Chennai: A few days after Kamal Haasan predicted that the DMK-Congress alliance will break, the Makkal Needhi Maiam chief today said, “I can’t comment on forging an alliance with the Congress now. It is too early.”
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, Kamal said, “It is not the time to speak about an alliance with the Congress.”
The actor, a few months ago, floated his own party – Makkal Needhi Maiam – and has been touring Tamilnadu to reach out to people.
New Delhi, Apr 21: India's count of positive coronavirus cases reached 18,985 after 1,329 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.
Out of the total cases, 15,122 are active cases, 3,259 have been discharged or cured and one has migrated. With 44 new deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the toll stands at 603.
As per the evening update by the ministry, Maharashtra continues to be the worst-hit state with 4,669 cases, out of which 572 patients have been discharged and cured and 232 deaths.
Delhi's total count of confirmed cases stand at 2,081, which includes 431 cured or discharged cases and 47 deaths.
Gujarat has reported a total of 2,066 positive COVID-19 cases, out of which 131 patients have recovered or discharged, while 77 patients have lost their lives.
Madhya Pradesh's count of COVID-19 cases stand at 1,540, including 127 cured or discharged cases and 76 deaths.
Rajasthan has so far reported 1,576 positive cases, out of which 205 patients have recovered or discharged and 25 people have lost their lives.
Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 figure has risen to 1,520, with 457 patients recovered and 17 fatalities. Uttar Pradesh has reported 1,294 cases, out of which 140 patients have recovered and 20 are dead.
Srinagar, Jan 9: Envoys from 15 countries including the United States were shown around Srinagar on Thursday, the first visit by New Delhi-based diplomats since the government stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomous status and began a harsh crackdown five months ago.
The diplomats were driven by Indian authorities in a motorcade amid tight security from the airport to the military headquarters in Srinagar, where they were briefed on the security situation, an army officer said. He spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to reporters.
They also held discussions with civil society members and some Kashmiri politicians, said Raveesh Kumar, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The objective of the visit, organized by the Union government, was for the envoys to see first-hand “how things have progressed and how normalcy has been restored to a large extent'' in Kashmir since August, Kumar told reporters in New Delhi.
In October, a group of European Parliament members had visited the region, which is claimed by both India and Pakistan.
The delegation that visited Kashmir on Thursday included US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster and diplomats from Bangladesh, Vietnam, Norway, the Maldives, South Korea, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Argentina, the Philippines, Fiji, Uzbekistan, Peru and Togo.
Offices, shops and businesses were open in Srinagar on the cold winter day, but the diplomats did not stop to talk to people as they moved to different venues of their meetings.
They were to fly to Jammu, the winter capital of Kashmir, later Thursday and return to New Delhi on Friday.
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh pointed out the oddity of taking foreign diplomats to the troubled state but not allowing allowing Indian political leaders to freely visit it.
The National Conference said it was "disappointed" with the way the government brought envoys from various countries to "endorse" its "claims of normalcy" in the union territory. The party alleged that it was no more than a "guided tour" with access limited to "handpicked individuals who toe the government line".
“The NC wishes to ask these envoys that if the situation in Jammu & Kashmir is "normal", then why are scores of people, including three former chief ministers, under detention for almost 160 days and why have the people been denied access to the internet for over 5 months?" a statement issued by the party said.
Kumar dismissed as unfounded criticism of the visit, and said more such visits to Kashmir by New Delhi-based diplomats are likely in the near future.
Kochi, May 10: A total of 698 people who were evacuated from Maldives on INS Jalashwa, arrived here on Sunday around 9.30am (India time), said the Cochin Port officials. This operation is part of Indian Navy's 'Operation Samudra Setu'.
Another 121 from Lakshadweep also arrived at Mattanchery, near here. on MV Arabian Sea - a passenger/cargo ship sailing under the Indian Flag.
Samudrika Cruise Terminal has been opened up for handling the expatriates and Port has taken up necessary refurbishments consistent with the medical protocols.
#SamudraSetuMission #MoDAgainstCorona #bringhomeexpats
As #Kochi eagerly awaits their arrival, #INSJalashwa @indiannavy entering the scenic Ernakulam channel with 698 Indians from Maldives.@SpokespersonMoD @rajnathsingh @MOS_MEA @HCIMaldives @mygovindia pic.twitter.com/kk5rZyWMwf— PRO Defence Kochi (@DefencePROkochi) May 10, 2020
The Cochin Port Trust officials said the first group of 698 persons evacuated from Maldives comprises 595 males and 103 females. Of this, 14 are children below 10 years and 19 pregnant women.
Among the 698 passengers, 440 are from Kerala, 156 from Tamil Nadu and the rest are from various states in the country.
Ernakulam district collector S. Suhas said all those from Tamil Nadu will be sent to their state in the bus.
The ship is berthed at BTP Jetty and the disembarkation procedures are being carried out at Samudrika Cruise Terminal. It will take around three hours for all the passengers to be cleared.
#SamudraSetuMission #MoDAgainstCorona #bringhomeexpats
Welcome Home!! #INSJalashwa with 698 Indians from Maldives entering #Kochi harbour. First glimpses!!@indiannavy @SpokespersonMoD @rajnathsingh @DefenceMinIndia @PMOIndia @MOS_MEA @MEAIndia @HCIMaldives pic.twitter.com/QW0FusiQUw— PRO Defence Kochi (@DefencePROkochi) May 10, 2020
According to the protocols, all the Keralaites will be sent for 14 days institutional quarantine at their respective home districts.
Those who are having exemption from institutional quarantine have to be at home isolation.
Among the 121 who arrived on MV Arabian Sea from Lakshadweep include students and those Keralaites who work in the island.
The protocol for these 121 passengers is that since they have been checked there, all these people can go to their homes and be in isolation for 14 days.
The general guideline is if any one shows any symptoms of Covid-19, all such people will be directly sent to Covid hospitals, here.
The distance between Male and Kochi is 493 nautical miles and it began its voyage to Kochi on Friday evening.
INS Jalashwa is an Indian naval ship attached to the Eastern Naval Command. It was acquired from the United States and was commissioned in 2007.
INS Jalashwa has the capacity to accommodate 1000 troops, and comes equipped with extensive medical facilities, including four operation theatres, and a 12-bed ward facility.
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