Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with over 4,00,000 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 32,00,000 mark, according to date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.&nbsp;

The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the death toll increased to 2,11,853 with 3,523 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.&nbsp;

Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 32,68,710, accounting for 17.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.84 per cent.&nbsp;

The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,56,84,406, while the case fatality rate stands 1.11 per cent, the data stated.&nbsp;

India crossed the grim milestone of 15,000,000 on April 19.&nbsp;

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 28,83,37,385 samples have been tested up to April 30, of which 19,45,299 were done on Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with over 4,00,000 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 32,00,000 mark, according to date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

Coronavirus cases in India hit a record daily high with over 4,00,000 new infections being reported in the last 24 hours, while the active cases crossed the 32,00,000 mark, according to date updated by the Union Health Ministry on Saturday. The infection tally rose to 1,91,64,969 with 4,01,993 new cases, while the death toll increased to 2,11,853 with 3,523 daily new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase, the active cases have increased to 32,68,710, accounting for 17.06 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 81.84 per cent. The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,56,84,406, while the case fatality rate stands 1.11 per cent, the data stated. India crossed the grim milestone of 15,000,000 on April 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 28,83,37,385 samples have been tested up to April 30, of which 19,45,299 were done on Friday. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: India records highest-ever 4,01,993 new cases, 3,523 deaths 

A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.&nbsp;

The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed.&nbsp;

Registering a steady increase for the 39th day in a row, the active cases stand at 18,01,316, comprising 12.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62 per cent, the ministry said.&nbsp;

The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,28,09,643, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.20 per cent, the data stated.&nbsp;

India's Covid-19 tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16.&nbsp;

It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.&nbsp;

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 26,65,38,416 samples have been tested up to April 17 with 15,66,394 samples being tested on Saturday. &nbsp;

The 1,501 new fatalities include 419 from Maharashtra, 167 from Delhi, 158 from Chhattisgarh, 120 from Uttar Pradesh, 97 from Gujarat, 80 from Karnataka, 66 from Madhya Pradesh, 62 from Punjab and 39 from Tamil Nadu. &nbsp;

These fresh fatalities also include 37 each from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, 34 each from Bihar and West Bengal, 32 from Haryana, 30 from Jharkhand, 27 from Kerala, 15 each from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and 12 from Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

The ministry said a total of 1,77,150 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 59,970 from Maharashtra, 13,270 from Karnataka, 13,071 from Tamil Nadu, 11,960 from Delhi, 10,540 from West Bengal, 9,703 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,834 from Punjab and 7,388 from Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities.&nbsp;

"Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.&nbsp;

A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

A record single-day rise of 2,61,500 coronavirus infections has taken India's total tally of Covid-19 cases to 1,47,88,109, while active cases have surpassed the 18-lakh mark, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The death toll increased to 1,77,150 with a record 1,501 new fatalities, the data updated at 8 am showed. Registering a steady increase for the 39th day in a row, the active cases stand at 18,01,316, comprising 12.18 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has dropped to 86.62 per cent, the ministry said. The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease, surged to 1,28,09,643, while the case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.20 per cent, the data stated. India's Covid-19 tally had crossed 20 lakh on August 7, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, 26,65,38,416 samples have been tested up to April 17 with 15,66,394 samples being tested on Saturday. The 1,501 new fatalities include 419 from Maharashtra, 167 from Delhi, 158 from Chhattisgarh, 120 from Uttar Pradesh, 97 from Gujarat, 80 from Karnataka, 66 from Madhya Pradesh, 62 from Punjab and 39 from Tamil Nadu. These fresh fatalities also include 37 each from Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, 34 each from Bihar and West Bengal, 32 from Haryana, 30 from Jharkhand, 27 from Kerala, 15 each from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and 12 from Himachal Pradesh. The ministry said a total of 1,77,150 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 59,970 from Maharashtra, 13,270 from Karnataka, 13,071 from Tamil Nadu, 11,960 from Delhi, 10,540 from West Bengal, 9,703 from Uttar Pradesh, 7,834 from Punjab and 7,388 from Andhra Pradesh. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to co-morbidities. "Our figures are being reconciled with the Indian Council of Medical Research," the ministry said on its website, adding that state-wise distribution of figures is subject to further verification and reconciliation.

Covid-19: India records highest single-day rise of 2,61,500 cases, 1,501 deaths  

In almost three decades of working in Sao Paulo's largest cemetery, the oldest gravediggers can't remember performing more than 10 night burials. &nbsp;

But since the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across Brazil, that exception has become the rule.&nbsp;

The vertiginous rise in deaths in Sao Paulo in recent months has forced the mayor of the country's richest and most populous city to adapt funeral planning to avoid being overwhelmed.&nbsp;

Now, in addition to hiring more personnel and vehicles, night shifts have been added in four of the 22 municipal cemeteries, where 600 graves are dug every day. &nbsp;

One of these is Vila Formosa, the largest cemetery in Latin America and a showcase for the lethal cost of the pandemic in Brazil, where more than 360,000 people have already died from Covid-19. &nbsp;

At 6 pm, the night shift clocks in. Two huge lamps powered by generators start up, illuminating the graves and filling the air with the smell of diesel. &nbsp;

It is the start of autumn here, and in this tree-lined cemetery on the outskirts of Sao Paulo the temperature has dropped to around 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit).&nbsp;

Eight gravediggers clad in white overalls, face masks and gloves arrive in two vans. They get out and form a circle around the graves, hands behind their backs and heads bowed to observe a minute of silence. &nbsp;

Then, they fetch their shovels and lay to rest the first deceased of the night. &nbsp;

"Are there no relatives?" asks one. &nbsp;

"No. You can go ahead," answers another, clutching the deceased's documents in his hand. &nbsp;

In May 2020, during the first onslaught of the pandemic, the cemetery hired three excavators to dig 60 graves a day. Now, there are six machines digging 200 graves a day, say the workers, who labor until 10 pm. &nbsp;

Fifty rented vans are used to move bodies, due to a lack of hearses to cope with the influx of dead. The mayor's office has denied local media reports that school buses have been pressed into service.&nbsp;

Shortly after, a van arrives with another casket. A large group of relatives surrounds the grave where the 57-year-old man, who died of Covid-19, is to be buried. The dead man's sons ask if they can place a yellow and green shirt from the Brazilian soccer team on top of the coffin.&nbsp;

The gravedigger who is holding the burial documents nods his assent. "It's the only thing we can do," he says.&nbsp;

Four men start shovelling reddish earth on to the coffin. In seconds, it is covered. &nbsp;

Howls of anguish mingle with the grating of shovels and the hum of generators. &nbsp;

&nbsp;By now accustomed to the presence of journalists and photographers, the gravediggers chat but ask not to be identified. &nbsp;

Almost all are vaccinated, and say the pandemic was worse for people in funeral homes than for people like them who work outdoors.&nbsp;

"I want this to end quickly, because it is very sad. We try not to get upset in our work, but it is sad, it is a lot of people, and a long time," says one of the gravediggers, peeling off his green gloves at the end of his shift. &nbsp;

Vila Formosa is the final resting place of 1.5 million people. In March it peaked at 105 burials in a single day, three times the pre-pandemic average. &nbsp;

On March 30, the city of Sao Paulo as a whole set a new record when it buried 426 people in just one day. &nbsp;

That experience has not been repeated since then: the current average is 391 deaths and 325 burials per day. &nbsp;

The mayor's office warns that if the daily average exceeds 400 burials, it will have to implement new measures, although it has ruled out round-the-clock burials in Vila Formosa. &nbsp;

The council is also looking at whether to build a vertical cemetery in the east of the city, as Vila Formosa fills up. &nbsp;

The gravediggers estimate that in 12 months they have already used 26 lots, an area that in pre-pandemic times would yield more than two years of burials.&nbsp;

"There's room to continue here," says one of the men. "But at this rate, I don't know how long that will last."&nbsp;

In almost three decades of working in Sao Paulo's largest cemetery, the oldest gravediggers can't remember performing more than 10 night burials. But since the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across Brazil, that exception has become the rule.

In almost three decades of working in Sao Paulo's largest cemetery, the oldest gravediggers can't remember performing more than 10 night burials. But since the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic swept across Brazil, that exception has become the rule. The vertiginous rise in deaths in Sao Paulo in recent months has forced the mayor of the country's richest and most populous city to adapt funeral planning to avoid being overwhelmed. Now, in addition to hiring more personnel and vehicles, night shifts have been added in four of the 22 municipal cemeteries, where 600 graves are dug every day. One of these is Vila Formosa, the largest cemetery in Latin America and a showcase for the lethal cost of the pandemic in Brazil, where more than 360,000 people have already died from Covid-19. At 6 pm, the night shift clocks in. Two huge lamps powered by generators start up, illuminating the graves and filling the air with the smell of diesel. It is the start of autumn here, and in this tree-lined cemetery on the outskirts of Sao Paulo the temperature has dropped to around 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit). Eight gravediggers clad in white overalls, face masks and gloves arrive in two vans. They get out and form a circle around the graves, hands behind their backs and heads bowed to observe a minute of silence. Then, they fetch their shovels and lay to rest the first deceased of the night. "Are there no relatives?" asks one. "No. You can go ahead," answers another, clutching the deceased's documents in his hand. In May 2020, during the first onslaught of the pandemic, the cemetery hired three excavators to dig 60 graves a day. Now, there are six machines digging 200 graves a day, say the workers, who labor until 10 pm. Fifty rented vans are used to move bodies, due to a lack of hearses to cope with the influx of dead. The mayor's office has denied local media reports that school buses have been pressed into service. Shortly after, a van arrives with another casket. A large group of relatives surrounds the grave where the 57-year-old man, who died of Covid-19, is to be buried. The dead man's sons ask if they can place a yellow and green shirt from the Brazilian soccer team on top of the coffin. The gravedigger who is holding the burial documents nods his assent. "It's the only thing we can do," he says. Four men start shovelling reddish earth on to the coffin. In seconds, it is covered. Howls of anguish mingle with the grating of shovels and the hum of generators. By now accustomed to the presence of journalists and photographers, the gravediggers chat but ask not to be identified. Almost all are vaccinated, and say the pandemic was worse for people in funeral homes than for people like them who work outdoors. "I want this to end quickly, because it is very sad. We try not to get upset in our work, but it is sad, it is a lot of people, and a long time," says one of the gravediggers, peeling off his green gloves at the end of his shift. Vila Formosa is the final resting place of 1.5 million people. In March it peaked at 105 burials in a single day, three times the pre-pandemic average. On March 30, the city of Sao Paulo as a whole set a new record when it buried 426 people in just one day. That experience has not been repeated since then: the current average is 391 deaths and 325 burials per day. The mayor's office warns that if the daily average exceeds 400 burials, it will have to implement new measures, although it has ruled out round-the-clock burials in Vila Formosa. The council is also looking at whether to build a vertical cemetery in the east of the city, as Vila Formosa fills up. The gravediggers estimate that in 12 months they have already used 26 lots, an area that in pre-pandemic times would yield more than two years of burials. "There's room to continue here," says one of the men. "But at this rate, I don't know how long that will last."

In Brazil, graveyard shift reveals staggering cost of pandemic 

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 138 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.97 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. 
 
In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 138,021,474 and 2,971,130, respectively. 
 
The US is the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 31,420,888 and 564,396, respectively, according to the CSSE. 
 
India follows in second place with 13,873,825 cases. 
 
The other countries with more than two million confirmed coronavirus cases are Brazil (13,673,507), France (5,210,772), Russia (4,613,646), the UK (4,393,330), Turkey (4,025,557), Italy (3,809,193), Spain (3,387,022), Germany (3,067,697), Poland (2,621,116), Colombia (2,604,157), Argentina (2,585,801), Mexico (2,291,246) and Iran (2,143,794), the CSSE figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 361,884 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 50,000 are Mexico (210,812), India (172,085), the UK (127,407), Italy (115,557), Russia (102,275), France (99,936), Germany (79,234), Spain (76,756), Colombia (66,819), Iran (65,359), Poland (59,930), Argentina (58,542), Peru (55,812) and South Africa (53,498).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 138 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.97 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 138,021,474 and 2,971,130, respectively.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 138 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 2.97 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Thursday morning, the University`s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 138,021,474 and 2,971,130, respectively. The US is the worst-hit country with the world`s highest number of cases and deaths at 31,420,888 and 564,396, respectively, according to the CSSE. India follows in second place with 13,873,825 cases. The other countries with more than two million confirmed coronavirus cases are Brazil (13,673,507), France (5,210,772), Russia (4,613,646), the UK (4,393,330), Turkey (4,025,557), Italy (3,809,193), Spain (3,387,022), Germany (3,067,697), Poland (2,621,116), Colombia (2,604,157), Argentina (2,585,801), Mexico (2,291,246) and Iran (2,143,794), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 361,884 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 50,000 are Mexico (210,812), India (172,085), the UK (127,407), Italy (115,557), Russia (102,275), France (99,936), Germany (79,234), Spain (76,756), Colombia (66,819), Iran (65,359), Poland (59,930), Argentina (58,542), Peru (55,812) and South Africa (53,498).

Global Covid-19 caseload tops 138 million, 2.97 million deaths

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars.

It would be the first Oscar win for the Eastern European country, but the film’s success is bittersweet for many Romanians, given its painful subject matter — particularly since many believe not enough has changed since 2015.

“Collective,” which has been nominated for best documentary feature and best foreign film, follows a group of investigative journalists from a sports newspaper as they uncover painful truths about the Romanian health care system.

“The situation was so appalling that basically it should have been a big scandal in the whole of Europe,” said Alexander Nanau, the film’s director.

Events on the night of the fire and its immediate aftermath ricocheted across Romania, toppling the government at the time — led by the Social Democratic Party — and mobilizing civil society into large-scale protests.

In the years since, however, there have been further political scandals, and few health care overhauls. The coronavirus pandemic has also put huge new demands on the struggling Romanian health care system. Two fires in COVID-19 wards in the last six months have left at least 20 people dead.

Many Romanians wonder how much has really changed since “Collective.”

While tragic, the nightclub fire is just the film’s starting point. The blaze claimed 27 lives in its immediate aftermath, but 64 people would ultimately die, many victims of a health care system awash with corruption and willing to hide painful truth from the victims and their families.

Standing outside one of Bucharest’s main hospitals, Nanau recalled: “It was basically in front of this hospital where the minister of health always stood flanked by doctors saying ‘We can treat the burn victims at the highest standards.’”

However, as the journalists found out, the burn unit was not even operational at the time, Nanau said. “It’s incredible that they have the guts to lie to all these people that their kids are being given surgery in the most modern burn unit when in fact this was closed.”

The journalists also discovered that the disinfectant used in hospitals across the country was being watered down, to the extent that it was largely ineffectual, probably resulting in many more deaths. The owner of the company involved drove his car into a tree after the truth was brought to light, killing himself.

The documentary shows in real time the reaction of the journalists after a whistleblower sends them footage from a hospital of maggots crawling in the wound of a burn victim.

The film has been compared to both “Spotlight” and “All the President’s Men,” and in a review for The New York Times late last year, Manohla Dargis described “Collective” as a “staggering documentary” that offered “no moment when you can take an easy breath, assured that the terrible things you’ve been watching onscreen are finally over.”

For people in Romania, however, much of what is shown onscreen is painfully familiar.

Catalin Tolontan, then editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor, is one of the main protagonists of “Collective.” Before the documentary, “We used to receive 10 or 15 messages per day from the public, with scoops or information,” he said in an interview. “After the movie we received 70 to 80 a day.”

Tedy Ursuleanu, who suffered severe burns across her head and body, and had her fingers amputated as a result of the fire, is one of the strongest characters in the film.

In an interview, she said that it was not a hard decision to let the filmmakers follow her, but that seeing the film was a painful experience. “When I saw some of the scenes, the impact was as if I lived those moments again,” Ursuleanu said. “I started to cry. I needed to go outside to compose myself.”

Ursuleanu said she believed that not enough progress had been made in the years since the documentary was filmed. “Changes have taken place, but they are few compared to the needs we have here,” she said. “Sadly, tragedies like this could easily happen again, because even now measures are not respected.”

Partway through the documentary, “Collective” introduces a young, reform-minded health minister, Vlad Voiculescu, who is brought in as part of a short-lived technocrat government.

Voiculescu and his team face strong resistance as they try to bring greater transparency to the health care system, while having to accept that the system was culpable in many deaths.

In a recent interview, Voiculescu, who was reappointed as health minister late last year, said that what frustrated him most was that on his return he found an institution that was “even more collapsed than before.” Now, Voiculescu is more focused on dealing with the coronavirus than overhauling the Romanian health care system.

“Collective,” which appeared on streaming platforms late last year, has resonated strongly with audiences around the world, especially at a time when the pandemic has made health care a central issue globally.

Nanau, a Romanian director who spent much of his life in Germany before moving back to his home country in 2015, has a track record of producing powerful documentaries. His previous film, “Toto and His Sisters,” followed the lives of three teenagers left to fend largely for themselves in one of the poorest areas of Bucharest, after their mother was sent to prison on drug charges.

But with “Collective,” he seems to have found a subject that hit at a perfect moment.

The film’s impact has also been felt outside Romania. Earlier this year in Mongolia, when a woman with COVID-19 was transferred from the hospital in freezing temperatures just days after giving birth, journalists began asking tough questions of the government, apparently encouraging one another on Facebook by referencing “Collective,” which a local television station had shown days earlier. Protests followed, and the government ultimately resigned.

“If you are a journalist in a small country and saw ‘Spotlight,’ you could say, ‘Well, this is the U.S., they have a lot of resources, they have a strong democracy, they have a bond between the public and government,’” Tolontan, the newspaper editor, said. “But if you are in Mongolia or the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and you saw this movie, you think ‘They’re like us.’”

Romanian movies like “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “Beyond the Hills” and “Child’s Pose” have received top awards at international festivals over the years, but none has won an Oscar.

Andrei Gorzo, a Romanian film critic, said that it was harder for Romanian viewers to see “Collective” as a morally clear-cut tale of a few good people fighting to change the rotten system. Instead, he said, it captures a specific moment in Romania, when urban, middle-class voters believed in a new breed of politician, young and unsullied, who could clean up Romanian politics. “It is impossible for me to watch the film without acknowledging that a lot of that romanticism has turned sour since then,” he said.

Others are more optimistic. “The generation that will change things here is not the generation that is 35-plus,” Nanau said. “It’s the younger generation, and these are the people that write to us, that we have met in the cinemas.”

Tolontan said he saw “Collective” as “a point of no return” for Romanian society.

Whether the film wins at the Oscars ceremony next month, many Romanians still hope that the film’s biggest impact will be at home, and that they can leave its content in the past.

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars.

On Oct. 30, 2015, a fire ripped through a nightclub in the Romanian capital, Bucharest, leaving 64 people dead. Almost six years later, a documentary about the fire and its tragic aftermath has been nominated for two Oscars. It would be the first Oscar win for the Eastern European country, but the film’s success is bittersweet for many Romanians, given its painful subject matter — particularly since many believe not enough has changed since 2015. “Collective,” which has been nominated for best documentary feature and best foreign film, follows a group of investigative journalists from a sports newspaper as they uncover painful truths about the Romanian health care system. “The situation was so appalling that basically it should have been a big scandal in the whole of Europe,” said Alexander Nanau, the film’s director. Events on the night of the fire and its immediate aftermath ricocheted across Romania, toppling the government at the time — led by the Social Democratic Party — and mobilizing civil society into large-scale protests. In the years since, however, there have been further political scandals, and few health care overhauls. The coronavirus pandemic has also put huge new demands on the struggling Romanian health care system. Two fires in COVID-19 wards in the last six months have left at least 20 people dead. Many Romanians wonder how much has really changed since “Collective.” While tragic, the nightclub fire is just the film’s starting point. The blaze claimed 27 lives in its immediate aftermath, but 64 people would ultimately die, many victims of a health care system awash with corruption and willing to hide painful truth from the victims and their families. Standing outside one of Bucharest’s main hospitals, Nanau recalled: “It was basically in front of this hospital where the minister of health always stood flanked by doctors saying ‘We can treat the burn victims at the highest standards.’” However, as the journalists found out, the burn unit was not even operational at the time, Nanau said. “It’s incredible that they have the guts to lie to all these people that their kids are being given surgery in the most modern burn unit when in fact this was closed.” The journalists also discovered that the disinfectant used in hospitals across the country was being watered down, to the extent that it was largely ineffectual, probably resulting in many more deaths. The owner of the company involved drove his car into a tree after the truth was brought to light, killing himself. The documentary shows in real time the reaction of the journalists after a whistleblower sends them footage from a hospital of maggots crawling in the wound of a burn victim. The film has been compared to both “Spotlight” and “All the President’s Men,” and in a review for The New York Times late last year, Manohla Dargis described “Collective” as a “staggering documentary” that offered “no moment when you can take an easy breath, assured that the terrible things you’ve been watching onscreen are finally over.” For people in Romania, however, much of what is shown onscreen is painfully familiar. Catalin Tolontan, then editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor, is one of the main protagonists of “Collective.” Before the documentary, “We used to receive 10 or 15 messages per day from the public, with scoops or information,” he said in an interview. “After the movie we received 70 to 80 a day.” Tedy Ursuleanu, who suffered severe burns across her head and body, and had her fingers amputated as a result of the fire, is one of the strongest characters in the film. In an interview, she said that it was not a hard decision to let the filmmakers follow her, but that seeing the film was a painful experience. “When I saw some of the scenes, the impact was as if I lived those moments again,” Ursuleanu said. “I started to cry. I needed to go outside to compose myself.” Ursuleanu said she believed that not enough progress had been made in the years since the documentary was filmed. “Changes have taken place, but they are few compared to the needs we have here,” she said. “Sadly, tragedies like this could easily happen again, because even now measures are not respected.” Partway through the documentary, “Collective” introduces a young, reform-minded health minister, Vlad Voiculescu, who is brought in as part of a short-lived technocrat government. Voiculescu and his team face strong resistance as they try to bring greater transparency to the health care system, while having to accept that the system was culpable in many deaths. In a recent interview, Voiculescu, who was reappointed as health minister late last year, said that what frustrated him most was that on his return he found an institution that was “even more collapsed than before.” Now, Voiculescu is more focused on dealing with the coronavirus than overhauling the Romanian health care system. “Collective,” which appeared on streaming platforms late last year, has resonated strongly with audiences around the world, especially at a time when the pandemic has made health care a central issue globally. Nanau, a Romanian director who spent much of his life in Germany before moving back to his home country in 2015, has a track record of producing powerful documentaries. His previous film, “Toto and His Sisters,” followed the lives of three teenagers left to fend largely for themselves in one of the poorest areas of Bucharest, after their mother was sent to prison on drug charges. But with “Collective,” he seems to have found a subject that hit at a perfect moment. The film’s impact has also been felt outside Romania. Earlier this year in Mongolia, when a woman with COVID-19 was transferred from the hospital in freezing temperatures just days after giving birth, journalists began asking tough questions of the government, apparently encouraging one another on Facebook by referencing “Collective,” which a local television station had shown days earlier. Protests followed, and the government ultimately resigned. “If you are a journalist in a small country and saw ‘Spotlight,’ you could say, ‘Well, this is the U.S., they have a lot of resources, they have a strong democracy, they have a bond between the public and government,’” Tolontan, the newspaper editor, said. “But if you are in Mongolia or the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and you saw this movie, you think ‘They’re like us.’” Romanian movies like “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days,” “Beyond the Hills” and “Child’s Pose” have received top awards at international festivals over the years, but none has won an Oscar. Andrei Gorzo, a Romanian film critic, said that it was harder for Romanian viewers to see “Collective” as a morally clear-cut tale of a few good people fighting to change the rotten system. Instead, he said, it captures a specific moment in Romania, when urban, middle-class voters believed in a new breed of politician, young and unsullied, who could clean up Romanian politics. “It is impossible for me to watch the film without acknowledging that a lot of that romanticism has turned sour since then,” he said. Others are more optimistic. “The generation that will change things here is not the generation that is 35-plus,” Nanau said. “It’s the younger generation, and these are the people that write to us, that we have met in the cinemas.” Tolontan said he saw “Collective” as “a point of no return” for Romanian society. Whether the film wins at the Oscars ceremony next month, many Romanians still hope that the film’s biggest impact will be at home, and that they can leave its content in the past.

Since the Oscar-nominated ‘Collective,’ much and little has changed

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Australia's major cities on Saturday to protest the deaths of Indigenous people in custody, ahead of the 30th anniversary of a major report into the issue.&nbsp;

More than 470 Aboriginal people have died in custody in those three decades, including at least five since last month, local media reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Almost 30 years and 441 deaths since the Royal Commission, no police officer or authority has been convicted for Black deaths in custody," said NATSILS, a legal services group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.&nbsp;

"Our people continue to die at horrific rates. There is no accountability, and no justice," it said in a statement. "We call on the Prime Minister to meet us face to face on the 30-year anniversary to hear our stories, to see our pain, but most of all we want answers."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Protests and marches took place in cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and the capital Canberra ahead of Thursday's anniversary of the report by a royal commission on Black deaths in custody.&nbsp;

Undertaken from 1987 to 1991, it found that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in custody died at about the same rate but that Indigenous people were incarcerated at a much higher rate.&nbsp;

Indigenous people account for around 2% of Australia's population but around 27% of the national prison population.&nbsp;

The commission made 339 recommendations, of which few have been implemented.&nbsp;

Protesters carried signs with the hashtag Black Lives Matter and the Aboriginal flag, pictures on social media showed.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Really hope we’ll see the same outpouring of grief and remembrance for the 474 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose deaths we mourn today on the 30-year anniversary of the Royal Commision into deaths in custody, as that of a 99-year-old member of the&nbsp;colonising&nbsp;British Monarchy," said activist Sally Rugg on Twitter.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Australia has no treaty with its Indigenous people. British settlement of the then-colony was based on the legal concept that land could be acquired by settlement.&nbsp;

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Australia's major cities on Saturday to protest the deaths of Indigenous people in custody, ahead of the 30th anniversary of a major report into the issue.

Hundreds of people demonstrated in Australia's major cities on Saturday to protest the deaths of Indigenous people in custody, ahead of the 30th anniversary of a major report into the issue. More than 470 Aboriginal people have died in custody in those three decades, including at least five since last month, local media reported. "Almost 30 years and 441 deaths since the Royal Commission, no police officer or authority has been convicted for Black deaths in custody," said NATSILS, a legal services group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. "Our people continue to die at horrific rates. There is no accountability, and no justice," it said in a statement. "We call on the Prime Minister to meet us face to face on the 30-year anniversary to hear our stories, to see our pain, but most of all we want answers." Protests and marches took place in cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, and the capital Canberra ahead of Thursday's anniversary of the report by a royal commission on Black deaths in custody. Undertaken from 1987 to 1991, it found that Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in custody died at about the same rate but that Indigenous people were incarcerated at a much higher rate. Indigenous people account for around 2% of Australia's population but around 27% of the national prison population. The commission made 339 recommendations, of which few have been implemented. Protesters carried signs with the hashtag Black Lives Matter and the Aboriginal flag, pictures on social media showed. "Really hope we’ll see the same outpouring of grief and remembrance for the 474 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people whose deaths we mourn today on the 30-year anniversary of the Royal Commision into deaths in custody, as that of a 99-year-old member of the colonising British Monarchy," said activist Sally Rugg on Twitter. Australia has no treaty with its Indigenous people. British settlement of the then-colony was based on the legal concept that land could be acquired by settlement.

Australians protest Aboriginal deaths in custody, 30 years after major report 

Brazil witnessed over 60,000 deaths in March due to COVID-19 and health services in the country have been pushed to the brink. The country has suffered the world's second highest death toll. Now, night funerals are being held.

COVID-19: Night funerals held in Brazil

Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at a business complex in Orange, California, on Wednesday evening.

The Los Angeles City News Service (CNS) and television station KNBC-TV reported that in addition to the four dead, two people were wounded by gunfire.

KNBC-TV reported the shooting erupted at a business complex in Orange, a city about 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The television station and CNS reported that the dead included a child. Various news outlets also reported that the shooter was among those injured.

The Orange Police Department said its officers arrived at about 5:30 p.m. local time at the spot as shots were being fired and located multiple victims at the scene including fatalities.

The police statement said an "officer-involved shooting" had occurred and that the situation had since been "stabilised" with no further threat to the public.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-dead-in-virginia-beach-oceanfront-shootings-373647">Also read |&nbsp;Two dead in Virginia Beach oceanfront shootings</a>

California governor Gavin Newsom posted on Twitter: "Horrifying and heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy tonight."

"I'm deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I'm continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more," US Representative Katie Porter from California also tweeted.

The violence marked the third deadly mass shooting in the United States over the past two weeks.

Eight people were shot to death by a gunman who went on a rampage at three day spas in the Atlanta area on March 16. And 10 people were killed on March 22 when a man opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The lone suspects in both those shootings were arrested.

Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at a business complex in Orange, California, on Wednesday evening. The Los Angeles City News Service (CNS) and television station KNBC-TV reported that in addition to the four dead, two people were wounded by gunfire.

Four people, including a child, were killed in a shooting at a business complex in Orange, California, on Wednesday evening. The Los Angeles City News Service (CNS) and television station KNBC-TV reported that in addition to the four dead, two people were wounded by gunfire. KNBC-TV reported the shooting erupted at a business complex in Orange, a city about 30 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The television station and CNS reported that the dead included a child. Various news outlets also reported that the shooter was among those injured. The Orange Police Department said its officers arrived at about 5:30 p.m. local time at the spot as shots were being fired and located multiple victims at the scene including fatalities. The police statement said an "officer-involved shooting" had occurred and that the situation had since been "stabilised" with no further threat to the public. Also read | Two dead in Virginia Beach oceanfront shootings California governor Gavin Newsom posted on Twitter: "Horrifying and heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy tonight." "I'm deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I'm continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more," US Representative Katie Porter from California also tweeted. The violence marked the third deadly mass shooting in the United States over the past two weeks. Eight people were shot to death by a gunman who went on a rampage at three day spas in the Atlanta area on March 16. And 10 people were killed on March 22 when a man opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado. The lone suspects in both those shootings were arrested.

Four reported dead, two wounded in mass shooting in California

One of Bob Dylan’s most important early albums, “Bringing It All Back Home” from 1965, has the kind of cover that can strain eyes and fuel speculation. It is a photograph of Dylan, in a black jacket, sitting in a room full of bric-a-brac that may or may not mean something, staring into the camera as a woman in a red outfit lounges in the background.

“Fans became so fixated on deciphering it,” the music journalist Neil McCormick wrote in The Daily Telegraph of London last year, “that a rumor took hold that the woman was Dylan in drag, representing the feminine side of his psyche.”

She wasn’t. She was Sally Grossman, the wife of Dylan’s manager at the time, Albert Grossman.

“The photo was shot in Albert Grossman’s house,” the man who took it, Daniel Kramer, told The Guardian in 2016. “The room was the original kitchen of this house that’s a couple hundred years old.”

“Bob contributed to the picture the magazines he was reading and albums he was listening to,” Kramer added, a reference to the bric-a-brac. “Bob wanted Sally to be in the photo because, well, look at her! She chose the red outfit.”

Grossman died Thursday at her home in the Bearsville section of Woodstock, New York, not far from the house where the photograph was taken. She had long been a fixture in Woodstock, operating a recording studio, a theater and other businesses there after her husband died of a heart attack at 59 in 1986. She was 81.

Her niece, Anna Buehler, confirmed her death and said the cause had not been determined.

Sally Ann Buehler was born on Aug. 22, 1939, in Manhattan to Coleman and Ann (Kauth) Buehler. Her mother was executive director of the Boys Club (now the Variety Boys and Girls Club) of Queens; her father was an actuary.

Grossman studied at Adelphi University on Long Island and Hunter College in Manhattan, but she was more drawn to the arts scene percolating in Greenwich Village.

“I figured that what was happening on the street was a lot more interesting than studying 17th-century English literature,” she told Musician magazine in 1987, “so I dropped out of Hunter and began working as a waitress. I worked at the Cafe Wha?, and then the Bitter End, all over.”

Along the way she met Grossman, who was making his name managing folk music acts that played at those types of venues, including Peter, Paul and Mary, whom he helped bring together.

“The office was constantly packed with people,” Sally Grossman recalled in the 1987 interview. “Peter, Paul and Mary, of course, but also Ian and Sylvia, Richie Havens, Gordon Lightfoot, other musicians, artists, poets.”

The couple, who married in 1964, settled in Woodstock, where Albert Grossman had acquired properties and which Dylan had also discovered about the same time, settling there with his family as well.

In due course came the photo shoot for the album cover.

“I made 10 exposures,” Kramer told The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2014. One image, with Dylan holding a cat, was a keeper. “That was the only time all three subjects were looking at the lens,” Kramer said.

The photo, staged by Kramer with Dylan’s input, was an early example of what became a mini-trend of loading covers up with imagery that seemed to invite scrutiny for insights into the music. The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) might be the best-known example.

The album itself was a breakthrough for Dylan, marking his transition from acoustic to electric. Its tracks included “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Maggie’s Farm.”

Sally Grossman and her husband established recording studios and restaurants in Bearsville, and after his death Grossman renovated a barn to create the Bearsville Theater, bringing to life a vision of her husband’s. It hosted numerous concerts over the years. She sold the businesses in the mid-2000s.

Sally Grossman is survived by a brother, Barry Buehler.

Though she knew many American musicians, Grossman had a special place in her heart for an order of religious singers from Bengal known as the Bauls, whom she encountered in the 1960s. She created a digital archive of Baul music. Deborah Baker, author of “A Blue Hand: The Beats in India” (2008), wrote about Grossman and her connection to the Bauls in a 2011 essay in the magazine the Caravan.

“Despite all the famous musicians and bands who once passed through her life,” Baker wrote, “she found it was the Bauls she missed the most from those years.”

One of Bob Dylan’s most important early albums, “Bringing It All Back Home” from 1965, has the kind of cover that can strain eyes and fuel speculation. It is a photograph of Dylan, in a black jacket, sitting in a room full of bric-a-brac that may or may not mean something, staring into the camera as a woman in a red outfit lounges in the background.

One of Bob Dylan’s most important early albums, “Bringing It All Back Home” from 1965, has the kind of cover that can strain eyes and fuel speculation. It is a photograph of Dylan, in a black jacket, sitting in a room full of bric-a-brac that may or may not mean something, staring into the camera as a woman in a red outfit lounges in the background. “Fans became so fixated on deciphering it,” the music journalist Neil McCormick wrote in The Daily Telegraph of London last year, “that a rumor took hold that the woman was Dylan in drag, representing the feminine side of his psyche.” She wasn’t. She was Sally Grossman, the wife of Dylan’s manager at the time, Albert Grossman. “The photo was shot in Albert Grossman’s house,” the man who took it, Daniel Kramer, told The Guardian in 2016. “The room was the original kitchen of this house that’s a couple hundred years old.” “Bob contributed to the picture the magazines he was reading and albums he was listening to,” Kramer added, a reference to the bric-a-brac. “Bob wanted Sally to be in the photo because, well, look at her! She chose the red outfit.” Grossman died Thursday at her home in the Bearsville section of Woodstock, New York, not far from the house where the photograph was taken. She had long been a fixture in Woodstock, operating a recording studio, a theater and other businesses there after her husband died of a heart attack at 59 in 1986. She was 81. Her niece, Anna Buehler, confirmed her death and said the cause had not been determined. Sally Ann Buehler was born on Aug. 22, 1939, in Manhattan to Coleman and Ann (Kauth) Buehler. Her mother was executive director of the Boys Club (now the Variety Boys and Girls Club) of Queens; her father was an actuary. Grossman studied at Adelphi University on Long Island and Hunter College in Manhattan, but she was more drawn to the arts scene percolating in Greenwich Village. “I figured that what was happening on the street was a lot more interesting than studying 17th-century English literature,” she told Musician magazine in 1987, “so I dropped out of Hunter and began working as a waitress. I worked at the Cafe Wha?, and then the Bitter End, all over.” Along the way she met Grossman, who was making his name managing folk music acts that played at those types of venues, including Peter, Paul and Mary, whom he helped bring together. “The office was constantly packed with people,” Sally Grossman recalled in the 1987 interview. “Peter, Paul and Mary, of course, but also Ian and Sylvia, Richie Havens, Gordon Lightfoot, other musicians, artists, poets.” The couple, who married in 1964, settled in Woodstock, where Albert Grossman had acquired properties and which Dylan had also discovered about the same time, settling there with his family as well. In due course came the photo shoot for the album cover. “I made 10 exposures,” Kramer told The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2014. One image, with Dylan holding a cat, was a keeper. “That was the only time all three subjects were looking at the lens,” Kramer said. The photo, staged by Kramer with Dylan’s input, was an early example of what became a mini-trend of loading covers up with imagery that seemed to invite scrutiny for insights into the music. The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) might be the best-known example. The album itself was a breakthrough for Dylan, marking his transition from acoustic to electric. Its tracks included “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Maggie’s Farm.” Sally Grossman and her husband established recording studios and restaurants in Bearsville, and after his death Grossman renovated a barn to create the Bearsville Theater, bringing to life a vision of her husband’s. It hosted numerous concerts over the years. She sold the businesses in the mid-2000s. Sally Grossman is survived by a brother, Barry Buehler. Though she knew many American musicians, Grossman had a special place in her heart for an order of religious singers from Bengal known as the Bauls, whom she encountered in the 1960s. She created a digital archive of Baul music. Deborah Baker, author of “A Blue Hand: The Beats in India” (2008), wrote about Grossman and her connection to the Bauls in a 2011 essay in the magazine the Caravan. “Despite all the famous musicians and bands who once passed through her life,” Baker wrote, “she found it was the Bauls she missed the most from those years.”

Sally Grossman, immortalised on a Dylan album cover, dies at 81

The number of people killed in large commercial airplane crashes rose in 2020 to 299 worldwide, even as the number of crashes fell by more than 50%, a Dutch consulting firm said on Friday.

Aviation consulting firm To70 said in 2020 there were 40 accidents involving large commercial passenger planes, five of which were fatal, resulting in 299 fatalities. In 2019 there were 86 accidents, eight of which were fatal, resulting in 257 fatalities.

Large commercial airplanes had 0.27 fatal accidents per million flights in 2020, To70 said, or one fatal crash every 3.7 million flights -- up from 0.18 fatal accidents per million flights in 2019.

The decline in crashes came amid a sharp decline in flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flightradar24 reported commercial flights it tracked worldwide in 2020 fell 42% to 24.4 million.

More than half of all deaths in the To70 review were the 176 people killed in January 2020 when a Ukrainian plane was shot down in Iranian airspace.

The second deadliest incident was the May crash of a Pakistan airliner crashed in May killing 98.

Large passenger airplanes covered by the statistics are used by nearly all travelers on airlines but exclude small commuter airplanes in service.

Over the last two decades, aviation deaths have been falling dramatically. As recently as 2005, there were 1,015 deaths aboard commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) said.

Over the last five years, there have been an average of 14 fatal accidents for commercial passenger and cargo planes resulting in 345 deaths annually, ASN said.

In 2017, aviation had its safest year on record worldwide with only two fatal accidents involving regional turboprops that resulted in 13 deaths and no fatal crashes of passenger jets.

The United States has not had a fatal U.S. passenger airline crash since February 2009 and one fatality due to a U.S. passenger airline accident in that period.

The number of people killed in large commercial airplane crashes rose in 2020 to 299 worldwide, even as the number of crashes fell by more than 50%, a Dutch consulting firm said on Friday.

The number of people killed in large commercial airplane crashes rose in 2020 to 299 worldwide, even as the number of crashes fell by more than 50%, a Dutch consulting firm said on Friday. Aviation consulting firm To70 said in 2020 there were 40 accidents involving large commercial passenger planes, five of which were fatal, resulting in 299 fatalities. In 2019 there were 86 accidents, eight of which were fatal, resulting in 257 fatalities. Large commercial airplanes had 0.27 fatal accidents per million flights in 2020, To70 said, or one fatal crash every 3.7 million flights -- up from 0.18 fatal accidents per million flights in 2019. The decline in crashes came amid a sharp decline in flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flightradar24 reported commercial flights it tracked worldwide in 2020 fell 42% to 24.4 million. More than half of all deaths in the To70 review were the 176 people killed in January 2020 when a Ukrainian plane was shot down in Iranian airspace. The second deadliest incident was the May crash of a Pakistan airliner crashed in May killing 98. Large passenger airplanes covered by the statistics are used by nearly all travelers on airlines but exclude small commuter airplanes in service. Over the last two decades, aviation deaths have been falling dramatically. As recently as 2005, there were 1,015 deaths aboard commercial passenger flights worldwide, the Aviation Safety Network (ASN) said. Over the last five years, there have been an average of 14 fatal accidents for commercial passenger and cargo planes resulting in 345 deaths annually, ASN said. In 2017, aviation had its safest year on record worldwide with only two fatal accidents involving regional turboprops that resulted in 13 deaths and no fatal crashes of passenger jets. The United States has not had a fatal U.S. passenger airline crash since February 2009 and one fatality due to a U.S. passenger airline accident in that period.

Aviation deaths rise worldwide in 2020 even as fatal incidents, flights fall

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off.

CNN reported that Rosy Loomba, 38, was with her husband and child when she fell to her death at the Grampians National Park, in the Australian state of Victoria.

The family was at Boroka Lookout, where a cliff is situated. It offers a panoramic view of the mountains and the town below, and is common among tourists.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/australia-battles-virus-as-lockdown-in-sydney-torments-residents-ahead-of-christmas-351018" hreflang="en">Australia battles virus as lockdown in Sydney torments residents ahead of Christmas</a>

According to local media reports, Loomba had climbed past safety barriers and warning signs. She was attempting to pose for a picture on a rock. It was then that she tripped over the edge, and fell down.&nbsp;

She fell from a height of 80 metres (262 feet), leading to her demise.

Many witnesses claimed that they heard Loomba screaming, but were unfortunately unable to help. When the police and state emergency services arrived, it took them six hours to retrieve her body from between the cliff.

When her body was being retrieved, all access to the cliff was blocked, but it was reopened soon after. The cliff is famous among people, and remains a popular photo spot.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/with-pakistan-in-focus-india-australia-call-for-sustainable-irreversible-action-on-terrorism-350673" hreflang="en">With Pakistan in focus, India, Australia call for sustainable, irreversible action on terrorism</a>

A local tour guide Graham Wood told Nine News that he had warned his customers against&nbsp; going too far out of the cliff just moments before the woman’s accident.

Soon after the incident, local authorities urged patrons to follow safety guidelines, while adding that no picture is worth a person’s life.

Police Minister Lisa Neville added that they simply “can’t rope off” all parts of Victoria, while urging people to take more responsibility.

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off.

An Australian woman died on Saturday after she fell from a cliff. The woman was reportedly attempting to click a picture at the cliff, when she lost balance and fell off. CNN reported that Rosy Loomba, 38, was with her husband and child when she fell to her death at the Grampians National Park, in the Australian state of Victoria. The family was at Boroka Lookout, where a cliff is situated. It offers a panoramic view of the mountains and the town below, and is common among tourists. Also read: Australia battles virus as lockdown in Sydney torments residents ahead of Christmas According to local media reports, Loomba had climbed past safety barriers and warning signs. She was attempting to pose for a picture on a rock. It was then that she tripped over the edge, and fell down. She fell from a height of 80 metres (262 feet), leading to her demise. Many witnesses claimed that they heard Loomba screaming, but were unfortunately unable to help. When the police and state emergency services arrived, it took them six hours to retrieve her body from between the cliff. When her body was being retrieved, all access to the cliff was blocked, but it was reopened soon after. The cliff is famous among people, and remains a popular photo spot. Also read: With Pakistan in focus, India, Australia call for sustainable, irreversible action on terrorism A local tour guide Graham Wood told Nine News that he had warned his customers against going too far out of the cliff just moments before the woman’s accident. Soon after the incident, local authorities urged patrons to follow safety guidelines, while adding that no picture is worth a person’s life. Police Minister Lisa Neville added that they simply “can’t rope off” all parts of Victoria, while urging people to take more responsibility.

Australian woman falls off cliff, dies while trying to take photo

The case fatality rate of Indian coronavirus has been reduced to 1.86 per cent — one of the lowest globally, the Union health ministry said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The constantly rising number of recoveries has ensured that the active cases of coronavirus infection, which is the “actual caseload” of the country, currently comprises only 23.24 per cent of the total cases.

The ministry said the average daily number of recoveries is on a "constant upward move" from 15,018 between July 1 and 7 to 60,557 between August 13 and 19.

Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 29 lakh, a day after it crossed 28 lakh, with a single-day spike of 68,898 infections, while the recoveries have increased to 21, 58,946 on Friday pushing the recovery rate to over 74 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29, 05,823, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

(With inputs from agencies)

The case fatality rate of Indian coronavirus has been reduced to 1.86 per cent — one of the lowest globally, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. The constantly rising number of recoveries has ensured that the active cases of coronavirus infection, which is the “actual caseload” of the country, currently comprises only 23.

The case fatality rate of Indian coronavirus has been reduced to 1.86 per cent — one of the lowest globally, the Union health ministry said on Sunday. The constantly rising number of recoveries has ensured that the active cases of coronavirus infection, which is the “actual caseload” of the country, currently comprises only 23.24 per cent of the total cases. The ministry said the average daily number of recoveries is on a "constant upward move" from 15,018 between July 1 and 7 to 60,557 between August 13 and 19. Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 29 lakh, a day after it crossed 28 lakh, with a single-day spike of 68,898 infections, while the recoveries have increased to 21, 58,946 on Friday pushing the recovery rate to over 74 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29, 05,823, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid-19: India’s case fatality rate one of the lowest globally at 1.86%

Total 10,441 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, which pushed the cumulative count in the state to 6,82,383, a state health official.

The total death count has reached to 22,253, he said.

As many as 8,157 patients were discharged after recovery on Sunday, which took the number of recovered persons to 4,88,271 so far.

According to the official, there are 1,71,542 active COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra at present.

Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 29 lakh, a day after it crossed 28 lakh, with a single-day spike of 68,898 infections, while the recoveries have increased to 21,58,946 on Friday pushing the recovery rate to over 74 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29,05,823, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

(With inputs from agencies)

Total 10,441 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, which pushed the cumulative count in the state to 6,82,383, a state health official.

Total 10,441 new coronavirus positive cases were reported in Maharashtra on Sunday, which pushed the cumulative count in the state to 6,82,383, a state health official. The total death count has reached to 22,253, he said. As many as 8,157 patients were discharged after recovery on Sunday, which took the number of recovered persons to 4,88,271 so far. According to the official, there are 1,71,542 active COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra at present. Meanwhile, India's COVID-19 tally zoomed past 29 lakh, a day after it crossed 28 lakh, with a single-day spike of 68,898 infections, while the recoveries have increased to 21,58,946 on Friday pushing the recovery rate to over 74 per cent, according to the Union Health Ministry data. The total cases of coronavirus infections mounted to 29,05,823, while the death toll climbed to 54,849 with 983 new fatalities being reported in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed. (With inputs from agencies)

Maharashtra's covid-19 case count grows by 10,441; death count by 258 

At least 30 people died and a dozen are missing after a ferry capsized and sank Monday in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said. 
 
The Morning Bird vessel was hit from behind by another ferry around 9:30 am local time (0330 GMT) during the morning rush hour, when the country's largest river port is packed with vessels. 
 
"We have collected 30 bodies, including 20 males, seven women and three children," Abul Khair, a diver in the fire brigade, told AFP. 
 
"There were at least 50 people on board... Our rescue divers are still searching," coastguard spokesman commander Hayet Ibne Siddique said. 
 
The ferry -- which departed from central Munshiganj district -- sank as it was about to moor at Sadarghat, Dhaka's main river port used by hundreds of boats to travel to the country's south. 
 
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's chief, Commodore Golam Sadeqk, told AFP the single-deck ship was "not overcrowded" and sank "due to carelessness". 
 
He said the vessel had been cleared to carry passengers until September. 
 
Witnesses told local television stations many passengers appeared to be stuck in the ferry's cabins. 
 
Divers were still pulling bodies from the wreck, in waters some 40-50 feet (12-15 metres) deep. The deceased were put in body-bags before they were laid in rows at the harbour-front. 
 
Another boat would later arrive to lift the damaged vessel from the water, Siddique said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/india-news/23-die-several-missing-after-ferry-accident-in-bangladesh-report-309346" hreflang="en">23 die, several missing after ferry accident in Bangladesh: Report</a> 
 
Relatives gathered at Sadarghat despite coronavirus social distancing concerns to search for their family. 
 
"I still don't know what happened to them," a man, searching for his cousin and another relative, told reporters. 
 
Boat accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers. 
 
The South Asian nation is heavily reliant on ferries for transport but has had a poor safety record.

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Experts blame badly maintained vessels, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents. 
 
In February 2015 at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river. 
 
The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels.

At least 30 people died and a dozen are missing after a ferry capsized and sank Monday in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said.

At least 30 people died and a dozen are missing after a ferry capsized and sank Monday in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka following a collision with another vessel, rescue officials said. The Morning Bird vessel was hit from behind by another ferry around 9:30 am local time (0330 GMT) during the morning rush hour, when the country's largest river port is packed with vessels. "We have collected 30 bodies, including 20 males, seven women and three children," Abul Khair, a diver in the fire brigade, told AFP. "There were at least 50 people on board... Our rescue divers are still searching," coastguard spokesman commander Hayet Ibne Siddique said. The ferry -- which departed from central Munshiganj district -- sank as it was about to moor at Sadarghat, Dhaka's main river port used by hundreds of boats to travel to the country's south. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority's chief, Commodore Golam Sadeqk, told AFP the single-deck ship was "not overcrowded" and sank "due to carelessness". He said the vessel had been cleared to carry passengers until September. Witnesses told local television stations many passengers appeared to be stuck in the ferry's cabins. Divers were still pulling bodies from the wreck, in waters some 40-50 feet (12-15 metres) deep. The deceased were put in body-bags before they were laid in rows at the harbour-front. Another boat would later arrive to lift the damaged vessel from the water, Siddique said. Also read: 23 die, several missing after ferry accident in Bangladesh: Report Relatives gathered at Sadarghat despite coronavirus social distancing concerns to search for their family. "I still don't know what happened to them," a man, searching for his cousin and another relative, told reporters. Boat accidents are common in Bangladesh, which is crisscrossed by more than 230 rivers. The South Asian nation is heavily reliant on ferries for transport but has had a poor safety record. You might also like: Amid standoff with India, China tries to woo Bangladesh Experts blame badly maintained vessels, lax safety standards at shipyards and overcrowding for many of the accidents. In February 2015 at least 78 people died when an overcrowded ship collided with a cargo boat in a central Bangladesh river. The number of accidents has dropped sharply in recent years as authorities crackdown on unseaworthy vessels.

At least 30 die in Bangladesh ferry accident

Botswana is investigating the mysterious deaths of at least 154 elephants over two months in the northwest of the country, a wildlife official said on Monday, although poaching or poisoning have been ruled out.

"We are still awaiting results on the exact cause of death,” Regional Wildlife Coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe told Reuters.

The carcasses were found intact, suggesting they were not poached. Further investigations have also ruled out poisoning by humans and anthrax, which sometimes hits wildlife in this part of Botswana.&nbsp;

Africa's overall elephant population is declining due to poaching, but Botswana, home to almost a third of the continent’s elephants, has seen numbers grow to 130,000 from 80,000 in the late 1990s, owing to well managed reserves.

However, they are seen as a growing nuisance by farmers, whose crops have been destroyed by elephants roaming the southern African country.&nbsp;

President Mokgweetsi Masisi last year lifted a five-year ban on big game hunting, imposed by previous president Ian Khama, but the hunting season failed to take off in April as global travel restrictions meant hunters from many coronavirus-hit countries could not enter Botswana.

Meanwhile, the Wildlife Department has undertaken an operation to relocate and dehorn all rhinos to tackle poaching in Botswana - mirroring efforts elsewhere in the region.&nbsp;

The Okavango Delta rhino population has been the hardest hit, with 25 reported poached between December and the beginning of May, government figures show, as poachers take advantage of the absence of safari tourists during the pandemic.&nbsp;

That compares with a total of 31 rhinos poached from October 2018 to December last year.

"Both white rhino and black rhinos have been severely affected, necessitating the ... relocation of highly endangered black rhinos (and) intensification of surveillance," the Department said.

Botswana is investigating the mysterious deaths of at least 154 elephants over two months in the northwest of the country, a wildlife official said on Monday, although poaching or poisoning have been ruled out.

Botswana is investigating the mysterious deaths of at least 154 elephants over two months in the northwest of the country, a wildlife official said on Monday, although poaching or poisoning have been ruled out. "We are still awaiting results on the exact cause of death,” Regional Wildlife Coordinator Dimakatso Ntshebe told Reuters. The carcasses were found intact, suggesting they were not poached. Further investigations have also ruled out poisoning by humans and anthrax, which sometimes hits wildlife in this part of Botswana. Africa's overall elephant population is declining due to poaching, but Botswana, home to almost a third of the continent’s elephants, has seen numbers grow to 130,000 from 80,000 in the late 1990s, owing to well managed reserves. However, they are seen as a growing nuisance by farmers, whose crops have been destroyed by elephants roaming the southern African country. President Mokgweetsi Masisi last year lifted a five-year ban on big game hunting, imposed by previous president Ian Khama, but the hunting season failed to take off in April as global travel restrictions meant hunters from many coronavirus-hit countries could not enter Botswana. Meanwhile, the Wildlife Department has undertaken an operation to relocate and dehorn all rhinos to tackle poaching in Botswana - mirroring efforts elsewhere in the region. The Okavango Delta rhino population has been the hardest hit, with 25 reported poached between December and the beginning of May, government figures show, as poachers take advantage of the absence of safari tourists during the pandemic. That compares with a total of 31 rhinos poached from October 2018 to December last year. "Both white rhino and black rhinos have been severely affected, necessitating the ... relocation of highly endangered black rhinos (and) intensification of surveillance," the Department said.

Botswana investigates 154 elephant deaths, rules out poaching

A French court on Wednesday ordered Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga be handed over to a United Nations tribunal for trial.

UN&nbsp;prosecutors accuse Kabuga of bankrolling and arming ethnic Hutu militias that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda during a 100-day period in 1994. He is indicted for genocide and incitement to commit genocide, among other charges.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/world/rwanda-genocide-suspect-kabuga-arrested-by-french-police-299069" hreflang="en">Rwanda genocide suspect Kabuga arrested by French police</a>

Kabuga, whose arrest in Paris in May ended a manhunt that lasted more than two decades, has called the charges lies.&nbsp;

His lawyers say he would not receive a fair trial at the tribunal, which is based in The Hague and in Arusha, Tanzania. They also argue his health is too frail for him to be transferred to the African country, particularly during a dangerous pandemic.&nbsp;

But the court said his health was "not incompatible" with a transfer. The 87-year-old is currently being held in a Paris prison.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="wionews.com/world/belgian-court-convicts-rwandan-official-for-genocide-269281" hreflang="en">Belgian court convicts Rwandan official for genocide</a>

In a letter to the UN&nbsp;tribunal's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, ahead of Wednesday's ruling, Kabuga's lawyers urged him to leave the case with France's judiciary.&nbsp;

"If you were to decide to assert the primacy of your jurisdiction over French jurisdiction, thus endangering the life of Felicien Kabuga, we would take the risk of renouncing on discovering the truth forever," Laurent Bayon wrote, citing Kabuga's medical history.

A French court on Wednesday ordered Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga be handed over to a United Nations tribunal for trial. UN prosecutors accuse Kabuga of bankrolling and arming ethnic Hutu militias that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda during a 100-day period in 1994.

A French court on Wednesday ordered Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga be handed over to a United Nations tribunal for trial. UN prosecutors accuse Kabuga of bankrolling and arming ethnic Hutu militias that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda during a 100-day period in 1994. He is indicted for genocide and incitement to commit genocide, among other charges. Also read: Rwanda genocide suspect Kabuga arrested by French police Kabuga, whose arrest in Paris in May ended a manhunt that lasted more than two decades, has called the charges lies. His lawyers say he would not receive a fair trial at the tribunal, which is based in The Hague and in Arusha, Tanzania. They also argue his health is too frail for him to be transferred to the African country, particularly during a dangerous pandemic. But the court said his health was "not incompatible" with a transfer. The 87-year-old is currently being held in a Paris prison. Also read: Belgian court convicts Rwandan official for genocide In a letter to the UN tribunal's chief prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, ahead of Wednesday's ruling, Kabuga's lawyers urged him to leave the case with France's judiciary. "If you were to decide to assert the primacy of your jurisdiction over French jurisdiction, thus endangering the life of Felicien Kabuga, we would take the risk of renouncing on discovering the truth forever," Laurent Bayon wrote, citing Kabuga's medical history.

French court orders Rwanda genocide suspect be tried at UN tribunal

India has reported its biggest single-day jump in the number of coronavirus cases. Over the last 24 hours, India has recorded close to 4,000 confirmed cases, taking the total over 46,000 cases.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-records-over-5000-coronavirus-cases-mumbai-records-635-new-cases-26-deaths-296872" hreflang="en">Delhi records over 5,000 coronavirus cases; Mumbai records 635 new cases, 26 deaths</a>

&nbsp;The surge in cases is concerning, as India had just begun to ease the lockdown restrictions. Over the last one week -- the daily number of new cases in India had been on a steep rise.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mumbais-slum-area-dharavi-reports-33-new-coronavirus-cases-441-new-cases-in-gujarat-296856" hreflang="en">Mumbai's slum area Dharavi reports 33 new coronavirus cases; 441 new cases in Gujarat</a>

However -- today's surge is unprecedented. India reported close to 4,000 cases, which is the highest single-day rise since the first case was detected on January 30.

With the unexpected spike today, India has recorded one of its worst weeks since the pandemic broke out.

It took India 75 days to record its first 10,000 cases from January 30 &nbsp;to April 14.

The addition of every 10,000 cases since then has been steep. India took eight days to breach the 20,000 mark and seven days to hit the 30,000 marks.

But, the rise from 30,000 to 40,000 cases has occurred over a period of just four days. Despite the steep rise in cases, the Health Ministry today shared an optimistic number. At the moment -- the number of cases in India are doubling once every 12 days.

Before the enforcement of lockdown on March 25 -- cases were doubling once every three days.

In terms of the death toll, India reported 194 deaths in the last 24 hours. That's the first time India has recorded over 100 deaths in a single day. A day ago -- the death toll stood at 83.

Now -- India's total death toll stands at 1,583. On the positive side, over 13,000 people have been cured or discharged. Today, the Ministry of Health said India's recovery rate stands at 27.41 per cent. That's an improvement in the recovery rate of 25 per cent reported a day earlier.

India's testing rate has improved too. Over the last 24 hours -- India conducted more than 80,000 tests. That accounts for seven per cent of all the testing done in India. So far, India has tested over one million people.

And, the Indian council of medical research has said that India could very soon start testing over 100,000 people per day.

So, the results have been mixed for India since the third phase of the lockdown began on May 4. The lockdown has been extended for two weeks. Containment zones remain sealed. But, some relaxations are allowed in other areas.

Also, 62 trains have transported around 70,000 migrant workers, who could be potential carriers of the deadly virus to rural India.

&nbsp;Experts are concerned, they say India's lockdown may have helped flatten the curve, but the curve is not yet showing a downward trend.

So, it has sparked a debate over the easing of restrictions. As incidents of open disregard for social distancing norms have been reported across the country.

India has reported its biggest single-day jump in the number of coronavirus cases. Over the last 24 hours, India has recorded close to 4,000 confirmed cases, taking the total over 46,000 cases.

India has reported its biggest single-day jump in the number of coronavirus cases. Over the last 24 hours, India has recorded close to 4,000 confirmed cases, taking the total over 46,000 cases. Also read: Delhi records over 5,000 coronavirus cases; Mumbai records 635 new cases, 26 deaths The surge in cases is concerning, as India had just begun to ease the lockdown restrictions. Over the last one week -- the daily number of new cases in India had been on a steep rise. Also read: Mumbai's slum area Dharavi reports 33 new coronavirus cases; 441 new cases in Gujarat However -- today's surge is unprecedented. India reported close to 4,000 cases, which is the highest single-day rise since the first case was detected on January 30. With the unexpected spike today, India has recorded one of its worst weeks since the pandemic broke out. It took India 75 days to record its first 10,000 cases from January 30 to April 14. The addition of every 10,000 cases since then has been steep. India took eight days to breach the 20,000 mark and seven days to hit the 30,000 marks. But, the rise from 30,000 to 40,000 cases has occurred over a period of just four days. Despite the steep rise in cases, the Health Ministry today shared an optimistic number. At the moment -- the number of cases in India are doubling once every 12 days. Before the enforcement of lockdown on March 25 -- cases were doubling once every three days. In terms of the death toll, India reported 194 deaths in the last 24 hours. That's the first time India has recorded over 100 deaths in a single day. A day ago -- the death toll stood at 83. Now -- India's total death toll stands at 1,583. On the positive side, over 13,000 people have been cured or discharged. Today, the Ministry of Health said India's recovery rate stands at 27.41 per cent. That's an improvement in the recovery rate of 25 per cent reported a day earlier. India's testing rate has improved too. Over the last 24 hours -- India conducted more than 80,000 tests. That accounts for seven per cent of all the testing done in India. So far, India has tested over one million people. And, the Indian council of medical research has said that India could very soon start testing over 100,000 people per day. So, the results have been mixed for India since the third phase of the lockdown began on May 4. The lockdown has been extended for two weeks. Containment zones remain sealed. But, some relaxations are allowed in other areas. Also, 62 trains have transported around 70,000 migrant workers, who could be potential carriers of the deadly virus to rural India. Experts are concerned, they say India's lockdown may have helped flatten the curve, but the curve is not yet showing a downward trend. So, it has sparked a debate over the easing of restrictions. As incidents of open disregard for social distancing norms have been reported across the country.

India experiences biggest ever spike in cases and deaths with 46,000 cases and 1,583 deaths

One cold night in October, Gerel Ganbaatar decided to stay with her parents in one of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mongolian-president-arrives-in-india-to-intensify-bilateral-ties-250746">Mongolia's traditional ger</a> communities on the outskirts of the capital -- a decision which would prove fatal.

Within hours of arriving, she and her parents both became breathless and nauseous. They desperately called for help,&nbsp;but by the time medics arrived Gerel, who was four months pregnant, was already dead.

The 29-year-old's parents were using smokeless briquettes to warm their home for the first time that night: A government-issued fuel,&nbsp;made of coking coal from the southern Gobi region and washed coal powder,&nbsp;it has been linked to deaths and ill-health.

Since residents started using the briquettes in October, there have been seven other deaths,&nbsp;mainly children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Nearly one thousand have been hospitalised in Ulaanbaatar's outer slum districts, prompting fears the fuel can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.&nbsp;

Gerel's grieving mother, Jargalsaikhan Mishigdorj, warns the fuel should be used with care.

"I have burned coal all of my life, we have never ever been suffocated," she explains.&nbsp;

The Mongolian government is trying to battle dangerous smog levels in one of the world's most polluted cities by trying to offer replacements for raw coal, which produces a dense, dangerous smoke, but is often&nbsp;used by the poor to warm their homes in a place where temperature can plummet to minus 40C.&nbsp;

Mongolian officials say the briquettes last longer and emit fewer fumes.

Toxic air

One nurse at the National Poison Emergency hospital, who declined to say her name, told AFP she had never seen the numbers of carbon monoxide poisoning patients so high.

"We are working under an enormous amount of pressure," she says.

The city's emergency unit said issues were easing once people were told the "correct ways to burn the briquettes".&nbsp;

They said public service workers were spending time in the ger district to teach people about the new fuel as well as to report if any raw coal was still being used.

Its the latest example of governments in Asia struggling to find a safe, workable solution to replacing coal, in a region that is battling toxic levels of air pollution.

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to provide cooking gas connections to millions of rural residents has been beset by corruption.&nbsp;

In neighbouring China, three million homes near Beijing were ordered to switch from coal to gas or electric heating in 2017, but a difficult transition left many without any heating at all.

Ulaanbaatar is the world's coldest capital and only half of the residents have central heating, and Ulaanbaatar regularly exceeds World Health Organisation recommendations for air quality.

The government has been trying to force low-grade coal out of commission to reduce the thick air pollution that has plagued the city.&nbsp;

And experts say there is evidence that the move is already having a positive impact on the environment.

Sonomdagva, associate professor at the National University of Mongolia, told AFP that PM 2.5 -- tiny particles that get into the lungs and bloodstream -- had decreased by 40 per cent compared with October last year.

"However, an incredibly long and warm autumn, plus the usage of the new refined fuel, and fear of suffocation meaning people use only wood (for fuel) can also be reasons of the 40 per cent decrease," he said.

Fear of suffocation

Byambajargal Losol, a physicist at the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/first-time-in-a-decade-mongolian-president-to-visit-india-250052">Mongolian Science Academy</a>, told AFP that he believes the smokeless briquettes are the best way to reduce air pollution -- but that more needs to be done to help their safe use.

"People are using briquettes just like the old raw coal and burning it the same way," he said, adding: "The briquettes are thick and compact so they require twice as much oxygen to burn, compared to raw coal."

Carbon monoxide poisoning happens when there is a restricted oxygen supply.

The state-owned factory that produces the briquettes said families should also clean their stoves before burning the new fuel.

It has started providing free stove repair services after issues were highlighted in the local press. The government has also promised to distribute free smoke detectors in ger districts.&nbsp;&nbsp;

While citizens say the briquettes have benefits, some remain wary.

Ger resident Turbold Sainbuyan told AFP that the new briquettes save time and last longer.

"I had to break up the raw coal, (but) the briquettes are ready to use," he says.&nbsp;

"Now we use one bag of briquettes for three days compared to one bag of raw coal for only one day," he adds.

His mother Enkhjargal Chuluun, a nurse at a private dental clinic, said the briquettes are warmer than raw coal.

She says: "But we still have fear of suffocation, so we started opening the window at night."

One cold night in October, Gerel Ganbaatar decided to stay with her parents in one of Mongolia's traditional ger communities on the outskirts of the capital -- a decision which would prove fatal.

One cold night in October, Gerel Ganbaatar decided to stay with her parents in one of Mongolia's traditional ger communities on the outskirts of the capital -- a decision which would prove fatal. Within hours of arriving, she and her parents both became breathless and nauseous. They desperately called for help, but by the time medics arrived Gerel, who was four months pregnant, was already dead. The 29-year-old's parents were using smokeless briquettes to warm their home for the first time that night: A government-issued fuel, made of coking coal from the southern Gobi region and washed coal powder, it has been linked to deaths and ill-health. Since residents started using the briquettes in October, there have been seven other deaths, mainly children, pregnant women, and the elderly. Nearly one thousand have been hospitalised in Ulaanbaatar's outer slum districts, prompting fears the fuel can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Gerel's grieving mother, Jargalsaikhan Mishigdorj, warns the fuel should be used with care. "I have burned coal all of my life, we have never ever been suffocated," she explains. The Mongolian government is trying to battle dangerous smog levels in one of the world's most polluted cities by trying to offer replacements for raw coal, which produces a dense, dangerous smoke, but is often used by the poor to warm their homes in a place where temperature can plummet to minus 40C. Mongolian officials say the briquettes last longer and emit fewer fumes. Toxic air One nurse at the National Poison Emergency hospital, who declined to say her name, told AFP she had never seen the numbers of carbon monoxide poisoning patients so high. "We are working under an enormous amount of pressure," she says. The city's emergency unit said issues were easing once people were told the "correct ways to burn the briquettes". They said public service workers were spending time in the ger district to teach people about the new fuel as well as to report if any raw coal was still being used. Its the latest example of governments in Asia struggling to find a safe, workable solution to replacing coal, in a region that is battling toxic levels of air pollution. In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's promise to provide cooking gas connections to millions of rural residents has been beset by corruption. In neighbouring China, three million homes near Beijing were ordered to switch from coal to gas or electric heating in 2017, but a difficult transition left many without any heating at all. Ulaanbaatar is the world's coldest capital and only half of the residents have central heating, and Ulaanbaatar regularly exceeds World Health Organisation recommendations for air quality. The government has been trying to force low-grade coal out of commission to reduce the thick air pollution that has plagued the city. And experts say there is evidence that the move is already having a positive impact on the environment. Sonomdagva, associate professor at the National University of Mongolia, told AFP that PM 2.5 -- tiny particles that get into the lungs and bloodstream -- had decreased by 40 per cent compared with October last year. "However, an incredibly long and warm autumn, plus the usage of the new refined fuel, and fear of suffocation meaning people use only wood (for fuel) can also be reasons of the 40 per cent decrease," he said. Fear of suffocation Byambajargal Losol, a physicist at the Mongolian Science Academy, told AFP that he believes the smokeless briquettes are the best way to reduce air pollution -- but that more needs to be done to help their safe use. "People are using briquettes just like the old raw coal and burning it the same way," he said, adding: "The briquettes are thick and compact so they require twice as much oxygen to burn, compared to raw coal." Carbon monoxide poisoning happens when there is a restricted oxygen supply. The state-owned factory that produces the briquettes said families should also clean their stoves before burning the new fuel. It has started providing free stove repair services after issues were highlighted in the local press. The government has also promised to distribute free smoke detectors in ger districts. While citizens say the briquettes have benefits, some remain wary. Ger resident Turbold Sainbuyan told AFP that the new briquettes save time and last longer. "I had to break up the raw coal, (but) the briquettes are ready to use," he says. "Now we use one bag of briquettes for three days compared to one bag of raw coal for only one day," he adds. His mother Enkhjargal Chuluun, a nurse at a private dental clinic, said the briquettes are warmer than raw coal. She says: "But we still have fear of suffocation, so we started opening the window at night."

Mongolia's new 'cleaner' fuel linked to deaths, illness

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to visit <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/death-toll-rises-to-37-in-pakistan-earthquake-as-families-bury-loved-ones-252018">earthquake-hit</a> areas of Mirpur district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Monday.

He will stay in PoK for two-day and will also inspect the nearby areas on Tuesday.

Khan would be briefed about the damage and rescue relief and rehabilitation operations reported Dawn.

Last week, two <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/one-dead-several-injured-in-58-magnitude-quake-near-jhelum-pakistan-government-official-251783">earthquakes</a> struck PoK and adjoining areas.

Chaudhry Mohammad Tayyab, the divisional commissioner of Mirpur, said that 40 people were killed while 680 others suffered injuries in Mirpur and Jhelum district of Pakistan's Punjab.

Tayyab has said that according to preliminary reports 454 concrete houses and 1200 Katcha houses had been destroyed. Meanwhile, 6,660 concrete and 500 Katcha houses were partially damaged.

Nearly 140 school building and 200 vehicles were also marred by the natural disaster.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/differing-narratives-while-pm-modi-ticks-all-boxes-at-un-pak-pm-harps-on-kashmir-252145">Khan was in New York</a> to attend 74th session of United Nations General Assembly during the disaster.

The Prime Minister had on Friday announced Pakistani Rupees 5 lakh compensation to people killed in the quake.

However, no compensation to injured has been issued yet.

Meanwhile, the government has deployed 22 teams, comprising 107 officials, to survey the area for property losses.

They are expected to file a report in the coming 10 days.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to visit earthquake-hit areas of Mirpur district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Monday. He will stay in PoK for two-day and will also inspect the nearby areas on Tuesday.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is scheduled to visit earthquake-hit areas of Mirpur district in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on Monday. He will stay in PoK for two-day and will also inspect the nearby areas on Tuesday. Khan would be briefed about the damage and rescue relief and rehabilitation operations reported Dawn. Last week, two earthquakes struck PoK and adjoining areas. Chaudhry Mohammad Tayyab, the divisional commissioner of Mirpur, said that 40 people were killed while 680 others suffered injuries in Mirpur and Jhelum district of Pakistan's Punjab. Tayyab has said that according to preliminary reports 454 concrete houses and 1200 Katcha houses had been destroyed. Meanwhile, 6,660 concrete and 500 Katcha houses were partially damaged. Nearly 140 school building and 200 vehicles were also marred by the natural disaster. Khan was in New York to attend 74th session of United Nations General Assembly during the disaster. The Prime Minister had on Friday announced Pakistani Rupees 5 lakh compensation to people killed in the quake. However, no compensation to injured has been issued yet. Meanwhile, the government has deployed 22 teams, comprising 107 officials, to survey the area for property losses. They are expected to file a report in the coming 10 days.

Imran Khan to visit earthquake-hit areas in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir

Families bury loved ones as Pakistan quake toll climbs; rescue operations underway

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/afghanistan-donald-trump-calls-off-peace-talks-secret-summit-with-taliban-over-terror-attacks-248340">US President Donald Trump</a> on Saturday said that it was not a "good idea" for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/two-nato-troops-among-10-killed-in-kabul-suicide-attack-taliban-claims-responsibility-247831">Taliban to launch a deadly blast in Kabul</a>, which has claimed 12 lives including an American soldier, and stated that the militant group is aware that they have committed a "big mistake".

"The Taliban has never been hit harder than it is being hit right now. Killing 12 people, including one great American soldier, was not a good idea. There are much better ways to set up a negotiation. The Taliban knows they made a big mistake, and they have no idea how to recover!" Trump tweeted.

Trump had called off the negotiations with the Taliban and cancelled a "secret meeting" with the group's representatives at Camp David in the wake of the Kabul terror attack.

Despite Trump's decision, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the administration is still working toward a deal but it will not proceed until the Taliban delivers on its commitments.

The US has been negotiating with the Taliban in the last few months at Doha despite the group's reluctance to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, which it views as a US puppet.

Earlier, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the Trump administration had reached a deal 'in principle'&nbsp;to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban to not allow the war-torn country to be used as a base for attacks abroad.&nbsp;

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that it was not a "good idea" for Taliban to launch a deadly blast in Kabul, which has claimed 12 lives including an American soldier, and stated that the militant group is aware that they have committed a "big mistake".

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that it was not a "good idea" for Taliban to launch a deadly blast in Kabul, which has claimed 12 lives including an American soldier, and stated that the militant group is aware that they have committed a "big mistake". "The Taliban has never been hit harder than it is being hit right now. Killing 12 people, including one great American soldier, was not a good idea. There are much better ways to set up a negotiation. The Taliban knows they made a big mistake, and they have no idea how to recover!" Trump tweeted. Trump had called off the negotiations with the Taliban and cancelled a "secret meeting" with the group's representatives at Camp David in the wake of the Kabul terror attack. Despite Trump's decision, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that the administration is still working toward a deal but it will not proceed until the Taliban delivers on its commitments. The US has been negotiating with the Taliban in the last few months at Doha despite the group's reluctance to hold direct talks with the Afghan government, which it views as a US puppet. Earlier, US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the Trump administration had reached a deal 'in principle' to withdraw over 5,000 troops from Afghanistan in exchange for guarantees by the Taliban to not allow the war-torn country to be used as a base for attacks abroad.

Not a 'good idea' for Taliban to bomb Kabul: Trump

Chilling Facts From WHO's Report On Suicide

Gravitas: Suicide results in 8 Lakh deaths every year

A bus carrying 27 people, mostly Chinese tourists, rolled over on a highway in New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring six, police said.

Police are investigating the accident on State Highway 5 near Rotorua, a popular destination for tourist groups from China, in which the bus flipped to the opposite side of the road on a "moderate to easy bend", an official said.

"It's a traumatic incident for all concerned, and it has far-reaching consequences," Brent Crowe, an inspector in the Bay of Plenty region, told a news conference.

Ethnic liaison officers were coordinating with victims' families and Chinese officials, he said, adding that police were working with the foreign ministry and the Chinese consulate to notify the next of kin.

An official at the Chinese embassy in Wellington told Reuters it was working with police to identify the victims.

Two of the injured suffered serious injuries, while four were less grievously hurt.

A bus carrying 27 people, mostly Chinese tourists, rolled over on a highway in New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring six, police said.

A bus carrying 27 people, mostly Chinese tourists, rolled over on a highway in New Zealand's North Island on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring six, police said. Police are investigating the accident on State Highway 5 near Rotorua, a popular destination for tourist groups from China, in which the bus flipped to the opposite side of the road on a "moderate to easy bend", an official said. "It's a traumatic incident for all concerned, and it has far-reaching consequences," Brent Crowe, an inspector in the Bay of Plenty region, told a news conference. Ethnic liaison officers were coordinating with victims' families and Chinese officials, he said, adding that police were working with the foreign ministry and the Chinese consulate to notify the next of kin. An official at the Chinese embassy in Wellington told Reuters it was working with police to identify the victims. Two of the injured suffered serious injuries, while four were less grievously hurt.

Five Chinese tourists killed in New Zealand bus crash

As many as 43 people died, while three remained missing on Monday in the Pune division as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-flood-21-relief-teams-de-requisitioned-after-situation-turns-normal-in-kolhapur-sangli-districts-242480">incessant rainfall</a> continued to batter Maharashtra, an official statement said.

A statement from the Divisional Commissioner Office in Pune revealed that over four lakh people were evacuated from as many as 584 villages to safer places due to floods in the five districts of Pune division.

To cater the people who were rescued, 596 temporary shelter camps were also set up, the officials said.&nbsp;

"Forty-six villages of Pune division are still completely cut off due to floods. 105 units of different agencies along with 164 boats are still deployed in Kolhapur and Sangli district. 66 bridges of five districts are still closed due to floods and waterlogging," said the officials in a statement.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had, on Saturday, visited the flood-affected Kolhapur and Sangli, to take stock of the situation.

85 teams of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Territorial Army, Indian Navy and Indian Army are currently deployed in Sangli and Kolhapur districts for rescue efforts.

Also, more than 300 medical teams are working in Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara districts.&nbsp;

As many as 43 people died, while three remained missing on Monday in the Pune division as incessant rainfall continued to batter Maharashtra, an official statement said.

As many as 43 people died, while three remained missing on Monday in the Pune division as incessant rainfall continued to batter Maharashtra, an official statement said. A statement from the Divisional Commissioner Office in Pune revealed that over four lakh people were evacuated from as many as 584 villages to safer places due to floods in the five districts of Pune division. To cater the people who were rescued, 596 temporary shelter camps were also set up, the officials said. "Forty-six villages of Pune division are still completely cut off due to floods. 105 units of different agencies along with 164 boats are still deployed in Kolhapur and Sangli district. 66 bridges of five districts are still closed due to floods and waterlogging," said the officials in a statement. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had, on Saturday, visited the flood-affected Kolhapur and Sangli, to take stock of the situation. 85 teams of National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Territorial Army, Indian Navy and Indian Army are currently deployed in Sangli and Kolhapur districts for rescue efforts. Also, more than 300 medical teams are working in Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara districts.

43 dead, 3 missing as flood continues to batter Maharashtra

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