Indian Medical Association Seeks FIR Against Ramdev

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Health 0

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has now filed a police complaint in Delhi and sought that an FIR be registered against Patanjali boss Ramdev. Signed by IMA General Secretary DrJayeshLele, the complaint states that Ramdev, along with his associates “operated in furtherance of their illegal and dishonest intention with a view of obtaining wrongful gain and consequently causing wrongful loss to the medical fraternity and general public in large”, adding that “The accused has committed cognizable offences and are liable to be prosecuted under all applicable and relevant provisions of the law, including Section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897.”

The IMA has sought a “police investigation” saying it is needed to reveal who the other persons involved with Ramdev in the “conspiracy of making scurrilous and malicious statements in public and obtaining unjust gains from the promotion of unproved and unapproved treatment methods”. The medical association has sought that an FIR be registered against Ramdev under the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, Disaster Management Act, 2005, Indian Penal Code, 1860.

Meanwhile, the right-wing digital teams have spent an entire day targeting Prof. Dr. J.A. Jayalal, the National President IMA, accusing him of promoting Christianity by selectively quoting from an interview given to a magazine. DrJayal issued a video statement denying such accusations.

The Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Uttarakhand branch has already slapped a defamation notice of Rs 1,000 crore upon Ramdev, who was most recently seen and heard in a video circulated on social media, claiming that allopathy was a “stupid science” and medicines being used to treat Covid-19 patients, including Remdesivir, Faviflu, and other drugs approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), had have failed to do so. The IMA’s police complaint comes after another video clip of Ramdev surfaced where he says no one can dare to arrest him. The IMA’s Uttarakhand state unit, Dr Ajay Khanna told the media that the association had also been sent to the state Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

Breeze Airways Launched With Fares From $39 One-Way

June 3, 2021November 8, 2022 Staff ReporterTourism, Travel 0

Travel is finally bouncing back following the doldrums of the Covid-19 pandemic, including with the launch of not one, but two new low-cost airlines in the U.S. Avelo Airlines started service out of its West Coast base of Hollywood Burbank Airport in Los Angeles at the end of April, and is ramping up services to nearly a dozen destinations in the western U.S. before setting its sights farther east later this year with a second base in New Haven, Connecticut.

Now, an East Coast upstart is also entering the fray. From JetBlue founder and former CEO David Neelman, Breeze Airways has put tickets on sale starting today after nearly three years in the offing. Fares start at just $39 each way – a nod to the airline’s 39 launch routes among 16 cities. Its first flights took place on May 27, 2021, between Tampa, Florida, and Charleston, South Carolina; and from Charleston to Hartford, Connecticut, with more flights being added to the schedule throughout June and July.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Breeze will focus most of its operations out of four main airports: Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; and New Orleans. But the new carrier’s route map includes 16 cities in the Midwest, Southeast, and Eastern U.S.

The Routes

The airline’s first-ever flight was scheduled to operate on May 27—just in time for the travel rush of Memorial Day Weekend—from Charleston to Tampa, and on to Hartford, Connecticut. Additional routes will be added through July.

The upstart airline is the brainchild of David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue and prolific airline creator (Breeze Airways is the fifth air carrier he’s launched; others include Brazil-based Azul and Canada’s WestJet). Neeleman’s business strategy for Breeze is to target smaller airports in cities overlooked by other carriers. “Breeze provides nonstop service between underserved routes across the U.S. at affordable fares,” he said in a statement on Friday. “A staggering 95 percent of Breeze routes currently have no airline serving them nonstop.”

Additional destinations include Providence; San Antonio; Pittsburgh; Akron; and Huntsville, Alabama, among others. This summer, the carrier’s average flight length will be about two hours.And there are already plans in the works to expand Breeze’s route network in the near future. “These 16 cities are just the beginning for Breeze,” Neeleman said. “The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the nation’s air service has meant many secondary markets and smaller cities have seen a significant reduction in flights. There are so many city pairs needing nonstop service around the country, we have a further 100 cities under consideration.”

The Planes

Breeze will start with a fleet of 13 single-class Embraer E-190 and E-195 regional planes this summer. Each plane seats between 108 and 118 people and seats are in a two-by-two layout, meaning there are no dreaded middled spots. In October, the airline will start taking delivery of 60 larger, brand new Airbus A220 planes. (Breeze is scheduled to receive one of the planes per month for the next five years.) The airline says its A220s will include a premium cabin class and operate on routes longer than two hours.

The onboard experience

With his new venture, Neeleman seems to be centering the brand on the same friendly, budget-conscious ethos that put JetBlue on the map with travelers. Breeze bills itself as the U.S.’s “seriously nice” carrier, and says it will use “technology, ingenuity, and kindness to improve the travel experience.” Its fare classes range from “Nice,” “Nicer,” and “Nicest.”

“Nicest,” Breeze’s premium business class product, will debut in the fall onboard the A220 planes. The other two fare class are bookable now. “Nicer” fares come with perks like a free checked bag, a carry-on bag, priority boarding, complimentary drink and snack, as well as extra legroom (between 33 and 39 inches of pitch, depending on the aircraft).

“Nice” is the cheapest option, which only covers a personal item—such as a purse or backpack—and a seat with between 29 and 31 inches of pitch. That amount of space is on par with ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit, but fliers also have the option to upgrade to an extra legroom seat for a fee. There are extra charges to choose a seat (starting at $10), and bring a carry-on for the overhead bin or check a bag ($20 for either). Although it’s structured like a basic economy fare, it’s not as restrictive as similar products on other airlines.

All fares, including the cheapest, have flexible ticketing policies, with no change or cancellation fees. According to Breeze’s statement: “Guests can change or cancel a flight up to 15 minutes before scheduled departure without penalty. Unused funds from changes and cancellations are automatically saved in the guest’s Breeze account and do not expire for 24 months.” All flights will feature free in-flight entertainment—TV shows and games—that will stream to personal devices. The Airbus A220 planes will also have in-flight Wi-Fi. Fares are on sale now at flybreeze.com.

Tech Giants Fight ‘Cloud Wars’ Under Deep Oceans

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterMedia, Technology 0

“The fact you can post a picture on Facebook or video on YouTube and people can see it anywhere in the world is mind-boggling, but it takes a lot of things behind the scenes and below the ocean to make it happen,” says Alan Mauldin, research director at TeleGeography. It is easy to overlook that our access to the internet relies on thousands of miles of cable, crossing the world’s oceans. They provide the plumbing for the internet – 98% of all international internet traffic travels through them.

Some connect neighboring countries, such as the 131km (80 mile) CeltixConnect cable between Ireland and the UK. Others like the Asian-America Gateway cable, stretch for 20,000km and link continents.The data flashes along optical fibres as thin as a strand of hair. Each cable will have several of these at its core and then further layers of protective coating to prevent damage. According to Daniel Sousa, managing director of manufacturing operations at SubCom, one challenge is that “the entire cable systems need to be manufactured and tested as a complete system”.Cables are tested ashore before being loaded on to ships, a process which can take around two weeks, says Orange Marine’s chief executive Didier Dillard.

The company operates six cable ships, with one vessel, the René Descartes, able to lay up to 6,000km of cable.
Once telecom companies would have been the main backers of such complicated and expensive projects. But now technology giants have started putting serious money into undersea cables.TeleGeography estimates that content providers – Google, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft – have spent over $1.5bn (£1bn) on cable construction in the last five years.The simple reason is that they have more demand for bandwidth than anyone else, says Alan Mauldin.

Google, in particular, is investing in a number of its own cables. The Curie cable connects Chile to the US – while the Dunant cable, laid in partnership with SubCom, connects the US to France at Orange’s cable landing station at Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez.Two others will be finished soon. The Equiano cable running from Portugal down the west coast of Africa to South Africa, and the Grace Hopper cable that connects the US, UK and Spain.

Ensuring reliable access to the services many of us rely upon, as well as expanding access to previously underserved areas, are two reasons for this investment.But it is also an investment in Google’s cloud computing services – a particularly competitive space amongst the major technology companies. It has spawned the phrase ‘cloud wars’ to describe the battle for ascendancy amongst them.

Cloud computing has become a huge business as firms have moved their computing and digital storage needs to services like Amazon’s AWS and Azure from Microsoft.So is there any downside to giants like Google controlling these important digital connections? Alan Mauldin says while the cables are private they are not exclusive.”There are multiple users on it, not just one party. All these parties use the same infrastructure.”While capacity on their private cables is not sold directly by Google, some capacity is commonly shared with telecom companies.

For instance, Orange is able to provide capacity to its customers on the Dunant cable, in return for allowing Google to use its Saint-Hilaire-de-Riez base.Mr Mauldin likens the undersea cables therefore to a motorway where Google and Facebook have prominent “high-sided trucks”, but other, smaller vehicles also dart around carrying data for all other users.Satellites have been discussed for decades as a potential alternative that may one day put a dent into the dominance of subsea cables.

London-based satellite operator OneWeb recently launched its sixth batch of satellites, whilst Elon Musk’s SpaceX is investing in satellite technology through its Starlink project. Yet comparing the two technologies may be unhelpful.
Satellites are most effective in providing internet access to remote areas where it is either physically difficult or prohibitively costly to build a cable, with cables currently best placed to meet the demand of carrying large amounts of data.

“The heavy lifting of pushing the big data between data centres across the world is going to be on submarine cables,” says Mr Mauldin.But this reliance on cables has propelled the tech giants into geopolitics. In March, Facebook dropped plans for a cable between California and Hong Kong, reportedly due to pressure from US national security officials.The Royal Navy has announced it is building a surveillance ship to protect “critical” cables, citing the risk of sabotage due to “submarine warfare”.

Despite these concerns, a more commonly encountered problem is that cables need to be repaired due to damage inflicted by the natural environment or human activity.One of Orange Marine’s cable ships is currently repairing a cable damaged by an underwater landslide off the coast of the Democratic Republic of Congo.But it is human activity that poses the bigger challenge. Areas where fishing trawlers regularly operate are a particular problem. Internet access to the Channel Islands was temporarily impaired in 2016 when a ship dragged its anchor, damaging cables.

It also requires a quick response to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. “It’s part of the requirements of our customers that we maintain at all times a cable ship ready to sail within 24 hours,” says Mr Dillard from Orange Marine.The pandemic has concentrated people’s attention on the importance of cable networks, says Alan Mauldin: “We always knew it was important, but can you image Covid 20 years ago? It would have been an even bigger disaster.”
(Courtesy: BBC)

Woman Sets New Fastest Climber Record ForMount Everest

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterLifestyle, Women 0

“When you aim high, expect high,” Tsang Yin Hung, a former teacher from Hong Kong, told reporters in Nepal.It is a phrase she often repeated to her friends before recording the world’s fastest ascent of Mount Everest by a woman last Sunday.

Ms Tsang, 45, reached the top of the world’s highest mountain from base camp in 25 hours and 50 minutes. She is one of three climbers who have set new Everest records in recent days.That was fast enough to beat the previous record, set by a Nepalese climber in 2017, by more than 12 hours.

“I just feel a kind of relieved and happy because I am not looking for breaking record. I just [wanted to] challenge myself,” Ms Tsang told media in Nepal’s capital Kathmandu on Sunday, after safely returning from Everest.Last Sunday, Arthur Muir, 75, became the oldest American to climb the mountain, while 46-year old Zhang Hong of China became the first blind man from Asia to complete the feat on Monday.

The record-breakers are three of the hundreds of climbers who have summited the mountain so far this spring.They have done so despite a surge in coronavirus cases in Nepal and Everest base camp since mid-April.Nepal’s government reopened Mount Everest to foreigners in April after it was shut last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘I feel relieved’

Ms Tsang made a previous attempt on 11 May, but bad weather forced her to turn back. Determined to make it to the top, she returned a week later.She left base camp at 13:20 local time (07:35 GMT) on 22 May and reached the top at 15:10 the next day, a Nepalese government official said told AFP news agency. Usually climbers spend several days in different camps before reaching the peak.

Ms Tsang beat the 2017 record set by Nepali woman PhunjoJhangmu Lama, who climbed Everest in 39 hours and six minutes.Ms Tsang attributed the record to her ability, team work and luck. But for her, the record was an afterthought.”I always tell my working team, my friends, when you aim high, expect high,” Ms Tsang was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency. “So I feel relieved because I can prove my work to my friends, to my students.”

‘A strong mind’ over matter

Mr Zhang reached the top of the 8,849m-tall (29,031ft) mountain a few days after Ms Tsang on 24 May.The Chinese mountaineer lost his sight at the age of 21 due to glaucoma, an eye condition where the optic nerve becomes damaged.Mr Zhang, who was born in south-western Chinese city of Chongqing, was escorted to the top by three guides.”No matter if you’re disabled or normal, whether you have lost your eyesight or you have no legs or hands, it doesn’t matter as long as you have a strong mind,” Mr Zhang told Reuters.

‘Born Digital’ Indian Workers Want 4-Day Week Amid Pandemic

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterEconomy, Technology, Youth 0

More than three in four young Indian workers believe that employers should offer the opportunity to work a four-day week to promote employee well-being post-pandemic, a new report said on Wednesday.Made up of millennials (born 1981 to 1996) and Generation Z (born after 1997) workers, the ‘Born Digital’ are the first generation to grow up in an entirely digital world, and now account for most of the global workforce.

According to the report by desktop virtualisation leader Citrix, ‘Born Digital’ employees in India (76 per cent) prefer to retain a remote or hybrid work model post-pandemic.Nearly 86 per cent of ‘Born Digital’ employees in India believe that the pandemic has shown that their organisation needs to invest more in digital technology, compared to 16 per cent of business leaders.

“These young employees are different from previous generations in that they have only ever known a tech-driven world of work,” said Donna Kimmel, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Citrix.“To shore up their future business success, companies must understand their values, career aspirations and working styles and invest in their development,” Kimmel said in a statement.

A striking 90 per cent of ‘Born Digital’ in India expect employers to have a better understanding of family commitments, compared to the global average of 74 per cent.Also, 92 per cent of ‘Born Digital’ workers in India say they would prioritise employee well-being as they advance in their career.

“Younger workers in India are most focused on career stability and security (94 per cent), opportunities for additional qualifications, training, or re-skilling (93 per cent), and access to quality workplace technology (92 per cent),” the Citrix findings showed.Leaders in the country, on the other hand, think young workers prioritise a competitive remuneration package and job satisfaction over all other work factors.

“Successfully attracting and retaining the Born Digital will require organisations to invest in the work model and tools to create the flexible, efficient and engaged work environment that this next generation of leaders craves and thrives in,” said Tim Minahan, Executive Vice President of Business Strategy, Citrix. (IANS)

China Allows 3 Kids Per Couple

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterEconomy, Global, Lifestyle 0

China’s ruling Communist Party has said, it will ease birth limits to allow all couples to have three children instead of two in hopes of slowing the rapid aging of its population, which is adding to strains on the economy and society.The ruling party has enforced birth limits since 1980 to restrain population growth but worries the number of working-age people is falling too fast while the share over age 65 is rising. That threatens to disrupt its ambitions to transform China into a prosperous consumer society and global technology leader.

A ruling party meeting led by President Xi Jinping decided to introduce “measures to actively deal with the aging population,” the official Xinhua News Agency said. It said leaders agreed ”implementing the policy of one couple can have three children and supporting measures are conducive to improving China’s population structure.”Leaders also agreed China needs to raise its retirement age to keep more people in the workforce and improve pension and health services for the elderly, Xinhua said.

Restrictions that limited most couples to one child were eased in 2015 to allow two, but the total number of births fell further, suggesting rule changes on their own have little impact on the trend.Couples say they are put off by high costs of raising a child, disruption to their jobs and the need to look after elderly parents.Comments on social media Monday complained the change does nothing to help young parents with medical bills, low incomes and grueling work schedules known popularly as “996,” or 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.

“Every stage of the problem hasn’t been solved,” said a post on the popular Sina Weibo blog service signed Tchaikovsky. “Who will raise the baby? Do you have time? I go out early and get back late. Kids don’t know what their parents look like.”Another, signed Hyeongmok, joked bitterly: “Don’t worry about aging. Our generation won’t live long.”

China, along with Thailand and some other Asian economies, faces what economists call the challenge of whether they can get rich before they get old.The Chinese population of 1.4 billion already was expected to peak later this decade and start to decline. Census data released May 11 suggest that is happening faster than expected, adding to burdens on underfunded pension and health systems and cutting the number of future workers available to support a growing retiree group.

The share of working-age people 15 to 59 in the population fell to 63.3% last year from 70.1% a decade earlier. The group aged 65 and older grew to 13.5% from 8.9%. The 12 million births reported last year was down nearly one-fifth from 2019.About 40% were second children, down from 50% in 2017, according to Ning Jizhe, a statistics official who announced the data on May 11.

Chinese researchers and the Labor Ministry say the share of working-age people might fall to half the population by 2050. That increases the “dependency ratio,” or the number of retirees who rely on each worker to generate income for pension funds and to pay taxes for health and other public services.Leaders at Monday’s meeting agreed it is “necessary to steadily implement the gradual postponement of the legal retirement age,” Xinhua said.It gave no details, but the government has been debating raising the official retirement ages of 60 for men, 55 for white-collar female workers and 50 for blue-collar female workers.

The potential change is politically fraught. Some female professionals welcome a chance to stay in satisfying careers, but others whose bodies are worn out from decades of manual labor resent being required to work longer.The fertility rate, or the average number of births per mother, stood at 1.3 in 2020, well below the 2.1 that would maintain the size of the population.

China’s birth rate, paralleling trends in other Asian economies, already was falling before the one-child rule. The average number of children per Chinese mother tumbled from above six in the 1960s to below three by 1980, according to the World Bank.Demographers say official birth limits concealed what would have been a further fall in the number of children per family without the restrictions.The ruling party says it prevented as many as 400 million potential births, averting shortages of food and water. But demographers say if China followed trends in Thailand, parts of India and other countries, the number of additional babies might have been as low as a few million.

Indian Origin Reuben Brothers Are 2nd Richest In UK

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy 0

The Sunday Times, UK, reported this year’s Rich List that identifies a record 171 UK billionaires — 24 more than in 2020. That is the biggest jump in the 33 years The Sunday Times has been tracking the fortunes of the UK’s most affluent people. The combined fortunes of the billionaires in this Rich List grew by nearly 22 per cent to 597.269 billion pound.The richest person on the list is Sir Len Blavatnik, a Ukrainian-born businessman who made his money from energy and aluminium groups in the former Soviet Union. He earlier topped the list in 2015.

Mumbai born brothers David and Simon Reuben were listed as Britain’s second-wealthiest, with a combined fortune of 21.5 billion pound.Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal climbed up in the list from No.19 last year to No.5 this year, Mittal, has seen net increase by 7.899 billion to 14.68 billion pound.

Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja and family have fallen in the rankings from No.1 in 2019, to No.2 in 2020, down to No.3 this year. The family’s net increased by 1 billion, to 17 billion pound.Chronicle Live UK reported would-be Newcastle United owners David and Simon Reuben’s fortune has risen by an astonishing 5 billion during the last year as they maintained their place as the second richest people in the UK.

The Reubens would only be part owners of United in the deal proposed by Amanda Staveley but their wealth, combined with that of Saudi PIF, would make Newcastle financial powerhouses if the deal can be resurrected through either arbitration or various court cases.The Times reported the Reubens as going on a “spending spree” during the last year, snapping up buildings at far below market value. They spent $150million on Manhattan hotel The Surrey — and have “snapped up undervalued hotels and other properties”, in particular in the US. (IANS)

Movie Theaters Try 3-Screen Immersion To Fend Off Netflix

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Entertainment 0

Sit at the back of the movie theater, and it’s possible to see the appeal of ScreenX, the latest attempt to drag film lovers off the sofa and away from Netflix. Instead of one screen, there are three – one at the front, and two on the sides – to add to the immersive experience you can’t get from the home TV.First adopted in South Korea in 2012, the system is being launched in the U.K. and theater chain Cineworld plans to add over 100 new screens to the worldwide count of 151.

The technology is the latest attempt by cinema operators to attract film viewers amid the growing popularity of online subscription services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. They’ve ranged from 3D screens launched almost a decade ago to ultra-high resolution IMAX projectors and 4DX – which features moving chairs and real-life special effects like snow falling on the audience.The focus on innovation has helped in the past. Since 3D was popularized at big cinema theaters in 2009 with the release of films like James Cameron’s “Avatar,” revenue has grown. Global box office revenue has increased by $14.4 billion in the past decade to $40.6 billion, according Motion Picture Association of America.

But that growth seems to be fading and movie theaters are being overtaken by internet video. Revenue from internet video like Netflix is forecast to be the fastest growing part of the entertainment and media industry through 2021, according to consultancy PwC. Its estimated annual growth of 6 percent compares with a projected annual drop in cinema of 1.2 percent.It’s unclear whether this latest innovation will help or stand out. Cineworld says the idea is “it makes you feel like you’re sitting in the action.” Robert Mitchell, a film journalist for Variety magazine, notes that was the point of 3D in the first place.

“In 2009, when films like ‘Ice Age’ and ‘Avatar’ were coming out, it was the great new thing,” he says. “That lasted for a couple of years until people started to realize that some films were being made that didn’t really use the enhancements well. And it started to put people off going.”Love it or hate it, the number of cinemas that offer these new types of experiences grows globally every year.“We’re really confident that by offering customers as much choice as possible that it’s going to bring people into the cinemas,” says Kelly Drew, an operations director at Cineworld.

Rick Sharma’s ‘Badhai Ho BetiHuee Hai’ Due For Release

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Entertainment 0

‘Badhai Ho BetiHuee Hai’, an upcoming Hindi film that is focused on women empowerment, screened recently in the USA, organized by WPS Monarks Strategic Alliance LLC USA, is scheduled to launch in India shortly. Rick Sharma is the Executive Producer from Hollywood and Rajesh Bhatt, a Film Maker and Director from India, have joined together to bring this movie to theaters.

The film has been presented by an ace film-maker Pradeep Sarkar, who is known for his iconic women-centric films like Mardaani, LaagaChunari Mein Daag, Parineeta, HelicopterEela. This film focuses on breaking the stereotype mentality and enabling a woman to be an anchor of the family.Written and directed by the budding artist Yamini Swami and is produced under the banner Sanatan World Projects Pvt Ltd Productions, the film was budgeted around INR 8-9 crores and was completed by March 2020, but got delayed in release due to pandemic.

‘Badhai Ho BetiHueeHai’ film is based on the ambitious scheme of the Government of India which has been promoting to “Educate the Girl Child, Save the girl child” (BetiBachao, BetiPadhaoAbhiyaan)Titled, “Badhai Ho BetiHuee Hai,” the film, starring Yamini Swami and popular television actor Aryamann Seth, focuses on breaking the stereotypes associated with a girl child and enabling a woman to be an anchor of the family.

Sharma has executive produced the film which is inspired by the Government of India’s ambitious scheme, ‘BetiBachao, BetiPadhaoAbhiyaan’ (Educate the girl child, save the girl child).It also features eminent actors such as Jayaprada, PeeyushSuhaney, Kamal Malik, ArmaanTahil, Jayant Mishra, Rajesh Khanna and Hari Om Parashar.

The film is presented by ace filmmaker Pradeep Sarkar, who is known for his iconic women-centric films like “Mardaani,” “LaagaChunari Mein Daag,” “Parineeta” and “Helicopter Eela.”Written and directed by Swami and produced under the Sanatan World Projects Pvt Ltd Productions banner, the film was budgeted around Rs. eight-nine crores and was completed by March 2020, but its release got delayed due to the pandemic.

For its release, Sharma told India-West, they are in discussions with several streaming platforms and a decision will be made soon.The film was initially shot in Ranchi, Jharkhand, and many scenes were further shot in Mumbai and Delhi, covering the journey of the girl who makes a big leap.

The story follows a girl who gets equal opportunities and makes it big in the male-dominated society. It showcases how she educates herself and attains the skills which set her up for success and in the process, is able to shape opinions in her family.“Daughters are not less than sons in any way, daughters have contributed equally in every field,” said Swami. She further added that she felt like a victim in her childhood because of the taunts of her family and people around her. That is how, she added, she decided to spread awareness on women’s rights and gender equality. Music is by Dilip Tahir and Amit S. Trivedi.

Saina, SrikathDo Not Qualify For Olympics in Japan

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterSports, Youth 0

Olympic medallistSainaNehwal and Kidambi Srikanth’s hopes of making it to this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games ended on Friday as badminton’s global governing body said that no more qualifying tournaments would be played due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“The Badminton World Federation (BWF) can confirm no further tournaments will be played inside the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games qualifying window. As such, while the qualification period officially closes 15 June 2021 as per the Revised Tokyo 2020 Qualification System, the current Race To Tokyo rankings list will not change,” the world body said.

Four Indians — PV Sindhu, Sai Praneeth, SatwiksairajRankireddy, and Chirag Shetty — have qualified for the July-August Olympics in Tokyo. Olympic silver medallist Sindhu and 2019 World Championships bronze medallistPraneeth will represent India in women’s and men’s singles while Rankireddy and Shetty have qualified for the men’s doubles event.While Srikanth and Saina were the closest to qualifying among the Indians, Ashwini Ponnappa and N Sikki Reddy too had an outside of chance of making it to the Olympics in women’s doubles.

Players had to be ranked inside the top 16 of the singles rankings in the Race to Tokyo standings and the top eight of the doubles rankings to achieve qualification. Saina is ranked 22nd while Srikanth is 20th. Ashwini and Sikki are ranked 26th. Sindhu, who won gold at the 2019 World Championships, is ranked seventh while Praneeth is 13th.Both Saina, India’s first Olympic medallist in badminton, and Srikanth, who became world No.1 in 2017, are ageing and might find it difficult to appear in the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Three years from now, the competition too could become tougher.

Saina is 31 while Srikanth is 28. Srikanth may still pose a challenge for a spot in the 2024 Olympics, by which time he would be 31. On the other hand, Tokyo might have been the last chance for Saina to challenge for a second Olympics medal as she would be 35 by 2024.Their chances of making it to the Olympics were significantly depleted by postponement of a number of tournaments that served as qualifiers, most notably the Indian Open, the Malaysian Open, and the Singapore Open, in March and April.

The three tournaments were the last in the qualification calendar and were all deferred amid a deadly second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. “The Olympic qualification process is in effect closed as there are no additional opportunities for players to earn points,” said BWF secretary general Thomas Lund.“However, we still need to receive confirmations from National Olympic Committees and Member Associations, followed by any possible reallocations, and this will take a number of weeks to complete,” he said.Invitations will be sent shortly, with final participation lists and seedings to be published at the conclusion of this process, the BWF said. (IANS)

Ileana D’Cruz: You Just Want People To Like Watching You

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Entertainment, Women 0

Actress Ileana D’Cruz has had a great run down South and has also been doing her share of Bollywood films. She says everything comes down to people and, as an artiste, one just wants the audience to like watching you.Ileana made her debut in the Telugu film Devadasu, which became the year’s first major commercial success. She debuted in Tamil with “Kedi”. Telugu movie “Pokiri”, which was one of the highest money grosser, set her in top slot actresses. She appeared in many commercially successful movies like Jalsa, Kick etc. She made her debut in Bollywood with Anurag Basu’sBarfi! (2012) starring Ranbir Kapoor.

Popularity, she explains, is the one thing that balances the fact that the film industry can actually be a very cruel place to survive. “It (the film industry) is brutal, of course, but it comes down to people. If they (people) like you that is all you need. You just want people to like watching you,” she told IANS.Ileana feels the moment an actor is not appreciated they lose the mark. “It basically goes the same for me. I wouldn’t want to watch a film with an actor I don’t like watching. The minute you are not liked anymore you sort of lose the mark. The industry is brutal in a sense, but it has got so many perks as well,” she says.

Acting is a profession that comes with its pros and cons, the actress notes, in this context. “You cannot have all the good things only, there is always a little bit of con. I think that makes it interesting. It makes you work harder. It makes you strive to keep doing better,” she sums up.Ileana will next be seen in “Unfair N Lovely”, a comic take on India’s obsession with fair skin. The film is set against the backdrop of Haryana and casts her opposite RandeepHooda. (IANS)

If You Want Vaccine, Visit New York City As It Plans To Offer The J&J Vaccine To Tourists

June 3, 2021November 8, 2022 Staff ReporterTourism, Travel 0

Amid the imbalanced access to COVID vaccine doses, some tourist-reliant destinations that have made headway with inoculating the local population are now earmarking extra doses for arriving travelers. Places like the Maldives, certain islands in the Caribbean, New York City, and Alaska have announced such measures over the past couple of months.

Government officials of the tourism-dependent Maldives have announced plans to offer coronavirus vaccines to international visitors as an incentive to reopen travel. The South Asian nation’s tourism minister said on CNBC this week that a new Maldivian tourism campaign, dubbed ‘3V,’ for ‘Visit, Vaccinate, Vacation,’ aims to make shots available for vacationers who travel to Maldives, once all local residents have been offered a vaccine. “The main idea of tourism being open is to provide a reasonably safe tourism with minimum inconvenience,” Maldivian Tourism Minister Abdulla Mausoom said in an interview. “So once the country gets vaccinated, then we will move on to ‘3V’ tourism.”

The Maldives, which is known for its glamorous overwater bungalows and pristine Indian Ocean beaches, is currently open to U.S. visitors who are fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated travelers who acquire a negative coronavirus PCR test no more than three days prior to travel. Its tourism board has also set a goal of 1.5 million tourist arrivals for 2021, with about 350,000 of those visits accounted for as of mid April. Mausoom said many remote workers have relocated to the islands during the pandemic, but that the vaccination campaign is necessary for the Maldives to jumpstart its travel economy: “When we reach this year’s target [of 1.5 million], still we will have a shortfall of what the country needs.”

The logic behind these initiatives is not hard to follow: The tourism industry has been gutted by the pandemic, and locales want a safe way to restart what is a major economic engine. But the policies might give some travelers pause, as they can appear to use up doses still needed by locals or favor the more privileged who can afford to book a long-haul trip for the shot. They also can seem to facilitate the chance for wealthy travelers to skip ahead of more at-risk people around the world. So should travelers take these doses if a destination is offering them?

“I think the idea that, for example, single-dose vaccines like Johnson & Johnson, ought to be available to people when they arrive in a country, for whatever reason they’re traveling, is a very good idea,” says Chris Beyrer, a professor of public health and human rights at Johns Hopkins. “Now those people won’t be fully protected for two weeks, but it’s a simple strategy and you don’t have to wait the additional three or four weeks for a second dose.”

New York City plans to offer the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine to tourists in places like Times Square and the High Line. The state has also created pop-up clinics for both residents and visitors inside subway stations and airports. But Alaska, which relies heavily on the summer cruise season, is planning to offer travelers doses of Pfizer or Moderna shots (which require two doses) at its four largest airports starting June 1.

Some say the programs are really only ideal if the visitors are from an area where vaccine access is lacking. “It depends on where people are coming from,” says Leana Wen, emergency physician and public health professor at George Washington University and former health commissioner of Baltimore. “There are of course many individuals from countries that don’t have nearly enough vaccine, and if they arriving at a location that does have vaccination, absolutely they should take advantage of it. As long as the individuals who are living in these locations are first given access, I don’t see a problem with the overall concept.”

In fact, experts agree that American travelers really shouldn’t be participating in vaccine on arrival programs, since the U.S. has readily available doses its own population. “The other equity issue is you’re traveling somewhere to get a vaccine where you could be taking it away from locals who need it more,” says Arthur Caplan, head of the division of medical ethics at NYU. “So you have to weigh that, too. You don’t want to take supply.” Although the majority of destinations that have offered up doses to visitors have said their local populations have adequate vaccine access, Caplan urges travelers to use scrutiny when evaluating these claims. “Vaccine politics are complex because some of these countries are run by business interests that very much depend on tourism,” he says. “I don’t always trust what they say.”

While these are concerning points, some experts say the programs—if properly executed—could help to protect residents. “That’s the other side of this, that there are so many places in the world that rely on tourism and [the] travel industry, and where the people who live there and work there who are not tourists have a right to be protected,” Beyrer says. “So do you keep tourism shut down? Or do you open it and try to do it in ways that are safe?”There are also other potential benefits for local populations. “It’s been a really challenging year and a half, and many of these places that have relied on tourism have been decimated,” Wen says. “If this is what it takes in order to get their economy back and get the standard of living back for their residents, who are we to give judgements?”

Another major concern for both epidemiologists and travelers? People who are unvaccinated boarding flights or trains to get inoculated. The CDC cleared only fully vaccinated people for widespread travel this summer. “I think you should be vaccinated before you get there,” Caplan says. “Getting vaccinated when you arrive at your tourist destination still means that you have at least a couple of weeks before you build up immunity, and you may need a second shot in some cases. I’d want to be fully vaccinated before I got to the airport, got on that plane, or got to my destination. I would not be waiting. I think that’s very unwise.”

Although it’s not ideal, Wen says that it could be possible to travel to get a vaccine. “Travel can be very safe, as long as people take the necessary precautions,” such as wearing a mask and avoiding removing it, she says. “There are ways to keep safe while traveling but they must be extremely vigilant if they are not yet vaccinated.”

Before making a decision, Wen advises each traveler to weigh the facts against their own situations. “I think there is an ethical argument one could be making that vaccine tourism leaves behind those who are financially not able to do so, and it is a real concern,” she says. “However there is also the argument of sustaining the tourism industry in countries that have been really hard hit as well. I would say that people need to make their own individual ethics judgments about whether they feel comfortable taking part in this.”

What the Science Really Says About Grilled Meat and Cancer Risk

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Lifestyle 0

Is backyard cookout season kicks into high gear, many people may be eyeing their sizzling burgers and dogs with suspicion. And for good reason: a number of studies published in the past two decades have turned up evidence that eating charred, smoked, and well-done meat could raise cancer risk—pancreatic, colorectal, and prostate cancers, in particular.

A 2010 review of the evidence on cancer and “well-done” meat, conducted by researchers at Vanderbilt University, concluded that “the majority of these studies have shown that high intake of well-done meat and high exposure to meat carcinogens, particularly HCAs, may increase the risk of human cancer.” Heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which some experts also refer to as heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), are a class of chemical that forms in cooked red meat and, to a lesser extent, in poultry and fish, according to a 2011 study in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

Another class of chemicals, called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has also been linked to cancer. “PAHs are formed when fat and juices from meat grilled directly over a heated surface or open fire drip onto the surface or fire, causing flames and smoke,” according to a fact sheet published by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). “The smoke contains PAHs that then adhere to the surface of the meat.” Even if meat isn’t charred or cooked at high temps, smoking meat can increase its levels of PAHs.Both HAAs and PAHs are metabolized by enzymes in the body. And some of the byproducts of this process can cause DNA damage that may contribute to the development of cancer, suggests the research of Robert Turesky, an expert in cancer causation at the University of Minnesota.

But there’s a lot of variance in how a given piece of grilled meat affects any individual person. “The concentrations of HAAs formed in cooked meats can vary by over 100-fold, depending on the type of meat, the method, temperature, and duration of cooking,” says Turesky. “In general, the highest concentrations of HAAs [are found] in well-done cooked meats, and in meats that are charred, such as by barbequing or flame broiling,”Turesky’s research also indicates that a person’s genetic makeup may influence how they respond to the chemicals, and so “the risk of developing cancer for individuals who eat well-done meat may vary considerably,” he says.

Further, there’s mounting evidence tying the consumption of processed meats—such as hot dogs, bacon, and salami—with some of the same cancers studies have linked to grilled or well-done meat. It may be that individuals who eat a lot of charred steak or well-done burgers are also more likely than the average person to eat a lot of bacon or hot dogs. And so it could be the processed meat—not the blackened steak—that accounts for any increased cancer risks. “Sorting out what’s driving these associations is very hard,” says Dr. Stephen Freedland, director of the Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Another challenge to the “grilled-meat-causes-cancer” narrative is that the real-world evidence linking the consumption of well-done meat to cancer is inconsistent. While that 2010 Vanderbilt study found “a majority” of studies have turned up a cancer connection, that majority was slim. Some studies have found evidence of increased cancer risk among people who eat a lot of grilled meat, but other studies have not found a significant association.

“Population studies have not established a definitive link between HCA and PAH exposure from cooked meats and cancer in humans,” according to the NCI. While studies in rodents indicate that these chemicals can cause cancer, “the doses of HCAs and PAHs used in these studies were very high—equivalent to thousands of times the doses that a person would consume in a normal diet,” the NCI’s fact sheet states.

Freedland’s take on the evidence is that eating a lot of charred meat—say, two to three meals a week for many years—could produce the kind of cellular damage that raises cancer risk. “But I don’t want people to be paranoid,” he says. “I worry a lot more about the desserts and soda people are having with their grilled meat.”The sugar in these foods and drinks likely contributes to obesity, and obesity is a clear risk factor for cancer. “I think eating charred meat is probably not the best thing for you, but here and there, it’s probably okay,” Freedland says. He notes that grilling meat on tin foil and marinating it in herbs and spices may also reduce the development of potential carcinogens.

“Clearly, the risk [of eating charred meat] is far lower than for someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes a day or heavily imbibes alcohol,” Turesky says. “But many people who are meat-eaters consume low levels of these potentially carcinogenic compounds daily, and the exposure may add up over time.” He advises eating meat “in moderation,” and trying not to overcook or char meat.Long story short, eating a blackened steak every night for dinner is probably imprudent if you’re worried about cancer. But enjoying the occasional burned burger or ribeye isn’t something you should stress about.

How Your Birth Order Can Impact Your Health, Happiness, and Success

June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterLifestyle 0

Death is often said to be life’s greatest leveler, but it seems birth is far less equitable. According to a new study by researchers in Sweden, younger siblings are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and strokes than their older brothers and sisters. And the more older siblings you have, the higher your risk of contracting the ailments.

The research found that the youngest child of three is 13 per cent more at risk of suffering from coronary heart disease than the eldest. A girl with two older siblings is two per cent more at risk of cardiovascular disease and 14 per cent more at risk of heart disease than the eldest; while a boy with four older siblings has a seven and 23 per cent increased risk respectively.

According to Dr Peter Nilsson of Lund University, lead author of the study, this could be down to many complex factors. “First-borns receive more parental attention, expectations and stimulation,” he said. “But language development might be faster in later born siblings as they will have older brothers/sisters to learn from. To be a first-born means that you are expected to behave more correctly and avoid bad things (alcohol overuse, drugs, tobacco) that later born siblings with less parental supervision may be prone to try.”A wider look at science shows that there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that the first-born child is blessed with advantages, in both health and happiness…

Better careers

Your parents may have told you that hard work pays off, but that may not be the full story. A 2017 paper found that first-born children are 30 per cent more likely to be CEOs or politicians. Researcher Sandra Black wrote that first-borns choose occupations that demand more “sociability, leadership ability, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability, extraversion, and openness.” Indeed, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos are all first-borns. Black’s paper only looked at boys, but the drive to succeed is arguably even stronger in women: research from 2014 found that 13 per cent of first-born women end up more ambitious than first-born men.

The foundations of this success are formed early on. A 2013 paper found that school performance declines with birth order, which the researchers put down to “reputational model of strategic parenting.” In other words, the first-born child is blessed – both with their parents’ attention, and with the responsibility of enforcing rules on the rest of the family. This role, the researchers say, builds intelligence, discipline, and leadership qualities which filter into later life. Which all points to…

Higher IQs

The 2017 paper also discovered that first-borns stay in school longer, make more money, have a higher IQ, and even spend more time on homework than watching television. One widely cited Norwegian study from 2007 shows that first-borns have an IQ around three points higher than the next eldest child; a different body of research points out that first-born children outperform their younger siblings on cognitive tests from infancy.

Relationships

There is evidence to show that first-borns are more likely to marry earlier than their siblings. According to a study of more than 3,000 families, the odds of a happy marriage are highest when a first-born woman marries a last-born son. First-borns who are attracted to each other, such as Prince William and Kate Middleton, tend to be more “conventional and rule-following”, as they are used to being responsible for other family members, said Lisette Schuitemaker, co-author of the book The Eldest Daughter Effect.Yet according to Katrin Schumann, author of The Secret Power of Middle Children, middle children tend to be the happiest in relationships because there’s no pressure to be the best (like the eldest) or a need for constant attention (like the youngest).

Bad habits

A study in the journal Economics and Human Biology reported that later-born children are more likely to have poorer physical and mental health. It found that first-borns were 13 per cent less likely to smoke daily than fifth-borns, potentially saving them from health problems later down the line.

Indeed, these habits could be formed early on. According to a study by researchers in Denmark and Finland, younger brothers are more likely to have disciplinary problems. “In families with two or more children, second-born boys are 20 to 40pc more likely to be disciplined in school and enter the criminal justice system compared to first-born boys even when we compare siblings,” they wrote.

Weight

Being the first-born does have its downsides. Black’s 2017 study found that the first-born is more likely to be obese, and have higher blood pressure. The researchers suggest this could be down to the stress of having to succeed and meet career expectations. “Compared to second-borns, first-borns are four per cent more likely to be overweight, and two per cent more likely to be obese,” said Black. “Overall, we find that first-borns are less healthy in terms of physical markers such as blood pressure, triglycerides, and indicators of overweight and obesity.”

Amidst Tensions, Biden-Putin Summit Planned

May 27, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterGlobal, Nation USA 0

A face to face meeting between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putinhas been planned in Geneva, Switzerland The summit would cover a “full range of pressing issues” as the US seeks to “restore predictability and stability” to its Russian relations.

The White House has announced a face to face meeting between President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putinin Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16th. That comes at the tail end of Biden’s already scheduled trip to the United Kingdom for the G7 summit and Brussels for a meeting of NATO leaders, giving the president plenty of time to hear from US allies before sitting down with Putin.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, in a statement announcing the meeting, said the summit would cover a “full range of pressing issues” as the US seeks to “restore predictability and stability” to its Russian relations. That echoes comments Secretary of State Antony Blinken made during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, in Iceland last week, as he said Biden’s goal was a “predictable, stable relationship with Russia”.

A full slate of topics – and tension

When Biden and Putin meet, they’ll have plenty to talk about. A short list of subjects includes arms control, climate change, Russian military involvement in Ukraine, Russia’s cyber-hacking activities, including the 2020 SolarWinds attack on US government and private computer networks, and the attempted poisoning and jailing of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny.

Those conversations seem destined to be fraught, as Biden and Putin have traded verbal barbs amid rising tensions in the past months.In an interview in March, Biden agreed with the description of Putin as a “killer”, prompting Russia to temporarily recall its ambassador to the US and Putin, in turn, to say it takes one to know one, before dryly wishing Biden “good health”.

There’s little expectation of any tangible results from this meeting, aside from the hopes it will lead to improved relations and understanding between the two leaders.

Sanctions imposed and waived

Contributing to the current US-Russia tensions are new penalties the Biden administration imposed last month as punishment for the Solar Winds hacking, which included new limits on transactions between US financial institutions and the Russian government as well as sanctions on Russian businesses and the expulsion of some Russian diplomats in the US.

If those sanctions were a diplomatic “stick”, the announcement last week that the Biden administration would waive congressionally mandated sanctions on the nearly completed Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany could help ease US-Russia tensions in the run-up to June’s summit. (It also avoids irritating Germany, which could be an equally important concern for the Biden administration, which is intent on repairing US-EU relations.)

The Trump factor

If predictability and stability are part of Biden’s goal, it will mark a sharp contrast from the four years of the Trump presidency, which began with allegations – confirmed by the US intelligence community – that Russia had meddled in the 2016 presidential election and was behind cyber-attacks on the Democratic Party and its presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton.Those attacks cast a shadow on much of the Trump presidency, leading to Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation and revelations of contact between members of the Trump campaign and Russian nationals (although the investigation found no evidence of co-ordination between the two camps).

When Trump and Putin had their first and only one-on-one summit in Helsinki, Finland, in July 2018, Trump controversially stated that he believed Putin’s insistence that Russia was not involved in election hacking, despite US intelligence conclusions to the contrary.During his presidential campaign and throughout his time in office, Trump expressed admiration of, and a sympathetic ear toward, Putin, although his administration did – after some delay – follow through with congressionally mandated sanctions on Russia.

Biden’s fine line

The rhetoric of the Biden administration toward Russia has been markedly different, even if its actions have not always matched the stronger words. That has led to some criticism of the White House’s Russia policies from both political friends and adversaries.

Following the Nord Stream 2 waiver announcement, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Bob Menendez, a Democrat, said he didn’t see how the move helped “counter Russian aggression in Europe”.And shortly after the White House summit information was made public, Republican Senator Ben Sasse hit Biden’s Russia policy on a number of fronts, including the recent move by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to intercept a passenger jet in order to capture a dissident journalist.

“We’re rewarding Putin with a summit?” he said in a statement. “Putin imprisoned Alexei Navalny and his puppet Lukashenko hijacked a plane to get Roman Protasevich. Instead of treating Putin like a gangster who fears his own people, we’re giving him his treasured Nord Stream 2 pipeline and legitimising his actions with a summit. This is weak.”

US-Russia summits are always diplomatic high-wire acts, with US presidents having to walk a fine line as the world looks on. Biden, as a former vice-president and long-time foreign relations expert in the Senate, has plenty of experience in the diplomatic arena and seems to relish developing one-on-one chemistry with world leaders.The Geneva summit will be one of the biggest in-person tests of his political career, however.

Covid and (Lack of) Management and Acceleration of the Crisis in India

May 27, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Health, Nation India 0

A summary of the presentation/talk by this writer via a Zoom Meeting at an Online Interaction with Shri DIGVIJAYA SINGH,” Senior Congress Leader & Member of Indian Parliament, Rajya Sabha on “PANDEMIC EFFECT ON URORGNIZED SECTOR AND CONGRESS RESPONSE,” organized by All India Unorganized Workers Congress in India on Sunday, May 23^rd, 2021.

During the meeting, Mr. Arbind Singh, National Chairman of AIUWC welcomed the participants and invited Ajay Ghosh, Chief Editor of the Universal News Network and BasvarajSankin, Head of Indian Overseas Congress in Spain to address the audience. Mr. Anshu Antony, Chair of the All India National Congress Party’s Training Wing introduced Mr. Ghosh to the audience.

Following the presentations, Mr. DigvijaySingh addressed the audience and responded to the concerns shared by the members of AIUWC, during which Mr. Singh responded to questions raised by AIUWC state presidents and Regional Coordinators.Below is the detailed address by Mr. Ajay Ghosh at the Event:

Covid-19 is notoriously hard to control, and political leaders are only part of the calculus when it comes to pandemic management. However, where leaders of the nations have responded adequately and planned and executed actions to prevent the spread and mitigate and eradicate the pandemic, the cases have been well contained. New Zeeland, Taiwan, Denmark, and some of the European countries and the United States under the current Biden administration are such examples of visionary leadership, protecting the people and saving lives from the pandenmic.

The US under Trump, several south American nations and India fall under the category of those world leaders who have made little effort to combat outbreaks in their country, whether by downplaying the pandemic’s severity, disregarding science or ignoring critical health interventions like vaccines, social distancing and masks.

India, which has been a shining example of development, freedom and fast growth, is the new epicenter of the global pandemic, recording some 400,000 new cases per day by May 2021. However grim, this statistic fails to capture the sheer horror unfolding there. Covid-19 patients are dying in hospitals because doctors have no oxygen to give and no lifesaving drugs that could save millions of lives. The sick are turned away from clinics that have no free beds.

In January 2021, Modi declared at a global forum that India had “saved humanity … by containing corona effectively.” In March, his health minister proclaimed that the pandemic was reaching an “endgame.” Covid-19 was actually gaining strength in India and worldwide—but his government made no preparations for possible contingencies, such as the emergence of a deadlier and more contagious Covid-19 variant.

The net result of such complacency and lack of vision and planning: Covid pandemic is killing thousands daily, crushing India’s modest health system, causing crippling shortages of doctors, nurses, medicines, even oxygen. Hospitals and medical professionals have put out urgent notices that they were unable to cope with the rush of patients.

How did we land here facing such a critical stage?

With India experiencing a devastating second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, questions are being asked about how the country — which is home to the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer — got to this tragic point.The second wave of Covid-19, with the spiraling cases and deaths across cities and towns, making India currently the world’s worst pandemic-affected country, have now dented India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image in India and around the world for the poor vision, poor planning, and mismanagement of the most deadly virus in over a century.

India is now in a living hell. A new “double mutant” variant, named B.1.617, has emerged in a devastating coronavirus second wave which has seen hospitals run out of beds and oxygen. Mortuaries are so full that bodies are justify to decompose at home.A recent story in TIME magazine titled, “’This Is Hell.’ Prime Minister Modi’s Failure to Lead Is Deepening India’s COVID-19 Crisis” pointed out how India has mismanaged and sent misleading messages.

After declaring ‘victory’ over Covi, the Prime Minister and other political leadership spent their time organizing a blitzkrieg of election rallies in West Bengal and Assam without wearing masks and while exhorting large crowds to gather.When Covid was spreading rapidly in several states, killing thousands daily, the BJP leaders led by Modi were campaigning in poll bound states neglecting the responsibility to coordinate efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

The Guardian newspaper wrote: “Like Donald Trump, Mr Modi would not give up campaigning while the pandemic raged. India went ahead with five state elections in April, and an unmasked MrModi held huge rallies. Mr Modi’s brand of Indian exceptionalism bred complacency. A presumption of national greatness has led to a lack of preparedness, most notably in vaccine production.”

People are dying in their hundreds in India because of a lack of medical oxygen and other supplies in the country’s overloaded hospitals. An investigation by Indian news website Scroll.in revealed that the country’s government waited until October 2020, eight months after the pandemic began, to invite bids for a $27 million contract to place oxygen generation systems inside more than 150 district hospitals. Six months later, most still aren’t up and running. Several states across the nation have expressed despair as most hospitals have run short of Oxygen.

Modi also allowed a religious festival that draws millions to proceed from January to March. Public health officials now believe the festival may have been a super-spreader event and was “an enormous mistake.”“The Uttarakhand chief minister declared on March 20, “nobody will be stopped in the name of COVID-19 as we are sure the faith in God will overcome the fear of the virus.” Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees showed up each day for a dip in the Ganges as part of the KumbhMela pilgrimage in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

There has been certainly a big lapse from the complacent government and the general public, paying scant regard for the social-distance norms while the state machinery ignored enforcing norms.International media have criticized Indian states for attempting to hide the death rate. In the state of Uttar Pradesh workers were pictured covering the crematorium with tin sheets. The Wire news portal published an article titled, “Varanasi: Cremation, Burial Grounds Show About 50% of COVID-19 Deaths Aren’t Officially Recorded.”

In Gujarat, the Prime Minister’s home state, crematoriums are burning day and night, while the state refuses to acknowledge the high number of deaths. The Gujarat high court has demanded the state government reveal the accurate count of COVID-19 patients and deaths.The government is blatantly lying on official figures of the grim reality.As Modi touted his successes last year, India—the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer—sent over 100 million vaccine doses to 68 countries around the world. Yet just 1.9% of India’s 1.3 billion people had been fully inoculated against COVID-19 by early May.

In the race to produce and secure vaccines for Indians, Modi regime failed miserably. India invested too little in vaccine against Covid production. While epidemiologists, specialists and opposition leaders have long urged Modi to give approvals for foreign vaccines, the decision to give emergency use license to the Russian manufactured Sputnik V vaccine was only taken in the second week of April.Indian government had ordered 21 million doses of Covishield from the Serum Institute at the end of February this year but didn’t indicate when or if it would buy more, then it ordered an additional 110 million doses in March 2021 when infections started to rise.

When the vaccine rollout slowed, there was no effort or coordination with the states as Modi’s cabinet indulged in a blame game with ministers from opposition parties.Against the skepticism for vaccines by a vast majority of Indians, Modi government has done too little to reinforce public health messaging. The vaccine rollout became a global PR campaign for Modi’s leadership—in March, an Indo-Canadian group sponsored billboards erected in Canada thanking Modi for exporting Indian-made vaccines abroad—even while many Indians were apprehensive about their efficacy and side effects.

While the pandemic is raging across the nation and India is seeking help, medical and financial, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building and a new Residence for the Prime Minister at an estimated cost of Rs. 971 crore. Why is the Modi Government spending billions of Dollars on the project, which could be better directed to fighting COVID-19 and repairing the pandemic-battered economy.

The sudden and abrupt lock down promulgated by Modi even before the 1^st wave of the pandemic hit India caused enormous problems for millions of poor. It lies with the upper-middle-class Indians who were last year banging plates from their high-rise windows and lighting candles to praise Modi and celebrate the success of the unplanned lockdown—while poor migrant workers lost their jobs and had to leave the cities. While the rich booked themselves in hospitals using their contacts, the govt. cared little to alleviate the sufferings of the millions of the daily wage earners did not offer any monetary help.

While people are seeking help desperately, India has shut down its doors to get help by and through the NGOs abroad. The government of India implemented a set of bureaucratic regulations by amending a law called Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in the middle of the pandemic. Hundreds of charities and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across India are now required to have special permission under this law to receive any donations from overseas.

The new amendment put in place last September mandates the charities to open a new bank account at a particular New Delhi branch of the State Bank of India before March 31, 2021, regardless of where the charity is located or operating from. Though many charities have managed to open this account in New Delhi, they have run into bottlenecks and red tape. As a result they are unable to receive much needed funds to help the suffering people in the middle of this pandemic.

The current stringent FCRA rules that were put in place by the Government are jeopardizing many donor’s plans to provide equipment like oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies from around the world in providing needed help to hospitals especially in rural areas.

Many Indian-American community and charity organizations in the United States say they are not able to send funds to NGO partners in India thanks to a newly amended law even as that country gasps from a tsunami of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.Many US-based non-profits said the Narendra Modi government’s action in regulating of foreign funds was arbitrary.The NGO members and have also pointed to the alleged slow processing of paperwork by State Bank of India (SBI), and are asking the Indian government to revise the deadline so that they can help the country in its time of acute need. Earlier, donations could be received in any bank where the NGO had a designated FCRA account.

NGOs now cannot sub grant their foreign contributions to another NGO even if they have FCRA registrations as was the case earlier. This has been a blow for many NGOs who have been working collaboratively on various programs and projects. Thisd impedesCovid relief work, including making direct cash transfer to low-income families of the Covid deceased, often an earning member.

GOPIO chapters in India are yet to get the permission FCRA. For example, it is going to be more than two years since GOPIO-Kochi, a duly registered nonprofit organization, applied to receive funds from outside, especially from GOPIO International which collected funds for the 2018 Kerala flood relief. The chapter’s application is still pending and we have not been able to send the money collected to our chapter yet.

A large number of nonprofit community organizations are raising funds for India, including to send oxygen concentrators which are badly needed all over India. The government must immediately remove all hurdles to get this medical equipment and supplies to the hospitals which need them urgently.

Suppressing Truth and Penalizing Media and Voice of the Public:

At times, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has seemed more intent on removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the Covid-19 pandemic, a premier medical journal The Lancet has said in an editorial. “Modi’s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable,” Lancet said.

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that India will see a staggering 1 million deaths from Covid-19 by August 1.If that outcome was to happen, Modi’s government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe,” Lancet said in a scathing criticism of the government.

India squandered its early successes in controlling Covid-19. Until April, the government’s Covid-19 taskforce had not met in months. The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages. The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart.

But above all it lies with Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, who calls himself the servant of 1.3 billion Indians, yet who has criminally abdicated his responsibility. At this critical juncture in its history, Indians have been left to fend for ourselves

Mismanagement?

Complacency and lack of visionby the Indian Govt.
Poor planning and lack of preparedness
Lack of transparency and lack of foresight
Intimidating and penalizing critics, including the media and those expressing their views on social media platforms
Favoritism and lack of will to help the poor and the powerless: siding with the businesses and political supporters at the cost of the poor
Blaming the opposition and those who criticize the government rather than an attitude of dialogue, open mindedness, collaboration, and cooperation
An attitude of “I know it all” rather than the willingness to listen to the scientific community and professionals, and make amends for the wrongs committed
Suppressing and denying the NGOs, particularly the minority communities from receiving foreign funds through the short sighted FCRA regulations, and in the process denying much needed help to millions who would have benefitted from such resources from abroad
Lack of political will to contain market forces from hijacking medical supplies and hiking up the prizesfor essential medical suplies
Prioritizing the image of the party and the leaders in power over the needs of the nation of the people.
Lack of thoughtfulness and taking decisions arbitrarily and abruptly not reflecting on the consequences of govt. actions on millions of people

Some Suggestions For Action

India must reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission as much as possible by educating the public about the necessity of masking, social distancing, halting mass gatherings, quarantine, and testing
Transparent: as cases continue to mount, the government must publish accurate data in a timely manner, and forthrightly explain to the public what is happening and what is needed to bend the epidemic curve, including the possibility of a new federal lockdown
Genome sequencing needs to be expanded to better track, understand and control emerging and more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants
The botched vaccination campaign must be rationalized and implemented with all due speed. Increasing vaccine supply (some of which should come from abroad) and setting up a distribution campaign that can cover not just urban but also rural and poorer citizens, who constitute more than 65 per cent of the population (over 800 million people).
The government must work with local and primary healthcare centers that know their communities and create an equitable distribution system for the vaccine.
Expand the production and supply of oxygen and import while lifting unnecessary restrictions
Stop middlemen and business from raising the prizes of medical supplies, oxygen and much needed treatment for Covid, at this hour of crisis. Punish those who inflate the prize of these essentials
Open more centers, use schools and other institutes in every village and town to provide health care and treat covid patients
India has a large number of medical professionals. Use the newly graduates and who are in the final years of Medical schools and Nursing programs to fill the shortage of medical professionals to treat covid patients
There are thousands of not for profit organization and individuals abroad who want to help their suffering sisters and brothers in India. Make it easier for them help India as she bleeds. Relax FCRA rules and make it easier for them to send money.
India Needs to act on a war footing, using all possible resources and work collaboratively, using all sections, the political parties, the ruling and the opposition together, the medical professionals, hospitals and academicians, research institutes, the media and the public, in a transparent manner, putting the safety, security and well being of the people before that of the interests of the ruling party.

Dr. Manju Sheth’s Candid Conversation With Panera Bread CEO, Niren Chaudhary

May 27, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Profile, Women 0

With an impressive track record of establishing brands and leading companies around the world, Niren Chaudhary leads Panera Bread as CEO with passion since May 2019. In an exclusive interview With Dr. ManjuSheth, Mr. Chaudhary talks about his personal life story, inspiration, interests, how Panera leads food industry during the pandemic, and on ways to make global brands succeed in India.Watch The Interview Online at: https://youtu.be/8CEPgSpKzRE

Niren Chaudhary believes in leading with compassion and channeling pain into purpose. His philosophy to live each day to its fullest is inspired by his daughter Aisha who lived each day of her life fully and with gratitude till she passed away in 2015 at the age of 18.

Her life has been made into a powerful movie called ‘Sky is Pink’ with Priyanka Chopra Jonas , Farhan Akhtar and ZairaWasim playing lead roles. The movie is now streaming on Netflix. It was inspiring to share Niren’s journey on Chai with Manju. His input in the food and hospitality industry were very insightful including leading Panera profitably in tough Covid times. His advice to those looking to invest in India is worth a watch. His emotional appeal to donate bone marrow to save lives is important as Indian lag behind and his daughter’s life would have been saved with a timely bone marrow donation I loved his three step recipe to make dreams come true and to live life fully describing life as an unfinished painting.

When it comes to food retail industry, Panera CEO Niren Chaudhary has established himself as an undisputed leader of corporate leadership on a global scale. Mr. Chaudhary joined Panera from Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc., where he served as Chief Operating Officer and President of the International Division. Prior to that, he spent 23 years at Yum! Brands in a number of positions, including serving as President of Yum! India, and most recently in the role of President of KFC Global, where he was responsible for 5,000 stores in 50 countries with $5 billion in revenue.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi, an MBA in marketing from the University of Delhi, and also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.One of the best parts of the interview with Dr. Manju Shethwas to watch him sing. Music plays a huge role in his life. Indeed, he is a rockstar CEO.

A physician by profession, having a passion for media and commitment to serve the larger humanity, with special focus on women’s empowerment, Dr. Manju Sheth is a Board Certified Internist, currently serving patients at Beth Israel Lahey Hospital.in the Boston Region in Massachusetts. Dr. Sheth is the co-founder and CEO of INE MultiMedia, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting and supporting charitable organizations, art, culture, education and empowerment through workshops, seminars and multimedia. Dr. Sheth is known to be a natural storyteller her popular “Chai with Manju” celebrity series is one of the most read news features in the New England region, where she featured celebrities and spiritual leaders such as Sadhguru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Kennedys and the like.Watch the live Interview Dr. Manju Sheth had with https://youtu.be/8CEPgSpKzRE

How My Family Dynamics Gave Me a New Path

May 27, 2021December 24, 2023 Staff ReporterCommunity, Profile, Women 0

“My son was attached to my stepmother and my daughter enjoyed the attention from my mother. This camaraderie, unity and selfless teamwork was and is uncommon amongst divorced couples: Eshani ShahShares Her Fascinating Journey Growing Up in The Taarak Mehta Family

Today’s woman dreamer, Eshani Shah, the daughter of Taarak Mehta, one of India’s most famous writers, fondly known for the famous show, Taarak Mehta KaOoltahChashmah, shares her incredible journey growing up in this creative, artistic celebrity family, and how being immensely loved and nurtured by both her mothers (birth-mother and step-mother) helped her grow into the woman she is today.

Eshani, a very talented artist, shares how effective co-parenting changed her life in this heartwarming story. An inspiring story for all generations on the power of great parenting and putting children first! Enjoy her story below!

A healthy relationship between separated parents leaves a very positive impact. Honest, straightforward co-parenting is the best way to raise a content child. They should never have to make choices of time and lifestyle between parents. For an only child this can become challenging but my family dynamics made a profound impact on who I am today.

My childhood was mostly normal with one main exception: Since both my parents did theater, I spent a lot of evenings alone at home with domestic help or at the rehearsals with one of them. The weekends again would be spent backstage or dozing in the auditorium. Living in an apartment complex eventually introduced me to lots of friends, whose houses became another good option for weekends. When they toured for plays, I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandparents. While I didn’t see my parents often, being surrounded by people 24/7 definitely gave me a supportive environment to grow up in. Although I grew up in a vibrant theater background, the theater bug did not really bite till much later in life after I met my Husband Chandu Shah, who is also from a similar background.

My parent’s marriage was a love marriage which always comes with higher expectations. You have already put your partner on a pedestal and believe that they are your soulmate or your dream partner. When these presumptions start shattering, it becomes difficult to save a relationship. Giving time to each other, shouldering responsibilities equally or respecting each other’s ambitions are some of the key elements of a happy marriage; when these somehow started diminishing from their marriage, they mutually decided to part ways.

I was 11 and a bit young to understand what was going on, but a decision was made to put me in boarding school. I went to a boarding school in Panchgani, the most memorable time of my life. My parents used to visit but never came together. I was 13 when they officially divorced. I was a very mature child at 13 so they did not fight for custody but gave me a choice of who I would stay with. I chose to stay with my dad primarily because it was an environment I grew up in. My mom eventually remarried. I came back to Mumbai when I was 16. after graduating high school. Whenever I visited during vacations, both my parents always presented a unified front spending some quality time together with me. Even my step father joined at times. My transitions spending time with both my parents were peaceful. The time at boarding school helped to build my high-spirited personality, which has helped me all my life.

I have seen my mom struggle in the initial years of marriage trying to balance work and personal life. She was fiercely independent and worked very hard to fulfill her dreams. Divorce in the 70s was very uncommon and most of my maternal family, including my grandmother, broke ties with her. She was heartbroken, but with her resilience, continued her journey of theater. By then, she had taken a job with a bank and was multitasking. She never let her personal struggles influence me. My step father passed away when I was 19 and it was devastating. As now she was alone all over again, I started staying with her. In all those years, what I learnt from her is to be independent. She taught me that emotional dependency and financial dependency can lead to disappointments. This holds true for partners, friends, family and children. She had excellent taste in clothes and jewelry and was always very presentable. She was a good singer, dancer and an artist and always the life of a party. I think I have inherited most of her traits.

After I came to Mumbai, I stayed with my father but he was as busy as I had seen him growing up. I was then going to college and busy with my life. It was around then that my step mother Induben used to visit. Dad first introduced her as a friend. But whenever she visited, she cooked for us and did errands for my dad. That’s when I told my father that if he feels that she is the right life partner for him, I am with him. That’s when they got married and my step mother became a bigger part of my life. I did not need much parenting at that point, so she became more of a friend… She was very lovable and took such good care of my dad. Her struggles were similar to my moms, due to my fathers lifestyle, but she took it in her stride. She gave up her ambitions and became a homemaker. Starting the 1980s, my father had become a household name with his column “ Duniya ne UndhaChasma “ in a Gujarati magazine Chitralekha and my step mother was his PR. With all his popularity, he was shy and a bit of an introvert, but my step mother responded to his fans and made them feel special. Her reverence for my father is what kept her going. When I got married, both my mothers did my “Kanyadan” (gave me away). They were a team from the start. I came to the USA in 1984 and my relationship with both my moms became long distance – despite this, they were unified looking after my needs. Whenever either visited, there would be goodies from both of them.

This tradition continued after my twins were born. It looked like God had created a miracle so they each had a bundle of joy they could pamper. My son was attached to my stepmother and my daughter enjoyed the attention from my mother. This camaraderie, unity and selfless teamwork was and is uncommon amongst divorced couples. As for me, because I did not have to make any difficult choices and there was so much harmony in the relationship with both of them , I did not grow up with any emotional baggage.

My stepmother and my father even after achieving celebrity status was not abashed about his divorce and supported/ took care of my mother through thick and thin till her last days. Their solidarity gave me a lot of peace of mind. These days, divorces are common and custody cases can get nasty, creating a negative impact on the child. Fighting parents is not an uncommon sight for children and if things just don’t work out then I think a seamless separation and giving the child a guilt free upbringing is the key. I was blessed that I did not have to choose and balance my affections, so in turn they were never competing for my attention.

I have fulfilled most of my dreams and now just want to support my children and whatever they do and live their dreams. I want to travel. I love planning events but with this pandemic the dynamics have changed so hoping to find a new avenue…I want to thank the Women Who Win team for inviting me to share my personal journey that I am blessed with. First by love of 2 mothers and now love of twins….

(Eshani Shah is an accomplished entrepreneur, award winning actor, event planner and a community leader combined with experience in two very distinct fields, Entertainment and National Security. Eshani’s leadership contribution includes organizing various theatrical as well as cultural events in the New England Area and helped non-profit organizations to raise funds for educational, cultural and religious purposes. She has volunteered her services and skills to many local Boston and National organizations. As a part of the executive team at S4, Eshani helped S4, Inc. growth over 700% in last 10 years which has been in top five growing companies of Boston Business Journal Pacesetter and fastest growing small business as rated by Inc 500. Being an award winning actress dancer herself she is also the owner of a very successful Entertainment/Event management company called Dhoom Entertainment which arranges programs all over USA.)

Founded in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, Women Who Win was born with the belief that every woman has a dream and a story to tell. Created by three South-Asian women based in Boston, Dr. Manju Sheth, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, and ShaleenSheth, Women Who Win is the platform that brings women of all cultures, industries, and age groups together. Their global network of contributors share inspiring, relatable, and relevant original stories, educating and empowering the everyday woman dreamer. Through education, empowerment, and a global community, they equip women with the tools and motivation to make their dreams a reality. Their platform covers all topics from women’s health, women in the workplace, women in tech, arts & lifestyle, wellness & workouts, and global recipes. With a global network of women in over 80 countries, their members learn from and inspire each other in their personal and professional careers, they invite you to join their leading women’s community here.

For more details on Women Who Win, and other brave and pioneering women featured, please visit: https://www.womenwhowin100.com/blog/how-my-family-dynamics-gave-me-a-new-path-eshani-shah-taarak-mehta

Share Your Dreams with Us By Joining Our Empowered Women’s Facebook Group ; Follow our Facebook Page; Connect on LinkedIn; Follow Us on Instagram; Explore our Website at: https://www.womenwhowin100.com

Will Indians Have Access To Twitter, Facebook Anymore?

May 27, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Media 0

Twitter, Facebook and others, which were required to abide by the rules notified in the gazette of India on February 25 under Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, have failed to comply on many accounts till date and could be shit down

The deadline to comply with the new legal rules, IT Rules 2021 introduced by the Modi Government there months ago ending on May 25, 2021, has threatened the operations of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter in India.According to top official sources, social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and others, which were required to abide by the rules notified in the gazette of India on February 25 under Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021, have failed to comply on many accounts till date. The government’s rules will come into effect from May 26.

If the companies fail to comply with the new rules, they could lose protection accorded to them under section 79 of the Information Technology Act. Section 79 gives social media intermediaries immunity from legal prosecution for content posted on their platforms.The rules were notified in the Gazette of India on February 25, and impose several restrictions on social media intermediaries such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and others. The rules also call for the players to enable tracing of the ‘original’ creator of a message or a tweet as maybe be directed or needed by the relevant authorities. For end-to-end encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp, such rules could pose a big challenge. It is not clear how WhatsApp or Facebook, its parent company, plan to comply with these.

The rules require social media intermediaries with more than 50 lakh users to have a clear mechanism for addressing user complaints and problems. The rules calls for companies to appoint a Chief Compliance Officer, who shall be responsible for ensuring compliance with the Act and Rules, a 24×7 Nodal Contact Person for coordination with law enforcement agencies and a Resident Grievance Officer, who shall perform the functions mentioned under Grievance Redressal Mechanism. All these officers need to be residents of India.

The rules also state that social media companies will need to publish a monthly compliance report on how they handle these user complaints. Further, if there are complaints against the dignity of women and children, the companies have to remove any such objectionable content within 24 hours.“If social media companies do not obey the rules, they may lose their status and protections as intermediaries and may become liable for criminal action as per the existing laws of India,” top official sources said.

Except one Indian social media company, Koo, sources said that none of the top social media intermediaries have appointed a resident grievance officer, a chief compliance officer and a nodal contact person yet.Sources said the failure of social media companies to make these appointments in three months has not gone down well with the government.

“We aim to comply with the provisions of the IT rules and continue to discuss a few of the issues which need more engagement with the government. Pursuant to the IT Rules, we are working to implement operational processes and improve efficiencies. Facebook remains committed to people’s ability to freely and safely express themselves on our platform,” a Facebook spokesperson said in a statement to the media.Sources said the social media platforms which were required to furnish monthly reports as to how many grievances were filed and settled, have failed to do so. Some of the platforms, sources said, have sought more time of up to six months for furnishing compliance.

For some platforms, sources said, the standard reply has been that they will await instructions from their company headquarters in the US, who in turn on their own will have an “expert assessment” to take a view.The US-based social media platforms have grown huge, thanks to their massive user base and profitable revenues in democracies like India. However, none of the platforms have shown any inclination to comply with India’s domestic laws. Instead, social media platforms have refused to be transparent about their fact-checking mechanism and their criteria to label tweets.

Sonal Shah-Led Asian American Foundation Raises $1 Billion to Fight Anti-Asian Hate

May 27, 2021June 3, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Women 0

Today’s historic announcement should send a clear signal to the 23 million AAPIs living in this country that TAAF and our AAPI Giving Challenge partners are here to upend the status quo in favor of a better, brighter future for AAPI communities.

Asian American Foundation, led by an Indian American, Sonal Shah along with prominent Asian American business leaders, launched less than a month ago, has raised more than $1 billion to support Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) announced of the historic and impressive fund raising success story, after President Joe Biden signed legislation aimed at curtailing the rise in hate crimes against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States.

“TAFF was founded to close critical gaps of support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and end the longstanding underinvestment in our communities,” said Shah, who previously served as a deputy assistant to former President Barack Obama. “Today’s historic announcement should send a clear signal to the 23 million AAPIs living in this country that TAAF and our AAPI Giving Challenge partners are here to upend the status quo in favor of a better, brighter future for AAPI communities.”

Sonal Shah, the foundation’s president, and TAAF board members were at the White House, where they briefed administration officials, including domestic policy adviser Susan Rice. They discussed how the foundation plans to spend the $1.1 billion in donations to fight back against hate crimes directed at these communities, according to a statement from the foundation. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris dropped by the meeting to express their support, the foundation said.

The foundation had previously announced that it had raised $300 million from its board members and other donors. More donors have since pledged contributions to its “AAPI Giving Challenge,” an initiative to bring additional funding to Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations that have traditionally been neglected in philanthropy.

The Asian American Foundation has said its giving will focus on supporting organizations and leaders measuring and challenging violence against Asian American and Pacific Islanders; developing a common data standard that tracks violence and hate incidents; and helping create K-12 and college curriculums that “reflect the history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders as part of the American story.”

Members of the foundation’s advisory council, including CNN host Lisa Ling and actor Daniel Dae Kim, virtually joined the White House meeting alongside representatives from donors, including Mastercard and the MacArthur Foundation.Separately, TAFF is producing a TV special designed to expand support for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The program, called “See Us Unite for Change — The Asian American Foundation in service of the AAPI Community,” aired May 21 on multiple channels, including MTV, BET, VH1 and Comedy Central.

Sonal Shah is a Professor at Georgetown University, and was the Founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation (2014-20).Sonal served as Deputy Assistant to the President for President Obama and founded the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. She has extensive experience in the public sector including as an international economist at the Department of Treasury, setting set up the central bank in Bosnia, working post conflict reconstruction in Kosovo, and implementing poverty reduction strategies in Africa and financial crises in Asia and Latin America.

She has extensive private sector experience. At Google, Sonal led technology initiative for civic voice and investing for impact as the head of Global Development Initiatives. At Goldman Sachs, she developed the environmental strategy and ran the initiatives, including investing clean technologies at Goldman Sachs.One of Sonal’s most proud accomplishments is working with her siblings to create a non-profit, Indicorps, to build a new generation of socially conscious global leaders. Indicorps created the service movement in India inspiring and incubating new social enterprises like Teach for India and Sarvajal.

Sonal serves on the boards of Oxfam America, the UBS Optimus Foundation, the Case Foundation Non Profit Finance Fund, Voto Latino, and The Century Foundation. She also serves as an adviser to the Democracy Fund and is coordinating the Initiative on Tech & Society at Georgetown University.

Dr. Kiran Patel Invests In Mumbai-Based EV Charging Startup

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Finance/Economy, Profile 0

An eminent Indian-American cardiologist and philanthropist, has raised more than $15mn in Series A funding for a Mumbai-based electric vehicle charging solutions company, Magenta EV Solutions. Besides being a cardiologist, Dr. Kiran Patel is a billionaire and a serial entrepreneur.

“My wife and I have always believed in building a legacy by partnering with companies who are passionate in making this planet better for the next generation. I met the Magenta team over lunch when I was in India and within minutes into the discussion, I felt I found a team who are as passionate as I am, to bring about a difference,” Dr. Patel said.

Founded by Maxson Lewis and Darryl Dias, Magenta was Incorporated in 2017, and in the last three years, it has established itself as a key player in the EV charging market under the ChargeGrid brand. The company aims to have a share of 30% in the Indian EV charging market, which it estimates to be 3000 GW.hr by 2030.Seed funded by HPCL and incubated by Shell, ChargeGrid is also backed by the Microsoft Startup Program to further boost its advanced technology platform. At present, Magenta has operations in more than 10 cities.

“With Dr. Kiran Patel coming aboard, Magenta would be exposed to global markets, backed by financial and strategical management bandwidth. Dr. Patel has been investing and supporting start-ups and early-stage businesses in India and across the globe and mentor them through their scale-up journey,” said the company in a statement. It further added that Pantomath Capital Advisors Private Limited is the sole investment banker to Magenta for the transaction.In 2018, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd invested in Magenta Power, as it plans to get into the electric vehicle charging business in the future.

“Magenta provides end-to-end hardware, software, installation, operations and maintenance of electric vehicle charging solutions. Magenta will expand its product line with new streetlamp integrated EV charger, one of many new innovative products currently under development,” said the company in the above-mentioned statement.Lack of charging stations has been one of the biggest impediments for adoption of electric mobility in the country and startups like Magenta are playing a crucial role in developing low-cost chargers which can be deployed in different parts of the country.

The Indian government in collaboration with manufacturers of electric vehicles and charging devices has been developing a low-cost charging device for electric two and three-wheelers which is expected to help push the adoption of such vehicles in the coming years.The Narendra Modi government has been urging vehicle manufacturers to develop and manufacture electric vehicles to reduce vehicular emissions and curb oil imports. The union government has also been incentivizing the purchase of such zero-emission vehicles and setting up of changing devices through the second phase of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing Electric and Hybrid vehicle (FAME) scheme.

Dr. Patel has generously contributed his fortune for several noble causes in India, his country of origin, the United States, his adopted country, and Zambia, the country of his birth. Dr. Patel is also the Chairman and President of Optimum Healthcare, Inc.All philanthropic campaigns, contributions and projects have resulted from his passion for health, education and charity. That’s why he has also commissioned Drs. Kiran and Pallavi Global University, a 120-acre institute under construction in India.Sharing his own experiences of investing in the state of Gujarat and in the United States, Dr. Patel, said, with the state requiring more trained personnel to support the growing needs, he is willing to establish a Medical College in Rajasthan.

Dr. Patel, a very soft spoken physician of Indian origin, said the projects combine his passions for health education and charity. In his first venture in running a university, he hopes to fulfill a need for competent doctors in the area while also educating generations of physicians who can serve in underprivileged areas across the globe.Dr. Patel had purchased the former Clearwater Christian College property with a goal of developing an osteopathic medical school in his home-state, Florida. The Indian American physician closed on the $12 million purchase of the 25-acre campus overlooking Old Tampa Bay at the west end of the Courtney Campbell Causeway.

Biden Signs Covid-19 Hate Crime Act

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Nation USA 0

Following overwhelming support from both chambers of Congress, President Biden signed legislation last week that addresses hate crimes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with particular emphasis on the increase in violence against Asian Americans.

At an event in the East Room of the White House, Biden thanked lawmakers for coming together to pass the legislation. He said standing against hatred and racism, which he called “the ugly poison that has long haunted and plagued our nation,” is what brings Americans together.”My message to all of those who are hurting is: We see you and the Congress has said, we see you. And we are committed to stop the hatred and the bias,” he said.

Indian-American civil rights organizations have welcomed President Joe Biden signing into law the Covid-19 Hate Crime Act. Sim J Singh, senior policy and advocacy manager at the Sikh Coalition, welcomed the law adding an online hate-crime reporting system. It will be be great for the communities of color which face a language barrier as well as a culture barrier in communicating with law enforcement, he said. “To curb hate crimes, we need accurate data. Having this data will help to identify the prevention strategies required to keep our communities safe,” Singh told indica News.

He also welcomed the passage of the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act along with the Covid-19 Hate Crime Act that was signed by President Biden. The NO HATE Act was named in honor of two victims, Khalid Jabara and Heather Heyer, whose murders were prosecuted as hate crimes but not appropriately included in hate-crime statistics. “This marks the first necessary step towards resolving the longstanding problem of hate in our nation,” Singh said, referring to the Jabara-Heyer Act. He said it was made possible after years of advocacy by civil rights organizations.

The Sikh Coalition was among the first organizations to support the Jabara-Heyer NO HATE Act when it was first introduced in 2019, and again when the new Congress reintroduced it in April 2021.Singh said that the Sikh Coalition also offered inputs in language that was added to the law.

Highlighting the rise in hate crime after 9/11, said, Singh said the Sikh Coalition has always advocated for better hate-crime reporting and victim support services. And since the FBI started collecting hate-crime data in 2015, anti-Sikh hate crimes have seen, on average, a year over year increase exceeding 100 percent.

“We are now documented by the FBI as the top five most targeted faith group,” Singh said. “What we know from our own reporting that shocking figure still only captures fraction of the hate-crime that Sikhs experience in the United States. “Our organization has been advocating for a long time for the need to prove hate-crime reporting data because data is going to help determine what policy are being effective and what is not,” he said.

“The passage of today’s law is the first step in understanding that data and acknowledging hate-crime to law enforcement but we have a long way to go.“We need to see more training in hate-crime initiatives. We need to see stronger enforcement of hate-crime laws and we need also to make sure that loopholes in the deferral law are fixed, mixed murder hate-crime be persecuted as well,” Singh said.

Samir Kalra, managing director, Hindu American Foundation, applauded “Congressional leaders and President Biden for passing and signing into law this important bipartisan legislation.” “The bill squarely confronts the anti-Asian and anti-Indian sentiments that have been rising in America and which is exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic,” Kalra said. “Out of all that hate and negativity was born a good, positive piece of legislation that all Americans can be proud of, especially Asian Americans.

SrutiSuryanarayanan, research & communications associate at South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) told the media, “While we are pleased to see a stronger response and acknowledgment of hate violence that is driven by racist policy and rhetoric from the government, we hoped that the lessons of the Movement for Black Lives would guide our policy makers to find solutions that do not continue to reply on increased law enforcement,”

Vice President Kamala Harris said: “Racism exists in America. Xenophobia exists in America. Anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia, it all exists. This bill brings us one step closer to stopping hate, not just against Asian Americans, but for all Americans.”

World Population On The Decline, With Sweeping Ramifications

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Lifestyle 0

All over the world, countries are confronting population stagnation and a fertility bust, a dizzying reversal unmatched in recorded history that will make first-birthday parties a rarer sight than funerals, and empty homes a common eyesore.Maternity wards are already shutting down in Italy. Ghost cities are appearing in northeastern China. Universities in South Korea can’t find enough students, and in Germany, hundreds of thousands of properties have been razed, with the land turned into parks.

Like an avalanche, the demographic forces — pushing toward more deaths than births — seem to be expanding and accelerating. Though some countries continue to see their populations grow, especially in Africa, fertility rates are falling nearly everywhere else. Demographers now predict that by the latter half of the century or possibly earlier, the global population will enter a sustained decline for the first time.

A planet with fewer people could ease pressure on resources, slow the destructive impact of climate change and reduce household burdens for women. But the census announcements this month from China and the United States, which showed the slowest rates of population growth in decades for both countries, also point to hard-to-fathom adjustments.

The strain of longer lives and low fertility, leading to fewer workers and more retirees, threatens to upend how societies are organized — around the notion that a surplus of young people will drive economies and help pay for the old. It may also require a reconceptualization of family and nation. Imagine entire regions where everyone is 70 or older. Imagine governments laying out huge bonuses for immigrants and mothers with lots of children. Imagine a gig economy filled with grandparents and Super Bowl ads promoting procreation.

“A paradigm shift is necessary,” said Frank Swiaczny, a German demographer who was the chief of population trends and analysis for the United Nations until last year. “Countries need to learn to live with and adapt to decline.”

The ramifications and responses have already begun to appear, especially in East Asia and Europe. From Hungary to China, from Sweden to Japan, governments are struggling to balance the demands of a swelling older cohort with the needs of young people whose most intimate decisions about childbearing are being shaped by factors both positive (more work opportunities for women) and negative (persistent gender inequality and high living costs).

The 20th century presented a very different challenge. The global population saw its greatest increase in known history, from 1.6 billion in 1900 to 6 billion in 2000, as life spans lengthened and infant mortality declined. In some countries — representing about a third of the world’s people — those growth dynamics are still in play. By the end of the century, Nigeria could surpass China in population; across sub-Saharan Africa, families are still having four or five children.

But nearly everywhere else, the era of high fertility is ending. As women have gained more access to education and contraception, and as the anxieties associated with having children continue to intensify, more parents are delaying pregnancy and fewer babies are being born. Even in countries long associated with rapid growth, such as India and Mexico, birthrates are falling toward, or are already below, the replacement rate of 2.1 children per family.

The change may take decades, but once it starts, decline (just like growth) spirals exponentially. With fewer births, fewer girls grow up to have children, and if they have smaller families than their parents did — which is happening in dozens of countries — the drop starts to look like a rock thrown off a cliff.“It becomes a cyclical mechanism,” said Stuart GietelBasten, an expert on Asian demographics and a professor of social science and public policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. “It’s demographic momentum.”

Some countries, like the United States, Australia and Canada, where birthrates hover between 1.5 and 2, have blunted the impact with immigrants. But in Eastern Europe, migration out of the region has compounded depopulation, and in large parts of Asia, the “demographic time bomb” that first became a subject of debate a few decades ago has finally gone off.

South Korea’s fertility rate dropped to a record low of 0.92 in 2019 — less than one child per woman, the lowest rate in the developed world. Every month for the past 59 months, the total number of babies born in the country has dropped to a record depth.Families in sub-Saharan Africa are often still having four or five children. By the end of the century, Nigeria could surpass China in population.Credit…Luis Tato/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

That declining birthrate, coupled with a rapid industrialization that has pushed people from rural towns to big cities, has created what can feel like a two-tiered society. While major metropolises like Seoul continue to grow, putting intense pressure on infrastructure and housing, in regional towns it’s easy to find schools shut and abandoned, their playgrounds overgrown with weeds, because there are not enough children.

Expectant mothers in many areas can no longer find obstetricians or postnatal care centers. Universities below the elite level, especially outside Seoul, find it increasingly hard to fill their ranks — the number of 18-year-olds in South Korea has fallen from about 900,000 in 1992 to 500,000 today. To attract students, some schools have offered scholarships and even iPhones.

To goose the birthrate, the government has handed out baby bonuses. It increased child allowances and medical subsidies for fertility treatments and pregnancy. Health officials have showered newborns with gifts of beef, baby clothes and toys. The government is also building kindergartens and day care centers by the hundreds. In Seoul, every bus and subway car has pink seats reserved for pregnant women.

But this month, Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki admitted that the government — which has spent more than $178 billion over the past 15 years encouraging women to have more babies — was not making enough progress. In many families, the shift feels cultural and permanent.A village school in Gangjin County, South Korea, has enrolled illiterate older people so that it can stay open as the number of children in the area has dwindled.Credit…Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

“My grandparents had six children, and my parents five, because their generations believed in having multiple children,” said Kim Mi-kyung, 38, a stay-at-home parent. “I have only one child. To my and younger generations, all things considered, it just doesn’t pay to have many children.”Even in countries like India that have long been associated with rapid growth, birth rates are falling toward, or are already below, the replacement rate of 2.1 children per family.

The population in Capracotta has dramatically aged and contracted — from about 5,000 people to 800. The town’s carpentry shops have shut down. The organizers of a soccer tournament struggled to form even one team.More people in more countries may soon be searching for their own metaphors. Birth projections often shift based on how governments and families respond, but according to projections by an international team of scientists published last year in The Lancet, 183 countries and territories — out of 195 — will have fertility rates below replacement level by 2100.In a speech last week during a conference on Italy’s birthrate crisis, Pope Francis said the “demographic winter” was still “cold and dark.”

AAPI’s 39th Annual Convention Will Be Held from July 2nd to 5th

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Health 0

“The 39th Annual AAPI Convention & Scientific Assembly will be held from July 2^nd 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.

Planned to have a limited number of attendance due to the ongoing Coivd pandemic and the taking into account the safety of the participants, 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.

The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter, headed 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 program 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.”

As though responding to the growing need: “Physician, heal thyself,” especially when there are growing signs of burn out among physicians, AAPI is 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, Dr. AnupamaGotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI said.

Accordingly, some of the major themes as part of the CME sessions include: Pursuit of Happiness In Medicine; Burnout Prevention and Wellness in Physicians; Easy 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, Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI elaborated.

In addition to offering over 12 hours of cutting edge CMEs to the physicians, the convention will have CEOs Forum, fabulous entertainment, and women’s leadership forum, the convention will be addressed by senior world leaders, including US Senators, Presidential candidates, Governors, Congressmen, and celebrities from the Hollywood and Bollywood world, Dr. Amit Chakrbarty, Secretary of AAPI said.

According to Dr. SatheeshKathula, Treasurer of AAPI, “The AAPI Convention offers an opportunity to meet, interact and network directly with the physicians and leaders in healthcare industry, who are competent and committed in their fields and play an integral part in the decision-making process regarding new products and services.”

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 37 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

Will The Blind Be Able To See Again? There Is Hope For Millions

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

The darkness descends slowly for people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease that affects 2 million people worldwide. The condition is typically diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, but it can take until middle age before a person’s vision has deteriorated severely enough that they are fully or effectively blind. When the lights finally do go out, however, they stay out.

Or that’s the way things used to be. In a breakthrough study published today in Nature Medicine, investigators report a relatively simple yet remarkably effective way to restore partial vision to RP patients—one that, with further study, may soon have wide application.

The key lies in the rod-shaped photoreceptors that principally govern peripheral vision and the cone-shaped receptors that give us our central view of the world. In people with RP, mutations in more than 70 genes cause slow deterioration of the rods, leading to tunnel vision, and later the cones, leading to blindness. Light still streams into the eye through the unaffected lens, and that light could still make its way to the brain via the optic nerve. But the retina, which lies between the two, no longer works.

A team of researchers, led by Dr. José-Alain Sahel, professor of ophthalmology at Sorbonne University and the University of Pittsburgh, however, thought they might have a way to bring the retina back into the game: ChrimsonR, a protein that opens electrical channels in neurons and makes them reactive to light. The trick was finding a way to deliver the protein—and the answer was to genetically manipulate a harmless adenovirus so that it carried ChrimsonR; the virus was then injected into the fluid-filled portion of the eye behind the lens.

“The ChrimsonR sparks electrical activity,” says Sahel. “It transforms the cells and makes them able to absorb light, though it takes a while—about four months—for the cells to take up the virus and the protein with it.”

Nonhuman primate studies showed that the technique did not harm the eye, and also helped the researchers establish the proper dose of Chrimson4 to sensitize the retinal cells. For the human trial, Sahel and his team worked with a 58-year-old man who had been diagnosed with RP 40 years earlier and whose vision was limited to rudimentary light perception. They treated the poorer functioning of his two eyes—in order to spare the marginally healthier one if anything went wrong with the experiment—and injected it with a single dose of the altered virus.

Assuming the experiment worked, the next steps would not be nearly so simple as waiting the required four months or so until the man’s vision simply returned in the treated eye. ChrimsonR is not remotely sufficient to restore the exquisitely complex interplay of rods and cones that give healthy eyes their rich, colorful, three-dimensional view of the world. Rather, it sensitizes cells mostly in the amber spectrum, making shapes and shadows discernible at that color frequency. What’s more, a healthy retina reacts in real time to the amount and intensity of light striking it, becoming more reactive in low-light conditions and less reactive in bright light, to prevent damage to retinal cells. To see at all through the treated eye, the patient needs to wear a pair of goggles that shifts incoming light to the amber spectrum and regulates it to a safe intensity.

“The eye needs a lot of light, but there is the danger that it could be a toxic level,” says Sahel. “Without the goggles it could be like the patient looking directly into the sun.”

While waiting for the ChrimsonR to take effect, members of Sahel’s team worked with the patient, training him with the goggles and running tests to see if he could distinguish objects placed on a table, point to them, count them, and pick them up. Over repeated trials, there were no results—until finally, as Sahel recalls it, he got a call from one of his team members with a simple message: “He sees.”

At right around the four-month mark, the subject began achieving remarkable results on all of the lab tests. And in the months since that breakthrough, he has become able to navigate his world in new ways: he can detect the crosswalk at an intersection and count the number of white stripes demarcating it; perceive objects like a plate, a mug and a phone; spot a piece of furniture in a room and see a door in a corridor. “He can also,” adds Sahel, “detect where people are.”

Sahel believes the results will be long-lasting, or even close to permanent. “We think this could last at least 10 years or it could be for a lifetime,” he says. “If not, we can always go back and re-inject.”

As to whether the treatment is ready for practical application beyond the one patient, Sahel says the answer is “a small yes and a big no.” The small yes is that the work was merely a feasibility study (but by any measure, it succeeded spectacularly). The big no is that a great deal more research must be conducted to learn more about dosing levels, to improve both the goggles and the training patients go through to use them, and to figure out when in the course of a person’s RP is the right time to begin the treatment—Sahel notes that for now, at least the procedure is only for people with very advanced disease. “People with RP can retain central vision for many years,” he says. “You always have to weigh the benefit versus the risk.”

Dr. Bellamkonda Kishore Honored with Outstanding Editor Award in Renal and Epithelial Physiology

May 27, 2021May 29, 2021 Staff ReporterProfile 0

Dr. Bellamkonda Kishore has been honored with the Outstanding Editor Award in Renal and Epithelial Physiology Specialty Section by Frontiers in Physiology, a Switzerland-based publication last week.

In a message sent to Dr. Kishore, Publishing Development Journal Manager at Frontiers in Lausanne in Switzerland, Georgina Harris, PhD 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.”

Mr. 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!”

Dr. Kishore has more 30 years of research experience in renal physiology, pathophysiology and experimental therapeutics gained in India, Japan, Beligum and the United States, which includes the Intramural Research Program of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland. Currently he directs an internationally recognized research program at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System and the University of Utah Health. His current research focuses on the role of purinergic signaling in the genesis of clinically relevant water balance disorders, diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance, and vasopressin excessive states, such as cirrhosis of liver, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and others.

Dr. Kishore and his collaborators identified and filed patents for novel drug targets for the treatment of acquired NDI and diet-induced obesity, and vasopressin excessive states. In addition, Dr. Kishore and his collaborators developed and patented a novel method to induce proliferation of erythropoietin (EPO)-producing cells in the kidney. Over the years, Dr. Kishore’s research has been funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Foundation of Utah & Idaho, University of Utah Research Foundation, Western Institute for Biomedical Research and Eye Foundation of America. Dr. Kishore was recently appointed the Chief Editor of JAAPI, the Journal of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin.

The poetical Tribute, A Pandemic Gitanjali by Dr. Kishore on The Pandemic: Covid -19 displays this unique skills as a writer and thoughtful leader in the Healthcare Industry.

America’s Hoteliers Come Together for India COVID Relief

May 27, 2021November 8, 2022 Staff ReporterTourism 0

America’s hotel owners are coming together to support COVID relief in India as a new wave of infections spreads throughout the country. AAHOA donated $100,000 to LPS of USA, Tiny Smiling Faces (DalubhaiGoaplbhai Patel Fund), and Bavaji Charities in support of the charities’ ongoing COVID relief efforts in the subcontinent.

“Throughout the past year, AAHOA and AAHOA Members made valuable contributions in their communities by donating personal protective equipment, providing meals to those in need, housing at-risk populations, and supporting local charities,” AAHOA Chairman Biran Patel said. “Many in our industry have strong family and business ties to India, and we are increasingly worried about the crisis the country is facing with the spread of COVID-19. That is why AAHOA donated $100,000 to groups working to stop the spread and help those in need.”

“Our industry and our communities continue to struggle from the economic fallout of the pandemic, but we can see hope on the horizon. Although we are focused on our own recovery, we cannot turn a blind eye to those who continue to face the dire consequences of this virus,” AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton said.

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.

Indian American International Chamber of Commerce Meets Law Makers

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

In the wake of the pandemic decimating lives and businesses across the world and the United States, a delegation of Indian American International Chamber of Commerce, Inc.IAICC Executive Board Members, and the Consul General of India in Atlanta, recently met with the Governor of Mississippi (MS), Tate Reeves, Senator Cindy HydeSmith, Senator Roger Wicker, and other state officials. The objective of the meetings held in Mississippi was to offer assistance in the economic development of the State.

The delegation, that visited Mississippi from April 14-16, included IAICC President & CEO, KV Kumar, Consul General Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni, IAICC Vice Chairman & SE Regional Chair, Dr. N. Neelagaru, IAICC Executive Board Member and Chair of Forum on Women in Business & Leadership, Dr. Annapurna Bhat, SE Regional Vice Chair, Dr. Subrahmanya Bhat, IAICC MS Chapter Chairman, Jayanthilal (Jerry) Patel, IAICC MS Chapter President & Vice President of IAICC Forum on Women in Business and Leadership, Monica Harrigill, MS Chapter Vice Chairman Sumesh Arora, and IAICC Congressional Liaison, Larry Harvey.

On April 14th , the delegation visited Port Gibson to consider an economic development project. The delegation met the Claiborne County President, Mayor of Port Gibson City and the Executive Director of Claiborne County and discussed details of the project. On April 15th, the delegation met Mayor Dan Gibson of the City of Natchez, who presented the Key to Natchez to Mr. Kumar, and Dr. Kulkarni at a banquet hosted by Mayor Gibson. He also hosted a lunch in honor of the delegation.

On April 16th, during the meeting, Governor Reeves welcomed IAICC’s initiative to improve the economic situation in the State. Mr. Kumar appreciated the support of Governor Reeves for IAICC and said the Chamber’s partnership with Mississippi will not only benefit businesses across the State but also the adjoining States. Dr. Kulkarni told Governor Reeves that the delegation was very pleased with the meeting and hoped there will be a positive momentum in terms of economic development in Mississippi. She also said that she is looking forward to IAICC and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) to coordinate a plan for Governor Reeves to visit India soon.

The delegation had meetings with Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, Mayor of the City of Brookhaven, Joe Cox, Commissioner Agriculture & Commerce, Andy Gipson, and Executive Director of MDA, John Rounsaville, and discussed a number of strategies to improve trade relations between Mississippi and India as well. T. VishnudattaJayaraman Communications Director Tel: (201) 615 3388 Email: tvjayaraman@iaicc.world Website: www.iaicc.world

Indian American International Chamber of Commerce Promote and foster economic development of the United States of America, Republic of India together with the rest of the world for the benefit of all Promote and foster economic development of the United States of America, Republic of India together with the rest of the world for the benefit of all Dr. Kulkarni thanked Senator Hyde-Smith for hosting meetings and for the warm Southern hospitality. She further stressed that the MDA will take a positive decision to setup a Trade Office in India, similar to what South Carolina has done. This will definitely boost the bilateral trade and act as a win-win situation for both Mississippi and India.

The IAICC MS Chapter hosted a reception and dinner for Senator Roger Wicker, with attendance from the visiting delegation, state officials, and local business leaders. During his keynote speech, Senator Wicker praised the work of Mr. Kumar, Dr. Kulkarni, and the Indian American Community for their sincere efforts to improve on economic situation in Mississippi. Dr. Kulkarni praised Mr. Kumar’s work and said, “It has been my good luck to have a friend like you to advice and help in promoting India-US trade and investment ties through a sustainable platform of IAICC.” Mr. Kumar invited Governor Reeves, his cabinet members, Senator Hyde-Smith, Senator Wicker, Mayor Gibson, Mayor Cox, Commissioner Gipson, Executive Director Rounsaville, and business leaders to join the IAICC delegation to India and also invited them to join IAICC 30th Anniversary celebrations in the spring of 2022.

Big Tech Firms Seek Creative Ways To Deal With Hybrid Work Paradox

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy, Technology 0

Admitting that hybrid work paradox is here to stay amid the pandemic, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has outlined a detailed approach about how his company is going to tackle the biggest shift to global workplace that requires a new operating model, spanning people, places and processes.

As some countries open and others like India and Brazil face their worst pandemic days, Nadella said that every organization’s approach will need to be different to meet the unique needs of their people. “According to our research, the vast majority of employees say they want more flexible remote work options, but at the same time also say they want more in-person collaboration, post-pandemic. This is the hybrid work paradox,” Nadella said in a blog post.He outlined three areas for Microsoft for hybrid work.

“First, we are moving all employees off corporate networks and taking an internet-first approach. An internet-first approach reduces exposure and gives employees a consistent experience whether they are at home or in the office,” Nadella informed.

“Second, at home, we are asking all employees who continue to work remotely, either full or part time, to run a test of their home networks to ensure they are secure”.

He then emphasized on device security. “All corporate resources will be managed so that you have secure, trusted access. Whether employees are at home or in the office, we will require that every mobile device that needs to access corporate resources is managed. This includes a company-wide rollout of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint,” Nadella noted.
On people, Microsoft said it is prioritizing three things: social capital, knowledge capital and human capital. “The second area that will undergo transformation is places. In this new era of hybrid work, we will no longer rely solely on shared physical location or a campus to collaborate, connect, or build social capital. But that doesn’t mean physical places and spaces aren’t important. They will just need to be re-imagined,” the Microsoft CEO explained.
Every business process will be impacted by the move to hybrid, and every business function will need to transform. “From product development and manufacturing, to marketing, sales, customer service, and facilities, HR, and IT, every business process will need to be adjusted,” he added.

Reiterating that his home country India as well as Brazil are going through their most difficult moments of the pandemic, Alphabet and Google CEO SundarPichai has laid down a detailed roadmap on how the future of work will unfold for millions across the globe.Kicking off the I/O Developers Conference from the Mountain View campus late on Tuesday, Pichai said that Covid-19 has deeply affected the entire global community over the past year and continues to take a toll.

“Places such as Brazil, and my home country of India, are now going through their most difficult moments of the pandemic yet. Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by COVID and we are all hoping for better days ahead,” he stressed.Pichai said that the company continues to build a more helpful Google, for everyone.
“One of the biggest ways we can help is by reimagining the future of work. Over the last year, we’ve seen work transform in unprecedented ways, as offices and coworkers have been replaced by kitchen countertops and pets,” he noted.

“Many companies, including ours, will continue to offer flexibility even when it’s safe to be in the same office again. Collaboration tools have never been more critical, and today we announced a new smart canvas experience in Google Workspace that enables even richer collaboration,” Pichai told the virtual audience of over 2,00,000 people.
He informed that there are 150 million students and educators learning virtually over the last year with Google Classroom.“Other times it’s about helping in little moments that add up to big changes for everyone. For example, we’re introducing safer routing in Maps. This AI-powered capability in Maps can identify road, weather and traffic conditions where you are likely to brake suddenly; our aim is to reduce up to 100 million events like this every year,” he said.

Stressing on the role of AI, Pichai said the company has used the technology to improve the core Search experience for billions of people by taking a huge leap forward in a computer’s ability to process natural language. “Yet, there are still moments when computers just don’t understand us. That’s because language is endlessly complex: We use it to tell stories, crack jokes and share ideas ï¿½ weaving in concepts we’ve learned over the course of our lives. The richness and flexibility of language make it one of humanity’s greatest tools and one of computer science’s greatest challenges,” Pichai elaborated.He then introduced latest research in natural language understanding: LaMDA.

LaMDA is a language model for dialogue applications. It’s open domain, which means it is designed to converse on any topic.“We’re focused on ensuring LaMDA meets our incredibly high standards on fairness, accuracy, safety and privacy, and that it is developed consistently with our AI Principles,” he added.

Several years ago, Google kicked off a project called Project Starline to use technology to explore what’s possible.Using high-resolution cameras and custom-built depth sensors, it captures your shape and appearance from multiple perspectives, and then fuses them together to create an extremely detailed, real-time 3D model.

“The resulting data is many gigabits per second, so to send an image this size over existing networks, we developed novel compression and streaming algorithms that reduce the data by a factor of more than 100,” said Pichai. (IANS)

Rep. Krishnamoorthi Announces The NOVID Act To Protect US From Risk Of New Coronavirus Strains By Defeating The Virus Abroad

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

Following new CDC guidance that fully vaccinated Americans can remove masks and resume normal activities, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi announced the Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate (NOVID) Act, an expansive coronavirus prevention program that will ensure Americans are not subject to another deadly surge of COVID-19 domestically.

Inspired by the Lend-Lease Act the United States used to provide vital supplies to allies during the Second World War and based on the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) program which has helped save 20 million lives since 2003, the bill would limit the emergence of COVID variants which could threaten outbreaks in the United States by helping to end outbreaks abroad which enable such mutations.

According to a recent survey by Oxfam, 88% of international epidemiologists report that persistent low vaccine coverage in many countries would make it more likely for vaccine resistant mutations to appear, while 66% said we had a year or less before the virus mutates to the extent that the majority of first-generation vaccines will become ineffective. Notably, the threat posed by these mutations can be reduced by expanded American efforts to combat the pandemic abroad which will reduce the virus’ capacity to develop these mutations.

“While we’ve made excellent progress in countering the COVID-19 pandemic here at home as evident by the CDC’s new mask guidance, the coronavirus outbreaks devastating other parts of the world continue to represent an enormous threat to our domestic progress as those surges dramatically increase the risk of double and triple mutation variants which our current vaccines may not be able to stop,” said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi.

“Because of that, it’s essential that we end these outbreaks now to drastically reduce the risk and range of these mutations forming and threatening the success of our pandemic response. That’s why I’m introducing legislation to protect Americans from new variants of the coronavirus by helping our partners abroad defeat COVID outbreaks and limit the development of vaccine-resistant strains. Just as the Lend-Lease Act helped us win the Second World War by providing our allies with resources to help us defeat fascism far from our shores, this legislation will help us win the battle against new strains of coronavirus by reducing the risk of their reaching the United States.”

Under the NOVID Act, the United States would establish the $19 billion Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program (PanPReP) through the State Department, modelled on PEPFAR, to oversee and coordinate the U.S. global strategy for the COVID-19 pandemic. The PanPReP would work with international partners and host countries to procure enough vaccines to inoculate 60% of the populations of the 92 low- and middle-income countries eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) program in order to drastically reduce the emergence of dangerous new virus variants.

Legislation would dramatically expand American aid to India, Argentina, and other nations to end COVID surges through vaccination, reducing risk of dangerous new variants.

To ensure effective administration of the vaccines, the program would include ensuring their end-to-end delivery. PanPReP would also work with manufacturers to rapidly scale up production capacity of vaccines and their components in order to secure sufficient supply to achieve herd immunity in COVAX nations and to prepare for any subsequent production of second-generation vaccines necessary to counter new virus strains in the United States and abroad.

India Denies State-Owned Banks Will Withdraw Funds From Foreign Currency Accounts

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

The Indian government has denied reports that it has asked state-owned banks to withdraw funds from foreign currency accounts abroad in anticipation of their potential seizure with regard to the Cairn legal dispute, terming such information as “false and baseless”.

“Condemning all such source-based reports as false, the Government of India said that these are totally incorrect reports which were not based on true facts. Certain vested parties appear to have orchestrated such misleading reporting, which often relies upon unnamed sources and presents a lopsided picture of factual and legal developments in the case,” said an official statement.

It said that the India is “vigorously” defending its case in this legal dispute, and has filed an application on March 22 to set aside the “highly flawed” December 2020 international arbitral award in The Hague Court of Appeal.“The government has raised several arguments that warrant setting aside the award. This proceeding is pending,” the government said, adding that it is committed to pursuing all legal avenues to defend its case in this dispute worldwide.

It was also stated that the CEO and the representatives of Cairns have approached the government for discussions to resolve the matter. “Constructive discussions have been held and the Government remains open for an amicable solution to the dispute within the country’s legal framework,” the Finance Ministry statement said. (IANS)

Indian Couple Holds Mid-Air Wedding ‘To Escape CovidRestrictions’

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Culture 0

An Indian couple reportedly chartered a plane and held a mid-air wedding with more than 160 guests in an effort to escape coronavirus restrictions.Video footage posted on social media appeared to show the couple and their guests packed into the hired jet.The state of Tamil Nadu, where the flight was said to have originated, recently imposed tougher restrictions, limiting weddings to 50 guests.India’s aviation authority has launched an investigation, reports said.

An official from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) told the Times of India that the SpiceJet staff aboard the flight had been taken off duty.A SpiceJet spokesperson told the media that the Boeing 737 was booked from Madurai to Bangalore by a travel agent for a trip after a wedding.The spokesperson said the client was “clearly briefed on Covid guidelines to be followed and denied permission for any activity to be performed on board”.

India is suffering a devastating second wave of coronavirus that has killed at least 300,000 people, according to official figures. Experts estimate that the real death toll is far higher.Hospitals and crematoriums in the country have been overwhelmed in recent weeks, leading to severe oxygen shortages and bodies being burned around the clock.

Many families unable to afford the costs of cremation have illegally buried their loved ones on the banks of the river Ganges or pushed their bodies into the river’s waters, raising fears that the death toll is being significantly under-counted.

Candles Help Ease And De-Stress Your Body And Mind

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterLifestyle 0

Considering the amount of time we’ve been spending indoors, our homes have truly become our havens. As we battle out several things and our homes still serve as refuge, a beautiful way to nourish your space is by stocking up on beautiful, mood-lifting candles.

Home grown artisanal green perfumer, NasoProfumi, brings you an array of pure soy wax candles which contain healing powers that help ease and de-stress your body and mind. The healing properties of these natural ingredients are very effective for revival and rejuvenation.

Pick from an array of candles to freshen and brighten your home this season. While the candle burns creating a soothing aroma, dip your fingertips and use the pure soy on the back of your wrist and side of your neck for healing properties.

SAFFRON INFUSED IN MUSK & AMBER

The hearty saffron releases serotonin in the body and helps fight depression and anxiety. Sweet Amber opens the throat centre, treating goiters and other throat problems. It also improves self-esteem and confidence. The hearty saffron with musk and amber, helps fight anxiety and depression. It lures you to the bright side. A soothing musk infused in hearty saffron makes the atmosphere calm, warm and soothing, eases your mind. Helps in focus and concentration.

Price – 4,000.00, Pure Soy Wax Candle, Burns: 50 Hours, 610g/21.5oz

MUD INFUSED IN OUD

An Instant mood booster for your everyday work from home schedule to renew and replenish the mind body and soul.

Price – 4,000.00, Pure Soy Wax Candle, Burns: 50 Hours, 610g/21.5oz

BASIL INFUSED IN SAMBAC

Derived from the Persian word Yasmin, Jasmine literally translates to “Gift of God.” From time immemorial, it has represented magic and mystery in the Indian folklore.

Healing Powers: A mild aphrodisiac, with intoxicating properties, that dissolve emotional barriers and promote intimacy, while soothing the senses and calming anxiety.

Price – 2,000.00, Pure Soy Wax Candle, Burns: 50 Hours, 610g/21.5oz

MINT INFUSED IN ROSE & LEMON

The refreshing aura of fresh citrus and mint leaves meets the eternal romance of the rose to make a happiness inducing blend. Crowned as the king of flowers, the scent of the rose is a distinctly familiar olfactory sensation. Exude a passionate intensity and vivacity when you wear this lively fragrance.

Healing Power: Lures you to the bright side with increased energy levels and gives your mood a gentle upliftment.

Price – 2,000.00, Pure Soy Wax Candle, Burns: 50 Hours, 610g/21.5oz

TAMARIND INFUSED IN BERGAMOT

An exotic amalgamation of Italian and Indian scents come together for the creation of this deliciously fruity fragrance. Combining diverse odors ranging from mildly spicy Ielements, rich and succulent smells, to bittersweet aromas, this nuanced layering of flavours makes an indelible statement.

Healing Powers: Aids in relieving stress and known to induce great sleep!

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BLACKCURRANT INFUSED IN LILAC

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Drinking Alcohol Causes Damage To The Brain

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Lifestyle 0

There is no such thing as a “safe” level of drinking, with increased consumption of alcohol associated with poorer brain health, according to a new study.In an observational study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, researchers from the University of Oxford studied the relationship between the self-reported alcohol intake of some 25,000 people in the UK, and their brain scans.

The researchers noted that drinking had an effect on the brain’s gray matter — regions in the brain that make up “important bits where information is processed,” according to lead author Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher at Oxford.”The more people drank, the less the volume of their gray matter,” Topiwala said via email.

“Brain volume reduces with age and more severely with dementia. Smaller brain volume also predicts worse performance on memory testing,” she explained.

“Whilst alcohol only made a small contribution to this (0.8%), it was a greater contribution than other ‘modifiable’ risk factors,” she said, explaining that modifiable risk factors are “ones you can do something about, in contrast to aging.”

Type of alcohol doesn’t matter

The team also investigated whether certain drinking patterns, beverage types and other health conditions made a difference to the impact of alcohol on brain health.

They found that there was no “safe” level of drinking — meaning that consuming any amount of alcohol was worse than not drinking it. They also found no evidence that the type of drink — such as wine, spirits or beer — affected the harm done to the brain.

However, certain characteristics, such as high blood pressure, obesity or binge-drinking, could put people at higher risk, researchers added.”So many people drink ‘moderately,’ and think this is either harmless or even protective,” Topiwala told the media.

“As we have yet to find a ‘cure’ for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, knowing about factors that can prevent brain harm is important for public health,” she added.

No safe limit

The risks of alcohol have long been known: Previous studies have found that there’s no amount of liquor, wine or beer that is safe for your overall health. Alcohol was the leading risk factor for disease and premature death in men and women between the ages of 15 and 49 worldwide in 2016, accounting for nearly one in 10 deaths, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2018.

“While we can’t yet say for sure whether there is ‘no safe level’ of alcohol regarding brain health at the moment, it has been known for decades that heavy drinking is bad for brain health,”Sadie Boniface, head of research at the UK’s Institute of Alcohol Studies, told CNN via email.

“We also shouldn’t forget alcohol affects all parts of the body and there are multiple health risks,” said Boniface, who was not associated with the University of Oxford study.

Tony Rao, a visiting clinical fellow in Old Age Psychiatry at King’s College London, told CNN that given the large sample size, it was unlikely the study’s findings could have arisen by chance.Rao said the study replicates previous research that has shown there is no safe limit in the level of alcohol consumption for its role in damage to the structure and function of the human brain.

“Previous research has found that subtle changes which demonstrate damage to the brain can present in ways that are not immediately detectable on routine testing of intellectual function and can progress unchecked until they present with more noticeable changes in memory,” he said.

“Even at levels of low-risk drinking,” he said, “there is evidence that alcohol consumption plays a larger role in damage to the brain than previously thought. The (Oxford) studyfound that this role was greater than many other modifiable risk factors, such as smoking.””The interaction with high blood pressure and obesity on increasing the damage done by alcohol to the brain emphasizes the wider role of diet and lifestyle in maintaining brain health,” he added. (Courtesy: TIME)

US Urges ‘Transparent’ WHO Inquiry Into Covid Origins

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterGlobal, Health 0

The US health secretary has urged the World Health Organization to ensure the next phase of investigation into Covid-19’s origins is “transparent”.Speaking to a ministerial-level WHO meeting, Xavier Becerra said international experts should be allowed to evaluate the source of coronavirus.US media reports suggest growing evidence the virus could have emerged from a laboratory in China.

Covid-19 was first detected in 2019 in Wuhan, in central Hubei province.Since then, more than 167 million cases and 3.4 million deaths have been reported worldwide.In March this year, the WHO issued a report written jointly with Chinese scientists on the origins of Covid-19, saying the chances of it having started in a lab were “extremely unlikely”. The WHO acknowledged further study was needed.

But questions have persisted and reports attributed to US intelligence sources say three members of the Wuhan Institute of Virology were admitted to hospital in November 2019, several weeks before China acknowledged the first case of the new disease in the community.

Beijing has angrily rejected the reports, repeatedly suggesting the virus may have come from a US laboratory instead. Speaking to the WHO on Tuesday, US Secretary for Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra did not mention China by name. But he made it clear the US expected more rigour from the next stage of any investigation.

“The Covid-19 pandemic not only stole a year from our lives, it stole millions of lives,” Mr Becerra said in an address to the World Health Assembly, a conference organised by the WHO.He added: “Phase 2 of the Covid origins study must be launched with terms of reference that are transparent, science-based and give international experts the independence to fully assess the source of the virus and the early days of the outbreak.”

The White House said on Tuesday that it expected from the WHO an “expert-driven evaluation of the pandemic’s origins that is free from interference or politicisation”.

Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and US President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, has maintained he believes the virus was passed from animals to humans, though he conceded this month he was no longer confident Covid-19 had developed naturally.

The lab leak claims were widely dismissed last year as a fringe conspiracy theory, after then-President Donald Trump said Covid-19 had originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Many US media outlets described such claims as debunked or false.

On Tuesday, Mr Trump sought to take credit in an emailed statement to the New York Post. “To me it was obvious from the beginning but I was badly criticized, as usual,” he said. “Now they are all saying: ‘He was right.'”(Courtesy: BBC News)

Does Indian PM Narendra Modi Really Need A New House?

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Nation India 0

Rajpath (King’s Avenue), in the centre of the Indian capital, is to Delhi’ites what Central Park is to New Yorkers, or the Champs-Elysees to Parisians.The manicured lawns on either side of the wide ceremonial boulevard are a place for thousands to gather to soak up the winter sun or have an ice-cream on summer evenings.But the 3km (1.8 mile)-long road, stretching from RashtrapatiBhavan, the presidential palace, at one end to the India Gate war memorial at the other, now resembles a massive dust bowl.

The area is dotted with craters and mounds of earth – barricades stop people from getting close to men in reflective vests and yellow hard hats who are laying sewage pipes and tiled footpaths. A sign warns against taking photos and videos.The work is part of the Central Vista project – a vast redevelopment plan that includes a new parliament, new homes for the vice-president and prime minister and multi-storey office blocks. It’s expected to cost upwards of 200bn rupees ($2.7bn; £2bn).

The project has been mired in controversy since it was announced in September 2019, with critics saying the money could be better spent on people’s welfare or cleaning up Delhi’s air, which is among the filthiest in the world.The government rejects those arguments, saying Central Vista will be a major boost to the economy. Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said it will generate “large-scale direct and indirect employment” and make all Indians “proud”.

Construction work is continuing even as India battles a devastating second wave of Covid-19, which has fuelled further public resentment. Critics have questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s priorities, comparing him to “Nero fiddling while Rome burns“.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has called it a “criminal waste” and urged Mr Modi to focus instead on dealing with the pandemic. In an open letter to Mr Modi, scholars criticised the project as an extravagant waste of resources “that could be used to save lives”.Much scorn has been reserved in particular for the PM’s new house, due for completion by December 2022.

“This is pure escapism,” historian Narayani Gupta told the BBC. “At a time when the pandemic is killing thousands, crematoria are full and graveyards have run out of space, the government is building castles in the air.”

Where does the PM live now?

By all accounts, Mr Modi’s current accommodation is pretty fancy.The 12-acre complex on LokKalyan Marg (formerly Race Course Road), with five bungalows and sprawling lawns, is some 3km from the presidential palace and parliament.

Besides the PM’s residential quarters, the complex has accommodation for guests, offices, meeting rooms, a theatre and a helipad. A few years ago, an underground tunnel was built to connect it to nearby Safdarjung airport.”The Indian PM occupies an entire street – in Britain, 10 Downing Street is just a door with a number,” says Delhi-based architect Gautam Bhatia.

The property was chosen by Rajiv Gandhi in 1984. Intended to be temporary, it has been home to all Indian prime ministers ever since.”Gandhi used three bungalows, the fourth and the fifth were added later on as the requirement to host more staff and security personnel grew,” says political analyst Mohan Guruswamy, a regular visitor over the years.”It’s a relatively new construction,” says Gautam Bhatia. However, it has been repeatedly refurbished “at a great deal of expense”.

In recent years, Indians have had glimpses inside the closely-guarded complex as Mr Modi’s office released videos of him feeding peacocks, doing yoga or pushing his mother’s wheelchair.

What do we know about the new house?

It will be centrally located in Delhi’s power corridor – between the RashtrapatiBhavan at one end and the Supreme Court at the other, with parliament just across from the PM’s house.

According to government documents, the prime minister will occupy 10 four-storey buildings on a 15-acre plot between the president’s house and South Block, where offices of the PM and defence ministry are currently located. Rows of barracks built by the British in the 1940s and currently used as temporary offices will be demolished.

But further details about the residence are scarce. In an email to the BBC, project architect Bimal Patel’s office said “for security reasons we cannot share the details/blueprints with you”, refusing to say how much it would cost.Architects, conservationists and environmentalists have criticised the authorities for a “lack of transparency”.

“There have been no proper public hearings and the project details keep evolving so there is no clarity,” said one architect, Anuj Srivastava.Another, Madhav Raman, said building “such a massive structure” so close to South Block – a protected monument designed by leading 20th Century British architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker – was a cause for concern.

“The Archaeological Survey of India rules stipulate that there should be a minimum distance of 300m from a heritage structure but the new PM house will be just 30m away. There are also lots of trees on the plot, what will happen to them?”

So why does Mr Modi want to move?

Authorities say the PM’s present home is “not well-located”, is “difficult to secure” and needs “better infrastructure that is comfortable, efficient, easy to maintain and cost-effective”.They say it should be located in “close proximity” to his office since road closures during his travels “cause major disruptions to city traffic”.But Mohan Guruswamy believes the new house has more to do with Mr Modi’s ambition.

“All real decision-making takes place in the PM’s house. He has a staff of hundreds and they clear 300 files a day. “He has centralised power in his hands. He is creating a presidential form of government and he needs a bigger building – a White House or a Kremlin.”

MrGuruswamy says Indian prime ministers have always lived in “buildings at the back”. But with his new home, Mr Modi wants to put himself in the centre of Delhi’s power corridor.”But separation of power has to be physical too. He’s not just making a new home, he’s rearranging the institutions of government. Architecture changes the nature of power.”

What will happen to the Rajpath area?

Rajpath is a public space popular for recreation and also for protests and candle-light marches.And even though the government insists that it will remain a public space, critics say it’s unlikely that large gatherings would be allowed because of the proximity to the PM’s house.

Historian Narayani Gupta says the multi-storey office buildings, which will replace popular cultural centres like the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, the National Museum and the repository of our modern history, the National Archives, would overshadow India Gate and drive away people.

“They are moving rare manuscripts and fragile objects to temporary locations. How do we know that there won’t be any damage?”KanchiKohli, of the think tank Centre for Policy Research, says land in Delhi is designated for specific purposes – such as recreational, semi-public or government – and authorities can’t just take over an area and change its use.”This is a land grab.”

What is the government saying?

Minister for Urban Development Hardeep Singh Puri has defended the project.Rejecting criticism of government priorities during the pandemic, he said the project cost was 200bn rupees over several years “while the government has allocated nearly twice that amount for vaccination”.In a series of recent tweets, he asked people to “not believe in fake photos and canards about ongoing work at Central Vista Avenue”.

“The transformed Central Vista will be a world class public space,” he said, adding “it will eventually be something every Indian will be proud of”.A senior bureaucrat who did not want to be named said MrPuri was trying to “defend the indefensible”.

“I do not doubt that the end result will be something every Indian will be proud of, but I do believe that the timing is completely wrong. What is the tearing hurry to erect yet another building when all around us people are dying?” (Courtesy: BBC News)

Farewell To Microsoft’s Internet Explorer

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterTechnology 0

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer will finally be retired next year after more than 26 years of service, the tech giant says.The veteran web browser was released with Windows 95.It will no longer appear on consumer versions of Windows 10 after June 2022, Microsoft wrote in a blog.

The tech giant has been phasing out the old browser for several years – but in 2019 it had to issue an emergency patch for it, for security reasons.At that point it was estimated that around 8% of people were still using it.Its replacement, Microsoft Edge, has an Internet Explorer compatibility mode, which will continue to function.

‘Faster, more secure’

Some very old websites – and crucially, internal company web-based tools – were built on older web technology, which modern browsers have trouble processing. In a blog, Microsoft Edge programme manager Sean Lyndersay wrote that the newer browser was “a faster, more secure and more modern browsing experience”, and was also now better able to handle older applications.In a separate post dealing with questions, Microsoft clarified that there would be some exceptions to the retirement, including on older versions of Windows.

Between 2000 and 2005, Internet Explorer enjoyed a 90% market share (Google Chrome is the most used browser today). But in 2013 Microsoft was fined €561m ($731m; £484m at the time) for failing to promote alternative browsers within its Windows operating system.It had introduced a “browser choice” pop-up in 2010, but the feature was dropped in an update the following year. Microsoft said this had happened by mistake.

The tech giant is also tinkering with another bit of history: in April this year it announced that it is planning to change its default font, which has been Calibri across all of its products since 2007. It is inviting users to vote on their favorite from five contenders, and says the most popular will form its new look.

A Crypto Crash Wiped Out $1 Trillion This Week

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterFinance/Economy 0

Wild, stomach-churning moments are part of the experience when you buy a ticket to the crypto circus. But the past week’s volatility was enough to make some of the crypto faithful wonder whether they’ve been bamboozled.

On Wednesday, a broad crypto crash wiped out about $1 trillion in market value — a staggering drop from $2.5 trillion just a week ago. Bitcoin, which accounts for more than 40% of the global crypto market, nosedived 30% to $30,000 on Wednesday, its lowest point since January.By Friday, bitcoin had rebounded slightly, to around $37,000 — bruised by continued regulatory concerns, and far off its all time high above $64,000 that it hit a month ago.

Volatility is baked into the nascent cryptocurrency market, but the digital assets’ explosive growth in the past year has attracted hordes of amateur and professional investors looking for a quick profit. Many of them ride an upswing and get out, or panic sell when things turn sour, exacerbating gains or losses.

What happened?

The crypto market had been especially shaky for about a week before the crash on Wednesday.

On May 12, bitcoin fell 12% after Elon Musk walked back Tesla’s commitment to accept bitcoin as payment, citing concerns over the crytocurrency’s massive carbon footprint. Musk added to investor anxiety last weekend with a pair of seemingly contradictory tweets about bitcoin that left investors scratching their heads.

Then the big crash came Wednesday, after Chinese officials signaled a crackdown on crypto use in the country. The central bank issued a warning to Chinese financial institutions and businesses not to accept digital currencies as payment or offer services using them.The threat of increased regulation triggered a panic, and bitcoin plunged before rebounding slightly and leveling off. Other cryptocurrencies also tanked: Ethereum fell more than 40%, while dogecoin and binance lost around 30%.

By Thursday, bitcoin had recouped some losses and was back above $41,000. But a Friday statement from Chinese officials reiterating the need to crack down on cryptos beat bitcoin back down. It was trading around $37,000 on Friday afternoon. Other cryptos were also in the red.

Regulatory concerns

China has long had limits around crypto trading within its borders. Officials declared in 2013 that bitcoin was not a real currency and banned financial and payment institutions from using it. Individuals can hold or trade cryptocurrencies, but major exchanges in mainland China have been shut down.

On the surface, this week’s statements simply underscored China’s suspicion of cryptocurrencies generally. But they sent a clear signal that Beijing is not loosening its grip on the market anytime soon. Authorities are also launching a state-backed digital yuan that would keep money flows under strict oversight.

And it’s not just China. On Thursday, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell warned about potential risks cryptocurrencies pose to the financial system. Powell also said the central bank would publish a paper this summer that will explore the implications of the US government developing a digital currency of its own.

A potential central bank digital currency “could serve as a complement to, and not a replacement of, cash and current private-sector digital forms of the dollar, such as deposits at commercial banks,” Powell said. The Treasury Department is also turning its attention to the crypto space. On Thursday officials said any transfer of digital currency valued at $10,000 or more must be reported to the Internal Revenue Service.

“Cryptocurrency already poses a significant detection problem by facilitating illegal activity broadly including tax evasion,” the Treasury said in a statement. “Despite constituting a relatively small portion of business income today, cryptocurrency transactions are likely to rise in importance in the next decade, especially in the presence of a broad-based financial account reporting regime.”

Bitcoin had been up nearly 6% Thursday but pared its gains after the statements from US officials, according to Bloomberg.

The future of cryptos

The week’s wild swings were a test for cryptocurrency fans. True believers tend to take the long view: At the start of 2020, bitcoin was trading around $7,000 a coin, which means it’s still up more than 400% in that time, even after crashing this week.

“We all tend to focus on day-by-day, week-by-week,” said William Quigley, managing director at crypto-focused investment fund on Wednesday. “But that’s not how most people buy cryptocurrencies, or even stocks.

Is it a bubble? Probably, according to ethereum co-creator VitalikButerin. In an interview with CNN Business this week, Buterin said he wasn’t surprised by the crash, because he’s seen it all before.

“We’ve had at least three of these big crypto bubbles so far,” he said. “And often enough, the reason the bubbles end up stopping is because some event happens that just makes it clear that the technology isn’t there yet.” (Courtesy: CNN Business)

Home Prices Across US Hit High

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy 0

Home prices in the US continued to climb in April, reaching new highs and rising at the fastest pace on record. The median sale price was a record $341,600 in April, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. It was the highest median price since NAR began tracking this data in 1999. The median price, which includes existing single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, was up a record 19% from a year ago.

Looking only at single family homes, prices were up 20% from last year, the fastest price appreciation since NAR began tracking those prices in the early 1970s. Homes are selling in a record fast 17 days, according to NAR, and an overwhelming 88% of homes sold in April were on the market for less than a month. Stiffer competition, especially from a growing number of all-cash buyers, is squeezing many first-time buyers out of the market.

“First-time buyers in particular are having trouble securing that first home for a multitude of reasons, including not enough affordable properties, competition with cash buyers and properties leaving the market at such a rapid pace,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

Much of that price gain was propelled by competition. For every listing, there were an average of five offers, according to Yun. And a quarter of all buyers are making all cash offers, up from 23% in March and just 15% a year ago. The price gain and increase in all-cash offers is no surprise given the imbalance of supply and demand, said Joel Kan, Mortgage Bankers Association’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting.”In the short-term, inventory shortages will persist,” he said. “The insufficient level of inventory amidst fierce competition is putting upward pressure on home prices in most parts of the country.”

Low inventory is limiting sales

While more inventory came on the market in April compared to March, by the end of April total housing inventory was down 21% from one year ago, and still sits at near-record lows.The low inventory of homes continues to not only push prices higher but is also bringing the number of sales down, according to the report.Sales dropped 2.7% in April from March, the third straight month of decline.But don’t start thinking the market is cooling off, said Yun. Demand is still strong.

“Despite the decline, housing demand is still strong compared to one year ago, evidenced by home sales from this January to April, which are up 20% compared to 2020,” said Yun.Sales were up 34% from a year ago, but comparing last month with April 2020 is a bit distorted. By April of last year, many parts of the country were shut down because of the pandemic and real estate transactions came to a near standstill.But the seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 5.85 million homes sold in April is 11% above the annualized rate for April of 2019.

Yun said that if there were 20% more homes available, real estate agents could sell 20% more homes, it is the low inventory that is holding sales back.

“Bringing supply and demand into a better balance is still months away, and perhaps several years away, due to high prices and a reluctance to move by some homeowners due to Covid 19,” said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

“High prices not only slow sales, but they make downsizing difficult for many older Americans who were looking forward to making a big profit on the sale of their existing home and moving into a cheaper, downsized home,” Frick said. “High housing prices have spread to many more cities around the country, and that’s making downsizing to a smaller home not the financial slam-dunk it was even a couple years ago.”

Buyers getting squeezed out

Yun anticipates the housing market will normalize a bit as the year progresses, especially as more supply becomes available.”We’ll see more inventory come to the market later this year as further Covid-19 vaccinations are administered and potential home sellers become more comfortable listing and showing their homes,” said Yun. “The falling number of homeowners in mortgage forbearance will also bring about more inventory.”

In addition, home builders are building, although US Census Bureau data from earlier this week showed residential housing starts have begun to slow because of challenges in the cost and availability of building materials.But even as more supply comes in to meet the high demand, that demand may cool as some buyers become frustrated.”Some of the buyers will be squeezed out because high home prices are hurting affordability,” said Yun.

In addition, mortgage rates, which have been at record lows, are trending up, with Yun forecasting rates will reach 3.5% by year’s end.”The general direction is toward more claiming of the market from its current frenzy,” said Yun.

Moderna’s COVID-19 Vaccine Is Said To Be Safe And Effective For Teens

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Youth 0

Moderna has stated in a statement issued on May 25^th that its vaccine is safe and efficacious among 12- to 18-year olds.The company reported results from its combined Phase 2 and 3 study involving more than 3,700 teens who were randomly assigned to receive either two doses of its COVID-19 vaccine or two doses of placebo. The study was designed to compare results among the teens to those among adults, which led to the company’s current emergency use authorization for its vaccine. Researchers are looking to see if the results among teens are at least as good, and not worse, than those among adults.

And that’s what the company reported. There were no cases of COVID-19 reported 14 days after the teenage study participants received two doses of the shot, compared to four cases among those receiving a placebo, meaning the vaccine was 100% efficacious in protecting against disease. The company said that the vaccine was also 93% efficacious in protecting against even one symptom of COVID-19 disease after one dose.

Moderna is the second company to report COVID-19 vaccine results among teens; in March, Pfizer-BioNTechreported similar safety and efficacy of 100% in its study and received authorization from the FDA for its two-dose shot among teens in May. Both Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are built on mRNA technology, which involves using genetic material from the COVID-19 virus to train the immune system to fight it.

Moderna plans to submit the latest data from the teens to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expand the current authorization for its vaccine to children as young as 12 years old.

States Across India Extend Lockdowns

May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

India has been battling a severe second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and in order to stop the rapid spread of the virus, several states in the country are announcing either lockdowns or restrictions on movement of people. Across India, several states have placed curbs, with West Bengal on Saturday becoming the largest state in the country to impose a lockdown, according to media reports.

Here is a look at the states that have extended restrictions to curb the spread of the virus:

Delhi: The ongoing lockdown in Delhi has been extended till the morning of May 31. CM Kejriwal stated that they will begin the unlock procedure in a phased manner thereon if Covid-19 cases continue to decrease.

Uttar Pradesh: The statewide curfew in UP has been extended till 7 am on May 31, which was earlier to set to end on May 24. Coronavirus vaccination drive, industrial activities and other essential services have been exempted, according to the official statement.

Kerala: The ongoing lockdown in the state has been extended till May 30, Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan announced on Friday. While a triple lockdown will continue in Malappuram district, the strict restrictions have been relaxed in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam and Thrissur.

Tamil Nadu: The state government extended the ongoing lockdown for another week, starting May 24, with more stringent measures. E-commerce will be allowed to function from 8 am to 6 pm, and vegetables and fruits will be distributed to the public on vehicles through Tamil Nadu’s Horticulture department.

Karnataka: The state government has extended the lockdown till 6 am on June 7. Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa clarified that there are no changes in the current restrictions and the lockdown would continue as it had been since April 27.

Jammu and Kashmir: The corona curfew has been extended till 7 am on May 31, the Department of Information and Public Relations tweeted on Saturday. Essential services have been exempted.

Gujarat: Chief Minister Vijay Rupani announced that night curfew will be enforced in 36 cities from 8 pm to 6 am till May 28th. All essential services will continue during these restrictions.

Goa: Chief Minister PramodSawant on Friday announced the extension of a statewide curfew till May 31, prohibiting a gathering of five or more persons in public.

Maharashtra: Maharashtra’s lockdown-like restrictions will continue to be in place till 7 am on June 1, as per the latest announcement. The new restrictions include a mandatory negative RT-PCR test report for those entering the state.

Haryana: The state government on Sunday extended the statewide lockdown till May 31. Standalone shops are allowed to open during the day when the night curfew is not in operation and other shops are allowed to open from 7 am to 12 pm on odd-even basis. However, shopping malls will continue to remain shut till 5 am on May 31.

Jharkhand: The partial lockdown imposed in Jharkhand will continue to be in place till May 27 with some additional restrictions. Movement of inter-state and intra-state buses were restricted while private vehicles are allowed to move only with e-passes issued by the district administration.

Chhattisgarh: The state will remain under lockdown till May 31 until further announcement.

Rajasthan: The Covid-19 triggered lockdown imposed in the state has been extended till June 8.

West Bengal: West Bengal government announced that a complete lockdown would remain in place throughout the state, beginning from 6 am ending at 6 pm on May 30, meaning that the residents would be placed under a state of complete lockdown for about 15 days. Apart from this, a night curfew would also remain in place from 9 pm to 5 am in the state.

Himachal Pradesh has also announced an extension of curfew restrictions across the state till May 26.

Maharashtra: The state would remain under lockdown-like restrictions till the morning of June 1, and under the new rules, people entering the state would have to have a mandatory negative RT-PCR test. Apart from this, the state has also placed curbs on people arriving from “sensitive origins”.

AIR INDIA’s 4.5 Million Customers’ Personal Data Hacked

May 27, 2021November 8, 2022 Staff ReporterBusiness, Tourism, Travel 0

Air India has admitted to a massive data breach that compromised the personal data of about 4.5 million passengers. The hackers were able to access 10 years’ worth of data including names, passport and credit card details from the Atlanta-based SITA Passenger Service System, Air India said in a statement on May 21.It disclosed the scale of the breach nearly three months after it was first informed by the IT provider.The breach that happened in late February had compromised the data of some major global airlines, too. SITA at that time had said that Singapore Airlines, New Zealand Air and Lufthansa were among those affected.

Air India said almost 4.5 million passengers globally were affected in the “highly sophisticated” attack but did not specify how many of them were its travelers. It said no password data was breached during the attack and that the company was investigating.The breach, confirmation of which comes two months after SITA’s Passenger Service System (PSS) was hacked, affected customers who registered between August 2011 and late February 2021, Air India said in a statement. Compromised data includes customers’ name, data of birth, contact information, passport information, frequent flyer data and credit card data, although CVV/CVC numbers weren’t included.
Password weren’t accessed by the hackers, Air India added, although it’s urging all customers to change their passwords as a precaution.

The airline said it first learned of the incident on February 25, but only learned the identities of affected passengers on March 25 and May 4.The company said it recommended in an email to its customers that they should change their account passwords as a precaution.

Air India started as a mail carrier in 1932 before gaining commercial popularity. It has been incurring losses since its 2007 merger with a state-owned domestic carrier, Indian Airlines. The debt-laden carrier is currently in the process of finding new buyers.

Fully Vaccinated Need Not Wear Masks, Social Distancing Not Required

May 19, 2021May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

In a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has eased mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and in most indoor settings.

“Today is a great day for America,” President Joe Biden said Thursday during a Rose Garden address heralding the new guidance, an event where he and his staff went without masks. Hours earlier in the Oval Office, where Biden was meeting with vaccinated Republican lawmakers, he led the group in removing their masks when the guidance was announced.“If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask,” he said, summarizing the new guidance and encouraging more Americans to roll up their sleeves. “Get vaccinated — or wear a mask until you do.”

The guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but it will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools and other venues — even removing the need for social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.“We have all longed for this moment — when we can get back to some sense of normalcy,” Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, said at an earlier White House briefing.

In light of the CDC guidance, the Pentagon announced on Friday that fully vaccinated Defense Department personnel no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors at Defense facilities.The CDC and the Biden administration have faced pressure to ease restrictions on fully vaccinated people — those who are two weeks past their last required COVID-19 vaccine dose — in part to highlight the benefits of getting the shots. The country’s aggressive vaccination campaign has paid off: U.S. virus cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.

Walensky said the long-awaited change is thanks to the millions of people who have gotten vaccinated and is based on the latest science about how well those shots are working.“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities — large or small — without wearing a mask or physically distancing,” Walensky said. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”

The new guidance is likely to open the door to confusion, since there is no surefire way for businesses or others to distinguish between those who are fully vaccinated and those who are not.“Millions of Americans are doing the right thing and getting vaccinated, but essential workers are still forced to play mask police for shoppers who are unvaccinated and refuse to follow local COVID safety measures,” said Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. “Are they now supposed to become the vaccination police?”

Walensky and Biden said people who are not fully vaccinated should continue to wear masks indoors.“We’ve gotten this far — please protect yourself until you get to the finish line,” Biden said, noting that most Americans under 65 are not yet fully vaccinated. He said the government was not going to enforce the mask wearing guidance on those not yet fully vaccinated.

“We’re not going to go out and arrest people,” added Biden, who said he believes the American people want to take care of their neighbors. “If you haven’t been vaccinated, wear your mask for your own protection and the protection of the people who also have not been vaccinated yet.”To date more than 154 million Americans, nearly 47% of the population, have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 119 million are fully vaccinated. The rate of new vaccinations has slowed in recent weeks, but with the authorization Wednesday of the Pfizer shot for children ages 12 to 15, a new burst of doses is expected in the coming days.

“All of us, let’s be patient, be patient with one another,” Biden said, acknowledging some Americans might be hesitant about removing their masks after more than a year of living in a pandemic that has killed more than 584,000 people in the U.S. and more than 3.3 million people worldwide.

The CDC’s announcement that Americans could begin to shed one of the most visible symbols of the pandemic stood in stark contrast to other nations, with much of the world still struggling to contain the virus amid global disparities in vaccinations.There are some caveats. Walensky encouraged people who have weak immune systems, such as from organ transplants or cancer treatment, to talk with their doctors before shedding their masks. That’s because of continued uncertainty about whether the vaccines can rev up a weakened immune system as well as they do normal, healthy ones.

How My Family Dynamics Gave Me a New Path

May 19, 2021May 29, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Profile, Women 0

BAPS Temple In New Jersey Alleged To Have Exploited Workers

May 19, 2021May 27, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Economy, Religion 0

A lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that more than 200 workers — many or all of whom don’t speak English — were coerced into signing employment agreements in India to build expansion of the largest Hindu Temple by BAPS in the US on the 100-acre site in New Jersey

A lawsuit filed in federal court last week alleges the builders of a New Jersey Hindu temple — considered to be one the largest in the United States — lured workers from India, worked them nearly 90 hours per week and paid them around $1.20 per hour.

The lawsuit accuses the leaders of the Hindu organization known as BochasanwasiAksharPurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or a Hindu sect known as BAPS, and the leaders who run the Robbinsville temple and its construction. The temple opened in 2014 and is constructed entirely of Italian marble that was sculpted in India and completed on site off Route 130 in Robbinsville. The ongoing construction on the BAPS Temple in Robbinsville began in 2010, and the site has caught the attention of state and federal authorities in recent years.

BAPS has been accused of human trafficking and wage law violations. An FBI spokesperson confirmed that agents were at the temple on “court-authorized law enforcement activity,” but wouldn’t elaborate. One of the attorneys who filed the suit said some workers had been removed from the site May 11.The lawsuit has been filed a month after New Jersey labor authorities halted work by a contractor at the Robbinsville temple and at a BAPS temple in Edison. The new lawsuit is a proposed class action complaint, alleging around 200 workers on religious immigration visas endured forced manual labor for the ongoing construction and expansion of the religious property on the 100-acre site.

The lawsuit says more than 200 workers — many or all of whom don’t speak English — were coerced into signing employment agreements in India. They traveled to New Jersey under R-1 visas, which are meant for “those who minister, or work in religious vocations or occupations,” according to the lawsuit.When they arrived, the lawsuit says, their passports were taken away and they were forced to work at the temple from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. with few days off, for about $450 per month, a rate that the suit said came out to around $1.20 per hour. Of that, the workers allegedly only received $50 in cash per month, with the rest deposited into their accounts in India.

The lawsuit said workers lived in a fenced-in compound where their movements were monitored by cameras and guards. They were told that if they left, police would arrest them because they didn’t have their passports, the suit said. The lawsuit names Patel and several individuals described as having supervised the workers. It seeks unpaid wages and unspecified compensatory and punitive damages

According to the lawsuit, the exploited workers were Dalits — members of the lowest step of South Asia’s caste hierarchy. D.B. Sagar, president of the Washington-based International Commission for Dalit Rights, told The Associated Press that Dalits are an easy target for exploitation because they’re the poorest people in India. “They need something to survive, to protect their family,” Sagar — a Dalit himself — said, adding that if the allegations in the lawsuit are true, they amount to “modern-day slavery.”

BAPS CEO Kanu Patel, who is named as a defendant in the lawsuit, told The New York Times, “I respectfully disagree with the wage claim.” A spokesperson for the organization, Matthew Frankel, told The Associated Press that BAPS was first made aware of the accusations early Tuesday morning. “We are taking them very seriously and thoroughly reviewing the issues raised,” he said.

BAPS is a global sect of Hinduism founded in the early 20th century and aims to “preserve Indian culture and the Hindu ideals of faith, unity, and selfless service,” according to its website. The organization says it has built more than 1,100 mandirs — often large complexes that essentially function as community centers. BAPS is known for community service and philanthropy, taking an active role in the diaspora’s initiative to help India amid the current COVID-19 surge. According to the website for the Robbinsville mandir, its construction “is the epitome of volunteerism.”“Volunteers of all ages have devoted their time and resources from the beginning: assisting in the construction work, cleaning up around the site, preparing food for all the artisans on a daily basis and helping with other tasks,” the website says. “A total of 4.7 million man hours were required by craftsman and volunteers to complete the Mandir.”

The case was filed on behalf of five men described in the court papers as Dalits from Rajasthan, who had worked at the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Robbinsville.Their 42-page case document, alleges that they were made to work at the temple for more than 12 hours a day, seven days a week with days off only occasionally for which they were paid less than $1.20 an hour – an amount far less than the state minimum wage that was $10 in 2019 and $11 in 2020.Their court papers, however, say that they were instructed while applying for their visa to tell the U.S. embassy staff that they were going to the U.S. for “volunteer work at the temple” and “would be performing the work as a service to the deities” even though they assert that they were not members of BAPS.

According to the court document, although they came to the U.S. with an R-1 visa, which is granted to missionaries and religious workers, they did not perform any religious work and instead were made to do “dangerous” manual work at the temple. The men filing the case are Mukesh Kumar, Keshav Kumar, Devi Laal, Niranjan, Pappu, and Brajendra.The New York Times reported that BAPS spokesperson Lenin Joshi said, “We are naturally shaken by this turn of events and are sure that once the full facts come out, we will be able to provide answers and show that these accusations and allegations are without merit.”

Modi Government Accused Of Hampering Relief Efforts By Christian Charities With Mandating More Red Tape

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Nation India, Religion 0

Federation of Indian Christian Association of North America (FIACONA), an advocacy organization working to defend the religious freedom of Christians and other minorities in India accused the Government of India of hampering the efforts of non-governmental agencies (NGOs). The government of India implemented a set of bureaucratic regulations by amending a law called Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) in the middle of the pandemic. Christian charities and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) across India are required to have permission under this law to receive any donations from overseas.

“The current stringent FCRA rules that were put in place by the Government are jeopardizing many donor’s plans to provide equipment like oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies from around the world in providing needed help to hospitals especially in rural areas” said Koshy George, President of FIACONA. “Unless the Modi Government shows more flexibility towards charitable donations from abroad by suspending some of these bureaucratic provisions of the FCRA, more lives would be lost as a result” Mr. George cautioned.

These FCRA regulations were put in place for the purpose of monitoring and controlling minority charitable and educational institutions as part of the Hindutva agenda to minimize their appeal and reduce their influence on the society at-large. The secular NGOs who would not toe the government line also paid a price. However, NGOs affiliated with Hindu nationalist groups continue to collect money from unsuspecting donors in Western Countries and channel their funds mostly towards sectarian work without any hindrance from authorities.

FIACONA appeals to the Government to suspend these rules that created the current impediments and submit them later for a panel review to ease the restrictions on a permanent basis so that the needy will not suffer in a future crisis.

Indian American Business Leaders Named To Global Task Force OnPandemic

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy 0

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce May 5 announced the formation of the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, which includes numerous Indian American company executives. The public-private partnership will provide immediate assistance to India and will assist in coordinating relief to respond to COVID-19 surges, according to the news release.

Among the members of the taskforce include Alphabet Inc. chief executive SundarPichai, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayan, Deloitte CEO PunitRenjen, FedEx chief operating officer and director Raj Subramaniam, IBM chair and CEO Arvind Krishna, and VMware chief operating officer Sanjay Poonen.The group also includes Apple CEO Tim Cook, PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta and Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach, among others. The Task Force will coordinate a coalition of corporations, non-profits and individual efforts to organize relief where it is needed most.

The task force is working with the Chamber’s U.S.-India Business Council and the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum to take three immediate actions to help address the COVID-19 surge in India.Sourcing, shipping and delivering 1,000 Puritan Bennett ventilators desperately needed by healthcare facilities across India. The first ventilators procured by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation have arrived, with all remaining ventilators expected to arrive by June 3. Medtronic will manufacture the ventilators and handle end-to-end shipping, installation and ongoing and virtual training, the release said.

It is also delivering 25,000 oxygen concentrators to India by the end of May, with transportation support from FedEx, it said. Additionally, it is creating the chief human resources officer India Action Group to provide ideas and practical information to CHROs to help their people in India.

The Global Task Force on Pandemic Response was launched to provide a unified platform for businesses to mobilize and deliver resources to assist COVID-19 efforts in areas of the highest need around the world, the release said.Initial efforts will focus on the pressing need for support in India, with more than 400,000 cases reported on May 1 alone. Through its Steering Committee, the Task Force will work to concentrate efforts where corporate support will be most beneficial, with additional countries to be determined in consultation with the U.S. government, the chamber adds.

The Global Task Force is working in close collaboration with U.S. and Indian government officials to share information and coordinate efforts. This includes regular briefings with the Modi and Biden Administrations, U.S. Congress, U.S. State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The coalition of leading companies, non-profits and associations that have come together to support these actions include Accenture, Adobe, Amazon, American Express, Amway, Apple, Applied Materials Foundation, Bank of America, BCG, Citi, David & Carol Van Andel Family Foundation, Dell, Deloitte, Dow, Ernst & Young, Emerson, Facebook, FedEx, Goldman Sachs, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, John Chambers Foundation, Johnson Controls, JP Morgan Chase & Co, KKR, Lockheed Martin, Mastercard, McCormick & Company, McKinsey & Company, Medtronic, Merck, Microsoft, Nasdaq, Newsweek, PepsiCo, Pfizer, Qualcomm Foundation, Raytheon Technologies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, VIAVI Solutions, VMware, Walmart and Zoom.

Neera Tanden Appointed As Senior Adviser To President Biden

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterProfile, Women 0

President Joe Biden’s lone Cabinet choice who was rebuffed by Congress has landed a job as a White House senior adviser, Associated Press reported. Neera Tanden had been Biden’s pick to lead the Office of Management and Budget but withdrew her nomination in March after it was clear that she would not garner enough Republican support to be confirmed. Several GOP senators objected to her previous tweeted criticisms of her political rivals.

Tanden will now be a senior advisor to Biden, the White House said May 14. She will launch a review of the US Digital Service and begin planning for possible policy changes that could result from the forthcoming Supreme Court decision on GOP legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act. Tanden worked in former President Barack Obama’s administration as the act was designed and implemented.

Tanden, a close ally of White House chief of staff Ron Klain, will depart the think tank Center for American Progress. Its founder, John Podesta, said that “Neera’s intellect, tenacity, and political savvy will be an asset to the Biden administration.”Podesta added, “While we will be sorry to lose her considerable policy expertise and leadership at the Center for American Progress—an organization which we founded together in 2003—I am exceptionally thrilled to see her step into a new position serving this White House and the American people.” He further said that many of the policy solutions under the Biden administration were developed and led by Tanden at CAP over many years.

“The administration’s efforts will be magnified with Neera Tanden on the team, and I am excited to see what she will achieve in the role of senior adviser and in the years to come,” he added. Tanden serves as president and CEO of CAP and has served as the CEO of the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

A loyal Democrat with decades of senior policy-making experience, Tanden was a close ally of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and served as a senior adviser to President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services, where she helped draft the Affordable Care Act. She most recently served as president of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a left-leaning think tank with deep ties to Democratic policy-makers.

The daughter of Indian immigrants, Tanden was raised by a single mother who relied on government assistance programs before attending the University of California at Los Angeles and Yale University’s law school.“After my parents were divorced when I was young, my mother relied on public food and housing programs to get by,” Tanden tweeted Monday. “Now, I’m being nominated to help ensure those programs are secure, and ensure families like mine can live with dignity. I am beyond honored.”

Tanden held prominent policy positions in the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, and her resume played a role in her selection to lead the OMB. She has denied playing a role in Clinton’s welfare policy, which many Democrats now view as a mistake. At the Center for American Progress, Tanden also helped push the party left on budget and spending issues, though she initially expressed openness to cutting Social Security and Medicare along with many other Washington liberals at the time.

A Yale law graduate, Tanden had earlier worked for former President Bill Clinton’s campaign and went on to work at the White House as an associate director for domestic policy and as an adviser to Hillary Clinton. When Hillary Clinton ran successfully for senator, Tanden was her deputy campaign manager and became her legislative director after her election.

Several Bollywood Celebrities Lead Relief Activities For COVID-19 Crisis In India

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Community 0

Veteran actor AnupamKher has joined hands with Global Cancer Foundation, USA – headed by Indian American doctor AshutoshTewari –and India’s Bharat Forge to start an initiative called ‘Project Heal India,’ which aims to help in the current fight against COVID-19 across India by providing medical aid and other relief.

Through the project, the organization will provide critical equipment and other life-supporting devices to needy institutions and hospitals across India. The first consignment of CrossVent Ventilators (ICU critical care), Medtronic Ventilators, ResMed non-invasive ventilation devices and oxygen concentrators is expected to arrive in India this week.

Sharing his take on the initiative, Kher shared, “Dr. AshutoshTewari (Global Cancer Foundation) was one of the first to come up with a concrete plan. This gave me the needed impetus to take this forward and be of service to our nation. It is people and humanitarians like Mr. Baba Kalyani (Bharat Forge) and Dr. AshutoshTewari that help make the world a better place and restore our faith time and again in humanity. I am honored and pleased to be joining hands with them.”

Tewari also ensured that people in India are not alone, saying: “We may be 10,000 miles away, but we continue to keep you close in our hearts and thoughts. The supplies we are sending are a kind of symbolic gesture and a sign of solidarity.”

In response to the overwhelming need, Project Heal India will do its best to address the needs created by the pandemic, said Kher. The contributors believe that to control this virus, it is extremely important to work together and ensure the health and safety of citizens and do our part in this ever-changing situation. Project Heal India has also pledged to raise funds, medicines, and other necessary relief material to help people of the Indian community at large, according to an official release.

Actress Lara Dutta and Sports Scientist ShayamalVallabhjee joined hands with The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE), a non-profit headquartered in Silicon Valley for ‘I Breathe For India Campaign: Covid Crisis Relief’, a virtual fundraising campaign to help India battle the Covid-19 crisis.

The campaign, which runs until May 20, brings together Indian luminaries, actors and sports personalities, including Amitabh Bachchan, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, H.H. Radhanath Swami, Karan Johar, Rishabh Pant, Anil Kapoor, AnupamKher, Samantha Prabhu, TarunTahliani, and many more, who appeared in a live special two-hour fundraising drive for Give India — India’s largest non-profit working actively with 2200 NGOs on the ground in the fight against Covid-19.

During the drive, the stars appeared reciting poetry, singing songs and delivering heartfelt messages, as part of a specially curated showcase, never before seen in India, which was streamed live across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.Funds from the campaign will go towards essential life-saving medical supplies, humanitarian aid for families under the poverty line that have been affected by the crisis, and manpower support for setting up vaccination and isolation centres to strengthen the nations’ efforts to combat the spread of Covid-19.

“The ‘I Breathe for India’ campaign was more than a fundraiser. It represented the collective consciousness off many people whose only desire was to India and its citizens in its hour of need. In many ways it helped redefine what is possible as we move towards the ‘new normal’. Thanks to the unwavering dedication of the Encompass team and its partners, we more than doubled our initial goal of $1 million and now as a result, have extended our deadline to allow us to shatter the proverbial glass ceiling. Both Lara and I, and the teams from TIE Global and Give India are eternally grateful to the entire unit that made this possible,” said ShayamalVallabhjee.

Lara Dutta added, “The success of the #IBreatheForIndia fundraiser would not have been possible without the individual efforts behind the scenes. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude to each and every one for selflessly giving your time and talents. God Bless and keep you all and your families safe until we are able to overcome this crisis together.”

‘I Breathe for India: Covid Crisis Relief’ was produced by global creative commerce agency, VMLY&R COMMERCE ENCOMPASS with platform partners including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Sony Liv, Voot, Eros Now and Glance, helping to amplify and restream the event.Actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas shared that over 14,000 contributors have helped raise $1 million, to help India amid the second wave of Covid-19. Priyanka shared a video on Instagram May 12, featuring a world map and the countries from where donations have poured in to help India.

“Through some of the darkest days in our history, humanity has once again proven that we are better together. Nick Jonas and I are so humbled by your support and by the outpouring of help for India from so many parts of the world,” she wrote alongside the video, referring to her husband.”We can all continue to help so let’s not stop here. We’re raising the fundraising target to $3 Million and we know that with your help and support, we can achieve this too. Thank you all for your support and thank you Give India for the incredible work you are doing on ground.”

Shiv Kapuria Passes Away At 82

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterProfile 0

Shiv Kapuria, Air India’s Sales Manager for the Northeast USA passed away peacefully near Boston, MA on Friday, May 14^th, surrounded by his loved ones. He was 82.“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Shiv Kapuria (Watertown, Massachusetts), who passed away on May 14, 2021, at the age of 82, leaving to mourn family and friends. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family,” a note from the family stated.

He was loved and cherished by many people including: his wife Sarita; his children, Samir (EneryKapuria) and Aarti (Manu Goel); and his grandchildren, Ishaan, Rohan Kapuria and SimrenGoel.Visitation was held on Sunday, May 16th 2021 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Devito Funeral Home – Watertown (761 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472).

Mr. Kapuria was born on Oct. 28, 1938. Through a maze of history, circumstance, and ambition, Mr. Kapuria went from Delhi to Srinagar to New York to London and then to Massachusetts.His story can be written as a resume: Shiv, an ambassador of his country and its rich heritage, who came to a new country with a young wife to the Air India office in New York, and later established himself in New England, while covering the region for advancing travel and tourism to India.

He went on to having the longest tenure in the company when he retired 57 years later. One could add, he was the founding member of the Pacific Asian Travel Association, New England and received several global awards from the industry. His friends and colleagues recognized Mr. Kapuria as a person with the highest integrity who always respected the dignity of others and would offer his hand to help anyone.

A stalwart of the Indian community in the Boston area, Mr. Kapuria was a founding member of the Indian American Forum for Political Education. He took as his personal mission to connect friends and newcomers across the span of industries to show the power of having a single voice. He worked tirelessly to establish a strong sense of Indian identity in Massachusetts.

The true legacy of Mr. Kapuria is his compassion towards all and his generous personality. His mantra of life was: “Cherish every moment, together.”

“It is so shocking that my dearest friend, Shiv Kapuria, is no more with us. About 45 years ago, Shiv and Sarita moved from England to New York and soon after to Boston. Shiv did not know anybody and wanted to talk to an Indian family settled here. Somebody suggested that he should contact me,” said Puran Dang, an Indian-American community leader and a resident of Lexington, MA. “I was the fortunate one he contacted. He came to our home in Lexington and the rest is history. We became dear friends for life. Because of their exceptional genial nature, Shiv and Sarita became part of our family. Shiv was a master of creating genuine and loving relationships.”

Mr. Dang said that Mr. Kapuria was a rare personality and both he and his wife, Sarita, became the most popular couple in inner circle of friends.“Shiv was a great Community Leader and served the community on various levels. I have a very sweet memory of those years when Shiv and I led the United India Association of North India for two years,” recalled Mr. Dang. “It was such a joy for me. He always thought the best for our community. In Shiv, Kamlesh and I have lost a dear brother. We will miss his love, smile and loving hugs all our life. Shiv and Sarita’s life has been a model of love and mutual respect.”

Sushil Tuli, Chairman and CEO of Leader Bank said he was saddened with the loss of Mr. Kapuria who was like a big brother to him.

“He was greatly loved, respected and admired. Our community has lost a humble member and wonderful friend. While our hearts are heavy today, they are also filled with gratitude for the service and affection he has show towards everyone he knew,” said Mr. Tuli. “Throughout his life, he devoted himself to worthy causes and to others. He represented the Indian community in the Boston area with dignity. We are fortunate that we enjoyed the charm and wit of his company and we know how much he will be missed. I offer my heartfelt condolences to his family and pray the his soul rest in eternal peace.”

Upendra Mishra, publisher of INDIA New England News and the Managing Partner of the The Mishra Group, said that the newspaper has lost a big supporter.“Mr. Kapuria was a man with a golden heart and, and was always trying to promote Air India, travel to India, tourism and–of course, INDIA New England News,” said Mr. Mishra. “We will miss him and his smile deeply and so will the Indian-American community in New England and the travel industry.”

Mr. Andy Bhatia, acolleague and friend of Mr. Kapuria, and had led the AIR India’s Sales Initiatives in North America said, “I have no adequate words to describe how I feel about losing my Air India colleague and dear friend, Shiv.He was a very special person . Very thoughtful and caring . People admired him for his knowledge and consul in developing new tour products to India and around the world.”

According to Mr. Bhatia, “Mr. Kapuria had “served with Air India for more that 50 Years and his last position was Area Sales Manager North East USA. He worked in India, London, Nairobi, and in the North American market.He had a sterling reputation in the travel industry and helped one and all. His passing is heart breaking but we all take comfort in knowing that he is no longer suffering and he is in peace with God.May his soul rest in peace.”

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Akshaya Patra, using this link: https://apusa.givingfuel.com/in-honor-of-kapuriaFurther details for the service can be found here: https://www.devitofuneralhomes.com/memorials/shiv-kapuria/4620992/index.php

On Madhuri Dixit’s 54th Birthday Bollywood Lauds Her Contributions To Cinema

May 19, 2021May 20, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Women 0

Bollywood star Madhuri Dixit Nene celebrated her 54th birthday on Saturday, May 15^thand the entire Bollywood world took to social media to wish her on her special day.Among the first to wish was veteran actor Anil Kapoor, Madhuri’s co-star in numerous hits including “Tezaab” (1988), “Ram Lakhan” (1989), “Parinda” (1989), “KishenKanhaiya” (1990), “Beta” (1992), Pukar (2000) and “Total Dhamaal” (2019).

“Happy Birthday, @MADHURIDIXITNENE! As actors I feel all of us are the happiest on the sets, especially if you are working with friends… so I’m looking forward to being on set with you again! Wishing you all the health and happiness always!!” wrote Anil.

Actress-politician Urmila Matondkar described Madhuri as “graceful” and “gorgeous” while wishing her.“Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the most gracious, graceful n gorgeous @MadhuriDixitji..lots of love n best wishes always,” wrote Urmila.Actress RaveenaTandon wrote: “Happy Birthday Beautiful! @MadhuriDixitloadsa love and happiness!”Actor Abhishek Bachchan tweeted: “@MadhuriDixit wishing you a very happy, healthy and safe birthday. Lots of love and respect.”

Actor Riteish Deshmukh, who shared screen space with Madhuri in “Total Dhamaal”, says working with her was “a dream come true”.“Happy Birthday to the most beautiful @MadhuriDixit mam. Working with you was my absolute dream come true… I wish you happiness, love, best of health and may god fulfil your wish to work with me (again) real soon. Have a great great day,” wrote Riteish.Riteish’s wife, actress Genelia, tweeted: “Happy Birthday @MadhuriDixitji.. Wishing you the best of health and warmest regards.”Actress EnaSaha tweeted: “Wishing you a very happy birthday maam! Big time inspiration.”

Actress Sonali Kulkarni tweeted: “Happy Birthday dear dear @MadhuriDixit. You prove that passion, talent and genuine beauty is absolutely timeless. 365 days of added awe and truck loads of love..best wishes.”Actress PallaviiShirke tweeted: “Wishing the charming and timeless beauty @MadhuriDixit ma’am a very Happy Birthday! May you always be blessed with good health &happiness. #HappyBirthdayMadhuriDixit”

Husband Shriram Nene posted a special message for his star wife Madhuri Dixit Nene birthday on Saturday, along with a throwback picture.“Happy Birthday to my soulmate, Madhuri Dixit Nene. Life has been an amazing journey for us together and I look forward to the road ahead. Much love and many happy returns of the day,” he wrote on his verified Instagram page, drneneofficial, and tagged it with #HappyBirthdayMadhuriDixit and #DrNene.The throwback image he posted with the note was a photo of the couple clicked on October 16, 1999. The couple got married a day later, on October 17 that year.Madhuri and Shriram Nene have two sons, Arin and Ryan.

Modi’s Actions In Attempting To Stifle Criticism During Crisis Inexcusable

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Media, Nation India 0

At times, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has seemed more intent on removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the Covid-19 pandemic, medical journal The Lancet has said in an editorial. “Modi’s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are inexcusable,” Lancet said.

The editorial published in the world’s most renowned medical journal said the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) estimates that India will see a staggering 1 million deaths from Covid-19 by August 1.“If that outcome was to happen, Modi’s government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe,” Lancet said in a scathing criticism of the government.

Lancet said India squandered its early successes in controlling Covid-19. Until April, the government’s Covid-19 taskforce had not met in months, it said.“The consequences of that decision are clear before us, and India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages. The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart,” Lancet said.

In the suggested course of action, Lancet said India must reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission as much as possible while the vaccine is rolled out.“As cases continue to mount, the government must publish accurate data in a timely manner, and forthrightly explain to the public what is happening and what is needed to bend the epidemic curve, including the possibility of a new federal lockdown,” it said.

Genome sequencing needs to be expanded to better track, understand and control emerging and more transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants, it said.“Local governments have begun taking disease containment measures, but the federal government has an essential role in explaining to the public the necessity of masking, social distancing, halting mass gatherings, voluntary quarantine, and testing,” it added.

Lancet said the botched vaccination campaign must be rationalised and implemented with all due speed. There are two immediate bottlenecks to overcome: increasing vaccine supply (some of which should come from abroad) and setting up a distribution campaign that can cover not just urban but also rural and poorer citizens, who constitute more than 65 per cent of the population (over 800 million people) but face a desperate scarcity of public health and primary care facilities, the editorial said.

The government must work with local and primary healthcare centres that know their communities and create an equitable distribution system for the vaccine, it added.Lancet said the scenes of suffering in India are hard to comprehend. As of May 4, more than 20.2 million cases of Covid-19 had been reported, with a rolling average of 3,78,000 cases a day, together with more than 2,22,000 deaths, which experts believe are likely to be substantial underestimated, Lancet said.

Hospitals are overwhelmed, and health workers are exhausted and becoming infected. Social media is full of desperate people (doctors and the public) seeking medical oxygen, hospital beds, and other necessities, it said.Lancet said that yet before the second wave of cases of Covid-19 began to mount in early March, Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan declared that India was in the “endgame” of the epidemic.

The impression from the government was that India had beaten Covid-19 after several months of low case counts, despite repeated warnings of the dangers of a second wave and the emergence of a new strain, it added.“Despite warnings about the risks of superspreader events, the government allowed religious festivals to go ahead, drawing millions of people from around the country, along with huge political rallies —conspicuous for their lack of Covid-19 mitigation measures,” the editorial said.

The message that Covid-19 was essentially over also slowed the start of India’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign, which has vaccinated less than 2 per cent of the population, it said.

“At the federal level, India’s vaccination plan soon fell apart. The government abruptly shifted course without discussing the change in policy with states, expanding vaccination to everyone older than 18 years, draining supplies, and creating mass confusion and a market for vaccine doses in which states and hospital systems competed,” it added.

The crisis has not been equally distributed, with states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra unprepared for the sudden spike in cases, quickly running out of medical oxygen, hospital space, and overwhelming the capacity of cremation sites, and with some state governments threatening those asking for oxygen or a hospital bed with national security laws, Lancet said.

Others, such as Kerala and Odisha, were better prepared, and have been able to produce enough medical oxygen in this second wave to export it to other states, it said. (IANS)

US Immigration Announces Continuation of International Entrepreneur Parole Program USCIS Announces Open Application Period for Citizenship and Integration Grant Program

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterImmigration, Travel 0

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is accepting applications for two funding opportunities under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. The grant opportunities will provide up to $10 million in grants for citizenship preparation programs in communities across the country.

These competitive grant opportunities are open to organizations that prepare lawful permanent residents for naturalization and promote civic integration through increased knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics. USCIS received support from Congress through appropriations to make these funding opportunities available to communities.

“It is critical that we provide immigrants pursuing citizenship and the organizations who help support their efforts with the tools to be successful,” said Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. “The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program helps those preparing to become U.S. citizens to successfully integrate into American society. This administration recognizes that naturalization is an important milestone in the civic integration of immigrants, and we will continue to provide support for individuals hoping to establish new citizenship in our country.”

“USCIS is committed to empowering immigrants to pursue citizenship and the privileges that accompany it,” said Acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud. “The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program equips immigrants with the tools they need to be successful throughout their journey to become new U.S. citizens and beyond. This year, USCIS is reaching out to more organizations that provide services to underserved communities to ensure that all who are eligible to apply for these grants—or to pursue naturalization—are able to do so.”

USCIS seeks to expand availability of high-quality citizenship and integration services throughout the country under the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program:

Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services:This opportunity will fund public or nonprofit organizations that offer both citizenship instruction and naturalization application services to lawful permanent residents. USCIS expects to award 33 organizations up to $250,000 each for two years through this opportunity. Applications are due by July 16, 2021.
Refugee and Asylee Integration Services Program:This grant opportunity will provide extended integration services with a focus on individualized programming to former refugees and asylees to attain the skills and knowledge required for successful citizenship. It will also provide other services that foster a sense of belonging and attachment to the United States. The program has expanded eligibility to include lawful permanent residents who were admitted or entered the United States as Cuban or Haitian entrants or individuals admitted on a Special Immigrant Visa. USCIS expects to award six public or nonprofit organizations with experience in serving refugees up to $300,000 each for a period of two years through this opportunity. Applicants must design an integration support program that provides a suite of services to program beneficiaries to promote long-term civic integration and citizenship. Applications are due by July 16, 2021.

USCIS expects to announce award recipients in September 2021.Since 2009, the USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has awarded about $102 million through 473 grants to immigrant-serving organizations. These grant recipients have provided citizenship preparation services to more than 279,000 lawful permanent residents in 39 states and the District of Columbia.

To apply for these funding opportunities, visit www.grants.gov. USCIS encourages applicants to visit www.grants.gov before the application deadline to obtain registration information needed to complete the application process.

For additional information on the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program for fiscal year 2021, visit www.uscis.gov/grants or email the USCIS Office of Citizenship at citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov.For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

USCIS Temporarily Suspends Biometrics Requirement For Certain Form I-539 Applicants

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterEconomy, Immigration, Travel 0

Effective May 17, 2021, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will temporarily suspend the biometrics submission requirement for certain applicants filing Form I-539, Application To Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, requesting an extension of stay in or change of status to H-4, L-2, and E nonimmigrant status.

In a May 13, 2021, notification (uscis.gov), the agency said it will allow adjudications for those specific categories to proceed based on biographic information and related background checks, without capturing fingerprints and a photograph.This suspension will apply through May 17, 2023, subject to affirmative extension or revocation of the suspension period by the USCIS director.

This temporary suspension will apply to applicants filing Form I-539 requesting the following:

Extension of stay in or change of status to H-4 nonimmigrant status;
Extension of stay in or change of status to L-2 nonimmigrant status;
Extension of stay in or change of status to E-1 nonimmigrant status;
Extension of stay in or change of status to E-2 nonimmigrant status (including E-2C (E-2 CNMI Investor)); or
Extension of stay in or change of status to E-3 nonimmigrant status (including those selecting E-3D).
This suspension will apply only to the above categories of Form I-539 applications that are either:
Pending as of May 17, 2021, and have not yet received a biometric services appointment notice; or
New applications postmarked or submitted electronically on or after May 17, 2021.

However, the agency clarified that it retains discretion on a case-by-case basis to require biometrics for applicants who meet the criteria above, and any applicant may be scheduled for an application support center (ASC) appointment to submit biometrics.Nevertheless, it said that Form I-539 applicants who have already received a biometric services appointment notice should still attend their scheduled appointment.

Effective May 17, 2021, Form I-539 applicants meeting the criteria above are not required to submit the $85 biometric services fee for Form I-539 during the suspension period. USCIS will return a biometric services fee if submitted separately from the base fee. For more details visit uscis.gov/news/In another notification, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the Department of Homeland Security is withdrawing a 2018 notice of proposed rulemaking that proposed to remove the International Entrepreneur program from DHS regulations.

The International Entrepreneur (IE) parole program, first introduced in 2017, will remain a viable program for foreign entrepreneurs to create and develop start-up entities with high growth potential in the United States. The program will help to strengthen and grow our nation’s economy through increased capital spending, innovation, and job creation.

Today’s announcement is consistent with President Biden’s Executive Order 14012: “Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans.” The executive order requires the secretary of homeland security to “identify any agency actions that fail to promote access to the legal immigration system.”

“Immigrants in the United States have a long history of entrepreneurship, hard work, and creativity, and their contributions to this nation are incredibly valuable,” said Acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud. “The International Entrepreneur parole program goes hand-in-hand with our nation’s spirit of welcoming entrepreneurship and USCIS encourages those who are eligible to take advantage of the program.”

The initial IE final rule was published on Jan. 17, 2017, and was scheduled to take effect on July 17, 2017. This final rule guided DHS in the use of its parole authority to grant a period of authorized stay, on a case-by-case basis, to foreign entrepreneurs who demonstrate that their stay in the United States would provide a significant public benefit through the potential for rapid business growth and job creation.

Prior to the effective date, DHS published a final rule to delay the implementation date of the IE final rule to March 14, 2018. This allowed DHS additional time to draft and seek public comments on a proposal to rescind the IE final rule. However, in December 2017, a federal court vacated the delay, requiring USCIS to begin accepting international entrepreneur parole applications consistent with the IE final rule. Since then, the program has been up and running, and USCIS continues to accept and adjudicate applications consistent with existing DHS regulations.

Under the IE program, parole may be granted to up to three entrepreneurs per start-up entity, as well as their spouses and children. Entrepreneurs granted parole are eligible to work only for their start-up business. Their spouses may apply for employment authorization in the United States, but their children are not eligible for such authorization based on this parole. Additional information on eligibility and how to apply is available on the International Entrepreneur Parole page. USCIS will plan information sessions and other outreach activities to ensure foreign entrepreneurs are aware of this opportunity and how to pursue it.

Colonial Pipeline Paid Hackers $5M In Ransom

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Finance/Economy 0

Colonial, a major US fuel pipeline has reportedly paid cyber-criminal gang DarkSide nearly $5m (£3.6m) in ransom, following a cyber-attack.Colonial Pipeline suffered a ransomware cyber-attack over the weekend and took its service down for five days, causing supplies to tighten across the US.CNN, the New York Times, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal all reported a ransom was paid, citing sources. Colonial said last week that it would not comment on the issue. Japanese consumer tech giant Toshiba also reported its European division in France had been hit by the same cyber-criminal gang.

Following the cyber-attack, Colonial announced it would resume operations on Wednesday evening, but warned that it could take several days for the delivery supply chain to return to normal.The 5,500-mile (8,900km) pipeline usually carries 2.5 million barrels a day on the East Coast. The closure saw supplies of diesel, petrol and jet fuel tighten across the US, with prices rising, an emergency waiver passed on Monday and a number of states declaring an emergency.

The average price per gallon hit $3.008 (£2.14) – the highest level seen since October 2014, according to the Automobile Association of America.US President Joe Biden reassured motorists that fuel supplies should start returning to normal this weekend, even as more filling stations ran out of gasoline across the Southeast. According to reports, Colonial had said initially it would not be paying the ransom demanded by the hackers.

Toshiba Tec France Imaging System, which is part of Toshiba, said it was hit by a similar cyber-attack by DarkSide on May 4th. However, the firm emphasized that no leaks of data had been detected and that only a minimal amount of work data was lost during the event.

It said it had put protective measures in place immediately after the attack.In light of a sharp increase in ransomware cyber-attacks during the pandemic, on Thursday President Biden signed an executive order to improve US cyber-defences. Earlier in the week, he said that although there was no evidence that the Kremlin was involved, there was evidence to suggest that the DarkSide gang of hackers was based in Russia.

The news that Colonial Pipeline paid these criminals is a major blow to President Biden. Only this week he signed a long-awaited executive order to beef up federal cyber-security and, in turn, make the US more secure from future attacks. These efforts have, in the view of some in the cyber-security world, been completely undermined.How can the Biden administration encourage corporations to spend millions securing their computer networks from attack when they’ve just witnessed Colonial, under the glare of the public eye, cave in to criminal demands and pay their way out of trouble?

The news will swell the ranks of those in the security world who want ransomware payments banned. But with companies, jobs and sometimes lives put at risk when ransomware hits, it is a tough call for policymakers.The potential silver-lining in this case comes from reports that even after Colonial paid the hackers, the criminals were so slow to help the company that pipeline staff got to work on recovery themselves.

The DarkSide hacker crew can no longer claim that they can restore victims services quickly and this may make others question whether or not to give in to their demands.’Our goal is to make money’

Cyber-security firms told the BBC that DarkSide operates by infiltrating an organisation’s computer network and stealing sensitive data.Typically, a day later the hackers will make themselves known, announcing that they have encrypted all the data in the network and are prepared to leak it onto the internet and delete it, if they are not paid a ransom by a certain deadline.

DarkSide operates by making the software used to execute this attack and then training affiliates to use it, who then give the gang a cut of the ransoms they take.Following concerns the Colonial cyber-attack was caused by nation-state hackers with a political motive, DarkSide posted on its website: “Our goal is to make money and not creating problems for society.”

The group also indicated it had not been aware that Colonial was being targeted by one of its affiliates and intended to “introduce moderation and check each company” its partners want to encrypt, “to avoid social consequences in the future”.On Friday, Reuters reported that DarkSide’s website on the dark web was no longer accessible.Colonial Pipeline’s website also continues to be offline.

After Ouster, Liz Cheney Says She Will “Lead The Fight”

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterNation USA, Women 0

Republican Party leader Liz Cheney says she will “lead the fight” for a Republican party based on conservatism after being removed from the party’s leadership. Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney remained defiant after being ousted from her post as the No 3 House Republican on Wednesday for her criticism of Donald Trump.

She said America needed a Republican party “based upon fundamental principles of conservatism” and vowed: “I plan to lead the fight to do that.” Her removal was widely expected after she refused to stop blaming the former president for inciting the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.

Before the vote, seen as a bellwether for the future of the Republican party, she addressed the caucus and was even booed by some of her colleagues. “If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person,” she said.The battle to unseat Republican congresswoman Elizabeth Cheney from her leadership position in the party was a dispute that went far beyond simple jockeying for power by politicians.

It was widely seen as a litmus test for the direction of the Republican party as it grapples with the enduring power of Donald Trump, the former president who remains hugely popular with its base and thus a force to be reckoned with by party leaders.Cheney had emerged as a vocal critic of Trump, especially since the attack on the Capitol on 6 January by Trump supporters. But her price for her outspokenness was being ousted from party leadership – and may still cost her her congressional seat to a Republican challenger.

Who is Liz Cheney?

Cheney is a congresswoman from Wyoming and a staunch conservative who is also the daughter of the former vice-president Dick Cheney – a man who previously occupied the position of “liberal hate figure” before Trump appeared. She is also one of the most senior women in a party with few in top positions.

Why did the party oust her?

Cheney has angered Trump, and by extension his base and other Trump-supporting politicians, by slamming the former president for the attack on the Capitol on 6 January. She also been critical of Trump’s propagating of false claims that the 2020 election that Joe Biden won was somehow carried out fraudulently. After her ouster she said she would dedicate herself to ensuring Trump never returns to the Oval Office.

So what happened?

Congressional Republicans held a secret ballot to vote Cheney out from her leadership position in the House of Representatives, saying she is out of touch with the grassroots of the party. She is also being challenged in her Wyoming congressional seat.

What does it mean?

Bluntly, Cheney should have been untouchable on paper. She’s a high-profile woman in a party that desperately needs them. She’s a true conservative and daughter of a powerful party elder. On policy, she is widely seen as more conservative than the woman many now tip to succeed her, the New York congresswoman Elise Stefanik.

But in the post-Trump Republican party none of that mattered. Policy and networking fell prey to one thing: a Trump loyalty test. And with her outspoken criticism of the former president, Cheney failed that exam spectacularly.

What next?

The few other prominent anti-Trump voices will see Cheney’s ouster as a chastening moment that will keep their already weak movement even more in the background of Republican politics. It sends a message that to thrive in the next few years in the current incarnation of the party, loyalty to Trump is the be all and end all as the US looks to the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential contest.

Elon Musk Says, Tesla Will Not Accept Bitcoin For Transactions

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Environment, Finance/Economy 0

Tesla has suspended customers’ use of bitcoin to purchase its vehicles, Tesla’s billionaire CEO said last week, citing concerns about the use of fossil fuel for bitcoin mining.Elon Musk said the company had suspended use of bitcoin for purchase of its electric vehicles, citing fears about the world’s biggest cryptocurrency’s “rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels”.

The company started accepting bitcoin in March. Musk tweeted that they plan to start using it again “as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy”. Following the tweet, bitcoin fell nearly 17% – its lowest point since the beginning of March. “We are also looking at other cryptocurrencies that use <1% of bitcoin’s energy/transaction,” Musk said.

How does bitcoin use fossil fuels? Bitcoin mining – the process by which the currency is created using high powered computers that compete to solve complex mathematical puzzles – is powered by electricity generated by fossil fuels, especially coal. At current rates, it is using approximately the equivalent amount of energy each year as the Netherlands did in 2019.

At current rates, such bitcoin “mining” devours about the same amount of energy annually as the Netherlands did in 2019, the latest available data from the University of Cambridge and the International Energy Agency shows.

Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at currency trading firm OANDA, said that Musk was getting ahead of investors focused on sustainability.

“The environmental impact from mining bitcoins was one of the biggest risks for the entire crypto market,” Moya said. “Over the past couple of months, everyone disregarded news that bitcoin uses more electricity than Argentina and Norway.”

Chris Weston, head of research at broker Pepperstone in Melbourne, said Musk’s reaction was a blow to bitcoin but an acknowledgement of the currency’s carbon footprint. “Tesla has got an image of being environmentally friendly and bitcoin clearly is the opposite of that,” Weston said.

Study Finds, More Nurses Lead To Fewer Patient Deaths, Shorter Hospital Stays

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

A minimum ratio of one nurse to four patients for day shifts can successfully improve patient care, with a 7 per cent drop in the chance of death and readmission, and 3 per cent reduction in length of stay for every one less patient a nurse has on their workload, according to a study across 55 hospitals in Queensland, Australia.

In 2016, 27 public hospitals in Queensland were required to instate a minimum of one dedicated nurse for every four patients during day shifts and one for every seven patients for night shifts on medical-surgical wards.The study, published in The Lancet, examined more than 400,000 patients and 17,000 nurses in 27 hospitals that implemented the policy and compared with 28 hospitals that did not. The comparison hospitals had no change in staffing, with six patients per nurse in 2016 and the same ratio (1:6) in the follow-up period in 2018.

The findings showed that the chance of death rose between 2016 and 2018 by 7 per cent in hospitals that did not implement the policy, and fell by 11 per cent in hospitals that did implement the policy.The chances of being re-admitted increased by 6 per cent in the comparison hospitals over time, but stayed the same in hospitals that implemented the policy. Between 2016 and 2018, the length of stay fell by 5 per cent in the hospitals that did not implement the policy, and by 9 per cent in hospitals that did.

Further analyses found that when nurse workloads improved by one less patient per nurse, the chance of death and readmissions fell by 7 per cent, and the length of hospital stay dropped by 3 per cent.“Our findings plug a crucial data gap that has delayed a widespread roll-out of nurse staffing mandates. Opponents of these policies often raise concerns that there is no clear evaluation of policy, so we hope that our data convinces people of the need for minimum nurse-to-patient ratios by clearly demonstrating that quality nursing is vital to patient safety and care,” said lead author, Matthew McHugh from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, US. (IANS)

Nikhita Gandhi Is Excited To Be Part Of New Wave Of Indie Releases

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterEntertainment, Women 0

Singer Nikhita Gandhi is making sure that she continues making music during the pandemic, and says the Indie genre excites her. “I am excited to be part of this new wave of Indie releases. I have another single dropping soon, where you get to hear the female version of ‘Mawaalidil’. All in all, a lot of self-written melodies,” she told IANS.

Nikhita added: “I’m excited because the spectrum is so global right now, and to be a part of this movement is a dream come true. I got to collaborate with the American RnB artiste Pink Sweats for the song ‘At my worst’ and be on playlists with Rihanna and Kehlani. I don’t think if I went back to 13-year-old me and told her all this would happen, she would ever believe me!”

Talking about her recent number “Karobaardilka”, she says that musician KushalMangal came to her with the idea. “Kushal has been my bandmate and he’s been playing the keys with me for the past couple of years. He’s an extremely talented musician, and more importantly, a wonderful person. He started releasing his own compositions in 2020 and he came to me with ‘Karobaardilka’ saying that he really wanted me to sing the last stanza. I agreed even without hearing the song because I know how great he is. And when I did listen to it, I fell in love with the simple, yet resonating melody of the song. It’s so mature and gorgeous and I really hope people listen to it,” she says. (IANS)

Born into a mixed Bengali and Punjabi family in Kolkata, Nikita relocated to Chennai in 2010 to pursue a degree in dentistry. A former student of A. R. Rahman’s K. M. College of Music and Technology, Nikhita’s first association with Rahman was during an Indo-German exchange, where she was a part of a choir which performed with the German orchestra. Rahman then individually auditioned her for a commercial project titled ‘Qyuki’ with ShekharKapur, the duo were working on. In 2012, she cut a Bengali album titled Kotha, a re-arrangement of NazrulGeeti, songs written by renowned poet KaziNazrul Islam.

After having worked on her personal studio album and sung as a part of songs in regional films, Nikhita got a breakthrough by performing the song “Ladio” from Shankar’s film, I (2015). Composed by A. R. Rahman, she managed to record the song within four hours after translating it into Hindi. She then also subsequently recorded the Telugu and Hindi versions of the song, earning critical acclaim for her work. Other projects she worked for in 2015 include Rahman’s O KadhalKanmani and Anirudh’s ThangaMagan.

New York Indian Film Festival To Showcase Top Indian Movies

May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Entertainment 0

The annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America’s longest-running Indian film festival recently announced its list of films for opening night, centerpiece and closing night.

The festival, virtual this year, starts from June 4 and goes on till 13, 2021, according to a press release from the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC).

The film lineup includes Where is Pinki/ Pinki Elli (Kannada) directed by PrithviKonanur as the opening film; Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless (English), dir. Ramesh Sharma as the first centerpiece; WOMB: Women of my Billion (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu), dir. Ajitesh Sharma as the second centerpiece and Fire in the Mountains (Hindi), dir. Ajitpal Singh as the closing film.

The festival will also feature a virtual event with exclusive Q&A sessions with filmmakers and talent, the release said.

Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF festival director offered his thoughts and prayers to the lives lost in the covid-19 crisis in India. “But we made a promise to our audience in the United States and elsewhere. The show must go on. We present the best of Indian cinema from 2020 and 2021,” he was quoted saying in the press release.

NYIFF will also celebrate birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi, Satyajit Ray and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Suman Gollamudi, IAAC executive director said NYIFF has showcased the some of the most impactful and esteemed films and documentaries celebrating India, its people and its heritage, for the past 21 years. “The caliber of films on the 2021 lineup includes notable works by award-winning filmmakers, which aim to capture stories that have a truly profound message about our world today. These films have received exceptional praise from critics and audiences around the globe,” he added.

According to Rakesh Kaul, vice chairman, IAAC, NYIFF is partnering with MovieSaints for a second straight year to reach a wider audience virtually.

“For the first time, the 2021 lineup truly reflects the incredible diversity of Indian cinematic creativity,” said Dr. NirmalMattoo, Chairman IAAC. “This standout collection of films introduces new voices, fresh perspectives and original storytelling, which enhances the NYIFF curatorial legacy of spotlighting movies that go on to receive critical global acclaim.”

“In addition, we will be unveiling a newly designed award in 2021,” continued Mattoo. “Conceived and created by IAAC Board Member and sculptor, Raj Shahani, this iconic award will epitomize the excellence that NYIFF seeks to foster with its annual awards presentation.”

Each of these films along with the complete collection of NYIFF-recognized titles will be available for viewing starting June 4, 2021 at nyiff.us and nyiff.moviesaints.com. The cost to view each film ranges from US$4.99 for feature films (narrative and documentaries) and US$0.99 for shorts. Audiences outside the U.S., excluding India, can pay in their local currencies. In India, the cost will be Rs.150 for features and shorts starting at Rs. 50. There are also discount packages available

Featured Movies Include:

Awakash (Marathi), dir. ChittaranjanGiri, 77 mins, 2020

Biryaani (Malayalam), dir. Sajin Baabu, 96 mins, 2020

Blue Bird (Kannada), dir. Ganesh Hegde, 106 mins, 2020

Fire in the Mountains (Hindi), dir. Ajitpal Singh, 82 mins, 2020

First Night (Tamil), dir. Jack Prabhu, Santoshh KK, 106 mins, 2020

Freddie’s Piano (English), dir. AakashPrabhakar, Sudharshan Narayanan, 110 mins, 2020

God on the Balcony (Assamese), dir. Biswajeet Bora, 89 mins, 2020

Habaddi (Marathi), dir. NachiketSamant, 110 mins, 2020

House of Orange Trees (Malayalam), dir. Dr. Biju Damodaran, 110 mins, 2020

June (Marathi), dir. VaibhavKhisti, SuhrudGodbole, 94 mins, 2020

Mail (Telugu), dir. UdayGurrala, 116 mins, 2020

Nasir (Tamil), dir. ArunKarthick, 78 mins, 2019

Nazarband (Captive) (Hindi), dir. Suman Mukhopadhyay, 85 mins, 2020

Parallel Lines (KayamaiKadakka) (Tamil), dir. Kiran R, 104 mins, 2020

Parcel (Bengali), dir. Indrasis Acharya, 123 mins, 2020

Pinki Elli? (Where’s Pinki?) (Kannada), dir. PrithviKonanur, 108 mins, 2020

Searching for Happiness (Bengali) dir. Suman Ghosh, 63 mins, 2021

Songs for Rain (Boroxun) (Assamese), dir. Krrishna Kt. Borah, 86 mins, 2020

Sthalpuran (Marathi), dir. AkshayIndikar, 85 mins, 2020

The Chicken Curry (KoliTaal) (Kannada), dir. Abhilash Shetty, 84 mins, 2020

The Tenant (English, Hindi), dir. Sushrat Jain, 112 mins, 2020

The Knot (Uljhan) (Hindi), dir. Ashish Pant, 113 mins, 2020

Zollywood, (Marathi), dir. Trushant Ingle, 95 mins, 2019

Documentaries:

Ahimsa Gandhi: The Power of the Powerless, (English), dir. Ramesh Sharma, 92 mins, 2020

Borderlands (Punjabi, Bengali, Nepali, Manipuri), dir. Samarth Mahajan, 67 mins, 2021

GharKaPata (Home Address) (English, Hindi, Kashmiri), dir. MadhulikaJalali, 67 mins, 2020

Shut UpSona (English, Hindi, Oriya), dir. Deepti Gupta, 85 mins. 2019

Talking Head (English, Bengali), dir. Spandan Banerjee, 94 mins, 2021

The Music of Satyajit Ray (English, Bengali), dir. Utpalendu Chakrabarty, 51 mins, 1984

The Space Between the Notes (English, Hindi), dir. SumantraGhosal, 52 mins, 2018

WOMB: Women of my Billions, dir. Ajitesh Sharma (English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu), 103 mins, 2021

At the Altar of India’s Freedom – INA Veterans in Malaysia (English) dir. ChoodieShivaram, 30 mins, 2018

Baluji (English), dir. Cécile Embleton, 22 mins, 2020

Seva (English), dir. RippinSindher, 16 mins, 2019

The Hero Within (Hindi), dir. Stanley Hector, 7 mins, 2021

What’s Your Story? (English), dir. O.P. Srivastava, 51 mins, 2020

Short Films:

Adhura (Unfinished) (Hindi), dir. Arjun Lal, 19 mins, 2020

Annual Day (SalanaJalsa) (Marathi), dir. Pratik Thakare, 30 mins, 2020

Appa’s Seasons (Tamil), dir. Radhika Prasidhha, 22 mins, 2020

Selvi& Daughters (Tamil), dir. Drishya, 25 mins, 2020

Checking Out (English), dir. Vick Krishna, 15 mins, 2020

Happy Birthday (Hindi), dir. Ajay Kishore Shaw, 20 mins, 2020

KhayaliPulao (Hindi), dir.TarunDudeja, 26 mins, 2020

Khisa (Pocket) (Marathi), dir. Raj Pritam More, 16 mins, 2020

Kurma (English, Hindi), dir. Ramsee Chand, 18 mins, 2020

Laali (Hindi), dir. AbhiroopBasu, 30 mins, 2020

Loose Long Shirt (English), dir. Mitali Joshi, 6 mins, 2020

My Brother (Mera Bhai) (Hindi), dir. Shreela Agarwal, 22 mins, 2020

Naap (Hindi), dir. Harshit Acharya, 18 mins, 2020

Now That We’ve Met (English), dir. NityaTuraga, 5 mins, 2020

Pilibhit (Hindi), dir. AshutoshChaturvedi, Pankaj Mavchi, 23 mins, 2020

Pinni (Kannada), dir.BhuvanSathya, 20 mins, 2020

Sonsi (Shadow Bird) (Hindi) dir. Savita Singh, 26 mins, 2020

Sunday (Hindi), dir. ArunFulara, 10 mins, 2020

TasherGhawr (English), dir. Sudipto Roy, 47 mins, 2020

The Miniaturist of Junagarh (Hindi, Urdu), dir. Kaushal Oza, 29 mins, 2020

Untouchability (Theetu) (Tamil), dir. Haresh Narayanan, 7 mins, 2020

Vulture (Xogun) (Assamese), dir. UtpalBorpujari, 16 mins, 2020

More information at: nyiff.us and nyiff.moviesaints.com. For frequently asked technology questions visit https://nyiff.moviesaints.com/faq/nyiff.

AAPI Urges President Biden, Vice President Harris & US Senators For The Release Of Astra Zeneca Vaccines to India

May 12, 2021May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

AAPI has been in the forefront, pioneering efforts both here in the US and back home in India, spearheading numerous initiatives to help, guide and support the people and the physician community in India

India is struggling with an unprecedented second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with more than 400,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days. The spread of COVID-19 in India is escalating and the associated morbidity and mortality is causing havoc and panic in the society. The critical shortage of essential supplies of medication, oxygen, ventilators and physicians burn out have a further catastrophic consequence in the survival of hundreds of millions of Indian citizens.

The American Association of Physicians of Indian-Origin (AAPI), which represents nearly 100,000 thousands of Indian-origin Doctors in the US, has been in the forefront, pioneering efforts both here in the US and back home in India, spearheading numerous initiatives to help, guide and support the people and the physician community in India on ways to combat and overcome the deadly virus.

While describing the current situation in India as “heart wrenching,” Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, President of AAPI said, “We at AAPI are determined to mobilize the massive medical help and support, that India needs at this hour. Any further spread of such toxic material around the globe can only be apocalyptical, a specter that could be prevented now.”

Dr. Jonnalagadda said, “AAPI, the second largest Medical Association in USA after the AMA, has been galvanized extensively, and AAPI has immediately shipped over a thousand Oxygen generators, masks, PPPs and essential supplies, and our pipeline will continue until the pandemic is overcome. As with anyone else, our doctors believe that they can best carry out our service to God through our service to our fellow humans.”

While providing all possible help and support that is essential at this critical period, AAPI recognizes that “In the long term, vaccination is the still the best therapy and hope. At present, India is experiencing acute and severe shortages of the Covid-19 vaccines. Astra Zeneca is releasing 60 million vaccines after due FDA approval this month. We urge the US government to release send at least 30 million doses of the vaccine to India,” said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Member National Advisory Council, SAMHSA, Center for National Mental Health Services, Washington DC and currently serving as AAPI’s Legislative Wing Chairman.

AAPI has been working with the White House officials to have an in person meeting arranged for the AAPI leadership to meet with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other top US administration leaders, urging the importance and the need to send the much needed vaccines to India to prevent and contain the spread of the virus.

In the letters sent to the 100 US Senators, while acknowledging the respect and influence each of them command on Capitol Hill, Dr. Shivangi said, “we seek your strongest effort to convince the White House to permit more vaccine raw material to be released immediately for local vaccine production, as well as increasing all types of assistance, in a catastrophe of such magnitude.”

AAPI has urged the Indian American community “to be the spokespersons for humanity, and convince our President, Mr. Joseph Biden, our Vice – President, Mrs. Kamala Harris, along with the Chief of White House Mr. Ron Klain, and not the least, your colleagues in the US Senate. We are delighted that President has declared America’s return to world affairs, and he should be at the helm of this emergency response.”

Meanwhile, AAPI has sought blanket immunity and indemnification from the Indian government for offering their voluntary services to COVID-19 patients either virtually or in-person by flying to their home country amidst an unprecedented second wave of the deadly coronavirus pandemic. AAPI has urged the Government of Indian in letters to Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan. “We request the Government of India through an emergency declaration (to) provide a blanket immunity and indemnification for volunteering physicians from the USA, providing COVID related medical care in India,” Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI said.

“We are continuing to interact with the physicians back in India to answer their questions. AAPI as a group and individual physicians are reaching out almost on a daily basis with doctors on ground in India,” Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI said, adding that it is in addition to the calls being received from their friends and families back home.

“Indeed a proud moment for AAPI,” said Dr. Amit Chakrabarthy, Secretary of AAPI. “The prestigious New York Times as the second most prominent international organization in this effort (after UNICEF)!!! This is a proud moment for all of us. Please continue to support and donate at aapiusa.org.”

Dr. Sathesh Kathula, Treasurer of AAPI said, “In less than a week, AAPI has raised USD 2.6 million. AAPI has so far sent 1,000 oxygen concentrators and is in the process of sending another 1,000. We have tied up with UNICEF, Sewa International USA, and several other non-profit bodies to secure and coordinate efforts to reach help to the suffering in India.”

It’s devastating to see millions of people are being impacted by Covid in India, especially many of the friends and families of AAPI members are suffering from Covid disease and dying now. In this context, AAPI would like to help India big way, said Dr. Jonnalagadda. AAPI is also urging all Community leaders to educate their members to be on Alert to avoid spread of the virus.” For more information on AAPI and its efforts to coordinate services for India, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

Kamala Harris Describes India’s Covid Situation As Heartbreaking

May 12, 2021May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Nation India, Nation USA 0

“The surge of Covid-19 infections and deaths in India is nothing short of heartbreaking. To those of you who have lost loved ones, I send my deepest condolences,” Vice President Kamala Harris Says

In an address to the Indian diaspora in the US, Vice President Kamala Harris lamented over the deteriorating Covidd-19 situation India, saying it was “nothing short of heartbreaking”.

“Generations of my family come from India. My mother (Shyamala Gopalan) was born and raised in India. And I have family members who live in India today. The welfare of India is critically important to the US,” Harris said in her pre-recorded message played at a diaspora event hosted by the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) on Friday.

“The surge of Covid-19 infections and deaths in India is nothing short of heartbreaking. To those of you who have lost loved ones, I send my deepest condolences. As soon as the dire nature of the situation became apparent, our administration took action.

“On Monday, April 26, President Joe Biden spoke with the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) to offer our support. By Friday, April 30, US military members and civilians were delivering relief on the ground.

“Already, we have delivered refillable oxygen cylinders, with more to come. We have delivered oxygen concentrators, with more to come. We have delivered N95 masks, and have more ready to send. We have delivered doses of Remdesivir to treat Covid patients.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, when our hospital beds were stretched, India sent assistance. And today, we are determined to help India in its hour of need.

“We do this as friends of India, as members of the Asian Quad, and as part of the global community. I believe that if we continue to work together, across nations and sectors, we will all get through this,” the Vice President added.

In her address, she also acknowledged diaspora groups like Indiaspora and the American India Foundation that “have built bridges between the US and India”.

“And this past year, you have provided vital contributions to Covid-19 relief efforts.”

Harris’ remarks come as India is battling the devastating second wave of the pandemic that have triggered record number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths, leading to a shortage in oxygen supplies across the country, including in the national capital of New Delhi.

On Sunday, India reported 4,03,738 new cases, which took the overall tally to 2,22,96,414, the second highest in the world after the US.

Meanwhile, the country’s death toll, currently the third largest after the us and Brazil, increased to 2,42,362.

Sunday’s figure is the fifth highest since India crossed the four-lakh-mark of new Covid cases, while over 3,000 casualties have been reported for the last 11 days. (IANS)

Sadiq Khan Re-elected As Mayor Of London

May 12, 2021May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterGlobal, Profile 0

Sadiq Khan has been re-elected as Mayor of London for a second term after beating his closest rival with a vote share of 55.2 per cent versus 44.8 per cent in an election that was closer than expected.

Labor Party candidate Khan, 51, defeated his Conservative Party rival, Shaun Bailey, after winning a total of 1,206,034 votes as against 977,601 when both first and second preference votes from Thursday’s mayoral election were fully counted overnight on Saturday.

The Pakistani-origin former Labor member of Parliament was the first Muslim mayor of a European capital city when he was first elected in 2016. The mayoral poll was due last year but was postponed by a year at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

“I am deeply humbled by the trust Londoners have placed in me to continue leading the greatest city on earth,” said Khan. “I promise to strain every sinew, help build a better and brighter future for London, after the dark days of the pandemic and to create a greener, fairer and safer city for all Londoners, to get the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential. I am proud to have won an overwhelming mandate today,” he said, speaking at his City Hall office.

“The results of the elections around the UK shows our country, and even our city, remains deeply divided. The scars of Brexit have yet to heal. A crude culture war is pushing us further apart,” he added.

“Economic inequality is getting worse both within London and in different parts of our country. “As we seek to confront the enormity of the challenge ahead, and as we endeavour to rebuild from this pandemic, we must use this moment of national recovery to heal those damaging divisions,” Khan, also the first Muslim mayor of an European capital city, added.

Labor continues its dominance in the capital, remaining the largest party on the London Assembly. Labor took nine constituency seats, with the Conservatives winning the remaining five.

His victory is one of the few positives for the Labour Party as the party held on to its dominance in the London Assembly as well. Labour also kept hold of its mayoralty in Greater Manchester, where Andy Burnham was re-elected in a landslide win.

However, overall the local election performance has been largely dismal for the Opposition party as it lost many of its strongholds. The Conservatives have gained control of around 12 councils and the Labour has lost control of seven and the Labour failed in its attempt to oust Conservative Andy Street as the popular mayor of the West Midlands.

UK Environment Secretary George Eustice said the Labour had been punished in Leave-voting areas by “wrangling” over Brexit in recent years. The Boris Johnson led Conservatives are also seen to have benefitted from the successful roll-out of vaccines against COVID-19.

WHO Hails ‘Monumental Moment’ as US Backs Patent Waiver

May 12, 2021May 19, 2021 Staff ReporterGlobal, Health 0

President joe Biden has supported the waiver proposal, drafted by India and South Africa, winning praise from the World Health Organization which called it “a monumental moment.”

It seems patently obvious. But for the first time U.S. President Joe Biden has said he supports lifting intellectual property rights on coronavirus vaccines in order to increase production and make them more accessible to developing nations. Biden threw his backing behind the waiver proposal, drafted by India and South Africa, winning praise from the World Health Organization which called it “a monumental moment.” However, the drug industry is not happy, with shares in BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax down after the news broke. The E.U. is now set to hold talks on whether to follow America’s lead.

The Biden administration announced last week it will support waiver of intellectual property protection on Covid-19 vaccines to help end the global coronavirus pandemic, citing “extraordinary times and circumstances call for extraordinary measures”.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai made the announcement after pressure from developing countries and liberal and progressive lawmakers in the US while disclosing that Washington will actively participate in WTO negotiations to make that happen.

India and South Africa were among the lead countries that had campaigned for the IP waiver. More than 100 US lawmakers had written to President Biden supporting the demand even though an equal number, many bankrolled by the pharma lobby, had opposed it.

“As our vaccine supply for the American people is secured, the Administration will continue to ramp up its efforts – working with the private sector and all possible partners – to expand vaccine manufacturing and distribution. It will also work to increase the raw materials needed to produce those vaccines,” Tai said in a statement.

The Biden administration’s backing for talks on Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) flexibility for vaccines at WTO has prodded others such as the European Union, a key opponent, out of its waiver hesitancy, but trade negotiators are treading with caution.

“The EU is also ready to discuss any proposal that addresses the crisis in an effective and pragmatic manner,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Thursday. “And that’s why we are ready to discuss how the US proposal for waiver on intellectual property protection for covered vaccines could help achieve that objective,” she told an online conference, weeks after the trading bloc had told WTO members that this was a no-go area.

The Indian government appeared pleased with the progress after months of deadlock. “We welcome the US government supporting this initiative and joining 120 other countries working towards affordable Covid-19 vaccines,” commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said on Twitter.

For now, Indian negotiators are keeping their fingers crossed, waiting to see how the other traditional naysayers – Switzerland, the UK, Japan, Canada and Brazil – react, and acknowledge that the statements from the US and the EU only signal a start of some tough negotiations in Geneva over the coming weeks.

Significantly, the dilution of US’ traditional resistance, following intense pressure from civil society, was limited to talks on vaccines, while India and South Africa’s joint proposal at WTO had sought to extend the flexibility to Covid-19 related medicines as well.

The Joe Biden administration’s about-turn to endorse patent waiver for Covid-19 vaccine during the pandemic has put the European Union in the dock, just days ahead of a meeting with India.

India and South Africa had been pushing for a waiver of the intellectual property rights of Covid-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization so that other vaccine makers can make the jabs developed in the West.
Biden administration on Wednesday endorsed the patent waiver, a significant departure from its earlier stand.
But a WTO-level waiver, under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPS) agreement, needs a consensus by all 164 members — and could take months.

The European Union is now under pressure to shed its opposition to a waiver.

There aredifferences within the EU. France’s Emmanuel Macron said he was “absolutely in favour” of a waiver and a transfer of technology. Italy, Belgium, and some members of the European parliament, too, have backed the idea.
European commission president Ursula von der Leyen Thursday said the bloc is “ready to discuss” the proposal.
But the EU is not alone. A waiver is also opposed by the UK, Switzerland, and Canada. Australia is non-committal.
The 27 national leaders of the EU are to hold a virtual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday to discuss a long-delayed free trade agreementand more.

Even as India pushes for a waiver at WTO, the central government hasn’t enforced compulsory sharing of license on Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, which was co-developed by public-funded ICMR and NIV.

“We’re Helping India Significantly,” President Biden Says

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Nation India, Nation USA 0

President Joe Biden has said that the US was “doing a lot for India” by sending it oxygen and materials to make anti-COVID-19 vaccines. He said last week that he had spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “what he needs most is, he needs the material and the parts to be able to have his machines that can make the vaccine work. We’re sending them that.

“We’re sending them a lot of the precursors,” he added, referring to the ingredients needed for making the vaccines. He said the US was also sending oxygen, which is in short supply in the nation in the throes of a COVID-19 resurgence. “We’re helping India significantly,” he said.

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has acknowledged assistance last year from India when the US was facing its deep crisis while speaking of the aid the US is now sending it. “India came to our assistance early on in our hour of need when we were having real struggles with COVID-19, providing millions and millions, for example, of protective masks. We remember that, and we’re determined to do everything we can to help now,” he told the Financial Express according to the interview transcript provided by the State Department.

He said, “What I’ve seen really is an amazing mobilisation not just of the United States government, but of our private sector, and of Indian Americans as well. I was on a call a week ago with virtually every leading CEO — it was a who’s who — all wanting to help. And the government, our government, is coordinating those efforts. So we are doing everything we can.”

Biden’s Spokesperson Jen Psaki, who gave a rundown of the assistance to India, said that the US government was sending ingredients for making 20 million doses AstraZeneca (Covishield) vaccine from supplies that it had ordered.

These were ingredients had been ordered on a priority basis by invoking the Defence Production Act to supply to companies under contract to make vaccines for it.

The US is unlikely to need the 300 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that it had contracted because it has adequate supplies of the Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. She said that the total value of the COVID-19 aid will exceed $100 million.

Psaki said that six air shipments funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) with oxygen and oxygen supplies, N95 masks, rapid diagnostic tests, medicines and components requested by the Indian government have already been sent.

“At the request of the government of India, USAID provided these urgently needed supplies to the Indian Red Cross to ensure they reach those most in need as quickly as possible,” she said.

India is in dire need of oxygen and USAID sent about 1,500 oxygen cylinders that will remain in India and can repeatedly be refilled locally, 550 concentrators to obtain oxygen from ambient air and a large-scale unit to support up to 20 patients, she said.

She said that 2.5 million N95 masks have been sent and an additional 12.5 million are available if the Indian government asked for them, she said. One million rapid diagnostic tests and 20,000 treatment courses of the anti-viral dug Remdesivir have also been sent, she said.

White House officials said Sunday, May 2, 2021, that they are doing all they can to help India cope with the country’s escalating coronavirus crisis, pushing back against criticism that the United States should be moving faster on actions such as waiving patent rights on vaccines.

In interviews on several political shows Sunday, Biden administration officials emphasized the aid the U.S. has already delivered to its South Asian ally, including the first planeloads of medical supplies and supplemental oxygen to the country on Friday. The United States has also diverted raw materials for vaccines to India.

“In a crisis of this speed and ferocity, we always wish we could move faster and do more. And we’re proud of what we’ve done so far,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on ABC’s “This Week.” “We are continuing to work to source additional critical materials to move them as fast as we can, both directly from the United States and also galvanizing partners around the world.”

A recent surge in coronavirus cases has sent the pandemic spiraling anew in India, which reported more than 400,000 new coronavirus cases Saturday, a new global record. People being treated for covid-19, the illness that can be caused by the novel coronavirus, have overwhelmed hospitals there, while images of mass cremations and funeral pyres burning overnight have spread worldwide.

“We are concerned about variants. We’re concerned about spread,” Sullivan said. “We’re concerned about the loss of life, and also all of the secondary effects that emerge as this pandemic rages out of control in India.”

On Monday, April 26, 2021, President Joe Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pledged to provide supplemental oxygen, personal protective equipment and other medical supplies to the country.

Modi and other world officials have called on the United States to go a step further and waive vaccine patent protections, saying that would let other countries and companies speed up production of generics and expedite the vaccination effort worldwide.

“If a temporary waiver to patents cannot be issued now, during these unprecedented times, when will be the right time?” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, tweeted in March. “Solidarity is the only way out.”

The administration has also vowed to share up to 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine with other countries, prompted in large part by the crisis in India. Officials made that announcement several days ago, adding assurances here that the United States does not need the AstraZeneca vaccine to continue inoculating the U.S. population.

Anita Dunn, a senior adviser to Biden, said that the 60 million AstraZeneca doses the U.S. has promised to other countries have been ordered but that not all have been produced. The AstraZeneca vaccine is undergoing a safety review by the Food and Drug Administration.

“To be clear, there isn’t some huge warehouse filled with AstraZeneca vaccines that we can just release at a moment’s notice,” Dunn said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “As soon as it is ready to be shared with the world, we plan to share it.”

White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that despite the calls by Modi and others, vaccine patents were only part of the problem, and that manufacturing limits would still hinder production.

“India has its own vaccine, the Covishield vaccine,” Klain said. “Production is slow there because they don’t have the scarce raw materials to make that. We sent enough raw materials to make 20 million doses immediately. Intellectual property rights is part of the problem, but manufacturing is the biggest problem.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the United States had an obligation to share vaccines with the rest of the world faster, particularly in poorer countries. “Not only do we have a moral responsibility to help the rest of the world, it’s in our own self-interest, because if this pandemic continues to spread in other countries, it’s going to come back and bite us at one point or another,” Sanders said.

Sanders and other Democratic senators last month sent a letter to Biden, urging him to support a temporary patent waiver for coronavirus vaccines, one of several efforts to advocate what some have taken to calling “vaccine diplomacy.” China and Russia, some critics note, have been aggressive about distributing their vaccines to developing countries, a move that could help them earn goodwill.

A temporary patent waiver would let the Biden administration not only “reverse the damage done by the Trump administration” to U.S. reputation but bring the global pandemic to an end more quickly, the senators wrote.

“What we have got to say right now to the drug companies, when millions of lives are at stake around the world, is, ‘Yes, allow other countries to have these intellectual property rights so that they can produce the vaccines that are desperately needed in poor countries,’ ” Sanders said Sunday.

Sullivan said Katherine Tai, the U.S. trade representative, has been engaged in “intensive consultations” at the World Trade Organization to work through the issue of waiving vaccine patents. “We should have a way forward in the coming days,” Sullivan said on “This Week.”

Dr. Lakshmi Devy Is Winning Laurels In US

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCinema, Health, Women 0

Dr. Lakshmi Devy has won the prestigious Gold Remy award for direction at the 54th World Houston International Film festival for her movie — “When the Music Changes.”

Dr. Lakshmi Devy, a doctor by profession has always been passionate about acting and filmmaking and her dreams have come true after she won the prestigious Gold Remy award for direction at the 54th World Houston International Film festival for her movie — “When the Music Changes.”

It is to be noted that other famous winners of the Gold Remy awards are the who’s who of the global film industry including Spielberg, Lucas, Ang Lee, The Coen brothers, Ridley Scott and several famous directors of Hollywood.

Worldfest is one of the oldest and largest film and video competitions in the world.

Dr Lakshmi Devy while speaking to IANS said, “This has been a great honour for a filmmaker like me and I am proud to represent my Indian roots in this manner.”

Lakshmi shuttles between US and Chennai and after the lockdown and mounting Covid cases she has preferred to stay back in India and is currently in discussions with several Hollywood production companies for her new venture.

She has a production house in New York, FiDi talkies which has produced “When the Music Changes” and Hollywood actor and director, John Turturro is the executive producer for this project.

On her new ventures, the doctor turned filmmaker told IANS, “I am speaking to several big names in the global film industry however, I am bound by certain contracts in not revealing the names of these companies. Once we sign the agreement, I will definitely inform you on the production companies.”

Her movie, “When the Music Changes”, which is scripted, directed and produced by her, has her playing the role of the protagonist. The movie is based on the Indian rape scenario as studies point out that in every 16 minutes a girl is raped in the country.

Lakshmi while speaking on the movie said, “The movie speaks on the rape in India and that it is not the woman who is raped loses the honour, instead it is the man who loses it because of the dastardly act.”

The medical doctor also said that she is planning to do several charity shows across the globe including a movie on the current medical emergency after the emergence of Covid and how humanity has to stay together to overcome this pandemic which is taking away the precious lives of many in the most unfortunate of conditions.

She was the screenwriter for the national award winning actor Bobby Sinha, Mirchi Shiva movie “Masala Padam”, which is the story of how tough it is to make a hot movie. The film has won major accolades across Tamil Nadu. Lakshmi also played the role of a protagonist in the movie.

This medical doctor also had done a short film, “Daro Mat” made in both Tamil and Hindi. It was critically acclaimed in many international film festivals across the world and is now released on YouTube with over 3.5 million views.

Tim Van Petten, Ten Time Emmy award nominated director, Edie Falco, Emmy award winning Hollywood actress, Aida Turturro, two time Emmy award nominated actress were all praises for the movie made by Dr Lakshmi Devy.

Dr Lakshmi Devy while speaking to IANS said, “As I said earlier, I am now finalizing the scripts for a couple of movies which will definitely have renowned production houses and I have to keep my fingers crossed for now as I am not permitted to speak on them now.”

Over 40 Aligarh Muslim University Faculty Members Succumb To Covid-19

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Education 0

More than 40 serving and retired faculty members, plus several non-teaching staffers of the Aligarh Muslim University have succumbed to Covid-19. Each day, the graph is going up.

Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor lost his elder brother a few days ago. On Saturday, the dean of the Law faculty died.A large number of staffers are under treatment at the Jawahar Lal Nehru Medical College hospital of the AMU.Social activist Prof Jasim Mohammad told IANS, “The university administration had failed, the medical college system has collapsed. The VC has not even bothered to ask for Oxygen. He has not sought help from any quarters. May be a hundred have already died and in another one month, there could be another 100 deaths, if conditions do not improve.”The number of deaths could be much higher, but the university officials could not give the exact numbers.

The campus is deserted and there are no classes. Most hostellers have justify, said Zeeshan, an official of the university.Several faculty members have justify Aligarh. One member, now in Tamil Nadu, told IANS, “In addition to the pandemic spreading its wings wide, there was a total psychological breakdown, despair and also a degree of disgust.”Quite a few retired faculty members who justify Aligarh have died in their home towns like Bhopal, Hyderabad.

Jasim has sought critical information from the VC through an RTI. He has asked the VC about the shortages of medicines, Oxygen, ambulances etc.Locals allege that the university administration despite all the resources, has been caught napping.
No special mechanism or arrangements have been put in place. Due to the fear of infection, people are shunning going to the medical college for vaccination.

“Fear is rampant. The winds of despair and gloom sweep the campus. The central government should step in and control the worsening situation,” says a local student.
So far it is not clear how many of the deceased were vaccinated, though it is widely accepted that there have been a few deaths due to Covid-morbidities and age.

According to the district administration, on May 8, there were 417 fresh cases, 295 were discharged. Local medical circles confirmed the situation was really alarming. (IANS)

Covid-19 Infection Is Transmitted Via Air, Says US Centers For Disease Control

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

Exposure to respiratory fluids — very fine respiratory droplets and aerosol particles — present in air and which carry viruses are the main reason for contracting Covid-19 infection, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

People release respiratory fluids during exhalation — quiet breathing, speaking, singing, exercise, coughing, sneezing in the form of droplets. While large droplets settle out of the air within seconds to minutes, very fine droplets can remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours. These droplets carry viruses and transmit infection, said the agency’s latest science brief as part of its public guidelines on Covid-19.

Exposure to these droplets occurs in three principal ways: inhalation of very fine respiratory droplets and aerosol particles, deposition of respiratory droplets on exposed mucous membranes in the mouth, nose, or eye by direct splashes and sprays, and touching mucous membranes with hands that have been soiled either directly by virus-containing respiratory fluids or indirectly by touching surfaces with virus on them.

Further, “the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection varies according to the amount of virus to which a person is exposed,” the CDC said.

Infections through inhalation at distances greater than six feet from an infectious source are less likely than at closer distances. But, when an infectious person exhales virus indoors for an extended time (more than 15 minutes and in some cases hours), it can lead to virus concentrations in the air space.

It can be sufficient to transmit infections to people more than 6 feet away, and in some cases to people who have passed through that space soon after the infectious person justify. The risk in this case is more in enclosed spaces with inadequate ventilation, the agency said.

While there remains many knowledge gaps about Covid, the available evidence continues to demonstrate that existing recommendations to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission remain effective. This includes physical distancing, community use of well-fitting masks (e.g., barrier face coverings, procedure/surgical masks), adequate ventilation, and avoidance of crowded indoor spaces.

“These methods will reduce transmission both from inhalation of virus and deposition of virus on exposed mucous membranes. Transmission through soiled hands and surfaces can be prevented by practicing good hand hygiene and by environmental cleaning,” the CDC suggested.

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic last year, researchers have argued that Covid-19 was not airborne. However, the view has been changing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO), in a recent brief, said, “Current evidence suggests that the virus spreads mainly between people who are in close contact with each other, typically within 1 metre (short-range). A person can be infected when aerosols or droplets containing the virus are inhaled or come directly into contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth.”

The Lancet had, in April claimed in a new assessment that there is consistent, strong evidence to prove that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is predominantly transmitted through the air. (IANS)

Reliance Is One Of The Fastest Growing Retailer In The World

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy 0

Reliance Retail ranks 53rd in the list of Global Powers of Retailing by Deloitte, improves from 56th earlier. It remains the 2nd fastest growing retailer in the world despite the base effect of being No.1 last year.

Reliance Retail features consecutively for the 4th time in the list of Global Powers of Retailing and World’s Fastest Retailers. Reliance Retail, last year’s Fastest 50 leader, dropped to second place. The company recorded YoY growth of 41.8%, driven primarily by a 13.1% increase in the number of stores in its consumer electronics, fashion and lifestyle and grocery retail chains, to 11,784 stores across 7,000 plus towns and cities in India at fiscal year end.

E-commerce is a second growth driver, through both digital commerce (B2C) and B2B. The company is partnering with WhatsApp to further accelerate Reliance Retail’s digital commerce business on the JioMart platform using WhatsApp and to support small businesses on WhatsApp.

Reliance Retail acquired the 29 stores of Shri Kannan Departmental Store at the end of FY2019 and in August 2020 announced it would acquire Future Group’s retail, wholesale and logistics units for $3.4 billion.

When fully approved, the deal will almost double Reliance Retail’s store space.82 Reliance Retail also made two e-commerce acquisitions in 2020, buying Vitalic Health and its online pharmacy platform Netmeds in August, and a 96% stake in online home decor company UrbanLadder in November.

Walmart has led the list of the world’s Top 250 global retailers for over 20 years. The company registered YoY FY2019 retail revenue growth of 1.9%, fueled mainly by growth in comparable store sales in the United States.

Amazon becomes the number two global retailer, pushing Costco down to third place. Top 10 retailers focus on core markets, withdrawing from some international markets There were no new entrants to the Top 10 list in FY2019, which continues to be dominated by players based in the United States. The only mover was Amazon, which has risen in the rankings every year since its entry in tenth place in FY2015. (IANS)

Dark Chocolate, Fish, Eggs, Yoga To Build Immunity Against Covid

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterLifestyle 0

In the pandemic, there has been a lot of emphasis on healthy eating. Experts have always insisted that your health and immunity are directly dependent on the food you eat. As such, the government has listed some food items on its mygovindia Twitter handle, which it recommends you consume to boost your natural immunity amid the Covid crisis. Read on.

The general measures state that the main focus for a Covid patient would be to consume foods that would help rebuild muscle, immunity and energy levels.

It advises the consumption of whole grains like ragi, oats and amaranth. Sources of protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, soy, nuts and seeds are recommended, as are healthy fats like walnuts, olive oil and mustard oil.

Among other things, it suggests that since the loss of taste, smell, and difficulty in swallowing is commonly experienced, it is important to eat soft food at small intervals. Adding amchoor to the food is also advisable.

Take turmeric milk once a day to boost immunity. Also, have dark chocolate with at least 70 per cent cocoa — in small amounts — to get rid of anxiety.

Additionally, make sure you get five servings of coloured fruits and vegetables to get adequate vitamins and minerals into your system.

Moderna Says, Booster Shots of Its COVID-19 Vaccine Is Effective Against Virus Variants

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Health 0

In a press release on May 5, Moderna reported the first results of any vaccine maker from studies on booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which some experts believe might be necessary in a year or so to keep COVID-19 under control. Based on current research, people vaccinated with the existing, authorized shot from Moderna appear to have a diminished response to the variant viruses—although it’s still sufficient to protect against serious COVID-19 illness. Still, public health experts are concerned that the variant viruses could break through that vaccine protection and start causing more infections.

The company is testing three ways to add a third dose to its current two-dose regimen to potentially increase protection against new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In its recent press release, Moderna reports on two of those strategies: adding a third dose of the existing vaccine, at half the dosage of the shots currently in use, and adding to the current two-shot regimen a third dose of a new vaccine the company developed specifically against the variant B.1.351 first identified in South Africa. Moderna is also investigating a combined vaccine booster that includes doses of both the existing vaccine and the new variant one—no results from that study are available yet.

Both of the two strategies included in the recent press release are aimed at enhancing the body’s immune response to the South African variant, as well as to another one that was detected in Brazil, called P.1. Moderna reports that both approaches appear to boost immune responses. Two weeks after receiving either the halved dose of the existing vaccine or the dose of the new variant vaccine, serum taken from vaccinated people in the study was able to neutralize lab versions of the mutated version of the SARS-CoV-2 virus at levels similar to or higher than against the non-variant strain.

Moderna says that the boost with the new vaccine, which was designed to target the South African variant—perhaps unsurprisingly generated higher virus-neutralizing activity against the B.1.351 variant compared to the approach that used a third dose of the original vaccine. The Phase 2 study is ongoing, so final Phase 3 data will be available in coming months.

Harish Thakkar Re-Elected President Of Association Of Indians In America-NY

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterNews 0

The Associations of Indians In America (AIA) NY, the oldest and association of Indians living in this country, unanimously re-elected its current President, Harish Thakkar for a second term. It also elected a new board for the year 2021-2022.

For the year 2021-2022, President-elect Harish Thakkar will spearhead the team which includes Executive Vice Presidents Dr. Satish Anand, Dr. Bal Gilja, Dr. Jagdish Gupta, Usha Kapoor, Secretary Beena Kothari and Treasurer Dr. Pushpa Shah, as well as Members-at-Large Dipika Modi, Divya Shah, Gitanjali Anand, Nishant Garg, Beenu Sabharwal, Rene Mehra, Joyti Gupta, Vimal Goyal, Govind Bhatija, Swati Vaishnav and Sunny Thakkar

Advisors named include Dr. Shahi Shah, Asmita Bhatia, Rohit Vyas and
Sushma Kotahwala. The AIA held a number of events/projects last year including the
February 2020 Family Bowling event; COVID-19 community help projects, as well as distributing groceries to needy families.

Seema Govil Spreads Earth Day Messages Via PodCast

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEnvironment, Profile 0

In my podcast, Fablife360 I have been trying to covers positive stories from celebrities and philanthropists,” says Seema Govil, founder and manager of Podcast, Fablife360. “I want to spread this incredible knowledge with the maximum number of people.” Declaring her love for a safer and cleaner environment, Govil says, “Earth day might be over. However, every day should be earth day.”

On Earth Day this year, she interviewed Swati and Mark in an engaging Podcast, “Let’s Talk Climate Change,” about the various facets of this challenging topic. They discussed the Texas governance debacle that led to the disastrous power failures during the winter storm in February. “We also talked about the biggest culprits of climate change, common myths on this issue, and provided information on the solutions at hand & what actions individuals can take TODAY to make a REAL impact,” Govil adds.

Govil’s Fab guests Swati Srivastava and Mark Bartosik, are engineers, filmmakers, environmentalists, and early adopters. As a testament to their passion for climate change, they retrofitted their 1960s suburban home to Net Zero Energy in the early 2010s. They have appeared in various radio and TV interviews, including NBC, written articles on the urgency of this vast challenge. They are currently working on a docu-series & podcast on the topic. Now, this episode is loaded with information and would surely energize you and inspire you.

Govil interviewed Swati and Mark in an engaging Podcast, “Let’s Talk Climate Change,” about the various facets of this challenging topic. They discussed the Texas governance debacle that led to the disastrous power failures during the winter storm in February. “We also talked about the biggest culprits of climate change, common myths on this issue, and provided information on the solutions at hand & what actions individuals can take TODAY to make a REAL impact.”

Podcast can be found on all podcasts platforms under Fablife360

Here are the Spotify, apple and Google links:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4DSPWSNab7GmK0J80dP6LC?si=JomtzeK0Sp6EOqIrVSrjDQ

On Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fablife-360/id1531588738

Google:https://podcasts.google.com/feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy50cmFuc2lzdG9yLmZtL2ZhYmxpZmUtMzYw&episode=ZWJjNmI4ZjEtZjcyYy00NTM4LWFmOWEtOTI3NGFjZDE3MTg3

Pls find Seema Govil on @fablife360 on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Apple and Google.

India’s Largest Online Workshop, “AI-for-India,” Breaking Guinness World Record!

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterMedia 0

An IIT-M incubated startup, coordinating the largest online workshop the country has ever witnessed to form a Guinness world record. An estimated 10 Lakh people reportedly joined the online workshop through a series of 90-minutes slots beginning from April 24th, 6 PM to April 25th, 6 PM.

The event was open for anyone aged between 08-80 with a zeal for learning, be it a schoolkid, fresh graduate, or an experienced professional. The platform urges everyone to participate and become part of this great initiative. AI-FOR-INDIA aims to upskill 1 Billion Indians with the concept of Artificial Intelligence and to embark our country onto a path to become a global AI innovator.

In this one-day workshop, the participants were taught to build & deploy a face recognition application using Python Language from top industry experts. All the participants gained free access to GUVI‘s professionally curated course to know the basic intricacies of Python Programming. Python is an in-demand programming skill that has grown by 456% as compared to last year. The attendees learnt how to spin up Image-processing and will be able to create thumbnails, formats, filters, and apply various digital image processing techniques primarily for Face Recognition App. The event also featured free certificates of participation & additional access to GItHub’s resources worth $200.

The event collaborated with AICTE, national-level council for technical education, under the Department of Higher Education and co-sponsored by BUDDI.AI, the leading revenue and clinical automation platform based on deep learning. AI-For-India has primarily met with a positive reaction, and more than 1 Lakh people have already registered with the online event. To register, one has to go to GUVI’s official website and pick a slot of their convenience. This event is also going to be the Official Attempt of Guinness World Record for Most users to take an online computer programming lesson in 24 hours.

Highlighting the initiative’s objective, Mr. Arun Prakash, Chief Operating Officer of GUVI, quoted, “This initiative is in memory of GUVI‘s Co-founder Sridevi Arun Prakash, who firmly believed that the only way to advance a nation is through education. Through every age, the world experiences different revolutions. Currently, we are on the brink of the coding or AI revolution. You do not need to be a developer, but you need to understand what is happening.”

Ram Swaminathan, Co-Founder & CEO of Buddi.ai said “We are excited to collaborate with GUVI on this initiative as we firmly believe that the future prospects for the healthcare, or any industry is very bright when powered by AI. We urge everyone to learn AI technologies and skill themselves to have an exciting future. After the unprecedented breakthroughs in space and medicine, we are sure that our country can become a cradle for AI Zeitgeist, especially the youth who are fascinated by its capability.” Let’s welcome this initiative and join GUVI’s cause to impart AI in every nook and corner of India. Winning a Guinness World Record for the country is like a cherry on top!

Oversight Board Upholds Facebook’s Decision To Ban Trump

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterMedia 0

In a significant development, the independent Oversight Board on Wednesday upheld Facebook’s decision on January 7 to suspend then US President Donald Trump from its main platform and Instagram.

The Board found that Trump’s posts severely violated Facebook’s rules, and his words of support for those involved in the attack on the US Capitol building legitimised violence in a situation where there was an immediate risk to people’s lives.

While the Board concluded that Trump should have been suspended from Facebook and Instagram, it also found that Facebook failed to impose a proper penalty. The decision came as the former US President launched a new so-called social media platform, which is actually a WordPress blog on his own website.

“President Trump’s actions on social media encouraged and legitimised violence and were a severe violation of Facebook’s rules,” said Thomas Hughes, Director of the Oversight Board Administration.

“By maintaining an unfounded narrative of electoral fraud and persistent calls to action, Mr Trump created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible. Facebook’s decision to suspend the President on January 7 was the right one,” Hughes added.

However, it said that instead of applying one of its established account-level penalties for severe violations, Facebook devised an “indefinite” suspension which is not included in their content policies.

“This arbitrary penalty gave Facebook total discretion over whether to lift or maintain the suspension, with no criteria that can be scrutinised by users or external observers,” the Board observed.

“The Board rejects Facebook’s request for it to endorse indefinite suspension, which gives the company total discretion over when to lift or impose and isn’t supported by their content policies,” said Hughes. “Anyone concerned about the power of Facebook should be concerned with the company making decisions outside of its own rules.”

The Board stated that within six months of the decision, Facebook must reexamine this arbitrary penalty and impose one consistent with its own rules.

“In the future, if a head of state or high government official repeatedly posts messages that pose a risk of harm, Facebook should either suspend the account for a definitive period or delete the account,” it recommended.

Facebook’s rules should ensure that when it imposes a time-bound suspension on an influential user, the company should assess the risk of inciting harm before the suspension ends.

“Influential users who pose a risk of harm should not be reinstated. Facebook should publish a full report on its potential contribution to the narrative of electoral fraud and political tensions that led to the events of January 6,” as per the decision.

The board, constituted by Facebook with 20 members from across the world last year, last month said it was reviewing more than 9,000 responses before it delivers the verdict on Trump’s ban on the social media.

Banned on Facebook and Twitter, former President Donald Trump has launched a new so-called social media platform, which is actually just a WordPress blog on his own website.

His followers can sign up for posts alerts on the platforms via their email and phone numbers. The new platform is designed like a generic version of Twitter but is hosted as a running blog.

A Twitter spokesperson told The Verge on Tuesday that “Generally, sharing content from the website reference is permitted as long as the material does not otherwise the Twitter Rules”. Trump has posted content dating back to March 24 on the new ‘platform’.

The latest post is a video advertising his new platform, calling it “a place to speak freely and safely, straight from the desk of Donald J. Trump.” The platform appears to have been built by Campaign Nucleus, a digital services company founded by Trump’s former campaign manager Brad Parscale.

The Trump’s ‘platform’ went live just ahead of ruling by the independent Oversight Board on the ban concerning Trump, who was banned on Facebook following the Capitol attack on January 6.

On January 21, the Oversight Board accepted a case referral from Facebook to examine its decision to indefinitely suspend Trump’s access to post content on Facebook and Instagram, as well as provide policy recommendations on suspensions when the user is a political leader. Trump is still banned from using Facebook and its other platforms like Twitter.

Pfizer Hopeful, FDA Will Soon Authorize COVID-19 Vaccine For 12-15 Age Group

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Youth 0

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children 12 to 15 years old, a decision that could come by some time early next week. The vaccine is currently authorized only for people age 16 and older.

A ruling should come “shortly,” Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla told investors in a conference call Tuesday morning. The company announced in late March that it would ask the FDA to expand its emergency use authorization to allow younger people to receive the vaccine, citing clinical trials that showed the vaccine elicits “100% efficacy and robust antibody responses” in adolescents from 12 to 15 years old.
News of the pending authorization comes as children now represent a rising proportion of new coronavirus cases in the U.S., where more than 100 million adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pfizer is conducting pediatric studies to determine the safety and benefits of administering its vaccine to young children. The company plans to submit two new emergency use authorization requests in September, with one request covering children from 2 to 5 years old and a second applying to ages 5 to 11. A separate batch of results and a possible request, for children who are from 6 months to 2 years old, are expected in the fourth quarter. “We also expect to have Phase 2 safety data from our ongoing study in pregnant women by late July/early August,” Bourla said, according to his prepared remarks.

Looking further into the future, Bourla said he anticipates “durable demand” for the COVID-19 vaccine, similar to that for flu vaccines. And he said that later this month, Pfizer will ask the FDA to give full approval — not just emergency authorization — for administering its vaccine to people ages 16 and up. The company is also studying how a third booster shot could help protect people who have already undergone the two-dose regimen.

Pfizer and BioNTech, its partner in developing the vaccine, expect to be able to produce at least 3 billion doses in 2022, the Pfizer chief said.
The COVID-19 vaccine has already brought billions of dollars to Pfizer; Bourla said that in the first quarter of 2021 alone, the vaccine added $3.5 billion in global revenue. For the year overall, he said, Pfizer expects to bring in around $26 billion based on the vaccine. The company and BioNTech have shipped some 430 million doses to 91 countries and territories, Bourla said.

Amidst Deadly Pandemic, Work At Delhi’s Rajpath As Central Vista Redevelopment Project Takes Shape

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterNation India 0

Over the past several weeks, New Delhi’s iconic Rajpath stretch that has India Gate as the backdrop has witnessed drastic changes as the ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project takes shape. Trenches dug on the sides of the road and red road blockers have replaced the iconic chain link fence and lamp posts. The path leading up to the Rashtrapati Bhavan too is fenced with yellow boards set up by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which read: ‘Development/ Redevelopment of Central Vista Avenue’.

Officials from HCP Design, Planning and Management, the architectural consultant of the Central Vista project, have said the original design elements of the area will be kept intact to a large extent after work is complete.

Media reports say, barring a few construction workers, Rajpath wore a deserted look. Officials from the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) said they are trying to meet the initial deadlines despite fewer workers showing up in the past few days.

Against the backdrop of a Covid-induced lockdown, workers said they have been issued e-passes and are being paid daily wages since the lockdown. Sanjay (27), a contractual worker with MTNL, said he has been coming every day so that he has some savings in case they are barred from working in the near future. The men travel to work and back home in a rented two-wheeler.

“Earlier, there were eight of us. But now only four of us can come to work in a vehicle. When the others tried to come, we were issued a challan so they don’t come any more,” said Sanjay, who lives in Bhatti Mines with his family of five. He said they will have to sustain on the meagre amount his wife earns from tailoring work, in case his work stops.

The four men dug a trench to bury existing underground wires further underground, saying this was being done since sewerage work will begin soon and some public amenities might be underground. According to a CPWD official, digging of an underground passageway is about to begin.

The redevelopment at Rajpath, under Phase I of the project, is aimed at making the area pedestrian friendly and providing better amenities for visitors and tourists. This includes refurbishing the lawns, creating underpasses at Janpath and C Hexagon crossing with Rajpath, building wide walkways or footpaths parallel to the avenue, and constructing low-level bridges at 12 selected locations.

Other amenities include toilets, drinking water facilities, vending areas, parking spaces, signages, lighting and CCTV cameras.

More trees will also line the lawn, with the plan envisaging increasing green cover from 3,50,000 sq mts to 3,90,000 sq mts. Also under Phase 1, a sewerage treatment plant will be set up for recycling of waste water along with rainwater harvesting systems and water supply systems.

REAL ID Deadline Pushed Back To 2023 Due To Pandemic

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterImmigration, Travel 0

Most U.S. fliers only think of travel documents when checking their passport is valid before an international flight. But as Real ID, a new federal law mandating which forms of identification will get passengers through airport security, takes effect, that mentality will need to shift.

New rules set strict regulations on what identification will be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at security checkpoints—even for flights within the U.S. In many cases, this means using a standard driver’s license will no longer get you onboard a plane. (The deadline for travelers to have a Real ID has been pushed back to 2023 due to COVID-19 delays.)

The deadline for Americans to obtain a REAL ID card has been pushed back once again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Homeland Security announced last week. Here’s everything you need to know to ensure you have the right up-to-date identification for your travels.

What is the new Real ID rule?

The regulation is part of a law passed by Congress in 2005, which set new federal security standards for driver’s licenses and other forms of identification used to board planes in the U.S. The new standards apply to all states and territories. After the rules go into effect, driver’s licenses and other IDs that don’t meet the new requirements will not be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for passing through airport security checkpoints.

Even if you have a TSA PreCheck or a Clear membership, you will need a Real ID-compliant form of identification to make it past airport security. A Global Entry card is considered Real ID–compliant and will be accepted under the new rules. Children under 18 get some leeway, as TSA does not require them to present identification when traveling with a companion within the U.S. As always, on an international trip, passports or other documents may be required by the airline or other agencies.

When does the rule change happen?

The new rules will go into effect on May 3, 2023—this deadline was pushed back three years due to coronavirus concerns. That’s the date that all U.S. residents need to have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or other approved identification in hand to make it past airport security.

How do I get a Real ID driver’s license?

The majority of states are now issuing driver’s licenses that are accepted under the new rules. You simply need to visit your DMV to renew or replace your old license with a Real ID version. (This usually takes more documentation—and sometimes more money—than obtaining a driver’s license did in the past, and your state’s DMV website should have a list of the required paperwork.)

The Department of Homeland security also announced in February 2020 that individuals applying for a Real ID can now electronically submit the numerous documents required before arriving at the DMV. The move is an effort to help states and residents streamline the process to meet the May 2023 deadline. According to the U.S. Travel Association, an industry lobbying organization, “tens of millions of Americans do not yet possess REAL ID-compliant identification,” so the electronic document submission is a good step forward. The application process for a Real ID driver’s license includes showing documents such as a social security card, multiple proofs of address, and a birth certificate or passport, among others.

What other forms of identification work to board a plane under the new rules?

Valid passports or passport cards will still work to get you through security for domestic flights, and passengers will still need them to board international flights. Global Entry membership cards are also valid under the new regulations, as are various forms of military ID and other government-issued IDs. You can see a full list of accepted documents on the TSA’s website.

How do I know if my current driver’s license is acceptable under Real ID rules?

Real ID driver’s licenses are marked with a star in the top corner. (It’s worth noting one confusing state policy: Ohio. Its old licenses have a gold star, while its Real IDs have a black star.) Enhanced driver’s licenses—which are slightly different, but are issued by some states in addition to Real IDs and are also acceptable under the new rules—have a flag in the corner.

What happens if I show up at the airport without an acceptable ID under the new rules?

TSA says you will not be let through security, and you will not be able to fly. In rare occasions in the past, if a flier forgot their ID for a domestic trip, TSA might have worked with them to verify their identity in a different way—like by asking them certain questions about their personal information. But the agency says that after Real ID is implemented, those days are over. “TSA has no plans to provide an alternate verification process to confirm a traveler’s identity,” says TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. “Counting on TSA to provide that option to travelers who do not have a Real ID-compliant driver license or identification card is not a good strategy.”

Indian-American Triplets Raise Over $280,000 For Covid Help In India

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Youth 0

Three Indian-American siblings raised more than USD280,000 to send essential oxygen supplies for COVID-19 patients in India. Gia, Karina and Armaan Gupta, who are the founders of a non-profit organization, Little Mentors, have raised $280,000 to help India will essential oxygen supplies. The 15-year-old triplets said they reached out to their school friends and families for funds so that they could arrange life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators and ventilators for needy patients in the country.

Founders of a non-profit organization, Little Mentors, said they reached out to their school friends and families for funds so that they could arrange life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators and ventilators for needy patients and hospitals in and around Delhi.

“Our only request is to return it (the equipment) when it’s not further needed as the next patient can use it, said 15-year-old triplets Gia, Karina and Armaan Gupta. “This is important as supply of this equipment is very scarce and the affected population is enormous,” they said. The triplets said they also plan to keep a database of the needy population so that supply could be properly directed.

We need everybody’s help in this as such an enormous task can only be accomplished by teamwork. We are very fortunate to work with an excellent team of physicians, both in the US and India. We are further working on getting vaccine supplies, they said.

Previously, the triplets worked to reach out to senators and congressmen, requesting to lift the critical supply embargo.

“Although we hope and pray that this second wave of the coronavirus will go away soon, we are getting ready for the worst and asking people to be careful and help each other in this major crisis,” they said. Besides, the group plans to open distribution centres in major cities.

NOAA’s Observed Warming Trend A Sign Of Global Climate Change

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEnvironment, Science 0

A new report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the United States is getting warmer and parts of it are getting wetter.

NOAA’s “new normals” set of data tracks changes in the U.S. climate over a 30-year period. The latest report is based on data from 1991 to 2020 and replaces the 1981 to 2010 report. It shows a small, but noticeable warming trend across much of the country, which is consistent with the majority of NOAA’s previous reports over the last 100 years.

“The changes in NOAA’s new report are only a degree or less but can still have a big impact, especially when much of the past century has seen steadily increasing temperatures, with the most pronounced changes occurring in the past several decades,” said Nick Bassill, a meteorologist at the University at Albany. “The unfortunate thing is that this does not make a bigger splash, even though it’s almost universally accepted that the new climate normals were going to come in warmer than the last report.”

“While some may dispute the exact amount the change is related to climate change vs. natural variability, it’s likely that this trend is driven in large part by climate change on a global scale.”

Bassill is the director of UAlbany’s Center of Excellence in Weather & Climate Analytics. He also works closely with the NYS Mesonet, which is headquartered at UAlbany, and includes a network of 126 standard weather observation stations across the state.
This new report will have a direct impact on New York’s weather and climate projections, according to Bassill.

“It’s likely that our NYS Mesonet stations will see a subtle, yet consistent, increase in expected average temperatures. Warmer temperatures, along with precipitation increases, are generally expected for the northeast U.S.”

About UAlbany’s Weather-Climate Enterprise: With close to 120 faculty, researchers and staff, UAlbany hosts the largest concentration of atmospheric, climate and environmental scientists in New York State, and one of the largest in the nation. Led by its Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences and Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, UAlbany is also home to the NYS Center of Excellence Weather-Climate Business Analytics, the xCITE R&D laboratory, and the New York State Mesonet – the most advanced mesoscale weather observation system in the nation.

Telemedicine Market to Reach US$ 202.8 Billion by 2027 Globally

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Economy, Health, Technology 0

A comprehensive overview of the Telemedicine market is recently added by UnivDatos Market Insights to its humongous database. The Telemedicine market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data of various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. This innovative report makes use of several analyses to get a closer outlook on the Telemedicine market. The Telemedicine market report offers a detailed analysis of the latest industry developments and trending factors in the market that are influencing the market growth. Furthermore, this statistical market research repository examines and estimates the Telemedicine market at the global and regional level. Global Telemedicine Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% during the forecast period of 2021-27.
Market Overview

Telemedicine is the distribution of healthcare facilities, anywhere distance is a perilous aspect. It is provided by health care professionals via technologies. This information is converted for the diagnosis, treatment, prevention of disease or injuries through research and evaluation, and at last, the results are provided to patients. For instance, in 2016, Maryland, Frederick Memorial Hospital’s virtual healthcare podium amplified the rate of patient care by 50%. Also, as per the Virtual Care blog, Telemedicine contributes almost one-fourth of the health IT market, which was about USD 15.6 billion in 2014 and it upsurged to nearly USD 20 billion by 2019. Moreover, the patients and healthcare professionals are shifting towards telemedicine due to their ease of operations, cost and time savings, etc.

Telemedicine gives a progressive outlook for the preservation of records and documentation of patient’s health. It minimizes the possibility of missing out on any advice from doctors or other healthcare professionals. Owing to this, the doctors have an exact document of the advice provided by them through teleconsultation. This provides legal protection to both the parties including the patient and healthcare professionals. Furthermore, according to the American Journal of Accountable Care, the routine of telemedicine permits improved long-term care of administration and patient gratification. In addition, the Geisinger Health-Plan study stated that the execution of a telemedicine program produced about 11% in cost savings. This directs the arrival of more investment in telemedicine.
COVID-19 Impact

The sudden outburst of the COVID-19 pandemic has fetched the entire world to a stoppage. As hospitals are getting occupied with COVID-19 cases, the burden on healthcare staff witnessed a significant rise. Currently, Telemedicine has appeared as a defendant in the combat against the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of the patients are using virtual visit facilities for their safety. For instance, Teladoc Health Inc. reported a 60% intensification in the number of virtual sessions and reached 2 million in just three months from January to March 2020, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019. Also, according to the Vidyo Telehealth Adoption Survey 2019, 46% of surveyed health care benefactors (hospitals and clinics) practice live videoconferencing, and 41% practice Remote Patient Monitoring for medical care. The Store-and-Forward province is third with 26%. These statistics indicate that virtual assessments are likely to become a more promising part of patient care.

Telemedicine Market report is studied thoroughly with several aspects that would help stakeholders in making their decisions more curated.
The Tele-consulting segment generated more than 45% revenue in 2020. The market is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period as it allows patients to have an appointment with experts at any time, without any waiting period.
Competitive Landscape

The degree of competition among prominent global companies has been elaborated by analyzing several leading key players operating worldwide. The specialist team of research analysts sheds light on various traits such as global market competition, market share, most recent industry advancements, innovative product launches, partnerships, mergers, or acquisitions by leading companies in the Telemedicine market. The major players have been analyzed by using research methodologies for getting insight views on global competition.

Key questions resolved through this analytical market research report include:
What are the latest trends, new patterns, and technological advancements in the Telemedicine market?
Which factors are influencing the Telemedicine market over the forecast period?
What are the global challenges, threats, and risks in the Telemedicine market?
Which factors are propelling and restraining the Telemedicine market?
What are the demanding global regions of the Telemedicine market?
What will be the global market size in the upcoming years?
What are the crucial market acquisition strategies and policies applied by global companies?

We understand the requirement of different businesses, regions, and countries, we offer customized reports as per your requirements of business nature and geography. Please let us know If you have any custom needs
For more informative information, please visit us @ https://univdatos.com/report/telemedicine-market-current-analysis-and-forecast-2021-2027

About UnivDatos Market Insights
UnivDatos Market Insights (UMI) is a passionate market research firm and a subsidiary of Universal Data Solutions. We believe in delivering insights through Market Intelligence Reports, Customized Business Research, and Primary Research. Our research studies are spread across topics across the world, we cover markets in over 100 countries using smart research techniques and agile methodologies. We offer in-depth studies, detailed analysis, and customized reports that help shape winning business strategies for our clients.

While Harvard Introduces Covid-19 Vax Requirement For Students, Will Others Follow Soon?

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Science 0

Students at the Harvard University in the US will be required to be vaccinated against Covid-19 at the start of the new term later this year. “To reach the high levels of vaccination needed to protect our community, Harvard will require Covid vaccination for all students who will be on campus this fall,” the elite university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced on Wednesday.

According to the statement, exceptions would only be granted for medical or religious reasons. Previously, a number of other Ivy League universities such as Yale, Columbia and Princeton had already introduced such a vaccination requirement.

Before returning to campus, students must have completed their vaccination with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the World Health Organization (WHO).

This means at least two weeks must have passed since the last vaccine dose was administered, the statement added. International students and others who do not have access to a vaccine before the autumn will be offered vaccination by the university upon their arrival.

Founded in 1636, Harvard University is considered one of the elite schools in the US, producing several presidents and dozens of Nobel laureates, among others.

More than 23,000 students are currently enrolled at the private university, which is known for its rigorous admissions standards.

Indian Students To Benefit As Canada Offers Residency To 90,000

May 12, 2021May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEconomy, Immigration, Youth 0

Indian students will be the major beneficiaries of Canada’s new one-time immigration program which opened for applications last week. Under the program, over 90,000 international students and temporary essential workers, already in Canada, will be given permanent residence (PR).

Under it, 40,000 international students, 30,000 temporary workers in selected essential occupations and 20,000 temporary workers in health care will get permanent residence. To be eligible, international students must have completed a post-secondary programme in Canada in the last four years.

Foreign workers must have at least one year of Canadian work experience in a health care profession or another pre-approved essential occupation. Indian students will benefit proportionately more than others as they – numbering 220,000 last year – make up more than a third of all foreign students currently in Canada. Before the pandemic closed international travel, Canada had planned to admit 341,000 immigrants in 2020.

The new PR program aims at making up for the shortfall in immigration numbers in 2020 by prioritizing those already in Canada. Moreover, a record 401,000 new immigrants will be admitted in 2021.

Highlighting the significance of Wednesday’s programme, Immigration minister Marco Mendicino said, “The pandemic has shone a bright light on the contributions of newcomers in essential jobs, as we have recognized the caregivers, cooks and cashiers as our everyday heroes. With this new pathway, we are recognizing their key role in our economic recovery, allowing them to set down roots in Canada and help us build back better. Our message to them is simple: your status may be temporary, but your contributions are lasting-and we want you to stay.” (IANS)

Dalai Lama Holds Dialogue With Russian Scientists On Research Into Buddhist Thukdam Meditation

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCulture, Religion, Science 0

His Holiness the Dalai Lama last week conducted an in-depth online dialogue with Russian neuroscientists to discuss their ongoing research into the Buddhist phenomenon and practice of thukdam meditation (Tib: ཐུགས་དམ་).

The term thukdam, derived from the Tibetan words thuk, meaning mind, and dam, meaning samadhi, describes an advanced type of tantric meditation in the Vajrayana tradition practiced by a Buddhist adept during the intermediate or transitional state of death known as bardo. During this period, when biological signs of life have ceased yet the body remains fresh and intact for several days, the master is described as being absorbed in the primordial “clear light stage,” a process of inner dissolution. In 2018, the Dalai Lama initiated a scientific inquiry into the neurophysiological mechanisms of thukdam.

“We need to undertake more research and investigate more cases of thukdam to establish whether the visions are associated with dissolution of the coarser elements,” His Holiness said during the dialogue on 5 May. “Since it is observed that the body of a person going through this process can remain warm, it may be that the dissolution of the earth, water, and fire elements do not coincide with the three visions.” (His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet)

Meanwhile, reports suggest, in a first scientific evidence, Russian scientists have demonstrated that the body of a person in the rare spiritual meditative state of ‘thukdam’ is in a quite different state from the body of someone undergoing the ordinary process of death.

The scientists have established research laboratories in the Tibetan settlements in Bylakuppe and Mundgod in Karnataka where they have examined 104 monks in meditation. They are carrying out a project of research into ‘thukdam’, the phenomenon that sometimes occurs when an accomplished meditator dies and their subtle consciousness remains in the body, even after clinical death.

Recently the scientists were able to observe a monk who was in ‘thukdam’ for 37 days at Gyuto Monastery. They invited a forensic physician to examine the physical body at various stages after death.

These facts came to light in a virtual conversation between Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and Professor Svyatoslav Medvedev of the Russian Academy of Sciences and founder of the Institute of the Human Brain on Wednesday.

On query of Professor Medvedev that what value the study of ‘thukdam’ could have for humanity in general. The spiritual leader replied Tibetan Buddhists believe that people go through a process of dissolution in the course of death.

Once some accomplished meditators cease breathing, the process of dissolution they go through includes three visions — whitish appearance, reddish increase and black near attainment.

In the course of these three stages 80 different conceptions dissolve, 33 during the vision of whitish appearance, 40 during reddish increase and finally seven during the stage of black near attainment.

“We need to undertake more research and investigate more cases of ‘thukdam’ to establish whether the visions are associated with dissolution of the coarser elements.

“Since it is observed that the body of a person going through this process can remain warm, it may be that the dissolution of the earth, water and fire elements do not coincide with the three visions.

“When an ordinary person dies, there is a dissolution of the elements. Buddhists believe that beings go through past and future lives, so there is some bearing on this too. My own senior tutor Ling Rinpoche remained in ‘thukdam’ for 13 days. Recently, a monk at Kirti Monastery remained in this state for 37 days. “This is an observable reality, which we need to be able to explain.

“There is evidence to see and measure. We can also find a detailed explanation of the inner subjective experience of the process of death in the Guhyasamaja Tantra texts. I hope scientists can take all this into account and come up with an explanation,” His Holiness said.

Professor Alexander Kaplan, Head of the Laboratory for Neurophysiology and Neuro-Computer Interfaces, Moscow State University (MSU), asked what Buddhist ideas could help Western scientists to understand the workings of the brain?

At this, the elderly Buddhist monk replied that in the past, modern science as it had developed in the West had tended to focus on external phenomena, things that can be seen and measured.

“Gradually people have begun to recognize that peace of mind has an important role to play in our day-to-day lives. Consequently, scientists have also begun to show an interest in how to develop peace of mind. Mental afflictions like anger, fear and frustration detract from our good health, so, never mind about our next life or our reaching enlightenment, all seven billion human beings alive today need peace of mind here and now.

“In order to achieve and maintain peace of mind, we need to understand the workings of the mind and the whole system of emotions. Buddhism outlines 51 mental factors in six categories: five ever-functioning mental factors; five ascertaining ones; 11 constructive emotions; six root disturbing emotions and attitudes; 20 auxiliary disturbing emotions and four changeable mental factors.

“On the basis of understanding these we can learn to tackle destructive emotions as they arise, even under difficult circumstances. Peace of mind is within our reach.” Konstantin Anokhin, Director of the Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, MSU, wanted to know about evidence for the existence of past lives.

The spiritual leader told him that he has heard of cases of children who belong to communities that give past and future lives no credence, who apparently describe memories of past lives. Among Indians and Tibetans, people who accept the idea of past and future lives, children with such recollections are not unusual.

“There was a boy born in Tibet, who, once he could talk, insisted to his parents ‘This isn’t where I belong, I want to go to India’. They brought him to India and came to Dharamsala. But even here he said, ‘This isn’t my place’. So, they took him to Mundgod Tibetan Settlement in South India.

“When they reached Ganden Monastery, the boy told them, ‘This is where I belong’ and led them to one of the houses. They went inside and pointing to a drawer, he said, ‘My glasses are in there’. They looked and they were.

“In my own case, as a small boy, I recognised monks in the party searching for the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation. I was able to remember their names. One of the principal procedures employed when seeking to recognize the reincarnation of a Lama is to show the candidate a number of possessions.

“If a child is able to recognize and select those items that had ‘belonged to them before’, it is taken as a positive indication. However, these memories fade as the children grow up.

“Something else that could be regarded as significant is that some children are able to study and learn much more readily than others. This is taken to imply that they are already familiar with the material from their studies in their previous lives.

“In my case I learned easily, which could be a sign of revising what I had learned before.” His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.

In 1989, the Dalai Lama won the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle for Tibet. He was awarded the US Congressional Gold Medal in October 2007, even in the face of protests by China.

The Dalai Lama now lives in exile in this northern Indian hill station along with some 140,000 Tibetans, over 100,000 of them in different parts of India. Over six million Tibetans live in Tibet.

US Mortgage Rates Down Slightly; 30-Year At 2.96%

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Community, Economy 0

Mortgage rates fell slightly this week, marking their third straight week below 3% amid signs of the recovering economy’s strength. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac reported Thursday that the average for the benchmark 30-year home-loan rate eased to 2.96% from 2.98% last week. At this time last year, the long-term rate was 3.26%. The rate for a 15-year loan, popular among those seeking to refinance, slipped to 2.30% from 2.31% last week.

Lower rates are always good news for potential homebuyers and homeowners looking to refinance. But just how much is a .1% drop worth if you’re in the market for a new mortgage?

About $16 a month — that’s how much you could save for every reduction of .1% in the mortgage rate, according to data from NextAdvisor’s home affordability calculator. For a 30-year fixed rate $300,000 mortgage, each .1% drop would save about $6,000 in interest over the life of the loan.

These can be helpful figures to keep in mind, especially as rates continue to be volatile. Mortgage rates have gone up or down by 0.05% or more in 7 of 15 weeks so far in 2021, according to Freddie Mac’s weekly rate survey. Rates are just one factor to consider when deciding if it makes sense to buy a home or refinance a current mortgage, but it’s good to know the numbers when you follow the movement week to week.

Experts expect mortgage rates will increase this year. If you delay refinancing, or are in the market for a new home, steadily increasing rates can make a big impact to your bottom line over time.

Let’s say you’re considering a 30-year $300,000 mortgage. As of this week, 30-year mortgage rates are averaging 3.04%. Here’s what it would cost if we saw four increases of at least 0.05%, which we’ve already seen five times this year:

Loan Term	Loan Amount	Mortgage Rate	Payment	Total Interest
30 Years	$300,000	2.99%	$1,263	$154,793
30 Years	$300,000	3.04%	$1,271	$157,732
30 Years	$300,000	3.09%	$1,279	$160,689
30 Years	$300,000	3.14%	$1,287	$163,664
30 Years	$300,000	3.19%	$1,295	$166,658
30 Years	$300,000	3.24%	$1,303	$169,671

Each 0.05% interest rate uptick increases your monthly payment by approximately $8 and adds nearly $3,000 in interest over the full 30-year loan term. You can run these numbers on a new mortgage of any amount using our mortgage calculator, by changing the rate in increments of .05%.

Of course, any decrease of .05% or more will decrease your payment and interest with a new mortgage, though that’s only happened in 2 of 15 weeks so far this year. While experts don’t expect to see a long-term trend of decreases, every .05% drop saves you $8 per payment, and nearly $3,000 interest over the life of the loan.

When mortgage rates go up or down, it typically has a bigger impact on whether or not it makes sense to refinance. Lower rates make it easier to save money by lowering your monthly payment without extending your mortgage’s repayment term. As interest rates rise, it makes sense for fewer people to refinance because it’s harder to offset the upfront costs if you’re saving less month to month.

For a homebuyer, there are more considerations that impact the cost of purchasing a home than just your mortgage rate. As rates increase, buyers are more likely to offer less or look for lower-priced homes. And the opposite is true when mortgage rates drop. We’ve seen historically low mortgage rates, along with low housing inventory, combine to create a surge in home prices in recent months.

3 Things to Know, Regardless of Where Mortgage Rates Are

You may not have any control over the market forces that influence mortgage rates, but regardless of where rates move there are a few things you should always do before you apply for any type of mortgage, whether to buy or refinance.

1. Do the math

When you refinance an existing mortgage, the main goal is typically to save money, usually by securing a smaller monthly payment or saving on interest with a shorter loan term or lower interest rate. But a mortgage refinance costs money, usually 3% to 6% in upfront closing costs. So you should be sure you’ll be in the house long enough to offset those fees. For example, if your refinance fees are $9,000 and you’re saving $200 a month, it will take 45 months – almost 4 years – to save enough to offset the cost of refinancing.

With a home purchase, you need to make sure the monthly payment you’re committing to is affordable. The bank might be willing to lend you far more than what can comfortably fit into your budget. Depending on the type of mortgage, a lender may allow you to have a debt-to-income ratio (DTI) of over 50%. But your DTI doesn’t factor in every monthly expense and it’s also based on your gross monthly income, or what you make before taxes. So groceries, gas, and taxes won’t increase your DTI, but you still have to pay them every month. A good rule of thumb is your total debts shouldn’t account for more than 36% of your pre-tax monthly income.

2. Don’t try to time the market

Mortgage rates vary from one moment to the next and from lender to lender. Even if economic indicators can give us a good idea of the prevailing mortgage rate trends, there is no way to accurately know where they’ll move from day to day or week to week.

So don’t bother stressing about whether or not you’re getting the best rate ever. If now is the right time to buy a house and the payments will be affordable in the long-term, then go for. And if the numbers make sense for you to refinance, then don’t hesitate because you’re concerned that rates might decrease tomorrow.

3. Do look at your overall financial situation

Refinancing or buying a home aren’t decisions made in a bubble. So you need to take a broad view of your finances. Refinancing may save you hundreds a month, but would it be better to take the money you’re putting toward the closing costs and pay off your high-interest credit card debt? If you’re looking to buy your own place, how long do you plan to live there? If you need to move cities in two or three years, purchasing a home may not be the best move. The cost of taking out a mortgage and moving into a new home are likely to outweigh the potential gains in equity, which are typically small the first few years of home ownership.

Book, “India And Asian Geopolitics: The Past, Present” By Shivshankar Menon Shows Light At Modern India’s Role In Asia’s And The Broader World

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Nation India 0

One of India’s most distinguished foreign policy thinkers addresses the many questions facing India as it seeks to find its way in the increasingly complex world of Asian geopolitics. A former Indian foreign secretary and national security adviser, Shivshankar Menon traces India’s approach to the shifting regional landscape since its independence in 1947. From its leading role in the “nonaligned” movement during the cold war to its current status as a perceived counterweight to China, India often has been an after-thought for global leaders—until they realize how much they needed it.

Examining India’s own policy choices throughout its history, Menon focuses in particular on India’s responses to the rise of China, as well as other regional powers. Menon also looks to the future and analyzes how India’s policies are likely to evolve in response to current and new challenges.

As India grows economically and gains new stature across the globe, both its domestic preoccupations and international choices become more significant. India itself will become more affected by what happens in the world around it. Menon makes a powerful geopolitical case for an India increasingly and positively engaged in Asia and the broader world in pursuit of a pluralistic, open, and inclusive world order.

Shivshankar Menon is a Distinguished Fellow at CSEP and a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University. His long career in public service spans diplomacy, national security, atomic energy, disarmament policy, and India’s relations with its neighbours and major global powers. Menon served as national security advisor to the Indian Prime Minister from January 2010 to May 2014. He currently serves as chairman of the advisory board of the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi. He was also a Distinguished Fellow with Brookings India. He is the author of “Choices: Inside the Making of Indian Foreign Policy” published by the Brookings Press and Penguin Random House in 2016. His new book, “India and Asian Geopolitics; The Past, Present” is likely to be out in 2021.

Menon has previously served as foreign secretary of India from October 2006 to August 2009 and as ambassador and high commissioner of India to Israel (1995-1997), Sri Lanka (1997-2000), China (2000-2003) and Pakistan (2003-2006). From 2008 to 2014, he was also a member of India’s Atomic Energy Commission. A career diplomat, he also served in India’s missions to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Geneva and the United Nations in New York.

As high commissioner of India to Pakistan, Menon restored high commissioner level relations after a gap of a year and a half and initiated what is so far the best period in the two countries’ relationship. He also served as India’s ambassador to China, restoring relations following the India nuclear weapons tests of 1998. During his work as high commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, he was responsible for the free trade agreement with Sri Lanka. Menon was the second Indian ambassador to Israel and oversaw the beginning of the now flourishing India-Israel defence and intelligence relationship.

During his service in the Ministry of External Affairs from 1992 to 1995, Menon negotiated the first boundary related agreement between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China, the root of the subsequent series of agreements that have maintained peace on the border despite ongoing boundary disputes. He also served as special representative of the prime minister of India on the boundary issue from 2010 to 2014, and has dealt with the India-China boundary and India-China relations since 1974.

Menon has been a Richard Wilhelm Fellow at the Center for International Studies at MIT and Fisher Family Fellow at the Belfer Center, Harvard University. In 2010, he was chosen by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the world’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers.” He attended the Scindia School, Gwalior and St. Stephens College of the University of Delhi, where he studied ancient Indian history and Chinese. He speaks Chinese and some German.

Praise of India and Asian Geopolitics

“In this brilliant examination of India’s recent past as an Asian power, the distinguished Indian diplomat Shivshankar Menon gives us much to consider about its future as well. His evocation of India as central to Asia’s geopolitics and yet also set apart from it is a major contribution to our understanding of this great, rising power in this Asian century.”
—Nicholas Burns, former U.S. under secretary of state; professor, Harvard University

“This book is a tour de force by one of today’s most perceptive strategic thinkers. Menon deftly surveys how India has navigated its geopolitical environment in the past, while illuminating the international landscape and challenges it faces today. Anyone interested in Asia’s future should read this book.”
—M. Taylor Fravel, Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science, and director, Security Studies Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

“An important work that restores India into the Asian story, and a timely reminder that active engagement with Asia and the world will not just be a choice, but also a necessity for New Delhi.”
—Tanvi Madan, senior fellow and director of the India Project, the Brookings Institution

“Shivshankar Menon is one of the most distinguished diplomats in the world. In his latest book, he has brilliantly laid out the stages of India from independence to the rise of Modi. When he looks to history, he focuses on Asian geopolitics. But when he turns to the future, he opens the aperture to the global trend of illiberality. He believes India, with no existential outside threat and a vast diversity in its populace, can afford expansive rights of all its citizens.”
—Strobe Talbott, distinguished fellow, the Brookings Institution; U.S. deputy secretary of state (1994–2001)

“India and Asian Geopolitics: The past, present by Shivshankar Menon (Brookings Institution Press, Washington DC, 2021) may, at first glance, appear to be primarily on India. But it is about Asia as a whole, its past, present and future in the context of global developments.”
—Eurasia Review

Narendra Modi’s Attempts To Stifle Criticism During Covid Pandemic ‘Inexcusable’: Lancet

May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterMedia 0

A hard-hitting editorial published in medical journal The Lancet has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government seemed more intent in removing criticism on Twitter than trying to control the Covid pandemic.

PM Modi’s actions in attempting to stifle criticism and open discussion during the crisis are “inexcusable”, it has said.

The editorial quoting The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that India will see a staggering 1 million deaths from COVID-19 by August 1. “If that outcome were to happen, Modi’s Government would be responsible for presiding over a self-inflicted national catastrophe.”

Despite warnings about the risks of superspreader events, the government allowed religious festivals to go ahead, drawing millions of people from around the country, along with huge political rallies — conspicuous for their lack of COVID-19 mitigation measures, the editorial has said.

Throwing light on the near-collapse of health infrastructure, it also criticises the government’s complacency in tackling the crisis.

“The scenes of suffering in India are hard to comprehend… hospitals are overwhelmed, and health workers are exhausted and becoming infected. Social media is full of desperate people (doctors and the public) seeking medical oxygen, hospital beds, and other necessities. Yet before the second wave of cases of COVID-19 began to mount in early March, Indian Minister of Health Harsh Vardhan declared that India was in the “endgame” of the epidemic.

“The impression from the government was that India had beaten COVID-19 after several months of low case counts, despite repeated warnings of the dangers of a second wave and the emergence of new strains. Modelling suggested falsely that India had reached herd immunity, encouraging complacency and insufficient preparation, but a serosurvey by the Indian Council of Medical Research in January suggested that only 21% of the population had antibodies against SARS-CoV.”

The editorial also said that India squandered its early successes in controlling COVID-19 and that until April, the government’s COVID-19 taskforce had not met in months.

India’s vaccination programme, too, has come under scathing criticism. The Lancet pointed out that the message that COVID-19 was essentially over also slowed the start of India’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign, which has vaccinated less than 2% of the population. At the federal level, India’s vaccination plan soon fell apart. The government abruptly shifted course without discussing the change in policy with states, expanding vaccination to everyone older than 18 years, draining supplies, and creating mass confusion and a market for vaccine doses in which states and hospital systems competed.

The crisis has not been equally distributed, with states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra unprepared for the sudden spike in cases, quickly running out of medical oxygen, hospital space, and overwhelming the capacity of cremation sites. Others, such as Kerala and Odisha, were better prepared, and have been able to produce enough medical oxygen in this second wave to export it to other states.

The journal has said that India must now restructure its response while the crisis rages. The success of that effort will depend on the government owning up to its mistakes, providing responsible leadership and transparency, and implementing a public health response that has science at its heart.

The editorial has further suggested a two-pronged strategy — first, a botched vaccination campaign must be rationalised and implemented with all due speed. There are two immediate bottlenecks to overcome: increasing vaccine supply (some of which should come from abroad) and setting up a distribution campaign that can cover not just urban but also rural and poorer citizens, who constitute more than 65% of the population (over 800 million people) but face a desperate scarcity of public health and primary care facilities..

The government must work with local and primary health-care centres that know their communities and create an equitable distribution system for the vaccine. The government must publish accurate data in a timely manner, and forthrightly explain to the public what is happening and what is needed to bend the epidemic curve, including the possibility of a new federal lockdown, the editorial has said.

Modi-Led BJP Trounced In 3 Key Indian State Polls. Mamata Emerges As Contender On National Political Stage

May 5, 2021May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterNation India 0

In the state Assembly elections held last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP has been defeated by regional parties, in spite of major efforts by Modi and leaders from the Hindutva party that is in power in India for the past 7 years.

In the state Assembly elections held last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP had sought to expand its footprint in the country’s east and south, where it has struggled to gain traction. The long awaited elections results in the five states that went to the polls have come as a huge shock to Modi and his Hindutva ideology-led party that is governing India for the past seven years.

India held its biggest democratic exercise in two years over the past month, with 175 million people eligible to vote in five regional elections. But the marathon polls involved huge rallies where many attendees were maskless, and a record-breaking coronavirus spike coincided with the final phases of voting.

In West Bengal, incumbent Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s All India Trinamool Congress won around 72% of 292 seats up for grabs, while Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party took 77, according to results posted on the Election Commission of India. Last month, the prime minister predicted his party would win more than 200 seats in the state, which held voting over eight phases starting on March 27.

Modi’s opponents won in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, while his party kept power in the northeastern state of Assam and gained the federally-controlled territory of Puducherry, where it contested in alliance with a regional party.

In Puducherry, a small former French colony previously known as Pondicherry, the BJP was expected to come to power through an alliance amid efforts to increase its presence in the country’s south, where it has been traditionally weak.

In the southern state of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin returned his DMK party to power after a decade by defeating an incumbent coalition that has the BJP as its national partner.

In Kerala in the south, where the BJP until now has played only a bit part, a justify-wing alliance retained power with a comfortable victory over a Congress-led coalition. It was the first time a government in the state had been re-elected since 1977.

The Congress party, which was expected to win at least two states but could not do, failing to wrest Assam from the BJP and Kerala from the justify, still insists that it is the only option to BJP.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said: “Congress is the sole national party which is alternative to the BJP as it is fighting BJP in all the states.”

But the messages from the leaders of regional parties indicate that Banerjee, whose Trinamool which was once part of the UPA, has shown her mettle by single-handedly defeating the BJP and in a convincing manner.

In a victory speech later Sunday, 66-year-old Banerjee said West Bengal’s “immediate challenge is to combat the Covid-19 and we are confident that we will win This victory has saved the humanity, the people of India. It’s the victory of India,” Banerjee, a fierce critic of Modi, added.

After winning a bitterly-fought battle with the BJP to record her third successive victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee seems to have emerged as a formidable challenge to the Centre’s ruling party.

With almost all the results counted, the Trinamool Congress party (TMC) led by the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has won more than 200 seats in the 294-seat assembly. The results are set to make Ms Banerjee the leader of West Bengal for a third time. She is also India’s only female chief minister.

With leaders of different regional parties, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, sending her congratulatory massages, the message from the Assembly election is clear that Banerjee is capable of taking the challenge of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, and combating it successfully.

The BJP targeted West Bengal heavily during campaigning but the state was comfortably held by the incumbent, Mamata Banerjee, a fierce Modi critic. Her win came as a surprise to political observers, who noted how much time and money the BJP invested in the state.

The poll results show that people of West Bengal have rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s attempt to polarise the elections. The BJP, which had justify no stone unturned to dislodge the Banerjee government, could not cross three-digit figure despite its claims of getting 200-plus seats out of the state’s 294.

The reason behind Banerjee’s masterful performance was admitted by a BJP leader, who said that their leadership “failed to understand the pulse of Bengal and its culture”. “And that is the reason despite leading in 121 Assembly constituencies in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, we are facing difficulties in winning over 100 seats in less than a two-year period.”

“People rejected politics of polarization or communal politics. Muslim votes polarized in favor of the Trinamool while the Bengali Hindu also rejected communal politics and voted for the Trinamool,” the BJP leader said.

The alleged gross failures of Modi’s administrative management of the second wave of Covid were reflected in the West Bengal mandate. The BJP could win only 24 of the 114 seats that went to the polls in the last three phases, when the pandemic had turned traumatic.

With thousands of Modi critics campaigning for his resignation, and the BJP’s electoral debacle adding fuel to their demands, the pro-Hindu party is indeed at a crossroads in its history. “The BJP has met its match and lost,” says Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, praising the success of Mamata Banerjee, the leader of Trinamool (Grassroots) Congress, a party based in West Bengal.

Here lay the folly. This aggrandizement — a characteristic of Modi’s politics — epitomized the sloppiness and errors in electoral strategy. The BJP underestimated the influence of Banerjee in the state and ignored the Minorities, who are known for voting against Modi’s party.

“As three strongly anti-BJP regional leaders have emerged victorious, they are likely to be the nucleus of the opposition challenge to Modi in the months ahead as he battles the backlash to his mismanagement of the Covid crisis,” said Arati Jerath, a New Delhi-based author and political analyst who has written about Indian politics for nearly three decades. The results weaken the government and indicate there are “huge political and constitutional challenges ahead for Modi.”

AAPI Coordinates Efforts to Help India As Covid Ravages Communities

May 5, 2021May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Health 0

As AAPI is leading several efforts to support, coordinate and reach the much needed help in this hour of need, leading international media, including the Washington Post, The New York Times and CNN have recognized AAPI among the major resource groups to reach help India as people are impacted by Covid as never been in human history.

India has seen a cataclysmic coronavirus surge over the past week, reporting nearly 350,000 new coronavirus cases per day, with the real figure probably much higher. The spike in infections has led to deadly shortages of oxygen, ambulances and hospital beds. Countries around the world have pledged to send aid in the form of medical supplies and vaccine doses, but urgent requests for ventilators and intensive care unit beds continue to flood social media.

“Thanks to you, the generous and compassionate members, and others as well, AAPI has been able and continues to make progress in its efforts to deal with an unfolding and out of control COVID 19 crises in India,” said Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, President, AAPI here today. “As we pledged, we are able to very quickly secure the much needed and in demand O2 concentrators through our reliable and committed partner (SEWA International). We have shipped by air freight, the first batch of 1,000 of the O2 Concentrators on 4/29/21.”

Stating that AAPI in collaboration with its partners on ground in India “have identified destinations based on urgency and acute need for the medical equipment to be able to serve and save as many lives as quickly, and to prevent avoidable catastrophe for the simple lack of O2,” Dr. Jonnalagadda said, “We have no doubt, this is just the beginning of a long road ahead. We are assessing the situation on the ground constantly and coordinating with various local task forces and teams.”

Dr. Sajani Shah, Chair of AAPI BOT, said, “We have a team of volunteers and support and guidance of experienced leaders, who have come forward to enable and empower our efforts to curtail this crisis. We urge all of you to stay engaged and connect with us whenever you have any good suggestions and feedback to help us understand the ground realities quickly and fully. So, we can be more effective and efficient to tackle the problems.”

Educating the public and the physicians in India is vital to combat the virus,” says Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President-Elect of AAPI. She has reached out to the Indian media across the platform offering regular series of educational materials to be published in India for the use and implementation of effective ways to treat patients who are mpacted by Covid.

“On behalf of AAPI leadership, we would like to have a series of educational messages to the communities on Covid to address the concerns of the public and medical community during the pandemic time as we recognize our role is to educate communities. Through this voluntary project from our members, we can help educate the people first. Allay their fears. Explain and educate them about the disease and on ways to combat the virus.”

Dr. Ravi Kolli, Vice President of AAPI, while expressing gratitude to AAPI members, “request you to continue your support and contributions to take our activities to the next level of helping secure much needed ventilators, which will also be critically scarce as the morbidity and hospitalization surge, out matching the supplies. Again, we want to reiterate that all of you, the members of AAPI inspire and motivate us and you are the true wind beneath our wings in this movement. We will leave no stone unturned to seek solutions and rise to the occasion. Let us all do our duty and be a beacon of hope and resolve to maintain the momentum to conquer the Himalayan challenge ahead of us.”

As India’s health-care system buckles under pressure, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States , representing the over 80,000 strong Indian American physician community in the US, has risen to the occasion and is leading several efforts to support, coordinate and reach the much needed help in this hour of need. Some of the leading international media, including the Washington Post, The New York Times and CNN have recognized AAPI and have urged AAPI among some of the major resource groups to reach help to the communities across India as they are impacted by Covid as never been in human history.

“Indeed a proud moment for AAPI,” said Dr. Amit Chakrabarthy, Secretary of AAPI. “The tireless efforts of the AAPI leadership and members, who have spent sleepless nights coordinating relief efforts for India has been recognized by the prestigious New York Times as the second most prominent international organization in this effort (after UNICEF)!!! This is a proud moment for all of us. Please continue to support and donate at aapiusa.org.”

Dr. Jonnalagadda announced that “AAPI is facilitating interaction between US and Indian doctors to advise them about the evidence based protocols to treat COVID-19 patients. We evaluated 3 HIPPA compliant telehealth platforms to treat patients in India. AAPI is also working on relaxing the restrictions on US physicians to treat patients in India. I want to thank Dr. Anupama Gotiumukaua, Dr. Ravi Kolli, Dr. Amit Chakrabarthy and Dr. Satiheesh Kathula for their efforts in coordinating various sources and resources in this fight against the pandemic.”

In its efforts to serve as a physician on humanitarian grounds to help patients in India, AAPI has identified and facilitates the following platforms/links to those who want the Telehealth established platforms: http://Mdtok.com/dr/Covid and www.eGobalDoctors.com

AAPI encourages using this route because they give global malpractice coverage: They offer free service for 1-3 months for our physicians to help Indian patients, as these platforms serve and help become every Indian American physician to be a registered physician in India, by renewing your India licenses ASAP and can start your services; Getting more info from different resources as well to get our services reach Indian patients as every resource is being tapped to help India in this crisis situation.

AAPI is in constant touch with Indian Embassy, Indian Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan to see how best “we can help our motherland during this horrific pandemic. AAPI has written to a letter Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi to lock down the country to contain the spread of the virus, and to ramp up the vaccinations.”

“AAPI has been in the forefront to help India to combat the pandemic,” said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Treasurer of India. “Thousands of people, both members of AAPI and non-members have come forward to donate money by putting trust in AAPI. We will try our best to be transparent and make sure that your donations will make some impact. I really want to thank all the donors who supported us unconditionally.”

It’s devastating to see millions of people are being impacted by Covid in India, especially many of the friends and families of AAPI members are suffering from Covid disease and dying now. In this context, AAPI would like to help India big way, said Dr. Jonnalagadda: “AAPI is collaborating with UNICEF, SEWA International and other like minded organizations. AAPI is also urging all Community leaders to educate their members to be on Alert to avoid spread of the virus.” For more information on AAPI and its efforts to coordinate services for the people of India, please visit: www.aapiusa.org

India Sets Record As Covid Cases Cross 400,000 Daily

May 5, 2021May 12, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Health 0

India has recorded more than 19 million cases of coronavirus – second only to the US. It has also confirmed more than 215,000 deaths, though the real toll is thought to be far higher. Experts have cited low testing rates and the number of people dying at home, especially in rural areas, as contributing factors to under-reported figures.

India became the first country in the world to report over 4 lakh COVID cases in a single day. Country reported of 4,01,993 new COVID-19 cases and 3,523 deaths on May 1st. Total caseload of the country stood at 1,91,64,969. Death toll of India mounted to 2,11,853. Currently there are 32,68,710 active cases in country. According to Indian Council of Medical Research, up to April 30, 28,83,37,385 samples have been tested for COVID-19. Vaccination drive for citizens between 18-44 years age bracket will begin from today. So far, 15,49,89,635 vaccine doses have been inoculated.

Maharashtra reported 62,919 infections, followed by Karnataka (48,296), and Kerala (37,199). Maharashtra also recorded 828 casualties, followed by Delhi (375) and Uttar Pradesh (332). The country has so far reported a total of 1,91,63,488 cases and 2,11,778 deaths.
As many as 19,20,107 samples were tested on April 29 (results of which were made available on April 30). This is the first instance when daily tests have crossed the 19 lakh-mark. On April 28, 17.68 lakh samples were tested. A total of 28.64 crore tests have been conducted in the country from the beginning of the pandemic until April 29.

Around 22.24 lakh vaccination shots were given in the 24 hours ending 7 a.m. on April 30, which is only 31,267 doses more than what was recorded in the previous 24 hours. The daily vaccination rate has decreased significantly in the second half of April compared to the first. Between April 1 and 14, India administered 35.26 lakh doses on an average every day. However, between April 15-29, the average daily doses given fell to just 25.16 lakh. Cumulatively, 15,00,20,648 vaccine doses had been administered until 7 a.m. on April 30.
India continues to register the highest number of average daily cases in the world, according to Our World in Data. Until April 28, the country recorded 3.49 lakh daily cases. With 52,679 average daily cases, the U.S. was a distant second. Three other countries in the list included France (27,250), Germany (20,788) and Canada (7,980).

Several nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Japan, have pledged sustained support to India as hospitals in the country scramble for resources. The country received the first batch of Covid supplies from the US on Friday.
India crossed the grim milestone of 1.50 crore on April 19. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 28,83,37,385 samples have been tested up to April 30, of which 19,45,299 were done on Friday.
India’s coronavirus cases may peak in the next 2 two weeks, according to a mathematical model of a team of scientists advising the government, news agency Reuters reported. “Our belief is that by next week, the daily new cases nationwide would have peaked,” M Vidyasagar, head of a government-appointed group of scientists modelling the trajectory of infections, told Reuters.

U.S. Restricts Travel To & From India

May 5, 2021November 8, 2022 Staff ReporterImmigration, Tourism, Travel 0

The U.S Embassy in India encourages U.S. citizens who wish to depart India to take advantage of currently available commercial flights. Airlines continue to operate multiple direct flights weekly from India to the United States; additional flight options remain available via transfers in Paris, Frankfurt, and Doha.

President Joe Biden has issued a proclamation restricting entry into the United States of certain nonimmigrant travelers who have been physically present in India. These restrictions will go into effect on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 12:01 AM EDT. The full text of the proclamation is available here.

The policy will not apply to American citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPR), or other people with these specific exceptions:

Any immigrant who has an unused or unexpired immigrant visa;
Any non-U.S. citizen spouse of a U.S. citizen or LPR;
Any non-U.S. citizen who is the parent or legal guardian of a U.S. citizen or LPR, provided that the U.S. citizen or LPR child is unmarried and under the age of 21;
Any non-U.S. citizen who is the sibling of a U.S. citizen or LPR, provided that both the non-U.S. citizen and the U.S. citizen or LPR sibling are unmarried and under the age of 21;
Any non-U.S. citizen who is the child, foster child, or ward of a U.S. citizen or LPR, or who is a prospective adoptee seeking to enter the United States pursuant to the IR-4 or IH-4 visa classifications;
Any holders of nonimmigrant visas in the following categories: C-1, D, C-1/D air and sea crew, A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, E-1, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6; or
Students who already possess a valid student (F or M) visa and who will begin their studies on or after August 1, 2021. (Note that direct travel to the United States from India with a student visa may begin no more than 30 days prior to the start date of a student’s classes.)

Visa holders with definite plans to travel who can demonstrate qualification for a National Interest Exception (NIE) may contact the U.S Embassy or  Consulate that issued their visa to request a national interest exception prior to travel. (The contact email for the Embassy in New Delhi is NewDelhiNIE@State.gov.) Your request must include the following information to seek an exception: last name, first name, date of birth, place of birth, country of citizenship, passport number, visa Number and category, travel dates, travel purpose, and national interest category–including a clear justification for receipt of a NIE.

Qualifying family members do not need a NIE or any pre-approval from the embassy or consulates. Travelers should bring proof of relationship when initiating travel to the United States. More details on NIEs are available here.

If you currently have a flight booked, or plans to travel to the United States but do not fall into an exception category, contact the embassy or consulate that issued your visa before departing, as you may not be allowed to travel at this time. General travel information between India and the U.S as well as information about COVID-19 within India, is available via the U.S. Embassy here.

This proclamation will remain in effect until terminated by President Biden. Thirty days after the proclamation, and then at the end of every calendar month, Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra will recommend whether the president should continue, modify, or terminate this proclamation.

Note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice and the Department of State has issued a Level 4 Travel Advisory recommending against all travel to India. Level 4 is the highest advisory level due to greater likelihood of life-threatening risks. U.S. citizens who must travel to India are strongly urged to get fully vaccinated before travel and to continue to take personal health safety measures to protect themselves, including practicing social and physical distancing, cleaning hands with soap/hand sanitizer frequently, wearing masks, and avoiding crowded areas with poor ventilation.

The CDC’s broader guidance for fully vaccinated people–including information about when you should still wear masks and maintain social and physical distancing–is here; be sure to review our other vaccine availability and safety resources as well.

The U.S. told its citizens to get out of India as soon as possible as the country’s covid-19 crisis worsens at an astonishing pace.

In a Level 4 travel advisory — the highest of its kind issued by the State Department — U.S. citizens were told “not to travel to India or to leave as soon as it is safe to do so.” There are 14 direct daily flights between India and the U.S. and other services that connect through Europe, the department said.

Indian authorities and hospitals are struggling to cope with unprecedented covid infections and deaths. Official data on Thursday showed new cases rose by a staggering 379,257 over the prior 24 hours, another record, while 3,645 additional lives were lost. More than 204,800 people have died.

“U.S. citizens are reporting being denied admittance to hospitals in some cities due to a lack of space,” the website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India said in a health alert. “U.S. citizens who wish to depart India should take advantage of available commercial transportation options now.” All routine U.S. citizen services and visa services at the U.S. Consulate General Chennai have been canceled.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone returning to the U.S. from overseas must have a viral Covid-19 test between three and five days after travel. Individuals who haven’t been vaccinated should also stay at home and self-quarantine for a week.

The South Asian nation now has the world’s fastest-growing caseload with 18.4 million confirmed instances. The virus has gripped India’s populace with a severity not seen in its first wave. Mass funeral pyres, lines of ambulances outside overcrowded hospitals and desperate pleas on social media for oxygen underscore how unprepared India’s federal and state governments are to tackle the latest outbreak.

The unfolding tragedy is prompting some of the world’s biggest corporations to organize aid. Amazon.com is harnessing its global logistics supply chain to airlift 100 ICU ventilator units from the U.S., and the equipment will reach India in the next two weeks. Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said he was “heartbroken” by the situation and the tech behemoth is using its voice, resources and technology to aid relief efforts and help buy oxygen concentrators.

Blackstone Group Chairman Stephen Schwarzman said his private equity firm is committing $5 million to support India’s covid relief and vaccination services to “marginalized communities.” Local companies, too, are wading in, with the philanthropic arm of India’s most valuable company — Reliance Industries Ltd., controlled by Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani — pledging to create, commission and manage 100 ICU beds that will become operational mid next month.

As thousands of doctors, nurses and non-medical professionals work around-the-clock to save what patients they can, countries around the rest of the world are drawing up their bridges.

Within Asia, Hong Kong banned flights from India, as well as Pakistan and the Philippines, for 14 days from April 20. Singapore has barred long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who have recently been in India from entering. Indonesia is also denying entry to people traveling from India.

Further afield, the U.K. has added India to its travel ban list, and the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have halted passenger flights from India. Canada last week banned flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days. Australia banned flights from India this week.

India Restricts Flights Until May 31st

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterImmigration, Travel 0

India has extended the suspension on international commercial flight operations till May 31, 2021. However, international passenger flights under air travel bubble arrangements will continue.

“In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the above subject… regarding scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of 31st May, 2021,” the circular issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said.

The circular said that the restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA. Passenger air services were suspended on March 25, 2020 due to the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19. Domestic flight services, however, resumed from May 25, 2020.

Meanwhile, the US has announced that starting May 4^th, on the advice of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control, COVID-19 experts, medical experts and national security advisors — travel restrictions will come into force for India,” Vice President Kmla Harris announced last week.

Harris, who was visiting Cincinnati, said, “There is no question that it (COVID surge in India) is a great tragedy, in terms of the loss of life, and as I have said before, and I will say again, we as a country have made a commitment to the people of India to support them.”

“And we’ve made already a commitment in terms of a dollar amount that will go to PPE (personal protective equipment) and a number of other things. But it is tragic. And, you know, my prayers go to the people on the suffering, the blatant suffering that is happening,” she added. President Joe Biden’s Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the restrictions were being imposed because “of extraordinarily high COVID-19 caseloads and multiple variants circulating in India.”

The restrictions cover South Africa, China, Iran, Brazil, Ireland, Britain and the 29 countries belonging to the common visa zone known as the Schengen Area. US citizens and legal residents and their immediate family members are exempt from the restrictions, as also are diplomats, but they are advised to follow precautions. They are asked to test themselves for COVID-19 between three and five days after arrival.

If those who are vaccinated test positive, they have to isolate themselves for seven days. Those who are not vaccinated are asked to self-isolate for seven days, regardless of the test results. At a news conference on Friday before the restriction was announced, White House Coronavirus Response Co-ordinator Jeffrey Zientsin said, “In terms of travel from India, we remain in very close contact with our foreign counterparts and are continuously monitoring the situation.”

“Our current inbound travel precautions and mandatory testing before travel — the quarantine for unvaccinated individuals and the retesting during that quarantine period — those are all in place for all international travel and have been effective,” he added.

World Press Freedom Day 2021

May 5, 2021May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterEducation, Media 0

World Press Freedom Day was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO’s General Conference. Since then, 3 May, the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek is celebrated worldwide as World Press Freedom Day.

After 30 years, the historic connection made between the freedom to seek, impart and receive information and the public good remains as relevant as it was at the time of its signing.

According to United Nations, May 3^rd acts as a reminder to governments of the need to respect their commitment to press freedom. It is also a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is an opportunity to: celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence; and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

World Press Day is a reminder to governments of their commitment to press freedom. This year’s World Press Freedom Day theme: “Information as a Public Good.”
It serves as a call to affirm the importance of cherishing information as a public good.

It is vital to have access to reliable information – especially in an era of misinformation.

Today, journalism is restricted in well over two thirds of the globe.

The 2021 World Press Freedom Index: journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in 73 nations.

“The pandemic has been used as grounds to block journalists’ access to information sources, and reporting in the field,” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Secretary-General Christophe Deloire

According to RSF, authoritarian regimes have used the pandemic to “perfect their methods of totalitarian control of information.”

‘Dictatorial democracies’ have used coronavirus as a pretext for imposing especially repressive legislation combining propaganda with suppression of dissent.

In Egypt, the government banned publication of non-government pandemic figures and arrested people for circulating figures larger than the official numbers.

In Zimbabwe, an investigative reporter was arrested after exposing a scandal related to the procurement of COVID- 19 supplies.

Tanzania, the former president imposed an information blackout on the pandemic before he died in March 2021. Even in Norway, journalists have faced difficulty accessing pandemic-related government information.

Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia and Indonesia adopted extremely draconian laws in the spring of 2020 criminalizing any criticism of the government’s actions.

Press freedom in Myanmar has also become increasingly strained since the military deposed its democratically elected government in February.

Despite Africa being the most violent continent for journalists, but several countries showed significant improvements in press freedom, according to RSF.

Europe and the Americas are the most favorable regions for press freedom, according to RSF.

India Pursued Assertive Foreign Policy In 2020, Says US Defense Intelligence Agency

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterGlobal, Nation India 0

India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pursued an assertive foreign policy in 2020 aimed at demonstrating the country’s strength and its perception as a net provider of security in the strategically vital Indian Ocean Region, a top American intelligence agency has said.

The Defense Intelligence Agency also told lawmakers adding that New Delhi also hardened its approach towards an aggressive China. “Throughout 2020, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi’s government pursued an assertive foreign policy aimed at demonstrating India’s strength and its perception as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean Region,” Scott Berrier, Gen Director of Defense Intelligence Agency told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing on worldwide threats.

In the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Delhi played a leading role in delivering medical equipment to countries throughout South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, facilitating the evacuation of Indians and other South Asians from virus hotspots, he said on Friday.

“India hardened its approach towards China following a deterioration in bilateral relations that followed Chinese efforts to take Indian-claimed territory along the disputed Line of Actual Control border beginning in the summer of 2020,” Berrier said.

In response to the June clash between Indian and Chinese troops, and the deaths of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, New Delhi responded by deploying an additional 40,000 troops, artillery, tanks, and aircraft to the disputed border, occupying strategic mountain passes in disputed territory, and sending Indian Navy ships to shadow Chinese ships in the Gulf of Aden, it said.

India also implemented economic measures meant to signal its resolve against China, including banning Chinese mobile phone apps and taking steps to use trustworthy vendors of telecommunications, he told the lawmakers.

According to Berrier, India also maintained an assertive approach on its border with Pakistan, refusing to engage in diplomatic dialogue in the absence of Pakistani action to end support to anti-Indian militant groups.

Tensions remain high in the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack and subsequent military reactions, and the Modi government’s August 2019 action ‘to curtail Jammu and Kashmir’s autonomy by revising the Indian Constitution’.

The Indian Army units along the Line of Control border periodically conducted artillery strikes targeting suspected militant camps and Pakistan Army positions throughout the year.

India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire agreement in late February 2021, but any high-profile militant attacks by suspected Pakistan-based groups will likely elicit an Indian military response that could escalate to military confrontation, he said.

“New Delhi is continuing to pursue a wide-ranging military modernisation effort encompassing air, ground, naval, and strategic nuclear forces with an emphasis on domestic defence production.

‘It will continue its longstanding defence relationship with Russia because of the large amount of Russian-origin equipment in India’s inventory and Moscow’s willingness to assist New Delhi in strengthening its domestic defence industry,” Berrier said.

India continued to develop its own hypersonic, ballistic, cruise, and air defence missile capabilities, conducting approximately a dozen tests since September.

India has a growing number of satellites in orbit and is expanding its use of space assets, likely pursuing offensive space capabilities to boost the role space assets play in its military strategy.

It conducted a successful ASAT (anti-satellite) missile test in March 2019, and has since announced plans to define further the role of ASAT weapons in its National Security Strategy.

New Delhi also seeks to build space expertise with the formation of its Defence Space Agency and through space warfare exercises, such as IndSpaceEx held in July 2019.

Berrier also told lawmakers that the Pakistan military continues to execute counterterrorism operations against militant groups that pose a threat to it. These efforts have been successful in reducing violence from some anti-Pakistan militant, terrorist, and sectarian groups in Pakistan.

“However, we assess these groups remain capable of conducting mostly small-scale attacks and occasional high-profile attacks. Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan—an anti-Pakistan militant group—was weakened by leadership losses, but recently announced its reunification with two splinter groups to bolster its capabilities,” he said.

“While Pakistani intelligence continues to provide material support and safe haven to the Taliban, Islamabad continues to support Afghan peace efforts, encouraging the Taliban to engage in dialogue with the Afghan Government,” he added.

Berrier said that Pakistan’s relations with India continue to remain tense since New Delhi’s August 2019 revocation of Kashmir’s semiautonomous status.

During the year, tensions with India probably will remain elevated, and concerted efforts by both sides to fully implement the February 25, 2021 ceasefire will be necessary to reduce tension along the Line of Control.

Pakistan perceives nuclear weapons as key to its national survival, specifically to counter the threat from India’s growing conventional force superiority, and likely will increase its nuclear stockpile in 2021.

To that end, Pakistan continues to modernise and expand its nuclear capabilities by conducting training with its deployed weapons and testing developmental missiles. (Courtesy: The Council for Strategic Affairs)

Pfizer Says, Covid Oral Pill Could Be Ready By Year-End

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Science 0

US-based pharmaceutical major Pfizer’s Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said that the company’s Covid-19 oral antiviral pill, which is in early-stage trials, could be ready by the end of the year, the media reported.

According to CNBC, the company, which developed the first authorised Covid-19 vaccine in the US with German drugmaker BioNTech, began an early-stage clinical trial for testing a new antiviral therapy for Covid-19 in March.

The drug is part of a class of medicines called protease inhibitors and works by inhibiting an enzyme that the virus needs to replicate in human cells.

“If clinical trials go well and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves it, the drug could be distributed across the US by the end of the year,” Bourla told CNBC.

Protease inhibitors are used to treat other viral pathogens such as HIV and hepatitis C, the report said.

Last month, the pharmaceutical giant asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expand the Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for its Covid-19 vaccine to include children ages 12 to 15.

The request to expand emergency use comes just days after Pfizer released data demonstrating its vaccine was 100 per cent effective and well-tolerated by the younger group.

Pfizer is also working on its vaccine for 6-month to 11-year-old children.

A recent study, published in the journal Science, showed that a single dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines against Covid may boost immunity against the Covid-19 variants, only in people who were previously infected with the deadly virus.

In people who have not previously been infected and have so far only received one dose of vaccine, the immune response to variants of concern may be insufficient, the study indicated. (IANS)

Dr. Himanshu Pandya Honored By World Peace & Diplomacy Organization

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterHealth, Profile 0

(Long Island, NY: May 1^st, 2021) “It gives me tremendous pleasure to share the good news of getting one of the most prestigious awards on April 30: World Peace & Diplomacy Organization, an organization, working towards the agenda of The United Nations, has honored me with “ILLUSTRIOUS HUMANITARIAN SERVICE HONOR,” Dr. Himnashu Pandya announced here.

Past President at American association of physicians of Indian Origin, Queens Long Island. (AAPIQLI), Dr. Pandya is an internist in Floral Park, New York and is affiliated with North Shore University Hospital. He received his medical degree from B. J. Medical College Ahmedabad and has been in practice between 11-20 years.

“We are honored to share the title of ‘Illustrious Humanitarian Service Honor’ with Dr. Himanshu Pandya, who would take forward the initiative of spreading Peace and Harmony for promoting humanity through sustainable leadership,” World Peace & Diplomacy Organization stated on its web portal about the honor bestowed on Dr. Pamdya.

Dr. Pandya in his response said: “Considering my Work in the US and India since March 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, including COVID and blood tests at patients’ homes, a concept of the home hospital to treat Covid patients at home in the US and India, vaccination help, and providing free of the cost telehealth in the rural areas in India. The award was given at a virtual ceremony on the auspicious day of World Peace and Humanitarian Summit 2021 with several International dignitaries, including Princess Sanyogita Atres, Friederike Irina Bruning, Apostle Victoria Samusongha, etc. My journey and fight against Covid will continue.”

WPDO is a not-for-profit organization, working diligently towards United Nations prime agenda of maintaining global peace by humanitarian means. United Nations – Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) has recently Granted its parent organization, Confederation of Indian Healthcare Foundation (CIHF) “Special Consultative Status” which enables it to become the voice of various non-member NGOs.

Deepika Shares Mental Health Helpline Contacts To Deal With Crisis

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Education, Entertainment 0

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone on Sunday shared a list of verified mental health helplines on Instagram, highlighting the significance of strong mental and emotional health in the time of surging Covid pandemic.

“As millions of us (me and my family included) strive to stay afloat, let us not forget that our emotional well-being in this current crisis, is equally important! Remember, You Are Not Alone. We are in this together. And most importantly, there is HOPE! #YouAreNotAlone @tlllfoundation,” she wrote, along with 12 slides in varied shades of pink that contain the essential numbers.

Several Bollywood stars have been using their social media platforms to pitch in with assistance for the Covid-affected over the past few days. These include Alia Bhatt, John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar among others.

Almost every B-Town celebrity has also been appealing on social media to encourage fans to help in whatever way possible, not to pay heed to rumours and stay safe. (IANS)

Roivant Sciences & MAAC to Combine and Create Publicly Traded Leader in Biopharma and Health Technology

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Science, Technology 0

Roivant Sciences, a biopharmaceutical and healthcare technology company, and Montes Archimedes Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: MAAC), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by Patient Square Capital, today announced that they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement. Upon closing of the transaction, outstanding shares and warrants of MAAC will be exchanged for newly issued shares and warrants of Roivant Sciences, which is expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the new ticker symbol “ROIV.”

The transaction is expected to deliver up to $611 million of gross proceeds to fund discovery and development programs. This includes up to $411 million currently held in MAAC’s trust account, as well as a concurrent $200 million common stock private investment in public equity (“PIPE”) priced at $10.00 per share. New institutional and strategic investors and existing Roivant shareholders have committed to participate in the PIPE, including Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, Eventide Asset Management, Suvretta Capital, Palantir Technologies, RTW Investments, LP, Viking Global Investors, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, and SB Management, a subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corp. Proceeds are expected to extend the company’s operating runway through mid-2024.

Patient Square Capital and key Roivant equity holders and management have agreed to long-term lockups, with at least 50% of their holdings locked up for three years. In addition, Patient Square Capital has agreed to convert an additional 30% of its shares of MAAC to earn-out shares subject to performance vesting thresholds: 20% of its shares will vest at $15.00 per share and 10% will vest at $20.00 per share for 20 of 30 trading days within five years of closing.

Jim Momtazee, Managing Partner of Patient Square Capital, will join Roivant’s board of directors. Prior to founding Patient Square Capital, Mr. Momtazee was a 21-year veteran of KKR where he helped form its health care investment team 20 years ago and ran that team for over a decade.

“Roivant is at the cutting edge of using technology to discover and develop transformative medicines for a wide range of serious diseases, and in a very short time they have established a remarkable track record of building subsidiaries that have run successful registrational clinical trials for approved medicines,” said Mr. Momtazee. “I first met the company in 2015 and have watched its growth over the last 6 years with admiration. Based on our extensive due diligence spanning the last 5 months, I look forward to a long-lasting partnership with one of the most exciting and innovative companies in the life sciences industry.”

Roivant will continue to operate under its current management team led by Chief Executive Officer Matthew Gline. Roivant founder Vivek Ramaswamy will continue to serve as Executive Chairman.

“I look forward to the next chapter of Roivant’s growth by beginning our life as a public company with an exceptionally strong and diverse base of long-term investors,” said Mr. Gline. “We look forward to continuing to deliver important medicines to patients through our development engine and our rapidly growing drug discovery capabilities spanning multiple therapeutic areas and modalities.”

The boards of directors of both Roivant and MAAC have unanimously approved the proposed transaction. Completion of the transaction, which is expected in the third quarter of 2021, is subject to approval of MAAC shareholders and the satisfaction or waiver of certain other customary closing conditions. A link to investor presentation materials is included below.

Pope Francis Decrees Strict Financial Rules For Church Leaders

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterBusiness, Religion 0

Pope Francis has issued a decree aimed at financial transparency in the church, requiring a strict limit on the value of gifts that cardinals and managers can receive and requiring them to disclose their investments to ensure they are in line with Catholic doctrine.

The new mandate, which comes in the form of an apostolic letter, comes amid a major ongoing investigation into alleged financial corruption in the Vatican, something Francis has preached about cleaning up since becoming pontiff in 2013.

The new rules are aimed at ending what some refer to as the Vatican’s “envelope” culture.

“[A]ccording to Scripture, fidelity in small things is related to fidelity in important ones,” Francis wrote in the letter, referencing Luke 16:10 that “just as being dishonest in matters of little consequence is also related to being dishonest in important matters.”

Among the pope’s new provisions are a prohibition on Vatican employees receiving “work-related gifts” with a value of over 40 euros ($49) — a move aimed at limiting the practice of cardinals and Vatican monsignors receiving checks from fellow clerics to supplement their relatively modest salaries.

The National Catholic Register writes: “These gifts have been blamed for contributing to corruption in the Church when they were used between high-level Church officials to seek favors, most notably in cases like that of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.”

McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., was dismissed by Francis in 2019 after a church tribunal found him guilty of “solicitation in the Sacrament of Confession and sins against the Sixth Commandment with minors and with adults, with the aggravating factor of the abuse of power.”

McCarrick was known for giving checks to Vatican officials, leading to speculation on whether it affected the handling of allegations against him, which were known at the top levels of the church for decades. However, an internal Vatican investigation in 2020 found that in the case of McCarrick, there was no evidence that “customary gift-giving and donations impacted significant decisions made by the Holy See.”

In another case, a 2019 investigation by the U.S. church found that Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of West Virginia — who had been the subject of “credible” accounts of sexual misconduct involving adults — sent checks totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars over more than a decade to fellow clerics, including two U.S. cardinals. He then repaid himself out of church funds. Bransfield later repaid the money and offered a public apology.

The latest Vatican regulations also stipulate that cardinals, as well as senior managers and administrators whose jobs require handling money, must affirm in writing that they have never been convicted of a crime and they are not under investigation for such offenses as money laundering, corruption, fraud, exploitation of minors or tax evasion.

In the declaration, managers and cardinals must also affirm that they are not holding funds in offshore tax havens nor have investments that run counter to church doctrine. The declaration must be reaffirmed every two years.

US Catholic Bishops May Ask Joe Biden Not to Receive Holy Communion

May 5, 2021 Staff ReporterCommunity, Religion 0

When U.S. Catholic bishops hold their next national meeting in June, they’ll be deciding whether to send a tougher-than-ever message to President Joe Biden and other Catholic politicians: Don’t receive Communion if you persist in public advocacy of abortion rights, Associated Press Reported last week.

At issue is a document that will be prepared for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by its Committee on Doctrine, with the aim of clarifying the church’s stance on an issue that has repeatedly vexed the bishops in recent decades. It’s taken on new urgency now, in the eyes of many bishops, because Biden, only the second Catholic president, is the first to hold that office while espousing clear-cut support for abortion rights.

This month the Biden administration lifted restrictions on federal funding for research involving human fetal tissue. It also rescinded a Trump administration policy barring organizations such as Planned Parenthood from receiving federal family planning grants if they also refer women for abortions. And it said women seeking an abortion pill will not be required to visit a doctor’s office or clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Because President Biden is Catholic, it presents a unique problem for us,” said Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, who chairs the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities. “It can create confusion. … How can he say he’s a devout Catholic and he’s doing these things that are contrary to the church’s teaching?”

The document, if approved, would make clear the USCCB’s view that Biden and other Catholic public figures with similar viewpoints should not present themselves for Communion, Naumann said.

In accordance with existing USCCB policy, it would still leave decisions on withholding Communion up to individual bishops. In Biden’s case, the top prelates of the jurisdictions where he frequently worships — Bishop W. Francis Malooly of Wilmington, Delaware, and Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. — have made clear that he may receive Communion at churches they oversee.

The document results from a decision in November by the USCCB’s president, Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles, to form a working group to address the “complex and difficult situation” posed by Biden’s stances on abortion and other issues that differ from official church teaching.

The Routes

The Planes

The onboard experience

“When you aim high, expect high,” Tsang Yin Hung, a former teacher from Hong Kong, told reporters in Nepal.It is a phrase she often repeated to her friends before recording the world’s fastest ascent of Mount Everest by a woman last Sunday.

‘I feel relieved’

‘A strong mind’ over matter

Higher IQs

Relationships

Bad habits

Weight

A full slate of topics – and tension

Sanctions imposed and waived

The Trump factor

Biden’s fine line

Type of alcohol doesn’t matter

No safe limit

Where does the PM live now?

What do we know about the new house?

So why does Mr Modi want to move?

‘Faster, more secure’

What happened?

The crypto market had been especially shaky for about a week before the crash on Wednesday.

Regulatory concerns

The future of cryptos

Low inventory is limiting sales

Buyers getting squeezed out

What is the new Real ID rule?

When does the rule change happen?

How do I get a Real ID driver’s license?

What other forms of identification work to board a plane under the new rules?

How do I know if my current driver’s license is acceptable under Real ID rules?

What happens if I show up at the airport without an acceptable ID under the new rules?

3 Things to Know, Regardless of Where Mortgage Rates Are

1. Do the math

2. Don’t try to time the market

3. Do look at your overall financial situation

Praise of India and Asian Geopolitics

TheUNN Corporation

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