Beijing: China today said the “atmosphere” was “not right” for a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Hamburg, amidst a standoff between the armies of the two countries in the Sikkim section.

“The atmosphere is not right for a bilateral meeting between President Xi and Prime Minister Modi,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry official said ahead of the G20 Summit in the German city of Hamburg from tomorrow.

China and India have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-junction for past 19 days after a Chinese Army’s construction party attempted to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region.

There were reports that Modi and Xi may meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit to resolve the standoff.

China’s state-run media yesterday had quoted Chinese analysts as saying that Beijing would be forced to use a “military way” to end the standoff in the Sikkim sector if India refuses to listen to the “historical lessons” being offered by it.

(Agencies)

Foundation commits USD 1 mn in India for community well-being projects.

India & Hong Kong: Hong Kong-based RYTHM Foundation which has been associated with the Cancer Patients Aid Association (CPAA) has further decided to strengthen its support to the fight against cancer in India among other worthy causes.

RYTHM Foundation, the corporate social responsibilityarm of direct selling company QNet, and CPAA came together in late 2016 thanks to the awareness created by Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, who has been a patron of CPAA for over a decade. CPAA is a non profit organisation dedicated to the total management of cancer as a disease for last 48 years.

In September last year, Vivek Oberoi announced a partnership between the CPAA and RYTHM Foundation for the Adopt-a-Patient Scheme to fund the treatment of 20 children with cancer, from low income families. Since the launch of the project, children chosen by the CPAA between the ages of 2 and 16 have been undergoing treatment at leading hospitals in Mumbai.

In May this year, the CPAA announced that 19 of the children were now on the road to recovery and undergoing maintanence therapy. Recently, the CPAA was invited to QNet’s annual global convention in Malaysia to speak about their work and they brought with them three brave young warriors, Divyanshu, Lahu, and Aakanksha, who are now cancer free.

Vivek Oberoi accompanied CPAA and the children and thanked RYTHM Foundation for its support. Vivek Oberoi said “Because of RYTHM Foundation’s support, the CPAA was able to help these children and their families through the toughest period of their lives. And now, they are here in Malaysia, on their very first international trip to thanks to the generosity of RYTHM.”

“Thank you Vivek Bhaiya, RYTHM and CPAA for helping us,” chorused the kids to the thunderous applause of 20,000 people from around the world who had gathered at the 5-day convention.

RYTHM Foundation is currently in discussions with CPAA to fund a project for early detection of cancer, as part of its commitment to support community well being initiatives in India.

“RYTHM stands for Raise Yourself To Help Mankind, which is the underlying principle of the Foundation that believes in helping people become self-empowered, in order to have a positive impact in society. We could not have found a better partner for our first major venture into India than CPAA which has been working passionately and relentlessly towardscancer treatment and awareness, especially for patients and families from the lower economic strata.”Said Richard E Zinkiewicz, Trustee of RYTHM Foundation.

Anita Peter, Executive Director of CPAAsaid, “It gives us immense pleasure to be associated RYTHM Foundation who has not only given a new life and hope to our cancer stricken kids but will also join hands with CPAA to eradicate cancer.”

In the past, the Foundation has partnered with Avalokiteswara Trust to build 15 libraries in rural schools in the remote villages of Ladakh region and has also donated USD 40,000 to the Akshaya Trust in Madurai to build a shelter for the homeless. Earlier in 2008, the foundation donated USD 30,000 towards UNICEF’s water and sanitation programme in the flood affected districts of Bihar. The partnership with CPAAis amongstthe first major long term partnershipsRYTHM Foundation will be entering into in India.

“We are committing to allocate $1 mllion over the next 3-5 years towards community well being projects in India in line with the government’s health initiatives through active participation in the Swastha Bharat Abhiyaanprogram,”Zinkiewicz added.

A series of community well-being initiatives have already been implemented through QNet in Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Telangana.

About RYTHM (Raise Yourself To Help Mankind)Foundation

RYTHM Foundation is the corporate social responsibility arm of the QI Group of Companies, registered in Hong Kong. The Foundation serves as the enabler of the Group’s charitable endeavours and represents QI’s spirit, compassion and dedication in serving the communities in which it operates around the world. The Foundation realises its vision through 3 priority areas: Children with Special Needs, Community Development and Community Wellbeing. A significant number of projects under RYTHM Foundation are driven by the group’s flagship subsidiary QNet.

The Foundation works in alliance with a number of international institutions, foundations and socio-civic groups to accelerate the momentum, scale and sustainability of change. In critical situations, the Foundation acts as a catalyst between generous partners and the underprivileged.

About Cancer Patients Aid Associatin (CPAA)

Established in 1969, CPAA has a tradition of untiring service to needy cancer patients from all over India, and even neighbouring Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan. CPAA is an empathetic, reassuring, non-medical presence that has supported the treatment and overall needs of more than 3,00,000 cancer patients. It believes that every cancer patient has a right to the full range of treatment, and its team of over 75 employees and over 60 associated doctors make sure that they get it.

An extensive network of influential well-wishers supports the organisations endeavours. From a well-meaning group of individuals who had laudable intentions but could only afford the distribution of fruits and newspapers, to a multi-faceted organization helping patients cope with every aspect of cancer, CPAA has grown exponentially in scope, size and influence. It has a presence in Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune. Through the medium of its website, it is in touch with readers on five continents and has extended material assistance to patients from Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

For Further Information please contact:
• RYTHM Foundation: Ms. Jayamalar | jayamalar.s@rythmfoundation.org
• CPAA: Ms. Anita Peter | +91 22 24924000 / 24926928 | anita.peter@cancer.org.in

Bengaluru: In the history of Bengaluru, the city witnessed a same-sex marriage recently at a temple here in Koramangala where two girls married to start a new life. 25-year-old lady, call centre employee Sahana (who plays the role of husband) married to 21-year-old B.Com student Shilpa. Parents of Shilpa have filed a police complaint on the incident and the couple are being counselled at a Women Help Centre as directed by the police. The police are reportedly confident that the duo would return to normal life leaving their present relation.

According to legal experts, the parents can legally move against the couple if any one or both suffer from any mental or physical health issue. Both ladies reportedly fled from their respective home in May 2017 and started living together in the state capital before their marriage function.

Shilpa belongs to a traditional family and in the early stage of friendship with Sahana, Shilpa was reluctant to share intimacy with her. However, Sahana managed to attract her by giving her luxury items including dress, electronic items and others. Parents of Shilpa have registered a police complaint after their marriage function. However, the couple met a lawyer and decided to not to return to their home even if their parents pressurised them to leave the present relation and return to home.

(Agencies)

Kolkata: The situation in and around Baduria in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, where communal clashes had erupted over an “objectionable” Facebook post, was today “tense but under control”.

No untoward incident was reported till 11 am, a police officer said.

Senior police officers have been deployed in the area to keep a vigil.

Announcements were being via the public address system asking the people to maintain law and order.The police were also trying to convince the people to resume normal activities.

Local train services were affected in Sealdah-Bangaon section as people squatted on the tracks at Duttapukur and Ashokenagar stations.

A pair of trains plied from Basirhat station in the morning hours after which services were disrupted due to demonstration there, GRP sources said.

Most of the shops, markets remained shut in and around Baduria including Keosha market, Banshtala, Ramchandrapur and Tentulia.

The police said, with the police and BSF personnel putting up at school buildings, educational institutions remained off-limits for students.

Four companies of BSF’s South Bengal Frontier rushed to Baduria and adjoining areas of Basirhat, Swarupnagar and Deganga to assist the local administration in controlling the situation yesterday after clashes broke out.

The BSF personnel cleared roads after removing the blockades put up by a mob.

Violence had erupted between two communities at Baduria in Basirhat sub-division of the district on Monday night over the Facebook post, following which a young man was arrested.

Besides putting up road blockades at several places, the mob had attacked members of another community and destroyed many shops.

The incident had triggered an unprecedented spat between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. Banerjee had accused the Governor of acting like “a BJP block president” and “threatening” her.

The Raj Bhavan voiced surprise over Banerjee’s “attitude and language”, and said, “the Hon’ble Governor cannot remain a mute spectator to the affairs in the state”.

(Agencies)

Beijing: China on Wednesday accused India of running “misleading the public” by claiming that the Chinese troops are building a road close to the Chicken’s Neck in the Sikkim sector which could endanger India’s access to the north-eastern states.

“In disregard of the 1890 Sino-Britain convention, the Indian side said that Doklam is located within the tri- junction of the three countries, that is misleading the public,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gen Shuang was quoted as saying.

“The 1890 convention said that the Sikkim section of the boundary commences from East mountain and the incident (of road building) took place about 2,000 meters away from Mount Gipmochi,” Geng asserted.

He claimed that the incident has nothing to do with the tri-junction between China, India and Bhutan.

“The Indian side is actually misleading the public by saying that the incident took place at the tri-junction point,” Geng said defending China’s road building which India and Bhutan have objected to.

India has expressed concern over the road building, apprehending that it may allow Chinese troops to cut India’s access to its north-eastern states.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Domestic cooking gas (LPG) price has been hiked by up to Rs 32 per cylinder — the steepest increase in six years — following implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Subsidised LPG rates have been increased to Rs 477.46 per 14.2-kg cylinder from Rs 446.65 in Delhi after GST was implemented from July 1.

In the previous indirect tax regime where separate factory-gate duty and sales tax were levied, LPG attracted a zero or nil excise duty all over the country.

VAT or sales tax was nil in Delhi as well as Chandigarh, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and some north-eastern states. It ranged from 1 per cent to 5 per cent in other states.

However, under GST, which subsumed more than a dozen central and state levies, a 5 per cent tax was levied on subsidised LPG. This essentially meant that states where VAT was nil or less than 5 per cent, rates have gone up.

Besides Delhi, subsidised LPG price has been hiked by Rs 31.67 per cylinder to Rs 480.32 in Kolkata and Rs 31.41 in Chennai to Rs 465.56, according to information available from oil companies.

In Mumbai, where a VAT of 3 per cent was applicable previously, the price has gone up by Rs 14.28 to Rs 491.25 per cylinder.

This is the steepest increase in domestic subsidised LPG rate since June 25, 2011, a hike of Rs 50 per cylinder, which was necessitated due to a jump in international oil prices.

Every household is entitled to 12 cylinders of 14.2-kg each at subsidised rates in a year. Any requirement beyond that has to be purchased at market price.

The rate of market-priced 14.2-kg cylinder in Delhi is Rs 564.

Sources said the 5 per cent GST resulted in a Rs 26.88 increase in rate per cylinder in Delhi and the remaining hike of about Rs 3 is because of the decision since June last year to raise prices by about Rs 2 to cut the subsidy.

The rate of non-subsidised LPG, which consumers pay after exhausting their quota of below-market priced bottles, went up by Rs 11.5 to Rs 564. Such bottles attract an 18 per cent GST.

(PTI)

New Delhi: Over 18,700 cases of dengue have been reported in the country this year, with the Health Ministry attributing early onset of monsoon as one of the factors for spurt in cases ahead of the vector-borne disease season.

The maximum number of cases have been reported in Kerala with 9,104 followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,174 till July 2.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda today held a review meet on preparedness for vector-borne diseases here, which was attended by Health Secretary C K Mishra, Director General of ICMR Soumya Swaminathan, senior officials of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) and other institutions.

“We held two reviews, one for Delhi and the other for rest of the states and UTs. And, I can say that we are satisfied with our preparedness. We have already held three video-conferences on this matter and issued 13 advisories. The Secretary (Health) will soon hold video conferences with other states,” Nadda told reporters after the meet.

Secretary Mishra said Kerala is battling a multiple onslaught of dengue, malaria and other such diseases due to early arrival of monsoon.

“We had already sent a team there and it has come back after assessing the situation. But, no request has come from Kerala side on this matter. The state has a robust health mechanism though,” he said.

Mishra added that many of these reported cases include suspected ones too, so the final confirmed cases tally would only come by the year end, after the season ends.

According to to the figures provided by the ministry, Karnataka has reported 1,945 cases, Gujarat 616, Andhra Pradesh 606 and West Bengal 469, among other states, till July 2.

The number of dengue cases recorded in Delhi has touched nearly 100, with 44 of the infection cases diagnosed here being traced to other states.

As many as 10,952 chikungunya cases have also been reported in the country till July 2. Karnataka has recorded highest number of cases with 4047.

(Agencies)