Here we go again. The United States is now experiencing a fourth wave of COVID-19, with very rapidly rising infections. The surge in new daily cases is driven by the Delta variant, which makes up 83% of sequenced samples in the U.S. and which is estimated to be twice as transmissible as the original strain. One of the reasons that Delta spreads more easily is that a person infected with this variant has a viral load 1,000 times higher than someone infected with the original version of SARS-CoV-2.
Hospitalizations and deaths are also rising, though more slowly than cases, reflecting the fact that 49% of all Americans are fully vaccinated. Even with Delta, COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at preventing severe illness and death. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical advisor on COVID-19, estimates that over 99% of people dying in the U.S. from the illness are unvaccinated. But the levels of vaccination are not high enough in some areas to prevent new surges among those who are not inoculated. And with growing infections among the unvaccinated, some vaccinated people are not surprisingly getting breakthrough infections because no vaccines are 100% effective. So, what happens next? How is the pandemic likely to play out into the fall and winter? Here are six factors that are likely to drive the shape of the pandemic in the coming months.
First, local vaccination rates will continue to be the most important factor in determining what will happen
The U.S. now has a patchwork pandemic, in which communities with low vaccination rates are likeliest to see surges in infection. One recent analysis found that 463 U.S. counties now have high rates of new infection—at least 100 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past week, which is over five times the overall U.S. rate. In 80% of these counties, less than 40% of residents are fully vaccinated. The five states with the lowest rates of full vaccination—Alabama (34%), Arkansas (35%), Louisiana (36%), Mississippi (34%), and Wyoming (36%)—are all experiencing major surges.
In these five states, while 4 out of 5 people aged over 65 have had at least one shot, the vaccination rate is much lower in the 18-65 age group, and lower still in adolescents (those aged 12-17). Few adolescents in these states have had at least one dose: just 24% in Arkansas, 16% in Alabama, 17% in Louisiana, 15% in Mississippi, and 19% in Wyoming. This leaves young people highly vulnerable to the fast-spreading Delta variant. Compare these numbers with a highly vaccinated state like Vermont, where almost 100% of those aged over 65 and 68% of those aged 12-17 have had at least one dose—and cases and hospitalizations are less than 3 and 1 per 100, 000, respectively.
It is also clear that the uptake of vaccines has slowed down and in some places almost stagnated, particularly in the southern states. The U.S. went from administering more than 3 million doses a day in mid-April to only around 500,000 doses a day right now. If you live in a poorly vaccinated community—and especially if vaccination rates are stagnant or barely rising—your community is at an elevated risk of a surge. Data from this week suggest that in some states affected by surges the rate of vaccinations is increasing, but it is unclear if this trend will continue.
In highly vaccinated states, an influx of unvaccinated visitors can also create a potential set up for local outbreaks. We saw this in Provincetown, Mass., where a super-spreader event presumed to be from a large influx of unvaccinated visitors led to a major cluster (430 confirmed cases as of July 23, 2021). Of the Massachusetts residents affected in this outbreak, 69% reported that they were fully vaccinated. And it would have been much worse had the vaccination levels of the Provincetown community not been so high. But the secondary impact of these types of clusters on pockets of unvaccinated children and on high risk or immunocompromised adults will in part depend on the amount of transmission from vaccinated people who have breakthrough infections.
Moving forward, we think a few policy and social aspects will have a huge impact on whether vaccination rates increase in this country—in particular, whether there is a concerted effort to depoliticize vaccines (political affiliation appears to be driving differences in vaccination uptake) and whether more businesses and schools start to require vaccinations for participation and employment.
Second, whether public health measures are reinstated will affect how long those surges continue
In communities facing a surge related to the Delta variant, the right public health response is to restore control measures such as community-wide indoor mask mandates, social distancing rules, scaling up test and trace, and intensifying workplace and school mitigations (including improved ventilation) until vaccination rates increase. Los Angeles county, for example, recently reinstated an indoor mask mandate for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, to help curb its rapid spread of the Delta variant. Similarly, last week San Francisco Bay Area health officials urged residents of seven counties and the city of Berkeley to resume wearing masks indoors. Sound pandemic management requires tailoring measures to the local situation on the ground.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) placed a significant roadblock to such tailored management when it changed its mask guidance in May, saying vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors—this guidance had no nuance to account for community transmission levels or outbreak status. The guidance basically gave local governments and businesses the cover to drop mask mandates and indoor limits for both vaccinated and unvaccinated, leading both to change their behavior and putting other unvaccinated people, including children under 12, at risk. We agree with former Surgeon General Jerome Adams when he says, “the CDC urgently needs to revise its guidance to vaccinate and mask in places where cases are rising yet vaccination rates remain low.” CDC should consider releasing specific metrics for on-ramping and off-ramping public health measures that local and state public health bodies can take into consideration. Such guidance would lead to less confusion and build more public trust. Many schools are reopening in five weeks, and we think there is an urgency for the CDC to provide more specific guidance on masks, testing, and other mitigations against COVID-19 in schools. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all students over 2 years old, and all teachers and staff, wear masks, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against COVID-19—that could help, though the need for masking should be tailored to local community transmission levels.
University and college campuses will also need to grapple with the challenges that Delta brings. A new study by Yale University researchers David Paltiel and Jason Schwartz found that colleges where over 90% of all students, faculty and staff are fully vaccinated can safely return to normalcy, but campuses below this vaccine coverage may need measures such as distancing and frequent testing of the unvaccinated.
Third, the local pattern of COVID-19 could be influenced by how much protection is provided by past infection.
Research suggests that if you have had COVID-19, you acquire some degree of immunity. In theory this might mean that if your community has low vaccination rates but a high proportion of people were previously infected, the chances of a surge from the Delta variant are lower. But we need to be careful about jumping to any conclusions. The science suggests that the immunity from past infection may be partial and short term, which is why the World Health Organization, CDC, and other public health agencies recommend that people who have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 still get vaccinated. Additionally, a new analysis from Public Health England found that reinfection is more likely with the Delta variant compared to the Alpha variant—further argument for even those who have had and recovered from COVID-19 to get vaccinated.
A fourth factor is whether vulnerable Americans will need booster shots and if some decrease in immunity will lead to seasonal increases in cases, similar to the way influenza rates rise every winter
Last week, Israel’s health ministry released data raising the possibility that the protection that the Pfizer vaccine provides against infection may wane over time. We need to be very cautious about the data: they are preliminary and based on small numbers, and other nations have not seen a similar waning. There are also supportive data based on lab studies that say that for most people, vaccine-induced immunity may last years (at least against the current variants), although such immunity may wane for those who are more advanced in age or have weakened immune systems.
After previously ruling out the need for boosters, the Biden Administration has now signaled that it is looking into recommending a booster (a third shot of either the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccine) for people 65 and older or those with weakened immune systems. Experts are also considering whether those who received the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot of Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna. At a recent senate hearing, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that her agency is following large cohorts of vaccinated residents in nursing homes as well as cohorts of vaccinated frontline health workers with weekly testing to understand how efficacy against vaccines may be changing over time. Such data will likely help determine whether and when boosters are needed.
Some infectious disease experts, such as the German virologist Christian Drosten, believe that COVID-19 could become a “seasonal epidemic,” with an annual rise in cases in the winter. If it turns out that immunity from the vaccine does decline over time among the elderly and immune compromised and that COVID-19 is seasonal, this combination would provide a strong case for giving these vulnerable people boosters ahead of winter.
Fifth, we don’t know exactly how common it is for vaccinated people to become infected and transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others, though so far it appears to be relatively uncommon
The good news is that all the authorized vaccines greatly reduce your chances of becoming infected (e.g. the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines reduce this risk by 91%)—and reduce the risk of becoming severely ill, hospitalized, or dying from COVID-19 at an even higher rate. But no vaccine is 100% effective. So we would still expect a small proportion of fully vaccinated people to get infected and sometimes transmit the virus to others.
Research is underway to try and determine just how common it is for vaccinated people to transmit SARS-CoV-2 to others and how the Delta variant impacts this risk, and the results will have a bearing on the next phase of the pandemic.
Sixth, another new variant of concern could arise
All viruses change (mutate) over time, and such mutations are more likely when a virus is circulating widely. Most mutations don’t change the ability of the virus to cause infections and disease, but some canThat means that, as long as SARS-CoV-2 is spreading, there’s a possibility that new variants of concern could arise, which could again change the trajectory of the pandemic.
The good news is that COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against all known variants. Scientists are also confident that if a new variant arises that evades the protection of current vaccines, vaccine manufacturers will be able to quickly reformulate and test vaccines against these new variants. But currently, half of America and most parts of the rest of the world are not vaccinated; in Africa, for example, just 2% of people have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Globally, cases and deaths have gone up by 25% over the last two weeks and these continued surges are giving the virus ample opportunity to evolve. As new variants evolve, it won’t be our ability to create reformulated vaccines that will limit us. Instead, the main hurdle will be to turn those new vaccines into vaccinations here in the U.S. and worldwide.
During the 1918 influenza pandemic, one third of the world’s population was infected and society was vulnerable to consecutive waves with minimal number of tools to combat them. In 2021, we have extremely powerful vaccines in addition to tried and true non-pharmaceutical measures such as masks that can help us shape our destinies to a greater measure than was possible a century ago. But the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed that even with these tools, there are significant social and political challenges that are delaying our recovery.
A full course of two of the most widely available coronavirus vaccines is about as effective against the more contagious delta variant as it was against a previously dominant version of the virus, according to 
A two-year investigation exposed how the Vatican lost millions of euros, including donations from worshippers, after buying a former Harrods warehouse in Sloane Avenue, Chelsea, in 2014. The cardinal was formerly in charge of donations at the secretariat which handles Vatican funds. The charges against him include allegedly channeling money to businesses run by his brothers in their native Sardinia. Nine other defendants are also accused of crimes including extortion, embezzlement, money-laundering and abuse of office.
In terms of the origin of patent applications in the pharma sector globally, India is among the top 10 countries, followed by Italy, Australia, Taiwan and Sweden. The applications originating from India are majorly filed in the US, European Parliament and APAC region. The top Indian filers who filed patents in India during the last five years (2015-2020) include the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), ITC Life Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Colgate Palmolive (India), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Limited, IIT Bombay, Cadila Healthcare, Lupin, Amity University, and Wockhardt Limited, the report said.
After the case came to fore, Shilpa Shetty Kundra resigned from her husband’s Viaan Industries, and stepped away from her active entertainment projects involvement, which included a television reality show and her current film. Years after a cricket betting fiasco, Raj Kundra has been again named in a controversy and arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch in the alleged pornography case. The court has extended Raj’s police custody till July 27, along with his IT Head Ryan Thorpe.
Pegasus took center stage in Parliament, leading to repeated adjournments of both Houses Gandhi’s name 
Cultural sites include a Chinese city once known as “the emporium of the world.” An important stop on the Silk Road, Quanzhou’s tapestry of ancient bridges and pagodas also includes one of the oldest mosques in China and other glimmers of the workings of a vibrant 10th-century city. The selection puts China near the top of the list of countries with the most World Heritage sites — right after Italy, which was granted another World Heritage site this year for 
A World Heritage Site is a location with an “outstanding universal value”. This signifies “cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity”. To be included, sites must meet at least one of the ten selection criteria.
This is indeed a very proud and emotional moment for me. I am very happy to receive Abu Dhabi’s highest civilian award from the blessed hands of HH Sheikh 
The Biden administration has condemned the harassment and ‘extrajudicial surveillance’ of journalists and others in reaction to reports published by a consortium of news websites that 
New Delhi has hostile relations with China and Pakistan at present, and their diplomats are under close watch, but it is significant that the list included several countries that India has very friendly ties with as well. They include a woman who made sexual harassment allegations against India’s former chief justice, as well as Tibetan Buddhist clerics, Pakistani diplomats and Chinese journalists, the reports said. More than 50,000 phone numbers of citizens clustered mainly in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have been studied as a part of the international collaboration by NGOs and media organisations investigating phone surveillance using Pegasus.
Born in Andhra Pradesh, India, Dr. Gangasani attended Kurnool Medical College (AP University of Health Sciences) from where he graduated in 1991. He was awarded State and National Merit Scholarships as well as Gold Medals and Merit Certificates in Pharmacology, Forensic Medicine, Social and Preventive Medicine and Internal Medicine for being a top- of- the- class student. He went on to win first place in Indian Academy of Pediatrics Quiz Competition. Later, in the U.S. he won Internal Medicine Quiz Competition as first year resident for internal residency program in 1994. He was also recognized Outstanding Resident in 1995. He won the first place in 1997 for presentation (Scientific paper Award) at Annual meeting of Michigan Association of Physicians from India.
At the JagannathPuri shrine, Shri Jagannathji, Subhadraji, and Balabhadraji are revered and they ride in separate chariots during the RathYatra to their aunt’s residence, the Gundicha temple. After an eight-day visit, they return to Puri temple. For the unversed, the distance between Jagannath temple and Gundicha temple is around three kilometres. The idols o
IAMC this week led an initiative to have a Joint Resolution approved at the summit that also calls for the State Department to designate India a CPC. The resolution was supported by more than 30 signatories and is being transmitted to the office of Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Ms. Bhargava pointed out that the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens are limiting or eliminating pathways for Muslims to be able to demonstrate their citizenship, which can lead to them being wrongfully detained, deported, or worse, rendered stateless. With those laws, India is acting much like Myanmar, in how the latter systematically discriminated against the Rohingyas leading up to their genocide.
Drive East 2021 will be held in a hybrid format blending live theater with an online broadcast to allow for a global artist line-up and audience amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Artists evolve as we move forward in our careers; this year, we ask our artists to consider what it means to be a “conscious artist.” There is no universal answer, as each artist focuses on a myriad of aspects related to their performing art, such as sharing their choreography process to new artists, preserving lineage and traditions, opening up traditions that are normally closed off. What is consistent, however, is that conscious artists are always thinking about how they will impact the field around them, and why their contribution to the tradition of the form is valuable. Drive East 2021 explores what becoming a conscious artist looks like, poses myriad questions of artists and audiences, and explores the many paths artists can take to distill the vision of growth and sustainability into action. (Pictured above: KalaisanKalaichelvan.
Experts are saying
Dr. V.K. Raju was born in Rajahmundry, AP, India. He is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at West Virginia University, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Director of the International Ocular Surface Society, Director of the Ocular Surface Research and Education Foundation, MBBS at Andhra University in India, Chairman of Goutami Eye Institute in Rajahmundry and is the President and Founder of the Eye Foundation of America, a non-profit organization dedicated to realizing a world without childhood blindness.
The Biden administration had no immediate response to Friday’s ruling. But the long-awaited knockdown spurred a political outcry and intensified pressure on the White House and Congress to pass an immigration measure this year. Immigrants brought to this country as children, known as “dreamers,” are among the most sympathetic of the 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally. Still, Republican and Democratic lawmakers have been unable to agree on whether to grant them legal status despite months of negotiations.Democrats are considering whether to use a budget reconciliation measure to take that action, a move that would require only a simple majority vote in the evenly divided Senate.
Women Who Win collaborated with the Indian Medical Association of New England to provide the shoes and educational materials on proper foot health. This summer, they had an outstanding response to their pilot program. They partnered with Lions Club of Juhu in Mumbai, to donate over 700 pairs of shoes to the women of the Adivasi village. These women were excited to finally have the right footwear to complete their work, and showed sincere blessings to our entire team. Co-founder Dr. Manju Sheth states, “The donation of shoes project to those who need it the most has been the fulfillment of the dream of our co-founders. As a physician,I have seen up close the devastation caused by multiple medical conditions including diabetes on the feet including ulcers ,gangrene leading to amputations.
Before Paresh Rawal, many celebrities such as Lucky Ali, Mukesh Khanna, KirronKher and others have also fallen prey to viral death hoaxes on social media in the recent past. After portraying the character of a coach in Farhan Akhtar’s Toofaan, Paresh Rawal is all set to tickle your funny bone with his upcoming film 
Argentina’s win was especially meaningful for captain Lionel Messi, 34, who is largely considered one of the best soccer players globally, with many previously won titles and honors with his Spanish club team, Barcelona. Even with all these accomplishments, he was unable to secure a single international trophy with his home team.
“I was close many times,” Messi said after the match, according to The Associated Press. “It’s crazy. I can’t explain how happy I feel. I’ve been sad many times [with Argentina after tournaments] but I knew it would happen and there’s no better moment. This team deserved it,” he added.
The Italian national team had won the 2020 men’s European soccer championship against England, crushing the hopes of England bringing home their first major title in over half a century, since the 1966 World Cup. This win also marks Italy’s first victorious Euro championship since 1968, after 3 failed attempts in the finals over the last two decades. The 90 minute match had the scores tied at 1-1, with England leading the first half of the game in behalf of an early goal from Luke Shaw. This lead was lost in the 67th minute when Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci managed to score the crucial goal, which resulted in 30 minutes of extended time, before Italy claimed victory during a penalty shootout, ending with three goals compared to England’s two.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi 
The Nearly 400 million Muslim population in India has a single Member representing the community in the Hindutva Ministry of Prime Minister Modi. And the Christian community is not represented. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledging ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas’ mantra, his cabinet’s lone Muslim face Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi will have the responsibility of winning the hearts of minorities and taking forward the ‘development without appeasement’ policy.
India has presented a three-point roadmap for an end state in Afghanistan. It includes cessation of violence and attacks and political dialogue for a settlement. External affairs minister S Jaishankar presented the Indian view at a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Contact Group meeting. Although Mr. Jaishankar has been at the same venue as the Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi at least twice in the past few months, the SCO meeting marks the first time he will be in the room with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, since the two met in Moscow last September, when they agreed to de-escalate tensions at the Line of Actual Control.
“The most important goal is for Uzbekistan, which the only double landlocked country in the world other than Liechtenstein, to build a bridge to the South Asian region. Through our southern neighbors we want to access the seas, and the closest is the Indian ocean,” Mr. Akhotov added. At the conference entitled “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity, Challenges and Opportunities”, Mr. Mirziyoyev will project Uzbekistan as the Central Asian fulcrum and key country in the Intra-Afghan peace process, that has, in the past, hosted Taliban delegations for talks.
Two North Indian states Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have recorded 22 incidents of violence against Christians in these six months followed by 19 in Uttar Pradesh and 17 in Karnataka. Other states which are witnessing violence against Christians for their faith are: Madhya Pradesh (15), Odisha (12), Maharashtra (9), Tamil Nadu (6), Punjab (6), Bihar (6), Andhra Pradesh (4), Uttarakhand (3), Delhi (3), Haryana (2), Gujarat (2), Telangana (1), West Bengal (1), Assam (1) and Rajasthan (1). Over one thousand (1137) calls were attended to at UCF helpline number and provided much needed solace to them through advocacy and assisting in reaching their grievances to the concerned authorities. Through these interventions the team could manage to obtain release of 84 persons from detention. Also 29 places of worship were reopened or continue to have prayer services. But, sadly, as always 18 FIRs could only be registered against the violence perpetrators.
Nominations for the 73rd Emmy Awards were announced last week by the Emmy-winning father-daughter duo Ron Cephas Jones and Jasmine Cephas Jones. The Crown and The Mandalorian lead with 24 nominations each, while WandaVision has 23. Ted Lasso, The Handmaid’s Tale and Lovecraft Country are among other big nominees.
Globally, 2.4 billion people did not have access to sufficiently nutritious food in 2020 – an increase of nearly 320 million people in one year. The report also highlights how climate change has left communities in developing countries most exposed to hunger – despite the fact that they contribute little to global CO2 emissions. These poorer nations are also the least prepared to withstand or respond to climate change, said WFP’s Gernot Laganda, who added that weather-related shocks and stresses were “driving hunger like never before”.
A hospital in Springfield, Missouri, ran out of ventilators to treat hospitalized COVID patients over the weekend, local media reported. The city of 160,000’s two hospitals were treating 213 COVID-19 patients as of Monday, up from 168 on Friday and 31 on May 24, the Kansas City Star said. “The trajectory that we’re likely to see is two different flavours of the pandemic in the United States, one in which it’s more of a problem in places where there’s a high level of unvaccinated individuals,” Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told AFP.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who took over the presidency from his mentor Raul Castro in 2018, blamed the demonstrations on the U.S.’s “policy of economic suffocation” and accused the “Cuban-American mafia” of provoking social unrest in the country. In the heart of Miami’s Cuban-American community on Sunday, more than 5,000 people demonstrated in solidarity with the protestors, with Mayor Francis Suarez calling for a U.S.-led intervention.
Asked about his India connection, Chicago-born Brookfield Deputy Chief of Police Kuruvilla, 38, told indica News that he used to visit Kerala when he was a kid. The last trip he made to India was in 2013 with his family. Kuruvilla’s wife Sibil is a licensed social worker that manages a community mental health center and they have two children ages 10 and 3. In an interview with indica News, Kuruvilla shared how he was always fascinated by law enforcement, admitted it was an unusual career choice for his community, and said that his first job as police chief would be getting body cameras on. There are thirty-one police officers in his department and three non-sworn personal staff. Excerpts:
On accepting the nomination Garcetti posted a statement on the city’s website: “I love Los Angeles and will always be an Angeleno. I want you to know that every day I am your mayor, I will continue to lead this city like it is my first day on the job, with passion, focus, and determination. I have committed my life to service –– as an activist, as a teacher, as a naval officer, as a public servant and, if confirmed, next as an ambassador. Part of that commitment means that when your nation calls, you answer that call. And should I be confirmed, I’ll bring this same energy, commitment, and love for this city to my new role, and will forge partnerships and connections that will help Los Angeles.”
Pichai, 49, who was born in Tamil Nadu and grew up in Chennai, has said India is deeply rooted in him and a big part of who he is.He didn’t refer to China directly but said: “None of our major products and services are available in China.” Pichai made it clear that the responsibility of steering the future of the internet should not be an onus of an individual “but rather a collective think tank that plots the course forward while taking into account the foundational pillars of the free internet”. He said that artificial intelligence is more profound than fire, electricity or the internet. “I view it as the most profound technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. You know, if you think about fire or electricity or the internet, it’s like that. But I think even more profound,” he was quoted as saying in the report.
India’s strong external settings help to buffer the risks associated with the government’s high deficits and debt stock. India’s economy is recovering from a deep contraction in FY21 and a subsequent severe second wave of Covid. “We expect real 
Apart from engaging in research activities, the centre publishes periodicals and books on Ayurveda, cultivates medicinal plants and organizes educational programmes. The founder, Dr P. S. Varier, started the Ayurveda Pathasala in 1917 which later became Vaidyaratnam P. S. Varier Ayurveda College. AVS also runs a Kathakali academy, named P. S. V. Natyasangham, where the classical dance form is taught and performed. P. S. V. Natyasangham is known for its strict adherence to the classical tenets of performance and meticulous training, and has produced talented artistes. A museum that preserves the personal belongings of Dr. Varier and documents the milestones in the history of Arya Vaidya Sala was established in 2002. It also chronicles the renaissance in the field of Ayurveda and its history.
The trekking to the waterfalls, which is around 8 km from Marayoor near Alampetty on Marayoor-Udumalpet state highway, is arranged by the forest department. The guided trek from Alampetty checkpost offers a perfect opportunity to witness rare wildlife amid the lush green forests of Chinnar. If you are lucky enough, you can spot elephants, langurs, giant grizzled squirrels (Chinnar is famous for them) and numerous types of butterflies and birds. This part of the sanctuary is a rain-shadow region with a climate that is different from that what is experienced in the other parts of the state.
“I’m really happy with my commitment to Columbia, the coaches there I’m really buying into their vision. I think it’s a really good stepping stone. Obviously, with Indian parents, they definitely want me to go to college and not just skip the whole…and just go right to pros. And I think it would be a good character-building kind of thing, because I’m not sure if I’m fully ready to just fully go pro yet, so as of right now, I’m still probably going to go to college,” he had said. The 17-year-old right-hander from New Jersey beat Wayenburg 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-2 in two minutes short of two hours in their semi-final encounter.
A spelling bee is a contest in which participants must spell aloud words announced by a judge. The high-profile Scripps National Spelling Bee is closely followed by students and their parents across the US and the finals are broadcast on prime-time television. This year, the winner got a cash prize of $50,000. Of the 11 finalists of the Scripps spelling bee held in the ESPN Sports Complex in Florida’s Orlando, Florida, nine were Indian-Americans. In the final round, Avant-garde was pitted against Chaitra Thummula from California, who dropped out after being unable to spell “neroli oil” correctly. Avant-garde scored her victory after spelling the word “Murraya”, a genus of tropical Australian trees.
For fans who had been waiting to see their superstar Akshay Kumar on screens ever since his last film Laxmii, its a really thrilling news that Akshay Kumar’s Filhaal 2 Mohobbat yet again has created history. After breaking multiple records with the first part of the song Filhaal which became most loved and also a superhit romantic song of the year 2019, its much awaited sequel and second part, Akshay Kumar’s 
“There are a lot of people who would feel very confident saying that we know why and how people choose partners and become a couple and fall in love, but our research suggests that is not the case,” says lead author Danu Anthony Stinson, a psychology professor at the University of Victoria, Canada. “We might have a good understanding of how strangers become attracted to each other and start dating, but that’s simply not how most relationships begin.” The team analyzed data from nearly 1,900 university students and crowdsourced adults, with 68 percent reporting that their current or most recent romantic relationship began as a friendship. There was little variation across gender, level of education, or ethnic groups, but the rate of friends-first initiation was even higher among 20-somethings and within LGBTQ+ communities, with 85 percent of such couples beginning as friendships.
Her advice to those looking for a career in Fashion industry is very timely. She also talks about her fashion icons and styles that she loves including that of our VP Kamala Harris and how much she would love to dress Madonna. Masaba’s bold and beautiful designs which combine traditions with needs of modern women have made her the game changer of the industry. She is the daughter of National award winning actress Neena Gupta and West Indian cricketer, Legendary Vivian Richards.“It was great to have a candid conversation with her. She is so down to earth and fun .She shared her journey of self love and appreciation after a very tough childhood as a biracial child in stereotypical India, adds Dr. Manju.
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.
Hours after 43 leaders took oath as ministers in the RashtrapatiBhavan, the 
JyotiradityaScindia — one of the BJP’s high-profile acquisitions
More than half of India’s reported 400,000 coronavirus deaths — the third most of any country — have occurred over the past two months as the delta variant of the virus tore through the nation and overwhelmed its already strained health system. New cases are on the decline after exceeding 400,000 a day in May, but authorities are preparing for another possible wave and are trying to ramp up vaccinations. The reshuffle also came after the defeat of Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party in April elections in key West Bengal state, a test of its handling of the pandemic.
With the demise of the veteran actor, an era of Indian cinema has come to an end. A few days back, he was admitted to Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital for age-related medical issues.A tweet posted from the actor’s official handle by family friend Faisal Farooqui read,” With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved DilipSaab, few minutes ago. We are from God and to him we return.” Doctors said 
Rahul Gandhi wrote, “My heartfelt condolences to the family, friends & fans of Dilip Kumar ji. His extraordinary contribution to Indian cinema will be remembered for generations to come.” “Rest in Peace Dilip Kumar ji! There will never be another like you,” tweeted former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, adding, “Your contribution to Indian cinema is unparalleled and you’ll be missed dearly. My heartfelt condolences to SairaBanuji& the family.”Meanwhile, VirenderSehwag recalled a famous dialogue from Mughal-e-Azam to pay tribute to the legend: “Heartfelt condolences to #DilipKumar’s family. The gr8 man said, Taqdeereinbadaljaatihain,zamanabadaljaatahai, mulkonkitaarikhbadaljaatihai,shahenshahbadaljaatehain,magarissbadalti hui duniya mein mohabbat jis insaan kadaamanthaamletihai,wohinsaannahibadalta.” Kamal Haasan shared a picture of himself with Dilip Kumar, posting that the latter’s understated approach is still tried by contemporary actors who are brave enough to attempt it.
Dilip Kumar debuted in films with 1944’s JwarBhata, but the film and his work did not garner much attention. It was with 1947’s Jugnu, also starring Noor Jehan, that he clinched his first box office hit. In 1949, he starred in Andaz with 
New York’s second Black mayor if he is elected in November’s general election over the Republican nominee, radio host Curtis Sliwa, because winning the primary in the heavily Democratic city is tantamount to winning the election. This was the city’s first major primary to use a ranked choice voting system meant to avoid costly runoffs and in which voters could order their top five choices, with their ballot moving to their next pick if their previous one was eliminated until one candidate claimed 50 percent support. Adams had led by nearly 15,000 first-choice votes after in-person voting concluded, and held on after about 125,000 thousand absentee ballots were counted and ranked choices tallied in an election run in the shadow of the pandemic that ravaged the city last year.
Police figures last month showed crime in the city rose by 22% in the past 12 months and shootings were up 73%. Adams, 60, is a moderate Democrat who denounced the “defund the police” movement during the campaign. On the stump, he sought to tread a fine line between promising to reform the New York Police Department (NYPD) and keeping New Yorkers safe from crime. Adams told supporters on the night of last month’s primary election: “If black lives really matter, it can’t only be against police abuse. It has to be against the violence that’s ripping apart our communities.”
Veteran actor Dharmendra posted on social media to state that his fans would return to a romantic role again in this film. Sharing the same video, Alia captioned it as, “An exceptional love story with my favourite people! ❤️✨ Presenting – Rocky Aur Rani Ki PremKahani, directed by the one and only Karan Johar and written by IshitaMoitra, Shashank Khaitan&Sumit Roy. All set to hit the screens in 2022! #RockyAurRaniKiPremKahani #RRKPK.” In another tweet, she said, “A love story that is going to be far from the usual, Rocky and Rani ❤️ Stay tuned at 2:00 pm to meet the rest of the parivar.”
The event was organized by the founder and President of the International Ahimsa Foundation Dr. Neeta Jain. Due to her persistent hard work and networking, Dr. Jain has been elected as an Indian American female Democratic District Leader in New York, at present representingAssembly District 25 Part B in Queens. She is an accomplished educator and civic & community leader. Being a Jain, she is a passionate advocate for non-violence and peace. To promote these values, she founded and presides over the International Ahimsa Foundation, a domestic non-profit organization founded in 2012 to promote the study and practice of non-violence and peace in educational institutes.
The Honorable Bishnu Prasad Gautam, Consul General of Nepal, NY, who spoke from the heart about the positive relationship and similar values between the Nepali and Indian diasporas and the importance of non-violence, peace, and unity. Sister Sabitha Geer, representative of the Brahma Kumaris to the United Nations, who spoke about the connection between awareness, attitude, vision, action, and the world, and guided the audience through some mindful meditation. Community leader Ashok Sancheti, who emphasized the importance of sharing and spreading happiness for prosperity and community success. NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio ofFice was represented by Mr. Rohan Narain, who read his letter to the audience and Queens borough President Donavon Richards office was represented by Mr. Brent Weitzberg.
One potential flashpoint in this challenge is Taiwan, which China views as an irrevocable part of its territory. Campbell stressed that the Biden Administration stands by the “One China Policy” and does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country — but he explained that the island should not be ignored by the international community or shut out of multilateral collaboration where it can make contributions. “We fully recognize and understand the sensitivities here,” he said. The conversation also covered trade policy, where the U.S. is “quietly exploring” trade initiatives in Asia; China’s bullying approach to Australia, and fielded questions on how the imminent withdrawal of the U.S. military from Afghanistan will play out in the region.
“In these 15 beautiful years together we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter,” the statement said. Khan, 56, and Rao, 47, first met in 2001, and married four years later. They said they wanted to “begin a new chapter in our lives – no longer as husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other”. They added that their relationship had “only grown in trust, respect and love”. They met on sets of the AshutoshGowariker-directed Lagaan (2001), one of the most commercially successful Indian movies, where the former was an assistant director. Their romance, Khan said in some interviews, bloomed later when the actor was going through the process of legal separation from his first wife, Reena Dutta. Khan and Dutta, who have a son, Junaid, and a daughter, Ira, together, divorced in 2002.
Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan’s plain-spoken statement assures that they will continue collaborating on work and pet projects. “We began a planned separation some time ago, and now feel comfortable to formalise this arrangement, of living separately yet sharing our lives the way an extended family does. We remain devoted parents to our son Azad, who we will nurture and raise together. We will also continue to work as collaborators on films, Paani Foundation, and other projects that we feel passionate about,” they said. Announcing Azad’s birth in 2011, the former couple had shown similar forthrightness when they mentioned that he was born after “a long wait” and “through IVF-surrogacy”. They ended their statement saying: “A big thank you to our families and friends for their constant support and understanding about this evolution in our relationship, and without whom we would not have been so secure in taking this leap. We request our well wishers for good wishes and blessings, and hope that — like us — you will see this divorce not as an end, but as the start of a new journey.”
Farah Khan, whose biggest blockbusters testify to her stellar humour, as Laughing Buddha will not only score the comedians and react to their jokes, but will multiply the whole madness manifold. His comic timing, stormy commentary and priceless reactions will leave the audiences heartbroken. Zee Comedy Factory, which is coming to entertain your entire family, will have two teams with 5 actors in each team. These teams include Ali Asgar, Sugandha Mishra, SanketBhosle, Gaurav Dubey, Balraj, SiddharthSagar, DivyanshDwivedi, popular actor Tejashwi Prakash, singer-anchor Aditya Narayan and dancer Puneet J. Comedians, actors and singers like Pathak are included, who will make the audience laugh with laughter.
Despite being India’s most successful Test captain ever, experts have often looked at 
Kathy’s engagement did not stop when the genocide did. This August 22, Kathy is co-hosting with the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation a 
Some of these herbs and spices include turmeric, peppermint, ginger, and many more. Long before modern medicine, the ancient Greeks used a variety of spices and herbs for their healing properties. 
Jaswant was born in Mumbai, India on May 20, 1938. After attending the University of Bombay, he followed his dream to come to the United States of America for freedom and opportunity. Jaswant worked and saved for the fare, and after 1 months of traveling by passenger ship, he arrived in New York. He then began his American Dream. Jaswant attended universities in Utah, Ohio, and New Jersey. Jaswant married and settled down in New Jersey and worked as an engineer for over 5 decades. He retired in 2012 from the DEP of NYC after working there for over 25 years.
After graduating with distinction from Kakatiya Medical College, NTR University of Health Sciences in India, she did Residency at University of Miami & University of Illinois, and Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at University of Michigan.Narrating her childhood ambitions “my parents always encouraged and nurtured me the skills to be a leader and this positive culture influenced me throughout my childhood,” recalls Dr. Gotimukula, who grew up in a family of engineers at Regional Engineering College Campus all her childhood. Her ambition in childhood was “to become a doctor, both to make her parents happy, and to do good for the community. Joining medical school and later on, practicing Medicine was a dream come true and says “I am thankful to my parents and my family who motivated me and mentored me to achieve my goals.”
As the President of AAPI, Dr. Gotimukula will work towards “strengthening the organization’s mission, encourage participation of more young physicians, develop the best communications platforms for Indian American Physicians and keep the members well connected. “Patience, Perseverance, Passion and Positive Attitude,” are her mantra to be successful in leadership. She realizes that leadership is a skill and these attributes within her have been well recognized by the physician community locally and nationally.
As a woman leader and as the elected leader of a diverse organization such as AAPI, Dr. Gotimukula is aware of the many challenges she is likely to encounter as AAPI’s President. “As leader of the largest physician ethnic nonprofit organization with diverse cultures, yes, challenges are expected.” “On a personal note, time management, balancing career and family responsibilities,” will be challenging. Dr. Gotimukula plans to address them with proper communication, nurture team and engage BK members in problem solving. Being an anesthesiologist, profession has taught me the skills of multi-tasking and staying focused! Daily Meditation and physical exercise keep me energetic and productive until the last minute of my day. Being a woman, I have leaned into being compassionate, empathetic, persevering, patient, and resilient.
Her biggest achievement in life so far is “Being what I am today, a physician, a leader, and a humble human being and be able to give back to my society,” says Dr. Gotimukula. Among the goals for AAPI, the visionary woman leader says, “With the collaboration, cooperation and support of the Executive Committee, and the entire AAPI family, I want to build a strong support system to protect the IMG physicians and their issues and help with physician burnout. I will further the existing educational goals and charitable goals and engage member physicians to support these goals.” While dedicating her talents, skills, and experiences for the AAPI family, which she has come to call as her own, Dr. Gotimukula says, “I am looking forward to get the best wishes & blessings from our members in my pursuit to lead this prestigious organization and do the best to our physician community.”
The second is the creation of a consumerist lifestyle. Back in the Cold War, then-US Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev clashed in the “kitchen debate” over which system, capitalism or communism, could create a better lifestyle for ordinary people. In that case, most people might say the US has been the clear winner. But today, China’s emerging middle class can point to a lifestyle that is far beyond anything their parents or grandparents might have imagined. They have some of the world’s most sophisticated mobile phones, they go on vacation to glamorous locations within China (the tropical paradises of Hainan or Dali), and they live in some of the fastest-growing cities on earth.
The significance of Mao in the history of modern China can never be overemphasized. Mao to China was what Stalin was to the Soviet Union. He was the founder of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, and yet under him the country experienced some of the bloodiest and most controversial episodes in its history. After coming to power, Mao consolidated his control over the country through campaigns against landlords and counter-revolutionaries. His anti-rightist campaign between 1957 and 59 is known to have led to the execution of hundreds and thousands of critics of the party. The Great Leap Forward, an economic and social campaign initiated by Mao in 1958 to reconstruct the Chinese agrarian economy according to a Communist model resulted in what is believed to be the greatest famine in the history of the country.
“Remembering and memorializing the brave AAPI Warriors and thousands of healthcare workers, who have sacrificed their lives at the service of humanity, especially during the Deadly Covid Pandemic is the major theme during the Convention,” said Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda, President of AAPI. “This convention is a tribute to those who have lost their lives and to the frontline medical professionals who are at the forefront, combating the pandemic around the globe,” he added.
The annual convention this year is being organized by AAPI’s Atlanta Chapter, chaired by Dr. Sreeni Gangasani. The inaugural Nite’s Gala was hosted by Georgia Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPI), during which several leaders of GAPI, including Drs. Indrani Indrakrishnan, Raghu Lolabhattu, Manoj Shah, Yogesh Joshi, Arvind Gupta, PB Rao, Dilip Patel, Uma Jonnagalada and Tarun Gosh addressed the audience. In her address, Dr. Indrani Indrakrishnan shared with the audience of GAPI’s educational, philanthropic, humanitarian, political, entertaining and social activities. Educational scholarships were presented to deserving students from the region.
Dr. Kulkarni shared with the audience about the many programs and plans offered by the Government of India to alleviate the sufferings of the people of India during the pandemic. Dr. Kulkarni stressed the importance of Indo-US Strategic Alliance, especially in the health sector, while pointing out India’s contributions providing the world with quality drugs for cheaper prizes. Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux representing the 7th Congressional district of Georgia was introduced to the audience by Dr. Sreeni Gangasani. Sharing her own close association with the South Asian community, Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux said, her district is home to the largest South Asian population in the South East. “I have so many wonderful friends in this community for many years I have had many friends who are from South Asia,” she said. “I have been in Washington for about 6 months and I have worked very hard to Advocate on behalf of the South Asian Community.”
Describing herself as a friend of India and Indian Americans, the Congresswoman said, she is an active member of the India Caucus in the House, she said, “India is a very very important strategic partner to the United States,” and promised to work with the federal government in helping India especially during the pandemic. The inaugural nite’s star attraction was the young and energetic artist Vidya Vox who entertained the audience with song, music and dances. During the nearly 2 hours long live performance. She showcased the influences of her Indian-American heritage to create music that is refreshingly unique and contemporary, seamlessly fusing together the intricacies of Indian music with elements of electronic and hip-hop for an undeniably catchy sound. The delegates were presented with live performances of Bhartanatyam, Thillana and fusion dances by local artists, displaying unique talents in Indian classical dance forms. The popular and much loved Mehfil E Khaas provided AAPI members and families a platform to showcase their talents impromptu, in music, dance, jokes and Shero Shayari in an informal setting.
Physicians of Indian Origin in the United States are reputed to be leading health care providers, holding crucial positions in various hospitals and health care facilities around the nation and the world. Known to be a leading ethnic medical organization that represents nearly 100,000 physicians and fellows of Indian Origin in the US, and being their voice and providing a forum to its members to collectively work together to meet their diverse needs, AAPI members are proud to contribute to the wellbeing of their motherland India and their adopted land, the United States. The convention is forum to network, share knowledge and thoughts, and thus, enrich one another, and rededicate ourselves for the health and wellbeing of all peoples of the world.
Dr. Turner says the research team followed 41 people who received an mRNA vaccine over the course of six months. Of those, 14 participants provided periodic samples of their lymph nodes in order to measure the immune reaction set in to motion by the vaccine. What they found caught them a bit off guard.
And even after lymph node activity returns to normal, Dr. Turner says those specially trained cells are likely to remain for years. “We know that these cells can migrate to the bone marrow and persist for decades, generating antibodies,” he said. Dr. Turner says there is still a chance that booster shots could be needed if a variant escapes our immune response.
As many as 209 spellers competed on a national level, of those the 9 Indian American children qualified for semifinals held on June 27 Sunday from 7 to 11 pm on ESPN America for the championship trophy. During the in-person finals, the Bee will have the option of activating a spell-off if needed. The spell-off would be activated in the closing minutes of the competition if a champion has not yet been declared in a traditional, one-person, one-word round, it said. “We are honored to introduce our 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists. Round after round, this group of spellers proved their mettle, and we look forward to seeing them show off their knowledge and hard work as they square off against the dictionary on the national stage,” said Dr J Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee.
The other Indian kids to win the popular contest are AnsunSujoe and SriramHathwar in the year 2014, Arvind Mahankali in 2013, SnigdhaNandipati in 2012, Sukanya Roy in 2011 and AnamikaVeeramani in 2010. The Indian American Children have been qualifying for the US national spelling bee contest leaving their American friends behind with chances of more than 80 percent of them even winning, for the past several years. Interestingly, these Indian origin children comprise less than 1% of the total American school’s population. The Bee was cancelled in 2020 due to the 
But Abhimanyu, after becoming the world’s youngest International Master last year, chased his dream and achieved the feat at the Vezerkepzo GM Mix in Budapest, a tournament organised just to give him one final shot at the title, as several chess players stayed back due to travel restrictions. Abhimanyu has been in the Hungarian capital since April, in pursuit of the record. He had attained the first and second GM norms in April and May, but the third had seemed elusive with time catching up and fewer tournaments in the horizon. He had to wait till mid-July for another shot at the record, but for this tournament.
Though intense in front of the board, with large brooding eyes carefully working patterns, Abhimanyu is not an out-and-out chess buff. In fact, his sporing idol is swimmer Michael Phelps (his hero in chess is Garry Kasparov), wants to acquire a black belt in karate when he grows older, and plays a lot of video games (Brawl Stars is his favourite) with friends. But as of now, his eyes are firmly trained on the 64-square board.
Biden said, though the deal isn’t exactly what he wanted, nor is it exactly what Republicans had in mind, the fact that they did reach a bipartisan, consensus makes their agreement all the more significant. “Let me be clear, neither side got everything they wanted in this deal. That’s what it means to compromise. And it reflects something important. Reflects consensus. The heart of democracy,” Biden said. The deal would see $1.2 trillion in spending over eight years, including $579 billion in new spending over the first five years. The senators, saying all sides had compromised and no one got everything they wanted, said they needed to head back to Capitol Hill to work out details.
Emphasizing the importance that Democrats attached to the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told lawmakers in the chamber: “We will be judged by future generations as to how we value our democracy.” The panel will be led by Democrats, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointing a chairperson and at least eight of the committee’s 13 members. The resolution gives Pelosi a possible say in the appointment of the other five members as well, directing that they will be named “after consultation” with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy.
Seven people died during and after the rioting, including Babbitt and three other Trump supporters who suffered medical emergencies. In addition to Sicknick, two police officers died by suicide in the days that followed. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has also publicly pressured McCarthy. “I hope he appoints people who are seen as being credible,” he said Sunday on CNN. Trump was twice impeached by the House and twice acquitted by the Senate, the second time for telling his supporters just before the insurrection to “fight like hell” to overturn his defeat to Biden.
A Trump Organization spokesperson called the indictments politically motivated and said Weisselberg “is now being used by the Manhattan district attorney as a pawn in a scorched-earth attempt to harm the former president. The district attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution involving employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of bringing,” the spokesperson said. “This is not justice; this is politics.”
Buchanan presided over the secession of seven Southern states from the Union and declared himself unable to stop it. “It is beyond the power of any president, no matter what may be his own political proclivities, to restore peace and harmony among the states,” 
US officials say there were some 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan, plus hundreds of additional special forces who are not publicly acknowledged when Biden made his decision in April to withdraw them. This comes in the middle of a surge in violence as the Taliban has increased its activities since the start of the US-led forces pull out on May 1.