booked under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 294 (obscene acts and songs), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said.

The incident occurred exactly a week after a 25-year-old pastor, Kawalsingh Paraste, was allegedly beaten up in his house in Polmi village in the state’s Kabirdham district by a mob of over 100 people, accusing him of indulging in religious conversions.

Karnataka government allows Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at public places

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BENGALURU: The state government on Sunday announced that Ganesh Chaturthi festivities will be allowed for five days at public places with strict restrictions. While a gathering of more than 20 people at the same time is not allowed, the public celebration is prohibited in border taluks that have more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate. No cultural programmes and processions will be allowed this time.

“In urban areas, Ganesh pandals will be allowed one per ward and the local administration can decide on the numbers in rural areas. However, taluks that share borders with neighbouring states and have more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate cannot allow public celebration,” he added.

He said that cultural or entertainment programmes, like orchestra and DJ music, as part of the festival are strictly prohibited. “No processions will be allowed while bringing the Ganesh idol or immersing it. A provision will be made to erect pandals of 50×50 feet and organisers should ensure that not more than 20 people are at the pandal at a time and devotees should adhere to all Covid-appropriate behaviour.

Permission is given to keep idols only for five days. The rules also apply for celebrations at apartments,” he said. Only eco-friendly idols will be sold and they must be immersed only at designated places like ponds identified by the local administration and mobile tanks. He stressed that celebrations should not be organised at schools and colleges. 

Festivities must end before 9.00 pm

“Members of committees that organise pubic celebrations must carry Covid-negative certificates and should be compulsorily vaccinated. Local authorities will hold vaccination drives near pandals and jab those not vaccinated,” the minister said. He specified that idols that are kept at public places should not exceed 4 feet while those at home should be 2 feet.

“Organisers must obtain permission from agencies concerned before erecting pandal s and wind up the celebrations before 9 pm, as night curfew will be in force,” Ashoka said. The guidelines stated that pandals must be sanitised every day and devotees must be allowed after providing sanitiser and checking their temperature.

State records 8 deaths, lowest in second wave
Bengaluru: The state reported just eight Covid deaths on Sunday, the lowest since April 2 and 3 when six were reported dead on each of those days five months ago. Of the eight deaths, five are from Bengaluru, while the rest three are from Mysuru, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada. However, despite the low deaths, the mortality rate has remained constant at 1.26 per cent for exactly a month and the positivity rate fell to 6.66 per cent. 

WHAT’S ALLOWED AND WHAT’S NOT

Only one pandal is allowed per ward in urban areas

Idols should be under 4 feet for public celebrations and 2 feet at homes

No public celebration in border taluks with more than 2 per cent Covid positivity rate

No celebrations in schools and colleges

Celebrations allowed only for five days, and must wind up before 9 pm

Gathering of more than 20 devotees at a time is prohibited

Organisers must carry Covid-negative report and get vaccinated

Cultural and entertainment programmes as well as processions completely prohibited

COVID-19 India Update 219 deaths in last 24 hours, lowest in 167 days 38,948 new cases reported in India

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NEW DELHI: India logged 38,948 new coronavirus infections and 219 fresh fatalities, the lowest in 167 days, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Monday.

The case fatality rate has declined to 1.33 per cent after 48 days, according to the data updated at 8 am.

India had reported 199 deaths in a single day on March 23.

The active cases have declined to 4,04,874 comprising 1.23 per cent of the total infections while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 97.44 per cent, the ministry said.

A decrease of 5,174 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

Less than 50,000 daily cases are being reported for 71 consecutive days, the ministry said.

As many as 14,10,649 tests were conducted on Sunday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 53,14,68,867 .

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.76 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.58 per cent.

It has been below three per cent for the last 73 days, according to the ministry.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,21,81,995.

The cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive has reached 68.75 crore.

India’s COVID-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23.

The 219 new fatalities include 74 from Kerala, and 67 from Maharashtra.

A total of 4,40,752 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,37,774 from Maharashtra, 37,409 from Karnataka, 35,018 from Tamil Nadu, 25,082 from Delhi, 22,856 from Uttar Pradesh, 21,496 from Kerala and 18,502 from West Bengal.

The ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

“Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research,” the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

SC collegium recommends 68 names to Centre for appointment as judges in 12 HCs

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New Delhi(PTI): In an unprecedented decision, the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N V Ramana has recommended as many as 68 names in one go for appointment as judges in 12 high courts, including in Allahabad, Rajasthan and Calcutta, that are facing a severe crunch of judges.

The three-member Collegium, of which Justices U U Lalit and Justice A M Khanwilkar are also members, has created yet another first as Marli Vankung becomes the first woman judicial officer from Mizoram whose name has been sent to the Centre for judgeship in the Gauhati High CourtI.

Marli Vankun is also a member of the Scheduled Tribe community, they said, adding that besides her, nine other women candidates have been recommended for judgeship in various high courts.

The collegiums, in its meetings held on August 25 and September 1, considered as many as 112 candidates for elevation as judges in high courts.

“Among those 68 cleared for twelve high courts, 44 are from the Bar and 24 are from the judicial service,” they said.

Sixty-eight judges, if cleared by the Centre, will be appointed in high courts at Allahabad, Rajasthan, Calcutta, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Madras, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Punjab and Haryana, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Assam.

These names have been recommended close on the heels of the Collegium recommending seven names for the Telangana High Court on August 17 this year.

In a historic decision on August 17, the five-member Collegium headed by the CJI had recommended nine names for elevation as judges of the Supreme Court, including three women.

The names were cleared with significant pace by the Centre leading to a historic swearing-in ceremony on August 31 when the new judges were administered oath of office as apex court judges.

They included Justices Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, Vikram Nath, Jitendra Kumar Maheshwari, Hima Kohli and B V Nagarathna.

Besides, the CJI also administered oath of office to Justices C T Ravikumar, M M Sundresh, Bela M Trivedi and P S Narasimha, who was a senior advocate and former additional solicitor general.

Paralympics: Shooter Manish Narwal clinches India’s 3rd gold, Adana bags silver

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Tokyo : Shooter Manish Narwal clinched India’s third gold at the ongoing Paralympics while compatriot Singhraj Adana bagged the silver in the P4 Mixed 50m Pistol SH1 event here on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Narwal shot a total of 218.2, a Paralympic record, to claim the yellow metal while Adana, who had won the bronze in the P1 men’s 10m air pistol SH1 event on Tuesday, added a silver to his kitty with an effort of 216.7.

Russian Olympic Committee’s Sergey Malyshev took home the bronze with an effort of 196.8.

Earlier in the qualifying round, Adana progressed to the medal round in fourth place with a total of 536 while Narwal shot 533 to qualify at seventh at the Asaka Shooting Range.

The other Indian in the fray, Akash failed to make the final, finishing 27th in the qualifying round.

As the pistol is held with one hand only, athletes in SH1 category have an impairment affecting one arm and/or the legs, for example resulting from amputations or spinal cord injuries. P4 is a classification for the mixed 50m air pistol competition.

Some shooters compete in a seated position, while others take aim in a standing position as defined in the rules.

Paralympics: Bhagat, Suhas, Krishna enter badminton finals Manoj, Tarun lose in semifinals

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Tokyo: The Indian trioka of Pramod Bhagat, Suhas Yathiraj and Krishna Nagar sailed into the men’s singles finals of the badminton event in their respective classifications at the Tokyo Paralympics here on Saturday.

Among other Indians in the fray, Manoj Sarkar and Tarun Dhillon suffered contrasting losses in their respective semifinal match. The duo will now play in the bronze medal play off.

The 33-year-old Bhagat, the current world no 1, secured a 21-11 21-16 win over Japan’s Daisuke Fujihara in the first SL3 class semifinals that lasted 36 minutes.

The top seeded Indian, current world and Asian champion, will lock horns with Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell in the summit clash later in the day.

In SL4 class, Suhas outwitted Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in 31 minutes in the first semifinal.

The Noida District Magistrate will face top seed Lucas Mazur of France in the final on Sunday.

Krishna, seeded second, also dished out a superlative performance, outplaying Great Britain’s Krysten Coombs 21-10 21-11 in the SH6 class semifinals.

The 22-year-old Indian will cross swords with Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai in the final on Sunday.

In the other SL4 class semifinal, Mazur managed to stave off a spirited effort from Tarun, claiming a narrow 21-16 16-21 21-18 win over the second seeded Indian in a gruelling semifinal that lasted an hour and three minutes at the Yoyogi National Stadium.

The 27-year-old from Hisar will face Setiawan in the bronze medal play off on Sunday.

Manoj too couldn’t get into any sort of rhythm against second seeded Bethell, going down 8-21 10-21 in the other men’s singles SL3 class semifinals.

The 31-year-old will now play Fujihara in the bronze medal play-off later in the day.

Earlier in the day, with only half of the court being used in SL3 classification, Bhagat and Fujihara engaged in a lot of long rallies and the Indian came up on top most of the time.

Bhagat, the top seed, trailed 2-4 early in the opening game but a series of overhead drops helped him claw back. The duo were 8-8 before the Indian entered the interval at 11-8.

After the break, he continued his good run and eventually pocketed the opening game with six straight points.

It was a Bhagat show in the second game as well as the Indian led all the way to come up trumps.

Bhagat will pair up with Palak Kohli for their mixed doubles SL3-SU5 semifinals later in the day.

“It was a great game against Fujihara, he pushed me with some great shots. But I had a plan and I executed it very well. I am happy I have reached my maiden Paralympic finals but the work is not done yet,” said Bhagat after his match.

In SL classification, persons with standing/lower limb impairment/severe are allowed to compete. SH6 classification refers to short stature impairment.

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