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Cr No.-89/202 vs Sunita Kanaujia on 8 May, 2020

1.2 Notice to the respondent was dispensed with, as the respondent had not yet been summoned by the Trial Court.

2 A perusal of the impugned order reveals that the Ld. Trial Court declined to take cognizance of the complaint primarily for the reason that the complainant despite availing several opportunities had not filed the ECS mandate. Further the account statement filed did not bear any stamp and was not even signed. Therefore, noticing that several opportunities have already been afforded to the complainant, the complaint was dismissed. 3 Sh.Anish Bhola, counsel for the petitioner has assailed the CR No.-89/2020 Page No.-1 of 4 impugned Order on the ground that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in observing that the ECS mandate was not on record. It is pointed out that the petitioner/ complainant along with the complaint had placed on record a ' Debit Authorization Form issued by the customer" i.e. the respondent to the petitioner bank. It is argued that the Debit Authorization Form is akin to ECS mandate. . To link the Debit Authorization Form with the loan agreement involved, an account statement was placed on record. The petitioner/complainant had also placed on record along with the complaint a memorandum issued by the bank, intimating return of the mandate on account of insufficiency of funds. Sh.Bhola has, further, argued that the offence as envisaged u/sec.-25 of the Payments & Settlement Systems Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the PSS Act') was completed, when the respondent, who had taken a loan and had issued authorization to debit the amount each month from his account failed to maintain sufficient balance in his account, thereby, resulting in failure of debit of amount. It is, therefore, argued that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in dismissing the complaint as both the documents constituting the offence were on record.




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Cr No.-83/202 vs Md Tamgid on 8 May, 2020

1.2 Notice to the respondent was dispensed with, as the respondent had not yet been summoned by the Trial Court.

2 A perusal of the impugned order reveals that the Ld. Trial Court declined to take cognizance of the complaint primarily for the reason that the complainant despite availing several opportunities had not filed the ECS mandate. Further the account statement filed did not bear any stamp and was not even signed. Therefore, noticing that several opportunities have already been afforded to the complainant, the complaint was dismissed. 3 Sh.Anish Bhola, counsel for the petitioner has assailed the CR No.-83/2020 Page No.-1 of 4 impugned Order on the ground that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in observing that the ECS mandate was not on record. It is pointed out that the petitioner/ complainant along with the complaint had placed on record a ' Debit Authorization Form issued by the customer" i.e. the respondent to the petitioner bank. It is argued that the Debit Authorization Form is akin to ECS mandate. . To link the Debit Authorization Form with the loan agreement involved, an account statement was placed on record. The petitioner/complainant had also placed on record along with the complaint a memorandum issued by the bank, intimating return of the mandate on account of insufficiency of funds. Sh.Bhola has, further, argued that the offence as envisaged u/sec.-25 of the Payments & Settlement Systems Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the PSS Act') was completed, when the respondent, who had taken a loan and had issued authorization to debit the amount each month from his account failed to maintain sufficient balance in his account, thereby, resulting in failure of debit of amount. It is, therefore, argued that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in dismissing the complaint as both the documents constituting the offence were on record.




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Cr No.-78/202 vs Ravi Shankar Kumar on 8 May, 2020

1.2 Notice to the respondent was dispensed with, as the respondent had not yet been summoned by the Trial Court.

2 A perusal of the impugned order reveals that the Ld. Trial Court declined to take cognizance of the complaint primarily for the reason that the complainant despite availing several opportunities had not filed the ECS mandate. Further the account statement filed did not bear any stamp and was not even signed. Therefore, noticing that several opportunities have already been afforded to the complainant, the complaint was dismissed. 3 Sh.Anish Bhola, counsel for the petitioner has assailed the CR No.-78/2020 Page No.-1 of 3 impugned Order on the ground that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in observing that the ECS mandate was not on record. It is pointed out that the petitioner/ complainant along with the complaint had placed on record a ' Debit Authorization Form issued by the customer" i.e. the respondent to the petitioner bank. It is argued that the Debit Authorization Form is akin to ECS mandate. The petitioner/complainant had also placed on record along with the complaint a memorandum issued by the bank, noticing return of the mandate on account of insufficiency of funds. Sh.Bhola has, further, argued that the offence as envisaged u/sec.-25 of the Payments & Settlement Systems Act (hereinafter referred to as 'the PSS Act') was completed, when the respondent, who had taken a loan and had issued authorization to debit the amount each month from his account failed to maintain sufficient balance in his account, thereby, resulting in failure of debit of amount. It is, therefore, argued that the Ld. MM committed a grave error in dismissing the complaint as both the documents constituting the offence were on record.




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Sh. Santosh Kumar Mittal vs M/S International Trading Agency on 8 May, 2020

1. The plaintiff has filed the present suit against the defendant for recovery of Rs. 2,72,858/­. The brief facts of the present case are as under :­ 1.1 That the plaintiff is the proprietor of M/s S.K. Enterprises and doing the business of government electrical contractor since 1995.

1.2 That defendant No. 2 is known to the plaintiff for more than 20 years and defendant No. 2 was running his business of sale of electrical goods as proprietor/partner of defendant No. 1 for the last 7/8 years from the aforesaid address and presently doing the business from the top floor of the aforesaid address.

1.3 That in the first week of March, 2015 defendant No. 2 had requested for a friendly loan of Rs. 2,50,000/­ from the plaintiff for some urgent business need for one week and considering the old friendship with defendant no. 2, the plaintiff had agreed to give a sum of Rs. 2,00,000/­ to the defendants but defendant No. 2 was insisting to increase the amount from Rs. 2,00,000/­ and accordingly, the plaintiff had agreed to give Rs. 2,01,000/­ to the defendants as a friendly loan for one week to the defendant and transferred an amount of Rs. 2,01,000/­ on 09.03.2015 by RTGS No. 17673 from the account of his firm M/s S.K. Enterprises Page 2 of 10 bearing No. 034902000001291 with Indian Overseas Bank, Roop Nagar, Delhi to the account of defendant No. 1 bearing No. 914020024386296 with Axis Bank, Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi having IFSC code No. UTIB0001838.




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M/S Anjani Broadband Pvt. Ltd vs M/S Lucky Airnet Pvt. Ltd on 8 May, 2020

2. The case of the plaintiff as disclosed from the plaint is that the plaintiff is engaged in the business of providing internet services under licence from Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology. The defendants approached the plaintiff for taking internet services and after negotiations the plaintiff agreed to provide services to a defendant and thereafter the plaintiff and the defendant signed customer application form (CAF) on 04.04.2015. The plaintiff provided the internet services to a defendant No. 1 company on monthly basis and after providing the services, the plaintiff raised bill of Rs.27,54193/­ and out of the said amount the defendants paid a sum of Rs. 22,08,000/­ and the balance sum of Rs. 5,46,193/­ is outstanding and due against the defendants which defendants failed to pay despite demands from the plaintiff.




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Muthupandi vs The Deputy Superintendent Of ... on 24 March, 2020

2. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition is closed.

24.03.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No SML To

1.The Third Additional District Judge (Special Court for PCR Cases), Madurai.

2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Samayanallur Range, Madurai District.

3.The Inspector of Police, Allanganallur Police Station, Madurai District.




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V.Saravanan vs The Deputy Superintendent Of ... on 24 March, 2020

2. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition is closed.

24.03.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No SML To

1.The Additional Sessions Judge for PCR Cases, Thirunelveli.

2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Srivaikundam Circle, Thoothukudi District.

2/4

http://www.judis.nic.in CRL.O.P.(MD)No.5122 of 2020

3.The Inspector of Police, Alwarthirunagiri Police Station, Thoothukudi District.




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Udaiyappan vs The Deputy Superintendent Of ... on 24 March, 2020

2. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition is closed.

24.03.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No SML 2/4

http://www.judis.nic.in CRL.O.P.(MD)No.5102 of 2020 To

1.The District Sessions Judge (Special Judge for P.C.R. Cases), Sivagangai, Sivagangai District.

2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Sivagangai, Sivagangai District.




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Salai Sathagamani vs The Deputy Superintendent Of ... on 24 March, 2020

2. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition is closed.

24.03.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No SML To

1.The Principal Sessions Judge -cum- PCR Court, Pudukkottai.

2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police, Pudukkottai, Pudukkottai District.

2/4

http://www.judis.nic.in CRL.O.P.(MD)No.5135 of 2020

3.The Sub-Inspector of Police, Vellanoor Police Station, Pudukkottai District.




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M.Karmegam vs The State Of Tamil Nadu on 24 March, 2020

2. With the above directions, this Criminal Original Petition is closed.

24.03.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet : Yes/No SML To

1.The Third Additional District Judge / PCR Court, Madurai.

2.The Deputy Superintendent of Police, State of Tamil Nadu, Melur, Madurai District.

2/4

http://www.judis.nic.in CRL.O.P.(MD)No.5163 of 2020

3.The Sub-Inspector of Police, Melavalavu Police Station, Melur Taluk, Madurai District.




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R.Muthuramalingam vs The Management Of Tamil Nadu on 24 March, 2020

2.Since the petitioner, who is the retired employee of the Transport Corporation, claims to have not been paid with the surrender leave salary of 24.5 days for the period from 2011 to 2019, the present writ petition has been filed seeking for direction in that regard.

3.The petitioner would submit that he has already made a representation dated 03.03.2020 in this regard, which is said to be pending. If the said representation is directed to be disposed of within stipulated time, the ends of justice could be secured.




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M/S.Cochin Air Cargo Clearing ... vs The Commissioner Of Customs on 24 March, 2020

2. The petitioners herein are the agent of M/s.Cochin Air Cargo Customs Clearing Agent (Shipping clearing and Freight Forwarding Agent) is licensed Customs Brokerage Company Lic No.1/2012, having office near at International Airport, Shanmugam, Trivandram, Kerala.

3. During the course of the business, the petitioners' concern got an order for shipment of “Air inlet automobile spare parts” from a new customer named 'Swiss Global' having office at New Delhi and after receiving KYC form, GST No., certificate of import export code, proprietor PAN and Aadhar card, accepted the shipment through Tiruchirappalli Airport. After getting shipment bills number from the exporter, the petitioners received the goods at Trichy Airport and the same has been sent for customs clearance on 09.06.2019. but, the second respondent did not give customs clearance due to non availability of E-way bill. After getting E-way bill from the exporter, the petitioners sent the same to the second respondent. But the second respondent detained the goods on 10.06.2019.




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S.Sakthi Murugan vs The State Rep. By on 20 April, 2020

2. Heard the learned counsel for the appellant and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents 1 and 2 and perused the materials placed before this Court.

3.The case was registered against the appellant for the offences under Section 294(b) IPC r/w Section 3(1)(r)(s) of SC/ST Act, 1989 in Crime No. 49 of 2015. After filing of charge sheet, the case has been numbered as Spl.S.C.No.17 of 2016 on the file of the Special Court for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the Sessions Judge(Full Additional Charge), Sivagangai. After framing of charges, trial commenced and during the pendency of the trial, the appellant did not appear before the trial court and due to non appearance of the appellant Non Bailable Warrant was issued on 18.04.2018 and the appellant was remanded on 21.09.2019. It is stated that except the Investigation Officer, all the witnesses were examined.




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Balamurugan vs The State Rep. By on 20 April, 2020

2. Heard the learned counsel for the appellant and the learned Additional Public Prosecutor appearing for the respondents 1 and 2 and perused the materials placed before this Court.

3.The case was registered against the appellant for the offences under Sections 342, 307 IPC and Section 3(2)(v) of SC/ST Act, 1989 in Crime No. 74 of 2012. After filing of charge sheet, the case has been numbered as Spl.S.C.No.61 of 2018 on the file of the Special Court for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and the Sessions Judge(Full Additional Charge), Sivagangai. After framing of charges, trial commenced and during the pendency of the trial, the appellant did not appear before the trial court and due to non appearance of the appellant Non Bailable Warrant was issued on 04.03.2019 and the appellant surrendered before the trial court on 12.03.2020 and filed recall 2/5 http://www.judis.nic.in Crl.A.(MD)No.153 of 2020 petition and the same was dismissed the appellant was remanded to judicial custody on 12.03.2020.




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R.Premkumar vs The Inspector General Of Police on 29 April, 2020

2.The petitioner has been transferred from Tirunelveli to Chennai, Egmore Railway Police Station. The petitioner, who is working as a Head Constable in Tirunelveli Railway Police Station, has now been asked to join at Egmore Railway Police Station in the same post.

3.Since it is an issue of transfer and an administrative order, it may not be proper on the part of this Court to examine either reasons for transfer or also the grievances of the petitioner. It is for the http://www.judis.nic.in 2/5 W.P(MD)Nos.6127 of 2020 authorities to examine the same. The grievance of the petitioner is that he has been relieved from Tirunelveli with a direction to join at Chennai. But, he has still not joined at Chennai.




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Dr.V.Deepika Lincy vs The Secretary on 29 April, 2020

2.The petitioner claims this relief on the basis of G.O.Ms.NO.86, Health and Family Welfare (MCA-1) Department, dated 06.03.2019, which had also been reiterated, according to the petitioner, in clause 16 of the prospectus for admission to Postgraduation degree for the year 2020-2021. The petitioner seeks revision of marks by including necessary incentive marks for working at the aforesaid place, which according to the petitioner is rural service and thereafter grant her necessary weightage http://www.judis.nic.in 2/6 W.P(MD)Nos.6128 of 2020 during the counselling process for admission to the postgraduation degree for the year 2020-2021.




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V. Avinash vs The Inspector Of Police on 4 May, 2020




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J.Roop Kumar vs The Commissioner on 4 May, 2020

2. I had the benefit of hearing Mr.J.Barathan, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr.T.S.Mohamed Mohideen, learned Standing Counsel, who took notice on behalf of the respondents, namely, the Commissioner, Madurai City Municipal Corporation and the Assistant Commissioner (Zone 2), Madurai City Municipal Corporation. 2/6 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P.(MD)No.6070 of 2020

3. The petitioner in his affidavit had stated that the property bearing plot No.131, East Fifth Street, K.K.Nagar, Madurai Town, originally belonged to his mother, and later devolved to the petitioner. The assessment was also transferred in his name in the revenue records. He claims to have paid the property tax, water tax, drainage maintenance charges up to second half year of 2017-2018. The petitioner was employed in Alagappa University and owing to that, had let out the property on rent and the tenant had put the property to commercial use. This was during the period 2015–2017. It has been informed by the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner that originally the property was assessed to pay at around Rs.3,000/- per half year. Subsequently, the impugned order came to be passed and in the same time, the rental value per square feet at Rs.9/- had been fixed and a demand has been raised for a sum of Rs.47,580/- which has been claimed to be the property tax assessed per half year. The learned counsel claims that this is highly un-reasonable and also complains that necessary opportunity had not been granted to him prior to re-assessment of the property tax. 3/6 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P.(MD)No.6070 of 2020




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Pappa vs The District Collector on 5 May, 2020

2. The facts necessitating the filing of the present Writ Petition are that the petitioner claims that she was working in the Highways Department and was maintaining her family consisting of her husband, one son and two daughters. The son and first daughter have been married and they are residing separately. The second daughter, who is shown as the third respondent is not married. The petitioner has stated that her husband had died and after that, the third respondent had been continuously harassing her and has been preventing her from enjoying her dwelling house peacefully and 2/6 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P.(MD)No.6099 of 2020 has been trying to dispossess her. Seeking protection under the Tamil Nadu Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007 and Tamil Nadu Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Rules 2009, the petitioner had given a representation on 07.03.2020 to the first and second respondents.




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M.Ponraj vs The Superintendent Of Police on 5 May, 2020

2.We commend the efforts taken by the Police in tracing the girl in the present strained circumstances.

3.In view of the above, this Habeas Corpus petition stands closed.

[ P.N.P.J.,] [ B.P.J.,] 05.05.2020 Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No dsk 2/4 http://www.judis.nic.in H.C.P(MD)No.252 of 2020 To




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B.Abimathi vs The Director General Of Health ... on 5 May, 2020

2. The Petitioner, who has completed her graduation in M.B.B.S. in Medicine and Surgery in the year 2018 had participated in the Post Graduate NEET Examination, 2020 conducted by the Third Respondent and has a score of 690. During the first round of counselling in All India Quota, she secured Master of Surgery in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of the Fourth Respondent and had paid admission fees. However, she intends to further participate in counselling in the State Government Quota seats including those in Non-Governmental Institutions. One of the conditions stipulated for already selected candidates in the All India Quota to participate in the State Government Quota is that they should would have to resign from the seat secured within the specified date. In furtherance thereto, the First Respondent by notice dated 30.04.2020 had informed that it had been decided by the Competent Authority to allow the candidates who have joined their allotted college of Round -1 (both in Online/Offline mode) to resign from their joined seat by 5.00 p.m. of 08.05.2020 (Wednesday). It is the grievance of the Petitioner that the Second Respondent had not included the Management Seats in the Private/Non-Governmental Medical Institutions in the notification issued for Counselling under the State Quota. In that backdrop, this Writ Petition 3/7 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P. (MD) No. 6132 of 2020 and W.M.P. (MD) No. 5322 of 2020 has been filed for directing the Second Respondent to conduct and conclude the Counselling of Post Graduation Medical Seats in Private/Non-Governmental Medical Institutions along with the State Government Quota Seats for the academic Session 2020-2021 on or before 08.05.2020 by considering her representation dated 30.05.2020 in that regard.




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B.Abimathi vs The Director General Of Health ... on 5 May, 2020

2. The Petitioner, who has completed her graduation in M.B.B.S. in Medicine and Surgery in the year 2018 had participated in the Post Graduate NEET Examination, 2020 conducted by the Third Respondent and has a score of 690. During the first round of counselling in All India Quota, she secured Master of Surgery in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the College of the Fourth Respondent and had paid admission fees. However, she intends to further participate in counselling in the State Government Quota seats including those in Non-Governmental Institutions. One of the conditions stipulated for already selected candidates in the All India Quota to participate in the State Government Quota is that they should would have to resign from the seat secured within the specified date. In furtherance thereto, the First Respondent by notice dated 30.04.2020 had informed that it had been decided by the Competent Authority to allow the candidates who have joined their allotted college of Round -1 (both in Online/Offline mode) to resign from their joined seat by 5.00 p.m. of 08.05.2020 (Wednesday). It is the grievance of the Petitioner that the Second Respondent had not included the Management Seats in the Private/Non-Governmental Medical Institutions in the notification issued for Counselling under the State Quota. In that backdrop, this Writ Petition 3/7 http://www.judis.nic.in W.P. (MD) No. 6132 of 2020 and W.M.P. (MD) No. 5322 of 2020 has been filed for directing the Second Respondent to conduct and conclude the Counselling of Post Graduation Medical Seats in Private/Non-Governmental Medical Institutions along with the State Government Quota Seats for the academic Session 2020-2021 on or before 08.05.2020 by considering her representation dated 30.05.2020 in that regard.




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(Through Video Conferencing) vs State Of Tamil Nadu on 7 May, 2020

2. Accordingly, the Writ Petition is dismissed as withdrawn granting such liberty. Consequently, connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed. No costs.

07.05.2020 Index : Yes/No Internet: Yes/No sj Note: Issue order copy by 13.05.2020 To

1.The Chief Secretary, State of Tamil Nadu, Fort St. George, Chennai – 600 009.

2. The Director of Medical Education, Directorate of Medical Education, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.




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Capri Global Capital consolidated net profit declines 28.36% in the March 2020 quarter

Sales rise 7.66% to Rs 172.38 crore




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First Air India repatriation flight to take off from US with 224 Indians

Around 224 Indians stranded in the US due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown are preparing to board the first repatriation flight from San Francisco to Mumbai and Hyderabad on Saturday. In the first phase of the US-India segment of the 'Operation Vande Bharat- A homecoming', flights have been planned from San Francisco, Chicago, New York and Washington DC to New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. As many as 1,961 Indians are likely to be repatriated through seven flights from the four cities in the first phase, officials said. More than 24,000 Indians stranded in the US have expressed their interest in travelling back home abroad the special Air India flights. The first of the series of special Air India flight carrying 224 Indian nationals is scheduled to fly from San Francisco on Saturday night. Over the next one week, as many as 1,961 Indians are likely to be repatriated through seven flights from four different cities. According to Indian Embassy ...




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UK to invest millions in post-pandemic walking, cycling

The UK government on Saturday announced a once in a generation transport sector investment of around 2 billion pound, with a major chunk ear-marked for emergency improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure for the country's green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement during the daily 10 Downing Street briefing, during which he also revealed the official death toll in hospitals and the wider community from COVID-19 as 31,587. The Cabinet minister said the new investment in transport looks ahead into the future to ensure the public is supported to use more greener travel options and avoid overcrowding in public transport as travel restrictions are gradually eased in the coming weeks. "Whilst it's crucial that we stay at home, when the country does get back to work we need to ask those people to carry on cycling or walking and for them to be joined by many others as well," he said. The minister also said the move beyond ..




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Pak Army major among six killed in roadside bomb attack

At least six security personnel, including an Army major, were killed when a roadside bomb struck a patrol vehicle in southwestern Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, close to the border with Iran. The Army on Friday said in a statement that a vehicle of paramilitary Frontier Corps was targeted through a remote-controlled improvised explosive device (IED) in Kech district's Buleda area, about 14 km from the Iran border. A major and five soldiers were killed while one soldier was injured, according to the Army. Baloch militants on Saturday claimed responsibility for the attack. The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) in a statement said the roadside bomb was planted by its operatives and it will continue its struggle until the establishment of an independent homeland and a free society". BLA is a banned entity in Pakistan. It was also declared a terrorist group by the US in 2019. Security sources said the route where the explosion took place was monitored round the clock because of ...




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US seeks Pakistan's help for intra-Afghan dialogue

Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad has sought Pakistan's support for reducing violence in Afghanistan and accelerate the intra-Afghan dialogue, the US Embassy here said on Saturday. Khalilzad discussed the Afghanistan peace process with Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Friday. During the discussion, he also asked for help to secure the release of American navy veteran-turned contractor Mark Frerichs, who went missing in Afghanistan. The embassy said Khalilzad discussed the ongoing efforts by the US to advance the Afghan peace process. He "sought Pakistan's support in pressing for a reduction in violence, the immediate start of intra-Afghan negotiations, and assistance in helping obtain the freedom of American Mark Frerichs", it said. The embassy noted that Pakistan's military leaders reaffirmed their support for the US efforts. Earlier, the Pakistan Army in a statement on Friday said during the meeting between ...




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US approves new coronavirus antigen test with fast results

US regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country. The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorization for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corporation of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected from swabs swiped inside the nasal cavity, the FDA said in a statement. The antigen test is the third type of test to be authorized by the FDA. Currently, the only way to diagnose active COVID-19 is to test a patient's nasal swab for the genetic material of the virus. While considered highly accurate, the tests can take hours and require expensive, specialized equipment mainly found at commercial labs, hospitals or universities. A second type looks in the blood for antibodies, the proteins produced by the body days or weeks after fighting an infection. Such tests are helpful for researchers to understand how far a disease has spread




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Over 4,000 released from Italian hospitals

Italy said a near-record 4,008 people were released from hospitals in the past day after testing negative for COVID-19 as the country continues its cautious reopening after a two-month national lockdown. Another 1,083 people tested positive, half of them in hard-hit Lombardy, bringing Italy's confirmed number of cases to 218,268. Officials said the real number is as much as 10 times that. Another 194 people died, one of the lowest day-to-day death tolls in recent weeks. The confirmed COVID-19 toll in the onetime European epicenter is 30,395. Another 134 intensive care beds were freed up, bringing the total number close to 1,000. At the height of the outbreak, there were more than 4,000 people in ICUs, and the wards in Lombardy were nearly saturated.




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Turkey reports 50 new COVID-19 deaths as it prepares to return to normal life

Turkey reported 50 new COVID-19 deaths and 1,546 fresh cases on Saturday as it prepared steps to return to normal life. Total fatalities stand at 3,739, while infections number 137,115. According to figures posted on Twitter by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, 89,480 patients have recovered. Shopping malls, barber shops, hairdressers and beauty salons will open for business on Monday as Turkey starts easing restrictions. Meanwhile, one of Turkey's biggest soccer clubs, Besiktas, announced a player and a club employee had tested positive for the new coronavirus. Earlier this week, the Turkish Football Federation said matches behind closed doors would resume next month, prompting the resumption of limited training sessions.




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Musk threatens to exit California over virus restrictions

Tesla CEO Elon Musk threatened Saturday to pull the company's factory and headquarters out of California in an escalating spat with local officials who have stopped the company from reopening its electric vehicle factory. On Twitter, Musk also threatened to sue over Alameda County Health Department coronavirus restrictions that have stopped Tesla from restarting production its factory in Fremont south of San Francisco. Frankly, this is the final straw, he tweeted. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programs to Texas/Nevada immediately. He wrote that whether the company keeps any manufacturing in Fremont depends on how Tesla is treated in the future. Musk has been ranting about the stay-home order since the company's April 29 first-quarter earnings were released, calling the restrictions fascist and urging governments to stop taking people's freedom. An order in the six-county San Francisco Bay Area forced Tesla to close the Fremont plant starting March 23 to help prevent the virus'




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Fire hits Moscow hospital housing virus victims

A fire at a Moscow hospital treating people infected by the new coronavirus killed one patient and forced the evacuation of about 200 others. News reports said the fire at the facility in the northern part of the city has been extinguished. No cause was immediately determined for the fire, which affected a ward of the hospital that had been repurposed for treating victims of the new coronavirus. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed reports that a patient had died and said those evacuated would be transferred to other hospitals. It was not clear how many of the evacuees were suffering from COVID-19.




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At least 2 died in separate avalanches in Italy

At least two people have died in separate avalanches in northern Italy on the first weekend Italians have been allowed to venture far afield after a two-month coronavirus lockdown. The Trento Alpine Rescue service said the body of one man was found late Saturday on the Folgaria plateau after an avalanche separated him from his dog. The pet was found unharmed. At the ski resort of Cortina, the body of a skier was found after a separate avalanche. His brother was rescued, the ANSA news agency said. Italian authorities closed ski lifts early on in Italy's lockdown and they remain closed, but skiers can still venture out on ungroomed, unmarked terrain.




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Libyan officials: Shelling at Tripoli's only working airport

Fighting between forces loyal to rival governments over Libya's capital intensified Saturday with heavy artillery shelling hitting the sole functioning airport in Tripoli, setting jet fuel tanks ablaze and damaging passenger planes, authorities in west Libya and the UN said. The Tripoli-based Transportation Ministry said one of the damaged aircraft had been scheduled to leave Tripoli to bring back Libyans stranded in Spain by the coronavirus lockdown. It blamed east-based forces fighting to take the capital for over a year for the attack. Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed. The country has since split between rival administrations in the east and the west, each backed by armed groups and foreign countries. Brega Petroleum Marketing Company said the shelling at Mitiga airport set its jet fuel tanks on fire. The company, which is part of Libya's National Oil Corporation, shared footage of apparent ...




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COVID-19: Obama lashes out at Trump in call with supporters

Former President Barack Obama harshly criticized President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an absolute chaotic disaster during a conversation with ex-members of his administration. Obama also reacted to the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying he worried that the basic understanding of rule of law is at risk. More than 78,400 people with COVID-19 have died in the United States and more than 1.3 million people have tested positive, according to the latest estimates from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Obama's comments came during a Friday call with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration. Obama urged his supporters to back his former vice president, Joe Biden, who is trying to unseat Trump in the Nov. 3 election. What we're fighting against is these long-term trends in which being selfish, being




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Reopenings bring new cases in S. Korea, virus fears in Italy

South Korea's capital closed down more than 2,100 bars and other nightspots Saturday because of a new cluster of coronavirus infections, Germany scrambled to contain fresh outbreaks at slaughterhouses, and Italian authorities worried that people were getting too friendly at cocktail hour during the country's first weekend of eased restrictions. The new flareups and fears of a second wave of contagion underscored the dilemma authorities face as they try to reopen their economies. Around the world, the US and other hard-hit countries are wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity without causing the virus to come surging back. In New York, the deadliest hot spot in the US, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said three children died from a possible complication of the coronavirus involving swollen blood vessels and heart problems. At least 73 children statewide have been diagnosed with symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease a rare inflammatory condition and toxic shock syndrome. ..




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2 members of White House virus task force in quarantine

Two members of the White House coronavirus task force placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation's most secure buildings is immune from the virus. Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be teleworking for the next two weeks" after it was determined he had a low risk exposure" to a person at the White House, the CDC said in a statement Saturday evening. The statement said he felt fine and has no symptoms. Just a few hours earlier, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed that FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn had come in contact with someone who tested positive and was in self-quarantine for the next two weeks. He tested negative for the virus. Both men were scheduled to testify before a Senate committee on Tuesday, along with infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, also a task force member. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the ...




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South Korea sees rise in new cases

South Korea reported 34 additional cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours as a spate of transmissions linked to clubgoers threatens the country's hard-won gains in its fight against the virus. Figures released Sunday by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention increased national totals to 10,874 with 256 deaths. The agency said 9,610 have recovered and 10,128 others were undergoing tests to determine whether they've contracted the virus. The agency said a tentative assessment showed 26 of the 34 new patients were locally transmitted cases, while the rest were imported. South Korean media reported it was the first time that South Korea's daily jump has marked above 30 in about a month. The agency didn't immediately provide further details. But most of the new cases in the past few days were linked to nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment neighborhood. Officials on Friday said they detected at least 15 infections linked to a 29-year-old man who had visited three ...




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In Japan, pandemic brings outbreaks of bullying, ostracism

The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers. A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it's made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic. When Arisa Kadono tested positive and was hospitalized in early April, she was only identified as a woman in her 20s in food business. Soon, friends let her know that groundless rumours were circulating: that the family-run bar she helps with was a hotbed of virus; that she had dined with a popular baseball player who was infected earlier but she has never met; that she was sneaking out of the hospital and spreading the virus. It was as if I was a criminal, Kadono said in an interview from her home in Himeji, western Japan, after ending




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China reports 34 new coronavirus cases

China has reported 14 new coronavirus cases including one from the first COVID-19 epicentre of Hubei province, taking the number of infections in the country to 82,901, while over 4,630 people have succumbed to the disease, health officials said on Sunday. According to China's National Health Commission (NHC), 12 cases were domestically transmitted, with 11 reported from Jilin Province and one in Hubei Province, the first COVID-19 epicentre which has remained free from coronavirus infections for the last 35 days. A total of 14 new confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in the country on Saturday. Also on Saturday, 20 new asymptomatic cases were reported. As of Saturday, 794 asymptomatic cases, including 48 from overseas, were still under medical observation, the NHC said. Hubei province has 628 asymptomatic cases, the highest in the country. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they ...




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3 members of White House virus task force in quarantine

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation's most secure buildings is immune from the virus. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the task force, has become nationally known for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes. Also quarantining are Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn. Fauci's institute said that he has tested negative for COVID-19 and will continue to be tested regularly. It added that he is considered at relatively low risk based on the degree of his exposure, and that he would be taking appropriate precautions" to mitigate the risk to ...




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NY priest on virus front lines with embattled congregation

Raul Luis Lopez never had the chance to say goodbye. Lopez was hospitalised for COVID-19 on April 3 before succumbing nearly three weeks later. The 39-year-old native of Oaxaca, Mexico, suffered from diabetes which worsened his illness. The day he left for treatment was the last time his wife, Sara Cruz, saw him. Now Lopez's family, clad in surgical masks and gloves, was gathered in the widow's living room in the Corona neighbourhood of Queens, New York, around a black box of his cremated remains. A rendering of the Virgin of Guadalupe, patroness of Mexico and the Americas, watched over his ashes on a table beside flowers and prayer candles. The Rev. Fabian Arias, a Catholic priest from Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the pastor of Iglesia de Sion, a congregation with a mission relationship alongside Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan, and has performed funeral services 14 times in the last two months. Saturday's service for Lpez was the first he's been able to perform in a private ...




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US PGA's Memorial to track fans to maintain COVID-19 social distancing

The US PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament will use radio frequency identification (RFID) chips in spectator badges to ensure fans maintain social distance at the July 16-19 event, Golf Digest reported. Dan Sullivan, director of the tournament hosted by 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus in Ohio, said on Saturday a Zoom presentation conducted by the Greater Columbus Sports Commission that the high-tech badges were just one measure that will be used to maintain safety amid the coronavirus pandemic. "At any time we can know around the golf course how many people are collecting in a certain area," Sullivan said of the benefits of the tracking technology. "We're going to use that technology to make sure that we're protecting everyone around us, protecting the folks that are inside those various venues and make sure that we're monitoring effectively and producing a tournament that everyone can be comfortable with." In a phone interview with Golf Digest Sullivan explained that a small group of




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Roland Garros could be behind closed doors, says French tennis boss

French tennis chief Bernard Guidicelli admitted Sunday that Roland Garros, already controversially pushed back four months due to the coronavirus, could be staged behind closed doors. Guidicelli, who said that the French federation (FFT) had "no regrets" over its unilateral decision to move the clay court Grand Slam from May 24-June 7 to September 20-October 4, insisted all options remain on the table. "We haven't ruled out any option. Roland Garros is first and foremost a story of matches and players," he told the Journal du Dimanche. "There is the tournament taking place in the stadium, and the tournament on TV screens. "Millions of viewers around the world are waiting. Organising it behind closed doors would allow part of the business model -- television rights (which account for more than a third of the tournament's revenues) -- to go ahead. This cannot be overlooked." The spread of the coronavirus has halted all tennis since mid-March and will not resume until July 13 at the ...




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Peaches pitcher Mary Pratt dies at age 101

Mary Pratt, believed to be one of the last surviving members of the women's baseball league which was celebrated in the Hollywood film "A League of Their Own," has died. She was 101. The baseball icon Pratt pitched in the 1940s for the Rockford Peaches, one of the original teams in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. She was the last surviving member of the Peaches. She died peacefully in her sleep at the John Scott Nursing home in Quincy, Massachusetts. "We are terribly sad to report that former Rockford Peaches and Kenosha Comets pitcher, Mary Pratt passed away on May 6th. She was 101 years old," the AAGPBL wrote on its Twitter account. "Mary was the last known original Peaches player that played on the 1943 team. Her stories, her energy will be missed for a long time." The league was immortalized in the 1992 film which was directed by Penny Marshall and starred Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. Born in 1918 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Pratt joined the inaugural season of




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Less is more for Mitchell when rugby resumes post virus

Former New Zealand head coach and current England defence chief John Mitchell believes some good may come for rugby union from the coronavirus if it creates "greater professionalism" thanks to a concentration of talent at fewer clubs worldwide, including Super Rugby. Even before COVID-19 saw this year's edition of Super Rugby suspended after seven rounds in March, there was a widespread view the southern hemisphere's now 15-string premier club tournament had become increasingly unattractive for fans and broadcasters alike, with talent spread too thinly. The pandemic has already had a huge financial impact on rugby and there are concerns current club structures won't survive the outbreak fully intact. England's Rugby Football Union has lost ?15 million ($19 million) so far due to the crisis, with Twickenham chiefs forecasting a total loss of ?107 million if the autumn internationals are cancelled. Meanwhile Rugby Australia, already reeling after reaching a multi-million dollar ...




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Future of live music will be different for a while: Bono

U2 frontman Bono believes the future of live gigs looks "very different" as the world struggles to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. According to Contactmusic, the singer said drive-in shows can be a successful alternative as there is a possibility to maintain social distancing. "I think it will be very different for a while. I heard discussion of sort of drive-in type shows. "Outside the stadiums, you have these big (parking lots) -- so setting up drive-ins, where you have bands playing live from their rehearsal rooms," Bono said. The 59-year-old singer, whose real name is Paul David Hewson, is happy that his band was able to finish of its tour before the lockdown. "We haven't learned to phone in our shows. They're full-tilt for us," he said.




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It's a privilege: Stella Meghie on directing Whitney Houston biopic

Filmmaker Stella Meghie says it is a "privilege" to direct the Whitney Houston biopic, "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". The "Photograph" director said it was important for her to tell Whitney's story and "extend" the music icon's legacy. "Whitney Houston is the greatest singer of all time, so it's a privilege to be able to tell her story. I'm very lucky to have the support of Pat Houston (Whitney's sister-in-law) and Anthony McCarten (screenwriter) and Clive Davis (music producer) to direct the film. "It's amazing talking about her so much and it's just very important to all of us to kind of extend her legacy and to tell her story. It's the most exciting job I've ever been in a position to tell," Meghie told The Hollywood Reporter. Davis, who mentored the late singer, is producing the project along with the Whitney Houston estate and McCarten. Whitney died in 2012 aged 48, drowning in her bathtub after ingesting a large amount of cocaine. Despite a career marked by drug addiction, she ..




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Foo Fighters 'shelve' album

American rock band Foo Fighters has decided to shelve its upcoming album amid the coronavirus pandemic. Frontman Dave Grohl said while the group has completed the album, there are no plans to release it anytime soon, reported Contactmusic. "We've kind of shelved it for now to figure out exactly when it's going to happen," Grohl said. The musician is spending the lockdown with his family and is staying away from his guitar. "By the time we finish and I'm satisfied, it's such a release that I'm really not anxious to jump back into it," he added.