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KOLKATA | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR

UK FURTHER EASES GOP’S ONLY BLACK ‘LEWANDOWSKI

LAC CRISIS DUE TO
LOCKDOWN SENATOR SCOTT NOW BETTER THAN
MISMANAGEMENT OF
RESTRICTIONS LEADS ON RACE THE BIG DUO’
MODI GOVT: SONIA
P10 P10 P5 P12

WEATHER
India, China agree to Trump suspends H-1B,
Partly cloudy sky with rain or
thundershower. Temperature will be in
the range of 33-27 degrees Celsius.
other work visas
disengage at border year end; Indian IT till
RAINFALL: 2.0mm
RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Marathon talks lasted for 11 hours between top commanders of the 2 countries

professionals to be hit
Max.94% Min. 71% STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE tries’ most important agree-
TEMPERATURE NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE ments, and this will seri-
Max: 32.5°C (0) Min: 27.0°C (0) ously increase the two

I
SUN RISES SUN SETS ndia and China have
04:24 hrs 18:24 hrs
arrived at a consensus
MOON RISES MOON SETS
to disengage from their
07:33 hrs 21:14 hrs
stand-off positions in
Next moon quarter on 28 June
Eastern Ladakh after
marathon talks lasting
nearly 11 hours between top
THUMBNAILS commanders of the two
countries.
“The Corps Comman-
der level talks between
India and China on 22 June
were held at Moldo in a cor-
dial, positive and con-
structive atmosphere.
Modalities for disengage-
ment from all friction areas
in Eastern Ladakh were
discussed and will be taken
forward by both the sides,”
The Indian Army said today
Members of Indian Medical Association Pun- on the talks between Lt Gen-
jab, hold banners during a medical strike to eral Harinder Singh and
protest against the Clinical Establishments China’s Major General Lui
Act, in Amritsar on Tuesday. �AFP Lin.
The reference to friction
points includes Pangong
AYUSH ministry seeks details of Covid-19 Tso where the Chinese had
medicine from Patanjali before advertising it:
The AYUSH ministry on Tuesday asked yoga
guru Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved toprovide at
the earliest the composition and other details India asks Islamabad to cut mission strength by 50 per cent
of the medicine it claimed is for the treatment
of Covid-19, and ordered the firm to stop ASHOK TUTEJA
advertising the product until the “issue is exam- NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE
ined”. Patanjali Ayurved has launched the Coro-
nil and Swasari' medicine with the claim that it Accusing officials of the
has discovered a cure for Covid-19. Patanjali Pakistan High Commis-
claimed its medicine has shown 100 per cent sion of indulging in acts of
favourable results during clinical trials. P5 espionage and maintain-
ing contacts with terrorist
organisations, India today
Indian pilgrims will not travel to Saudi Arabia further downgraded its
for Haj 2020: The government has decided relations with Pakistan by
that Muslims from India will not travel to Saudi asking the neighbouring
Arabia for Haj 2020 after the kingdom con- country to reduce its staff
veyed that pilgrims should not be sent this strength in New Delhi by
year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 50 per cent.
Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Charge d’ Affaires of
said on Tuesday. The decision was taken after Pakistan Syed Haider Shah
Saudi Arabia's Haj and Umrah Minister Moham- was summoned to the Min-
mad Saleh bin Taher Benten telephoned last istry of External Affairs and
night and suggested not to send pilgrims. informed that India would
made considerable inroads
in early May into areas
previously patrolled by
India.
The meeting suggests a
possible easing of tensions,
which have been running
high between the two
neighbours since early
May. The violent clash
between Indian and Chi-
nese troops on 15 June in
which 20 Indian soldiers,
including a Colonel, were
reciprocally reduce its own
presence in Islamabad to
the same proportion. He
was told that the decision
was to be implemented in
seven days.
New Delhi told the Pak-
istani diplomat that it had
repeatedly expressed con-
cern about the activities of
officials of the Pakistan
High Commission. His
attention was specifically
drawn towards the activi-
ties of two Pakistani officials
who were caught red-hand-
ed and expelled on 31 May.
While Pakistani officials
indulged in actions that
were not in conformity
killed at the Galwan Valley,
has added a new dimension
to the complex relationship
between the two coun-
tries.
State-run Chinese daily
Global Times today termed
as “extremely irresponsible”
the Indian Government’s
decision to give complete
freedom of action to the
country’s armed forces. “It
shows that India may be
tearing up the two coun-
with their privileged status
in the high commission,
Islamabad has in parallel
engaged in a sustained
campaign to intimidate
the officials of the Indian
High Commission in Islam-
abad from carrying on their
legitimate diplomatic func-
tions, the Pakistani offi-
cial was told by the foreign
office.
“The recent abduction
at gun-point of two Indi-
an officials and their severe
ill treatment underlines
the extent to which Pakistan
has gone in that direction.
These officials who have
returned to India on 22
troops’ mutual distrust
and add to the possibility
of unwanted military con-
flicts. It is also against the
consensus reached by the
two sides’ foreign ministers
to cool down the situation
in the Galwan Valley,” it said
in an editorial. The daily said
it was an “utter fantasy” for
the Indian troops to think
that they could defeat PLA
troops.
Meanwhile, Chief of the
Army Staff, Gen Manoj
Mukund Naravane arrived
in Ladakh today to dis-
cuss the situation on the
ground with senior military
commanders as well as
visit forward areas. He is also
expected to be briefed by
Gen Singh on his discus-
sions with the Chinese
general. Gen Naravane is
scheduled to visit Srinagar
also during his two-day
visit.
June have provided graph-
ic details of the barbaric
treatment that they expe-
rienced at the hands of
Pakistani agencies,” the
MEA said in a press release
issued this evening.
Islamabad was told that
the behaviour of Pakistan
and its officials was not in
conformity with the Vien-
na Convention and bilat-
eral agreements on the
treatment of diplomatic
and consular officials. On
the contrary, it was an
intrinsic element of a larg-
er policy of supporting
cross-border violence and
terrorism.
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA
WASHINGTON, 23 JUNE
In a huge blow to Indian IT
professionals eyeing the
US job market, the Trump
administration has sus-
pended the most sought-
after H-1B visas along with
other types of foreign work
visas until the end of 2020
to protect American work-
ers in a crucial election
year.
Under a proclamation
signed by President Don-
ald Trump on Monday, the
new restrictions will take
effect on 24 June.
The decision will impact
a large number of Indian
IT professionals and sev-
eral American and Indian
companies who were issued
H-1B visas by the US gov-
ernment for the fiscal year
2021 beginning 1 October.
They would now have
to wait at least till the end
of the current calendar
year before approaching the
US diplomatic missions
to get stamping. It would
also impact a large num-
ber of Indian IT profes-
sionals who are seeking
renewal of their H-1B visas.
The H-1B visa is a non-
immigrant visa that allows
US companies to employ
foreign workers in spe-
cialty occupations that
require theoretical or tech-
nical expertise. The tech-
nology companies depend
on it to hire tens of thou-
sands of employees each
year from countries like
India and China.
In April, Trump signed
an immigration procla-
mation targeting people
outside of the US seeking
to legally migrate to the US,
with some exceptions. That
order, which was set to
lapse, will be extended
until the end of 2020 and
expanded to include some
guest worker visas.
The new visas included
are L-1 visas for intra-
company transfers, H-1Bs
for workers in specialty
occupations as well as the
H-4 visa for spouses, H-2Bs
for temporary non-agri-
cultural workers and most
J-1 visas for exchange vis-
itors.
The new rules would
apply only to those who are
outside the US, do not
have a valid non-immi-
grant visa and an official
travel document other than
a visa to enter the country.
Trump, seeking anoth-
er term in the White House
in the November 3 presi-
dential election, said the
step was essential to help
millions of Americans who
have lost their jobs due to
the economic crisis amidst
the Covid-19 pandemic.
While issuing the procla-
mation, Trump has ignored
the mounting opposition
to his order by various
business organisations,
lawmakers and human
rights bodies.
Google CEO Sunder
Pichai expressed disap-
pointment over Trump’s
decision.
Disappointed by today's
proclamation ~ we’ll con-
tinue to stand with immi-
grants and work to expand
opportunity for all, he said.
Vanita Gupta, president
and CEO the Leadership
Conference on Civil and
Human Rights, slammed
the move of the Trump
administration.
The latest travel ban is
a new season of the same
racist, xenophobic show put
on by Donald Trump and
Stephen Miller, she said.
While defending his
move, President Trump
said, “We must remain
mindful of the impact of for-
eign workers on the Unit-
ed States labour market,
particularly in the current
extraordinary environment
of high domestic unem-
ployment and depressed
demand for labour.”

India has 1 Covid-19 death per lakh World No. 1 Novak

population as against 6.04 globally
SNS & PTI
NEW DELHI, 23 JUNE
As against the global average
of 6.04, India has one Covid-
19 death per lakh population
which is one of the lowest in
the world, the Union health
ministry said on Tuesday,
and credited timely detection
of cases, extensive contact trac-
ing and effective clinical man-
ties per lakh population, while
in Spain it is 60.60, Italy 57.19,
the US 36.30, Germany 27.32,
Brazil 23.68 and Russia 5.62.
“In India, early detection
of cases, timely testing and sur-
veillance, extensive contact
tracing coupled with effective
clinical management have
helped to check case mor-
tality,” the ministry said in a
statement. This is also a tes-
Djokovic tests
positive for Covid-19
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
BELGRADE, 23 JUNE
4,40,215 Novak Djokovic has tested
positive for coronavirus in
the wake of the Adria Tour
events he helped organise in
1,78,014 Serbia and Croatia this month.
The world number one is
the fourth player who played Djokovic travelled home

agement for the low mortal-
ity rate.
Till date, 14,011 people
have died in India due to the
viral infection with 312 fatal-
ities reported in 24 hours till
Tuesday 8 am, while 14,933
new instances of the disease
took the total caseload to
4,40,215.
Citing WHO Situation
Report 154 dated 22 June,
the ministry said the United
Kingdom has registered 63.13
coronavirus-related fatali-
timony to the graded, pre-
emptive and pro-active
approach the Centre along
with the states and Union Ter-
ritories have taken for pre-
vention, containment and
management of Covid-19, it
said.
“The recovery rate con-
tinues to improve and it is 56.38
per cent as on date,” the min-
istry said. So far, 2,48,189
patients have recovered from
the disease leaving 1,78,014
active cases.
14,933
in tournaments to test posi-
tive, following Grigor Dimitrov,
Borna Coric and Viktor Troic-
ki. In a statement on his web-
site, Djokovic said he and his
wife Jelena, who also tested
10,994 positive, are currently asymp-
tomatic and will self-isolate.
Djokovic said, “I am
14,011 extremely sorry for each indi-
vidual case of infection. I
hope that it will not compli-
UNION HEALTH MINISTRY cate anyone’s health situation
FIGURES AS OF 8.00 A.M.
TUESDAY 23 JUNE 2020 and that everyone will be
fine.”
from the tournament in Zadar,
Croatia to his home in Serbia
before being tested for the
virus. In the statement he
said, “The moment we arrived
in Belgrade we went to be test-
ed. My result is positive, as is
Jelena’s, while the results of
our children are negative.
“Everything we did in the
past month, we did with a pure
heart and sincere intentions.
Our tournament meant to
unite and share a message of
solidarity and compassion.”

Historic Jagannath Rath Yatra begins in Puri

K RAVI
PURI, 23 JUNE
Devotional fervour and ecsta-
sy took centre-stage and his-
tory was scripted today as
the chariots of the Lord Jagan-
nath, Devi Subhadra, Lord
Balabhadra rolled on with no
public attendance, perhaps for
the first time in the annals of
Rath Yatra annual festival of
the 12th century iconic shrine.
Clichés like ~ ‘sea of
humanity surged in frenzied
manner’, ‘traditional gongs
and drums drowned the roar
of the sea’ ~ were not part of
the script. The fixture of VVIP
devotees CM, Governor, Union
Ministers et all, too , was
missing. The usual cacopho-
ny and assembly of lakhs of
stated yesterday, “the world is
watching us balance public
health and tradition, it is a chal-
lenge” that we take up and
show to the world of how it can
be done.
The overjoyed devotees
across world watched live
television coverage and prayed.
Their joy was doubled this year
due to the suspense till the
eleventh hour on conduct of
the RathYatra as the apex court
Lord Jagannath being carried out of the temple to his chariot in had stayed it on 18 June but
a ceremonial manner known as Pahandi � SNS lifted the stay only yesterday.
Many were appreciative
people was conspicuous by its The historic departure of today’s Rath Yatra – it was
absence as the annual Yatra showcased a never before neat, we could have a clear view
of the deities was observed in consensus on public health and of the deities unlike in the past
conformity with the apex pandemic guidelines being when the lakhs jammed the
court’s directions in the followed without disrupting any road and chariots .
midst of prevailing global single aspect of the rituals. Come RathYatra,Puri town
pandemic. CM Naveen Patnaik had is swarmed by millions of
devotees. This time, it’s different
as the Supreme Court imposed
a slew of conditions, includ-
ing the imposition of a curfew
in Puri, each chariot, shall be
drawn by not more than 500
persons who must undergo
Covid-19 test.The court had
stated that there shall be an
interval of one hour between
two chariots , social distanc-
ing must be maintained.
The Grand Road on which
the chariots rolled on wore a
largely deserted look. The
servitors, security personnel
and officials only filled the vac-
uum this year.
The Pahandi ritual of three
deities was completed as
scheduled. After the deities
were taken atop the chariots,
each ritual was performed.

CMYK