The Indian Panorama

Month: May 2022

  • Did NASA find a mysterious doorway on Mars?

    Did NASA find a mysterious doorway on Mars?

    For the past 10 years, NASA’s Curiosity rover has been trundling around the surface of Mars, taking photos in its quest to understand the history and geology of the red planet and perhaps even find signs of life. Last week, it took a photo, which appeared to show a doorway carved into the rock. It’s the sort of thing that on Earth might indicate an underground bunker, such as an air-raid shelter.

    Seeing is not always believing

    At first sight, the picture is totally convincing. At second sight, maybe not. The passage seems to go in only a short way before the steeply descending roof meets the floor.

    And then those killjoys at NASA tell us its only about 45 cm high. Still, who said Martians had to be the same height as us? But then geologists point out several straight-line fractures can be seen in this site, and the “doorway” is where they happen to intersect. Such a pity. It would have been so exciting if it had been a real doorway. Instead it joins the face on Mars, the spoon on Mars, the cube on the Moon, and all the other things seen in photos from space that turn out not to be as exciting as we thought.

    Faces in the clouds

    Worse, the “doorway” joins the even longer list of wacky images like the cornflake that looks like Australia, the cats that look like Hitler, and so on. And who hasn’t seen a face in the clouds?

    The sad fact is that when presented with an unclear or unfamiliar image, humans try to turn it into a familiar-looking object. Scientists call our tendency to do this “pareidolia”.

    It’s easy to understand why it happens. We likely evolved this tendency because spotting important things like predators or faces, even when the light is poor or they are partly obscured, gave us an advantage. And getting false positives – seeing a predator where there is none – is better than not seeing a predator who then eats you.

    No signs of life

    Reasonable explanations won’t deter the conspiracy theorists who say the doorway really is evidence of life on Mars, and maintain that scientists are engaged in some sort of cover-up. If I were trying to do a cover-up, I wouldn’t be releasing the photos! So a conspiracy doesn’t seem very likely.

    But there’s also a lesson here for serious searchers for alien life. As astronomer Carl Sagan said, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

              Source: PTI

  • Jacqueline shakes leg with child star

    Jacqueline shakes leg with child star

    Bollywood actress Jacqueline Fernandez who is known for her dancing skills, recently shook a leg with child actress Aadya Sharma, who plays Dance Rani in social thriller ‘Escaype Live’. The ‘Kick’ actress took to her Instagram to share a video of herself where she can be seen showing the young talent some of her signature moves, Jacqueline Fernandez opened the platform to Dance Rani, who then added her twists to the thumping choreography. With dynamic energy and joyful spirits, the duo offered the audience a glance at the spectacular dance duet. Jacqueline wrote in the caption, “#EscaypeLive ki sabse choti magar sabse talented, Dance rani ke saath faceoff karke mujhe toh bahut maza aaya! Aap bhi iski story follow kijiye.”

  • Aishwarya Rai’s modeling bill from ’92 surfaces; she was paid Rs 1,500!

    Aishwarya Rai’s modeling bill from ’92 surfaces; she was paid Rs 1,500!

    A copy of actress and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s modelling invoice from the initial phase of her career has surfaced on the internet. The bill dates back to May 23, 1992, roughly two years before she won the coveted Miss World title in 1994. It shows that the actress received Rs 1,500 in lieu of her work for a magazine shoot.

    A copy of the bill shared by a Reddit user details the nature of contract and work that the ‘Guru’ actress undertook.

    It specifies that Aishwarya, who was “aged about 18 years” at the time, “agreed to work as a model” for a firm called Krupa Kreations for a magazine catalogue shoot. The bill carries her signature at the bottom, and tells that the deal was signed in Mumbai. A Twitter user named Vimal Upadhyay shared pictures from the magazine shoot on Twitter in a series of tweets, complete with the catalogue photos and the magazine cover.

    One of the tweets read, “Hello, Today I am celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Fashion Catalogue published by me. Aishwarya Rai, Sonali Bendre, Niki Aneja, Tejaswini Kolhapure were few of the models posed for this Catalogue (sic).” Meanwhile, Aishwarya recently marked her 21st appearance at the ongoing 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, where she is a regular fixture at the red carpet.

               Source: IANS

  • Sonnalli Seygall: People assume I don’t eat food, it’s amusing and sad

    Sonnalli Seygall: People assume I don’t eat food, it’s amusing and sad

    Sonnalli Seygall is one of the fittest actors in Bollywood and shares a deep connection with food. One might not believe that she is a foodie in real life but we don’t blame anyone. Narrating a funny incident at a friend’s house, Sonnalli recently shared with Hindustan Times how people assume she doesn’t eat food and survives on salad. She said, “Once I had the funniest incident. I was invited for lunch by one of my friends, rather a new friend. She told me ‘My mom has cooked for you please come.’ I went without having my food because of course when someone invites you over you, don’t eat from your house and go. I went straight to her place from my workout class. They served me carrot juice, shots made out of ginger and herbs, and different types of salad. I had all that and I was waiting for the main course. Then I realised that lunch was over. Turns out they ate daal chawal before me. Their reaction was ‘But you must not eat dal chawal na’. I told them to give me whatever they ate.” “They assumed that I don’t eat food or carbs, it amuses me and makes me sad at the same time. People have such wrong ideas about food and diet. Hence I have started vlogging about fitness and health,” Sonnalli said.     Source: HT

  • Raai Laxmi recalls shooting for ‘DJ Been Bajade’

    Raai Laxmi recalls shooting for ‘DJ Been Bajade’

    Actress Raai Laxmi who was seen in the music video ‘DJ Been Bajade’ shares about working on a Sajid-Wajid song for the first time. The music video is choreographed and directed by Mudassar Khan and presented by Taaleem Music.

    ‘DJ Been Bajade’ has been composed by Sajid-Wajid. Sharing her experience, Laxmi said, “It’s my first time working on a Sajid-Wajid song and it has been really amazing. DJ Been Bajade presents a new genre of Naagin songs that Sajid has created and the song just got me hooked ever since I first heard it. My choreographer for the song is Mudassar Khan and it was my second time working with him. “He is fantastic as always and his vision is always fun to translate on-screen. This is my first Bollywood single and it’s already trending everywhere. It’s a very peppy number and I just love that I got to explore my dancing skills more here. It was indeed a great experience and the audience’s reception to it has made it better.” The song is sung by Sajid and Purva Mantri, with lyrics are written by Danish Sabri. Meanwhile, professionally Laxmi has some interesting projects in the pipeline across four languages and she will also be seen showing her amazing dancing skills in yet another big-budget Tamil film.

  • ‘Top Gun’ Tom Cruise engages in dogfight with ‘The Late Late Show’ host James Corden

    ‘Top Gun’ Tom Cruise engages in dogfight with ‘The Late Late Show’ host James Corden

    Hollywood star Tom Cruise recently took ‘The Late Late Show’ host James Corden aboard a plane in a special video, four years after he asked the latter to jump out of one, reports ‘Deadline’. The actor picked up Corden, who revealed he was leaving the late-night world in April, for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the desert, piloting him in a vintage fighter plane for the afternoon. In the video, Tom can be heard saying, “I’m very excited that James is doing this. Was he the first late-night show I asked? Hell, no. He was just the first one the only one who said yes.” As per ‘Deadline’, Cruise and Corden then ended up in a dogfight in the classic plane. Just when Corden thinks he’s survived, Cruise informs him the two will be going up again – this time in a jet fit for modern aerial warfare.

    First, however, is the Top Gun training. “You are my goose,” says Cruise. “When you say I am your Goose, it makes me feel excited and then I realize that Goose dies at the end of the film,” replies Corden. Corden, who is better known for driving with celebrities in cars around LA rather than planes in the desert, and Cruise do get to bust out a few bars of Kenny Loggins’ classic Top Gun tune Danger Zone during their overnight campfire stay. “This is crazy,” says Corden, not underplaying the situation, which makes for a perfect Late Late Show viral segment. “You can be my wingman, anytime,” concludes Cruise as they disembark. “You know what? I think I’m good,” laughs Corden.

  • Laura Dern defends age gap between her and Sam Neill in ‘Jurassic Park’

    Laura Dern defends age gap between her and Sam Neill in ‘Jurassic Park’

    Actress Laura Dern thinks that the age gap between her character and Sam Neill in “Jurassic Park” was “appropriate at the time.” Starring alongside the 74-year-old actor as the romantic leads in the dinosaur blockbuster back in 1993, the actress has now commented that their 20-year age gap was only appropriate back when the movie was made, reports aceshowbiz.com. The 55-year-old star also expressed her shock that the media picked up on it. “At the time, the age gap was a completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady!” she said. “It never occurred to me until I opened a magazine and there was an article called ‘Old geezers and gals’. People like Harrison Ford and Sean Connery acting with much younger people.

  • Warner Bros. considered replacing Amber Heard in ‘Aquaman 2’

    The president of DC Films testified Tuesday that the studio considered replacing Amber Heard for “Aquaman 2” out of concern that she lacked chemistry with star Jason Momoa.

    Heard was ultimately cast in the sequel, but her lawyers have argued that she nearly lost the job and could not renegotiate for more money due to the backlash over her domestic abuse allegations against Johnny Depp. Heard is seeking $100 million in a defamation counterclaim against Depp.

    Walter Hamada, the head of Warner Bros.’ DC unit, was the first witness called by Depp’s side as they begin their rebuttal of Heard’s counterclaim in court in Fairfax, Va. Appearing by video deposition, Hamada testified that the abuse allegations played no role in casting decisions in “Aquaman 2.”

    However, he said the studio did delay picking up its option for several weeks as it considered whether to recast the role of Mera, who was Aquaman’s love interest in the first film.

    “They didn’t have a lot of chemistry together,” Hamada said. “Editorially they were able to make that relationship work in the first movie, but there was a concern that it took a lot of effort to get there.” Hamada said that the chemistry was created in post-production, using “movie magic,” including the film’s score. He said it is not uncommon for two leads to lack chemistry. “You know it when you see it, and the chemistry wasn’t there,” he said.

    Heard was paid $1 million for the first “Aquaman,” and $2 million for the sequel. That pay was consistent with her original contract, but Heard’s agent has testified that she should have been able to renegotiate for more money due to the global success of the first film. However, Hamada testified that under his leadership at DC Films, he has made a point of not automatically renegotiating for sequels.

  • Terrorists kill television actor in J&K’s Budgam

    Terrorists kill television actor in J&K’s Budgam

    A woman television actor was shot dead by terrorists in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday, May 25. Her nephew also sustained injuries in the attack. A top police officer told India Today that terrorists fired upon the actor Amreen Bhat and her 10-year-old nephew outside their residence in Hishroo Chadoora. Both of them were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, the officer said. While Amreen Bhat was declared brought dead, her nephew is receiving treatment for bullet injuries in his arm.

    According to Kashmir Police, three terrorists of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were involved in the incident.

    “No words are strong enough to condemn heinous terror attack in Budgam. Deepest condolences to the family of Amreen Bhat and prayers for fast recovery of her injured nephew,” said Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The entire area has been cordoned off by the police. Further probe is underway.

  • Punjab health minister Vijay Singla arrested after CM Mann sacks him for corruption

    Punjab health minister Vijay Singla arrested after CM Mann sacks him for corruption

    Chandigarh (TIP)- Soon after Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann sacked him from the state cabinet on Tuesday May 24, , health minister Dr Vijay Singla was arrested on charges of corruption. In a video message shared on social media, Mann said he decided to sack Dr Singla after learning the minister was allegedly demanding 1% commission for tenders passed. The state health department floats tenders worth thousands of crores for buying medicines, equipment and other material. The chief minister said that he had directed the police to register a case against Dr Singla after which he was arrested. Mann said he had received a formal complaint that the minister was indulging in corruption. “I am taking strict action against him. I am removing him from the cabinet,” he said, adding when confronted, Dr Singla confessed to the wrongdoing.

    “I could have brushed the complaint under the carpet since neither the media nor opposition parties were aware about it. But since the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party has adopted zero tolerance against corruption, I immediately sacked the minister,” he said.

    Tweeting his appreciation for the decisive and prompt action, Kejriwal said: “Proud of you Bhagwant. Ur action has brought tears to my eyes. The whole nation today feels proud of AAP.”

    Mann said that such an incident had happened only for the second time in the country.

    “In 2015, Kejriwal had sacked his food and civil supplies minister after a video of his seeking bribe was shown to him. I want to tell everyone that I won’t tolerate corruption of even Rs 1. We had taken an oath in martyr Bhagat Singh’s Khatkar Kalan village. We promised we would run a corruption-free government,” he said.

    Hailing Mann’s decision, AAP Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha tweeted, “The Aam Aadmi Party is the only party that has the integrity, courage and uprightness to take action against their own on grounds of corruption. We saw it in Delhi, now we are witnessing it in Punjab. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION. Commendable decision by CM @BhagwantMann.”

    Dr Singla, a dentist, is the AAP MLA from Mansa. He had defeated the Congress candidate Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popular as singer Sidhu Moosewala, by more than 99,000 votes.

    A HISTORY OF CORRUPT ACTIVITIES

    The first thing Vijay Singla did in the health department was to shield the corrupt officials. Singla also tried to cover up the health department scams which came to light during the Congress regime. According to sources, officials in the health department who sought a favourable posting were asked to pay a month’s salary to Singal’s network.

    An alleged deal between Singla’s network and the owners of de-addiction centres has also come to light. The deal was reportedly made with the help of Singla’s relative who owns the centres.

    The supply of some medicines besides buprenorphine (used to treat opioid disorders) made during Singla’s tenure is also being investigated. The utilisation of the emergency response and health system package worth Rs 198 crore is also likely to be probed. The funds were allocated by the union government.Vijay Singla’s activities are likely to delay the setting up of the 75 mohalla clinics which were recently announced by chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Singla had awarded over 60 tenders during his tenure. This includes the tenders to purchase equipment for the proposed mohalla clinics. These tenders are also likely to be delayed as the government has ordered a screening of the entire process. The police will question the minister, his officer on special duty (OSD) and those who were awarded the tenders to find out whether Singla received any bribes.

  • Karti Chidambaram appears before CBI in visa scam case

    Karti Chidambaram appears before CBI in visa scam case

    New Delhi (TIP)- Congress MP Karti Chidambaram reached the CBI headquarters on Thursday, May 26,  to join the investigation into an alleged scam pertaining to the issuance of visas to 263 Chinese nationals in 2011 when his father P Chidambaram was the home minister, officials said. A special court had ordered him to join the CBI investigation within 16 hours of his arrival from the UK and Europe, where he had gone with the permission of the Supreme Court and the special court.

    The MP returned from his trip on Wednesday, May 25.  He arrived at the CBI office on Thursday morning to answer questions related to the case.

    Speaking to reporters outside the CBI headquarters, Karti said the case against him was “bogus”, and claimed that he had not facilitated the issuance of visa to any Chinese national.

    The case pertains to allegations of Rs 50 lakh being paid as bribe to Karti and his close associate S Bhaskararaman by a top executive of Vedanta group company Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL), which was setting up a power plant in Punjab, for re-issuance of project visas for 263 Chinese workers employed there, the CBI FIR said. The agency has already taken Bhaskararaman in custody.

    According to the CBI, the work for setting up the power project was being executed by a Chinese company and was running behind schedule.        Source: PTI

  • Navjot Sidhu to work as clerk at Patiala jail for Rs 90 daily wage

    Navjot Sidhu to work as clerk at Patiala jail for Rs 90 daily wage

    Patiala (TIP)- Convicted in a 1988 road rage case, former Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu will work as a clerk at the Patiala Central Jail. Sidhu will be trained for three months and will be taught how to brief lengthy court judgments and compile jail records. Sidhu, as per the jail manual, will not be paid for the first 90 days. After the completion of his training, he will be entitled to get wages between Rs 40 and Rs 90 per day. His wage will be decided on the basis of his skills and the earnings will be credited to his bank account.

    Navjot Sidhu, according to a jail official, will work from the barracks itself as he is a high-profile prisoner.

    The jail files will be sent to him in the barracks as he will not be allowed to move out of his cell. According to the jail authorities, Sidhu started working as a clerk on Tuesday. He will be working in two shifts — 9 am-noon and 3 pm-5 pm. Meanwhile, security has been tightened inside the barracks where Sidhu has been lodged. Five wardens and four jail inmates have also been asked to keep an eye on Sidhu. The cricketer-turned-politician was sentenced to one-year rigorous imprisonment by the Supreme Court on May 19 in a 1988 road rage case. He surrendered on May 20 before the trial court in Patiala.

    A medical board made a diet chart for Navjot Singh Sidhu who was diagnosed with obesity and metabolic disorder. The diet chart is yet to reach the jail. Sidhu has been surviving on a salad-and-fruit diet. He had refused to eat dal roti saying he was allergic to wheat.   Source: India Today

  • ED raids multiple locations linked to Maharashtra minister Anil Parab, others

    The ED on Thursday, May 26,  raided multiple locations in Maharashtra as part of a money-laundering probe against state transport minister Anil Parab and others linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in coastal Dapoli area of Ratnagiri district and other charges, officials said.

    Locations in Dapoli, Mumbai and Pune are being searched after the federal agency filed a fresh case under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

    Parab, 57, is a three-time Shiv Sena legislator in the Maharashtra Legislative Council and is the state transport minister. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) action pertains to the allegations of purchase of a parcel of land at Dapoli by Parab in 2017 for a consideration of Rs 1 crore but it was registered in 2019. Some other charges are also being probed by the agency. It is alleged that the land was subsequently sold to Mumbai-based cable operator Sadanand Kadam in 2020 for a consideration of Rs 1.1 crore. In between, a resort was built on the same land from 2017 to 2020.

              Source: PTI

  • Court hands life term to Yasin Malik in terror-funding case

    Court hands life term to Yasin Malik in terror-funding case

    New Delhi (TIP)- A Delhi court on Wednesday, May 25, awarded life imprisonment to Yasin Malik, one of the foremost separatist leaders of Jammu and Kashmir, in a terror funding case, saying the crimes were intended to strike at the “heart of the idea of India” and intended to forcefully secede J&K from Union of India. Special Judge Praveen Singh awarded varying jail terms to Malik for offences under the stringent anti-terror law—Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and the IPC, rejecting the NIA’s plea for capital punishment. He said the crimes for which Malik was convicted were of very serious nature.

    “These crimes were intended to strike at the heart of the idea of India and intended to forcefully secede J&K from UOI. The crime becomes more serious as it was committed with the assistance of foreign powers and designated terrorists. The seriousness of crime is further increased by the fact that it was committed behind the smokescreen of an alleged peaceful political movement,” the judge said.

    The judge said the manner in which the crimes were committed was in the form of conspiracy whereby there was an attempted insurrection by instigating, stone pelting and arson, and a very large-scale violence led to shutting of the government machinery. He, however, noted that the manner of the commission of crime, the kind of weaponry that was used, led him to a conclusion that the crime in question would fail the test of rarest of rare case as laid down by the Supreme Court. The court sentenced the JKLF leader to life in jail for two offences under Section 121 (waging war against the Government of India) of IPC and Section 17 (raising funds for terrorist act) of the UAPA.

    During the hearing, Malik contended he had given up violence in the year 1994. “After the ceasefire in the year 1994, he had declared that he would follow the peaceful path of Mahatma Gandhi and engage in a non-violent political struggle. He has further contended that since then there is no evidence against him that in the last 28 years he had provided any hideout to any militant or had provided any logistic support to any terrorist organisation,” the court noted from Malik’s submission.

              Source: PTI

  • Kapil Sibal dumps Cong, files RS Sabha nomination with SP backing

    Kapil Sibal dumps Cong, files RS Sabha nomination with SP backing

    New Delhi (TIP)- Days after advising the Gandhis to step aside and let another leader have a chance at Congress presidency, veteran leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday, May 25,  officially quit the party and filed Rajya Sabha nomination as an Independent candidate with the backing of the Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh.

    “I want to be an independent voice in the Rajya Sabha and work to bring anti-BJP forces together ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” declared Sibal, a prominent minister in the erstwhile Congress-led UPA government and more recently a member of the G-23 group that rooted for reforms in the party to make it battle-ready.

    Sibal (74) said he had resigned from the Congress on May 16, the day the party’s Udaipur conclave concluded. He, however, refrained from attacking the parent party today. “All Congress leaders are like my family. I had a duty to speak so long as I was in the party, but now I have moved on. I am not far away from the Congress ideology. I joined because of Rajiv ji but the fact I am leaving after 30 years says something,” said Sibal. While other G-23 members Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma have compromised with the party and landed roles in key committees announced yesterday, Sibal was left alone in the anti-Gandhi space. He is a two-term Rajya Sabha MP (first elected in 1998 with RJD support) and a two-term Lok Sabha member from Chandni Chowk.

    SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who accompanied Sibal for nomination filing in Lucknow, said the former minister’s “articulation against the BJP’s excesses would be of value”. Interestingly, Sibal’s bonhomie with the SP comes days after senior party leader Azam Khan, jailed for 27 months, secured bail in the case of alleged land grab in UP. Sibal was Khan’s counsel in the Supreme Court. The RS term of Jalandhar-born Sibal, who attended Chandigarh’s St John’s School, expires in July.

              Source: TNS

  • Medically certified deaths due to Covid-19 exceed official death toll in 2020

    New Delhi (TIP)- Latest data released by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) offers fresh evidence that India’s official Covid-19 mortality numbers could be underestimates. Deaths due to Covid-19 were the third leading cause of death among medically certified deaths in 2020, accounting for 160,618 (8.9%) of the total 1,811,688 deaths, according to data on medical certification of deaths released by ORGI under the ministry of home affairs on May 25. The statistics on Medical Certification of Cause of Deaths (MCCD) are collated from the Civil Registration System (CRS). This number is higher than what is reported as India’s official death toll from Covid-19 in 2020. As collated from Covid-19 bulletins issued by states by HT it is 149,036. This means that 11,582 or 7.2% of medically certified deaths from Covid-19 were not recorded as such in Covid-19 bulletins across states. This is despite the fact that medically certified deaths are less than a quarter of all registered deaths and not all deaths are registered. In 2020, there were 8,062,070 registered deaths but only 1,811,688 deaths were medically certified. The level of registration was not reported in the 2020 CRS report.

    To be sure, medically certified deaths as a share of registered deaths among states that reported both MCCD data and CRS data in 2020 were the highest since 1991, the earliest year for which the recent MCCD reports give data.

    22.5% of 8,062,070 registered deaths were medically certified in 2020, 0.5 percentage points more than the previous high recorded in 2017 (22%). The total number of registered deaths in the CRS were 8,115,882 in 2020, but the MCCD report tabulates level of medical certification only in relation to CRS deaths from states that also report MCCD data. Only the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019 and 2020 have not reported MCCD data in recent years.

    A bulletin of the Sample Registration System (SRS), also released by ORGI on May 25, shows that the pandemic also seems to have halted the declining trend of death rates in India in 2020. India’s death rate was 6.7%, 6.5%, 6.4%, 6.3%, 6.2%, and 6% from 2014 to 2019. Instead of declining further in 2020, the death rate remained constant at 6%. To be sure, this was not the trend in both rural and urban India. Death rate decreased from 6.5% in 2019 to 6.4% in 2020 in rural areas but increased from 5% to 5.1% in urban areas. Unlike the CRS, which is based on official records of registration of births and deaths, SRS data is based on a sample survey.     Source: HT

  • Medically certified deaths due to Covid-19 exceed official death toll in 2020

    New Delhi (TIP)- Latest data released by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) offers fresh evidence that India’s official Covid-19 mortality numbers could be underestimates. Deaths due to Covid-19 were the third leading cause of death among medically certified deaths in 2020, accounting for 160,618 (8.9%) of the total 1,811,688 deaths, according to data on medical certification of deaths released by ORGI under the ministry of home affairs on May 25. The statistics on Medical Certification of Cause of Deaths (MCCD) are collated from the Civil Registration System (CRS). This number is higher than what is reported as India’s official death toll from Covid-19 in 2020. As collated from Covid-19 bulletins issued by states by HT it is 149,036. This means that 11,582 or 7.2% of medically certified deaths from Covid-19 were not recorded as such in Covid-19 bulletins across states. This is despite the fact that medically certified deaths are less than a quarter of all registered deaths and not all deaths are registered. In 2020, there were 8,062,070 registered deaths but only 1,811,688 deaths were medically certified. The level of registration was not reported in the 2020 CRS report.

    To be sure, medically certified deaths as a share of registered deaths among states that reported both MCCD data and CRS data in 2020 were the highest since 1991, the earliest year for which the recent MCCD reports give data.

    22.5% of 8,062,070 registered deaths were medically certified in 2020, 0.5 percentage points more than the previous high recorded in 2017 (22%). The total number of registered deaths in the CRS were 8,115,882 in 2020, but the MCCD report tabulates level of medical certification only in relation to CRS deaths from states that also report MCCD data. Only the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 and the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in 2019 and 2020 have not reported MCCD data in recent years.

    A bulletin of the Sample Registration System (SRS), also released by ORGI on May 25, shows that the pandemic also seems to have halted the declining trend of death rates in India in 2020. India’s death rate was 6.7%, 6.5%, 6.4%, 6.3%, 6.2%, and 6% from 2014 to 2019. Instead of declining further in 2020, the death rate remained constant at 6%. To be sure, this was not the trend in both rural and urban India. Death rate decreased from 6.5% in 2019 to 6.4% in 2020 in rural areas but increased from 5% to 5.1% in urban areas. Unlike the CRS, which is based on official records of registration of births and deaths, SRS data is based on a sample survey.     Source: HT

  • Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This year, the Memorial Day falls on May 30

    Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. This year, the Memorial Day falls on May 30

    Memorial Day is considered a federal holiday in the United States in which we honor and mourn members of the military who have passed while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

    WHEN IS MEMORIAL DAY 2022?

    Men and women who’ve served and sacrificed their lives in the U.S. Armed Forces are honored on Memorial Day on May 30.

    The history of Memorial Day

    Originally known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day began with an idea from General John Logan as a way to honor the fallen soldiers of the Civil War. The first celebration on May 30, 1868, was held at Arlington National Cemetery with a crowd of 5,000 people decorating the graves of over 20,000 military personnel with flowers. Most experts believe General Logan planned the first Decoration Day for that day because Northern and Southern states would have flowers in bloom by then, though others believe the date was ideal because it didn’t coincide with the anniversary of any battles. Various Washington officials, including General Ulysses S. Grant, presided over the ceremonies. After speeches, children from the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Orphan Home, among others, made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers, and singing hymns. Many also came prepared with a picnic lunch.

    It wasn’t until after World War I that Memorial Day was expanded to honor all veterans who died in any American war. In 1971, Decoration Day became officially known as Memorial Day and Congress passed an act declaring it a national holiday. That same year, Memorial Day was moved from May 30 to the last Monday in May by President Lyndon B. Johnson. “This will…enable families who live some distance apart to spend more time together,” President Johnson noted in his official statement regarding what is now known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.

    New York was the first state to declare Memorial Day an official holiday, followed by other northern states, but the southern states had their own designated day to honor fallen Confederate soldiers. The observances remained separate until the completion of World War I, when Memorial Day was changed to honoring the fallen Americans who fought in any war. Some southern states continue to honor the Confederate dead: January 19 in Texas; April 26 in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Georgia; May 10 in North and South Carolina; and June 3 in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

    Why don’t we say “Happy Memorial Day”?

    While it’s tempting to say “Happy Memorial Day”, and you may not have ill intent when saying it, it’s important to remember the meaning of the holiday before you say this. Memorial Day is a day to honor those who sacrificed their lives while serving in the military. As the Code of Support Foundation points out, it’s a deeply personal day for many who lost loved ones in the service. Some think saying “Happy Memorial Day” puts the holiday is a more cheerful light, as opposed to the day of honor and remembrance it’s meant to be. Instead of saying “Happy Memorial Day,” the Code of Support Foundation offers an alternative phrase: “I wish you a meaningful Memorial Day.”

    Memorial Day traditions

    There are a number of Memorial Day activities that families enjoy participating in every year, but there are also a few meaningful Memorial Day traditions you can honor.

    Memorial Day poppies

    People wear poppies to honor America’s war dead in a Memorial Day tradition that dates back to the poem “In Flanders Fields,” written in 1915 by John McCrae. Inspired by the poem’s image of red poppies scattered through cross-shaped grave markers, American Moina Michael and France’s Anna E. Guerin started selling artificial poppies as a fundraiser for children affected by the war. Now, many Americans pin a poppy on their shirt as a sign of respect.

    National Moment of Remembrance

    To ensure the sacrifices of America’s fallen heroes are never forgotten, President Bill Clinton signed into law “The National Moment of Remembrance Act” in December of 2000. The law encourages all Americans to pause wherever they are at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the nation.

    Hang your flag at half staff

    Federal guidelines say the flag should be displayed at half-staff only until noon, then go up to full-staff until sundown.

    Playing “Taps”

    During the Civil War, a U.S. general thought the bugle call signaling bedtime could use a more melodious tune, so he wrote the notes for “Taps” in 1862. Another officer later used the bugle song for a funeral, fearing the traditional firing of rifles might sound like an attack. Now, “Taps” is a traditional part of Memorial Day celebrations.

    Visit a local veterans cemetery

    Some of the graves in a veteran cemetery are well maintained and decorated by families. Bring flowers and lay them by a grave that doesn’t have any.

    HOW TO OBSERVE MEMORIAL DAY

    Pay your respects

    Lay flowers on the grave of a family member or friend who died while serving. If you don’t personally know any fallen soldiers, visit a local cemetery anyway. After all, they made the ultimate sacrifice for you.

    Participate in the National Moment of Remembrance

    By doing so, you’ll be joining millions of Americans in national unity to honor Memorial Day for what it truly is — a day to remember those who laid down their lives in service of their country and its citizens.

    Fly the flag

    If you have an American flag at home, be sure to fly it at half-mast until noon, then raise it to full mast for the rest of the day. The practice of lowering and then raising the flag has been observed for over 100 years to symbolize America’s persistence in the face of loss.

    CREATIVE WAYS TO DECORATE

    FOR MEMORIAL DAY

    Unfurl those flags

    Often people store their American flags and raise them only during patriotic holidays. This is definitely one of those days.

    Line your walkway with mini flags

    Nothing honors our deceased veterans like dozens (or even hundreds) of flags in your front lawn and entryway.

    Red, white, and blue layered cake

    It’s a decoration you can eat.

    Stars and Stripes windsocks

    It’s festive, fun, and patriotic. Need we say more?

    Symbolic flowers

    Even if you haven’t lost a loved one who served in the military, you can still honor the fallen with flowers at home. Red, navy, and blue dahlias combined with white rose silk flowers can make a stunning visual combination.

    WHY MEMORIAL DAY IS IMPORTANT

    Reflection

    While the outdoor grilling, parades, and beautiful summer weather are some of our favorite perks of Memorial Day, the last Monday in May is the best time of year to quietly reflect on the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. They make us feel inspired and challenged to be better— and that’s a wonderful feeling!

    Summer – almost

    We know, we know — summer officially begins on June 21. But in the minds of all Americans, summer actually begins on Memorial Day. That means it’s totally okay to dust off the grill, fill up the pool, and unplug.

    Family

    Since Memorial Day is a federal holiday with a built-in three-day weekend, we have an extra day to catch up on quality time with family members. For those of us with relatives who died while serving in the military, Memorial Day is sacred.

    2022 Memorial Day Events

    Arlington National Cemetery

    The Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony takes place at the Amphitheater. The president of the United States typically delivers an address at the Memorial Day ceremony. Numerous military and government organizations also conduct services. All ceremonies and special events are free and open to the public.

    National Memorial Day Concert

    The National Memorial Day Concert will be broadcast on Sunday, May 29, 2022, at 8 p.m. Eastern.

    National Memorial Day Parade

    Hosted by the American Veterans Center, the National Memorial Day Parade returns in person for 2022 along Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C. The event begins at 2 p.m. Monday, May 30, 2022.

    National WWI Museum and Memorial

    The National WWI Museum and Memorial’s annual ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri, will feature keynote speaker Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Larry R. Jordan. It takes place from 10-11 a.m. Monday, May 30, 2022, and is free to the public. The museum is also hosting a slate of other events and observances on Memorial Day and during the days leading up to the holiday.

    “Rolling To Remember” rally

    A series of events to honor the nation’s prisoners of war and missing-in-action is set to take place over the Memorial Day weekend in Washington, D.C. The “Rolling To Remember” rally is scheduled to conclude with a ride by thousands of bikers from RFK to the National Mall on Sunday, May 29. The motorcycle demonstration ride, hosted by AMVETS, is also a call for action to prevent veteran suicides.

    Heroes Honor Festival

    The Heroes Honor Festival, hosted by military-empowerment nonprofit Engage Your Destiny and sponsored by Fox Nation, takes place at Daytona Speedway in Florida on May 27-28. The event, with planned appearances by Gov. Ron DeSantis and entertainers Toby Keith and Ann-Margret, is free for veterans and their families.

  • Quebec confirms 15 monkeypox cases, more expected elsewhere in Canada

    Quebec confirms 15 monkeypox cases, more expected elsewhere in Canada

    Toronto (TIP): The Canadian province of Quebec confirmed 15 cases of monkeypox as of Monday, the Quebec health department said on May 24, with more cases from other parts of the country expected. Nearly 20 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported recent outbreaks of the viral disease, with more than 230 confirmed or suspected infections mostly in Europe. Canada’s federal health minister said more samples from other parts of the country were being sent to a laboratory in Winnipeg for testing.

    “We expect more cases to be confirmed in the coming days,” Jean-Yves Duclos said in a statement. It wasn’t immediately clear what symptoms the people infected were showing, nor how serious their condition might be.

    Monkeypox is a rare viral infection similar to human smallpox, though milder, first recorded in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1970s. The number of cases in West Africa has increased in the last decade.

    Canada confirmed its first two cases of monkeypox last week after authorities in Quebec said they were investigating 17 suspected cases. Duclos said the federal government began “pre-positioning of the vaccine Imvamune and therapeutics from our National Emergency Strategic Stockpile in jurisdictions across the country.” A small shipment of the Imvamune vaccine was sent to Quebec on Tuesday, he said. “I want to reiterate to Canadians that this is a different situation than we saw ourselves in with the emergence of COVID-19,” Duclos said, noting that unlike the coronavirus pandemic Canada has a supply of vaccines on hand already. (Reuters)

  • North Korea fires suspected ICBM and 2 other missiles: Seoul

    North Korea fires suspected ICBM and 2 other missiles: Seoul

    Seoul (TIP): North Korea test-launched a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile and two shorter-range weapons into the sea on May 25, South Korea said, hours after President Joe Biden ended a trip to Asia where he reaffirmed the US commitment to defend its allies in the face of the North’s nuclear threat. If confirmed, it would be North Korea’s first ICBM launch in about two months amid stalled nuclear diplomacy with the United States. Breaking its 2018 moratorium on long-distance launches, North Korea in March claimed to have test-launched its longest-range missile as part of its development of functioning nuclear-armed missiles that can reach the American homeland.

    The launches took place as North Korea made a much-disputed claim that its first domestic covid-19 outbreak was weakening. After an emergency national security council meeting, the South Korean government said North Korea fired a suspected ICBM and two short-range ballistic missiles.

    “North Korea’s sustained provocations can only result in stronger and faster South Korea-US combined deterrence and can only deepen North Korea’s international isolation,” the South Korean government statement said.

    South Korea’s military said the suspected ICBM reached a maximum height of 540 kilometres (335 miles) while traveling 360 kilometres (223 miles) east after being fired from the North’s capital region.

    The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North apparently lost the second missile 20 kilometres (12 miles) into flight, while the third missile flew 760 kilometres (472 miles) on an apogee of 60 kilometres (37 miles).

    A JCS statement said the US and South Korean militaries fired two surface-to-surface missiles in response to demonstrate the allies’ striking capabilities. It said the allies had detected North Korea’s preparations for the launches in advance. It said South Korea’s air force on Tuesday conducted an “elephant walk” involving 30, fully armed F-15K fighter jets parading along a runway in formation. (AP)

  • 75 people missing, one dead after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

    75 people missing, one dead after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia

    Tunis (TIP): Seventy-five people were missing after a crowded boat of migrants sank off Tunisia on May 25, the International Organisation for Migration said and a security official said, as the numbers risking the dangerous crossing to Europe increase. The IOM said 24 people had been rescued from the boat, which departed from the beaches of Zawara in Libya and sank off the coast of Sfax. A Tunisian security official told Reuters that the coastguard had recovered a body as they continue to search for 75 others who were missing. In recent months, dozens of people have drowned off the Tunisian coast, with an increase in the frequency of attempted crossings from Tunisia and Libya towards Italy. Hundreds of thousands of people have made the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years. Figures from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed that more than 1,23,000 migrants arrived in Italy in 2021, compared to more than 95,000 in 2020. (Reuters)

  • No need for patronising lectures, Xi tells UNHRC chief as she heads to Xinjiang to probe rights violations against Uygurs

    No need for patronising lectures, Xi tells UNHRC chief as she heads to Xinjiang to probe rights violations against Uygurs

    Beijing (TIP): Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 25 told visiting UNHRC chief Michelle Bachelet that no one can claim perfection in human rights protection and there is no need for patronising lectures, as he downplayed the allegations of massive human rights violations against Uygur Muslims and their mass incarcerations in the volatile Xinjiang province. Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, arrived in Guangzhou on Monday after a long drawn out negotiation process with Beijing to probe the allegations of internment of over a million Uygur Muslims of different ages as part of its crackdown on Islamic militants.

    China alleges that the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which is allegedly linked to radical outfits like al-Qaeda and Islamic State, actively fomented a separatist insurgency in Muslim-majority Xinjiang province, bordering Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Afghanistan and several Central Asian countries.

    Beijing terms the mass camps as re-education centres to impart skill education.

    China has also been accused of carrying out a campaign of “sinicization” of Islam which broadly meant bringing it in tune with the policies of the ruling Communist Party. In his meeting with Bachelet through a video link on Wednesday, President Xi elaborated on major issues related to the development of China’s human rights cause and made it clear that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government are committed to the comprehensive protection and safeguarding of human rights. Xi pointed out that in terms of human rights protection, no one can claim perfection and there is always room for improvement, an official press release here said.

    “When it comes to human rights issues, there is no such thing as a flawless utopia; countries do not need patronising lecturers; still less should human rights issues be politicised and used as a tool to apply double standards, or as a pretext to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries,” he said in an apparent reference to the US and EU countries terming China’s crackdown in Xinjiang as “genocide”.

    Earlier, Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Bachelet in the southern city of Guangzhou and briefed her on China’s stance.

    In February, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres met with Xi and expressed his expectation that the Chinese authorities will allow for a credible visit of the UN High Commissioner to China, including Xinjiang.

    Ahead of Bachelet’s visit, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the purpose of the visit is to promote exchange and cooperation, not investigation based on the presumption of guilt. We oppose anyone to use this for political manipulation to pressure China”. Coinciding with Bachelet’s visit, the BBC has released “huge cache of data” hacked from Chinese police computer servers in Xinjiang showing thousands of photographs of incarcerated Uygurs from the heart of China’s highly secretive system as well as a shoot-to-kill policy for those who try to escape. (PTI)

  • Senegal president says 11 newborn babies die in fire at regional hospital

    Dakar (TIP): Senegal’s President MackySall said on May 25 that 11 newborn babies died in a fire at the neonatal section of a regional hospital in the town of Tivaouane, around 120 km (74.56 miles) east of the capital Dakar. “I have just learned with pain and consternation the death of 11 newborn babies in the fire that occurred in the neonatology department of the MameAbdou Aziz SyDabakh hospital in Tivaouane,” Sall said in a tweet without giving further details about the fire. “To their mothers and their families, I express my deepest sympathy,” Sall, who is on a state visit in Angola, added. Senegal’s health minister, AbdoulayeDioufSarr, said on private Senegalese television TFM that “according to preliminary investigation, a short circuit triggered the fire”. Sarr, who is in Geneva for the World Health Assembly, said he would cut short the trip and return to Senegal immediately. DembaDiopSy, the mayor of Tivaouane, one of Senegal’s holy cities and a transport hub, said police and fire service were still at the hospital, but did not provide further details. Reuters

  • 200 bodies found in Mariupol as war rages in Ukraine’s east

    Kyiv (TIP): Workers digging through rubble found 200 bodies in Mariupol, Ukrainian authorities said May 24, another grim discovery in the ruined port city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war. The bodies found in the basement of a collapsed apartment building were in a state of decomposition and a stench permeated the neighbourhood, said Petro Andryushchenko, an adviser to the city’s mayor. Mariupol, which the Russians recently claimed full control over, has endured some of the worst suffering of the war and became a worldwide symbol of defiance for the diehard defense put up for months by fighters at a steelworks.

    The announcement of the discovery of the bodies came shortly after Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelenskyy accused Russia of waging “total war,” seeking to inflict as much death and destruction as possible on his country.

    “Indeed, there has not been such a war on the European continent for 77 years,” Zelensky told Ukrainians Monday night, on the eve of the three-month anniversary of the start of the war. He pointed to a missile attack that killed 87 people last week in the town of Desna, 55 kilometers north of Kyiv, one of the deadliest single strikes in the war.

    “And it was only four missiles,” he said, noting the many hundreds of such strikes since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24. The conflict began with expectations that Russia might overtake the country in a blitz lasting only days or a few weeks. But stiff Ukrainian resistance, bolstered by Western weapons, has bogged down Moscow’s troops, forcing them to pursue more a limited objective.

    The Kremlin is now focused on the eastern industrial heartland of the Donbas, where Russian forces have intensified efforts to encircle and capture Sievierodonetsk and neighboring cities, British military authorities said Tuesday. That’s the only part of the Donbas’ Luhansk region that remains under Ukrainian government control. Russian forces have achieved “some localized successes” despite strong Ukrainian resistance along dug-in positions, the U.K. Defense Ministry said, but the fall of Sievierodonetsk and the area around it may cause logistical problems for the Russians.

    “If the Donbas front line moves further west, this will extend Russian lines of communication and likely see its forces face further logistic resupply difficulties,” the ministry said. In its effort to secure a victory in the Donbas, Moscow has withdrawn some forces from around Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv. (AP)

  • Imran Khan leads rally for early polls, supporters detained

    Imran Khan leads rally for early polls, supporters detained

    Islamabad (PTI) : A defiant former PM, Imran Khan, on May 25 marched towards Islamabad with hundreds of his supporters who were removing the barricades placed by the government to stop them, even as Pakistan’s Supreme Court directed the authorities to allow the protest rally in the national capital and restrained them from arresting Khan. A three-member Bench ordered that the ground between G-9 and H-9 sectors of the national capital should be provided for the rally by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

    Issuing directions on a petition filed on May 24 by Islamabad High Court Bar Association President Mohammad ShoaibShaheen, the court also ordered a bipartisan committee of the government and PTI to settle the terms and conditions for holding the rally in a peaceful manner.

    Meanwhile, Khan in the evening said his long march had entered Punjab and was heading towards Islamabad. He started his march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a large caravan to demand the removal of the government and an immediate national election.

    “No amount of state oppression and fascism by this imported government can stop or deter our march,” tweeted the 69-year-old former premier, who has been leading the march mounting on a truck.

    Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to social media to oppose the protest launched by Khan to force early elections.

    “It has been my conviction that Pakistan will progress only through sheer hard work. Politics of dharna is detrimental to progress & stability,” he said. His statement came as Khan told his followers to reach the D-Chowk in Islamabad. He announced a sit-in until the government announced early elections.

    Khan was ousted from power last month through a no-trust vote. The authorities had blocked major roads leading to Islamabad using shipping containers and trucks and arrested several supporters of Khan in a bid to derail the march.

    Earlier in the morning, the police fired teargas and chased Khan’s supporters who hurled stones near Lahore, leaving several injured. The clashes between the police and Khan’s supporters were also reported at several places.

    A crackdown started in various cities and the police arrested hundreds of PTI workers and some of its leaders to stop them from joining the protest known as “Azadi March”. (PTI)