Kerala [India], January 21 (ANI): Kerala on Thursday reported 6,334 new cases of coronavirus and 21 deaths.
Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said in a release the state has 69,771 active cases and the total number of recoveries stand at 7,96,986.
The death toll has gone up to 3,545.
The release said 61,279 samples were tested during the last 24 hours and the test positivity rate is 10.34.
The worst affected districts are Ernakulam 771, Malappuram 657, Kottayam 647, Kollam 628, Kozhikode 579, Pathanamthitta 534, Thiruvananthapuram 468, Thrissur 468, Alappuzha 415, Idukki 302, Kannur 299, Palakkad 241, Wayanad 238 and Kasaragod 87.
The release said that 2,09,828 people under surveillance in various districts of the state. Of these, 1,98,107 are under home/institutional quarantine and 11,721 are under hospital surveillance.
With three new hotspots, the number now stands at 406. (ANI)

New Delhi [India], January 21 (ANI): Delhi High Court on Thursday pulled up authorities concerned for non-clearance of salaries of municipal corporation staff in the national capital, saying, ‘we will not be surprised if the political leaders and people who indulge in this are lynched.’
“If things do not change and go on like this, we will not be surprised if the political leaders and people who indulge in this are lynched by the public at large,” the court said.

The High Court observation came while noting the problem related to the non-payment of salaries to MCD employees. The salaries were due as the Delhi government has been sandwiched between the MCDs and the central government.
The court said the political leaders should be “mature enough.”

A Division Bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli’s observations came while hearing a matter relating to pending salaries of municipal employees. The court said that the concerned authorities have no concern and sympathy for civic employees, whether it is the Delhi government or municipal corporations.

The court pulled them up for behaving irresponsibly.
It rapped Delhi Government on the deduction of money for loan recovery given to the civic bodies. It also raised questions on money spent on advertisement in the newspapers and warned of a CAG enquiry over the same. The court listed the matter for further hearing on February 22.

The High Court directed the Delhi government to transfer within two weeks to the municipal corporations and local bodies the amount recovered or adjusted from them against their outstanding loans.
The Court was hearing a batch of petitions relating to non-payment of salaries to doctors, safai karamcharis, teachers and other staffs working with municipal bodies.
On January 14, Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain had said that the Delhi government is releasing Rs 938 crores to pay the salaries of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) employees. (ANI)

Ranchi (Jharkhand ) [India], January 21 (ANI): Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who is admitted at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, has an infection in lungs and his condition is stable, a senior doctor said.
Dr Kameshwar Prasad, Director, RIMS said rapid antigen test for COVID-19 test of the RJD leader is negative while RT-PCR report will come on Friday.
“Lalu Prasad Yadav is stable. There’s an infection in the lungs. Treatment is going on. This is a kind of pneumonia. We have consulted with HOD of lungs dept of AIIMS. Rapid antigen test for COVID-19 is negative. RT-PCR report will come on Friday,” he said.
Lalu Prasad’s son Tejaswi Yadav, who is the leader of opposition in the state assembly, spoke to Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta and Chief Minister Hemant Soren regarding his health.
Soren spoke to the Gupta and the doctors at RIMS, sources said.
Dr Umesh Prasad, the physician of the jailed RJD chief, had said last month that his kidney was functioning at 25 per cent capacity and the situation can deteriorate.
Lalu Prasad has been convicted in the fodder scam cases. (ANI)

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 21 (ANI): Ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections slated for later this year, the state Congress unit has sent a proposal to the party, urging leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to campaign for the polls.
According to the sources, Kerala State Congress Unit has sent a proposal to the party’s in-charge in view of impending assembly polls in the month of April.
State Congress leaders had met Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday and it was decided that party will go for collective leadership in the upcoming polls.
The sources said that party leaders requested Rahul Gandhi to campaign in the state polls. They also requested AICC Kerala in-charge Tariq Anwar for rallies and roadshows by Priyanka Gandhi.
Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit his constituency Wayanad for two days from January 27 onwards. Following the Budget session from January 29 to February 15, the party leadership will tour Kerala.
On Tuesday, Congress had constituted the Election Management and Strategy Committee of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Party leader Oommen Chandy has been appointed as the chairman of the committee.
“Congress President has approved the proposal of the appointment of Election Management and Strategy Committee of Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee for the upcoming Assembly election with immediate effect. This committee shall meet frequently to discuss matters related to electioneering, co-ordination, and formulation of election strategies,” General Secretary KC Venugopal had said in a release.
Other members of the committee include Mullappally Ramachandran, Ramesh Chennithala, K.C. Venugopal, Tariq Anwar, K Muraleedharan, V.M. Sudheeren, K Sudhakaran, Kodikunnil Suresh, and Dr Shashi Tharoor. (ANI)

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 21 (ANI): Indian Navy on Thursday rescued a Malaysian citizen who had a medical emergency on board a vessel near Mumbai coast.
The 34-year-old man was suffering from gastroesophageal reflux, a digestive disease, and breathing difficulty off the coast.
Navy carried out the medical evacuation after HQ Western Naval Command received information of medical emergency onboard Singapore merchant vessel MV Eagle Tampa.
“An #IndianNavy Seaking helicopter was deployed today morning responding to a medical emergency by a Singaporean merchant ship MV Eagle Tampa 18 NM off Mumbai. A 34 years old Malaysian citizen was evacuated safely from the ship by the Seaking and transferred to a hospital in Mumbai,” Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence, Mumbai said in a tweet.

The Naval Seeking helicopter from INS Shikra was sent for the evacuation, following confirmation of two failed attempts to transfer the patient to tug. Helicopter picked up the patient from ship and returned to INS Shikra.
The patient was then transferred to hospital by private ambulance. (ANI)

By Kumar Gaurav
New Delhi [India], January 21 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Shahnawaz Hussain on Thursday said that Trinamool Congress will be “wiped out” in forthcoming Bengal assembly polls.
He also rejected allegations of Trinamool Congress leader and state minister Firhad Hakim about BSF being influenced to ask people to vote for BJP.
“When political parties like TMC lose faith and trust of people they talk like this,” he said.
“How can you question forces. You are saying BSF is forcing people to vote for BJP. The whole country believes in BSF. They guard our borders and nation feels safe when they are on duty and TMC is blaming them. You are dragging them in politics. It is shameful. TMC and its government has lost credibility. And due to this many leaders from TMC are joining Bhartiya Janata Party every day.
Attacking the Trinamool Congress government, he said Mamata Banerjee has lost credibility as “corruption has been institutionalised, administration politicized and politics criminalized” in the state.
“People are tired of her and she will be wiped out in the upcoming election,” Hussain said. (ANI)