Jan 15: 32,793 COVID-19 cases in Karnataka; 22,284 from Bengaluru Urban alone
Bengaluru, Jan 15: Registering yet another spike in numbers, Karnataka on Saturday logged 32,793 new cases of COVID-19, and 7 fatalities, taking the tally to 31,86,040 and the death toll to 38,418.
The state, which has been witnessing a steady surge in cases since the last week of December, had recorded 28,723 fresh infections on Friday.
Of the new cases today, 22,284 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 2,479 people being discharged and 5 deaths.
The total number of active cases across the state is now 1,69,850.
There were 4,273 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,77,743, a health department bulletin said.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 15 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.02 per cent.
Of the 7 deaths, 5 are from Bengaluru Urban and one each from Chikkaballapura and Mysuru.
Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Tumakuru recorded the second highest of 1,326 new cases, Hassan 968, Dakshina Kannada 792, Mysuru 729, and Mandya 718.
Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 13,95,736 positive cases, followed by Mysuru 1,84,952 and Tumakuru 1,25,514.
According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban tops the list among discharges with 12,50,175, followed by Mysuru 1,78,551 and Tumakuru 1,20,329.
Cumulatively, a total of 5,88,11,041 samples have been tested, of which 2,18,479 were on Saturday alone.
To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE
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Impeached South Korean president to appear in court hearing to argue against his arrest
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Seoul (AP): South Korea's impeached president will appear at a hearing in a Seoul court on Saturday to oppose a formal arrest over last month's imposition of martial law, his lawyers said.
Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country's most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoon's formal arrest.
Yoon is expected to argue that there's no need for him to be in custody during an investigation at a hearing set for 2 pm this afternoon. The judge is anticipated to make a decision by late Saturday or early Sunday.
After meeting Yoon at the detention center, Yoon Kab-keun, one of the president's lawyers, said in a text message that Yoon had his legal team's advice to appear personally before the judge. The president plans to argue that his decree was a legitimate exercise of his powers and that accusations of rebellion would not hold up before a criminal court or the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him, his lawyer said.
Hundreds of supporters rallied overnight at the court, calling for Yoon's release.
If Yoon is arrested, investigators can extend his detention to 20 days, during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment. If the court rejects the investigators' request, Yoon will be released and return to his residence.
Nine people, including Yoon's defense minister, police chief, and several top military commanders, have already been arrested and indicted for their roles in the enforcement of martial law.
The crisis began when Yoon, in an attempt to break through legislative gridlock, imposed military rule and sent troops to the National Assembly and election offices. The standoff lasted only hours after lawmakers who managed to get through a blockade voted to lift the measure. The opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14.
If Yoon is formally arrested, it could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody for him, lasting months or more.
If prosecutors indict Yoon on rebellion and abuse of power charges, which are the allegations now being examined by investigators, they could keep him in custody for up to six months before trial.
Under South Korean law, orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Yoon's lawyers have argued that there is no need to detain him during the investigation, saying he doesn't pose a threat to flee or destroy evidence.
Investigators respond that Yoon ignored several requests to appear for questioning, and that the presidential security service blocked an attempt to detain him on Jan. 3. His defiance has raised concerns about whether he would comply with criminal court proceedings if he's not under arrest.
