Morning Digest: Excess deaths in West Bengal 11 times official COVID-19 tally; Uddhav for permanent NDRF teams in Maharashtra's disaster-prone districts, and more

A select list of stories to read before you start your day.

July 26, 2021 08:13 am | Updated 08:14 am IST

Army personnel during a rescue operation at a flooded area after ain in Kolhapur on July 25, 2021.

Army personnel during a rescue operation at a flooded area after ain in Kolhapur on July 25, 2021.

Excess deaths in West Bengal 11 times official COVID-19 tally

The number of “excess deaths” registered by the Civil Registration System (CRS) in West Bengal ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit (from April 2020 to May 2021), was an estimated 1,20,227, which is 11.1 times the official reported figure of 10,787 deaths for the same period.

India, China military talks to be held soon

India and China are set to hold the 12th round of Corps Commander-level talks aimed to resolving the standoff in Eastern Ladakh soon and an agreement for disengagement at Gogra and Hot Springs is likely to be reached.

China’s wolf warrior approach is here to stay, says writer Peter Martin

China’s assertive new diplomatic approach in the Xi Jinping era has come to be dubbed “wolf warrior diplomacy”, marked by a muscular posture in pursuing China’s interests. Peter Martin, author of the new book China’s Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy and previously a foreign correspondent in China, tells The Hindu in an interview the approach is not exactly new and is rooted in the Communist Party’s history. The current state of relations with India, he says, is “the best example” of how it has often backfired although, he argues, wolf warrior diplomacy is likely here to stay.

Pakistan bans domestic air travel for unvaccinated people

Pakistan has banned the domestic air travel for unvaccinated people as the COVID-19 cases crossed the 1 million-mark in the country on Sunday, according to officials. The travel restriction, imposed by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), will be applicable from August 1 on unvaccinated people of over 18 years of age.

Democracy and human rights not limited by national perspective: India tells the U.S. before Blinken visit

India on Sunday stressed that issues such as human rights and democracy are universal in nature and argued that these values are not limited by “national or cultural perspectives.” Informed sources in New Delhi elaborated on the current Indian perspective on human rights as it is likely to feature prominently during the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week. Officials said India would place Pakistan’s alleged links with financing of terrorists on the agenda of talks with Mr. Blinken.

Tokyo Olympics | Ledecky, Titmus to face off in 400m freestyle

Katie Ledecky can become a six-times Olympic gold medallist on Monday if the American wins her long-awaited 400m freestyle showdown with Australia’s World champion Ariarne Titmus. The big duel of the Tokyo pool will be one highlight of a morning that is also likely to see Adam Peaty take the 100m breaststroke gold and make history as the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title.

Uddhav for permanent NDRF teams in high-risk districts

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who visited flood-racked Chiplun in the Konkan, said he would be requesting the Centre to permanently station teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the State’s Morning Digest: Excess deaths in West Bengal 11 times official COVID-19 tally; Uddhav for permanent NDRF teams in high-risk districts, and more to prevent rain-related calamities in the future.

Telangana’s Ramappa temple inscribed as a World Heritage Site

In a major diplomatic triumph, the 13th century Ramappa temple in Palampet, Telangana was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sunday. At the ongoing online meeting of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Fuzhou, China, the decision was reached after a consensus, with Norway opposing the inscription while Russia led an effort for the immediate inscription of the temple at 4.36 p.m. IST.

MI to play CSK on September 19 when IPL 2021 resumes in UAE

Defending champions Mumbai Indians will meet Chennai Super Kings in Dubai on September 19 when the IPL resumes in the United Arab Emirates. The tournament was suspended in May after multiple COVID-19 cases were reported in its bio-bubble. As reported earlier, the tournament is resuming on September 19 and the final will be played on October 15 with the ICC T20 World Cup starting two days later.

Indian airports report loss of ₹70 billion in FY2020: aviation consultancy

Indian airport operators are estimated to have posted a consolidated loss, before tax, of ₹70 billion in FY2021 compared with a profit of ₹51.6 billion in FY2020, according to aviation consultancy CAPA. Of the total losses, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) accounted for 69% losses and the remainder belonged to airports under public- private partnership (PPP).

Tokyo Olympics | Simone Biles makes a flawed entrance

American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles got off to a shaky start in her quest for five gold medals and Olympic history in Tokyo on Sunday, as an Uzbeki mother-of-one bid a poignant farewell after a remarkable career spanning eight Games.

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