Against GOP Objections ‘Obamacare’ Survives

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court’s latest rejection of a Republican effort to dismantle “Obamacare” signals anew that the GOP must look beyond repealing the law if it wants to hone the nation’s health care problems into a winning political issue. Thursday’s 7-2 ruling was the third time the court has rebuffed major GOP challenges to former President Barack Obama’s prized health care overhaul. Stingingly for Republicans, the decision emerged from a bench dominated 6-3 by conservative-leaning justices, including three appointed by President Donald Trump.

Those high court setbacks have been atop dozens of failed Republican repeal attempts in Congress. Most spectacularly, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., flashed a thumbs-down that doomed Trump’s drive to erase the law in 2017. Along with the public’s gradual but decisive acceptance of the statute, the court rulings and legislative defeats underscore that the law, passed in 2010 despite overwhelming GOP opposition, is probably safe. And it spotlights a remarkable progression of the measure from a political liability that cost Democrats House control just months after enactment to a widely accepted bedrock of the medical system, delivering care to what the government says is more than 30 million people.

“The Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land,” President Joe Biden said, using the statute’s more formal name, after the court ruled that Texas and other GOP-led states had no right to bring their lawsuit to federal court. “It’s not as sacred or popular as Medicare or Medicaid, but it’s here to stay,” said Drew Altman, president of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “And it’s moved from an ideological whipping boy to a set of popular benefits that the public values.”

Highlighting the GOP’s shifting health care focus, in interviews and written statements Thursday, more than a dozen Republican lawmakers called for controlling medical costs and other changes, but none suggested another run at repeal. Congressional Republicans hadn’t even filed a legal brief supporting the latest Supreme Court challenge. “Just practically speaking, you need 60 votes in a Republican Senate, a Republican president, right? And we’ve tried that and were unable to accomplish it,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., a leading voice on health care in the GOP.

Polling shows the risks in trying to demolish Obama’s law. A Kaiser poll showed Americans about evenly divided on the law in December 2016, just after Trump was elected on a pledge to kill it. By February 2020, 54% had a favorable view while 39% disapproved. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and other top Republicans issued a statement illustrating one line of attack the party is preparing — trying to handcuff all Democrats to “Medicare for All,” a costly plan for government-provided health care backed by progressives that goes beyond what Biden and many in the party have proposed.

Congress should “not double down on a failed health care law or, worse, move towards a one-size-fits-all, socialist system that takes away choice entirely,” the Republicans said. The GOP should focus on health issues people care about, like personalized care and promoting medical innovation, not repealing the health care law, said David Winston, a pollster and political adviser to congressional GOP leaders.

“Republicans need to lay out a clear direction of where the health care system should go,” Winston said. “Don’t look backward, look forward.” Most people have gained coverage from either Obama’s expansion of the government-funded Medicaid program for lower-income people or from private health plans, for which federal subsidies help offset costs for many. The law’s most popular provisions also include its protections for people with preexisting medical conditions from higher insurance rates, allowing people up to age 26 to remain covered under their parents’ plans and requiring insurers to cover services like pregnancy and mental health.

Key requirements like that are “locked in concrete,” said Joseph Antos, a health policy analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. The political opening for Republicans would be if Democrats push hard for things like lowering the eligibility age for Medicare to 60 because for many conservative-leaning voters, he said, “that’s a sign of government pushing too far” into private marketplace decisions. Yet serious problems remain. Nearly 29 million Americans remained uninsured in 2019, and millions more likely lost coverage at least temporarily when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, according to Kaiser. In addition, medical costs continue rising and even many covered by the law find their premiums and deductibles difficult to afford.

In response, Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package enacted in March expanded federal subsidies for health insurance premiums for those buying coverage. His infrastructure and jobs proposal being negotiated in Congress includes $200 billion toward making that permanent, instead of expiring in two years. But his plan includes none of his more controversial campaign trail proposals to expand health care access, like creating a federally funded public health care option or letting Medicare directly negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. While those proposals are popular with Democratic voters, they face tough odds in a closely divided Congress.

Still, Republicans gearing up for 2022 elections that will decide congressional control must decide where their next focus will be. One GOP strategist involved in House races, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe internal thinking, said the party should focus on issues like the economy and border security that register as higher voter concerns. A Gallup poll showed that in May, 21% of the public ranked the economy as the country’s top problem, with health care registering at just 3%.

Other Republicans say the Supreme Court’s rejection of the latest repeal attempt will clear the political field for them to refocus their health care attacks on Democrats. “Now it’s Medicare for All that will be a top health care issue playing a role in campaigns,” said Chris Hartline, spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP’s campaign arm.

(Associated Press writers Alexandra Jaffe in Washington and Tom Murphy in Indianapolis, Ind., contributed to this report.)

7th International Yoga Day Held In New York

The Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT, in partnership with the Consulate General of India-New York, organized a group yoga event on Sunday, June 20, to mark the 7th International Day of Yoga. Nearly 200 participants joined the hybrid event, with over 120 joining online. The Liberty State Park, with the backdrop of the majestic Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, provided the perfect venue for the event.

Consul General of India NY Randhir Jaiswal, who briefly attended the event with DCG NY Shatrughan Sinha, appreciated and encouraged the participants.Celebrity yoga instructor, Reiki healer, and health coach Thara Natalie gave yoga lessons for all ages. She also shared health tips during the one-hour session. Singer and song writer Jay Sean was the guest of honor while former Miss America and American public speaker and actress Nina Davuluri, also a yoga practitioner, compered the event.

Lauding the efforts of event chair Parveen Bansal and his team in putting together the event, FIA president Anil Bansal said, “It is heartening to see people giving due importance to yoga. It is an ancient Indian discipline that purifies the mind and body with regular practice. Just like this morning, I hope everyone here continues to find time to invest in their health and well-being.”

“Last year was tough for everyone. Now, the community is slowly reeling out of the pandemic. The benefits of yoga are known to the entire world. We hope this event can give a positive push to our attempts to get back to the pre-pandemic days,” said FIA chairman Ankur Vaidya. He expressed his gratitude to CGI NY Jaiswal and DCG Sinha for their continued support in making the Yoga Day celebration a success.FIA provided complimentary coffee, munchkins, water, T-shirt, and yoga mat to all participants in attendance and held an attendee raffle in which 5 Google home devices were raffled as thank-you giveaways to the attendees.

FIA has been hosting Yoga Day event since 2015. The United Nations had, in December 2014, proclaimed June 21 every year as the International Day of Yoga. The FIA has been organizing yoga events to mark the day since 2015 when it was celebrated globally for the first time. Last year, with the Covid-19 pandemic raging across the world, the entire event was held online.

UN Emphasizes Yoga’s Role In Helping World Recover From Covid

Yoga, which provided a ‘lifeline’ during the Covid-19 pandemic, can help the world recover from its ravages, leaders at the United Nations said on Monday on the occasion of the 7th International Day of Yoga. “As we take steps to recover from the pandemic, let yoga inspire us to approach challenges holistically, to work together through the multilateral system so we recover better, stronger and greener,” UN General Assembly President VolkanBozkir said. “The social and economic consequences (of the pandemic) have been devastating for many around the world (and) yoga was a lifeline during the lockdown. It helped maintain physical well-being while also managing the stress of uncertainty and isolation,” he said.

Because of the pandemic, the Yoga Day was observed virtually at the UN this year — just like last year — without the mass exercises with the participation of top UN officials and diplomats from around the world that became a part of the UN tradition since 2015. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that yoga can “play a significant role in the care and rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients in allaying fears and sorrow.” “The Covid-19 pandemic has caused enormous stress and anxiety to many people worldwide, who are stemming from loss, isolation, economic insecurity or disruption to normal routines and work-life balance. Yoga can help us cope with the uncertainty and anxiety,” she said.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, T.S. Tirumurti, said the Yoga Day this year “seeks to reaffirm the rejuvenating role of yoga in promoting health and wellbeing of the global community which is presently coping with the pervasive effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.” “Yoga organisations and practitioners around the world have been raising awareness through digital platforms about the potential of yoga in mitigating the adverse effects of the pandemic on the physical and mental well-being of the people,” he said.

Yoga practitioners from eight countries participated in a digital demonstration conducted by New York-based yoga teacher Eddie Stern. The United Nations General Assembly had declared June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the initiative of India with the support of 177 countries. Unlike the UN, which still maintains strict Covid-19 precautions, the host city New York had dropped most Covid related restrictions last week as the city’s vaccination rate surged to about 70 per cent, enabling a mass celebration.

On Sunday, the city’s Times Square held its first major event after the restrictions fell off, celebrating Yoga Day to coincide with the Summer Solstice, which came a day earlier this year. A relay of yoga practice with over 3,000 people participating took place at Times Square, which is known as the ‘Crossroads of the World’, from 7:30 am to 8 pm. Across the Hudson River at Jersey City’s Liberty State Park against the backdrop of the Statue of Liberty, the tristate Federation of Indian Associations organised a celebration on Sunday. Both the events were organized in partnership with the Consulate General of India. (IANS)

On World Yoga Day, India, WHO Launch New Myoga App

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the mYoga fitness app on the occasion of International Yoga Day. Jointly developed by the Ministry of Ayush and the World Health Organization, the mYoga app aims to bring assisted yoga training to everyone with a smartphone for free without needing any signing in. Check out all you want to know about the new WHO mYoga app, available on both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The application is completely free and has no sign up required. Here’s how it works.

The mYoga app is mainly divided into two sections, a learning tab and a practice tab. The learning tab is meant for those users who are completely new to Yoga. It features a sequential set of videos that help watchers learn the various yoga asanas with proper technique. The practice session is aimed at users who have learned the asanas and are practising. Both modes offer different time durations like 10 minutes, 20 minutes and 45 minutes. Although when in Practice mode, you can also switch to an audio-only panel and only follow along with audio instructions.

Aasanas covered in the learning modules include basic neck movements, trunk twisting, Tadasana, ArdhaChakrasana, Bhujangasana and more. While the 10-minute module will cover fewer exercises, the 20 and 45-minutes programs will offer additional exercises like the Vakrasanak, Shalabhasana and more. Videos on the app can either be streamed or even downloaded and saved offline to watch later. The app also offers its entire interface as well as an audio output for videos in both English and Hindi.

Yoga On Times Square In New York, Gives Hope Of Coming Off Covid

Rising from the pall of Covid-19 restrictions, New York City celebrated International Yoga Day at the Times Square with day-long performances of the ancient Indian art of developing a healthy mind and body. The city’s celebrations were held on Sunday, June 20th to coincide with the Summer Solstice, which falls a day early this year, but the UN observed the day virtually on Monday, June 21st. The UN General Assembly declared June 21 the International Day of Yoga in 2014 at the initiative of India with the support of 177 countries.

More than 3,000 people participated in the “Mind Over Madness Yoga” performances organised by the Indian Consulate General and the Times Square Alliance. India’s Consul General Randhir Jaiswal said at the celebrations: “Yoga is a universal idea, universal thought, universal action. And what better place than Times Square to celebrate a universal thought. This is the crossroads of the world. You have people from all over the world coming, here people from five continents coming here, people from all cultures coming here.

“While we celebrate yoga in various parts of the world, celebrating yoga here in Times Square is very special, very unique, more so today when it happens to be Father’s Day, what a happy coincidence.” Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said yoga is about “health, harmony, unity and togetherness”. New York State had dropped most Covid-19 restrictions on June 15 and Yoga Day was the first major event at Times Square. “We are back. Now is the time to stop wishing and doing more,” Harris added.

The Consulate featured a stall with nature care, herbs and health materials from India, which Jaiswal said was to help people “live more in harmony with nature, more in harmony with traditional knowledge”. The relay of yoga exercises that began at 7.30 a.m. and continued till 8 p.m.. It was broadcast live on the internet to help those at home learn the art. The day has been observed at the UN with top officials joining in the mass exercises, except last year and this year because of the pandemic.

On Monday, the UN held a virtual event at 8.30 a.m. (6 p.m. Indian Standard Time) that was telecast over UN TV, which is available on the internet, and on the Indian Mission’s social media. General Assembly President VolkanBozkir delivered a message at the event and New York yoga teacher Eddie Stern is slated to give a demonstration. A Saudi yoga instructor, NoufMarwaai; an Indian doctor and author, Raman Krishnan, and Sam Rudra Swartz, a disciple of Swami Sachidananda and a hatha yoga teacher are to participate in an interactive dialogue on “Yoga and Wellbeing”.

Mindy Kaling Is Co-Founder Of Film School For Underserved

For those without connections, Hollywood’s film industry is notoriously hard to break into. Or at least, it has been. A coalition of Hollywood stars has partnered with the Los Angeles Unified School District to form a public magnet high school focused on all things film. Celeb parents like George Clooney, Mindy Kaling, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria, Don Cheadle, and more hope the school will provide students from diverse and traditionally underserved communities with more opportunities to break into the industry, be it as cinematographers, set designers, screenwriters, or make-up artists.

Mindy Kaling, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Eva Longoria and Kerry Washington are among several Hollywood personalities who will come together to co-found a film school for underserved communities next year. The institution, named Roybal School of Film and Television Production, will provide academic as well as practical lessons, and access to Hollywood stalwarts and professionals, besides an internship initiative, according to variety.com.

“Our aim is to better reflect the diversity of our country. That means starting early. It means creating high school programs that teach young people about cameras, and editing and visual effects and sound and all the career opportunities that this industry has to offer. It means internships that lead to well-paying careers. It means understanding that we’re all in this together,” Clooney said in a statement, reported the website. Others associated with the initiative include actor Grant Heslov, producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, Hollywood talent scout Bryan Lourd, Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner, and Nicole Avant. (IANS)

Jesse Jackson Joins Efforts To Help COVID-Hit In India

Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson argued for the importance of democracy, inclusiveness and unity in crises at an event calling for efforts to help the COVID-hit in India. Jackson, the founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, discussed his views in a short speech to celebrate the federal Juneteenth holiday at a press conference June 18 at the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco. He also discussed his ongoing advocacy for helping India, where the coronavirus has claimed about 400,000 lives and impacted about 30 million. The event was co-hosted by Indiaspora founder M. Rangaswami.

The Indian American community has hailed Jackson pushing President Joe Biden to send COVID vaccines to India. “The pandemic is global and it’s real,” he said. “We have to realize we have to work together … and save millions of lives in India.” Jackson, a disciple of Martin Luther King Jr. and a believer in Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, is dealing with Parkinson’s disease but looked active during the press conference. He stressed his India connections, pointing out that he had been there three times.

Asked what he thought about civil rights in India under the current administration there, he told the media, “Democracy cannot just be a word; democracy is about who you care for, your people and education. We are human beings … in jeopardy. I think in India the government is stable but people are poor – too poor… We need to make it right,” Jackson said. Sounding hopeful about working with the Narendra Modi government, he said, “I think the moment we talk [with Modi], we can act together on economic policy and democracy. Modi and I should work together on democracy,” Jackson said. He asked the Indian diaspora to support the poor in India with no homes, work or jobs, saying, “We members of the diaspora are blessed to be in good shape.”

Dr. Vijay G. Prabhakar, Rainbow PUSH Coalition global Ambassador and chairman of the American Association of Multi Ethnic Physicians, USA, has been working with Jackson. He told indica News he was surprised and pleased when Jackson called him in early May to discuss his support of India. Jackson and Dr. Prabhakar met President Biden and urged him to support India. The president has since pledged that of the 6 million he promised to send abroad, 2 million vaccine doses would go to India.

“That will be done by the end of June 2021,” Dr. Prabhakar told indica News on the sidelines of the press conference. He added that the doses, all provided free would include vaccines from AstraZeneca (after FDA approval), Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. There are more 60 million AstraZeneca stockpiled and which could be distributed from July 1. “Our request today is to have the Biden-Harris administration, through Jackson, to at least give us 20 million vaccines in the next 60 days,” Dr. Prabhakar said, adding that he and Jackson would be going back to Washington, DC, to personally pursue the matter again with Biden. Jackson also met President Biden during a presidential visit to Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Prabhakar said.

Dr. Prabhakar thanked Jackson for appealing to President Biden to remove the Defense Production Act ratings on three U.S. vaccine manufacturers to ease the shortage of raw materials to vaccine manufacturers in India. Describing Biden as a “minority-driven man,” Dr. Prabhakar said that he heard the president say he would set aside 15 percent for Black and brown people.

Dr. Prabhakar made an allusion to a wound being held, and explained it to indica News later: “We are aware of the friendship of Modi and Trump and their embrace at the Howdy Modi rally in Texas. Quite a large number of Indians were engaged in the campaign. What has not been forgotten yet by the Biden-Harris administration. This is why Jackson makes s difference. Because of him, President Biden agreed [to supply vaccines] … and the Modi government has accepted. Asked about reports about Modi visiting the U.S., Dr. Prabhakar acknowledged them, saying, “We have to work steadfastly to bring President Biden and Mr. Modi together.”

He said the work wasn’t easy, and had called for many phone calls with the Biden administration, and between Vice President Harris and Jackson. Rangaswami, founder and chairman of Indiaspora, a non-profit network of global leaders of Indian origin and the co-founder of the Sand Hill Group in Silicon Valley, told indica News that Indiaspora has raised close to $3. 5 million for the cause. He specifically cited PreetBharara, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, who helped raise $130,000 for those affected by COVID in India.

Rangaswami said Indiapora’s Chalogive.org is working through a Delhi-based non-profit, Goonj, to distribute funds. He said that while a lot of other groups were working to supply oxygen needed by the COVID-hit, Indiaspora had focused on food and cash relief required in rural India. He said 230 million people in India have fallen into poverty since the pandemic began.

“I am sure the government is doing their bit. It’s such a big problem. Everybody needs to help,” he said, pointing out that hunger had become a big issue there.Rangaswami said that after the pandemic, too, the group would work to see how migrants could be given jobs where they live. “We learned a painful lesson in the U.S. last year, and have over 600,000 deaths,” Rangaswani said. “When the country is burning there [should be] no pointing of fingers,” he said, adding, “Maybe in the future we can give some constructive feedback. Right now the time is for India to get the vaccines.”

Modi Delivers Keynote Address At The 5th Edition Of Vivatech

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address at the 5th edition of VivaTech today via video conference. The Prime Minister was invited as a Guest of Honour to deliver the keynote address at VivaTech 2021, one of the largest digital and startup events in Europe, held in Paris every year since 2016.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that India and France have been working closely on a wide range of subjects. Among these, technology and digital are emerging areas of cooperation. It is the need of the hour that such cooperation continues to grow further. It will not only help our nations but also the world at large. Shri Modi mentioned Infosys providing tech support for the French Open tournament and collaboration involving French companies like Atos, Capgemini and India’s TCS and Wipro as examples of IT talent of the two countries serving companies and citizens all over the world.

Modi pointed out that where convention fails, innovation helps. During the pandemic, said the Prime Minister, digital technology helped us cope, connect, comfort and console. India’s universal and unique bio-metric digital identity system – Aadhar – helped to provide timely financial support to the poor. “We could supply free food to 800 million people, and deliver cooking-fuel subsidies to many households. We in India were able to operationalise two public digital education programes- Swayam and Diksha – in quick time to help students”, the Prime Minister informed.

The Indian leader praised the role of the start-up sector in meeting the challenge of the pandemic. The private sector played a key role in addressing the shortage of PPE kits, masks, testing kits etc. Doctors adopted tele-medicine in a big way so that some COVID and other non-COVID issues could be addressed virtually. Two vaccines are being made in India and more are in the development or trial stage. The Prime minister indicated that indigenous IT platform, Arogya-Setu enabled effective contact tracing. The COWIN digital platform has already helped ensure vaccines to millions.

Modi said that India is home to one of the world’s largest start-up eco systems. Several unicorns have come up in the recent years. India offers what innovators and investors need. He invited the world to invest in India based on the five pillars of: Talent, Market, Capital, Eco-system and, Culture of openness. The Prime Minister also stressed the strengths like, Indian talent pool, mobile phone penetration and Seven Seventy-Five million internet users, highest and cheap data consumption in the world and the highest use of social media to invite investors to India.

The Prime Minister also enumerated initiatives like state-of-the-art public digital infrastructure, five hundred and twenty three thousand kilometres of fibre optic network linking One hundred and fifty six thousand village councils, public wi-fi networks across the country. He also elaborated on efforts to nurture a culture of innovation. There are state-of-the-art innovation labs in Seven Thousand Five Hundred schools under the Atal Innovation Mission, the Prime Minister informed. Talking about the disruption in different sector over the past year, the Prime Minister insisted that disruption does not have to mean despair. Instead, the focus should be kept on the twin foundations of repair and prepare. “This time last year, the world was still seeking a vaccine. Today, we have quite a few. Similarly, we have to continue repairing health infrastructure and our economies. We in India implemented huge reforms across sectors, be it mining, space, banking, atomic energy and more. This goes on to show that India as a nation is adaptable and agile, even in the middle of the pandemic” Said Shri Modi.

Modi stressed the need for insulating our planet against the next pandemic. Ensuring we focus on sustainable life-styles that stop ecological degradation. Strengthening cooperation in furthering research as well as innovation. The Prime Minister called upon the start-up community to take the lead in working with collective spirit and a human centric approach to overcome this challenge. “The start-up space is dominated by youngsters. These are people free from the baggage of the past. They are best placed to power global transformation. Our start-ups must explore areas such as: Healthcare. Eco-friendly technology including waste recycling,

Agriculture, new age tools of learning”, said the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister emphasized that France and Europe are among India’s key partners. Referring to his conversations with President Macron, in summit with EU leaders in Porto in May, The Prime Minister said that digital partnership, from start-ups to quantum computing, emerged as a key priority. “History has shown that leadership in new technology drives economic strength, jobs and prosperity. But, our partnerships must also serve a larger purpose, in service of humanity. This pandemic is not only a test of our resilience, but also of our imagination It is a chance to build a more inclusive, caring and sustainable future for all,” concluded the Prime Minister.

UN Not Happy With New Indian IT Rules That Do Not Conform With International Norms

Experts at the United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner have said in a report that it is concerned that India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, in their current form, do not conform with international human rights norms. The observations were made in Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy.

The report is authored by Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Clement NyaletsossiVoule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Joseph Cannataci, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. “As noted in previous communications sent to your Excellency’s Government, we are concerned that these new rules come at a time of a global pandemic and of large-scale farmer protests in the country, where the enjoyment of the freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to receive information, and the right to privacy, is particularly important for the realization of several other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,” the report said.

“We would like to recall that restrictions to freedom of expression must never be invoked as a justification for the muzzling of any advocacy of multiparty democracy, democratic tenets and human rights,” the report said. The report said as a global leader in technology innovation, India has the potential to develop legislation that can place it at the forefront of efforts to protect digital rights. However, the substantially broadened scope of the Rules is likely to do just the opposite. “We would therefore encourage the Government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules and to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society dealing with human rights, freedom of expression, privacy rights and digital rights”, the report said.

“We understand the new rules were issued under the Information Technology Act of 2000 and therefore, were not subject to parliamentary review or opened for consultation with stakeholders. We believe such consultations with relevant stakeholders are essential in order to ensure the final text is compatible with India’s international legal obligations, in particular with Articles 17 and 19 of the ICCPR,” it added. This observation along with India’s comment will also subsequently be made available in the usual report to be presented to the Human Rights Council, it added. Meanwhile India vigorously defended the much-debated IT Rules following critical comments by the UN special rapporteurs that certain aspects of the newly introduced regulation fall afoul of international human rights.

India’s Permanent Mission to the UN said: “The concern that the rules may be misused deliberately to make a large number of complaints so as to overwhelm the grievance redressal mechanisms created by social media platforms is misplaced, exaggerated and disingenuous and shows lack of willingness to address grievances of the users of these media platforms while using their data to earn revenues.” “The concerns alleging potential implications for freedom of expression that the new IT rules will entail is highly misplaced. India’s democratic credentials are well recognized. The right to freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. The independent judiciary and a robust media are part of India’s democratic structure.”

The Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations, in a letter to the union government last week, had raised concerns on certain aspects of the Rules. “We are seriously concerned that Section 4 may compromise the right to privacy of every Internet user. We are notably concerned by the ability of executive authorities to issue orders to access to user data and restrict content, which seems to take place outside of any judicial oversight mechanism that would hold authorities accountable.” On Part 3 of the Rules on digital media: “We are seriously concerned that such broad powers given to the executive authorities, without judicial review, is likely to unduly restrict the free flow of information, which is protected by Article 19 (2) of the ICCPR [International Covenant on Civil and Political rights].”

Longest Day In The Northern Hemisphere

Summer’s officially here! Longest day in the Northern Hemisphere is June 21st. Technically, the summer solstice occurs when the sun is directly over the imaginary Tropic of Cancer, or 23.5°N latitude. It’s also known as the northern solstice because it occurs when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere. This year, it occurred at 9:02 am IST on June 21st.Zenith Furthest Away from the Equator. A solstice happens when the sun’s zenith is at its furthest point from the equator. On the June solstice, it reaches its northernmost point and the Earth’s North Pole tilts directly towards the sun, at about 23.4 degrees.

“Solstice” (Latin: “solstitium”) means sun-stopping. The point on the horizon where the sun appears to rise and set, stops and reverses direction after this day. On the solstice, the sun does not rise precisely in the east, but rises to the north of east and sets to the north of west, meaning it’s visible in the sky for a longer period of time. Although the June solstice marks the first day of astronomical summer, it’s more common to use meteorological definitions of seasons, making the solstice midsummer or midwinter.

Solstices in Culture

Over the centuries, the June solstice has inspired countless festivals, midsummer celebrations and religious holidays. One of the world’s oldest evidence of the summer solstice’s importance in culture is Stonehenge in England, a megalithic structure which clearly marks the moment of the June solstice. In the Southern Hemisphere, where the June solstice is known as the shortest day of the year, it marks the first day of astronomical winter, but the middle of winter in meteorological terms.

Midnight Sun or Polar Night?

On the June solstice, the midnight sun is visible (weather permitting) throughout the night, in all areas from just south of the Arctic Circle to the North Pole.

Sunrise and Sunset Times

On the other side of the planet, south of the Antarctic Circle there’s Polar Night, meaning no Sunlight at all, on the June solstice.

Solstice Dates Vary

Even though most people consider June 21 as the date of the June solstice, it can happen anytime between June 20 and June 22, depending on which time zone you’re in. June 22 solstices are rare – the last June 22 solstice in UTC time took place in 1975 and there won’t be another one until 2203. The varying dates of the solstice are mainly due to the calendar system – most western countries use the Gregorian calendar which has 365 days in a normal year and 366 days in a Leap Year.

A tropical year is the time it takes the Earth to orbit once around the Sun. It is around 365.242199 days long, but varies slightly from year to year because of the influence of other planets. The exact orbital and daily rotational motion of the Earth, such as the “wobble” in the Earth’s axis (precession of the equinoxes), also contributes to the changing solstice dates. The 23.4° tilt in the Earth’s axis causes varying amounts of sunlight to reach different regions during its year-long orbit around the Sun. Today, the North Pole is tipped more towards the Sun than on any other day of the year. However, that does not mean more heat or that the Earth is any closer to the Sun, per common misconceptions.

Summer solstices happen twice each year (once in each hemisphere). Summer solstice for the Northern Hemisphere = Winter solstice for the Southern Hemisphere, and vice-versa. Also, during Equinoxes (vernal and autumnal), the Sun shines directly on the Equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal in either hemisphere. More key dates for 2021 (Northern Hemisphere): Autumn Equinox: Thursday, September 23, Winter Solstice: Tuesday, December 21.

Social Media Platforms Frustrated By India’s Changing Regulations

US-based social media platforms have been frustrated by the relentless changing rules and regulations in India, the latest being India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Microblogging site Twitter has been facing the wrath of Indian authorities ever since it flagged a tweet by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on a ‘COVID Toolkit’, attributed to the Congress, on how to target the Centre over its handling of the COVID crisis. The row over the purported toolkit escalated after the Special Cell visited Twitter India offices on May 24 and served a notice, asking it to share information based on which Patra’s tweet had been tagged ‘manipulated media’.

The government had asked Twitter to remove the ‘manipulated media’ tag as the law enforcement agency was looking into the issue. Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari was questioned by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell on May 24 in connection with its probe into the case. He was questioned about the company’s policy on flagging tweets as ‘manipulated media’. Indian representatives of microblogging platform Twitter appeared before the parliamentary panel chaired by Congress’ Shashi Tharoor to discuss the issue of its guidelines and the misuse of its platform. During the deposition, Twitter India’s public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor represented Twitter before the panel.

During the meeting, the panel asked the company, if it follows the law or the land, to which a representative responded saying, “We follow our own policies.” The members then told Twitter that law of the land is “supreme” and asked the company to abide by them. They also asked Twitter to explain why it should not be fined for ‘violating’ rule of land. On February 25, 2021, the Central Government enacted the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which cast various obligations on internet intermediaries, especially on social media platforms. It was reported that social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were yet to comply with their obligations under the 2021 Rules. This gave rise to an apprehension among users of such websites that these websites could either stop operations or be banned in India for such non-compliance.

A user registered on Facebook can share information with his connections without the same being edited by Facebook in any manner. This passive role adopted by Facebook is what in essence enables it to be classified as an intermediary. Under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, intermediaries are granted protection from incurring any liability for third-party data available on their platform or hosted by them. This protection is essential as various intermediaries such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube do not monitor the content posted by third-party users on their platforms. However, if any such content uploaded by a third-party user is in violation of any law, the intermediary does not incur any liability for such information.

Prior to the current 2021 rules, the 2011 Rules laid down the standards of due diligence required to be observed by intermediaries. The 2011 Rules required intermediaries to publish rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreements which would enjoin each user not to post information which would contravene any law in force. These rules also required intermediaries to disable access or remove information which is unlawful upon receiving actual knowledge of the same. In Shreya Singhal versus Union of India, the Supreme Court read down the requirement of actual knowledge of an intermediary to mean knowledge of a court order directing it to disable access or remove such information.

The 2021 Rules supersede the 2011 Rules. In these rules, the requirement of publication of rules and regulations, privacy policy and user agreements which stipulate that no user shall post information which would contravene any law in force have been retained.  The 2021 Rules now permit the intermediaries to take down any unlawful information on a voluntary basis and such voluntary removal would not affect the protection afforded to them under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. The 2021 Rules lay down additional due diligence requirements to be observed by “significant social media intermediaries”.

Any intermediary who primarily or solely enables online interaction between two or more users and allows them to create, upload, share, disseminate, modify or access information using its services and has more than 50 lakh registered users is classified as a significant social media intermediary. Thus, all popular social networking platforms such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter would be required to observe these additional due diligence requirements. They social media platforms were given a three-month timeline for ensuring compliance of these rules. So far, none of the major international social networking platforms have complied with these requirements. Facebook has released a statement that it aims to comply with the 2021 Rules and was in discussion with the government on certain issues.

Under Rule 7 of the 2021 Rules, if an intermediary fails to observe any of the rules laid down, it loses protection afforded to it by Section 79 of the Information Technology Act. Simply put, this would mean that an intermediary like Facebook or Twitter would be open for liability if a third-party user posts unlawful content on their platforms. On June 19, experts at United Nations Office of the Human Rights Commissioner have said in a report that it is concerned that India’s Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, in their current form, do not conform with international human rights norms.

The observations were made in Mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy. The report is authored by Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Clement NyaletsossiVoule, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association and Joseph Cannataci, Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy.

“As noted in previous communications sent to your Excellency’s Government, we are concerned that these new rules come at a time of a global pandemic and of large-scale farmer protests in the country, where the enjoyment of the freedom of opinion and expression, including the right to receive information, and the right to privacy, is particularly important for the realisation of several other civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights,” the report said.”We would like to recall that restrictions to freedom of expression must never be invoked as a justification for the muzzling of any advocacy of multiparty democracy, democratic tenets and human rights,” the report said.

The report said as a global leader in technology innovation, India has the potential to develop a legislation that can place it at the forefront of efforts to protect digital rights. However, the substantially broadened scope of the Rules is likely to do just the opposite. “We would therefore encourage the Government to take all necessary steps to carry out a detailed review of the Rules and to consult with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society dealing with human rights, freedom of expression, privacy rights and digital rights”, the report said.

The question here is whether freedom of speech is paramount or not. The Narendra Modi regime has been chipping away at various pillars of democracy and it is no wonder that another opportunity for the general public to voice its woes is being muzzled. Media too have been generally silenced be it through force or coercion. Popular voices have been thus silenced time and again by authoritarian governments the world over.

Bail for Delhi Riot accused

The impositions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) law against protestors have always been criticized by human rights activists and lawyers. A couple of days back, the Delhi High Court granted bail to DevanganaKalita and Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha in the Delhi riot case.  Pinjra Tod activists DevanganaKalita and Natasha Narwal were arrested a year ago in the Delhi riots case. They were arrested in May 2020 for allegedly being part of a premeditated conspiracy behind the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The Delhi High Court granted interim bail to student activist Asif Iqbal Tanha, accused in a northeast Delhi riot case, so that he may appear for his three remaining backlog BA examinations papers.

However, the Delhi Police approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court granted bail to DevanganaKalita and Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha. While refusing to stay the Delhi High Court order, the Supreme Court observed that reading down of anti-terror law is an important issue and may have pan-India ramifications, and sought responses from three activists. It also said that the High Court judgement will “not to be treated as precedent by any court” to give similar reliefs, the Supreme Court said while hearing the Delhi Police’s appeal against the bail.

In its observation, the High Court said, “ We are constrained to say, that it appears, that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the state has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’. If such blurring gains traction, democracy would be in peril.”  “Protests against governmental and parliamentary actions are legitimate; and though such protest are expected to be peaceful and non-violent, it is not uncommon for protestors to push the limits permissible in law,” the court had said. What the High Court observed is significant as the right to protest, just as freedom of speech, cannot be curtailed by imposing draconian laws by an all-powerful state. Let us wait for a further judgment by the Supreme Court of India in this case.

Sedition case against Aisha Sultana

Another interesting case that has come up in recent times is the one against Lakshadweep resident and activist Aisha Sultana, who has been charged with sedition for her “bioweapon” remark. The sedition case was registered against her on June 9 by the Kavaratti police following a complaint from BJP leader Abdul Khader Haji. The film director-cum-activist—a prominent face of Lakshadweep residents’ protest against a slew of draft proposals mooted by administrator Praful K Patel for the “development” of the island chain—had approached the High Court fearing arrest.

Kerala High Court had directed filmmaker Aisha Sultana to appear before the police in Lakshadweep for interrogation, but also granted her interim bail in case she is arrested. In an interim order, the court said Sultana should be released on interim bail for a week after executing a bond of Rs.50,000 in the event of arrest. She was told to appear before the Kavaratti police on June 20 for questioning. Sultana, during a debate on MediaOne TV on the proposed reforms and decisions of Patel, said the Centre has used a “bioweapon” on the island. Allegedly referring to the recent spurt in COVID-19 cases in Lakshadweep, Sultana said: “I can clearly say that Centre has used bioweapon in the island. There is already a calculation that China has used the coronavirus as a bioweapon…” she had said.

After the statement sparked controversy, Sultana clarified that she meant that the Centre was using administrator Patel as a “bioweapon” on the islands. The police had opposed her appeal saying that she had encouraged communalism.  The unpopular measures proposed by Praful Patel include drafts of the Lakshadweep Animal Preservation Regulation, Lakshadweep Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Regulation, Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation and amendment to the Lakshadweep Panchayat Staff Rules.

Even in this case, there is an attempt to silence those who speak against a ruling authority such as the Administrator in the island who has become unpopular after a slew of measures that has run foul with the peaceful people of the Union Territory. Following the Kerala High Court’s direction in the case, the Lakshadweep Administration is trying to shift the islands’ cases to the Karnataka High Court as early as possible.

IAPC 8th INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE – ORLANDO FL. NOV 11-14, 2021

“The 8th International Media Conference of the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC), an association of Indo-American journalists in North America, will be held from November 11 to 14, 2021 in Orlando, Florida”. IAPC Chairman Dr.Joseph.M. Chalil and President Dr. SS Lal said in the joint meeting of the Board of Directors with National Executive on 14th June 2021. Seminars and workshops led by eminent journalists and media professional from different countries will be conducted as part of the seminar.

The first meeting of the IAPC, an organization formed in 2013 to bring Indo – American journalists under one umbrella, was held in New Jersey. IAPC is implementing plans to enhance the professional excellence of Indian-origin journalists in North America. As part of this, IAPC brings together renowned journalists from around the world every year as part of the International Media Conference. It seeks to improve the performance of Indian-American journalists as journalists by imparting new knowledge about the media to their me.

“We are emerging from the clutches of the Covid pandemic, and life is getting back to normal. Hence the venue selected for this year’s IMC at the entertainment capital at Orlando Florida will attract the participants and their families to enjoy the IMC and the thrill of a vacation outing.” added Dr. Mathew Joys, Vice Chairman IAPC. The meeting envisaged to form various Committees for the smooth running of the international Media Conference 2021, with the coordination of its Chapters in America and Canada.

E.U. Clears Americans For Travel To Europe

Lawmakers in the European Union have agreed to lift a travel ban on Americans that has been in place since early 2020. U.S. tourists can travel to Europe this summer, European Union lawmakers in Brussels said on Wednesday. The officials agreed to recommend E.U. member states lift travel restrictions that have been in place for Americans since early 2020. The region will also add the United States to its list of ‘safe’ countries for tourism, alongside the new additions of North Macedonia, Albania, Serbia, Lebanon, and Taiwan also earning the status. Both changes are expected to become official on Friday, according to a spokesperson for the European Council.

Some European nations, including Greece and France, already allow Americans to enter their borders, albeit with testing and/or vaccination requirements in place. But the E.U. giving its blessing for all nations across the bloc to permit American travelers is a significant milestone in the broader reopening of travel between the U.S. and Europe. For the first time in over a year, travelers from the U.S. may be permitted to more freely travel around the bloc, although subject to individual country entry requirements.

While the E.U. recommendation is not contingent on travelers being vaccinated, exact entry requirements will be at the discretion of individual countries, which can require (and some already are) a negative COVID-19 test and/or full vaccination. In May, the region’s leaders said they planned to open to Americans this summer because all coronavirus vaccines in use in the U.S. (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) are approved for use by Europe’s health officials. The E.U. Council’s recommendation is that nations should allow travelers who are either “[fully] vaccinated with an E.U.-approved vaccine” or are an essential traveler.

The list of countries considered ‘safe’ by the E.U. is revised every two weeks, and currently does not include the United Kingdom, which this week delayed its final phase of reopening by one month due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant, despite 57 percent of the U.K. population being fully vaccinated. The criteria for a nation to be considered ‘safe’ is that there are “not more than 75 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the previous 14 days,” along with other testing and positive-case-rate standards, and “overall response to COVID-19.”

Member states can halt travel at any time via an “emergency brake” established by European leaders as part of its tourism reopening. That plan relies on a digital health pass that rolled out this month in 13 E.U. nations. The pass, called a Green Certificate, will be available for use in all E.U. states on July 1. It confirms COVID-19 vaccination, test, and/or recovery; it is free to use and acceptable in both paper and digital formats via QR code.

Member states already allowing Americans are requiring an array of differing entry requirements, prompting travel agents to warn those considering a trip to double and triple check they meet the rules. France, for example, is only allowing vaccinated Americans who confirm their status via health form, while Greece is allowing Americans regardless of vaccination status if they test negative for COVID-19. Other nations are more complicated: Italy, for example, is only permitting entry via COVID-tested flights from 10 U.S. airports (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, JFK, Newark, Philadelphia, and D.C.), all of which require proof of a PCR test taken 48 hours before travel; a Digital Passenger Form, health self-declaration, and rapid test upon arrival are also mandated. Travelers who don’t meet all Italy’s requirements are subject to a 10-day quarantine.

Tamil Nadu CM Stalin’s Economic Council Has World’s Top Luminaries

The Tamil Nadu government will constitute an Economic Advisory Council to guide chief minister MK Stalin to chart out a rapid and inclusive economic growth path for the state, said Governor BanwarilalPurohit on Monday, June 21st.A white paper detailing the true state of Tamil Nadu’s finances will be released in July, said Governor BanwarilalPurohit during the first session of the 16th state legislative assembly in Chennai. And it comprises an impressive lineup of leading economic experts from all over the world. We’re talking Nobel laureate Esther Duflo (in pic) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, former RBI governor RaghuramRajan, former chief economic advisor to the central government Dr Arvind Subramanian, development economist Jean Dreze and former Union finance secretary Dr S Narayan as council members.

The council will provide general guidance on economic and social policy, social justice and human development-related issues, and in matters related to equal opportunities for women and well-being of underprivileged groups.It will also make suggestions to boost growth, employment and productivity across all sectors, as well as act as a sounding board for ideas that might resolve roadblocks to development. As the first step towards bringing down the overall debt burden and improving fiscal position, a white paper detailing the true state of the state’s finances would be released in July so that the people are fully informed.

The Tamil Nadu government will form an economic advisory council comprising Nobel laureate Esther Duflo of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, and former Reserve Bank of India governor RaghuramRajan, to advise the chief minister. The other members of the council will be former chief economic advisor to the central government Arvind Subramanian, development economist Jean Dreze and former Union finance secretary S Narayan, Governor BanwarilalPurohit announced in his ceremonial address during the first session of the 16th state legislative assembly in Chennai on Monday.

“Based on the recommendation of the council, the government will revitalise the state’s economy and ensure that benefits of economic growth reach all segments of society,” Purohit said. He said the government will focus on improving the fiscal position and bringing down the debt burden. A white paper detailing the true state of Tamil Nadu’s finances will be released in July. During the first session of the 16th state legislative assembly in Chennai. The governor said while the Tamil Nadu government under MK Stalin would maintain a cordial relationship with the Union government, it would still fight for the rights of states.

The government has constituted a committee chaired by Justice AK Rajanto to study the adverse effects of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) on socially and educationally backward students, the governor said. Purohit announced that ‘Singara Chennai 2.0’ programme would be launched to provide world-class infrastructure and services in Greater Chennai Corporation. He also said the government would ensure speedy completion of phase two of metro rail.

Governor said the availability of medical infrastructure including oxygen beds has been substantially enhanced on a war-footing. “The Tamil Nadu government will urge the Union government to make necessary laws and amendments to grant Indian citizenship to Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka,” the governor said. He said the government is committed to transparency and accountability in temple management. “A state-level advisory committee for all major Hindu temples will be constituted to enhance the facilities for devotees, improve the maintenance of temples and to advise on related issues,” he said.

He added that the reservation policy of the state is 100 years old and has stood the test of time, delivering true social justice. “The 69% reservation currently available in Tamil Nadu will be continued and protected.” Purohit concluded his speech by saying DMK-led government will be a people’s government and not the party’s.

While Jeff Bezos Plans Trip To Space, 59,000 People Sign Petition To Stop Him From Returning To Earth

Days after billionaire Jeff Bezos announced he would be flying to space, multiple petitions have been launched to prevent the Amazon CEO’s return to Earth. Two of these petitions have collectively gathered over 56,000 signatures. On June 7, Bezos said that he would be going to space with his brother Mark Bezos, when his space exploration company Blue Origin launches its first flight carrying humans. The rocket will take flight on July 20. However, multiple change.org petitions have already emerged and garnered thousands of signatures, in order to stop the billionaire from returning to the planet.

The most popular petition has more than 39,000 signatures and it’s just increasing by the minute. “Billionaires’ should not exist…on earth, or in space, but should they decide the latter they should stay there,” said the description of the petition.

Another petition that echoes the same sentiment has accumulated almost 20,000 signatures. The petitioner, in the description, linked Bezos to conspiracy theories, secret societies and comic villains, believing it as enough reason to prevent him from entering the planet. They theorised that Bezos was Lex Luthor, a fictional supervillain from the DC Comics universe. “He’s actually an evil overlord hellbent on global domination… This may be our last chance before they enable the 5G microchips and perform a mass takeover,” said the description.Needless to say, netizens are quite amused by this turn of events and are sharing the petitions, asking others to sign them. Some are sharing hilarious reasons for not wanting Bezos back on earth.

Canada Extends Border Restrictions To July 21

The Canadian government has announced that the Canada-US border agreement on travel restrictions will be extended for another month to July 21. “In coordination with the US, we are extending restrictions on non-essential international travel and with the US until July 21st, 2021,” Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said in a tweet on Friday.
Blair also said the government is planning measures for fully vaccinated Canadians, permanent residents, and others who are currently permitted to enter the country and will provide further details on June 21.

The new extension comes a day after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and provincial premiers met to discuss the possibility of opening the land border between the two countries, which has been closed for non-essential travel since March 2020. The restrictions, which do not cover trade or travel by air, has been extended several times. he current restrictions were to expire on June 21.

Trudeau said on June 13 he had spoken with US President Joe Biden about how to lift the restrictions, but added that no breakthrough has been achieved. The Trudeau government closed its borders to non-essential travellers in March 2020. Since then, it has adjusted the rules to require Covid-19 testing before and after arrival, as well as a period of mandatory quarantine. Canada also limited international flights to just four airports in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Calgary. In the fall of 2020, Canada expanded the list of travellers who were exempt from travel restrictions.

International students going to a Designated Learning Institution with a Covid-19 readiness plan were allowed to come to Canada to study. The exemptions also included extended family members, as well as travelers coming to Canada for compassionate reasons such as a funeral. In February 2021, Canada also added the mandatory hotel quarantine on incoming international travelers. New airport arrivals were to go immediately to wait for the results of a Covid-19 test at a government-approved hotel at their own expense.

 

U.S. To Invest On Antiviral Pill to Fight COVID-19

We’re not going to vaccinate our way completely out of this pandemic. With epidemiologists around the world increasingly accepting the reality that SARS-CoV-2 and its variants will become endemic viruses—like the seasonal flu—the push is on to develop antiviral medications that can be taken at home to prevent infections from leading to hospitalization and death. Today, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Biden Administration has authorized $3.2 billion to accelerate the development of antivirals already in the R&D pipeline, with the hope that at least one will be ready for release before the end of the year.

“The remarkable and rapid development of vaccines and testing technology has shown how agile scientific discovery can be,” said Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in an HHS statement. “We will leverage these same strengths as we construct a platform for the discovery and development of effective antivirals.” The plan will focus on 19 drugs currently being investigated for their antiviral potential, with a goal of accelerating their development to Phase 2 clinical trials. Last week, the Administration already placed a major bet on one of the 19, announcing that it will purchase up to 1.7 million doses of an antiviral being produced by Merck, pending emergency use authorization or full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Of the $3.2 billion being allocated, $1.2 billion is going to fund the creation of what the HHS calls “collaborative drug discovery groups,” hoping that the push to create a COVID-19 treatment will also create a developmental infrastructure for other antivirals to treat other diseases.

The new drugs could not only fill the breach left by the vaccine-hesitant who are slowing the push in the U.S. and around the world to reach herd immunity, they could also serve as a backstop against breakthrough infections—cases of COVID-19 that occur even among the vaccinated. Late last month, for example, the CDC reported more than 10,000 breakthrough vaccinations in 46 states as of the end of April, at a time when just over 100 million vaccines had been administered in the U.S. In Massachusetts alone, there have currently been a total of 4,000 breakthrough infections recorded, reported the Boston Herald today. That’s still a relatively small number—representing just 0.1% of vaccinated people—but does make the new drugs attractive.

“New antivirals that prevent serious COVID-19 illness and death, especially oral drugs that could be taken at home early in the course of disease, would be powerful tools for battling the pandemic and saving lives,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in the HHS announcement.

Delta Covid Variant Has Now Spread To 80 Countries, And It Keeps Mutating

The delta Covid variant, first detected in India, has now spread to more than 80 countries and it continues to mutate as it spreads across the globe, World Health Organization officials said Wednesday. The variant now makes up 10% of all new cases in the United States, up from 6% last week. Studies have shown the variant is even more transmissible than other variants. WHO officials said some reports have found that it also causes more severe symptoms, but more research is needed to confirm those conclusions.

The WHO is also tracking recent reports of a “delta plus” variant. “What I think this means is that there is an additional mutation that has been identified,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead. “In some of the delta variants we’ve seen one less mutation or one deletion instead of an additional, so we’re looking at all of it.” The United Kingdom recently saw the delta variant become the dominant strain there, surpassing its native alpha variant, which was first detected in the country last fall. The delta variant now makes up more than 60% of new cases in the U.K.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the president, said last week that “we cannot let that happen in the United States,” as he pushed to get more people vaccinated, especially young adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designated the delta variant as a variant of concern in the U.S. on Tuesday. The WHO designated the delta variant as a variant of concern in early May.

The WHO on Tuesday also added another Covid mutation, the lambda variant, to its list of variants of interest. The agency is monitoring more than 50 different Covid variants, but not all become enough of a public health threat to make the WHO’s formal watchlist. The lambda variant has multiple mutations in the spike protein that could have an impact on its transmissibility, but more studies are needed to fully understand the mutations, Van Kerkhove said. The lambda variant has been detected by scientists in South America, including in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina, thanks to increased genomic surveillance.

Sonu Sood Appointed As New Face Of Ayurvedic Brand

Bollywood actor SonuSood has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda that offers ayurvedic and herbal healthcare products, made with natural ingredients and sourced directly from select farms across the country. Commenting on the association, Sood said: “I have been using ‘jeevansanjeevanikwath’ in these tough times and we have decided that we will donate Rs 1 lakh Jeevan Sanjeevani bottles to the needy community across India.”

ShrawanDaga, founder of the Rajasthan-based brand, said: “We are so motivated by his actions. In the process of communicating with Sood for providing any help from us, we were informed that he contracted the virus. To our wonder, he was already using Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda’s immunity booster Jeevan SanjeevaniKwath.” The booster is a combination of medicinal herbs, including Tulsi, Geloy, Ashwagandha, Neem, Amla, Aloe vera, wheatgrass, harad and Arjuna bark. It is packed with the power of nature and helps in purifying the blood, detoxifying the body and strengthening immunity.

A part of the sale of Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda’s Products will be contributed to Sood Charity Foundation. Also, Rs 1 lakh Jeevan Sanjeevani bottles will be distributed to the needy people across India by Krishna’s Herbal & Ayurveda and Sood Charity Foundation, it said. (IANS)

Priyanka Chopra Signs Deal With Victoria’s Secret In Its Major Rebranding Bid

American lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret has signed a new roster of female brand representatives that includes Indian actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas, to replace its supermodels (or Angels as they were called), and focus on women empowerment, giving a platform to female athletes, activists and entrepreneurs. Victoria’s Secret announced on June 18th of the creation of two new partnerships, designed to positively impact the lives of women. The brand’s previous campaigns had come under scrutiny for their embodiment of male fantasy over an accurate representation of what women seek in undergarments.

The new partnerships are ‘The VS Collective’ and ‘The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers.’ Chopra, being one of the founding members of both the partnerships, will be leading this drive to positive change. She and six other new brand ambassadors called the ‘VS Collective’ will model for Victoria’s Secret products, advise the brand and promote it on social media. Announcing her collaboration with the brand, Chopra posted on her Instagram handle, “Representation matters. It’s crucial for us to show EVERYONE all over the world that they matter and are seen! As a founding partner of #TheVSCollective and advisor to the business, this is exactly what I intend to do.”

She added, “It’s been so incredible to see your reactions to yesterday’s announcement. It’s fueled me further and I am excited to bring about meaningful change at one of the world’s most iconic brands. I’m so proud to be in the company of the Collective of incredible women that will helm this change.” “Ps: thank you to my dream team for always thinking big with me. For going on the wild rides I want to embark upon. And for fighting the big fights! Love u and am especially proud of u on this one!” Chopra concluded the post.

Besides Chopra, the roster comprises American soccer star Megan Rapinoe; Brazilian transgender model Valentina Sampaio; 17-year-old Chinese American freestyle skier; soon-to-be Olympian Eileen Gu, 29-year-old biracial model; inclusivity advocate Paloma Elsesser; photographer and Los Angeles-based media personality Amanda de Cadenet; South Sudanese-Australian model AdutAkech. “At Victoria’s Secret, we are on an incredible journey to become the world’s biggest and best advocate for women. This is a dramatic shift for our brand, and it’s a shift that we embrace from our core. These new initiatives are just the beginning. We are energized and humbled by the work ahead of us,” said Martin Waters, chief executive officer of Victoria’s Secret.

Among the first initiatives, the founding members of ‘The VS Collective’ will share their stories in a 10-episode recurring podcast hosted by award-winning broadcaster, Amanda de Cadenet. Each episode will showcase the remarkable experiences and perspectives of a member of the Collective, as well as reveal further details of their partnership with the brand. Furthering on their mission, ‘The VS Global Fund for Women’s Cancers’ with longstanding partner, Pelotonia, will fund innovative research projects aimed at progressing treatments and cures for women’s cancers and investing in the next generation of women scientists who represent the diverse population they serve.

Through the partnership, Victoria’s Secret will grant and award at least five million dollars annually to examine and address racial and gender inequities and unlock new innovations that improve cancer outcomes for all women. Annual grants will be awarded to individual scientists or research “dream teams” who are collaborating across institutions. Victoria’s Secret, which introduced raunchy lingerie to the masses in the ‘70s, has been overshadowed in recent years by brands that have openly embraced both ethnic and bodily diversity. After ages, the brand has now decided to drop Angels in a step towards women empowerment.

New Artificial Heart Shows Promising Results in ‘Auto-Mode’

Newswise — June 18, 2021 – An experimental artificial heart includes an autoregulation control mechanism, or Auto-Mode, that can adjust to the changing needs of patients treated for end-stage heart failure. Outcomes in the first series of patients managed with the new heart replacement pump in Auto-Mode are presented in the ASAIO Journal, official journal of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

The study reports on the response to “pressure sensor-based autoregulation of blood flow” in ten patients for up to two years after implantation of the Carmat Total Artificial Heart (C‑TAH). “The C‑TAH Auto-Mode with built-in pressure sensors effectively produces appropriate physiological responses reflective of changing patients’ daily needs and thus provides almost physiological heart replacement therapy,” according to the new research. The lead author is Ivan Netuka, MD, of the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Prague. Auto-Mode may increase independence and quality of life in severe heart failure

Heart replacement pumps can restore cardiac output in patients with end-stage, biventricular heart failure (affecting both sides of the heart) whose only other option is heart transplantation. However, to enable patients to go home from the hospital and return to their usual activities, the pump should emulate normal heart function, with minimal need for adjustment. To meet that goal, the C‑TAH incorporates an Auto-Mode that automatically adapts the pumping action of the right and left ventricles in response to pressure sensors located inside the device, based on parameters set by the physician. The goal is to mimic normal physiological responses to changing needs – particularly physical activity.

Dr. Netuka and colleagues analyzed the Auto-Mode’s performance in the first 10 patients undergoing C‑TAH implantation in early European clinical experience. The patients were all men, average age 60 years. The C‑TAH was used as a bridge to heart transplantation in six patients and as a permanently implanted device in four. In all patients, the artificial heart was successfully switched from manual control to Auto-Mode in the operating room. Auto-Mode led to “an immediate appropriate cardiac output response” to the targeted settings. Hemodynamic data recorded by the C‑TAH showed expected variations in pumping output of the left and right ventricles, in response to changes in pressures and heart rate. Heart rate averaged 78 to 128 beats per minute; blood pressure was normal as well.

Over almost five years of aggregate follow-up, medical teams made changes in the Auto-Mode settings just 20 times. Most adjustments were performed during the first 30 days after device placement. Only four were done after the patient went home from the hospital: a rate of about 1 change per 11 months. “The reduced need for device management changes may contribute to greater autonomy for patients outside of the hospital environment and improvement in their quality of life,” Dr. Netukaand coauthors write. They acknowledge that their study is an initial experience in a relatively small number of patients.

“Nevertheless,” they add, “it represents a significant leap towards the next stage more physiological heart replacement therapy. The overall experience of more than four years of device performance represents a positive and promising outcome for the patients while requiring only minimal intervention from the clinicians.” The researchers plan further refinements based on the preliminary results; future studies will provide data on response to exercise and hospital readmission rates. A US clinical trial of the C‑TAH is scheduled to begin soon.

Click here to read “First Clinical Experience With the Pressure Sensor–Based Autoregulation of Blood Flow in an Artificial Heart.”

At NYIFF 2021, Tamil Film ‘Nasir,’ Actors Siddharth Menon, Akshata Pandavapura Among Winners

At the 2021 New York Indian Film Festival, presented by the Indian American-founded Indo-American Arts Council, the Kannada film, “Pinki Elli” (“Where is Pinki”), won the Best Screenplay award for PrithviKonanur and the Best Actress award for AkshataPandavapura. Director Ramesh Sharma’s “Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless,” a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, won the Best Documentary Feature Award. (NYIFF/Facebook photos). The Kannada film, “Pinki Elli” (“Where is Pinki”), which opened the 2021 edition of the annual New York Indian Film Festival, also won top honors at the festival – Best Screenplay award for PrithviKonanur and Best Actress award for AkshataPandavapura.

Through “Pinki Elli,” Konanur said he “wanted to hold a mirror to the society.” The film offers a gritty glimpse into the perspectives and experiences of everyday people. The complex tale weaves together the story of Bindu and Girish, a working couple in Bangalore with an eight-month-old baby girl, Pinki. When Pinki goes missing, the frantic search effort forces the film’s characters to confront strange places, people and situations that require each of them to reconcile their past, present and future.

When the awards were presented June 14 during a virtual ceremony, a documentary feature on Mahatma Gandhi, “Ahimsa Gandhi”; a short documentary, “Seva,” highlighting the Sikh tradition; and the Tamil-language drama, “Nasir,” also won big. “Nasir,” directed by ArunKarthick, was declared the Best Film. The Best Actor honor was accorded to Siddharth Menon for “June,” while Karan Dave won the Best Child Actor award for “Habaddi.”

In “Nasir,” salesman Nasir lives a contended life with his mother Fatima, wife Taj and nephew Iqbal in a closely populated ghetto. Employed in an apparel shop at the heart of a busy city, the middle-aged Nasir is a hard worker. He speaks humorously and makes others laugh. The film is an observational chronicle of an ordinary day in Nasir’s life. Director Ramesh Sharma’s “Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless,” a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, won the Best Documentary Feature award, while “Seva,” directed by RippinSindher, was declared the Best Documentary Short. The film shows how a wave of Sikh activists and leaders are challenging “otherism” through their seva, forcing the FBI to accurately report hate crimes against the Sikh community, according to the festival. Ajitpal Singh won the Best Director award for “Fire in the Mountains.”

“Fire in the Mountains” tells the striking tale of Chandra and her husband, Dharam, who run an inn in a small Himalayan village. The terrain poses a problem for the family, who must transport their son, Prakash, down the mountain in his wheelchair for doctors and school. While Chandra believes Prakash needs more medical attention, Dharam would rather put his faith in a shamanic ritual he believes will rid them of a deity’s curse, the cause of Prakash’s affliction. Tensions increase as their worldviews collide and slowly erode their familial ties.

“TasherGhawr,” directed by Sudipto Roy and starring acclaimed actress Swastika Mukherjee, won the award for the Best Short Narrative. The story revolves around Sujata, a middle-aged housewife residing in Kolkata with her husband during the COVID-19 lockdown phase. The festival, presented by the Indian American-founded Indo-American Arts Council, was held virtually from June 3-13.

Dr. Srinivas (Bobby) Mukkamala Elected As Chair, AMA Board Of Trustees

Srinivas Mukkamala was elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Association (AMA) on June 16th, 2021, for a term of one year. He served as chair Elect from June 2020 to June 2021. He is the only doctor of Indian origin ever to be elected as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the American Medical Assocation. Bobby Mukkamala, MD, a board-certified otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon, was elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees in June 2017. A graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, he is in solo, private practice in Flint, Mich.

Born to Sumathi&AppaRao in 1971 in Pittsburgh, Srinivas grew up in Flint, Michigan since he was 3.
SumathiMukkamala practiced Pediatrics in Flint from 1978 to 2000 and AppaRaoMukkamala practiced Radiology in Flint from 1975 to 2020. Dr. AppaRaoMukkamala served as President of Michigan State Medical Society in 2007-2008. Bobby Mukkamala served as President of Michigan State Medical Society in 2020-2021. Bobby &AppaRao are the only father & son to have served as Presidents of MSMS in the past 150 years. MSMS represents 15,000 physicians in Michigan.

Dr. Srinivas Mukkamala, who has been active in the AMA since residency, is a past Michigan representative to the AMA Young Physicians Section, a past recipient of the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award and, for the last 13 years, a member of the Michigan delegation to the AMA House of Delegates. In 2009 he was elected to the AMA Council on Science and Public Health and served as its chair from 2016 to 2017.Dr. AppaRaoMukkamala has been active in the AMA since his residency days in 1970 till his retirement on 2020. Both AppaRao& Bobby served on the AMA Councils at the same time from 2007 to 2010.

In addition to leadership roles at the AMA, Dr. Mukkamala has served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors since 2011, as board chair for the past two years, and served as its president. He is also a past president of the Genesee County Medical Society (GCMS) and continues to serve on the GCMS Board of Directors. While a wide range of public health issues are important to Dr. Mukkamala, no issue strikes closer to home than his own city of Flint’s nationally publicized struggles with high levels of lead leaching into the drinking water. As the immediate past chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, he and the foundation’s board became the clearinghouse for funding projects focused on mitigating the effects of lead in local children. He is a member of the board of the Foundation for Flint, a supporting organization of the Community Foundation that is working to increase access to high-quality early education for children—a proven strategy for helping children who have been exposed to lead.

Deeply committed to the revitalization of his hometown, Dr. Mukkamala returned to Flint after completing his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago in 2000. Today, he shares an office with his wife, Nita Kulkarni, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist. Together, as a further demonstration of their dedication to Flint, in 2012 they established the Endowed Health Professions Scholarships at the University of Michigan, Flint. Outside of medicine they enjoy family time with their twin teenaged sons, Deven and Nikhil, who are currently in college at the University of Chicago and University of Michigan, respectively.

American Medical Association (AMA), organization of American physicians, the objective of which is “to promote the science and art of medicine and the betterment of public health.” It was founded in Philadelphia in 1847 by 250 delegates representing more than 40 medical societies and 28 colleges. In the early 21st century the AMA had about 240,000 members. Its headquarters are in Chicago.

The AMA disseminates health and scientific information to its members and to the public and carries out a broad range of health education programs via the mass media and lectures. It keeps its members informed of significant medical and health legislation, and it represents its profession before the U.S. Congress and other governmental bodies and agencies, advocating its own views in the process. It helps set standards for medical schools and internship programs, and it tries to detect and alert the public to both quack medical remedies and medical charlatans.

In the AMA headquarters office are various departments concerned with a wide variety of medical topics, including geriatrics, maternal and childcare, hospital facilities, medical education, nutrition, drugs, insurance plans, scientific exhibits, health in rural areas, mental health, the cost of medical care, the health of industrial workers, and medical publications. Much of the work of the AMA is carried out under the guidance of committees and scientific councils, which collect and analyze data concerning new medical discoveries and therapies. Such bodies include councils on medical education, medical service, legislation, and ethical and judicial affairs. Publications of the AMA include the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is released 48 times a year, and 11 journals issued either monthly or bimonthly and devoted to such medical specialties as internal medicine, psychiatry, and pediatrics. In addition, the AMA publishes the online journal JAMA Network Open, which focuses on original research.

Vijayalakshmi Appareddy, M.D. Reappointed To AMA-COL

Dr. Appareddy was recently reappointed to the Council on Legislation (COL), of the American Medical Association (AMA).  The COL reviews proposed federal legislation and recommends appropriate action in accordance with AMA policy. It also develops model state legislation, recommends changes in existing AMA policy when necessary to accomplish effective legislative goals, and recommends to the Board of Trustees new federal legislation and legislation to modify existing laws of interest to the AMA.

The COL meets during the Annual & Interim meeting of the AMA, during the Sate advocacy conference, twice at Washington DC including the National advocacy conference.  The COL works closely with the AMA legislative staff at Washington DC.  During these unprecedented times the COL has been very involved in advising the AMA Board of Trustees in advocating for Physicians and Patients; with CMS, HHS, Congress and the White House.

Dr. Appareddy served AAPI as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees from 2002-2003.  She was appointed by President Trump and President Bush to serve on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (PCPID).

Her continuum of service to the medical profession has spanned over three decades.  She has been a Delegate/Delegate (A) to the AMA since 2007.  Delegate to the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA).  She is the past Chairperson of the AMA-IMG Governing Council. She represented AMA at the Commission to end Health Care Disparities. She is the recipient of several awards including the AMA Foundation leadership award.

Biden And Putin At Geneva Summit Make A New Beginning, But Issues Remain

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held their first face-to-face meetings on June 16, 2021 at a historic summit in Geneva.At the end of their talks,first such meeting since 2018, both the leaders praised their talks, but have made little concrete progress.Biden said the tone of the talks were “positive,” and he told Putin that certain US “critical infrastructure” should be off-limits for cyberattacks. Putin described the summit as “constructive,” saying both countries will begin consultations on cybersecurity and US and Russian ambassadors will return to their diplomatic posts.

Disagreements were stated, said Biden, but not in a hyperbolic way, and he said Russia did not want a new Cold War.Putin said, Biden was an experienced statesman and the two “spoke the same language.” The talks lasted four hours, less time than was scheduled.Biden said they did not need to spend more time talking and there was now a genuine prospect to improve relations with Russia. The two sides agreed to begin a dialogue on nuclear arms control. They also said they would return ambassadors to each other’s capitals – the envoys were mutually withdrawn for consultations in March, after the US accused Russia of meddling in the 2020 presidential election. However, there was little sign of agreement on other issues, including cyber-security, Ukraine and the fate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny,

“I really do think — not me, but I think we, the country, has put a different face on where we’ve been and where we’re going, and I feel good about it,” Biden said to the press, reflecting on his first foreign trip as President before boarding Air Force One. “There was a summary done by him and by me of what we covered. Lavrov and Blinken talked about what we covered. We raised things that required more amplification or we made sure we did not have any misunderstandings. It was after two hours there, we looked at each other like, ‘okay, what next?’ What is going to happen next is we’re going to be able to look back, look ahead in three to six months and say, did the things we agree to sit down and work out, did it work? Are we closer to a major strategic stability talks and progress? … That’s going to be the test. I am not sitting here saying because the President and I agreed we would do these things that all of a sudden it’s going to work. I’m not saying that. What I am saying is that I think there’s a genuine prospect to significantly improve the relations between the two countries, without giving up anything on principles and values.”

Biden also reiterated that “there were no threats” during the meeting. “Just simple assertions made…  Just letting him know where I stood, what I thought we could accomplish together, and what, in fact, if there were violations of American sovereignty, what would we do,” Biden said.The US and Russia released a joint statement on Wednesday following the summit between the countries’ two leaders, noting that “even in periods of tension,” the two nations share goals of “ensuring predictability in the strategic sphere, reducing the risk of armed conflicts and the threat of nuclear war.”

“The recent extension of the New START Treaty exemplifies our commitment to nuclear arms control. Today, we reaffirm the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,” the statement said. “Consistent with these goals, the United States and Russia will embark together on an integrated bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue in the near future that will be deliberate and robust. Through this Dialogue, we seek to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.” US President Joe Biden boarded Air Force One and departed Geneva en route to Washington, DC, following his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

G7 Summit Leaders Offer United Front To Address Global Issues

Leaders of the world’s largest economies unveiled an infrastructure plan Saturday for the developing world to compete with China’s global initiatives, but there was no immediate consensus on how forcefully to call out Beijing over human rights abuses. Citing China for its forced labor practices is part of President Joe Biden’s campaign to persuade fellow democratic leaders to present a more unified front to compete economically with Beijing. But while they agreed to work toward competing against China, there was less unity on how adversarial a public position the group should take.

Canada, the United Kingdom and France largely endorsed Biden’s position, while Germany, Italy and the European Union showed more hesitancy during Saturday’s first session of the Group of Seven summit, according to a senior Biden administration official. The official who briefed reporters was not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity. In his first summit as president, Biden made a point of carving out one-on-one-time with the leaders, bouncing from French president Emmanuel Macron to German chancellor Angela Merkel to Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, a day after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as if to personally try to ward off memories of the chaos that his predecessor would often bring to these gatherings.

Macron told Biden that collaboration was needed on a range of issues and told the American president that “it’s great to have a U.S. president part of the club and very willing to cooperate.” Relations between the allies had become strained during the four years of Donald Trump’s presidency and his “America first” foreign policy.Merkel, for her part, downplayed differences on China and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would transport natural gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.“The atmosphere is very cooperative, it is characterized by mutual interest,” Merkel said. “There are very good, constructive and very vivid discussions in the sense that one wants to work together.”

Competing with Belt and Road

White House officials have said Biden wants the leaders of the G-7 nations — the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy — to speak in a single voice against forced labor practices targeting China’s Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities. Biden hopes the denunciation will be part of a joint statement to be released Sunday when the summit ends, but some European allies are reluctant to split so forcefully with Beijing.

China had become one of the more compelling sublots of the wealthy nations’ summit, their first since 2019. Last year’s gathering was canceled because of COVID-19, and recovery from the pandemic is dominating this year’s discussions, with leaders expected to commit to sharing at least 1 billion vaccine shots with struggling countries. The allies also took the first steps in presenting an infrastructure proposal called “Build Back Better for the World,” a name echoing Biden’s campaign slogan. The plan calls for spending hundreds of billions of dollars in collaboration with the private sector while adhering to climate standards and labor practices.

It’s designed to compete with China’s trillion-dollar “Belt and Road Initiative,” which has launched a network of projects and maritime lanes that snake around large portions of the world, primarily Asia and Africa. Critics say China’s projects often create massive debt and expose nations to undue influence by Beijing.Britain also wants the world’s democracies to become less reliant on the Asian economic giant. The U.K. government said Saturday’s discussions would tackle “how we can shape the global system to deliver for our people in support of our values,” including by diversifying supply chains that currently heavily depend on China.

Not every European power has viewed China in as harsh a light as Biden, who has painted the rivalry with China as the defining competition for the 21st century. But there are some signs that Europe is willing to impose greater scrutiny.Before Biden took office in January, the European Commission announced it had come to terms with Beijing on a deal meant to provide Europe and China with greater access to each other’s markets. The Biden administration had hoped to have consultations on the pact.

But the deal has been put on hold, and the European Union in March announced sanctions targeting four Chinese officials involved with human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Beijing responded with penalties on several members of the European Parliament and other Europeans critical of the Chinese Communist Party. Biden administration officials see an opportunity to take concrete action to speak out against China’s reliance on forced labor as an “affront to human dignity.”

While calling out China in the G-7 communique would not create any immediate penalties for Beijing, one senior administration official said the action would send a message that the leaders were serious about defending human rights and working together to eradicate the use of forced labor. An estimated 1 million people or more — most of them Uyghurs — have been confined in reeducation camps in China’s western Xinjiang region in recent years, according to researchers. Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control, torture and separating children from incarcerated parents.Beijing rejects allegations that it is committing crimes.

Johnson, the summit host, also welcomed the leaders from “guest nations” South Korea, Australia and South Africa, as well as the head of the United Nations, to the summit to “intensify cooperation between the world’s democratic and technologically advanced nations.” India was also invited but its delegation is not attending in person because of the severe coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Hundreds of environmental protesters took to the Cornish seaside early Saturday in a bid to draw the attention to climate issues. A crowd of surfers, kayakers and swimmers gathered on a beach in Falmouth for a mass “paddle out protest” organized by Surfers Against Sewage, a group campaigning for more ocean protections. The leaders took steps to transition away from the use of coal, committing to spend $2 billion to help developing nations move off the fuel by funding job training and technology improvements. Japan had expressed reluctance to slow the construction of new coal fired plants. China remains a big funder of the technology.

Biden ends the trip Wednesday by meeting in Geneva with Russia’s Vladimir Putin. The White House announced Saturday that they will not hold a joint news conference afterward, which removes the opportunity for comparisons to the availability that followed Trump and Putin’s 2018 Helsinki summit, in which Trump sided with Moscow over his own intelligence agencies. Only Biden will address the news media after the meeting. Putin, in an interview with NBC News, said the U.S.-Russia relationship had “deteriorated to its lowest point in recent years.”He added that while Trump was a “talented” and “colorful” person, Biden was a “career man” in politics, which has “some advantages, some disadvantages, but there will not be any impulse-based movements” by the U.S. president.(AP)

At the end of the Summit, leaders made the following statement — Our shared agenda for global action to build back better:

“We, the leaders of the Group of Seven, met in Cornwall on 11-13 June 2021 determined to beat COVID-19 and build back better.  We remembered everyone who has been lost to the pandemic and paid tribute to those still striving to overcome it. Inspired by their example of collaboration and determination, we gathered united by the principle that brought us together originally, that shared beliefs and shared responsibilities are the bedrock of leadership and prosperity.  Guided by this, our enduring ideals as free open societies and democracies, and by our commitment to multilateralism, we have agreed a shared G7 agenda for global action to:

End the pandemic and prepare for the future by driving an intensified international effort, starting immediately, to vaccinate the world by getting as many safe vaccines to as many people as possible as fast as possible. Total G7 commitments since the start of the pandemic provide for a total of over two billion vaccine doses, with the commitments since we last met in February 2021, including here in Carbis Bay, providing for one billion doses over the next year. At the same time we will create the appropriate frameworks to strengthen our collective defences against threats to global health by: increasing and coordinating on global manufacturing capacity on all continents; improving early warning systems; and support science in a mission to shorten the cycle for the development of safe and effective vaccines, treatments and tests from 300 to 100 days.

Reinvigorate our economies by advancing recovery plans that build on the $12 trillion of support we have put in place during the pandemic. We will continue to support our economies for as long as is necessary, shifting the focus of our support from crisis response to promoting growth into the future, with plans that create jobs, invest in infrastructure, drive innovation, support people, and level up so that no place or person, irrespective of age, ethnicity or gender is left behind. This has not been the case with past global crises, and we are determined that this time it will be different.

Secure our future prosperity by championing freer, fairer trade within a reformed trading system, a more resilient global economy, and a fairer global tax system that reverses the race to the bottom. We will collaborate to ensure future frontiers of the global economy and society, from cyber space to outer space, increase the prosperity and wellbeing of all people while upholding our values as open societies. We are convinced of the potential of technological transformation for the common good in accordance with our shared values.

Protect our planet by supporting a green revolution that creates jobs, cuts emissions and seeks to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees. We commit to net zero no later than 2050, halving our collective emissions over the two decades to 2030, increasing and improving climate finance to 2025; and to conserve or protect at least 30 percent of our land and oceans by 2030. We acknowledge our duty to safeguard the planet for future generations.

Strengthen our partnerships with others around the world. We will develop a new partnership to build back better for the world, through a step change in our approach to investment for infrastructure, including through an initiative for clean and green growth. We are resolved to deepen our current partnership to a new deal with Africa, including by magnifying support from the International Monetary Fund for countries most in need to support our aim to reach a total global ambition of $100 billion.

Embrace our values as an enduring foundation for success in an ever changing world. We will harness the power of democracy, freedom, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights to answer the biggest questions and overcome the greatest challenges. We will do this in a way that values the individual and promotes equality, especially gender equality, including by supporting a target to get 40 million more girls into education and with at least $2¾ billion for the Global Partnership for Education.

We shall seek to advance this open agenda in collaboration with other countries and within the multilateral rules-based system. In particular, we look forward to working alongside our G20 partners and with all relevant International Organisations to secure a cleaner, greener, freer, fairer and safer future for our people and planet.”

2 Journalists Of Indian Origin Win Pulitzer Prizes

Indian American journalist MeghaRajagopalan has won the United States’ top journalism award, the Pulitzer Prize, for innovative investigative reports harnessing satellite technology that exposed China’s mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs and other minority ethnicities, Pulitzer Board announced on June 11th, 2021.

The 2021 award in the International Reporting category has been shared by MeghaRajagopalanwith two colleagues from the internet media, BuzzFeed News. When China had started to detain Muslims in Xinjiang, Megha was the first journalist to visit a detention camp in 2017. China had denied such places existed and had her visa revoked. She was forced to leave the country. Working from London, she along with Alison Killing, an architect specialising in forensic analysis of architecture and satellite images of buildings,  and Christo Buschek, a programmer who builds tools tailored for data journalists, investigated and published one of the worst human rights abuses in history.

Another Indian American journalist, Neil Bedi, won a Pulitzer in the Local Reporting category for investigative stories he wrote with Kathleen McGrory for exposing the Sheriff’s Office in Pasco County’s program that could identify people believed to be future crime suspects using computer modelling. Nearly 1,000 people including children were monitored under the program.

Bedi and Kathleen McGrory were given their award for exposing “how a powerful and politically connected sheriff built a secretive intelligence operation that harassed residents and used grades and child welfare records to profile schoolchildren,” the Pulitzer Board said. Bedi, who has a degree in computer science, is now a Washington-based reporter for ProPublica. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2019. This is the 105th year of the Pulitzer Prizes awarded by a board at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York recognizing outstanding work.The Pulitzer Prize is awarded yearly in twenty-one categories with each winner receiving a certificate and a $15,000 cash award. The winner in the public service category is awarded a gold medal.

In recognition of the proliferation of citizen journalism in the internet age, teenaged non-journalist Darnella Frazier was awarded a Pulitzer Special Citation for her courage in filming the killing of George Floyd, the African-American who died in police custody in Minneapolis last year. MeghaRajagopalan along with Alison Killing and Christo Buschek bagged the award for exposing a vast infrastructure of prisons and mass detention camps secretly built by China. The prisons had detained and housed thousands of Muslims in the Xinjiang region.

The video clip made on her smartphone go viral and set off prolonged nationwide protests against police brutality and led to measures in many states and cities to reform policing. The sight of a policeman kneeling on the neck of dying Floyd as he repeated, “I can’t breathe,” appealed to America’s conscience and led to a broader consideration of the problems faced by African-Americans. The Board said her that her video “spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice.” Rajagopalan and her colleagues used satellite imagery and 3D architectural simulations to buttress her interviews with two dozen former prisoners from the detention camps where as many as a million Muslims from Uighur and other minority ethnicities were interned. “I’m in complete shock, I did not expect this,” she said.

According to the publication, she and her colleagues, Alison Killing and Christo Buschek, identified 260 detention camps after building a voluminous database of about 50,000 possible sites comparing censored Chinese images with uncensored mapping software. Rajagopalan, who had previously reported from China but was barred from going there for the story, traveled to neighboring Kazakhstan to interview former detainees who had fled there, BuzzFeed said. “Throughout her reporting, Rajagopalan had to endure harassment from the Chinese government,” the publication said. The series of stories provided proof of Beijing’s violation of Uighurs’ human rights, which some U.S. and other Western officials have called a “genocide.”

Ousting Longest Serving PM, Israel Gets New Government

The long and divisive reign of Benjamin Netanyahu, the dominant Israeli Prime Minister who led the nation for a long dozen years, officially ended, as the country’s Parliament gave its vote of confidence to a precarious coalition government stitched together by widely disparate anti-Netanyahu forces. Benjamin Netanyahu’s record 12-year run as Israel’s prime minister ended on Sunday, June 13th with Israeli Parliament approving a new “government of change” led by nationalist Naftali Bennett, an improbable scenario few Israelis once could have imagined. Israel’s Parliament, the Knesset, approved the new government by just a single vote — 60 to 59, with one abstention. Naftali Bennett took the oath of office as prime minister.

Under the coalition deal, Bennett, a 49-year-old Orthodox Jew and high-tech millionaire, will be replaced as prime minister in 2023 by centrist YairLapid, 57, a popular former television host. With his far-right Yamina party winning only six of parliament’s 120 seats in the last election, Bennett’s ascension to the premiership was a political jaw-dropper.They lead an eight-party alliance ranging from left to right, from secular to religious, that agrees on little but a desire to oust Mr. Netanyahu, the longest-serving leader in the country’s history, and to end Israel’s lengthy political gridlock.

Meanwhile, reports here suggest, Israel’s fragile new government has shown little interest in addressing the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians, but it may not have a choice.Jewish ultranationalists are already staging provocations aimed at splitting the coalition and bringing about a return to right-wing rule. In doing so, they risk escalating tensions with the Palestinians weeks after an 11-day Gaza war was halted by an informal cease-fire. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s best hope for maintaining his ruling coalition — which consists of eight parties from across the political spectrum — will be to manage the conflict, the same approach favored by his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu, for most of his 12-year rule. But that method failed to prevent three Gaza wars and countless smaller eruptions.

That’s because the status quo for Palestinians involves expanding settlements in the occupied West Bank, looming evictions in Jerusalem, home demolitions, deadly shootings and an array of discriminatory measures that two well-known human rights groups say amount to apartheid. In Gaza, which has been under a crippling blockade since the Hamas militant group seized power in 2007, it’s even worse. “They talk about it being a government of change, but it’s just going to entrench the status quo,” said Waleed Assaf, a Palestinian official who coordinates protests against West Bank settlements. “Bennett is a copy of Netanyahu, and he might even be more radical.”

Bennett said little about the Palestinians in a speech before being sworn in on Sunday. “Violence will be met with a firm response,” he warned, adding that “security calm will lead to economic moves, which will lead to reducing friction and the conflict.” Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg, a member of the dovish Meretz party, told Israeli television’s Channel 12 that she believes the peace process is important, but that the new government has agreed, “at least at this stage, not to deal with it.”

The government faces an early challenge on JabalSabeeh, a hilltop in the northern West Bank where dozens of Jewish settlers rapidly established an outpost last month, paving roads and setting up living quarters that they say are now home to dozens of families. The settlement, named Eviatar after an Israeli who was killed in an attack in 2013, was built without the permission of Israeli authorities on land the Palestinians say is privately owned. Israeli troops have evacuated settlers from the site three times before, but they returned after an Israeli was killed in a shooting attack nearby early last month.

Clearing them out again would embarrass Bennett and other right-wing members of the coalition, who already face fierce criticism — and even death threats — for allying with centrist and left-wing factions to oust Netanyahu. Meanwhile, Palestinians from the adjacent village of Beita have held regular protests against the settlement outpost. Demonstrators have thrown stones, and Israeli troops have fired tear gas and live ammunition. Three protesters have been killed, including 17-year-old Mohammed Hamayel, who was shot dead Friday. Initial reports said he was 15.

“I always taught him you should stand up for your rights without infringing on the rights of others,” his father, Said, said at a mourning event attended by dozens of villagers. He described his son as a popular teenager who got good grades and was a natural leader. “Thank God, I’m very proud of my son,” he said. “Even in martyrdom he distinguished himself.” Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state. The settlements are seen by the Palestinians and much of the international community as a major obstacle to peace because they make it nearly impossible to create a contiguous, viable state of Palestine alongside Israel.

Every Israeli government since 1967 has expanded the settlements, and this one is unlikely to be an exception. Bennett briefly served as head of a major settler organization, and his party is one of three in the coalition that strongly support settlements.

India’s Health Ministry Says, 85% Decline In New Covid Cases

India has registered a continuous decline since the number of new cases peaked on May 7, when India reported 4,14,188 new cases and they have declined by 85 percent, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India. “Almost 85 per cent decline has been seen in daily cases since the highest reported peak. We are witnessing this situation after 75 days, thus indicating an overall decline in infection rate, ” said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Health Ministry on COVID19 situation. On June 15th, India reported 86,490 new cases, while on May 7, daily cases were at 4.14 lakh, but had come down to 2.67 lakh on May 19 and dropped below the 2 lakh mark subsequently.

Cumulative recovery rate has now reached 95.6 per cent, with recoveries outnumbering infections in all states, he said. As many as 366 districts across the country have reported a marked decline in cases over the past weeks, while there are 20 states and UTs where active Covid cases are less than 5,000. There has been a consistent decline in average daily new cases since the week of 5-11 May and a progressive increase in the rate of decline of average daily new cases, he added. The Health Ministry official further added that 3.28 per cent of children in the age group of 1-10 years contracted Covid-19 during the first wave while 3.05 per cent of children in the same age group were affected during the second wave.

“In the age group of 1-10 years, 3.28 per cent of children contracted COVID-19 infection in the first wave while 3.05 per cent during the second wave. 8.03 per cent were infected in 11-20 years of age group in the first wave and 8.5 per cent in the second wave, ” said Agarwal. He added that prioritising vaccination should be the focus in the country and added that Covid-19 safe behavior should be followed despite low Covid-19 numbers to contain the virulent variants of Coronavirus.

“Vaccination is an additional tool in the fight against coronavirus. I urge everyone to prioritise hygiene and abide by COVID appropriate behaviour including wearing masks and social distancing. Avoid travel as much as you can,” said Lav Agarwal. “Virus transmission is very low right now. Cluster cases should be contained. We are dealing with a highly transmissible variant this year than we were in 2020, hence we exercise greater caution and strictly abide by COVID appropriate behaviour, ” added Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, NitiAayog while addressing the media in New Delhi.

Bill Introduced Allowing Doctors on J-1 Visas to Stay Longer in Rural Communities

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Susan Collins, R-Maine; Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada; and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa have reintroduced bipartisan legislation to increase the number of doctors able to work in rural and medically underserved communities, Klobuchar’s office said in a news release. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act would allow international doctors to remain in the U.S. upon completing their residency under the condition that they practice in areas experiencing doctor shortages.  Senator Angus King (I-ME) is an original co-sponsor along with Senators John Thune (R-SD), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Roy Blunt (R-MO).

“We must provide opportunities for American-trained and educated physicians to remain in the country and practice in areas where there is an unmet need for quality care,” said Senator Collins. “By expanding access to health care in our rural and underserved communities, this bipartisan bill would promote healthier lives and ensure that families across the country receive the health care they deserve.”

“Over the last 15 years, the Conrad 30 program has brought more than 15,000 physicians to underserved areas, filling a critical need for quality care in our rural communities – a need that was highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “Our bipartisan legislation would allow doctors to remain in the areas they serve, improving health care for families across the nation while retaining talent trained and educated here in the United States,” she added.

At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Klobuchar led a bipartisan group of 19 senators and 29 members of the House in a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services calling on the administration to waive restrictions that prevent doctors on certain employment-based visas from providing medical services in rural areas. She also led a letter to USCIS with 24 senators and 13 members of the House, urging the administration to resume premium processing for doctors seeking employment-based visas.

“The American Medical Association strongly supports this bill that would ensure all patients, regardless of where they live, have adequate opportunities to be treated by skilled physicians in their local communities,” said Dr. Susan R. Bailey, President of the American Medical Association. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of rural and underserved areas having sufficient access to physicians and quality health care. Strengthening the Conrad 30 program is a vital part of making access happen.”

“Now more than ever, the U.S. must offer incentives and opportunities to trained physicians to work in areas of the country where we desperately need more excellent healthcare providers. The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act is a bipartisan effort to begin tackling our national physician shortfall, with a targeted focus on our rural and underserved area,” said Kristie De Peña, Vice President of Policy at The Niskanen Center.

“The latest extension of the Conrad State 30 Program will expire later this year, which is why we urge action to extend this critical program. Without timely reauthorization, patient access to care in the many communities that have benefited from these physicians may be threatened,” said Stacey Hughes, Executive Vice President of the American Hospital Association. “We also support the program improvements contained in the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act as part of this extension and stand ready to work with you and your colleagues to move this legislation forward.”

“NRHA applauds Senators Klobuchar, Collins, Rosen, and Ernst for reintroducing the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act. Rural Americans face greater health care workforce shortages than their urban counterparts, so we are proud to support this bill, which will help support the recruitment of physicians and the delivery of vital health care services in rural America,” said Carrie Cochran-McClain, Chief Policy Officer at the National Rural Health Association.

“Many highly trained hospitalists are immigrants and as COVID-19 has proven, they are crucial to our healthcare system, particularly in rural and underserved communities.  The Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) strongly supports the Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act to help ensure these communities have the healthcare workforce necessary to care for the patients who need them,” said Eric Howell, MD, MHM, CEO of the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Currently, doctors from other countries working in America on J-1 visas are required to return to their home country for two years after their residency has ended before they can apply for another visa or green card. The Conrad 30 program allows doctors to stay in the United States without having to return home if they agree to practice in an underserved area for three years. The “30” refers to the number of doctors per state that can participate in the program.

This legislation extends the Conrad 30 program for three years, improves the process for obtaining a visa, and allows for the program to be expanded beyond 30 slots if certain thresholds are met, while protecting small states’ slots. The bill also allows the spouses of doctors to work and provides worker protections to prevent the doctors from being mistreated. A version of the bill was included as an amendment in the comprehensive immigration bill that passed the Senate in 2013. The bill has received the endorsement of the Federation of American Hospitals, American Medical Association, the Niskanen Center, the American Hospital Association, the National Rural Health Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Society of Hospital Medicine.

Eagle Act 2021 Gives Hope To Indians Stuck In Green Card Backlog

The Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment HR 3648 or the EAGLE Act 2021, introduced by Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Rep John Curtis, giving Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment in the United States, is a welcome measure that is expected to do away with the  seven percent per-country cap on employment-based immigrant visas. Considered to be a relief for tens of thousands of Indian nationals stuck in Green Card limbo, a bipartisan legislation introduced in the House of Representatives aims to remove per-country limit on employment-based green cards. He gives these pointers explaining the bill’s advantages

According to experts, getting out of the backlog will provide them a chance to change jobs, to start their own companies, to make investments and a freedom from the bondage of their organization rules specially on changing jobs, promotions, etc. So, it may be worth a try to push for the bill and hope for the best.EAGLE Act of 2021 phases out seven percent per-country cap on employment-based immigrant visas. It also raises per-country cap on family-sponsored visas to 15 percent. While skepticism remains on whether this bill has the potential to become a law or would change the landscape of the green card backlog anytime soon, some immigration experts believe that a good bill is better than no bill.

San Francisco Bay Area-based Prashant Prasad, a volunteer for Immigration Voice, a grass roots organization representing the high skilled immigrants in the US, explains why the current bill may be good news. He says, “We started advocating for a simple bill which would remove the per country caps for employment based green cards many years ago. The primary purpose of this was to ensure that employment based green cards are given on a first come first served basis.

As per experts, here is how, the Act will benefit:

Professional

  1. Today about 80% of the people are not able to or do not change jobs because of the fear of starting the green card process all over again as it can take anywhere from 1.5 years to 4 years after most job changes.
  2. The increased restrictions on H-1B holders, means that people who have been here for many years and may well be experts in their areas, fear that their visas may not renewed for some flimsy reasons, as has been the case for the last few years.
  3. Losing a job for an H-1B visa holder means one has to find a job within 45 days (60 days today, but 15 days are required for LCA processing and H-1B filing) otherwise they have to leave the country with family.
  4. Many companies do not hire H-1Bs, due to restrictive company policies in recent years driven by the ever increasing restrictions on H-1Bs in the previous Trump regime.

Hence, when I switched jobs just before Covid impacted this company, the entire team of about 8-9 people, who were recently hired, had to look for new jobs. While I was lucky to land a job within the available timeframe, many of the companies for whom I was a perfect fit and wanted to hire me, could not do so, because they were not hiring H-1Bs.

  1. Ambitions get impacted as a majority of people just sacrifice career growth for the safety and stability of their jobs and hence the family.

Personal

  1. It is a big disruption. If one has to move their family back to India especially with kids who have grown up in America and do not deserve an abrupt change.
  2. My daughter came here when she was one year old and hence will not be covered by my green card process when she turns 21.

Even though she has grown up here, studied here, identifies with the school system here, has her friends here, I am worried that she will age out if I don’t get my green card before she turns 21. My priority date is 2014 and if no change happens in the law, I will probably not get a green card in another 20-25 years. There are many like me who live with the fear of kids aging out of the system.

  1. I studied at a college which is ranked among the best for entrepreneurship and I was very enthused to start an entrepreneurial venture of my own, while still in college.

However, being on H-1B has more or less killed that dream, as we always have the visa situation at the back of our minds. The bill if implemented will solve this problem for many.

  1. My wife, who herself is a M. Tech (Computer Science) and used to work in India, could not start working here for many years, until the H-4 EAD regulation came into effect.

Staying in a place where technology jobs are in abundance but unable to even try for one, was a very painful situation for her. H-4 EAD holders have been fighting a brave battle in the country from sacrificing careers to long wait for work permits. They do deserve a better deal than the current one.

  1. Issues like delaying decisions to buy a house, deferring international travel, in the last few years due to challenges with H-1B stamping etc. are also a major reason why H-1Bs are leading uncertain lives in America.

Sarala Vidya Nagala Nominated By President Biden To Be A Federal Judge

Sarala Vidya Nagala of South Asian origin has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve on the District Court for the District of Connecticut. If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she would be the first judge of South Asian descent, nominated by President Biden. The White House announced last week that President Joe Biden has made a slate of judicial nominees June 15, 2021. She was chosen for this nomination being an “extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and US Constitution,” the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Indian-American civil rights attorney Sarala VidyaNagala, who is working as a federal prosecutor in New Haven, Connecticut, has been nominated by US President Joe Biden as a federal judge in the state. She brings 13-year-long experience to the table. The appointment, if comes through, will make her the first judge of South Asian descent to serve on the federal bench in the state, media reports suggest. Besides her, Biden has also announced the names of four more judicial nominees on June 15.

The new nomination of VidyaNagala and others, according to the White House, is a continuation to fulfill President Biden’s “promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of the greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” a statement said.

Indian-American VidyaNagala will receive a wide opportunity to use the leadership qualities that she has developed in many roles during her tenure at the US Attorney’s Office. She joined the US Attorney’s Office as an assistant attorney in 2012 and has been serving the state for over nine years now. In 2016, she took over the position of deputy chief. In her leadership role in the office, for the past four years, VidyaNagala has provided extensive results in a number of projects, including as Hate Crimes Coordinator, the White House announcement revealed. She had previously overseen the programs at Munger, Tolles, & Olson in San Francisco, California as an associate. She worked there between 2009 to 2012.

Nagala joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2012, and has served in a number of leadership roles in the office, including as Hate Crimes Coordinator, the White House announcement noted. Previously, she was an associate at Munger, Tolles, & Olson in San Francisco, California from 2009 to 2012. She began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge Susan Graber on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2008 to 2009. Nagala received her J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law in 2008 and her B.A. from Stanford University in 2005.

Biden Administration Announces First National Strategy For Domestic Terrorism

While international terrorism has received much attention across the nation, recent events,  including the January 6th violence on Capitol has made it urgent to address and tackle domestic terrorism. Responding to the newer realities, the Biden administration has released its first national strategy for domestic terrorism. The White House published its first national strategy for responding to domestic terrorism, five months after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

The national security council framework describes the domestic terrorism threat as more serious than potential attacks from outside the US, but also underlines the need to protect civil liberties and states that the approach must be “ideologically neutral”.

  • How will it work? The strategy has four pillars, writes Washington DC bureau chief David Smith, which include: understanding and sharing information about domestic terrorism threats, preventing Americans from being recruited, incited and mobilised, deterring and disrupting activity before violence and long-term contributing issues.
  • Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said on Monday that it was “highly unlikely” he would allow Biden to fill a supreme court vacancy in 2024, a presidential election year, if Republicans regained control of the chamber.
  • Extremist Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greeneapologized for comparing the House mask rule to the Holocaust.
  • Plus, how Republicans hold near total control – including the governorship and the legislature – in 23 US states.

Many Desis Win Primaries In New Jersey

Several persons of South Asian origin have won the party primaries in the state of New Jersey,held on June 8th this year in the state of New Jersey. Currently, there are three elected to the NJ state Assembly/Senate. Indian-American State Senator in Vin Gopal won the primaries and the other two Indian-Americans in the Assembly are Raj Mukherji and Sterly Stanley, who won a special election tonight for State Assembly in the 18th district in January 2021. All the three are set to go in November and will most probably win back their seats. Nevertheless, Gopal told Desi Talk he would take no chances and campaign for every vote.

Samip Joshi won the Democratic party Primary in his run for the Mayor of Edison Township. Joshi had many high-profile endorsements party high-ups favored him with, from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, and Gov. Phil Murphy downwards, and was engaged in a battle with fellow Democrat Mahesh Bhagia. Joshi won 5,995 votes to Bhagia’s 3,185, according to centraljersey.com reporting based on Middlesex County Board of Elections.

“I want to thank my campaign team, the many Democratic leaders who embraced my candidacy and especially the people of Edison who saw clearly that we need a new direction for our community,” Joshi went on to say, concluding with, “I look forward to the General Election and hopefully to beginning a new administration in January that will deliver the bold, transformative leadership that Edison deserves.” Joshi is expected to face Republican candidate Keith Hahn, retired township police officer, and incumbent Mayor Tom Lankey, in the November elections.

In the State Senate, Gopal will fight against Republican Lori Annetta on November 2. Gopal turned the Red County (Montgomery) into blue when he got elected in an upset victory four years ago. “New Jersey is becoming more and more blue – over the last ten years,” he told Desi Talk. There are one million more Democrats registered today than before, he said, which gives this party the advantage. “I beat a very, very, very difficult incumbent in the last election, and I am going to take nothing for granted.” Gopal draws support from members of both parties, he noted. Sadaf Jaffer, two-term mayor of Montgomery Township, won the district 16 primary for the Democratic Party nomination and goes on November. At last count when the mail-in votes had yet to be added, Jaffer had won 44.19 percent of the vote and her running mate had secured 42.07 percent.

“This District is a purple district till a few years ago when it was all Republican,” she said. “I am very confident of winning the seat,” and she attributes that to the hard work done during the pandemic to keep the public informed and working as a team to marshal local and state resources and help small business and others. At the local grassroots level, Jaffer developed a Crisis Plan, and networked with very diverse communities. Jaffer’s ancestry goes back to the Kutch region of India and to Pakistan.

In District 18, Republican Vihal Patel was uncontested in his party primary for the State Assembly. On the Democratic side in this district, Mohin Patel lost the primary against Patrick Diegnan Jr. who won 75 percent of his party’s vote. So Patel will face off against Diegnan in November. Another uncontested Republican was Agha Khan who is running for the NJ State Senate Seat from District 33. He will face off against incumbent Sen. Brian Stack who was also unopposed. Notably, Stack won the 2017 election to the State Senate with 88.22 percent of the votes while his Republican opponent got less than 12 percent. Khan’s fate is not on the winning side. Khan tried his luck back in 2016 running as a Republican for the U.S. House of Representatives from District 8 in New Jersey.

Hirsh Singh, a Republican lost in a four-way primary for the Governor’s seat, but did not do too badly, securing 21.49 percent of the vote. Bina Shah, another GOP candidate for the State Assembly from District 14, along with her partner on the slate Andrew Pachuta, will be pitted against Wayne DeAngelo and Daniel Benson. One of the difficult races is the one from District 21, that saw Anjali Mehrotra, a community organizer and is President of the National Organization for Women of New Jersey. “This is a very competitive district,” Mehrotra told Desi Talk, with incumbents being all Republicans for the longest time, but with a trend favoring Democrats over the last decade.

“This year is a great opportunity for a pick up,” Mehrotra said. “We’re hoping to get two more Democrats into the Assembly.” Mehrotra and Elizabeth Graner go against Republicans Michele Matsikoudis and incumbent Nancy Munoz, who Mehrotra noted got the lowest percentage of votes despite being an incumbent.“This is definitely an opportunity to grow the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) caucus in the Assembly,” Mehrotra said, emphasizing that she decided to run when Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, the first Indian-American to be elected to the NJ lower house, said more South Asians needed to put their hats in the ring. District 21 is a suburban area with generally highly educated and wealthy electorate. Mehrotra sees women in the District going for her because of her past work on women’s issues.

4 Persons of Indian Origin Feature in Fortune’s 2021 World’s 50 Greatest Leaders List

Adar Poonawalla, head of the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, is among the top 10 among the 50 Word’s Greatest Leaders, 2021 listed by Fortune magazine. Others named to the list featured Armman organization’s Indian founder and chairperson Dr. Aparna Hegde at No.15; Indian Americans Sunrise Movement executive director Varshini Prakash at No. 28, and Brown University School of Public Health Dean Ashish Jha at No. 50. Topping the 2021 list is New Zealand Prime Minister JacindaArdern, “who had already sealed her position as a great leader early in her premiership of New Zealand, by empathetically steering her country through the aftermath of a terror attack and the deadly eruption of a volcano. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and Ardern targeted not just suppression of the virus, but its complete elimination.”

While introducing the Top 50 world leaders, Fortune wrote: “Many of them emerged almost instantly, seemingly out of nowhere, to meet unimagined crises. Like Fairley, they embody Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s conception of “a true leader”—someone who “has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.” MacArthur also pointed out that such a person “does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the equality of [their] actions and the integrity of their intent.”

On Poonawala, Fortune wrote: “Tasked with no less than bringing an end to the global pandemic, the SII has pledged to deliver up to 2 billion vaccine doses in the coming years to COVAX, a global initiative to provide vaccine to lower- and middle-income countries—and it has already provided more doses to that initiative than any other vaccine maker. The SII is producing two vaccines. The first, Covishield, is one of only a few vaccines approved by the World Health Organization and is based on the COVID vaccine AstraZeneca developed. SII’s other vaccine, called Covavax, is being produced in partnership with American firm Novavax, and may provide a 1.1 billion–dose boon to global vaccine stocks starting later this year once it clears clinical trials.”

Hegde, aurogynecologist, witnessed too many horrors delivering babies at a government hospital in Mumbai during her Residency. Worse, they were preventable: Time after time, she’d seen an infant or its mother, or both, die in childbirth, tragedies that could have been avoided with basic prenatal care or more timely dispatching of hospital resources, according to her profile. That’s what led her in 2008 to found Armman, an organization focused on bettering outcomes through the use of low-cost technology—like targeting pregnant women and new mothers with information through their cellphones, the bio said.

Today her nonprofit, which partners with the Indian government and dozens of NGOs in 17 states across the country, and represents one of the largest mobile health programs in the world and a lifeline for women in India: Armman has reached more than 24 million of them and trained more than 170,000 local health workers, it added. The model has proved powerful beyond prenatal care, too: When COVID struck, Armman’s network and virtual training platform made it a vital tool in educating women and health workers about the virus and vaccine.

Prakash was joined at her No. 28 ranking with Sunrise Movement training director Sara Blazevic. Co-founders Blazevic and Prakash helped officially launch the group of youth activists in 2017, and it is now one of the most effective coalitions fighting for climate action in the United States, according to the feature. Sunrise initially campaigned heavily for Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, but Joe Biden actively courted it after emerging as the party’s frontrunner. Prakash was chosen by Biden to serve on the “unity task force” commissioned by both candidates to help assemble the party’s climate message. After the election, Sunrise leaders were also included in Biden’s transition, the profile said.

Rounding out the list was Jha. In the effort to contain an outbreak of COVID’s scope, there’s a delicate balance between messaging, compassion, and sober analysis, and Ashish Jha has become a downright Ariadne of this maze, the magazine said. A respected physician and public health scholar, Jha is a familiar face on cable news channels seeking insight on all matters COVID. Jha has a way, both in his public commentary and social media presence, of breaking down complicated public health issues in accessible language. His lack of a government affiliation has also helped him appear more trustworthy to skeptically inclined viewers, Fortune said. Jha’s unrelenting effort to share hard facts, easy-to-understand analysis, and a healthy sprinkling of empathy without judgment is a standard worth aspiring to, the report noted.

Covid’s Link To Life Threatening Blood Clots Discovered

Irish scientists have identified how and why some Covid-19 patients can develop life-threatening blood clots. The work ,led by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), could lead to targeted therapies that prevent such clots happening in future. The findings are published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. The scientists analyzed samples from Covid-19 patients in intensive care in the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. They found the balance between a molecule that causes clotting called the von Willebrand Factor (VWF) and its regulator, ADANTS 13, is severely disrupted in Covid patients who had elevated levels of the VWF protein.

The ADAMTS13 gene provides instructions for making an enzyme that is involved in regulating blood clotting, while VWF is a large multimeric glycoprotein in plasma. Deficiency or dysfunction of VWF can lead to either bleeding or thrombosis. The findings could lead to targeted therapies that prevent such clots happening in future, the BBC reported. The study is published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. “Our research helps provide insights into the mechanisms that cause severe blood clots in patients with Covid-19, which is critical in developing more effective treatments,” said Dr Jamie O’Sullivan, a research lecturer at the RCSI.She said more research needed to be done to determine whether targets aimed at correcting the levels of ADAMTS 13 and VWF can lead to successful interventions.

“It is important that we continue to develop therapies for patients with Covid-19,” O’Sullivan said. “Vaccines will continue to be unavailable to many people throughout the world and it is important that we provide effective treatments to them and to those with breakthrough infections,” she added. For the study, the team analyzed samples from Covid-19 patients in intensive care in the Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

Outside of novel coronavirus infection, these clot-causing antibodies are typically seen in patients who have the autoimmune disease antiphospholipid syndrome. The connection between autoantibodies and COVID-19 was unexpected, says co-corresponding author YogenKanthi, M.D., an assistant professor at the Michigan Medicine Frankel Cardiovascular Center and a Lasker Investigator at the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. “In patients with COVID-19, we continue to see a relentless, self-amplifying cycle of inflammation and clotting in the body,” Kanthi says. “Now we’re learning that autoantibodies could be a culprit in this loop of clotting and inflammation that makes people who were already struggling even sicker.”

United States Reaches Another Milestone, 600,000 Deaths From Coronavirus

The U.S. surpassed 600,000 COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday, June 15th, a stark reminder of the pandemic’s enduring toll even as the nation continues to take steps toward normalcy. The remarkable progress in the battle against the coronavirus, thanks to a concerted vaccination effort led by the federal government, has ushered in the lifting of restrictions and perhaps even a sense that the pandemic’s over. The precise number is under debate. Reuters reported, there had been 600,061 reports of covid-linked fatalities since the start of the pandemic, while a Johns Hopkins University tracker placed the death toll at 600,272. Either way, the United States is closing in on the total casualty count across the four-year long Civil War.

The nationwide death rate, however, has dropped sharply since inoculations became widely available. More than 79,000 people died of covid-19 in January, but it has taken almost four months for the death toll to go from 500,000 to 600,000.The current seven-day average of about 430 deaths a day is less than one-seventh of the 3,300 daily fatalities during the ghastly January peak. But even 430 represents a fourfold increase on the number of Americans per day who die of the flu in a typical year, and the U.S. still leads the world by plenty in reported coronavirus cases (33.4 million) and deaths.

Here are some significant developments:

  • The European Union will recommend lifting restrictions on U.S. travelers on Friday, a long-anticipated move that will allow a return to near-normal travel with the continent for the first time since the pandemic began, according to diplomats.
  • California fully reopened its economy even as Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) stressed that “this thing can come back” if vaccination rates don’t continue increasing.
  • Fifty-two people associated with the Copa America soccer tournament held in covid-stricken Brazil have tested positive for the coronavirus, the country’s Health Ministry said Tuesday.
  • The Trump administration’s hunt for a pandemic “lab leak” went down many paths and came up with no smoking gun to reveal whether the virus could be the result of engineering or a lab accident.
  • Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin laid out a plan to fully reopen the economy in late October. The Southeast Asian nation has been in “total lockdown” since June 1, when it was registering more new cases per capita than any medium- or large-sized country in Asia.
  • The United States reported a seven-day rolling average of 13,530 new cases Tuesday, a 13.5 percent decrease from the previous week. Covid-linked hospitalizations fell by 13 percent.

And with half of Americans still unvaccinated, the potential for further grief and suffering has been far from eliminated.”The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, but it doesn’t bring back any of those lives or bring solace to the grieving families,” said Dr. Steven Woolf, director emeritus of the Center on Society and Health at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Europe Lifts Ban On US Travelers

The European Union is officially recommending that the 27-member bloc lift restrictions on US travelers, a long-anticipated move that will allow a return to near-normal travel with the continent for the first time since the pandemic began, according to diplomats.The European diplomats spoke on the condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement planned for Friday. EU ambassadors decided Wednesday to approve a proposal to add the United States — along with Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Serbia — to its “white list” of places where nonessential travelers are allowed in from across the bloc, sources said. Although this list is nonbinding, it seeks to harmonize travel rules across the European Union. Some European countries, including Greece, Portugal, and Spain, are already accepting vaccinated US travelers.

Ambassadors from the 27 EU countries approved a European Commission proposal from May 3 to loosen the criteria to determine “safe” countries and to let in fully vaccinated tourists from elsewhere.The full resumption of transatlantic travel still has one further hurdle: The United States has yet to say when it will reciprocally lift its ban on E.U. travelers, although that move is similarly expected within weeks.Inclusion on the “white list,” created in June 2020, means E.U. countries can accept travelers regardless of their vaccination status, although each individual country can set its own requirements for entry and quarantine. Australia, Israel, Japan and New Zealand are among the countries already on the list.

Under current restrictions, people from only seven countries, including Australia, Israel and Singapore, can enter the EU on holiday, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.   The current main criterion is that there should be no more than 25 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the previous 14 days. The trend should be stable or decreasing and there should be a sufficient number of tests, which would need to show a minimum percentage of negative tests. Variants of concern can be taken into account.

The resumption of travel will be a major boost to tourism-dependent economies across the continent. Following a slow start to vaccine rollouts, European officials and policymakers hope that the bloc will reach herd immunity by July. So far, around 45 percent of the nearly 450 million E.U. residents have been inoculated with at least one shot, and around half of those have been fully vaccinated.Earlier this week, the E.U. Parliament also formally approved legislation to create a digital certificate system starting July 1 that would scrap quarantine requirements for people who can prove they are vaccinated or that they have recently recovered from covid-19 or tested negative for the virus.

Another Federal Holiday Added: Juneteenth, Commemorating The End Of Slavery

The US Senate has unanimously passed on June 15th, a measure that would establish a federal holiday for Juneteenth, the day that marks the end of slavery in Texas.The bill now heads to the Democratic-led House, where it is likely to be approved, although the timing remains uncertain. Unanimous Senate passage was an anticlimactic culmination to a long effort to commemorate Juneteenth, the day that enslaved Black people in Galveston, Tex., received news on June 19, 1865, that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had signed it.

“Juneteenth commemorates the moment some of the last formerly enslaved people in the nation learned they were free,” said Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.). “Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past — but we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution.” The effort gained significant ground in the last Congress, but a July 2020 attempt to pass the bill establishing the holiday was foiled when Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) objected to its passage and GOP Senate leaders opted not to expend scarce floor time to get around his objection.

Johnson objected to the cost of granting federal workers an additional paid holiday, and he proposed amendments that would offset the cost by either removing Columbus Day from the list of paid federal holidays or subtracting a day from federal workers’ paid leave. That proposal prompted sharp criticism from conservative commentators such as Tucker Carlson, who last year accused Johnson and another Republican, Sen. James Lankford (Okla.), of “trying to cancel Columbus Day.”In a statement Tuesday, Johnson said that while he remained concerned about the cost, which he pegged at $600 million a year, he did not intend to object again.

The Congressional Budget Office has not delivered an official cost estimate for the bill. Johnson’s estimate is based on the wages and salary that would be paid to the federal workforce for the day off, plus overtime for those who would work that day. Had Johnson not withdrawn his objection, the legislation probably would have faced a tougher path to reaching the Senate floor, since bills that do not have unanimous consent require more time for debate, and the chamber’s leaders have focused that time instead on voting rights, infrastructure and other key parts of their legislative agenda.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

FIA To Organize Yoga Events On International Yoga Day

The Federation of Indian Associations of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and the Consulate General of India, New York, is organising a one-hour-long yoga and meditation program on the occasion of the Seventh International Day of Yoga on June 20, 2021 at Liberty State Park,200 Morris Pesin Drive Jersey City, New Jersey. The FIA has invited all to join the program.

An ancient Indian discipline that focusses on the physical, mental and spiritualwell-being of an individual, yoga has found a resonance across the . The United Nations, in acknowledgement of its global appeal, proclaimed June 21 as the International Day of Yoga in December 2014. While introducing the proposal in the UN, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition… embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action … it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is one of the largest esteemed umbrella organizations in the Indian community. Ankur Vaidya is the Chairman of FIA and Anil Bansal is the President of the federation that represents over 500,000 strong and vibrant Asian-Indians who provide significant grass root support.

Established in 1970, the FIA has blossomed into a commendable organization that has become an effective mouthpiece and mobilizer for the community. FIA represents various issues that concern a growing Asian-Indian community at the local, state, and national levels.

India Blames Twitter For Not Complying With Local Laws

NEW DELHI (AP) — The standoff between the Indian government and Twitter escalated Wednesday when the country’s technology minister accused the social media giant of deliberately not complying with local laws. Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Twitter has chosen “the path of deliberate defiance” when it comes to following new internet regulations that digital activists have said could curtail online speech and privacy in India.

“If any foreign entity believes that they can portray itself as the flag bearer of free speech in India to excuse itself from complying with the law of the land, such attempts are misplaced,” Prasad said in a series of tweets.The Indian government has been at odds with major social media websites over a new set of sweeping regulations that give it more power to police online content. It requires companies to erase content that authorities deem unlawful, comply with government takedown orders, help with police investigations and identify the originators of “mischievous information.”

Under the new laws, social media websites and tech companies will also have to remove content within 36 hours after an administrative or legal order is issued. Their employees can be held criminally liable for failing to comply with the government’s requests.Twitter said in a statement Tuesday that it was making every effort to comply with the new regulations. The company said it had appointed an interim chief compliance officer in India, a requirement under the new regulations, and will soon notify India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The new rules also require social media platforms to appoint what the government calls grievance officers to handle complaints from law enforcement agencies. Prasad, the IT minister, also accused Twitter of bias and said it was labeling some content as manipulated media, “only when it suits its likes and dislikes.” In May, leaders from Modi’s party tweeted parts of a document they said was created by the main opposition Congress Party to discredit the government’s handling of the pandemic. Some Congress leaders complained to Twitter, saying the document was forged. In response, Twitter marked some posts as “manipulated media.”

Twitter rules apply “manipulated media” tags to posts that have been “deceptively altered or fabricated.” The new internet regulations, announced in February, are among many challenges social media companies face after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pushed back against criticism that its new rules restrict online speech.Modi’s government has sought for years to control social media and has often directed Twitter to take down tweets or accounts that appear critical of his party and its leaders, including his administration’s handling of the pandemic. Twitter has complied with most of those orders.

The friction has intensified recently, with the government threatening social media companies with legal action and their employees with prison time if they refuse to comply with the takedown directives.Initially, Twitter expressed concern about what it called “the potential threat to freedom of expression” when the new rules came into effect late last month.

Basmati Rice Ownership Shared By India, Pak

In a rare agreement between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan, which have a history of long-time rivalry with disputes on every front from sea to land, exporters from both sides of the border have mutually agreed to share the ownership of the regions prized Basmati rice, a solution considered the most workable to reach the European markets. “There has to be a joint ownership, which is a logical solution to the dispute,” said Faizan Ali Ghouri, a Pakistani rice exporter.The fight between India and Pakistan over the claim of the origin of Basmati rice has a long history, as this variety is produced largely on both sides of the border.

India has filed a claim in the European Union (EU) seeking a geographical indication (GI) tag for Basmati rice. Pakistan, on the other hand, has opposed India’s claim and has filed a request for a protected GI tag.“There is no logic in both countries’ claim for the sole exclusivity of Basmati rice. Although its origin is Pakistani Punjab, it is grown in both sides of the border. Therefore, a joint ownership is the only viable solution to the long-standing dispute,” said Ghouri.“The EU buyers also prefer joint ownership of the rice variety as they want to keep both New Delhi and Islamabad on board in terms of commodity exports,” he added.

Ghouri’s views were seconded by Ashok Sethi, the director of Punjab Rice Millers Export Association in India, who also suggested that both the countries should jointly protect the Basmati heritage.“India and Pakistan are the only two countries which produce Basmati in the world. Both should jointly work together to save the heritage and protect the GI regime of the rice,” said Sethi.It is pertinent to mention that EU had recognised Basmati as a joint product of India and Pakistan in 2006.

Both Pakistan and India make good money from their respective exports of Basmati rice. Pakistan annually earns $2.2 billion, while India makes about $6.8 billion from Basmati exports.“Both countries export Basmati rice. India, in its application to the EU, has never stated that it is the only Basmati producer in the world,” insisted Vijay Sethi, a New Delhi-based exporter.While both sides still have their own historical details on the origin of Basmati, it is rare to see two arch-rivals, who are not ready to come to the table for talks until their demands are met, come down to a mutual agreement.

Pakistan demands India to reverse its August 5, 2019 decision that changed the special status of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A, as a benchmark to make way for dialogue and address other issues between the two countries.India, on the other hand, demands Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism and take decisive action against terror elements, which it claims, enjoy the support of the establishment. (IANS)

CDC Reports, CovidIncreased Suicide Attempts In Teenage Girls By Over 50%

Suicide attempts by teenage girls in the US rose by 51 per cent during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report showed that between February 21 and March 20, 2021, the emergency department (ED) visits for suspected suicide attempts were 50.6 per cent higher among girls aged 12-17 years than during the same period in 2019. Among boys aged 12-17 years, the suspected suicide attempt ED visits increased 3.7 per cent.The difference in suspected suicide attempts by sex and the increase in suspected suicide attempts among young persons, especially adolescent females, is consistent with past research.

“However, the findings from this study suggest more severe distress among young females than has been identified in previous reports during the pandemic reinforcing the need for increased attention to, and prevention for, this population,” the CDC said.The ED visits for suspected suicide attempts begin to rise in May last year. The average weekly number of ED visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescents 12-17 years was 22.3 per cent higher during the summer of 2020 and 39.1 per cent higher during the winter of 2021 than during the corresponding periods in 2019, the report said.

While the average weekly number rose among girls — 26.2 per cent higher in the summer and 50 per cent higher in the winter, among boys aged 12-17, the visits increased only 3.7 per cent in the winter compared to the same period in 2019.Importantly, although this report found increases in ED visits for suspected suicide attempts among adolescent females during 2020 and early 2021, this does not mean that suicide deaths have increased, the agency said.

“Suicide prevention requires a comprehensive approach that is adapted during times of infrastructure disruption, involves multisectoral partnerships and implements evidence-based strategies to address the range of factors influencing suicide risk,” the CDC said.A recent study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, also showed that Covid-19 has had a significant, detrimental impact on adolescent mental health, especially in girls. The study found that negative mental health outcomes were disproportionately reported by girls and older adolescents (13-18-year-olds), compared to same-age peers prior to the pandemic. (IANS.

Boycotting Kareena Kapoor Khan on Twitter Grows

Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan has been trending on Twitter but not for any pleasant reason. The star found herself in trouble after reports alleging her charging a whopping Rs 12 crore (approx. US $1.6 million) fee for playing Sita on-screen surfaced online.Days after a media outlet reported that Kareena had demanded such a big amount for the upcoming mythological period saga ‘Sita’, netizens took to Twitter and expressed anger, demanding to boycott the ‘Good Newzz’ actor.

Twitterati seemed to be miffed with Bebo asking for such a whopping amount and many alleged that she is hurting their religious sentiments and that the demand of Rs 12 crores for a role is ‘against humanity’.#BoycottKareenaKhan has been trending on Twitter with users slamming the actor. One of the users tweeted, “Remember the way she arrogantly replied to public that it’s you idiots who make us star, Don’t watch my flims, I don’t care. Let’s not watch such unworthy people. She playing in mythological film is disgusting #BoycottKareenaKhan.”

Another user wrote, “This role cannot be played by an actress who doesn’t respect Hindu God’s. #BoycottKareenaKhan.”“She doesn’t deserve to play the role of Mata Sita! So We just #BoycottKareenaKhan!” read another tweet.Saying Kareena should rather play “Shurpnakha”, a user said, “RT if you also think Kareena Khan with the “Shurpanakha” Role than “Mata Sita”.

Another one wrote, “A nationalist Indian would never accept an actress who has no faith in Hinduism for the role of Mother Sita. Bollywood film mafia spreads poison towards Hinduism, we should boycott all such artists who hurt the religious sentiments of the people.”The viral report cited a source who claimed that Kareena who usually asks for Rs 6-8 crores for films has quoted a sum of Rs 12 crores for playing the role of Sita in Alaukik Desai’s upcoming film, which is said to be a Bollywood recreation of the Hindu epic, Ramayana.

Meanwhile, Kareena, whose last movie was ‘Angrezi Medium’, will next be seen in ‘Laal Singh Chadha’, co-starring opposite Aamir Khan. Helmed by AdvaitChandan, the Bollywood flick is a remake of the Hollywood classic ‘Forrest Gump’. Apart from ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Kareena is also a part of filmmaker Karan Johar’s period epic ‘Takht’.

New B2B Tech Platform For Artisans From India

(New York, NY – June 15, 2021) Currently, small businesses in the U.S. and Canada are unable to source products directly from India, due to high minimum order quantities (MOQs), trust & reliability issues and, now, strict travel restrictions in place post-COVID.

ENTER…BlueRickhsaw.com (BR), a highly-curated, digital, B2B, wholesale export platform launched in March, connecting  verified small businesses, weavers and artisans across India to small and mid-size retailers, mom-and-pop shops and boutique stores in North America, all in an effort to promote lucrative, cultural exchange and accessibility across borders.

BR will serve as THE ONLY tech platform on which smaller retailers can personally select products from verified suppliers across various categories with minimum MOQs (in most cases, just ONE product per style). Since most sellers and buyers are unable to produce or procure volumes during these uncertain times, BR serves as the perfect matchmaking service for these small-to-mid-size businesses looking for alternative avenues.

Founded by fashion designer and entrepreneur, AkshayWadhwa, who was named one of the top ten designers of Vancouver Fashion Week  in 2016 and covered in British Vogue, BR came into existence after multiple rejections from American retailers, when Wadhwa went knocking on their doors for some face time. Wadhwa realized he was not being taken seriously as an Indian designer because retailers had previous negative experiences with reliability and timely deliveries from Indian manufacturers. Banking on the untapped potential of the Indian artisan market in a highly dysfunctional infrastructure, Wadhwa, then, created Blue Rickshaw to provide international opportunities to undiscovered and unexposed talent, everyone from small weavers to artisans to manufacturers, to make their products available across the world through a transparent ecosystem.

To make his dream a reality, Wadhwa joined hands with Co-Founder Krishan Chandak, whose 23 years of experience in technology and leadership resulted in the formation of the B2B platform, which has been built from the ground-up with a focus on artificial intelligence, machine learning and predictive filtering of products, so that buyers can ultimately purchase an item in less than 30 seconds.

The long-term vision of BR is to help the small manufacturers, weavers and artisans of India expand in the international market without having to make investments in promotion or travel, while enabling retailers across North America create an inventory-free model to sell directly to their customers without having to invest in purchasing minimum orders.

Other platforms like Etsy or Amazon are either seller-centric or buyer-centric, whereas Blue Rickshaw caters to both segments equally by espousing the values of trust, transparency and timeliness as part of its core philosophy, making it the new leader in tech-based, B2B wholesale export. “We just want to help small businesses get back on their feet, post-pandemic,” says Wadhwa. To learn more about the BlueRickshaw story, please click HERE.

Facebook To Help Affordable, Fast Internet Access In India

In a bid to expand affordable internet access for the public, Facebook India on Tuesday announced new partnerships with internet service providers (ISPs) D-Vois and Netplus. The ISPs will use Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform to launch public Wi-Fi hotspots across Bengaluru and several cities in Punjab.

“From Dharavi in Mumbai to Shillong, Aizawl, Vadodara, Rajkot, and many other towns and cities, the Express Wi-Fi platform is helping expand internet connectivity in the country, enabling economic opportunities, innovation, and expression for people, businesses, and communities alike,” said Manish Chopra, Director and Head of Partnerships, Facebook India.Express Wi-Fi is a software platform that enables mobile operators, satellite operators, and ISPs to build, grow, and monetise their Wi-Fi businesses in a sustainable and scalable way.The platform is used by partners in more than 30 countries, connecting millions of people around the world.

In India, the platform has already been deployed by eight partners, providing public Wi-Fi options to people across 12 states.D-VoiS has a presence in 60 cities and operates its broadband services under the brand ION. “ION plans to expand public Wi-Fi to thousands of hotspots at restaurants, bus-stands, malls, cafes, hospitals, and other public spaces,” said Ramesh Sathyanarayana, Founder, D-vois Communications. Netplus Broadband, the internet arm of Fastway Group, is another leading ISP in the country.

“The Express Wi-Fi services will be available at several high footfall public areas such as malls, hospitals, bus stands, and market complexes across the cities of Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandar, Patiala, and Bhatinda,” informed PremOjha, Fastway Group CEO.During the current Covid crisis in India, Facebook also leveraged the Express Wi-Fi partner networks to share Covid-related information from credible sources with micro communities and towns across the country.

Daler Mehndi Strongly Condemns Promoting Tobacco, Alcohol Or Guns In Songs

Punjabi pop music icon Daler Mehndi says that he is personally against the use of dirty, obnoxious words in music. “Since I am a teetotaler, I strongly condemn showcasing, promoting tobacco, alcohol or guns in songs,” he says.Having said that, Mehndi adds that one can’t necessarily pick on Punjabi songs, and that it is songs in general — the words are a reflection of the society.

“Look at certain Bollywood songs, the current hip hop lingo, certain Bhojpuri songs, so you can’t generalise ‘Punjabi’ songs to be looking down at women as objects or singularly promoting alcohol — I think that credit is to be shared by the entertainment industry across languages. The onus of the choice and promotion and then consumption thereof lies not only with the singer, song writer, lyricist, record label or producer but also the audience,” he told IANSlife in an interview.Asked about the growing popularity of Punjabi music on the world stage, and the tone having being set with music pioneers like himself as early as the 1990s, Mehndi says:

“It feels good, the seed I sowed is a huge tree today. What ‘Bolo Ta Ra Ra’ did was change the music scenario and now every Bollywood to South Indian film has a song with a Punjabi Pop flavour. I write the mukhdas of all my songs, compose them, design the rhythm patterns, and are unique and that’s why over three generations can be seen dancing to my songs. The times may have changed, a wider audience, fans directly engaging with their favourite singers, actors, the world has shrunk and horizons have widened and still ‘tunaking’ to ‘TunakTunakTun’.”

Finally, why does he think Punjabi beats resonate so well with people who may not even understand the lyrics?“It is simply because these beats are robust, flamboyant, hailing from the land of valour, love, purity, truth, innovation, and simply great spirits. Punjabis are Daler — big hearts and so there automatically will be the beat (heartbeat)! Our beats are vibrant, there is joy. It’s a great combo of melody and beats which imparts a feel good factor. And who doesn’t want to feel good! So it resonates with the listeners.” (IANS)

New USCIS Policy Provides Further Protections for Victims of Crime

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating the USCIS Policy Manual to implement a new process, referred to as Bona Fide Determination, which will give victims of crime in the United States access to employment authorization sooner, providing them with stability and better equipping them to cooperate with and assist law enforcement investigations and prosecutions.

“Today we are taking steps to help victims of crime and promote public safety,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “These are individuals who have come forward to help law enforcement keep us all safe, but who are in need of a measure of protection for themselves as well. The Bona Fide Determination process is consistent with the Department’s statutory authorities and will ensure these individuals receive the support they need.”

“Victims of crime need a way to support themselves as they heal and continue their pursuit of justice,” said USCIS Acting Director Tracy Renaud. “This Bona Fide Determination process will allow U visa petitioners to work while they remain safely in the United States, providing valuable support to law enforcement to detect, investigate, or prosecute the serious crimes they have survived or witnessed.”

Through this new process, USCIS will issue employment authorization and grant deferred action to petitioners in the United States with pending U visa petitions that it determines are bona fide (made in good faith and without intention of deceit or fraud) and who merit a favorable exercise of discretion. To be considered bona fide, the petition must include a certification from law enforcement that the petitioner was a victim of a crime and that the victim has been, is being, or is likely to be helpful in the investigation or prosecution of that crime.

Congress has capped the number of principal U visas available each fiscal year at 10,000, but since 2010 USCIS has received more than 10,000 U visa petitions each year. As a result of this high case volume, U visa petitioners now wait approximately five years before receiving a determination that allows them access to an employment authorization document and deferred action. This wait time not only leaves these individuals vulnerable to financial instability and fear of deportation, but it also can disincentivize victims from coming forward and cooperating with law enforcement. Through this policy update, victims with pending bona fide petitions will receive the stability they need as they rebuild their lives while working with law enforcement to investigate and prosecute criminal activity. This increase in victim cooperation will further fortify law enforcement’s ability to protect communities throughout the United States.

USCIS will deem a petition bona fide if:

The principal petitioner properly filed Form I-918, including Form I-918B U Nonimmigrant Status Certification;
The principal petitioner properly filed a personal statement from the petitioner describing the facts of the victimization; and The result of the principal petitioner’s biometrics has been received.USCIS will issue employment authorization and deferred action if, after conducting and reviewing background checks, the agency determines, in its discretion, that petitioners merit a favorable exercise of discretion and do not pose a risk to national security or public safety.This guidance is effective immediately and applies to all Form I-918 and Form I-918A petitions that are currently pending or filed on or after June 14, 2021.

Congress created the U nonimmigrant visa with the passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (including the Battered Immigrant Women’s Protection Act) in October 2000. The legislation was intended to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of domestic violence, sexual assault, trafficking and other qualifying crimes, while also protecting victims of crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse due to the crime and who cooperate with law enforcement authorities during the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. In the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, Congress specifically authorized DHS to grant employment authorization to a noncitizen who has a pending, bona fide petition for U nonimmigrant status. This guidance implements that authority.

This reform is one of a number of initiatives designed to eliminate complex, costly, and unjustified administrative burdens and barriers, and thus to improve our immigration processes.Visit Victims of Human Trafficking and Other Crimes to learn more about other protections for victims of crime, human trafficking and domestic violence.

Delta Variant Is On The Rise. Experts Are Concerned

As U.S. states lift more coronavirus restrictions, experts are worried people who aren’t fully vaccinated could contribute to further spread of the virus. The Delta variant, first reported in India, currently accounts for nearly 10% of coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the CDC.The Delta variant is on its way to becoming the dominant strain of coronavirus in the US, raising concerns that outbreaks could hit unvaccinated people this fall.  And a new study shows the Delta variant is associated with almost double the risk of hospitalization compared to the Alpha variant.

The Alpha (B.1.1.7) variant, which is “stickier” and more contagious than the original strain of novel coronavirus, became the dominant strain in the US this spring.But health experts worry the Alpha variant could be trumped by the Delta variant, which appears to be even more transmissible and may cause more severe illness for those not vaccinated.Right now, about 10% of Covid-19 cases in the US can be attributed tothe Delta variant. But that proportion is doubling every two weeks, Scott Gottlieb, a former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, said in a CBS interview Sunday.He said the Delta variant will probably take over as the dominant strain of coronavirus in the US.

“I think in parts of the country where you have less vaccination — particularly in parts of the South, where you have some cities where vaccination rates are low — there’s a risk that you could see outbreaks with this new variant,” Gottlieb said.While 52.4% of Americans have received at least one dose of vaccine, only 43.4% have been fully vaccinated, according to data Sunday from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Delta variant could pose a serious risk for states lagging in Covid-19 vaccinations, but the good news is Americans can stave off the danger by getting vaccinated.Studies suggest those who are fully vaccinated have protection against the Delta variant.  “We have the tools to control this and defeat it,” Gottlieb said. “We just need to use those tools.”

New research shows the Delta variant may lead to more hospitalizations

The Delta variant — or the B1.617.2 strain first detected in India — has been linked to about double the risk of hospitalization compared to the Alpha variant first found in the UK, according to the preliminary findings of a Scottish study published Monday in The Lancet.The Alpha variant used to be the dominant strain in the UK. But last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Delta variant had taken over — making up 91% of new cases in the UK.

Novavax’s Covid-19 Vaccine Shows 90.4% Overall Efficacy In Phase 3 Trial

Researchers from the universities of Edinburgh and Strathclyde and Public Health Scotland analyzed data from 5.4 million people in Scotland. The study found that between April 1 and June 6, there were 19,543 Covid-19 cases and 377 hospitalizations.Among those, 7,723 cases and 134 hospitalizations were caused by the Delta variant.  The early findings suggest two doses the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine does protect against the Delta variant — but it may be at a lower level of protection than against the Alpha variant.The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was found to provide 79% protection against infection from the Delta variant, compared with 92% against the Alpha variant, in community cases at least two weeks after the second dose.

Nagaraj Naidu Appointed As New UN President-Elect’s Chef de Cabinet

India’s Deputy Ambassador to United Nations Nagaraj Naidu will be the Chef de Cabinet of the President-elect of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Abdulla Shahid. This is for the first time that an Indian diplomat has been given this post, and his tenure will be for one year.The post is similar to chief of staff, or like in the Indian system, PM’s principal secretary.On June 7, Abdulla Shahid, Maldivian Foreign Minister President-elect of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. He got 143 votes out of the 191 ballots cast in the 193-member General Assembly, winning against Afghanistan former Foreign Minister DrZalmaiRassoul, who got 48 votes.

“Today, I have appointed Ambassador Thilmeeza Hussain as Special Envoy of the PGA, and Ambassador Nagaraj Naidu Kumar as my Chef de Cabinet. They will be instrumental in delivering my vision for the #PresidencyOfHope,” Shahid tweeted.The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. Comprising all 193 Member States of the UN, it provides a unique forum for multilateral discussion of international issues including peace and security,” Naidu said.

“It is indeed a privilege and an opportunity to serve under the leadership of President-elect Abdulla Shahid. We are looking forward to a Presidency of hope, Naidu told PTI. Shahid, accompanied by Naidu, met current General Assembly President VolkanBozkir on Wednesday to thank him for his support during the election and discuss the next steps. “Thank you Mr President, for sharing your insights and your experiences with me. We are both committed to a smooth and seamless transition to #UNGA76,” he tweeted.

An Indian Foreign Service Officer of the 1998 batch, Mr. Naidu is a fluent Chinese speaker and has served in China in four separate stints.Between 2000 and 2003, he had served at the Indian Embassy in Beijing, he served as Third and Second Secretary (Special Projects;) while between 2003 and 2006, he served as Consul (Political and Commercial) at the Indian Consulate in Hong Kong.From 2009 to 2012, he served as First Secretary and Counsellor (Economic & Commercial Affairs) at the Indian Embassy in Beijing. He took over as the Consul General at the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou, China from 2013 to 2015.From 2015 to 2017: After his return to the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi, Ambassador Naidu served as the Joint Secretary/Director General of the Economic Diplomacy Division in the Ministry of External Affairs.

During his term, the Economic Diplomacy Division of the MEA was given the “SKOCH Platinum First Prize for Smart Governance” in 2017. Mr. Naidu was also the National Coordinator for establishing the International Solar Alliance in India. He also served as a Board member in a number of Public Sector organizations including India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), Water & Power Consultancy Services Ltd. (WAPCOS), Invest India, and Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT).

From 2017 to 2018,Naidu served as Joint Secretary/Director General of the Europe West Division. During this period, Naidu was responsible for India’s bilateral political engagement with the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco and the European Union.Naidu has a Master’s Degree in Law and Diplomacy from Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy (Class of 2008). He is married to Padmaja and has two children.

After Being Rejected By Vatican, Indian Nun Seeks Solace From Indian Civil Court

A Catholic nun who has exhausted all avenues of appeal against her dismissal from her congregation stemming from her activism in a rape case involving a Catholic bishop says she will not leave her convent until an Indian court decides on her petition.The Vatican’s supreme tribunal has rejected the appeal of Indian nun Lucy Kalappura against dismissal, leaving her with no other option than to move out of her congregation. Kalappura, however, has told the media on June 14 that she will continue to live in her convent until an Indian court settles the case about her right to housing. The nun has challenged her congregation’s order to move out of her convent, where she lived for more than three decades.

The Franciscan Clarist Congregation on June 13 ordered Sr. Lucy Kalappura to vacate the convent in Kakkamala in the Wayanad district of Kerala after the Vatican’s Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura categorically dismissed her revision petition against her dismissal.”My case will come up in the Indian court in June or July this year,” Kalappura told the media.The tussle began after Kalappura’s Franciscan Clarist Congregation based in southern India’s Kerala state dismissed her on Aug. 5, 2019, for alleged charges of disobedience and breaking religious vows.

The congregation, however, followed church laws to give her an opportunity to appeal to the Vatican and continue in the convent. The nun appealed against the congregation’s dismissal order before the Vatican’s Congregation for Oriental Churches, which rejected her appeal on Oct. 11, 2019.But she refused to move out of the convent and within a fortnight appealed to the Supreme Tribunal, the Vatican’s highest appeal court, against her dismissal. The appeal now stands rejected and the Vatican has confirmed her dismissal, said Sister Ann Joseph, the congregation’s superior general, in a June 12 letter.

Informing the congregation of the rejection of Kalappura’s second appeal, the nun said: “Let us raise our hearts praising the Almighty for his unspeakable gift.” But the nun is unfazed. “I will continue to live in the convent until the court settles my case,” she told the media on June 14. Kalappura currently lives in her congregation’s convent in Wayanad district in Mananthavady Diocese of Kerala.“I have already challenged my eviction from the convent and the case is still pending in the court,” she said. “I will not move out from the convent until the court pronounces its verdict.”

Earlier Kalappura said her convent began to act against her after she backed the public protests of five nuns in September 2018 seeking the arrest of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who was accused of raping the former superior general of Missionaries of Jesus, a diocesan congregation under him.Bishop Mulakkal of Jalandhar was arrested on Sept. 21, 2018 year following fortnight-long public protests and faces court proceedings on rape charges. The congregation, however, claims that the nun’s case has no links with the bishop’s case.

For the past several years, the nun has been defiantly disobeying her superiors and the rules of the congregation, neglecting warnings and opportunities to correct herself, it said. The dismissal came after several written warnings, her superiors maintain, quoting documents in their support

Husband With 39 Wives Passes Away

A 76-year-old man believed to be the head of the world’s largest family has died in India’s Mizoram state.Ziona Chana, the head of a religious sect that practised polygamy, died on Sunday, leaving behind 38 wives, 89 children and 36 grandchildren.The news was confirmed by Mizoram’s chief minister, Zoramthanga, who offered his condolences on Twitter “with a heavy heart”. Chana reportedly suffered from diabetes and hypertension.

Doctors told the media that Chana’s condition deteriorated at home in his village, BaktawngTlangnuam. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday evening, where he was declared dead on arrival. It’s hard to say if Chana was indeed the head of the world’s largest family since there are others who claim the title.It’s also hard to estimate the exact size of Chana’s family. At least one report claims he had 39 wives, 94 children, 33 grandchildren and one great-grandchild, which adds up to 181 people.

While various local news reports have referred to him as holding the “world record” for such a large family, it’s unclear which global record it is. It has also been widely reported that the family has been featured twice on the popular TV show Ripley’s Believe it or Not.But world record or not, Chana and his family are a local sensation of sorts, attracting tourists to their village in India’s north-east. The enormous family lives together in a four-storied house called “ChuuarThan Run” or New Generation House, with 100 rooms. His wives share a dormitory near Chana’s private bedroom, according to local media.

The mansion is a major tourist attraction in the state, with people from around the world thronging the village to get a peek into the family’s lifestyle.According to Reuters news agency, Chana was born in 1945. He met his oldest wife, who is three years older than him, when he was 17. The family lives in a 100-room mansion, which is a tourist attractionThe family belongs to a Christian sect – Chana Pawl – that has about 2,000 followers. They all live around Chana’s house in BaktawngTlangnuam, about 55km (34 miles) from Mizoram’s capital, Aizawl. The sect, which allows polygamy for men, was founded by Chana’s grandfather in 1942.

Gujarati Seniors Of Chicago Plan To Kick-Start The Post-CovidActivities

Chicago IL: Coronavirus Positivity Under 1 Percent In IL; 298 Cases Reported. Illinois fully reopened as Phase 5 began, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported that the state’s rolling seven-day positivity rate on all tests conducted dipped below 1 percent, falling to .9 percent on Sunday.

The positivity rate on individuals tested is at 1.2 percent. Though reported case numbers tend to decrease over the weekend, the state reported 298 new cases on Sunday and 11 additional deaths, with those who died ranging in age from a woman in her 20s to women in their 90s. That brings Illinois’ death toll to 23,061 since March 2020.

 Gujarati Seniors of Chicago welcomed Illinois’ full reopening from Covid-19 with a grand picnic celebration on June 13 in Pottawatomie Park, a beautiful riverside resort-like setting on Fox River in St. Charles. In addition to the on-site prepared delicious food, including morning brunch, afternoon ice cream and watermelon treats, and full evening dinner, many of the 300 seniors attending the event took advantage of the beautiful, sunny day by enjoying the park amenities such as mini-golf and river cruises, or just strolling leisurely along the river bank. And, of course, there was live music and a game of Bingo! First outing of our seniors in almost 15 months with broad smiling faces – no masks, lots of hand shaking and loving hugs!

Are UFOs Real? Discussions Ongoing…

After 75 years of taboo and ridicule, serious people can finally discuss the mysterious flying objects, and even skeptics say that’s a good thing.Stephen Bassett and Mick West don’t agree on much. Bassett has devoted much of his adult life to proving UFOs are helmed by aliens, and West has devoted much of his to proving they are not.
But they both agree on one thing: It’s good that, after nearly 75 years of taboo and ridicule going back to Roswell, New Mexico, serious people are finally talking seriously about the unidentified flying objects people see in the skies.

“If you look at the level of public interest, then I think it becomes important to actually look into these things,” said West, a former video game programmer turned UFO debunker. “Right now, there is a lot of suspicion that the government is hiding evidence of UFOs, which is quite understandable because there’s this wall of secrecy. It leads to suspicion and distrust of the government, which, as we’ve seen, can be quite dangerous.”

Later this month, the Pentagon is expected to deliver a report to Congress from a task force it established last year to collect information about what officials now call “unexplained aerial phenomena,” or UAPs, from across the government after pilots came forward with captivating videos that appear to show objects moving in ways that defy known laws of physics.While those who dabble in the unknowns of outer space are hoping for alien evidence, many others in government hope the report will settle whether the objects might be spy operations from neighbors on Earth, like the Chinese or Russians.

The highly anticipated report is expected to settle little, finding no evidence of extraterrestrial activity while not ruling it out either, according to officials, but it will jumpstart a long-suppressed conversation and open new possibilities for research and discovery and perhaps defense contracts.“If you step back and look at the larger context of how we’ve learned stuff about the larger nature of reality, some of it does come from studying things that might seem ridiculous or unbelievable,” Caleb Scharf, an astronomer who runs the Astrobiology Center at Columbia University.

Suddenly, senators and scientists, the Pentagon and presidents, former CIA directors and NASA officials, Wall Street executives and Silicon Valley investors are starting to talk openly about an issue that would previously be discussed only in whispers, if at all.“What is true, and I’m actually being serious here, is that there is footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” former President Barack Obama told late-night TV host James Corden.

The omertà has been broken thanks to a new generation of more professional activists with more compelling evidence, a few key allies in government and the lack of compelling national security justification for maintaining the official silence, which has failed to tamp down interest in UFOs.In a deeply polarized country where conspiracy theories have ripped apart American politics, belief in a UFO coverup seems relatively quaint and apolitical.’Truth embargo’Interest in UFOs waxes and wanes in American culture, but millions have questions and about one-third of Americans think we have been visited by alien spacecraft, according to Gallup.But those questions have been met with silence or laughter from authorities and the academy, leaving a vacuum that has been filled by conspiracy theorists, hoaxsters and amateur investigators.

West, the skeptic, thinks the recent videos that kicked off the latest UFO craze, including three published by the New York Times and CBS’ “60 Minutes,” can be explained by optical camera effects. But he would like to see the U.S. government thoroughly investigate and explain UFOs.The government has examined UFOs in the past but often in secret or narrow ways, and the current Pentagon task force is thought to be relatively limited in its mission and resources. In a new, leaked video, an unidentified object flies around a Navy ship off the coast of San Diego.U.S. Navy via Jeremy Corbell West pointed to models from other countries like Argentina, where an official government agency investigates sightings and publishes its findings, the overwhelming majority of which are traced to unusual weather, human objects like planes or optical effects.

“This is something that we could do here,” West said. “But right now we’re left with people like me, who are just enthusiasts.”John Podesta, a Democratic poobah who has held top jobs in several White Houses, has called on President Joe Biden’s White House to establish a new dedicated office in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, which would help get the issue out of the shadows of the military and intelligence community.
Podesta, who has harbored an interest in UFOs since at least his days as Bill Clinton’s chief of staff, recently told Politico, “It was kind of career-ending to basically talk about this subject. That has clearly switched, and that’s a good thing.”Believers are unsurprisingly thrilled by the culture shift.

“The ‘truth embargo’ is coming to an end now,” said Bassett, the executive director of Paradigm Research Group and the only registered lobbyist in Washington dedicated to UFO disclosure. “I am elated to finally see this movement achieving its moment.”Bassett is convinced the government is covering up proof of extraterrestrial life and that everything happening now is elaborate political theater to make that information public in the least disruptive way possible — a view, of course, not supported by evidence or most experts. “This is the most profound event in human history that’s about to be taking place,” he said.

NASA’s Stunning Image Of The Spiral Galaxy NGC 4680

NASA has shared an image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4680 in all its glory. The image has been taken by the Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.

NASA has shared a stunning image of the spiral galaxy NGC 4680 in all its glory. The image is said to have been taken by the Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3. The NGC 4680 galaxy had earlier made news in 1997, as it played host to a supernova explosion known as SN 1997bp according to NASA. The supernova had been identified by Australian amateur astronomer Robert Evans who is said to have identified  42 supernova explosions.

NASA states that the NGC 4680 is a tricky galaxy to classify. The space agency further states that this is because the galaxy is sometimes referred to as a spiral galaxy, but it is also sometimes classified as a lenticular galaxy. Lenticular galaxies are said to fall somewhere in between spiral galaxies and elliptical galaxies. The NGC 4680 galaxy is said to have distinguishable spiral arms that are not clearly defined, and the tip of one arm appears very diffuse.

NASA says that Galaxies are not static, and their morphologies vary throughout their lifetimes. Over time, Spiral galaxies are believed to evolve into elliptical galaxies. NASA states that this is most likely due to the galaxies merging with one another, causing them to lose their distinctive spiral structures.//www.instagram.com/embed.js

 

India’s New Covid-19 Cases Drop Below 100K After Over 2 Months

India’s daily coronavirus infections have dipped below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months as an overall downturn prompts some states to ease restrictions. India also reported 2,123 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 351,309. Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts.

India’s daily coronavirus infections have dipped below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months as an overall downturn prompts some states to ease restrictions. The 86,498 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total past 29 million on Tuesday, June 8th is second only to the United States, which has more than 33 million. The Health Ministry also reported 2,123 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 351,309. Both figures are believed to be vast undercounts.

India peaked at adding more than 400,000 cases a day in May, but new infections and deaths have declined across the country since then. There were 85,801 new cases of Covid-19 across India on Monday, the first time fewer than 100,000 infections were added since April 5.The number of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases in Delhi reduced further on Monday, dipping below the 300-mark for the first time since March 4. The Capital reported 231 new cases of the viral infection, showed Monday’s health bulletin.

With over 63,000 tests, the test positivity rate — proportion of samples that return positive — also fell further to 0.36%. The positivity rate in the city has stayed below 1% for eight days in a row, after the city saw its fourth and worst surge of cases between April and May.The city has added an average of 462 new cases each day over the past week.The test positivity rate is a vital metric to understand the spread of an infection in any region. The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate below 5% before an infection can be considered under control in a region. In Delhi, the positivity rate has been below this number for 18 days now.

At the peak of the surge, Delhi recorded over 28,000 new cases in a day and a positivity rate of over 36%. The number of deaths has also reduced with the daily toll below 100 for five days in a row now. Fewer than 50 deaths were reported for the last two days, with 36 more fatalities reported in Monday’s bulletin. At the height of the fourth wave, 448 succumbed to Covid-19 on a single day (May 3).“It is highly unlikely that there will be a third wave unless the virus mutates. Hence, there is a need for the government to keep a close eye on the virus in circulation to pick up any mutations of concern quickly. In addition, the respite between the second and third surge in cases must be utilised for preparing for the next wave by creating permanent infrastructure and vaccinating the population,” said Dr Jacob John, former head of the department of virology at Christian Medical College – Vellore.

Dr John also said that governments should study the immune response generated if mixed doses of vaccines are used, if a half dose-full dose or a full dose-half dose regimen is used like it was mistakenly done in the global trial for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.The downturn has led some states to ease restrictions on commercial activities to spur consumption. Multiple states have, however, extended lockdowns and have been reluctant to reopen.A staggering change of course for a country that just reported its worst month of the pandemic, parts of India, including the capital city of New Delhi, are moving to ease some coronavirus restrictions over the coming week after reporting a sharp decline in new cases and deaths.

Some experts have sounded the alarm about a premature easing of restrictions. World Health Organization Chief Scientist SoumyaSwaminathan in mid-May warned data about dropping cases is unreliable due to a lack of testing in rural areas where the virus is still spreading quickly. “There are still many parts of the country which have not yet experienced the peak,” Swaminathan said, adding: “Testing is still inadequate in a large number of states.”Meanwhile, the federal government is going to take over vaccine procurement from the states and ensure vaccines are provided free of cost to every adult Indian. India’s vaccination drive has been marred by delays and shortages. Less than 5% of the population is fully vaccinated.

Biden’s First Ever Visit Abroad: Strengthening Alliance With NATO

President Biden embarks this week on the first foreign trip of his presidency to attend a series of European summits. He’ll attend the meeting of the Group of Seven nations (G-7) in Britain. Then, he’ll head to a NATO summit in Brussels.

President Biden embarks this week on the first foreign trip of his presidency to attend a series of European summits. He’ll attend the meeting of the Group of Seven nations (G-7) in Britain. Then, he’ll head to a NATO summit in Brussels where he’ll rub shoulders with the majority of the European Union’s leaders. All of that will precede what is likely to be a tense encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva on June 16. After spending the past five months focused on domestic affairs and battling the pandemic, Biden will try to demonstrate how his administration is “restoring” U.S. leadership on the world stage.

In an op-ed for the Washington Post published on Saturday, the U.S. President promised to shore up Washington’s “democratic alliances” in the face of multiple crises and mounting threats from Moscow and Beijing. The U.S. will stand with its European allies against Russia, President Joe Biden has promised ahead of the first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin.Most recent American presidents have selected North American neighbors for their first cross-border trips, though former President Donald Trump, whose penchant for unilateral action and open skepticism of the NATO alliance unsettled American allies, made his first overseas stop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. For Biden, the first trip is meant to turn the page from Trump’s approach to alliances.

“It’s both a practical chance to connect with key allies and partners on shared opportunities and challenges,” said Yohannes Abraham, the chief of staff and executive secretary of the National Security Council, in an interview with the AP. “But also it’s an illustration of something that the president has been clear about that the transatlantic alliance is back, that revitalizing it is a key priority of his, and that the transatlantic relationship is a strong foundation on which our collective security and shared prosperity are built.”

“We are standing united to address Russia’s challenges to European security, starting with its aggression in Ukraine, and there will be no doubt about the resolve of the U.S. to defend our democratic values, which we cannot separate from our interests,” he wrote.“President Putin knows that I will not hesitate to respond to future harmful activities,” he said. “When we meet, I will again underscore the commitment of the United States, Europe and like-minded democracies to stand up for human rights and dignity.”Since taking office in January, Mr. Biden has ramped up pressure on the Kremlin, and his comments likening Mr. Putin to a “killer” were met with fierce criticism in Moscow.

But both leaders have expressed hopes that relations can improve, with the Russian President saying on Friday he expected a “positive” result from the talks.Mr. Biden in his weekend op-ed also stressed that Washington “does not seek conflict” — pointing to his recent extension of the New START arms reduction treaty as proof of his desire to reduce tensions.“We want a stable and predictable relationship where we can work with Russia on issues like strategic stability and arms control,” he wrote.

Trump Denied Access To Facebook, Instagram For 2 More Years

In a blow to Trump, Facebook has extended Donald Trump’s suspension for two years and says it will only reinstate him “if the risk to public safety has receded.”

In a blow to Trump, Facebook has extended Donald Trump’s suspension for two years and says it will only reinstate him “if the risk to public safety has receded.” The decision comes after Facebook’s Oversight Board told the company it had been wrong to impose an indefinite ban on Trump after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Facebook says it is setting new rules for public figures in times of civil unrest and violence, “to be applied in exceptional cases such as this.” Trump has received the maximum penalty under those rules, “given the gravity of the circumstances” leading to his suspension. Because the company took his Facebook and Instagram accounts down on Jan. 7, the two-year suspension will last until at least Jan. 7, 2023.

At that point, Facebook will consult experts and “evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest,” said Nick Clegg, vice president of global affairs, in a statement.He was barred indefinitely from both sites in January in the wake of posts he made on the US Capitol riots, but last month Facebook’s Oversight Board criticized the open-ended penalty.Facebook said Trump’s actions were “a severe violation of our rules”. Trump said the move was “an insult” to the millions who voted for him in last year’s presidential election.

Facebook’s move comes as the social media giant is also ending a policy shielding politicians from some content moderation rules.It said that it would no longer give politicians immunity for deceptive or abusive content based on their comments being newsworthy.Trump’s ban was effective from the date of the initial suspension on 7 January, Facebook’s vice-president of global affairs Nick Clegg said in a post.”Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available,” it added.

“If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.”  On his return, Trump will be held to “a strict set of rapidly escalating sanctions,” for any violations,  Clegg’s statement noted. In a statement issued from his Save America political action committee, Mr Trump said: “Facebook’s ruling is an insult to the record-setting 75m people, plus many others, who voted for us. They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win. Our country can’t take this abuse anymore!”

In a second statement on the two-year ban, Trump attacked Facebook’s founder.”Next time I’m in the White House there will be no more dinners, at his request, with Mark Zuckerberg and his wife,” the former president said. “It will be all business!”The move by Facebook allows Trump to return to the platform before the 2024 presidential election. It also comes as he prepares to again hold the large scale in-person rallies that were a signature of his campaigns and presidency. One of his first is planned for Dallas, Texas, in early July, according to local media.

Earlier this week, it emerged that the communications platform set up by Mr Trump in the wake of his social media bans – From the Desk of Donald J Trump – has been permanently shut down.In addition to Facebook, which has over two billion monthly users, Mr Trump has also been banned from Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitch and other social media platforms over the January riot.Last month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican Trump ally, signed the first law in the US that punishes tech companies for de-platforming politicians.

Facebook’s dilemma on Trump was complex, involved trade-offs, and was guaranteed to upset millions of people. The fact is – whatever their decision – it was bound to be polarising.But just to be clear: today Facebook, the world’s biggest social network, has denied access to its megaphone to a man who 74 million people voted for. They didn’t just know him, or approve of him; they voted for him to be US president. That is a big call.

What is Facebook’s new policy?

Facebook says public figures who violate its rules by inciting unrest or violence will be suspended for a month or, in more serious cases, up to two years.It comes as part of an effort to undo a previous policy of allowing newsworthy political speech despite a potential that it may cause harm.Posts that are deemed worthy of an exception, despite possible violations, may still be allowed but will be given a warning label by Facebook. The company says it will no longer treat “content posted by politicians any differently”.

“Instead, we will simply apply our newsworthiness balancing test in the same way to all content, measuring whether the public interest value of the content outweighs the potential risk of harm by leaving it up.”The company’s Oversight Board found that Mr Trump’s initial ban was appropriate, but that there was no rationale for the ban to remain indefinitely.The independent board, which is funded by Facebook, has 20 members who are able to make binding decisions on content. Among the members are legal scholars, journalists, freedom of speech experts and a former prime minister of Denmark.The announcement comes on the same day that regulators in Europe and the UK begin formal anti-trust inquiries into whether Facebook misused customer data.Biden Announces a Donation of 19 Million COVID-19 Vaccines to COVAX, With More to Follow

US To Donate 25 Million Doses of Covid Vaccine To Countries Impacted

President Joe Biden announced Thursday the U.S. will donate 75% of its unused COVID-19 vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing program, acting as more Americans have been vaccinated and global inequities have become more glaring.

President Joe Biden announced Thursday the U.S. will donate 75% of its unused COVID-19 vaccines to the U.N.-backed COVAX global vaccine sharing program, acting as more Americans have been vaccinated and global inequities have become more glaring.Of the first tranche of 25 million doses, the White House said about 19 million will go to COVAX, with approximately 6 million for South and Central America, 7 million for Asia and 5 million for Africa. The doses mark a substantial — and immediate — boost to the lagging COVAX effort, which to date has shared just 76 million doses with needy countries.

Overall, the White House aims to share 80 million doses globally by the end of June, most through COVAX. But 25% of the nation’s excess will be kept in reserve for emergencies and for the U.S. to share directly with allies and partners.“As long as this pandemic is raging anywhere in the world, the American people will still be vulnerable,” Biden said in a statement. “And the United States is committed to bringing the same urgency to international vaccination efforts that we have demonstrated at home.”

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. “will retain the say” on where the doses distributed through COVAX ultimately go.“We’re not seeking to extract concessions, we’re not extorting, we’re not imposing conditions the way that other countries who are providing doses are doing; we’re doing none of those things,” said Sullivan. “These are doses that are being given, donated free and clear to these countries, for the sole purpose of improving the public health situation and helping end the pandemic.”

The remaining 6 million in the initial tranche of 25 million will be directed by the White House to U.S. allies and partners, including Mexico, Canada, South Korea, West Bank and Gaza, India, Ukraine, Kosovo, Haiti, Georgia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as for United Nations frontline workers.Vice President Kamala Harris informed some U.S. partners they will begin receiving doses, in separate calls with Mexican President Andres Manuel LópezObrador, President Alejandro Giammattei of Guatemala, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Prime Minister Keith Rowley of Trinidad and Tobago. Harris is to visit Guatemala and Mexico in the coming week.

The long-awaited vaccine sharing plan comes as demand for shots in the U.S. has dropped significantly — more than 63% of adults have received at least one dose — and as global inequities in supply have become more glaring.Scores of countries have requested doses from the United States, but to date only Mexico and Canada have received a combined 4.5 million doses. The U.S. also has announced plans to share enough shots with South Korea to vaccinate its 550,000 troops who serve alongside American service members on the peninsula. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said that 1 million Johnson & Johnson doses were being shipped to South Korea Thursday.

The growing U.S. stockpile of COVID-19 vaccines is seen by many overseas and at home not only as a testament to America’s achievement but also its global privilege.Tom Hart the, acting CEO of The ONE Campaign, called the Thursday announcement a “welcome step” but said the Biden administration needs to commit to sharing more doses. “The world is looking to the U.S. for global leadership and more ambition is needed.”

Biden has committed to providing other nations with all 60 million domestically produced doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine., which has yet to be authorized for use in the U.S. but is widely approved around the world. The U.S.-produced doses have been held up for export by an ongoing safety review by the Food and Drug Administration, said Zients.The White House says the initial 25 million doses will be shipped from existing federal stockpiles of Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. More doses are expected to be made available to share in the months ahead.

As part of its purchase agreements with drug manufacturers, the U.S. controlled the initial production by its domestic manufacturers. Pfizer and Moderna are only now starting to export vaccines produced in the U.S. to overseas customers. The U.S. has hundreds of millions more doses on order, both of authorized and in-development vaccines.The White House also announced Thursday that it is lifting restrictions on sharing vaccines produced by AstraZeneca, as well as Sanofi and Novavax, which are also not authorized in the U.S., allowing the companies to determine for themselves where to share their doses.

Kamala Harris On Trip To Central America, Urges Illegal Immigrants, ‘Do not come to US’

Harris warned Central Americans not to migrate to the US and said the administration will intensify efforts to combat corruption in the region, after meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei. “Do not come. Do not come.”

Vice President Kamala Harris offered an optimistic outlook for improved cooperation with Guatemala during her first ever visit abroad since she assumed office as the Vice President of the United States. Harris warned Central Americans not to migrate to the US and said the administration will intensify efforts to combat corruption in the region, after meeting with Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei. “Do not come. Do not come,” Harris said at a news conference in Guatemala City. “If you come to our border, you will be turned back.”

Speaking on her first overseas trip since taking office, she said the journey north was dangerous and would mainly benefit people smugglers.  Her comments, during a press conference after she met privately with Giammattei, underscored the challenge that remains even as Harris engages in substantive talks with the Guatemalan and Mexican presidents during a three-day visit to the region this week, her first foreign trip as vice president.“I want to emphasize that the goal of our work is to help Guatemalans find hope at home,” Harris said. “At the same time, I want to be clear to folks in this region who are thinking about making that dangerous trek to the United States-Mexico border: Do not come, do not come.”

In conjunction with Harris’ trip, the Biden administration announced that the Justice Department would create an anti-corruption task force and an additional task force to combat human trafficking and drug smuggling in the region. Harris also promised a new program focused on creating education and economic opportunities for girls there, among other new initiatives. And she told Giammattei that her goal in the region was to restore “hope” to residents so they no longer felt the need to flee their homeland for better opportunities in the U.S.

Harris’s trip is part of the Biden administration’s effort to address the so-called root causes of migration from Central America, after more than 200,000 attempts by migrants from the region to enter the US since the start of the year. President Joe Biden directed Harris to lead the effort to stem the surge in migration.Harris and Giammattei had a “very frank and very candid” conversation that included “the importance of anti-corruption and the importance of an independent judiciary,” she said. In April, the country’s legislature — controlled by Giammattei’s party — refused to seat an anti-corruption judge, Gloria Porras, a move criticized by US officials.

More than 178,000 migrants arrived at the border this April, the highest one-month total in more than two decades, according to US border officials. Of those migrants, more than 40% originated from the Central American region known as the Northern Triangle: Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. A central issue contributing to the border crisis is the corruption of government officials in the region, who have been accused of aiding in drug and human trafficking. Many migrants leaving the Northern Triangle say they are fleeing violence, discrimination and poverty.

The steady “brain drain” of locals has exacerbated problems caused by decades of political instability. These countries have also stressed that they are feeling the most adverse effects of global warming – most notably hurricanes – despite hardly contributing to climate change.The new announcements follow $310 million in humanitarian aid for Central America that Harris unveiled in April. US and regional leaders must “give the people a sense of hope that help is on the way and to then follow through, understanding that hope does not exist by itself,” Harris said earlier as her meeting with Giammattei began. “It must be coupled with relationships and trust. It must be coupled with tangible outcomes, in terms of what we do as leaders to convince people that there is a reason to be hopeful about their future and the future of their children.”

Republicans have criticized Harris’s effort, repeatedly noting that she has yet to travel to the US border. She said in response that the reason she’s in Guatemala is “because this is one of our highest priorities,” adding that she wanted to talk about “what we can do in a way that is significant, is tangible. I will continue to be focused on that kind of work as opposed to grand gestures,” she said.The Biden administration’s migration strategy is not yet fully formed, and Harris’s advisers have framed her first overseas trip as a fact-finding mission to help develop the policy. The final strategy is not expected to be released until after Harris returns to the US

US officials have said the Biden administration’s plan will center on improving economic conditions in Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador so their citizens have less reason to leave. That strategy has been tried before with mixed results; those countries remain among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere and racked by violence.Harris regards corruption as a main driver of migration since it affects all sectors from the economy to criminal justice. She has pledged to work with non-governmental organizations and companies to direct assistance. Later Monday, she plans to meet with civil society leaders and entrepreneurs before flying to Mexico.

”These are efforts that have not been tried in the past that we believe will be quite productive,” Harris said. The benefits of greater US financial aid may be used to soften the blow of tough messages Harris and other officials are expected to send about cracking down on corruption and upholding democratic principles. The US has already condemned the government of El Salvador for a recent purge of the judicial branch and views Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez warily since federal prosecutors implicated him in a drug trafficking ring involving his brother.

Harris has been tasked by President Joe Biden with controlling a surge in migration at the southern border. Harris has described her task as finding solutions to tackle the root causes of the border crisis, including corruption and the lack of economic opportunities. Her staff say this first visit is primarily an information-gathering trip.

Cutting Edge CMEs, Spiritual, Healthcare, Business & Political Leaders At AAPI’s 39th Annual Convention In Atlanta

(Chicago, IL: June 9, 2021) “An impressive array of Bollywood stars, leaders in healthcare, business, spiritual, and political realms are planned to address and enrich the participants at the 39th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly to be held from July 2nd to July 5th, 2021 at the fabulous and world famous Omni Atlanta at CNN Center and Georgia World Congress Center,” Dr. SudhakarJonnalagadda, President of American association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) announced here today.

The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter, chaired by Dr. SreeniGangasani. “The convention team is working hard and over time, to provide a delightful three days of events packed with educational CME credits, world-class entertainment, leadership seminars, networking opportunities, exhibits, and more,” Dr. Gangasani said. “This meeting offers a rich educational and entertainment programs featuring the latest scientific research and advances in clinical practice. In addition, physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene to develop health policy agendas and encourage legislative priorities for the upcoming year.”

Planned to have a limited number of participants due to the ongoing Coivd pandemic and taking into account the safety of those attending, including Physicians, Academicians, Researchers and Medical students, “the annual convention offers extensive academic presentations, recognition of achievements and achievers, and professional networking at the alumni and evening social events,” said Dr. Sajani Shah, Chair of AAPI BOT.

Honorable Brian Porter Kemp, Governor of Georgia; Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, US Senators from the state of Georgia; Stacy Abrams, Georgia’s Democratic Party leader; and,Keisha Lance Bottom, Mayor of Atlanta are among the political leaders, who will address the audience.  Sri Dananpani, a well known Hindu Priest, Entrepreneur and a former Monk will enlighten the audience with his wisdom.

Dr. AnupamaGotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI, said, the delegates at the convention will have Eight Hours of CMEs, coordinated by AAPI CME Chair, Dr. Krishan Kumar, Dr. Vemuri Murthy, Advisor & CME Program Director, and Dr. Sudha  Tata, Convention CME Chair, focusing on themes such as how to take care of self and find satisfaction and happiness in the challenging situations they are in, while serving hundreds of patients everyday of their dedicated and noble profession, said Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, Convention Vice Chair.

Accordingly, some of the major themes as part of the CME sessions include: Pursuit of Happiness In MedicineBurnout Prevention and Wellness in PhysiciansEasy Life of a Hospitalist: An Illusion; and, Meditation and Mindfulness. Other themes at the CME include; Type 2 Diabetes in South Asians – the Unresolved Questions; and, Cardio-oncology: Clinical Practice and Echocardiography.

According to Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI, an exciting Bollywood HungamaDhumDhamaDhum will feature popular stars Kosha Pandya, Rex D’Souza and Shilpi Paul. Talented artists VidyaVox and Ravi Drums will lead the cultural programs. Traditional DandiyaRaas will be led by AAPI’s own Garba King, Dr. DhirenBuch with live music by Aradhana Music Group of Los Angeles. World renowned fashion designer Ghazala Khan-choreographed Fashion Show by beautiful and talented local artists will be a treat to the hearts and souls of all the participants.

The popular and much loved Mehfil E Khaas will give the AAPI members and families a platform to showcase their talents impromptu, in music, dance, jokes and SheroShayari in an informal setting,” said Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Secretary of AAPI and coordinator of the Mehfil E Khaas. “Pick up the Mic and you are the Star,” he added. Dr. SatheeshKathula, Treasurer of AAPI said, “The Future of Healthcare” will be discussed at the popular CEO Forum with expert participants from Healthcare, Technological, and Finance industries and moderated by  Dr. N. Neealagaru,  will share their expertise in ways to establishing and leading successful businesses, healthcare practice, managing investment and creating an ideal lifestyle.

The Women’s Forum, led by Drs. AnjanaSamadhar, Uma jonnalagadda, and UdayaShivangi, will feature Ambassador Nikki Haley, Keisha Lance Bottoms, Mayor of Atlanta, Dr. Swati Kulkarni, India’s Consular General in Atlanta, Dr. Susan Bailey, President of American Medical Asociation, Dr. RenuKhator, President & Chancellor of University of Houston; Adv. Sheela Murthy, Founder & President of Murthy Law Form; Prof. Amita Sehgal, Professor of Neuroscience at UPENN, Dr. NahidBhadella, Director of Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy &Reasearch; and, Dr. Mona Khanna, Emmy Award Winning Journalist.

Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 39 years, AAPI Convention has provided a venue for medical education programs and symposia with world renowned physicians on the cutting edge of medicine.“Physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country and internationally will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year. We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta!” said Dr. Jonnalagadda. For more details, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit:  www.aapiconvention.org   and www.aapiusa.org

Colonial Pipeline CEO Defends Paying Ransom Amid Cyberattack

Colonial Pipeline CEO Joseph Blount made no apologies for his decisions to abruptly halt fuel distribution for much of the East Coast and pay millions to a criminal gang in Russia as he faced down one of the most disruptive ransomware attacks in U.S. history.Blount said he had no choice, telling senators uneasy with his actions that he feared far worse consequences given the uncertainty the company was confronting as the attack unfolded last month. “I know how critical our pipeline is to the country,” Blount said, “and I put the interests of the country first.”

His testimony to the Senate Homeland Security Committee on the May 7 cyberattack provided a rare window into the dilemma faced by the private sector amid a storm of ransomware attacks in which overseas hackers breach a company’s network and encrypt their data, demanding a ransom to release it back to them.

Georgia-based Colonial Pipeline, which supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast, temporarily shut down its operations on May 7 after a gang of criminal hackers known as DarkSide broke into its computer system. The Justice Department has recovered the majority of a multimillion-dollar ransom payment to hackers after a cyberattack that caused the operator of the nation’s largest fuel pipeline to halt its operations last month, officials said Monday.The operation to recover the cryptocurrency from the Russia-based hacker group is the first undertaken by a specialized ransomware task force created by the Biden administration Justice Department, and reflects what US officials say is an increasingly aggressive approach to deal with a ransomware threat that in the last month has targeted critical industries around the world.

“By going after an entire ecosystem that fuels ransomware and digital currency, we will continue to use all of our tools and all of our resources to increase the costs and the consequences of ransomware attacks and other cyber-enabled attacks,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Monday at a news conference announcing the operation.The 63.7 bitcoin ransom — a favored currency of hackers because of the perception that it is more difficult to trace — is currently valued at $2.3 million. “The extortionists will never see this money,” said Stephanie Hinds, the acting US attorney for the Northern District of California, where the seizure warrant was filed.

U.S. authorities tell companies not to pay the ransom, arguing the crooks may not provide the keys to unencrypt the data and that the payments will encourage future attacks and help sustain criminal networks typically based in Russia and Eastern Europe. Blount chose to disregard that advice within the first 24 hours of the attack and paid the equivalent of $4.4 million in bitcoin to retrieve the company’s data. U.S. officials said Monday they had recovered much of the payment.“I made the decision to pay, and I made the decision to keep the information about the payment as confidential as possible,” Blount said. “It was the hardest decision I’ve made in my 39 years in the energy industry.”

The company, he said, had to act fast as it worked feverishly to determine whether the criminal gang had compromised the operational systems or physical security of the 5,500-mile pipeline — and to try to avoid a more sustained shutdown.Asked how much worse it would have been if the company hadn’t paid to get its data back, Blount said, “That’s an unknown we probably don’t want to know. And it may be an unknown we probably don’t want to play out in a public forum.”His appearance before the Senate comes as lawmakers consider possible measures to address the ransomware attacks that have been launched against thousands of businesses as well as state and local government agencies.

“We’ve got to recognize these ransomware attacks for what they are. It’s a serious national security threat,” said Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio. “Attacks against critical infrastructure are not just attacks on companies. They are attacks on our country itself.”Already, the Justice Department and FBI have established a task force to deal with ransomware with some success, including managing to seize 85% of the bitcoin that Colonial paid as ransom. But many of the criminals behind the attacks are beyond their reach in Russia or other countries that will not extradite suspects to the U.S.The Biden administration has also made ransomware, and cybersecurity more broadly, a national priority in the wake of a series of high-profile intrusions.

Last month, the administration issued new regulations for the pipeline industry, requiring companies to conduct cybersecurity assessments and immediately report any breaches to the federal government. The industry has until now operated under voluntary guidelines.Blount disputed a media report that his company had refused to participate in one of the voluntary assessments, conducted by the Transportation Security Administration, earlier this year, saying it had merely been delayed because of COVID-19 and other issues. “That was quite a shock to me,” he said of the account.

The attack on Colonial Pipeline — which supplies roughly 45% of the fuel consumed on the East Coast — has been attributed to a Russia-based gang of cybercriminals using the DarkSide ransomware variant, one of more than 100 variants the FBI is currently investigating. The attack began after hackers used a company virtual private network that was no longer in active use, Blount said.“The ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline affected millions of Americans, ” said Sen. Gary Peters, a Michigan Democrat. “The next time an incident like this happens, unfortunately, it could be even worse.”

Blount said the Georgia-based company began negotiating with the hackers on the evening of the May 7 attack and paid a ransom of 75 bitcoin — then valued at roughly $4.4 million — the following day. The hack prompted the company to halt operations before the ransomware could spread to its operating systems.The encryption tool the hackers provided the company in exchange for the payment helped “to some degree” but was not perfect, with Colonial still in the process of fully restoring its systems while working with consultants to assess the damage and improve cybersecurity, Blount said.

It took the company five days to resume pipeline operations. What took place in that time illustrated why they needed to quickly pay the ransom, he told the lawmakers.“We already started to see pandemonium going on in the markets, people doing unsafe things like filling garbage bags full of gasoline or people fist-fighting in line at the fuel pump,” he said. “The concern would be what would happen if it had stretched on beyond that amount of time.”

Crucial Voting Rights Bill Needs Lifeline To Move Forward

Sen. Joe Manchin announced that he will vote against Democrats’ expansive election and ethics reform bill, dealing a blow to one of his party’s top priorities. In an op-ed published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the West Virginian warned that “partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy” and reiterated that he will not vote to scrap or modify the legislative filibuster.“Voting and election reform that is done in a partisan manner will all but ensure partisan divisions continue to deepen,″ Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia wrote in a home-state newspaper, the Charleston Gazette-Mail. He wrote that failure to bring together both parties on voting legislation would “risk further dividing and destroying the republic we swore to protect and defend as elected officials.”

The bill would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system. Among dozens of other provisions, it would require states to offer 15 days of early voting and allow no-excuse absentee balloting.Democrats have pushed the legislation as the antidote to a wave of restrictive state voting laws sweeping the country, many inspired by former President Donald Trump’s false claims of fraud in his 2020 election loss. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pledged to bring the election bill to a vote the week of June 21, testing where senators stand. But without Manchin’s support, the bill has no chance of advancing. Republicans are united against it.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin was unswayed by civil rights leaders who implored him to rethink his opposition to a sprawling election bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said is crucial to countering a “Republican assault on our democracy.” Manchin, from deeply Republican West Virginia, told reporters, “I don’t think anybody changed positions,” in a meeting he described as “excellent.” A participant said Manchin was “fairly well dug in.”The bill, known as HR1, is a top priority for Democrats and is viewed by many in the party as the antidote to a wave of Republican-backed laws being passed on the state level that restrict people’s ability to vote. It touches on almost every aspect of voting and was already passed by the House.  But Manchin threw a wrench into the works when he said he would oppose the bill. That effectively dooms the measure in a narrowly divided Senate where it is universally opposed by Republicans.

His decision sent voting rights groups and members of his own party scrambling for options, raising the prospect that no voting legislation would pass Congress to address what experts say is the greatest attack on voting rights in generation. Manchin has said “inaction is not an option” when it comes to voting rights. But he has exasperated fellow Democrats and voting rights groups by insisting his support for any legislation would be contingent on some Republicans voting for it as well. He also opposes eliminating the 60-vote requirement to break a filibuster, a step that would allow Democrats to pass the legislation without Republican votes.

“We may get to a point where the dialogue reaches a dead end,” the Rev. Marc Morial, who attended Tuesday’s meeting with Manchin, told CNN. “And Joe Manchin was fairly well dug in.” Pelosi had told House Democrats there is no substitute for the bill.“It is my hope that the passage of (the bill) will create a legacy for all of us who want to strengthen our democracy,” the California Democrat wrote in a letter to colleagues before Manchin announced he wouldn’t support the bill.  Now Democrats and voting rights groups are grasping for an alternative.

Some said they’d follow Manchin’s suggestions and get behind a narrower piece of legislation known as HR4 that updates the Voting Rights Act to reinstate a requirement that new voting laws and legislative districts in certain states be subject to federal approval. Others said they wanted to increase the pressure on Manchin. Still others insisted that Democrats needed to bring HR1 to the Senate floor this month, even it it’s certain to fail, to draw attention to Republican opposition and Manchin’s.

“It’s going to get messy,” said Fred Wertheimer, president of the good-government organization Democracy 21, who helped draft HR1 in 2017. “What Manchin said is not the final word, as far as we’re concerned.  “I don’t believe he is prepared to go down in history as the senator that denied millions of eligible citizens, and in particular people of color, the opportunity to vote.”The Rev. William Barber II, a key liberal activist who leads the Poor People’s Campaign, represented the breadth of liberal anger at Manchin, tweeting Monday that his group would lead a march in West Virginia to “challenge Manchin.”

Only one Republican senator, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, has signed onto Manchin’s preferred Voting Rights Act update, an indication of how politics on the issue have shifted since the Senate unanimously renewed the Voting Rights Act in 2006. And the newly aggressive constellation of conservative voting groups that mobilized against H.R. 1 say it will now campaign to keep the GOP united against HR4 as well.“The end result of HR4 is the same — it’s a federal takeover of the election system,” Jessica Anderson, executive director of the conservative policy organization Heritage Action for America, said in an interview. “As long as you have consensus on the right, standing together in lockstep, you’re not going to have a bipartisan break.”

“They are not showing a readiness to stand up and do what’s right, so the notion you could get 10 of them to come along is farfetched,” said Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., a primary sponsor of HR1. “You are not going to get real change without filibuster reform.”

Family Of Dr. Vivek Murthy Sends Medical Supplies To Hospitals In Karnataka

The Scope Foundation, run by the family of U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is sending medical supplies to hospitals in the Indian state of Karnataka as the country continues to work toward curbing the recent COVID-19 surge.Media reports state Murthy’s father, Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy, said that the shipment containing 70 oxygen concentrators, four ventilators, N95 masks, respirator masks, step transformer pieces and cleaning supplies worth Rs 1.40 crore will soon arrive on behalf of the Scope Foundation.

Speaking with media, Murthy said that the supplies will be distributed in 12 smaller hospitals as these are short on medical resources, further adding that only taluk hospitals and two village PHCs have been selected. The foundation is trying to send more material worth Rs 70 lakh soon from New Delhi so that it can be distributed to other PHCs. The consignment contains 70 oxygen concentrators with adapter, 25 digital oral thermometers, 1,96,000 K95 face masks, 5000 full face shields, 5000 forehead foam, 300 surgical earlobe masks, 1200 medical face shields, 400 nitrile powder-free gloves, 50 oxygen cannula and five voltage transformers. The supplies have reached Bengaluru and will be handed over to the districts on Monday.

Vivek Murthy’s cousin Vasanth informed that the medical supplies will be handed over in his native village Hallegere, Mandya, Maddur, Malavalli, Nagamangla and other places, further adding that plans to build a Covid ward at the cost of Rs one crore are also in the pipeline.This essential medical equipment will be dispatched to 12 hospitals in two districts that are facing a shortage of equipment, the report added.

The Indian American surgeon general has roots in Hallegere village of Mandya district in Karnataka.Dr. Vivek H. Murthy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States as a returning role. As the Nation’s Doctor, the Surgeon General’s mission is to restore trust by relying on the best scientific information available, providing clear, consistent guidance and resources for the public, and ensuring that we reach our most vulnerable communities As the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy commands a uniformed service of 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations domestically and abroad.

During his previous tenure as 19th Surgeon General, Dr. Murthy has created initiatives to tackle our country’s most pressing public health challenges. As “America’s Doctor he helped lead the national response to a range of health challenges, including the Ebola and Zika viruses, the opioid crisis, and the growing threat of stress and loneliness to Americans’ physical and mental wellbeing. He also issued the first Surgeons General’s report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health, in which he challenged the nation to expand access to prevention and treatment and to recognize addiction as a chronic illness, not a character flaw. Dr. Murthy continued the office’s legacy on preventing tobacco-related disease, releasing a historic Surgeon General’s report on e-cigarettes and youth.

Cloudgen, A Tech Firm Admits To H1-B Visa Fraud Involving Indians

A technology company has admitted to committing fraud to bring Indians on the coveted H1-B visas to the US, according to a federal prosecutor. JomonChakkalakkal, the corporate representative of Cloudgen, made the admission before a federal court in Houston, Texas, on behalf of the company on May 28, said acting federal Prosecutor Jennifer B. Lowery.

The prosecutor’s office in a news release circulated on Monday described the scam as a “bench and switch” ruse. It said that under the scam, in order to obtain the H1-B visas, Cloudgen submitted “forged contracts” showing that third companies had work for the persons it wanted to bring over.But once the employees came to the US there was no job for them and they were housed in different locations across the US, while Cloudgen would try to find work for them, according to the office.

“Such action gave Cloudgen a competitive advantage by having a steady ‘bench’ or supply of visa-ready workers to send to different employers based on market needs when the true process actually takes some time. Once workers had obtained new employment, the ‘switch’ would occur when the new third-party company filed immigration paperwork for the foreign workers,” the prosecutor’s office said. Cloudgen took a percentage of the worker’s salary, which amounted to nearly $500,000 from 2013 to 2020 when the scam took place, it said.

Chief Judge Lee Rosenthal of the Southern Texas federal court is to impose a sentence in September and it could be a fine of as much as $1 million and probation for five years.The prosecutor’s office said that Cloudgen was based in Houston, but on its website, the company lists an address in Manassas in Virginia. It also shows offices in Hyderabad, Canada and Romania. Chakkalakkal is described on the website as the senior vice president for sales.

GOPIO Manhattan Raises Funds ForCovid Relief By Organizing Virtual Musical Concert

The GOPIO-Manhattan, NYC and SwarTaal Musicals organized a Virtual Fundraising Musical Evening to raise funds for “The Covid-19 Relief in India”. The fundraiser was initiated by PallaviVermaBelwariar of SwarTaal Musicals & Founding Life Member of GOPIO-Manhattan. Pallavi was joined by BhargaviNaidana, Kaushal Sampat&Smita Sinha served as the MC for the evening.  The singers chose soulful romantic songs of the yester years of Bollywood music for the evening mesmerizing the attendees. Additionally, few paintings by Pallavi were exhibited and sold to support the noble cause.

Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO Chairman; said “GOPIO International has been raising funds and GOPIO Connecticut and Manhattan chapters have sent Oxygen concentrators to India while other chapters in the US and around the world are providing medical supplies and food for the needy.” Dr. Abraham complimented GOPIO-Manhattan, NYC for taking this initiative and organizing several other programs during the covid period in the last one year.ShivenderSofat, President GOPIO-Manhattan; thanked the singers for making the evening lively and supporting the charitable event. He shared few pictures and slides of health kiosks to be set up in five villages in India that will be supported from the donation proceeds collected by GOPIO-Manhattan.

Professor RajasekharVangapati, EVP GOPIO-Manhattan; spoke about chapter activities and motivated everyone to donate generously towards the noble cause. Chitranjan Sahay Belwariar, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; provided technical support with Zoom streaming and recording.

Priced at $10 for the ticket, the fundraiser netted over $1,000 from ticket sales and other donations. In accordance with its mission to serve the larger society and those in need, GOPIO-Manhattan Chapter has taken several initiatives in the recent past. A Community Feeding is organized by the Chapter providing vegetarian lunch for the homeless and needy at Tomkins Square Park in Manhattan on the last Monday of every month. The chapter appeals to the community to support the initiative by being a volunteer and or a sponsor. For more info on GOPIO Manhattan, call its president ShivenderSofat at 731-988-6969, e-mail: info@gopiomanhattan.org or visit here: https://gopiomanhattan.org/

AAHOA Names Ken Greene Interim President & CEO

In the wake of its recent announcement of a leadership transition, AAHOA has announced that it has appointed hotel industry veteran Ken Greene to serve as Interim President & CEO. Ken is a well-known and highly respected industry veteran who is well-suited to lead AAHOA during the organization’s leadership transition. The Board’s selection of Ken as AAHOA Interim President & CEO reflects the group’s trust and utmost confidence that he can carry the organization forward as the industry continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ken is eager to continue to execute upon the Association’s 2021-2023 Strategic Plan and serve alongside AAHOA’s Board and staff to continue its forward-thinking vision to be the foremost resource and advocate for America’s hotel owners.

During each chapter of Ken’s career, he’s been involved with AAHOA, its members, and industry partners. Prior to joining AAHOA, Ken served as a global leader of many iconic hotel brands, including President, Americas for Radisson Hotel Group, President & CEO for Delta Hotels and Resorts, and in various roles at Cendant Corporation, Wyndham Worldwide, and many of its divisions. Ken also recently founded Greenehouse Consulting, which focuses on acquisitions, management, and advisory services to the hospitality industry.

Ken has a deep understanding of and appreciation for the hotel industry and has many long-standing relationships that are well-suited to guide AAHOA during this leadership transition period. Ken also has served on and led several industry-related boards, providing and contributing to strategic direction in a number of capacities.“Ken will be leading the Association in an interim capacity during a critical time for AAHOA Members and the hotel industry,” AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel said. “We are confident his experience, relationships, and extensive knowledge and appreciation of the industry are the perfect fit to serve in this capacity as AAHOA Members continue down the road to recovery.”

AAHOA had announced earlier that Cecil P. Staton was stepping down as President & CEO.  Staton will continue to work with AAHOA’s leadership to ensure an effective transition and the success of ongoing projects and relationships as a consultant.“On behalf of America’s hoteliers, we thank Cecil for his service to AAHOA,” AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel said. “For more than a year, hoteliers faced immense pressure as the COVID-19 pandemic brought a period of decade-long prosperity to a grinding halt. Cecil proved to be a steady hand, leading and guiding the association to record member engagement through this turbulent year. His leadership in the development of our Strategic Plan will have a lasting, positive impact upon the association.”

“I’m grateful to have led this organization through one of the hardest times in our industry’s and association’s history through our concentrated efforts related to COVID-19 support and relief and for making a difference in the lives of so many hoteliers,” Staton said. “AAHOA has the most dedicated team with whom I’ve had the privilege to work, and I’ve been impressed with their commitment to excellence from the moment I joined this great organization. Our work to develop AAHOA’s new Strategic Plan holds the promise to propel the association forward toward its fullest potential.” AAHOA Executive Vice President & COO Rachel Humphrey announced that she also will be exiting the association on August 7.

“AAHOA’s nearly 20,000 members represent the heart and soul of America’s hospitality industry and I am eager to step into this role, working alongside the hotel owners who drive our industry forward each and every day,” Ken said. “As our industry recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s a critical time for owners and America’s tourism industry, and I’m looking forward to bringing my extensive experience to the organization to help propel America’s hotel industry forward on the path to recovery.”

Over the course of Ken’s career, he’s had the opportunity to personally get to know and form relationships with many of AAHOA’s Members. Ken is well-positioned to build on AAHOA’s strong foundation as the organization carries out its vision of being the foremost resource and advocate for America’s hotel owners during this critical time in the industry’s recovery.“We are confident Ken will bring the passion, dedication, knowledge, and insight he has exhibited in all of his prior roles within the industry to AAHOA and its members,” Patel said. “Please join us in congratulating and welcoming Ken in his new position as AAHOA Interim President & CEO.”

“AAHOA is a strong organization led by exceptional teams,” Patel said. “Our dedicated Board of Directors, Executive Leadership Team, and professional staff will continue to lead AAHOA into the future. AAHOA’s work on behalf of our members will continue to be guided by our Strategic Plan, which will carry the association’s strategy into 2023 and leave a lasting impact for many years to come.”

AAHOA has accomplished remarkable work on behalf of its members during what has been one of the worst times in our industry’s history – and the work never stops. AAHOA is well-positioned to continue its work to fulfill its vision and the ambitious goals set forth in the Strategic Plan.  The organization is in the process of conducting a comprehensive search process to identify new leadership that will continue to help guide America’s hoteliers on the road to recovery.

About AAHOA

AAHOA is the largest hotel owners association in the world. The nearly 20,000 AAHOA members represent over half the hotels in the United States. With billions of dollars in property assets and hundreds of thousands of employees, AAHOA members are core economic contributors in virtually every community. AAHOA is a proud defender of free enterprise and the foremost current-day example of realizing the American dream.

China Hosts ASEAN Ministers, With Message For Quad

China is hosting foreign ministers from the 10 ASEAN countries on Monday and Tuesday, with Beijing pushing for closer economic cooperation and aligning COVID-19 recovery efforts even as it looks to push back against the recent regional outreach of the Quad grouping. Chinese officials have in recent weeks stepped up criticism of the Quad — the informal India, Australia, Japan and United States grouping — and of Washington in particular. During recent visits to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, China’s Defence Minister called on both countries to reject “military alliances” — a term that some Beijing are using to describe the Quad, but a label that the group rejects.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a statement the China-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, in the city of Chongqing, would mark the 30-year anniversary of relations and also “focus on combating COVID-19, promoting economic recovery, [and] better dovetail[ing] strategic plans.” A vaccine passport connecting China and ASEAN countries is also being discussed. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will hold bilateral meetings with all the visiting ministers, and also chair a meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.

Deepening economic cooperation, particularly following the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade deal, would be China’s focus, analysts in Beijing said, even as it grapples with disputes over the South China Sea. Recently, China and the Philippines have clashed over the presence of Chinese vessels near a disputed reef, while Malaysia alleged the intrusion of 16 Chinese aircraft into its airspace.The Communist Party-run Global Times on Monday blamed the U.S. for those tensions rather than China’s moves that prompted the protests from the Philippines and Malaysia. Countries “see clearly that quarrels on South China Sea are not the biggest threat to regional stability; it is the U.S., whose warships frequently sail through the sensitive waters and try to force ASEAN countries take sides to confront China,” the newspaper wrote.

After the first Quad leaders’ summit held in March and the announcement of a regional vaccine initiative, many Chinese analysts framed ASEAN as a key space where Chinese and Quad initiatives may rub up against each other.China “cannot rule out the possibilities that Quad members will further rope in ASEAN members to counter China as Southeast Asia is of great significance to the US’ Indo-Pacific Strategy,” wrote Yuan Zheng, senior fellow of the Institute of American Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. “Yet ASEAN will not easily take sides.”

The framing of the Quad as “an Asian NATO” by Beijing has been criticised by the group’s members. India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in April described the using of words such as “Asian NATO” as “a mind game which people are playing”.ProPublica: Many of the uber-rich pay next to no income tax

India Announces Free Vaccination For Aged 18+

India has fast-tracked vaccine procurement and will provide free shots to citizens above 18 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in an address to the nation on Monday, June 7th.The South Asian nation faces the challenge of vaccinating its large adult population as it emerges from a devastating second virus wave, with a critical shortage of inoculations leading some centers to close down as the country struggled to ramp up domestic production and procure doses internationally.

Modi’s speech came against the backdrop of a near breakdown in health infrastructure over the last two months, with major Indian cities running out of oxygen and hospitals flooded with patients, while crematoriums struggled to keep pace with the number of those who died of covid-19. His administration has come under intense criticism over its handling of the second wave and the vaccination rollout and its popularity ratings have fallen from 75% in 2019 to 51% this year, according the Local Circle polling company.All citizens aged above 18 would be vaccinated at free of cost by the Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on June 7. All state-level vaccine procurement would also be taken over by the central government, Modi said.

The 25 percent vaccination procurement which was being conducted by the states would now be conducted by the central government, he said, adding that vaccines would be directly purchased by the Centre and given to the states for free.”From June 21, Tuesday, all citizens of India above 18 years of age will be given free vaccination,” Modi added.The Centre, as part of the new vaccination strategy, would procure 75 percent of the vaccines, whereas, the private sector would be allowed to purchase 25 percent of the vaccines, the prime minister said.

How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

Rs 150 can be the service charge imposed by private sector for the overhead charges, he said. The vaccine policy was, on May 1, liberalised to allow the state government to directly procure the vaccines. “Within two weeks of May, several state governments changed their stance and said the earlier Centre-led vaccination programme would be preferred,” Modi said.Considering the demand raised by the states, the Centre has now decided to reverse the changes and lead the inoculation programme with 75 percent procurement of the vaccine doses, he added.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has welcomed the changes announced in the vaccination policy. “We thank PM Modi for this important announcement of universal vaccination for all to be carried out by the Government of India. IMA is constantly and proactively supporting the vaccination drive initiated by the prime minister,” news agency ANI quoted IMA president Dr JA Jayalal as saying.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) president TV Narendran also lauded Modi’s decision, claiming that it would facilitate quick rollout of vaccines.”Centralisation of procurement will ensure uniformity of procurement prices and create bandwidth among states to manage inoculation of their adult populations. This would also ensure an equitable allocation of vaccines in states and was a key ask of CII too. Making the vaccines available for all the eligible population free of cost will go a long way in protecting the citizens and resuming normal economic activities at the earliest,” he said.

Modi, during his address to the nation, also announced that the government will “continue the PM GaribKalyan Anya Yojana providing free grains to 80 crore people with free food grains till Diwali”. The free ration aid is aimed at mitigating the economic impact of COVID-19.Modi, while noting that “this is the deadliest pandemic in the last 100 years”, said India has been proactive to develop and procure vaccines “which are the only shield against the pandemic”.There are seven companies in India which are currently manufacturing vaccines, the prime minister said, adding that the inoculation of over 23 crore doses so far is largely through the two made-in-India vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin.

Efforts are also underway “to buy vaccines from other countries”, Modi pointed out. His remarks comes amid the state government’s demand that the Centre must procure the vaccines from abroad as global manufacturers are not dealing directly with the states.Modi also pointed out that experts have raised concerns about the vulnerability of minors to COVID-19, and the government, after taking cognisance of the concerns, have approved trials for vaccines for children aged below 18.

The prime minister added that a research is underway for the development of nasal vaccine against coronavirus. “If successful it could help support country’s COVID-19 vaccination drive,” he said.Modi claimed that his government, over the past seven years, has succeeded in increasing India’s overall vaccination coverage. “From around 60 percent coverage in 2014, we have managed to take it past 90 percent during our term,” he said.

Modi’s address to the country over the vaccination policy comes days after the Supreme Court raised questions at the Centre. The court expressed concern over the “digital divide” between rural and urban Indian in accessing the vaccines, and asked the government to adopt a policy in accordance to the “dynamic pandemic situation”.The court also called the non-extension of free vaccination to the 18-44 age group as “prima facie arbitrary and irrational” and asked why budgetary allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for vaccine procurement could not be used to inoculate this group free of cost.

US Supreme Court Restricts Green-Cards For Temporary Residents

A man exits the transit area after clearing immigration and customs on arrival at Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, U.S., September 24, 2017. REUTERS/James Lawler Duggan/Files. The Supreme Court ruled that people who entered the U.S. illegally can’t seek permanent residency just because they are now covered by a program that gives them temporary legal status.The justices on Monday, June 7, 2021, unanimously ruled against Jose Sanchez and Sonia Gonzalez, a married Salvadoran couple who received temporary protected status after El Salvador suffered a series of earthquakes in 2001. The ruling could affect thousands of people covered by the TPS program, which protects immigrants whose home countries are in crisis.

Writing for the court, Justice Elena Kagan said federal law allows green-card applications by temporary residents only if they were admitted into the country legally.“Sanchez was not lawfully admitted, and his TPS does not alter that fact,” Kagan wrote. “He therefore cannot become a permanent resident of this country.”The case divided immigration advocates from President Joe Biden’s administration, which defended what it said was a 30-year government practice of rejecting applications from illegal entrants. Biden’s team inherited the case from former President Donald Trump’s administration, which formalized the policy.

TPS currently covers hundreds of thousands of people from a dozen countries. More than 250,000 are from El Salvador, who under federal law must have had continuous presence in the U.S. since 2001. TPS shields recipients from deportation and lets them hold jobs legally.In 2007 Sanchez got an employment visa through his employer, Viking Yacht Co., and seven years later he sought to use that visa to get what’s known as an “adjustment” to permanent status for himself and his wife. U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services rejected the application in 2015.

U.S. CDC Eases Travel Recommendations On 61 Countries

(Reuters) -The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has eased its travel recommendations for 61 countries, including Japan from its highest “Level 4” rating that had discouraged all travel to recommending travel for fully vaccinated individuals, the agency confirmed Tuesday. The new ratings, which were not previously reported and posted on a CDC website Monday, lower 61 countries to “Level 3,” including France, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, Russia, Spain and Italy. A U.S. State Department official said it was in the process of revising its travel advisory to reflect the CDC changes.The CDC said the change comes after its revised its criteria for travel health notices. The CDC said it has also revised its rating for the United States to “Level 3” from “Level 4.”

On May 24, the State Department had urged against travel to Japan, citing a new wave of coronavirus cases before the Tokyo Olympics are set to begin July 23.The CDC said the new criteria for a Level 4 “avoid all travel” recommendation has changed from 100 cases per 100,000 to 500 cases per 100,000. The CDC added that many countries have lower ratings “because of the criteria changes or because their outbreaks are better controlled.” The CDC added it expects more countries to get lower ratings.Other countries being lowered to “Level 3” include Honduras, Indonesia, Jordan, Libya, Panama, Poland, Denmark and Malaysia.

Many of the countries that now have lower ratings remain on the U.S. government’s list of countries subject to severe travel restrictions — and most have been subject to the restrictions since early 2020.The United States bars nearly all non-U.S. citizens who have been in China, the United Kingdom, Ireland, India, South Africa, Brazil, Iran and the 26 Schengen nations in Europe without border controls within the previous 14 days.

The US Consulate in Mumbai Restarts Visa Services

One of the busiest consular operations in the world, the US Consulate in Mumbai has restarted consulate services as the covid cases are on the decline in recent days. The U.S. Consulate General in Mumbai is a branch of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to India under the direction of the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.  The U.S. Consulate General Mumbai is located in BandraKurla Complex, Mumbai.  The Consulate represents the United States in Western India, including the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Goa.

The Consulate provides an array of services to American citizens residing or traveling in our consular district, such as assistance in emergencies and help with passports and reports of birth.  It assist non-Americans with visas to the U.S., both for short visits and for immigration.  The Consulate can also assist Indian companies looking to invest or do business in the United States, and provide information on study and exchange programs in the United States.

Dosti House, Your American Space, is located at the Consulate in BandraKurla Complex, Mumbai, and provides information about the United States, programs on U.S. culture and society, and offers space to partners for programs on issues of mutual importance to the United States and India.  The Consulate also works in coordination with the U.S. Embassy in Delhi and Consulates in Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad to ensure a strong relationship between the United States and India.

The Consulate will continue to contact those people with appointments that were cancelled in April-May 2021 and Spring 2020, in chronological order, by visa category, with instructions to continue processing their cases.  The Consulate is also resuming 221(g) submission in all categories and the scheduling of routine cases through the National Visa Center, by visa category, as public health conditions allow.

Due to limited appointment availability, the Consulate is currently unable to reschedule any cancelled appointments directly, and availability for rescheduling may be very limited, with appointments unavailable at some times. Furthermore, in light of the unpredictability of the pandemics affects on the local population as well as possible outbreaks again, timelines and guarantees that the processing will continue without disruption, cannot be made.

New appointments can be made through the consular website for visa appointments. The post will add appointments as often as there is availability, but please expect appointment slots to fill quickly.  Please continue to monitor the website for appointment availability.  Detailed information on the current status of visa services and restrictions related to the COVID-19 can also be found on the consular webpage.

Please note that travel restrictions remain in effect in many states in India and the availability of appointments does not mean that you will be able to travel to the Consulate or a Visa Application Center (VAC).  Please ensure you will be able to travel before making an appointment.As appropriate, visa applicants should follow the instructions given to them for registering for appointments, and monitor their email address for confirmation and further information. Multiple separate attempts to contact the Embassy or Consulate will slow communication.

As of June 7, 2021, the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai is reopening Immigrant Visa Unit appointments of all types:

*Rescheduling of cancelled appointments
*SB-1 status and visa applications
*LPR services (boarding foil)
*Reissuance of expired visas
*K applications

‘Illegal’ Leak Of WealthiestTax Information Reveals Tax Havens Used

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla founder Elon Musk’s income tax bill came to zero in 2018. And financier George Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax, according to a report from the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica. Overall, the richest 25 Americans pay less in tax — 15.8% of adjusted gross income — than many ordinary workers do, once you include taxes for Social Security and Medicare, ProPublica found.

An anonymous source delivered to ProPublica reams of Internal Revenue Service data on the country’s wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. ProPublica compared the tax data it received with information available from other sources. It reported that “in every instance we were able to check — involving tax filings by more than 50 separate people — the details provided to ProPublica matched the information from other sources.’’

Using perfectly legal tax strategies, many of the uber-rich are able to whittle their federal tax bills down to nothing or close to it. Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax; billionaire investor Carl Icahn, two, ProPublica finds. The findings are sure to heighten the national debate over the vast and widening inequality between the very wealthiest Americans and everyone else. ProPublica reports that the tax bills of the rich are especially low when compared with their soaring wealth — the value of their investment portfolios, real estate and other assets.

The Biden administration said it is investigating how tax information from several of the world’s richest people — including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett — was leaked to the public. “The unauthorized disclosure of confidential government information is illegal,” said Treasury spokeswoman Lily Adams. “The matter is being referred to the Office of the Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, all of whom have independent authority to investigate.”

The investigation comes after a report that showed new information from a trove of never-before-seen IRS records. Earlier Tuesday, ProPublica reported on exclusively obtained IRS documents which showed how the likes of Bezos, Musk, Buffett, Bill Gates, George Soros, Mark Zuckerberg and Michael Bloomberg have legally avoided paying income tax.”Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential government information by a person of access is illegal and we take this very seriously,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters during Tuesday’s briefing.

Psaki also reiterated the Biden administration’s stance on having wealthy Americans pay more taxes to fund the President’s proposals.  “I’m not going to comment on specific unauthorized disclosures of confidential government information. I can tell you that, broadly speaking ,we know that there is more to be done to ensure that corporations, individuals who are at the highest income are paying more of their fair share. Hence, it’s in the President’s proposals, his budget and part of how he’s proposing to pay for his ideas,” Psaki said.

Mayor Ravi Bhalla Announces Re-Election Bid

Mayor Ravinder ‘Ravi’ Bhallaof Hoboken, New Jersey has formally announced his re-election bid, pledging to serve as a regional and national leader in a post-pandemic world. “Nearly four years ago, Hoboken residents gave me the privilege of a lifetime, electing me as mayor of our great city,” Bhalla wrote on his campaign website.“Since then we’ve come together, friends and neighbors moving our city forward in the midst of a global pandemic, creating durable quality of life improvements, while also keeping Hoboken on a sound long-term fiscal path.”The campaign will formally kick off June 24, with an event at the PilsenerHaus and Biergarten, beginning at 6 p.m.

The Indian American mayor, who was first voted into office in 2017, has the distinction of being one of the first mayors to issue “shelter-in-place” orders in March 2020, as the pandemic was making its presence known in the U.S. New York and New Jersey were hit particularly hard in the initial months of the global crisis.Bhalla also holds the distinction of being the first Sikh American directly elected to office. He won his seat in 2017, emerging victorious from a crowded field of six candidates, by earning the endorsement of former Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who decided not to seek re-election.Previously, Bhalla had served on Hoboken’s city council for six years. Bhalla serves a town that is exactly one square mile, with 55,000 residents.

A 2014 report by the Union of Concerned Scientists notes that more than half of the coastal city’s residents live in areas that are below five feet above-average sea level, placing them at great risk for flood damage.The city council has acquired eight acres of additional green space, some through eminent domain. The recreational spaces have another purpose: through a novel scheme, the city has incorporated storm water collection tanks underneath the park which can store up to 500 million gallons of water.The water is pumped off the street during flooding and stored in the tanks until it is treated properly, then discharged into the nearby Hudson River, explained Bhalla. “We have made the city more resilient against flooding.”

In a press statement reviewing his first term in office, Bhalla noted: “With an eye to the future, we looked at ways to create sustainable, environmentally sound infrastructure improvements that reflect the values we share as a community.”“We began construction on our historic Northwest Resiliency Park, kicked off our Rebuild by Design flood protection project, renovated our neighborhood parks, and proactively replaced aging water mains for the first time in decades. We’re creating safer streets through our Vision Zero pedestrian safety campaign and a more resilient city through our Climate Action Plan.”

Bhalla, who has already secured two high-profile labor union endorsements, as well as the support of the local Police Superior Officers Association to name is few, is currently running unopposed though 1st Ward Councilman Mike DeFusco and 6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino have left open the possibility of challenging him again.While still a councilman-at-large, Bhalla won a six-way contest that included DeFusco and Giattino in November 2017. He had the support of outgoing Mayor Dawn Zimmer at the time, who unexpectedly decided not to seek a third term.

Bhalla has lived in Hoboken, New Jersey since 2000. He lives with his children, Arza and Shabegh, and his wife, Navneet (also known as Bindya), a human rights attorney.Bhalla received his undergraduate education from U.C. Berkeley, where he received a B.A. in political psychology. He later received his master’s in public administration and public policy from the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom and his juris doctorate from Tulane Law School in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Nataraj Sharma’s Travel Log On Exhibition At Aicon Gallery In NYC

Aicon Art New York is presenting Travel Log, a recent solo exhibition by a stalwart of Indian contemporary art Nataraj Sharma, his second solo exhibition in North America and his first in New York in over a decade.

The exhibition is comprised of monumental canvases that document Sharma’s travels around India and its vicinity, exploring the relationships between urbanization, landscapes and the human presence at the interstices of modernity. Sharma is constantly expanding and evolving these images so that they add new connotations and dimensions to that which was already familiar. We sincerely hope you can join us at the opening reception.

The Opening Reception is planned for Saturday, June 12 | 1:00 – 7:00 pm. An in-person opening reception at the gallery, and for those who want to attend, please schedule an appointment if you or anyone you are in regular contact with, has compromised health at this time.

Students Vaccinated In India Need To Revaccinate To Enter U.S. Colleges

Since this March, over 400 U.S. colleges and universities have announced students should get Covid-19 vaccinations, ahead of the fall semester, but those who have been inoculated with India’s indigenous Covaxin or the Russian-made Sputnik V are being asked to revaccinate as these vaccines have not yet been approved by the World Health Organization. Rukmini Callimachi reports in the The New York Times that MilloniDoshi, a 25-year-old student from India, who is due to start her master’s degree this fall at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, has been administered two doses of Covaxin. Now, Columbia has told her that she will need to be revaccinated with a different vaccine once she arrives on campus.

“I am just concerned about taking two different vaccines. They said the application process would be the toughest part of the cycle, but it’s really been all of this that has been uncertain and anxiety-inducing,” Doshi wrote via a messaging app.Campuses are proposing different measures, out of which the more complicated scenario is if students received a vaccine that has not been approved by the WHO, like Sputnik or Covaxin. Many colleges are proposing that those students will need to be revaccinated, which presents both medical and logistical conundrums.

This is primarily because no data exists on whether combing vaccines from different companies is safe. “Since Covid-19 vaccines are not interchangeable, the safety and effectiveness of receiving two different Covid-19 vaccines have not been studied,” said Kristen Nordlund, spokesperson for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Nordlund also advised that people vaccinated outside the U.S. with a vaccine not authorized by WHO should wait for a minimum of 28 days before taking the first dose of one of the Food and Drug Administration-sanctioned vaccines.

American students have access to the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, three of the eight doses authorized by the global health body. This disparity could hinder colleges that have made it a major priority to retain international students, who brought in close to $39 billion in tuition dollars in the year before the pandemic, according to an analysis.”Universities want to enroll international students because they add diversity to the campus community — and they bring money. It’s why this has been a subject of intense discussion,” said Terry W Hartle, senior vice president at the American Council on Education.

According to The New York Times, the situation is particularly challenging for students from India, which sends around 200,000 international students to American colleges every year. It is becoming increasingly hard to secure an appointment for a vaccine that will be accepted by American campuses.”Every day, we get 10 to 15 messages and inquiries, saying ‘What does this mean? How does this impact me?'” said Sudhanshu Kaushik, who runs the North American Association of Indian Students, which is working to help fellow students.

Indiana University’s vice president for international affairs, Hannah Buxbaum, said that the administrators of the institution are working overtime to answer the roughly 200 phone calls and 300 emails that are pouring in every day from the university’s roughly 6,000 students overseas.”Ringing off the hook doesn’t begin to describe. There is no question that there is anxiety and concern among our international students,” she said.

Many universities are only accepting the students who have been vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccine. At Columbia, where one-third of the student body is from overseas, international students will be asked to present either their WHO booklet or a letter from a physician confirming they have received the requisite doses of one of the vaccines vetted by the world body, said Donna Lynne, the chief operating officer of the university’s medical center.Callimachi wrote in The New York Times that those who will not succeed in securing a vaccine before the start of the fall semester are facing a potentially problematic process.

Many universities were vague on how they plan to deal with the logistical complexity of spacing out these unrelated vaccines, beyond saying that they planned to accommodate students undergoing this process, reports The New York Times.At least six regional governments in India have announced emergency clinics in the past week to vaccine students going to U.S. universities, in the wake of mounting pressure from confused and anxious students, wrote Callimachi.However, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech June 3 said that biopharmaceutical company Ocugen Inc. will have exclusive co-development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights of its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin in Canada, in addition to its existing U.S. rights.

US Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug

The first new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease for nearly 20 years has been approved by regulators in the United States, paving the way for its use in the UK. Aducanumab targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia, rather than its symptoms.Charities have welcomed the news of a new therapy for the condition. But scientists are divided over its potential impact because of uncertainty over the trial results. At least 100,000 people in the UK with a mild form of the disease could be suitable for the drug if it were to be approved by the UK regulator. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said there was “substantial evidence that aducanumab reduces amyloid beta plaques in the brain” and that this “is reasonably likely to predict important benefits to patients”.

Controversial trial

In March 2019, late-stage international trials of aducanumab, involving about 3,000 patients, were halted when analysis showed the drug, given as a monthly infusion, was not better at slowing the deterioration of memory and thinking problems than a dummy drug.But later that year, the US manufacturer Biogen analysed more data and concluded the drug did work, as long as it was given in higher doses. The company also said it significantly slowed cognitive decline.Aducanumab targets amyloid, a protein that forms abnormal clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s that can damage cells and trigger dementia, including:

Aldo Ceresa, who took part in the trial, first noticed problems differentiating between left and right 10 years ago.After his diagnosis, the 68-year-old, who is originally from Glasgow and now lives in Oxfordshire, close to his family, had to give up his job as a surgeon.MrCeresa took aducanumab for two years before the trial was halted – and then had to wait almost as long for another trial, at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, in London, to begin.

“I’m quite happy to volunteer,” he says. “I really, really enjoy this journey that I’m going through – and obviously the benefits I’m getting from it, which I’m very, very grateful for.”He is convinced the drug has helped him. “I feel like I’m not quite as confused. Although it’s still there, it’s not quite as bad.  “And I’m just getting that bit more confident now.”MrCeresa says his family has noticed improvements too. “Before, if I was going to get something, I couldn’t remember, you know, where to find things in the kitchen.  “That has become less of a problem,” he says. “I haven’t caught up to the level that I was before – but I’m heading in the right direction.”More than 30 million people around the world are thought to have Alzheimer’s, with most aged over 65. For around 500,000 people affected in the UK, those eligible for aducanumab will be mostly in their 60s or 70s and at an early stage of the disease.

This is not a miracle drug, nor a cure for Alzheimer’s but it is the first treatment which tackles the destructive mechanism in the brain that drives the destruction of neurons.And that makes this a landmark moment. But scientific opinion both here and the United States is divided. While some have welcomed approval, calling it a milestone for millions living with Alzheimer’s, others believe the drug will only have marginal benefits.

Alzheimer’s charities say they will be pressing for an early decision in the UK – but that could take another year. Lastly, we don’t know how much aducanumab will cost – it could be tens of thousands of pounds per patient each year. And if approved, access will be limited to those who’ve had specialist brain scans to confirm their diagnosis.Despite all the caveats, this is moment for very cautious celebration.  Prof Bart De Strooper, director of the UK Dementia Research Institute, said the decision to approve aducanumab marked “a hugely significant milestone” in the search for treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.

In the past decade, more than 100 potential Alzheimer’s treatments have flopped.  But while he hoped it would prove a turning point for millions of people with the condition, he said there were “still many barriers to overcome”.Prof John Hardy, professor of neuroscience at University College London, said: “We have to be clear that, at best, this is a drug with marginal benefit which will help only very carefully selected patients.”And Prof Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at UCL, went further calling the drug’s approval “a grave error” that could derail the ongoing search for meaningful dementia treatments “for a decade”.  He said the FDA had ignored data from the trial which showed no slowing of decline in cognition or function.

However, Alzheimer’s Society said the drug was “promising” but added it was “just the beginning of the road to new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease”.Another charity, Alzheimer’s Research UK, said it had written to the Health Secretary Matt Hancock asking the government to priorities the fast-track approval process for the drug in the UK. Chief executive Hilary Evans, said: “People with dementia and their families have been waiting far too long for life-changing new treatments.”It is now essential that regulatory authorities assess the evidence to decide whether they believe the drug is safe and effective for use in the UK.”Although many doctors are doubtful of aducanumab’s benefits, its US approval could be a huge boost to dementia research, which is traditionally underfunded compared with cancer or heart disease.

Economic Toll Of Climate Crisis ‘Will Be Like Two Pandemics A Year’

The world’s biggest industrialized economies will shrink by twice as much as they did during the coronavirus pandemic if they do not tackle rising greenhouse gas emissions, according to research. Oxfam and the Swiss Re Institute have warned that the G7 countries will lose 8.5% of GDP a year, the equivalent of nearly $5tn, within 30 years if temperatures rise by 2.6C (36.68F), as they are predicted to. During Covid-19, G7 economies shrank by an average of about 4.2%. The research forecasts economic losses from the climate crisis by 2050 would be roughly equivalent to enduring a similar crisis to the pandemic twice a year, reports the environment correspondent Fiona Harvey.

According to Oxfam’s analysis of research by the Swiss Re Institute, human and economic impact on low-income nations will be much worse. Oxfam warned on Monday that the loss in GDP is double that of the COVID-19 pandemic, which already caused G7 economies to shrink by an average of 4.2%.The worst affected country in the G7 would be Italy, which stands to lose 11.4%. The US would be hit with a 7.2% loss by 2050, with Japan set to lose 9.1%, Germany 8.3%, France 10%, and Canada 6.9%. The UK economy would lose 6.5% a year by 2050 on current policies and projections, compared with 2.4% if the goals of the Paris climate agreement are met.

Although economies are expected to recover from the short-term effects of the current health crisis, the effects of climate change will be seen every year, the research said. Oxfam is calling on G7 leaders, who are meeting in the UK later this week, to reduce carbon emissions more quickly and steeply.Danny Sriskandarajah, Oxfam GB chief executive, called on the UK to “strain every diplomatic sinew” to drive more climate ambition from fellow G7 nations at the upcoming G7 summit. “The UK government has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lead the world towards a safer, more liveable planet for all of us,” he said.

Swiss Re modelled how climate change is likely to affect economies through gradual, chronic climate risks such as heat stress, impacts on health, sea level rise and agricultural productivity. All of the 48 nations in the study are expected to see an economic contraction, with many countries predicted to be hit far worse than the G7.The data showed that by 2050, India, which was invited to the G7 summit, is projected to lose 27% from its economy, while Australia, South Africa and South Korea are projected to lose 12.5%, 17.8%, and 9.7% respectively.The Philippines is projected to lose 35% and Colombia is projected to lose 16.7%.It follows a recent study by the World Bank that suggested between 32 million and 132 million additional people will be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of climate change.

Oxfam added that G7 governments are also collectively failing to deliver on a pledge to provide $100bn per year to help poor countries respond to climate change. Only two G7 countries have said they will increase climate finance from current levels. France decided to maintain its current level of climate finance while Canada, Germany, Japan and Italy have yet to state their intentions, the charity said,Oxfam estimates their current commitments amount to $36bn in public climate finance by 2025, with only a quarter ($8-10 billion) of that for adaptation. “The economic case for climate action is clear ―now we need G7 governments to take dramatic action in the next nine years to cut emissions and increase climate finance,” Max Lawson, head of inequality policy at Oxfam, said.

“The economic turmoil projected in wealthy G7 countries is only the tip of the iceberg: many poorer parts of the world will see increasing deaths, hunger and poverty as a result of extreme weather. This year could be a turning point if governments grasp the challenge to create a safer more liveable planet for all.”All G7 governments have unveiled new climate targets ahead of the UN COP26 climate summit in November, with most falling short of what is needed to limit global warming below 1.5°C. The projections used in this press release assume high stress factors and global warming of 2.6°C by mid-century, which is a level of warming that could be reached based on current policies and climate pledges from all countries.

The conference, which is being held between 1 and 12 November, will be the largest summit the UK has ever hosted. It will have dozens of world leaders in attendance and bring together representatives from nearly 200 countries, including experts and campaigners.It was originally scheduled for November 2020 but was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It has been described as the most significant climate event since the global Paris Agreement was secured in 2015.

Jerome Haegeli, group chief economist at Swiss Re, said: “Climate change is the long-term number one risk to the global economy, and staying where we are is not an option – we need more progress by the G7. That means not just obligations on cutting CO2 but helping developing countries too, that’s super-important.” He also added that vaccines for COVID-19 were also a key way to help developing countries.

India May Have Lost 3% Of Its GDP Due To Global Warming

Titled The Costs of Climate Change in India, the report states that India is already experiencing the consequences of 1 degree C of global warming. India may have already lost 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on account of global warming of 1 degree Celsius over pre-industrial levels, and risks losing 10% of its GDP in the extreme scenario of a 3 degree Celsius increase, which would lead to a rise in sea levels, a decline in agricultural productivity, and increased health expenditure, according to a report by London think tank ODI.

Some of the studies cited by the report make direr predictions. Citing a research paper published last year by Oxford Economics, and authored by economist James Nixon, the ODI report says India’s GDP would currently be around 25% higher were it not for the costs of global warming, and predicts that, with 3 degree C of warming it is likely to be 90% lower by the end of the century than it would have been otherwise.

“India is already feeling the costs of climate change, with many cities reporting temperatures above 48 degree C in 2020 and a billion people facing severe water scarcity for at least a month of the year. If action is not taken to cut emissions to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degree C, the human and economic toll will rise even higher,” said Angela Picciariello, senior research officer at ODI. Average temperatures across India rose by 0.62 degree C over the last 100 years, rising at a slower rate than the global average, but the impact of the climate crisis is felt almost every year. Between 1985 and 2009, western and southern India saw 50% more heatwave events than in the previous 25 years.

ODI researchers recommend that India set more ambitious CO2 emission mitigation targets. “First, higher levels of global warming will have devastating human and economic costs. Second, a more climate-smart development trajectory would potentially yield a range of benefits, including cleaner air, higher rates of job creation and greater energy, food and water security. These considerations are shifting domestic narratives around climate change policy, including high-level debates about whether or not to commit to carbon neutrality by mid-century.”

“Stronger emission targets do not need to compromise India’s development aspirations,” the report added. ODI recommends ending public support for coal and improving the performance of electricity distribution systems, supporting economic diversification in regions that heavily depend on coal for jobs and revenues, and focusing on clean energy generation which could create millions of jobs.“Climate disasters can reverse the progress that has been made on reducing poverty and disrupt the lifelines of a growing economy… Investing in green sectors like renewable energy, public transport and land restoration can create new jobs, stimulate economic growth. It can lead to massive savings in fuel costs,” said UlkaKelkar, director, Climate Program at World Resources Institute.

Twitter Commits To Complying With India’s New IT Rules

The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, was notified in February, with all clauses of it coming into force on May 25.Social media company Twitter has told the ministry of electronics and information technology (Meity) that it is “committed to complying” with all clauses of the intermediary guidelines and asked for a week’s time, officials familiar with the matter said on Monday, days after the government issued an ultimatum to the company.

The government on Saturday said Twitter would have to face “unintended consequences” that can involve it losing its legal protection from criminal liability for user content if it does not comply with the new rules for digital content.“The company has highlighted that there have been some difficulties in making appointments for some key personnel and sought a week’s time to comply with most of the provisions, while saying that it will implement all provisions as soon as possible,” said a ministry official, who asked not to be named.

The official added that the platform has also informed the ministry that it is looking to set up an office in the country, as required under the new rules that seek a physical address for significant social media intermediaries, or companies running networks with more than 5 million registered users from India.The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, was notified in February, with all clauses of it coming into force on May 25. These guidelines require digital companies such as Twitter, WhatsApp, and Facebook to change how they regulate content, appoint nodal officers for compliance and grievance redressal, and adopt features such as traceability of messages and voluntary user verification.

Twitter said in a statement on Monday that the company is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines while continuing a constructive dialogue with the government. “Twitter has been and remains deeply committed to India, and serving the vital public conversation taking place on the service,” a Twitter spokesperson said, adding, “We have assured the government of India that Twitter is making every effort to comply with the new guidelines, and an overview on our progress has been duly shared.”There have been several instances of confrontation between the United States-based company and the government of India, particularly around government’s content takedown orders and Twitter’s actions against prominent people linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party for violation of its terms of use.

Against this backdrop, the new IT rules hardened the stand-off last month, with the microblogging website earlier asking for more time to comply, raising concerns over the “core elements” of the norms, and flagging potential threats to the safety of its employees after a visit by the Delhi Police the same month.“Our intent was always clear: the company is free to do business in India, but it has to comply with the law of the land,” the official mentioned above said. The ministry earlier echoed this sentiment when it had said, “Leave alone proactively creating such a mechanism, Twitter Inc is in the inglorious bracket of refusing to do so even when mandated by law.”

Hindustan Times reported on May 29 that other significant social media intermediaries that have 5 million users or more, such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Google, have shared the details with the ministry.Under criticism over the past few months, the government has maintained that the new IT rules make companies more accountable for the online content posted on their websites and protects users from abuse. But the companies, several experts and Opposition parties believe that the norms may have a bearing on the right to free speech and privacy.WhatsApp has challenged the rules in the Delhi high court, calling it unconstitutional and a threat to Indians’ fundamental rights.

Tech Giants Offer Signing In Bonuses To New Employees

America’s stores are having trouble bringing on staff to meet growing demand from customers as the US economy regains steam. So they’re turning to an incentive less commonly deployed in the retail industry: sign-on bonuses for new hires.Amazon (AMZN), Ollie’s Bargain Outlet (OLLI), Tops Markets supermarket chain, Sheetz convenience stores and many smaller stores are offering such one-time payments to sweeten job offers to new workers. Sign-on bonuses can be more attractive for some employers than raising wages because bonuses are not permanent and ultimately cheaper, said Andrew Challenger, vice president at executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Executive search firm Korn Ferry found in a survey of more than 50 major US retailers in late April that 94% said they were having difficulty filling vacant roles. Twenty-nine percent said they had implemented a sign-on bonus to help in hiring, while 32% said they had a referral program.”Historically, stores have not had to do sign-on bonuses,” said Craig Rowley, senior client partner at Korn Ferry specializing in retail. “In the past, there were always enough people applying for jobs. It tells you how needy retailers are for staff,” he said.

Companies are searching for workers as growing numbers of vaccinated Americans head back to stores. There were 878,000 job openings in the US retail sector in March, a 53% increase from the same month last year, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In the warehouse and transportation sector, there were 348,000 open jobs in March, a 5% increase from a year ago. Retailers are adding more warehouse and delivery jobs as online shopping becomes more widespread.Economists, labor experts and companies say the reasons for the hiring challenges are varied, but they include difficulties workers are having finding child and family care, health and safety concerns among the workforce, and expanded unemployment benefits.Companies hope bonuses will help them meet staffing needs and continue growing.

‘A cherry on top’Amazon announced in May that it is hiring 75,000 people in warehouse and transportation jobs and offering sign-on bonuses of up to $1,000 in many locations. The company also said the jobs offer an average pay of over $17 an hour, higher than the company’s $15 minimum wage.Amazon employees has offered higher sign-on bonuses for some hourly positions, too.

Robin Ray Buscaino, 22, lost his job in 2020 at a restaurant in Colton, California, and was unemployed for a year. He started working at an Amazon regional air hub in San Bernardino, California, loading and unloading cargo from planes for $16.40 an hour. Buscaino said the $3,000 bonus Amazon was offering for the job was a deciding factor in his decision to work there. “The bonus was a cherry on top,” he said. Other places he was looking at weren’t able to match it.

Are unemployment benefits causing working shortages? Here’s what we know.

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet is giving $1,000 sign-on bonuses to staff 200 open jobs at its distribution centers. Sheetz is offering $500 bonuses for store workers and $1,000 for shift supervisors to fill 50 jobs. Tops Markets, a supermarket chain in the Northeast, is handing out $2,000 bonuses to hire around 100 workers in its distribution center.Customer demand is “up all over the country,” said Tom Kuypers, a spokesperson for Ollie’s. “We need people for our distribution centers” to meet it.

Ollie’s implemented the $1,000 bonus last month, and Kuypers said he thinks it helped make the company more competitive in hiring and increased the number of applicants.Grocery stores saw a surge in business last year, and many are still are looking to hire more staff.  Clint Woodman, the president of Woodman’s Markets, an employee-owned supermarket chain with 18 stores in Wisconsin and Illinois, said the company needs to hire 600 workers to give a breather to its current employees, many of whom are working overtime.The company last week began offering up to $1,500 bonuses for new full-time workers and $500 employee referral bonuses. “We’re certainly hoping that it has a big effect so we can provide the service that our customers are used to,” he said.

The Mysterious Origin Of The Northern Lights Has Been Proven

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, could easily be described as Earth’s greatest light show. A phenomenon that’s exclusive to the higher latitudes has had scientists in awe and wonder for centuries.A group of physicists from the University of Iowa have finally proven that the “most brilliant auroras are produced by powerful electromagnetic waves during geomagnetic storms,” according to a newly released study.

The study shows that these phenomena, also known as Alfven waves, accelerate electrons toward Earth, causing the particles to produce the light show we know as the northern light. The aurora borealis lights up the night sky in Iceland. “Measurements revealed this small population of electrons undergoes ‘resonant acceleration’ by the Alfven wave’s electric field, similar to a surfer catching a wave and being continually accelerated as the surfer moves along with the wave,” said Greg Howes, associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa and co-author of the study.

This idea of electrons “surfing” on the electric field is a theory first introduced in 1946 by a Russian physicist, Lev Landau, that was named Landau damping. His theory has now been proven.Recreating the northern lights Scientists have understood for decades how the aurora most likely is created, but they have now been able to simulate it, for the first time, in a lab at the Large Plasma Device (LPD) in UCLA’s Basic Plasma Science Facility.Scientists used a 20-meter-long chamber to recreate Earth’s magnetic field using the powerful magnetic field coils on UCLA’s LPD. Inside the chamber, scientists generated a plasma similar to what exists in space near the Earth.

“Using a specially designed antenna, we launched Alfven waves down the machine, much like shaking a garden hose up and down quickly, and watching the wave travel along the hose,” said Howes. As they began to experience the electrons “surfing” along the wave, they used another specialized instrument to measure how those electrons were gaining energy from the wave.

Although the experiment didn’t recreate the colorful shimmer we see in the sky, “our measurements in the laboratory clearly agreed with predictions from computer simulations and mathematical calculations, proving that electrons surfing on Alfven waves can accelerate the electrons (up to speeds of 45 million mph) that cause the aurora,” said Howes.

“These experiments let us make the key measurements that show that the space measurements and theory do, indeed, explain a major way in which the aurora are created,” said Craig Kletzing, the study co-author.Space scientists around the country were ecstatic to hear the news. “I was tremendously excited! It is a very rare thing to see a laboratory experiment that validates a theory or model concerning the space environment,” said Patrick Koehn, a scientist in the Heliophysics Division of NASA. “Space is simply too big to easily simulate in the lab.”

Koehn said he believes being able to understand the acceleration mechanism for the aurora-causing electrons will be helpful in many studies in the future.”It does help us understand space weather better! The electron acceleration mechanism verified by this project is at work elsewhere in the solar system, so it will find many applications in space physics. It will be of use in space weather forecasting as well, something that NASA is very interested in,” Koehn said in an email to CNN.

A long way to goNow that the theory of how the illuminating aurora is created has been proven, there’s still a long way to go in forecasting how strong each storm will be.”Predicting how strong a particular geomagnetic storm will be, based on observations of the Sun and measurements from spacecraft between the Earth and the Sun, remains an unsolved challenge,” said Howes in an email.”We have established the link of electrons surfing on Alfven waves about 10,000 miles above the Earth’s surface, and now we must learn how to predict the strength of those Alfven waves using spacecraft observations,” he added.

Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified the affiliation of the physicists who wrote the study. They are from the University of Iowa.

East &West Meet To Celebrate Frontline Workers

Multi-Grammy award winning singer, songwriter and producer Joe Walsh and Sarod virtuoso and composer Amjad Ali Khan, joined by his sons Aman Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash, recently released a three-song EP titled ‘Prayers’ as a mark of tribute to frontline workers, doctors and social justice groups.The proceeds will go to IntraHealth International, a non-profit organisation based in the US working with developing countries to improve their public health capabilities

Sonically, the difference between rock and roll and Indian classical music could not be bigger – and it was exactly that which compelled them: What would happen if they came together and let their instruments do the talking?The result is music that is truly collaborative, and unlike any Walsh has ever created, infused with a spiritual feel.The two first met while Walsh was visiting India. After playing together at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, Walsh invited them all, UstadAmjad Ali Khan and his two sons Ayaan and Amaan, to come to Los Angeles and record with him to see what they could create together.

This EP is the result of the second of those sessions, which took place in Walsh’s home studio in Los Angeles in 2020. In addition to the Khans, Walsh asked some of his friends and members of the Los Angeles music community to participate in the project, including Jim Keltner, Davey Johnstone, Michael Thompson, Nathan East, Stewart Copeland, Joe Vitale and Lee Sklar.“The time I spend in India is always transformative. My first visit delivered ‘India’ which was on Analog Man. Subsequent visits stirred within me a deeper curiosity for Indian instruments and their music. In spending time with the maestro, I was excited to see how my instrument and his could work together. We were both blown away. It was one of my life’s most treasured experiences.

“The music we created was surely stronger than our individual abilities. It was a spiritual experience to play with the Khans. Everyone there in those sessions was elevated as a result of this collaboration and that’s why we play music. It’s those moments we chase as musicians,” Walsh recalled.

The three songs — ‘Healing Love’, ‘Goddess’ and ‘Hope’ (We Shall Overcome/Hum HongeKamyab) are the discourse between their instruments and a kind of meditative exploration on the nature of sonoral divinity, drawing from their own artistic traditions, as well as finding common ground of the two musical traditions, which are often held to be radically different.Through this process of creating and recording, their aim was to preserve the essence of musical traditions that flow into each other without artistic compromise.Walsh added that by the time he got to work on the tracks in the studio, everyone was in complete lockdown mode.

“The more time I spent with this music, the clearer it became that these tracks had healing properties and needed to be shared as a gift. So, in honour of all the frontline workers who continue to be of such incredible service and courage to us all during these horribly challenging times, I’m donating my proceeds to IntraHealth International, whose vital work for healthcare workers around the world aligned perfectly, ” Walsh said.“It has been a pleasure and an honour to work on this album with my dear friend, the legendary Joe Walsh,” said Amjad Ali Khan, adding: “Across cultures, as artistes we can understand and appreciate each other and thereby try to heal this divided world, and what better way is there to achieve this ideal than through the joy and spiritual nourishment that music brings.”

“We were in the company of legends. It was a blessing to just be there, observe and learn. To be a part of the process was truly an unreal experience for which we only have the deepest gratitude. Musicians and listeners of music have been communicating with each other across all barriers through this ‘vibration of music’ from time immemorial,” added Amaan Ali Bangash.For Ayaan Ali Bangash, it was a unique and uplifting musical journey. “To be in the company of two gurus and icons of music was a priceless gift. I am blessed and honoured to be a part of it,” he said.

“We are so thrilled and grateful to Joe and Amjad for their generosity. Their gift is going to make health workers around the world safer as we battle this pandemic today and build a healthier future for tomorrow,” said Polly Dunford, the president and CEO of IntraHealth International. (IANS)

After 24,000 Years Frozen In Siberia, An Arctic Animal Just Came Back To Life

A microscopic multi-celled organism has returned to life after being frozen for 24,000 years in Siberia, according to new research. Scientists dug up the animal known as a bdelloid rotifer from the Alayeza River in the Russian Arctic.
Once thawed, it was able to reproduce asexually, after spending millennia in a state of frozen animation known as crytobiosis. Previous research said they could survive frozen for up to 10 years.

But the new study, published in Current Biology on Monday, suggested they could last for thousands of years, if not indefinitely. “The takeaway is that a multicellular organism can be frozen and stored as such for thousands of years and then return back to life – a dream of many fiction writers,” StasMalavin, of Russia’s Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, told the Press Association.He said more research was needed to see how it achieved the feat. The scientists in the study froze and thawed dozens of the animals in a laboratory to examine the process. Radiocarbon dating aged the bdelloid rotifer specimen at between 23,960 and 24,485 years old.Bdelloid rotifers are a class of rotifer found in freshwater environments around the world. The name rotifer comes from the Latin meaning “wheel bearer”.

The creatures are known for their ability to withstand extremes. They are one of the Earth’s most radioactive-resistant animals, according to the New York Times, which reports they can also withstand low oxygen, starvation, high acidity and years of dehydration.There are reports of other multi-celled organisms coming back to life after thousands of years, including a nematode worm, as well as some plants and mosses.

Stems of Antarctic moss were successfully regrown from a 1,000-year-old sample that had been covered by ice for about 400 years, and a living campion flower was regenerated from seed tissue, likely stored by an Arctic squirrel, that had been preserved in 32,000-year-old permafrost. Simple worms, called nematodes, were revived from the permafrost from two places in northeastern Siberia, in sediments that were more than 30,000 years old.Long-dead but well-preserved mammals, including extinct cave bears and mammoths, have also been unearthed from the permafrost, which is thawing in some places as aresult of the climate crisis.

Will Japan Cancel 2021 Summer Olympics?

With a little over a month until the start of the Tokyo Olympics, the possibility of a cancellation looms large over the Games.As Japan battles a fourth wave of coronavirus infections and a state of emergency in Tokyo and other prefectures remains in place until the end of the month, there is mounting pressure from health experts, business leaders and the Japanese public to call off the Games.

The Tokyo Medical Practitioners Association, an organization of about 6,000 doctors in Tokyo, penned a letter calling for a cancellation, while a petition which garnered 350,000 signatures in nine days in support of a cancellation has been submitted to organizers.Also, the CEO of leading Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten said that holding the Games amid the pandemic amounts to a “suicide mission” — among the strongest opposition so far voiced by a business leader. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has remained adamant that the Olympics, already postponed by a year amid the pandemic, will be able to get underway on July 23.

Organizers have released a playbook, the final version of which is expected next month, outlining a series of countermeasures that they say will ensure the Games can take place in a safe and secure way, even as thousands of athletes from around the world descend on Tokyo.The games, which are scheduled to take place in Tokyo and other parts of Japan from July 23 to Aug. 8, were already postponed for a year due to the coronavirus. Now, they may be pushed back again, or canceled altogether, as Covid-19 cases continue to rise, not just in Japan, but also across southeast and east Asia.Things could still change. And there are important financial, political, and institutional factors at play, as well as historical precedent: The games have only ever been canceled in wartime. Here’s what we know so far.

Who runs the Olympics?

The Olympic Games are a partnership between four main players:

  1. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which oversees the Olympic movement and directs funds to organizing bodies.
  2. The National Olympic Committees (NOC), of which there are 206. They select the athletes that will attend the Olympics, nominate host cities, and promote the Olympics at home.
  3. The Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOG), which are formed by the host country’s NOC to organize and run the Olympics. OCOGs report to the IOC.
  4. The host country and host city, which pay for the bids and finance new infrastructure and public services like extra security and border control officers.

According to the host city contract, only the IOC can cancel the games. Clause 66 gives five reasons for which the Olympics could be canceled. The most relevant one states that the IOC can terminate the contract if it has “reasonable grounds to believe” that “the safety of participants in the Games would be seriously threatened or jeopardized” by attending.

As difficult a decision as this is for IOC and Japanese officials, the people who could suffer the most are the athletes caught in the middle. While much remains up in the air, one thing is certain, says Benz: “It’s a situation unlike any the international Olympic family has found itself in the modern era.”

Israel’s Longest Serving PM Netanyahu’s Regime May End

While Bennett and his new partners, headed by opposition leader YairLapid, still face some obstacles, the sides appeared to be serious about reaching a deal and ending the deadlock that has plunged the country into four elections in the past two years.

With the announcement by a former ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would seek to form a coalition government with the Opposition,Israel’s longest serving Isreali’s leader’s regime may come to an end, media reports here suggested/ The ultra-nationalist leader Naftali Bennett said his party would join talks to form a governing coalition with centrist party leader YairLapid. The dramatic announcement by Naftali Bennett, leader of the small hardline Yamina party, set the stage for a series of steps that could push Netanyahu and his dominant Likud party into the opposition in the coming week.

“It’s my intention to do my utmost in order to form a national unity government along with my friend YairLapid, so that, God willing, together we can save the country from a tailspin and return Israel to its course,” Bennett said.Bennett, 49, who leads the Yamina party, made his announcement in a televised address. “Mr Netanyahu is no longer trying to form a right-wing government because he knows full well that there isn’t one. He is seeking to take the whole national camp, and the whole country, with him on his personal last stand,” he said. “I will do everything to form a national unity government with my friend YairLapid.”

While Bennett and his new partners, headed by opposition leader YairLapid, still face some obstacles, the sides appeared to be serious about reaching a deal and ending the deadlock that has plunged the country into four elections in the past two years.They have until Wednesday to complete a deal in which each is expected to serve two years as prime minister in a rotation deal, with Bennett holding the job first. Lapid’sYeshAtid party said negotiating teams were to meet later Sunday.

Bennett, a former top aide to Netanyahu who has held senior Cabinet posts, shares the prime minister’s hard-line ideology. He is a former leader of the West Bank settlement movement and heads a small party whose base includes religious and nationalist Jews. Yet he has had a strained and complicated relationship with his one-time mentor due to personal differences.Bennett said there was no feasible way after the deadlocked March 23 election to form a right-wing government favored by Netanyahu. He said another election would yield the same results and said it was time to end the cycle.

“A government like this will succeed only if we work together as a group,” he said. He said everyone “will need to postpone fulfilling part of their dreams. We will focus on what can be done, instead of fighting all day on what’s impossible.”If Bennett and Lapid and their other partners can wrap up a deal, it would end, at least for the time being, the record-setting tenure of Netanyahu, the most dominant figure in Israeli politics over the past three decades. Netanyahu has served as prime minister for the past 12 years and also held an earlier term in the late 1990s.

In his own televised statement, Netanyahu accused Bennett of betraying the Israeli right wing and urged nationalist politicians not to join what he called a “leftist government. A government like this is a danger to the security of Israel, and is also a danger to the future of the state,” he said. Netanyahu is desperate to stay in power while he is on trial. He has used his office as a stage to rally his base and lash out against police, prosecutors and the media.

Despite his electoral dominance, Netanyahu has become a polarizing figure since he was indicted on charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in late 2019. Each of the past four elections was seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s fitness to rule, and each ended in deadlock.In order to form a government, a party leader must secure the support of a 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament. Because no single party controls a majority on its own, coalitions are usually built with smaller partners. Thirteen parties of various sizes are in the current parliament.

While Bennett’s Yamina party controls just seven seats in parliament, he has emerged as a kingmaker of sorts by providing the necessary support to secure a majority. If he is successful, his party would be the smallest to lead an Israeli government.Lapid already faced a difficult challenge, given the broad range of parties in the anti-Netanyahu bloc that have little in common. They include dovish left-wing parties, a pair of right-wing nationalist parties, including Bennett’s Yamina, and most likely the Islamist United Arab List.Although Arabs make up some 20% of Israel’s population, an Arab party has never before sat in an Israeli coalition government.

Israeli media reported that under the proposed terms of the deal, Mr Bennett would replace Mr Netanyahu, 71, as prime minister and later give way to MrLapid, 57, in a rotation agreement. The arrangement has not been officially confirmed. The proposed coalition would bring together factions from the right, the left and the centre of Israeli politics. While the parties have little in common politically, they are united in their desire to see Mr Netanyahu’s time in office come to an end.

The prime minister, who is on trial for fraud, fell short of a decisive majority at a general election in March. It was the country’s fourth inconclusive vote in two years – and again Netanyahu failed to secure coalition allies. After Netanyahu’s failure to form a government, Lapid was then given four weeks to cobble together a coalition.YohananPlesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, said Netanyahu will try to undermine those efforts until the end. Even if Lapid and Bennett manage to put together a government, Netanyahu is unlikely to disappear, Plesner said.Netanyahu could remain as opposition leader, working to exploit the deep ideological differences among his opponents to cause the coalition to fracture. “History teaches us it would be unwise to write him off,” he said.

Eric GarcettiLikely To Be Named US Envoy ToIndia

President Biden is said to nominate Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti,50 to be the U.S. ambassador to India; and former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China. With these selections, Biden is turning to a longtime political ally and a seasoned diplomat to serve in two of the country’s highest-profile diplomatic postings.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti,50, is likely to be nominated as U.S. ambassador to India by President Biden. The Associated Press reported last week that Biden is expected to announce that Garcetti will be picked for the post, citing a person familiar with the matter.Biden, who has yet to announce any of his picks to fill ambassador posts, has been planning to roll out the list all at once, a strategic move that has allowed speculation to build around several likely nominees. Sources also stated, former senior State Department official Nicholas Burns to serve as his ambassador to China, according to a person familiar with the matter.With these selections, Biden is turning to a longtime political ally and a seasoned diplomat to serve in two of the country’s highest-profile diplomatic postings.

It was not clear when either nomination would be announced, according to the person familiar with the matter, who was not authorized to publicly comment on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity. The White House declined to comment on either Garcetti or Burns and noted that “no one is final until they’re announced.”Garcetti and Burns, if confirmed by the Senate, would come to their postings at high-pressure moments in the U.S. relationships with India and China. Garcetti, if confirmed, would be dispatched to India as it has been overwhelmed by a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths. India’s death toll is the third highest reported in the world after the U.S. and Brazil, and true numbers are thought to be significantly greater.

Garcetti had considered a 2020 White House bid and later on, became part of Biden’s inner circle, emerged as a widely discussed possibility to join Biden’s Cabinet last year. But he took himself out of the running, saying the raging coronavirus crisis made it impossible for him to step away.The two-term mayor would leave LA with an uneven record. He has been credited with continuing a transit buildup in a city choked with traffic, establishing tougher earthquake safety standards for thousands of buildings, and steering the city through the deadly pandemic as it became a hot spot for infections. Cases have fallen steeply in the city and some restrictions have been rolled back, consistent with the trajectory in the state.

Garcetti’s popularity has slipped in recent years, and Black Lives Matter protesters had banged drums outside his official residence earlier this year to urge Biden not to choose Garcetti for a Cabinet position. Garcetti was overmatched by a crisis of homelessness that became a national embarrassment despite the massive jump in government spending to fight it. Many streets and sidewalks remain cratered and crumbling, despite his early pledge to make fixing them a cornerstone of his administration.In picking Garcetti, the president would be rewarding a loyalist who was one of his national campaign co-chairs, who served on the committee that vetted his pool of vice presidential contenders, and who served as one of several co-chairs for Biden’s inaugural committee.

Garcetti was elected mayor in 2013 and reelected in 2017. He is serving a longer second term — of 5½ years, as opposed to four — because voters in 2015 backed a one-time change in the city’s election dates. Garcetti’s possible departure for India comes as the city slowly recovers from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic and grapples with an ongoing homelessness crisis.The overseas position, if it goes to the mayor, will be viewed as a reward to a longtime supporter of Biden’s. The India posting would allow the politically ambitious Garcetti to burnish his foreign policy credentials ahead of a possible future White House run. That’s a conspicuous gap on his resume — the Ivy League graduate and Rhodes scholar has spent two decades in city government, either as mayor or a city councilman.

Rising Global Temperatures ‘Inexorably Closer’ To Climate Tipping Point: UN

The WMO report predicts an increased chance of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, that Africa’s Sahel and Australia will likely be wetter, and that the southwest of Northern America is likely to be drier.

There is now a 40% chance that global temperatures will temporarily reach 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels in the next five years — and these odds are rising, a U.N. report said on Wednesday.This does not yet mean that the world would already be crossing the long-term warming 1.5-degree threshold set by the Paris Climate Accord, which scientists warn is the ceiling to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change. The Paris Accord target looks at temperature over a 30-year average, rather than a single year.

But it does underscore that “we are getting measurably and inexorably closer” to that threshold, said U.N. World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a statement. Taalas described the study as “yet another wakeup call” to slash greenhouse gas emissions.Every year from 2021 through 2025 is likely to be at least 1℃ warmer, according to the study. The report also predicts a 90% chance that at least one of those years will become the warmest year on record, topping 2016 temperatures.

In 2020 – one of the three warmest years on record – the global average temperature was 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial baseline, according to an April WMO report.”There’s a little bit of up and down in the annual temperatures,” said Gavin Schmidt, director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City. “But these long term-trends are unrelenting.””It seems inevitable that we’re going to cross these boundaries,” Schmidt said, “and that’s because there are delays in the system, there is inertia in the system, and we haven’t really made a big cut to global emissions as yet.”

Almost all regions are likely to be warmer in the next five years than in the recent past, the WMO said. The WMO uses temperature data from multiple sources including NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).Weather that was once unusual is now becoming typical. Earlier this month, for example, NOAA released its updated “climate normals,” which provide baseline data on temperature and other climate measures across the United States. The new normals — updated every 10 years — showed that baseline temperatures across the United States are overwhelmingly higher compared with the past decade.

Temperatures shifts are occurring both on average and in temperature extremes, said Russell Vose, chief of the climatic analysis and synthesis branch at NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Over the next five years, these extremes are “more likely what people will notice and remember,” he said.Warming temperatures also affect regional and global precipitation. As temperatures rise, evaporation rates increase and warmer air can hold more moisture. Climate change also can shift circulation patterns in the atmosphere and ocean.

The WMO report predicts an increased chance of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic Ocean, that Africa’s Sahel and Australia will likely be wetter, and that the southwest of Northern America is likely to be drier.The projections are part of a recent WMO effort to provide shorter-range forecasts of temperature, rainfall and wind patterns, to help nations keep tabs on how climate change may be disrupting weather patterns.Looking at marine and land heat waves, ice sheets melting, ocean heat content rising, and species migrating toward colder places, “it’s more than just temperature,” Vose said. “There are other changes in the atmosphere and in the ocean and in the ice and in the biosphere that all point to a warming world.”

FIA Chicago’s Holi Celebration Raises For India Covid Relief

FIA Chicago hosted a Holi celebration at the Mall of India in Naperville, Illinois on Sunday May 23, 2021. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Danny Davis, suburban Mayors, several Indian American elected officials and community members attended the event.

Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) Chicago hosted a Holi celebration at the Mall of India in Naperville, Illinois on Sunday May 23, 2021. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Danny Davis, suburban Mayors, several Indian American elected officials and community members attended the event, according to the press release from FIA Chicago.The organization hosted the celebration with the principal mission to bring awareness about the covid crisis in India and the need to lend them assistance. FIA had taken the lead in mobilizing resources, oxygen concentrators, portable ventilators and other life-saving medical equipment and shipping them to India.

The afternoon celebrations moved to the outdoors of the Mall where people danced to Bollywood hits from the live DJ and applied to color to each other. Richa Chand, Vinita Gulabani and PratibhaJairath conducted the ceremonies.The event kicked off with an invocation dance by Anjali Verghese from Kala Padma Bharatanatyam School, followed by a live singing session from Mir Ali. Maharastra Mandal of Chicago presented a DholTarasha performance.

Students of S R Dance Academy and Saloni Shah Dance Group performed Bollywood inspired folk and fusion dance performances.Suresh Bodiwala, chairman of Asian Media USA encouraged the audience to support and donate to FIA- Chicago’s India Covid Relief Fundraiser with the target of $50,000.Several keynote speakers were also present at the event. FIA Chicago President Kamal Patel, in his speech, talked about the importance of Holi celebration and the gravity of the covid situation in India.

Sunil Shah, FIA’s founder and visionary said FIA has laid out a comprehensive roadmap to bring to bear sustainable assistance including oxygen concentrators, masks, sanitizers, gowns and other life-saving equipment. Congressmen Davis and Krishnamoorthi supported FIA’s initiative for helping India in these difficult times.Plaques were awarded to Dr. Santosh Kumar, Dr. Vijay Prabhakar, Dr. Umang Patel, Ajeet Singh, Pinky Thakkar, Anu Malhotra, Dr. Sreenivas Reddy, Rajiv Sharma, SEWA International Dipti Shah Desai, VinozChanamolu, Anil Loomba, Indian American Cultural Association – IACA Vinita Gulabani and Shanu Sinha.

Fauci Suggests Booster Shots To Stay Safe From Covid 19

Researchers are still closely observing participants of the clinical trials for various vaccines to see how long their resilience against the virus persists, Fauci added. So far, vaccines appear to be effective for anywhere between six months to a year

People who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus will require a booster shot to remain protected, according to the US’ top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci. However, exactly when the shot should be administered still remains unclear, he said. “I don’t anticipate that the durability of the vaccine protection is going to be infinite,” DrFauci said at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Wednesday. “It’s just not. So I imagine we will need, at some time, a booster. What we’re figuring out right now is what that interval is going to be.”

Researchers are still closely observing participants of the clinical trials for various vaccines to see how long their resilience against the virus persists, Fauci added. So far, vaccines appear to be effective for anywhere between six months to a year. Last week, the CEOs of US vaccine manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer said that those who had received the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine when the US’ inoculation drive first started late last year, could potentially need a booster shot by September.

“People at highest risks (elderly, healthcare workers) were vaccinated in December/January. So I would do [a] September start for those at highest risk,” Moderna CEO StéphaneBancel said in an interview with Axios. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s leading infectious-disease expert, says we may not need coronavirus vaccine boosters “for quite a while.” ““I really don’t think it’s accurate to say we will need boosters x number of months from now. We may not need it for quite a while. We’re preparing for the eventuality that we might need boosters.”  In a separate, live-streamed interview with The Post, Fauci said it is too soon to know if and when people who have been vaccinated might need a booster shot. “We may not need it for quite a while,” he said.

On Tuesday, Bharat Biotech launched trials for the third booster dose of its Covid-19 jab Covaxin. The aim of the trial is to use the additional booster dose to test the ability of Covaxin to prompt an immune response that could last a few years.

(picture: ABC News)

Coronavirus Infections Drop Below 30,000 Daily In The US

For the first time in nearly a year, the daily average of new coronavirus infections in the United States has fallen below 30,000 amid continuing signs that most communities across the nation are emerging from the worst of the pandemic.The seven-day average dipped to 27,815 on Friday, May 29th, the lowest since June 22 and less than a tenth of the infection rate during the winter surge, according to state health department data compiled by the media sources.

The pandemic map remains speckled with hot spots, including parts of the Deep South, the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Northwest. At the local level, progress against the contagion has not been uniform as some communities struggle with inequities in vaccine distribution and in the health impacts of the virus.But the vast bulk of the American landscape has turned pale green, the color-code for “low or moderate” viral burden, in a Covid-19 Community Profile Report released this week by the Biden administration. The report showed 694 counties still have “high” levels of transmission, less than half as many as in mid-April.

The big question now is whether the virus will be thoroughly squelched through mounting vaccinations — or whether it will smolder in areas with low immunization rates and potentially flare when colder weather returns, said David Rubin, director of PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, which has been modeling the outbreak for more than a year.Rubin said the answer will depend in large measure on the individual choices of tens of millions of Americans, especially whether they get immunized. “If we’re continuing to have disease reservoirs and we have areas with low vaccinations, it’ll hang on until the fall and start to pick up pace again. It’ll find pockets where there are unvaccinated individuals, and have these sporadic outbreaks,” Rubin said.

The group’s latest blog post states that “the national decline in case incidence is likely to be slow with a long tail, attributed to smoldering transmission — most likely from decreased mask use in areas with poor vaccine uptake.”One prominent model, from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, forecasts fewer than 7,000 daily cases by mid-August and fewer than 120 deaths, which is about one-fifth the current number — levels not seen since March 2020, soon after the virus first seeded itself in the United States.

The same modelers believe the virus will have some form of resurgence in the colder months that follow, and people who had stopped wearing masks would need to resume wearing them to limit viral spread. Scientists remain concerned about virus variants, some of which have mutations that limit but do not completely block the protective effects of vaccines. “The rise in winter depends on what escape variants are circulating and how fast we pick up our masks and good behaviors,” Ali Mokdad, an epidemiologist with IHME, was stated to have said.

More than 60 percent of adults have had at least one shot of a vaccine, putting the country on a path of reaching President’s Biden 70 percent target by July 4. Administration officials are increasingly confident the pandemic will be brought under control in the coming months, although infections will not plunge to zero and there remains the threat of mutated variants as the virus continues to circulate globally.Most modelers are wary of making projections about epidemics beyond about four weeks, because there are so many variables in the equations. Human behavior is prominent among them. Mokdad said he is worried that, as mask mandates and restrictions on gatherings are lifted, people will be more reckless about transmission: “We should not relax prematurely.”

“I’m sure that we can control it,” Anthony S. Fauci, Biden’s chief medical adviser on the pandemic, said. “Somewhere between control and elimination is where we’re going to wind up. Namely a very, very low level that isn’t a public health hazard that doesn’t disrupt society.”

Arun Venkataraman Nominated as Director General for Foreign Commercial Service in Commerce Department

President Joe Biden announced the nomination of Arun Venkataraman to serve as Director General of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets in the Department of Commerce on May 26th.

Venkataraman currently serves in the administration as Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce, advising the department on trade and other international economic matters. The Indian American attorney also served in the Obama administration as the first-ever director of policy at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. In that role, he helped shape the U.S. government’s responses to critical challenges faced by firms in the U.S. and in markets around the world, including China and India, according to a White House statement announcing the nomination.

These challenges included excess capacity in the global steel and aluminum industries; online piracy and counterfeiting; improper application of competition laws; unjustified limitations on data flows; and national security-based restrictions on goods, services and technology, according to his profile on the Steptoe and Johnson LLP Web site.In this role, Venkataraman also led the International Trade Administration’s efforts to conclude negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and secure passage of Trade Promotion Authority legislation.

In the Obama administration, Venkataraman also served in the Office of the US Trade Representative, where he led the development and implementation of U.S.-India trade policy as the director for India, for which he received the agency’s Kelly Award for outstanding performance and extraordinary leadership.Before joining USTR, Venkataraman was a legal officer at the World Trade Organization, advising the organization on a wide range of issues raised in appeals of trade disputes between countries. In the Obama administration, Venkataraman also served as Associate General Counsel, representing the United States in litigation before the World Trade Organization and in negotiations on international trade agreements.

The Tufts University alumnus — who received his J.D. from Columbia Law School and earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy — has over 20 years of experience advising companies, international organizations and the U.S. government on international trade issues. Before joining the Biden-Harris administration, Venkataraman was a senior director at Visa, leading global government engagement strategy on a range of international policy issues including digital economy, trade, tax and sanctions.

He previously served as trade and investment policy advisor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he counseled multinational firms and other organizations on e-commerce, intellectual property rights, and U.S. and foreign trade policies. “Arun’s extensive experience across all facets of trade policy-making — domestic and international, negotiation and litigation, legislation and executive action — underpins the unique perspective and creative solutions he offers clients,” reads his Steptoe & Johnson profile. Venkataraman began his career as a law clerk for Judge Jane A. Restani at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Amartya Sen Receives Spain’s Top ‘Princess of Asturias’ Award

Amartya Kumar Sen, an Indian economist and philosopher who studied the causes of famines, will be recognized with this year’s Princess of Asturias award in the social sciences category, the Spanish foundation behind the prizes announced May 26.The 87-year-old Sen has devoted his career to studying poverty and theories of human development. His 1981 essay on “Entitlement and Deprivation” famously proved that the greatest famines in history took place when food was available but some groups couldn’t access it.

Sen’s theories on a person’s capacity, interacting with the concept of “positive freedom,” or absence of interference, have been incorporated into different social science disciplines and inspired U.N. development plans. Amartya Sen is Thomas W. Lamont University Professor, and Professor of Economics and Philosophy, at Harvard University and was until 2004 the Master of Trinity College, Cambridge.  He is also Senior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows.  Earlier on he was Professor of Economics at Jadavpur University Calcutta, the Delhi School of Economics, and the London School of Economics, and Drummond Professor of Political Economy at Oxford University.

Amartya Sen has served as President of the Econometric Society, the American Economic Association, the Indian Economic Association, and the International Economic Association.  He was formerly Honorary President of OXFAM and is now its Honorary Advisor.  His research has ranged over social choice theory, economic theory, ethics and political philosophy, welfare economics, theory of measurement, decision theory, development economics, public health, and gender studies.  Amartya Sen’s books have been translated into more than thirty languages.

Amartya Sen’s awards include Bharat Ratna (India); Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur (France); the National Humanities Medal (USA); Ordem do MeritoCientifico (Brazil); Honorary  Companion of Honour (UK); the Aztec Eagle (Mexico); the Edinburgh Medal (UK); the George Marshall Award (USA); the Eisenhower Medal (USA); and the Nobel Prize in Economics.“His entire intellectual career has contributed in a profound and effective way to promoting justice, freedom and democracy,” the Princess of Asturias award jury wrote in a statement.Sen won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998.

The 50,000-euro award ($61,000) is one of eight prizes, including in the arts, communications and sports, handed out annually by the Asturias Princess Foundation, which is named for Spanish Crown Princess Leonor. The awards are among the most prestigious in the Spanish-speaking world. An awards ceremony typically takes place in October in the northern Spanish city of Oviedo.

NRI Couple Files Petition in Delhi Court, Urging India to Recognize Same-Sex Marriages

An Indian American couple has filed a precedent-setting petition with the Delhi High Court, urging the Indian government to recognize same-sex marriages. The case was scheduled to be heard by the court on May 24 morning. But as petitioners Parag Mehta and Vaibhav Jain watched the proceedings virtually from the U.S., attorneys for the Government of India asked for an extension of time to prepare their case. The motion was granted, representing the third time the case has been postponed for a hearing by the Court.

While seeking adjournment of petitions demanding recognition of same-sex marriages under existing law, the Centre told the Delhi High Court on Monday that there are other urgent matters that need consideration.Centre added that “nobody is dying because of the lack of marriage registration.” The hearing on the matter was adjourned to July 6.Solicitor general Tushar Mehta submitted before the court that the state is dealing with a pandemic at present and there are other urgent matters, which need consideration.“As a government, our focus in terms of urgency is on urgent, imminent issues,” submitted Mehta, adding that law officers are also dealing with pandemic-related cases.

“It was really upsetting to have it delayed again. This feels like a stalling tactic,” Jain — who served as the senior advisor for outreach and engagement at the AAPI Victory Fund — told the media, noting that his parents, who live in New Delhi, and Mehta’s parents, who live in Texas, were also watching, to support their sons.“We are not asking the Indian government for a new law, but to implement law that already exists,” Mehta, senior vice president at Mastercard, is reported to have said. “The Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. We are asking the Indian government to interpret these laws in an inclusive way.”

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which prohibited homosexual activity, was overturned in 2018. But India has yet to recognize same-sex marriages, which are recognized in 29 countries, including the U.S.Mehta and Jain are seeking legal recognition of their marriage under India’s Foreign Marriage Act of 1969. The Foreign Marriage Act allows Indian citizens who have married abroad to have their marriage certified by a consular officer so that the spouse can legally participate in health directives, inheritances, and similar matters. “I need to prove I am Parag’s legal husband so I can make decisions on his behalf,” said Jain. The Act also allows a consular officer to “solemnize” — officiate — a marriage outside of India, if at least one of the spouses is an Indian citizen.

But the Act prohibits certifying “prohibited relationships,” though it does not define what types of relationships are prohibited. It furthermore states that the marriage cannot be in contravention of local laws. In March 2020, at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jain and Mehta went to the Indian Consulate in New York to have their marriage certified. They brought along friends as witnesses in case their marriage needed to be “solemnized” by a consular official. The couple filed their petition with the Delhi High Court after the Indian Consulate in New York declined to certify their marriage.

Prof. Bellamkonda Kishore, Recipient of Outstanding Editor Award In Physiology Journal, Pens Pandemic Gitanjali

Bellamkonda Kishore, M.D., Ph.D., MBA.,an academician, innovator and entrepreneur of Salt Lake City, Utah, has composed a Pandemic Gitanjali on COVID-19,an inspiring poetical tribute, aptly reflecting his unique skills as a writer and thoughtful leader. In addition to being a physician leader, Dr. Kishore is a freelance writer and composer in Telugu ad English.

It’s noteworthy that Dr. Kishore has been honored with the Outstanding Editor Award in Renal and Epithelial Physiology Specialty Section of Frontiers in Physiology, a Switzerland-based publication last week. In a message sent to Dr. Kishore, Publishing Development Journal Manager Georgina Harris, Ph.D. at Frontiers in Lausanne, Switzerland, wrote: “As Frontiers in Physiology reaches 10,000 published articles and more than 10 years online, on behalf of our Chief Editors, we are honored to award you the Outstanding Editor Award in Renal and Epithelial Physiology Specialty Section for your strong editorial contribution to Frontiers in Physiology.” Dr. Harris added: “We would like to highlight our outstanding editors and share our gratitude towards your editorial efforts via social media. Thank you for your strong support for the Journal and providing your time and expertise towards our mission to make all science open!”

For Dr. Kishore, this award follows on the heels of successful launching of JAAPI (Journal of AAPI), a peer-reviewed medical and healthcare journal, as its Editor-in-Chief. UNN has recently covered that event, which is a milestone in the annals of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, the largest physicians organization in the United States after the American Medical Association.

Dr. Kishore has decades of academic research experience in kidney physiology, pathophysiology and experimental therapeutics gained in India, Japan, Belgium, and the United States, which includes the Intramural Research Program of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland.  Over the years, Dr. Kishore and his collaborators identified and patented novel drug targets for obesity, and kidney and other diseases. In recognition of his academic and research contributions and scholarly activities, he has been inducted as Fellow by professional organizations such as the American Society of Nephrology (FASN), Royal Society of Biology (FRSB), American Physiological Society (FAPS) and American Heart Association (FAHA).

After directing an internationally recognized kidney research program as a Principal Investigator at the US Department of Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System for about 20 years, where he received a Superior Performance Award and News Release local radio broadcast of his research, in May 2020 Dr. Kishore moved out to build ePurines, Inc a startup drug development company focused on developing innovative purinergic signaling-based therapies for obesity, metabolic syndrome, and kidney and liver disease. Currently he is an Adjunct Professor of Medicine (Nephrology) with affiliations to Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology and Center on Aging at the University of Utah Health, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Dr. Kishore believes that Passion, Perseverance and Patience (3Ps) are the only ingredients anyone needs, despite his/her status at the start of career or life. If these three are there, everything will fall in tplace one day or other. It is just a question of time. Dr. Kishore says that there are still plenty of opportunities to grow in this world and do meaningful work, provided we prepare by changing our attitude, and recognize and follow our priorities in life whether they are pleasant to us or not. He says that people fail often not because they are not smart or intelligent, but they chose wrong priorities in life and pursue them without thinking where they will lead them.

Dr. Kishore adds, a purpose-driven life is far more superior than a success-driven life. Because, a purpose-drive life expands our consciousness and horizons, whereas success-driven life narrows our consciousness and options. By putting together his philosophy and experience in life, Dr. Kishore has written and published two books TamasomaJyothirgamayaand Life is Creating Yourself to benefit aspiring students and youth seeking direction and guidance in life beyond the academics. These books are available freely to download as PDF copies by clicking on the hyperlinks. Dr. Kishore considers that academics only prepare us to earn livelihood, but not teach us how to lead our lives. He hopes that his books will provide much needed insights to the youth to shape their lives and thus lead purposeful lives.

China Comes Under Scrutiny As Study Backs Lab Theory For Covid Origin

Amid calls for a fresh probe into the origins of Covid-19, a new study has claimed that Chinese scientists created the virus in a laboratory in Wuhan and then tried to cover their tracks by reverse-engineering versions of the virus to make it look like it evolved naturally from bats.The virus has no “credible natural ancestor” and was created by Chinese scientists who were working on a gain-of-function research in a Wuhan lab, The Daily Mail reported on Sunday, citing a research paper compiled by British expert Angus Dalgleish and Norwegian scientist Birger Sorensen.

Incidentally, gain-of-function projects, which involve tweaking natural viruses to make them more infectious, were banned in the US during the Obama years.The research claims scientists took a natural coronavirus “backbone” found in China’s cave bats and spliced onto it a new “spike”, turning it into the Covid-19 virus. The researchers also claim to have found “unique fingerprints” in Covid-19 samples that they say could have arisen from manipulation in a laboratory.

The authors claim they had prima facie evidence of retro-engineering in China for a year. The study alleged “deliberate destruction, concealment or contamination of data” at Chinese labs. In the paper that is likely to be published in the journal Quarterly Review of Biophysics Discovery, Dalgleish and Sorensen claim to have concluded how Chinese scientists built the tools to create the coronavirus.

President Joe Biden’s directive to the US intelligence community to redouble their efforts to collect information to facilitate a definitive conclusion on the origin of Sars-CoV-2 has angered China, which said on Thursday that the US is playing politics. The country, where the virus was first detected in late 2019, again dismissed the theory that it could have leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan, ground zero of the pandemic.India on Friday backed calls for further investigation into the origin of Covid-19, and sought the cooperation of China and other parties for such studies, days after US President Joe Biden gave intelligence agencies 90 days to submit a fresh report at a time when scientists are seeking deeper examination of a theory that the virus may have originated in a lab.

External affairs ministry spokesperson ArindamBagchi said that a World Health Organization (WHO)-led study into a virus’s origin was an “important first step”, and more studies were needed to reach “robust conclusions”.“WHO convened global study on the origin of Covid-19 is an important first step. It stressed the need for next phase studies as also for further data and studies to reach robust conclusions,” Bagchi said in a statement. Without naming China, he added, “The follow up of the WHO report and further studies deserve the understanding and cooperation of all.”

British intelligence agencies believe it is “feasible” that the pandemic began with a virus leak from the Chinese lab, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday, prompting vaccines minister NadhimZahawi to demand that the World Health Organization must fully investigate the origins of the deadly virus.

Drug-Resistant Fungal Infections Pose Threat ToIndia Patients

In May, a middle-aged-man suffering from Covid-19 was admitted in an intensive care unit (ICU) of a hospital in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata.As his condition deteriorated, the patient was put on a ventilator. He was administered steroids, a life-saving treatment for severe and critically ill Covid-19 patients. But experts say the drug also reduces immunity and pushes up blood sugar levels in patients. After a prolonged stay in the ICU, the patient had recovered and was ready to go home when doctors found he was infected with a deadly, drug-resistant fungus.

Candida auris (C. auris), discovered a little over a decade ago, is one of the world’s most feared hospital microbes. This bloodstream infection is the most frequently detected germ in critical-care units around the world and has a mortality rate of around 70%.”We are seeing an increased number of patients with the infection during the second wave of Covid-19. There are a lot of sick people in the ICUs and many of them are on high steroid doses. That could be the reason,” Dr Om Srivastava, a Mumbai-based infectious diseases specialist, said.

What are the fungal infections on the rise?

As the second wave washes over India and severely ill patients clog the ICUs, doctors are seeing an uptick in a host of dangerous fungal infections.First, there was an outbreak of mucormycosis or the black-fungus, a rare but dangerous infection, which affects the nose, eye and sometimes the brain. Some 12,000 cases and more than 200 deaths from the disease have been already recorded.

Now doctors are reporting a rise in other deadly fungal infections in Covid-19 patients, mostly after a week or 10 days of stay in the ICU.There are two species of Candida fungi – auris and albicans – and they can be fatal for human beings. Aspergillus, which is another kind of fungi group, affects the lungs, and it can also be fatal.

Of the more than five million types of fungi, Candida and Aspergillus are the two major groups which cause a lot of human deaths.Candida is a germ that can be present on many surfaces, like shower curtains, computer screens, doctor’s stethoscopes and railings of railway carriages.Doctors say C. auris frequently causes bloodstream infections, but can also infect the respiratory system, the central nervous system and internal organs, as well as the skin.

Aspergillus also remains in the environment and is often found in heating or air conditioning systems. Normally our immunity helps prevent the entry of the fungal spores in the respiratory tract.But in patients suffering from Covid-19, the fungus, helped by the damage done to the skin, blood vessel walls and other linings of the airway by the coronavirus, manages to enter the respiratory tract.This infection affects about 20% to 30% of the severely ill, mechanically ventilated Covid-19 patients, according to Dr SP Kalantri, medical superintendent of the 1,000-bed non-profit Kasturba Hospital in Wardha, Maharashtra state.

What are the symptoms of the infections?

Symptoms of some fungal diseases can be similar to those of Covid-19, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath.For superficial Candida infections, symptoms include a white coloured thrush – hence sometimes it is called the “white fungus” – in nose, mouth, lungs and stomach or nail beds.For a more invasive form of infection – when the bug travels into the blood – the symptoms are often a fall in blood pressure, fever, abdominal pain and urinary tract infections.

Why are these infections happening?

At least 5% of Covid-19 patients become critically ill and require intensive-care treatment, sometimes for a long period.Experts say that those who are put on mechanical ventilation are always at greater risk of developing bacterial or fungal infections.Lowered infection control in crowded intensive-care units during the pandemic is a major reason, say doctors.Overworked staff in clunky protective gear, increased use of major fluid tubes, decrease in hand washing compliance and changes in cleaning and disinfection practices contribute to lower infection control”With a prolonged pandemic, complacency and fatigue has set in among healthcare workers. Infection control practices have gone down. That is the major cause,” says DrArunalokeChakrabarti, president of the International Society of Human and Animal Mycology.

There are other reasons too.

Overuse of steroids and other drugs, which weaken the body’s immune system, and underlying conditions make Covid-19 patients in critical care more prone to such infections.”These fungi typically cause infections after the body’s immune system is suppressed significantly. They are also known as opportunistic infections,” says Dr Zachary Rubin, an immunologist.Dr Rubin says patients with HIV/Aids have a significantly increased risk of getting sick with such fungi. “These fungal diseases are normally rare in association with Covid-19, but are becoming increasingly more common in India.”

Diagnosis is not easy – testing typically requires a specimen from deep in the lungs. And the drugs are expensive.”It is very worrying and frustrating for the doctors treating these infections. It is a triple whammy – the patient’s lungs are already damaged by Covid-19, they have bacterial infections and now the fungal infections,” says DrKalantri. “It is almost like fighting a losing battle.”

India’s GDP Plunges By 7.3%

The Covid-induced volatility heavily dented India’s economy in the last fiscal as its growth rate plunged (-) 7.3 per cent in FY 2020-21. Though not comparable, the GDP had grown by 4 per cent in 2019-20.Accordingly, the pandemic-triggered national lockdown (from late March 2020) during Q1FY21 had a massive impact on the economy, which suffered a GDP contraction of 24.4 per cent. It was only on June 1, 2020 that the partial unlock measures were implemented.

However, pent-up demand and gradual opening up of economic activities arrested any other economic pitfall. Nonetheless, the devastating impact on consumer services, urban demand and rising commodity prices had more or less painted a grim economic picture for FY21.The data furnished by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed that real GDP or Gross Domestic Product at constant (2011-12) prices in 2020-21 attained a level of Rs 135.13 lakh crore, as against the ‘first revised estimate’ of GDP for the year 2019-20 of Rs 145.69 lakh crore.

On the other hand, on sequential basis, India’s economy grew during the fourth quarter, which ended on March 31, 2021, by 1.6 per cent.“‘GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q4′ of 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 38.96 lakh crore, as against Rs 38.33 lakh crore in Q4 of 2019-20, showing a growth of 1.6 per cent,” according to the GDP estimates released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Besides, the CSO said: “There was a sharp spike from Rs 2.27 lakh crore in BE 2020-21 to Rs 5.95 lakh crore in the revised Estimates for the major subsidies (especially food subsidies) of Centre, presented in Budget 2021-22, in RE 2020-21.”“Revised provision of subsidies of Centre has been considered after adjusting for arrears of previous years and repayment or prepayment of loans, as per information received from Ministry of Finance,” it said.In terms of quarterly Gross Value Added (GVA), the NSO data showed a year-on-year rise of 3.7 per cent from 1 per cent in Q3FY21. The GVA includes taxes, but excludes subsidies.

On a sequential basis, Q4 GVA for 2020-21 from the agriculture, forestry and fishing sectors grew 3.1 per cent, against 4.5 per cent in the preceding quarter of 2020-21.The GVA from the manufacturing sector grew 6.9 per cent, as compared to a growth of 1.7 per cent in Q3FY21.Furthermore, mining and quarrying contracted (-)5.7 per cent from (-)4.4 per cent in Q3FY21, while construction activity plunged by 14.5 per cent from 6.5 per cent.

The GVA growth rate of ‘electricity, gas, water supply & other utility services’, ‘trade, hotels, transport, communication and services related to broadcasting’ and ‘public administration, defence and other services’ also increased during this period.Another key growth gauge — Gross Fixed Capital Formation — which underscores the overall acquisition of produced assets in the economy, is estimated to have declined to 10.8 per cent in FY21 at constant (2011-2012) prices.

On yearly basis, the only component that showed growth in FY21 is the government’s final consumption expenditure which grew at 2.9 per cent.The other major components, namely private final consumption expenditure (PFCE), contracted by 9.1 per cent in FY21.“Benefitting from the broad-based surge in volumes, India’s economic growth improved in Q4 FY2021, although the impact of the low base related to the onset of the nationwide lockdown can’t be written off,” said Aditi Nayar, Chief Economist, ICRA.

“Nevertheless, as expected, the Indian economy firmly averted the double dip contraction that had been insinuated by the previously released advance estimates for FY2021,” Nayar said.According to Sunil Kumar Sinha, Principal Economist, India Ratings & Research: “On the supply side, agriculture, as expected, grew at a robust 3.6 per cent in 4QFY21 and 3.6 per cent in FY21. However, the more heartening numbers came from the industrial sector which though contracted by 7 per cent in FY21, its various segments, except mining, witnessed accelerated growth momentum in 4QFY21.

“We must not, however, overlook the fact that a large part of the turnaround witnessed in 3QFY22 and 4QFY22 will get a push back in 1QFY22 due to the second wave of Covid, but the YoY numbers may still look good due to extremely low base of 1QFY21.”

Suman Chowdhury, Chief Analytical Officer, Acuite Ratings & Research: “As expected, agriculture has recorded a healthy GVA growth of 3.6 per cent in FY21 with all the other industrial and service sectors witnessing significant contraction under the severe impact of Covid.“Contact intensive activities such as trade, hotels and transports have recorded a deep contraction of 18.2 per cent given the disruptions and the demand disruption created by the pandemic.” (IANS)

Catholic Church Law Criminalizes Abuse Of Adults By Priests, Laity

Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly criminalize the sexual abuse of adults by priests who abuse their authority and to say that laypeople who hold church office can be sanctioned for similar sex crimes.

The new provisions, released last week after 14 years of study, were contained in the revised criminal law section of the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law, the in-house legal system that covers the 1.3 billion-strong Catholic Church.It’s the first time church law has officially recognized as criminal the method used by sexual predators to build relationships with their victims to then sexually exploit them.

The most significant changes are contained in two articles, 1395 and 1398, which aim to address major shortcomings in the church’s handling of sexual abuse. The law recognizes that adults, too, can be victimized by priests who abuse their authority, and said that laypeople in church offices can be punished for abusing minors as well as adults.The Vatican also criminalized the “grooming” of minors or vulnerable adults by priests to compel them to engage in pornography. It’s the first time church law has officially recognized as criminal the method used by sexual predators to build relationships with their victims to then sexually exploit them.

The law also removes much of the discretion that had long allowed bishops and religious superiors to ignore or cover up abuse, making clear they can be held responsible for omissions and negligence in failing to properly investigate and sanction errant priests.Ever since the 1983 code was issued, lawyers and bishops have complained it was completely inadequate to deal with the sexual abuse of minors, since it required time-consuming trials. Victims and their advocates, meanwhile, have argued it left too much discretion in the hands of bishops who had an interest in covering up for their priests.

The Vatican issued piecemeal changes over the years to address the problems and loopholes, most significantly requiring all cases to be sent to the Holy See for review and allowing for a more streamlined administrative process to defrock a priest if the evidence against him was overwhelming.More recently, Francis passed new laws to punish bishops and religious superiors who failed to protect their flocks. The new criminal code incorporates those changes and goes beyond them.

According the new law, priests who engage in sexual acts with anyone — not just a minor or someone who lacks the use of reason — can bedefrocked if they used “force, threats or abuse of his authority” to engage in sexual acts.The law doesn’t explicitly define which adults are covered, saying only “one to whom the law recognizes equal protection.”The Vatican has long considered any sexual relations between a priest and an adult as sinful but consensual, believing that adults are able to offer or refuse consent purely by the nature of their age. But amid the #MeToo movement and scandals of seminarians and nuns being sexually abused by their superiors, the Vatican has come to realize that adults can be victimized too if they are in a relationship with a power imbalance.

That dynamic was most clearly recognized in the scandal over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Even though the Vatican knew for years he slept with his seminarians, McCarrick was only put on trial after someone came forward saying he had abused him as a youth. Francis defrocked him in 2019.In a novelty aimed at addressing sex crimes committed by laypeople who hold church offices, such as founders of lay religious movements or even church administrators, the new law says laypeople can be similarly punished if they abuse their authority to engage in sexual crimes.Since these laypeople can’t be defrocked, penalties include losing their jobs, paying fines or being removed from their communities.

The need for such a provision was made clear in the scandal involving Luis Figari, the lay founder of the Peru-based conservative group SodalitiumChristianae Vitae, a conservative movement that has 20,000 members and chapters throughout South America and the U.S.An independent investigation concluded he was a paranoid narcissist obsessed with sex and watching his underlings endure pain and humiliation. But the Vatican dithered for years on how to sanction him, ultimately deciding to remove him from Peru and isolate him from the community. The new law takes effect on Dec. 8.

OCI Card Holders Allowed To Visit India By Updating Their Newly Issued Passports

There are reports that OCI Card holders transiting through 3rd countries have been denied permission to board flights to India as these OCI cardholders were not carrying their old passport bearing its number in the OCI Card.

In view of the above, it is once again reiterated that it is mandatory to carry both old and new passports in case the OCI card holders are traveling on the strength of OCI card bearing old passport number in it.

  • The OCI guidelines on renewal which have been in force since 2005 are as follows:
  • OCI card is required to be re-issued each time a new passport is required by the cardholder up to the age of 20 years.
  • OCI card is required to be re-issued once and acquiring a new passport after completing 50 years of age.

The Government of India has given an extension in time till June 30th 2021 to get OCI Cards re-issued in accordance with the above guidelines. (Source: Consulate General of India, New York press release.)

The OCI card, which allows lifelong visa free travel to India with certain limitations to people of Indian-origin, was suspended by the Indian government on April 11 amidst a nationwide lockdown and travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The sudden decision had created chaos and anxiety among the hundreds and thousands of Indian-origin people. A large number of them had taken to the social media platforms like Twitter to vent out their anger.The travel restrictions on those having OCI cards were subsequently relaxed, which so far has been mainly in the emergency categories, those travelling for work or minors with OCI card holders whose parents are Indian citizens.

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