World Sunday, May 30, 2021 05

News India records lowest daily in brief Tainted liquor kills 22 in northern India New Delhi: At least 22 people have died after consuming COVID cases in six weeks toxic alcohol in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Saturday. The first deaths were reported early Friday and 28 more people were being treated in hospitals in villages in the Aligarh The daily death toll remains high with 3,617 fatalities reported in the last 24 hours district, senior official Chandra Bhushan Singh said. The vic- tims, locals who belong to some three villages as well as truck- dpa drivers, procured the liquor from a government-licensed store. New Delhi India is looking to pick up The death toll was likely to rise as several victims were in its sluggish vaccination a critical condition. Domestic media reported that more people India reported 173,790 new drive with only 3 percent were falling sick after consuming the lethal brew. State authori- coronavirus cases on Saturday, of the population fully ties ordered a probe and have suspended five state officials the lowest daily spike in 45 vaccinated so far while five people including the alleged kingpin of a spurious days, as infections from a sec- liquor racket were arrested. (dpa) ond wave continued to decline across the country. last few weeks. According to Earlier this month, India’s the Delhi government’s health China launches cargo flight for new daily cases hit a grim world re- bulletin on Saturday, as many space station after delay cord with 414,000 infections. as 2,380 people recovered The daily death toll re- from the disease in the 24-hour Beijing: China’s unmanned Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft mains high with 3,617 fatalities period, while 122 people suc- blasted off on Saturday night carrying key supplies to the reported in the last 24 hours, cumbed to the disease in the country’s under-construction space station, state news agency data released by the Health said period. Xinhua reported. Ministry showed. On April 20, Delhi regis- Technical problems last week delayed its scheduled launch India is looking to pick up tered the biggest spike of new via a Long March 7 carrier rocket at the Wenchang spaceport its sluggish vaccination drive 28,395 coronavirus cases since on the southern Chinese island of Hainan. The Tianzhou 2 with only 3 percent of the pop- the pandemic began last year. is needed to bring supplies and fuel to the main part of the ulation fully vaccinated so far. On April 26, the city registered space station called Tianhe (Heavenly Harmony), which is to On Friday, senior minister the highest ever positivity rate be completed by the end of next year. Saturday’s flight was a Prakash Javadekar reiterated of 36.24 percent. prerequisite for an upcoming manned mission, taking three as- the government’s forecast that With overall total 27.7 mil- tronauts to the core module. This mission is planned to launch the entire country would be in- lion cases, India is second only from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert in June. They oculated by the end of the year. People register to receive a dose of the Covishield vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus, at a vaccina- to the United States in terms are to stay for three months. (dpa) Foreign Minister Sub- tion centre in Mumbai on Saturday. (AFP) of total number of infections rahmanyam Jaishankar who is since the start of the pandemic. visiting the United States said National capital New Delhi since April 19. to 1.19 percent, which is the Globally, the coronavirus Air India flight returns after surprise bat the pandemic and vaccines are plans to start lifting coronavi- With 956 fresh positive lowest since March 24. has infected 169.5 million peo- passenger panics cabin a key part of discussions with rus curbs and gradually “un- COVID-19 cases being record- The national capital is wit- ple and killed more than 3.5 top officials of the Biden ad- locking” from Monday. Delhi ed in the last 24 hours, Delhi’s nessing a steady decline in dai- million, according to the Johns New Delhi: An Air India flight bound for the United States ministration. has been under a lockdown positivity rate further dropped ly coronavirus cases since the Hopkins University. was forced to return to New Delhi after a bat flew through the cabin, it was reported Saturday. Videos that have gone viral on Indian social sites showed crew and passengers reacting with shock and panic at finding the creature flying around in the Boeing 737. Vietnam detects new COVID hybrid comprising Indian, UK strains The flight left Delhi for Newark early Thursday as scheduled but the bat was spotted onboard after about an hour in mid-air, dpa Thanh Long, Vietnam’s min- more transmissible than other cases emerged again on April work, both of whom tested the ANI news agency reported. The flight captain then decided Hanoi ister of health, said the new strains, which may explain in 27 and, on May 15, Vietnam positive after completing their to take the plane back to base. hybrid variant was detected part why Vietnam is reporting recorded its first Covid-19 mandatory two-week quaran- Indian civil aviation officials said the flight returned to Vietnam on Saturday said it through genetic sequenc- record coronavirus cases. death in eight months. tine. Delhi after the “local standby emergency” was declared. The had detected a new COVID-19 ing on COVID-19 patients in Vietnam has been praised The new cases are linked Vietnam has officially re- aircraft was grounded and fumigation was carried out. The bat variant comprising charac- Vietnam, according to local for its response to the pandem- to a 27-year-old man who re- corded 6,396 coronavirus cas- was found dead inside the plane in the business class area, teristics from both the British newspaper VnExpress. Both ic, yet after a month without turned to Vietnam from Japan es, including 1,492 imported the officials told ANI. The report said the airline’s flight safety and Indian strains of the virus, the British and Indian vari- any community transmissions on April 7, and a Chinese ex- cases and 47 deaths since the department will be carrying out a detailed investigation. (dpa) state media reported. Nguyen ants of the virus are said to be of the virus, local transmission pert entering the country for pandemic began. Mali court names coup leader Goita as interim president

dpa Bamako

The colonel who led a military coup in the West African nation of Mali this week is now officially the coun- try’s leader. Mali’s Constitutional Court pub- lished a judgement late on Friday declaring that Colonel Assimi Goita would assume the presidency. The judgment gives Goita, who is also the vice president, the power to lead the interim government and “lead the transition process to its conclusion.” Goita also asked the opposition coalition movement M5-RFP to name a candidate for prime minis- File photo of Colonel Assimi Goita (centre). (AFP) ter. The coalition was key in mobi- lising demonstrations that led to a officers were part of a coup that coup last year. The regional alliance ECOWAS ousted president Ibrahim Boubacar The group announced politician will hold a summit to discuss Keita from office after nearly seven Choguel Kokalla Maiga as their can- the political turmoil in Mali on years. That power grab nine months didate in a Friday evening press brief- Sunday ago was also led by Goita. ing. It resulted in an interim govern- The court judgement noted “the staged by Goita. ment headed by transitional presi- vacancy of the presidency of the On Tuesday, Goita announced dent N’Daw, who had served as de- transition following the resignation that they had been deposed and fence minister from 2014 to 2015 of Mr Bah N’Daw, president of the promised new elections in 2022. and held several other military posi- transition, head of state.” The trigger was the military’s an- tions, with Goita assuming the vice N’Daw and prime minister Moc- ger over a cabinet reshuffle that saw presidency. tar Ouane were forced to resign from two senior military officers stripped The regional alliance ECOWAS their positions after being detained of their positions. will hold a summit to discuss the po- for several days this week in a coup Last August, those two military litical turmoil in Mali on Sunday. US bans seafood from China’s Dalian over ‘forced labour’

dpa workers have no place doing busi- ing and living conditions. Washington ness in the United States,” Secre- The State Department in a tary of Homeland Security Alejan- statement referred to its own 2020 The US government has imposed dro Mayorkas said. human rights report, which noted an import ban on seafood from the “This Withhold Release Order other Chinese firms “that abuse mi- fishing fleet of the Chinese Dalian will ensure we continue to protect grant workers subjected to forced Fishing Company on suspicion of the human rights of those working labour.” forced labour. in the distant water fishing industry, The report found that these US Customs and Border Protec- while also upholding safeguarding workers “are forced to work 18 to tion (CBP) issued an order against our national and economic security.” 22 hours a day, often in illegal, un- the import of the company’s sea- In its investigation the CBP, an reported, and unregulated fishing.” food products “based on informa- agency of the Department of Home- Last year the State Department re- tion that reasonably indicates the land Security, “identified all 11 of voked “more than a dozen visas for use of forced labour in the entity’s the International Labour Organisa- individuals complicit in illegal, un- fishing operations,” it said in a tion’s indicators of forced labour,” reported, and unregulated fishing statement. including physical violence, with- with links to human trafficking,” it “Companies that exploit their holding of wages and abusive work- said.