Day: December 27, 2021

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Indian police arrest two youth in Pulwama 

Srinagar, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian police arrested two youth in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, today. The youth, identified as Adil Ali and Asif Gulzar, were arrested from Achan and Hajidarpora, areas of the district, respectively. The police claimed that the arrested youth were over ground workers of a mujahid organization.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org

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President urges int’l community to take notice of grave HR violations in IIOJK 

Islamabad, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):President Dr Arif Alvi on Monday urged the international community to take notice of the grave human rights violations being committed by Indian forces against the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

President Dr Arif Alvi was talking to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Munir Akram, who called on him at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad. He said that India had unleashed a reign of terror against the innocent people of IIJOK and had subjected them to the worst forms of state terrorism for decades.

He highlighted that the real face of India needed to be exposed at all international fora, which had been involved in the extra-judicial killings, torture and incarceration of innocent Muslims of IIOJK and other minority groups. The President said that it was the responsibility of the international community to stop India from committing gross human rights violations and implement UN Security Council resolutions on Kashmir.

He reiterated that Pakistan would continue to support the Kashmiri people in their just struggle for their right to self-determination. The President deplored the fact that India was persecuting minority groups, particularly Muslims and Christians, adding that India’s inhuman treatment of minorities and its belligerent posture posed threat to regional peace and stability.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org

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IIOJK reports 111 fresh Covid-19 cases, 1 death

Srinagar, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir reported 111 fresh Covid-19 cases while one person died due to the virus in the last 24 hours. Officials said on Monday that 32 of the fresh cases were reported from Jammu and 79 from Kashmir valley, taking the overall tally to 340833. One death was reported from Kashmir Valley due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org

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Indian rupee to end year as Asia’s worst performing currency 

Islamabad, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Indian rupee has been described as Asia’s worst-performing emerging market currency by the New York-based financial and media company, Bloomberg, with its recent report also suggesting that foreign funds are fleeing the country’s stocks.

Analysts and experts said in a fourth consecutive year of losses, Indian rupee is likely to fall about 4 percent this year. They said, the recent damning report, that spurted social media trolling of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi across India, says currency declined 1.9 per cent this quarter as global funds pulled $4.2 billion of capital out of the country’s stock market, the most among regional markets where data is available.

Foreigners sold Indian stocks as Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Nomura Holdings Inc. recently lowered their outlook for equities, citing lofty valuations, at a time when concerns about the omicron virus variant are roiling the global markets, they added.

They said bearish rupee calls are rising as India’s trade deficit widened to an all-time high of about $23 billion in November amid higher imports. The ample liquidity in the banking system, partly created by the RBI’s dollar purchases, may make it difficult for the central bank to intervene to the same extent in 2022 to curb rupee’s losses, they said.

B. Prasanna, head of global market in ICIC Bank in Mumbai said, the monetary policy divergence and widening current account gap have set depreciation in the rupee in the near term, they said. The analysts and experts said, the mayhems of first ill planned and sudden total lockdown by Modi still haunts Indian and multinational business giants, adding thousands of Indian migrant workers became jobless, shelter less and homeless due to the brutal lockdown.

They were of the opinion that the latest surge in Covid-19 and rising number of Omicron cases in India were being termed as the major reason for the sharp decline in FDI in India. India was in a state of paralysis as government miserably failed to handle the disaster and BJP was blaming Muslims and Sikhs as the cause of disease transmission, they maintained.

The analysts and experts said India unveiled itself to show its real face to the world, adding though Indian government is projecting a massive comeback in future to gain the confidence of world investors but the international economic experts are quite apprehensive because of Indian financial institution’s record of data manipulations and Indian worst track record of handling Covid-19 during first and second wave.

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Kashmir Media Service
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Protest demo in Islamabad against Indian brutalities in IIOJK

Islamabad, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):A protest demonstration was held under the auspices of ‘Friends of Kashmir International’ outside the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, today. According to Kashmir Media Service, the protest was organized against the grave human rights violations and killing of innocent Kashmiri youth by Indian forces in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir while Hurriyat leader and Vice Chairman of the Friends of Kashmir International, Abdul Hameed Lone led the protest. The speakers on the occasion called upon the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to investigate the killing of innocent Kashmiri youth by the Indian forces in the occupied territory.

Abdul Hameed Lone addressing the demonstrators lamented the killing of civilians at the hands of Indian troops and said that India was declaring innocent Kashmiri youth as ‘militants’ after martyring them in fake encounters. He said that the IIOJK has a jungle rule and the people had been deprived of their basic rights. He urged the United Nations and human rights organizations to hold India accountable for the killings and arrests made by the Indian government and its forces in the territory.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org

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Flu Is Making a Comeback in US After an Unusual Year Off

The U.S. flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported.

Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, probably because COVID-19 measures — such as school closures, distancing, masks and canceled travel — prevented the spread of influenza or because the coronavirus somehow pushed aside other viruses.

“This is setting itself up to be more of a normal flu season,” said Lynnette Brammer, who tracks flu-like illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The childhood deaths, Brammer said, are “unfortunately what we would expect when flu activity picks up. It’s a sad reminder of how severe flu can be.”

During last year’s unusually light flu season, one child died. In contrast, 199 children died from flu two years ago, and 144 the year before that.

In the newest data, the most intense flu activity was in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., and the number of states with high flu activity rose from three to seven. In CDC figures released Monday, states with high flu activity are New Mexico, Kansas, Indiana, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia and North Dakota.

The type of virus circulating this year tends to cause the largest amount of severe disease, especially in the elderly and the very young, Brammer said.

Last year’s break from the flu made it more challenging to plan for this year’s flu vaccine. So far, it looks like what’s circulating is in a slightly different subgroup from what the vaccine targets, but it’s “really too early to know” whether that will blunt the vaccine’s effectiveness, Brammer said.

“We’ll have to see what the impact of these little changes” will be, Brammer said. “Flu vaccine is your best way to protect yourself against flu.”

There are early signs that compared with last year’s figures, fewer people are getting flu shots. With hospitals already stretched by COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to get a flu shot and take other precautions, Brammer said.

“Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Stay home if you’re sick,” Brammer said. “If you do get flu, there are anti-virals you can talk to your doctor about that can prevent severe illness and help you stay out of the hospital.”

Source: Voice of America

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Omicron Variant Causing Flight Cancellations Worldwide

Holiday travelers continued to experience widespread flight cancellations as the omicron variant causes airline staff to call in sick.

According to FlightAware, which tracks delays and cancellations, there have been 2,395 total flight cancellations around the world Monday with 869 of those impacting flights “within, into, or out of the United States.”

Some 6,342 flights have been delayed around the world with 1,602 delays impacting U.S flights.

Over the Christmas weekend, thousands more flights were canceled, leaving travelers stranded.

“We apologize to our customers for the delay in their holiday travel plans,” Delta said in a statement. “Delta people are working hard to get them to where they need to be as quickly and as safely as possible on the next available flight.”

The holiday season is the busiest time of year for air travel. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said 2.19 million passengers were screened on Dec. 23, and the previous day saw more travelers than the same day in 2019.

When things might return to normal is unclear.

Delta and JetBlue have reportedly asked the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce quarantine times for their vaccinated employees. Some airlines are also reportedly offering bonuses to work more to cover for sick employees.

Amid the scramble, some are expressing concern.

“We’ve got to make sure employees don’t feel pressured to come to work when they’ve been exposed to COVID or they think they may have the symptoms,” Captain Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, told ABC News.

Source: Voice of America

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President of Seychelles offers condolences after passing of Desmond Tutu

The President of Seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan, has expressed his profound sadness upon hearing the news of the passing of South African Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, State House said on Sunday.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, an anti-apartheid and human rights activist, died on Sunday at the age of 90.

Ramkalawan paid tribute to the commitment, hard work and courage of Archbishop Tutu in the struggle to end apartheid, the freedom of Nelson Mandela and for stepping forward to ensure peace and stability in South Africa.

“The image of the short black Archbishop with the loudest voice preaching peace and reconciliation got him the Noble Prize together with Nelson Mandela and Frederick De Clerk. His truthfulness and determination in the struggle are qualities that humanity will never forget. He was a personal inspiration in my own struggle,” said Ramkalawan.

Tutu won the Nobel Prize in 1984 for his non-violent opposition to white minority and a decade later he witnessed the end of the regime

As an Anglican priest, Ramkalawan met Archbishop Tutu together with Archbishop French Chang-Him in Belfast, Ireland, when he was serving as the Provincial Secretary of the Province of the Indian Ocean, which comprises Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles.

The head of state of the island nation in the western Indian Ocean has sent a message of condolences to the family of Archbishop Desmond Tutu on behalf of the people of Seychelles and on his personal name.

Source: Seychelles News Agency