The Indian Panorama

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  • Top-ranked Ash Barty retires from French Open with hip injury

    Top-ranked Ash Barty retires from French Open with hip injury

    Bothered by a painful hip, top-ranked Ash Barty retired Thursday from her second-round match at the French Open, leaving the clay-court Grand Slam tournament without any of the top three women in the rankings.

    The 2019 champion trailed 6-1, 2-2 when she signaled that she couldn’t continue against Polish opponent Magda Linette on Court Philippe Chatrier.

    “I was battling the pain, and it just became too severe, and like I said, was becoming unsafe,” Barty said of the injury that had flared up during training before the tournament.

    In addition to Barty’s departure, No. 2 Naomi Osaka withdrew after the first round _ she said she is going to take a break from competition for mental health reasons _ and No. 3 Simona Halep pulled out before the tournament began because of a leg injury.

    In the buildup to this year’s French Open, Barty played 13 matches on clay and won 11. She posted a record of 27-5 and won three singles titles before Roland Garros. But she was forced to retire in the quarterfinals in Rome in May because of an injury to her right arm. She said that injury had healed and did not hamper her in Paris.

    “It’s heartbreaking,” Barty said. “We have had such a brilliant clay-court season, and to kind of get a little bit unlucky with timing, more than anything, to have something kind of acute happen over the weekend and just kind of run out of time against the clock is disappointing.”

    The Australian started the match with her left thigh bandaged and it was immediately clear she could not move properly. Too slow to chase her opponent’s shots, she struggled in long rallies and with her first serve.

  • Indian cricket teams land in England

    The Indian men’s cricket team arrived here on June 4,  for the upcoming World Test Championship final against New Zealand and the subsequent Test series against hosts England.

    The men’s team was accompanied by the women’s team, which is touring England for three ODIs and as many T20Is besides one Test. Both the teams will now travel to Southampton, where they will complete their mandatory quarantine.

    Upon completion of the quarantine period and the subsequent Covid-19 test, the Virat Kohli-led men’s team will take on New Zealand in the maiden WTC final starting on June 18. The men’s team will then face England in a five-match Test series starting August 4.

  • Hinduism symbols and their meaning

    Hinduism symbols and their meaning

    Hinduism is full of symbolism—arguably no other religion employs the art of symbolism as effectively as the Hindus. Most of these symbols are representative of the philosophies, teachings, omen, and even the gods and goddesses.

    In Hinduism, symbols play a major ritual in social life, culture, and rituals. Hinduism is full of powerful theories and philosophies which find similarity with the modern science. Over time many concepts of Hinduism are gaining credibility among modern scientists.

    Let us look at major symbols of Hinduism and their deep meaning they convey.

    Aum

    The Aum (Om)) is the most important spiritual Hindu symbol and its sound is used in meditation. In Hinduism, the word “Om” is the first syllable in any prayer.

    More specifically, Om is used to signifying the universe and the ultimate reality. Some people say that this symbol represents the three aspects of God: the Brahma (A), the Vishny (U), and the Shiva (M).

    Om is a foundation of Hinduism, where it is considered the very first sound of the universe. “Before the sound Om, there was nothing.” It is sometimes wrongly pronounced as ‘Om.’ The correct pronunciation however is ‘Aum’. The ‘A’ here represents creation, ‘U’ is manifestation, and ‘M’ is destruction.

    Lotus

    The lotus is a very important symbol of Indian cultural heritage. Hindu scriptures are full of praises of the lotus because it is very sacred to all the Gods.

    God Brahma and  Buddha are both shown sitting on a lotus. The Sun is also like a red lotus rising from the blue ocean/sky. Lord Vishnu holds a lotus in one of His left hands. Goddess Lakshmi also holds a lotus, presumably because both were obtained from the ocean churning.

    It is a water-borne flower, yet not even a drop of water stays on the lotus or its leaf, so it is regarded as the most appropriate symbol of detachment from surroundings.

    Tilak, Dot, Bindu

    Our ancient human ancestors saw the shape and form of their own body on earth and he also saw the burning ball-like shape of the Sun in the sky.

    This was his first acquaintance with shape. Then,  they also saw the clouds assuming random shapes and dimensions so they start to give shapes and forms to their own ideas and thoughts and realized that the starting point of all shapes and forms is a point. Geometry recognizes the point as a shape without dimensions which, though it cannot be described, still exists. Every drawn line is a string of points so he conceived a starting point to describe his thoughts, visions, and emotions and to express them with the help of his own sound.

    Thus, sound and point became intertwined. A dot or point is the seed of language expressed by sound so it was the finale of the highest attainment.

    A dot or point is the abode of Shiva-Shakti, Vishnu- Lakshmi-Shakti. Every person belonging to any society or civilization had an indomitable will and urge to communicate his thoughts, emotions, and experiences to indicate their distinct identity, so symbols were developed.

    Swastik

    For success in every undertaking human beings pray to God by invoking hymns, singing praise, recitations, etc. The Rishis had determined a shape as a symbol to propitiate cherished desire. The root of Swastik is su + us su means benefic and us means existence; whosoever desires to have glory, prosperity, progress, success, etc. is advised to invoke the Swastik Yantra.

    The swastika is also one the most recognized Hindu Symbol outside India. This however has to do with its infamous association with Nazi Germany symbol.

    Shree Chakra or Shree Yantra

    Sri Yantra – symbol of formed by nine interlocking triangles that radiate out from the central point.

    The Garbh-Grah — sanctum sanctorum, of Lord Venkateshwara’s temple in India, has a highly powerful Shreeyantra beneath the foundation, so this temple has become a wish-fulfilling holy place for real devotees. It is the richest temple in India.

    It is claimed that a Shree Yantra made with five precious metal alloys in the prescribed composition as laid down by the Rishis and sanctified by a Siddha saint, acquires undisputable potency of bestowing riches on the devotee for several years as per the potency infused in it.

    Sir John Woodruff and Dr. N.J. Button of U.K., and Dr. Zejerta of Germany have undertaken a deep study and research on the scientific construction and celestial effects of Shree Yantra. In Russia, Dr. Alexi Kulaicheva has attempted to analyse and study the formation of Shree Chakra or Shree Yantra on a computer to establish its precision and accuracy.

    Rudraksha

    Rudraksha is the seed (stone) of a fruit of a rare species of a tree found in Nepal, Java, Sumatra and Malaya. In India, it has been found in Haridwar and spotted at some centers in Konkan and Karnataka. It is roundish with a cellular demarcation and has a central bore. Small or unripe, unmatured seeds are of no value.

    Rarely, a seed with no bore is also seen but then it becomes a piece of great sanctity value if it has only 1 cell mark. The cellular mark/division varies from 1 to 21 per seed. The Rishis observed these peculiarities and made detailed investigations because they noticed that every seed is a ball of energy but the efficacy quantum differed from piece to piece with different cellular markings but there was no difference in any two identical seeds.

    Rudraksha holds a place of pride in the Rigveda, Atharvaveda, Skand Puran, and other scriptures because of their beneficial properties of attracting healthy vibrations. Saints wear it as a necklace; the Rishis had deified it as an ornament of Lord Shiva.

    Sacred Thread

    To encourage cooperation and establish order in society, Hindus had divided the life span of every person into four distinct divisions — Brahmacharya — the celebate life of a student; Grihasta — family life; Vanprastha — the third portion of life when a person should detach himself from family bonds and endeavour to serve the society; and Sanyasa — when a person should finally renounce the world. In this final stage, the person ceases to belong to his family, caste, or creed. Instead, he devotes himself to spread the message of the scriptures of love and benevolence and simultaneously practices Yogic Sadhna to illuminate his own self to attain salvation.

    There is no sanction for leading an idle life and becoming a burden on society or to look to pass life in an old-age-home run with the help of others. To make life simpler and enjoyable, Lord Shree Krishna preached secularism, saying, “I have divided mankind in four stages (Ashrams) as per their competence/capability and deeds (calling) or professions so, there is no need for any class conflict, or haves and have-nots in society.”

  • NASA’s Venus missions to probe divergent fate of Earth’s hothouse sister planet

    NASA’s Venus missions to probe divergent fate of Earth’s hothouse sister planet

    NASA has announced plans to launch a pair of missions to Venus between 2028 and 2030 – its first in decades – to study the atmosphere and geologic features of Earth’s so-called sister planet and better understand why the two emerged so differently.

    The U.S. space agency said it was awarding about $500 million each to develop the two missions, dubbed DAVINCI+ (short for Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging) and VERITAS (an acronym for Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography and Spectroscopy).

    DAVINCI+ will measure the composition of the dense, hothouse atmosphere of Venus to further understand how it evolved, while VERITAS will map the planet’s surface from orbit to help determine its geologic history, NASA said.

    DAVINCI+, consisting of a fly-by spacecraft and an atmospheric descent probe, is also expected to return the first high-resolution images of unique geological characteristics on Venus called “tesserae.” Scientists believe those features may be comparable to Earth’s continents and suggest that Venus has plate tectonics, according to NASA’s announcement.

  • Australia’s Nine signs Facebook, Google deals under new licensing regime

    Australia’s Nine signs Facebook, Google deals under new licensing regime

    Australian broadcaster and publisher Nine Entertainment Co Holdings Ltd said it signed multi-year content-supply deals with Google and Facebook Inc, harnessing tough new licencing laws to bolster profit. The step means that all of Australia’s three largest media firms now have deals with U.S. tech giants that had until this year fiercely opposed laws making them negotiate over the fees they pay for the links driving clicks to their platforms.

    The owner of the Australian Financial Review and Sydney Morning Herald newspapers and the Nine free-to-air channel said it would provide articles and clips for Google’s News Showcase platform for five years, and to a similar Facebook product for three.

    “These deals will contribute to supporting the world-class journalism on which our business thrives,” Nine Chief Executive Mike Sneesby told staff in an email, reviewed by Reuters, adding they would also help the firm pursue growth to underpin its strength in the long term.

    A Google spokesman declined to comment, while Facebook was not immediately available for comment.

    Rivals Seven West Media Ltd and Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, which dominate Australia’s traditional media market, along with Nine, have signed similar deals in recent months.

    Like the others, Nine did not disclose financial details of the deals.

  • Microsoft launches first-ever APAC cybersecurity council

    Microsoft launches first-ever APAC cybersecurity council

    With the aim of building a strong communications channel for addressing cyber threats and sharing best practices across the participating countries, Microsoft has launched the first Asia Pacific Public Sector Cybersecurity Executive Council.

    Consisting of policymakers and influencers from Brunei, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, supported by cybersecurity professionals, the council aims to accelerate public-private partnerships in cybersecurity, share threat intelligence, Microsoft said in a statement on Monday.

    “Our joint mission is to build a strong coalition, to strengthen our cybersecurity defense,” said Sherie Ng, General Manager, Public Sector, Microsoft Asia Pacific.

    The APAC countries continue to experience a higher-than-average encounter rate for malware and ransomware attacks—1.6 and 1.7 times higher respectively than the rest of the world.

    “This collective marks a significant commitment towards accelerating public-private partnerships in cybersecurity, while promoting a broader sharing of threat intelligence to be better positioned to respond in the event of an attacks,” the tech giant said.

    The council is set to meet virtually on a quarterly basis to maintain a continuous exchange of information on cyber threats and cybersecurity solutions.

    “This coalition certainly establish stronger partnerships with industry leaders and practitioners that allow us to fortify our security postures and combat cybercrime,” said Dato’ Ts Dr. Haji Amirudin Abdul Wahab FASc, CEO of CyberSecurity Malaysia.

    As part of the council, government agencies and state leaders will join a forum that includes Microsoft and its ecosystem of cybersecurity industry advisors.

    “With similar threat landscapes, this partnership will ensure that we are steps ahead of the perpetrators, establishing higher standards for the cybersecurity eco-system as well,” added ChangHee Yun, Principle Researcher of AI/Future Strategy Center, National Information Society Agency Korea.

    The aim of the forum is to share best practices, learn from Microsoft security certification trainings, dedicated workshops, and hands-on lab sessions, with a goal of driving improvements to the digital skills of the workforce to reduce the talent gap in cybersecurity across the participating nations.

  • Apple will switch some iPad models to OLED in 2022

    While the large iPad Pro 12.9-inch (2021) switched to a mini-LED display, the smaller models may go for OLED, the media reported.

    According to Korean publication ETNews reports, Apple will make the jump with iPads coming out in 2022. Those will be the first Apple tablets not to use some kind of LCD (even mini-LED tech is LCD based).

    Samsung and LG are the likely suppliers of OLED panels. They are currently working on OLED displays for the iPhone 13 (splitting the order 65/30 with BOE taking up a small 5 per cent share).

    Image quality, weight and design were reportedly the key considerations in the decision to move away from LCD, the report said.

    However, while phone-sized OLED displays are produced in great numbers, tablet-sized ones are rare, it added.

    Some Android tablets do use them, but Apple moves around 50 million iPads a year, so companies will have to invest into expanding the capacity of their factories. Apple will likely start with a few models at first and add more as capacity expands.

  • Mars Curiosity Rover snaps shining clouds on Red Planet

    NASA’s Mars Curiosity rover has captured shining clouds on the Red Planet, which arrived earlier and formed higher than expected.

    The atmosphere on Mars is usually thin, dry and cloudy days are rare. And clouds are typically found at the planet’s equator in the coldest time of year, when Mars is the farthest from the Sun in its oval-shaped orbit. But the scientists noticed clouds forming over NASA’s Curiosity rover earlier than expected, one full Martian year ago – two Earth years.

    In late January this year, the team started documenting these “early” clouds. The images show wispy puffs filled with ice crystals that scattered light from the setting Sun, some of them shimmering with colour.

    The rover’s Mast Camera, or Mastcam snapped colour images and the iridescent, or “mother of pearl” clouds on March 5, 2021, the 3,048th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. “If you see a cloud with a shimmery pastel set of colors in it, that’s because the cloud particles are all nearly identical in size. That’s usually happening just after the clouds have formed and have all grown at the same rate,” said Mark Lemmon, an atmospheric scientist with the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado.

    These clouds are among the more colorful things on the Red Planet, Lemmon added. If you were skygazing next to Curiosity, you could see the colours with the naked eye, although they’d be faint.

  • Drug that blocks multiple coronavirus variants in mice identified

    Drug that blocks multiple coronavirus variants in mice identified

    Scientists have identified a new drug which is highly effective in preventing severe Covid in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, and could also treat other respiratory coronaviruses.

    The findings, published in the journal Science Immunology, suggest that the drug diABZI activates the body’s innate immune response, the first line of defence against invading pathogens.

    “This paper is the first to show that activating an early immune response therapeutically with a single dose is a promising strategy for controlling the virus, including the South African variant B.1.351, which has led to worldwide concern,” said Sara Cherry, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

    “The development of effective antivirals is urgently needed for controlling SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease, especially as dangerous variants of the virus continue to emerge,” Cherry, the senior author of the study, said.

    The SARS-CoV-2 virus initially targets epithelial cells in the respiratory tract.

    As the first line of defence against infection, the respiratory tract’s innate immune system recognises viral pathogens by detecting their molecular patterns.

    The researchers first sought to better understand this effect by observing human lung cells infected with SARS-CoV-2 under the microscope.

    They found that the virus is able to hide, delaying the immune system’s early recognition and response.

    The team predicted that it may be able to identify drugs that could set off this immune response in the respiratory cells earlier and prevent severe SARS-CoV-2 infection.

    To identify drugs that would block SARS-CoV-2 infection, the researchers screened 75 drugs that target sensing pathways in lung cells.They identified nine candidates that significantly suppressed infection by activating STING — the simulation of interferon genes which plays an important role in innate immunity.

    The team tested a newly-developed drug molecule called diABZI, which is currently being tested in clinical trials to treat some cancers.

    The researchers found that diABZI potently inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infection of diverse strains, including variant of concern B.1.351, by stimulating interferon signaling.

  • Study finds paradoxical relationship between emotions

    Study finds paradoxical relationship between emotions

    A paradoxical relationship between the intensity of emotional expressions and how they are perceived, has been explored by a team of international researchers comprised of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, New York University, and the Max Planck NYU Center for Language, Music, and Emotion (CLaME).

    Emotions vary in their intensity. A person being attacked by a house cat may well feel fear, but certainly, their fear would be even greater if a lion or tiger were attacking them. So our emotions differ in terms of degrees of strength. But how does this affect our ability to infer meaning from how emotion is expressed? Research on emotion has so far assumed that emotion expressions become more distinct as their intensity increases. But there is little empirical evidence to support this intuitive-sounding idea.

    A team of researchers from Frankfurt am Main and New York has now systematically investigated the role of emotional intensity for the first time. They collected a multitude of nonverbal vocalizations, including screams, laughter, sighs, groans, etc. These sounds all expressed different positive and negative emotions ranging from minimal to maximal emotional intensity. They then examined how listeners perceived these sounds differently depending on the emotional intensity they expressed. The team came to a surprising conclusion: at first, as the intensity of the emotions increased, participants’ ability to judge them also improved, attaining a kind of ‘sweet spot’ in perceiving moderate to strong emotions. When the emotions became maximally intense, however, their legibility decreased quite drastically. Lead author Natalie Holz of the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics explains:

    “Counterintuitively, we found that maximally intense emotions are not the easiest to infer meaning from. In fact, they are the most ambiguous of all.” And the paradox: For extremely intense emotions, neither their individual categories, such as surprise and triumph nor valences, such as pleasantness and unpleasantness, could be distinguished reliably; nor could they be classified as being more positive or negative. Nevertheless, both the intensity itself and the state of arousal were perceived consistently and clearly.

    Holz suggests a reason for this: “At peak intensity, the most vital job might be to detect big events and to assess relevance. A more fine-grained evaluation of affective meaning may be secondary.”

    The research team’s article, just published in the journal Scientific Reports, makes clear that emotional intensity is a dominant factor in the perception of emotion, but in a far more complex way than previously thought. This poses a challenge to prevailing theories of emotion. The study of emotional intensity, and of peak emotions, in particular, can enrich our understanding of the affective experience and how we communicate emotion.

  • Cashew chicken

    Cashew chicken

    Ingredients

    1 pound chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces, 3 tbsp. arrowroot powder (or cornstarch), 1.5 tbsp. avocado olive oil, ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth, 4 garlic cloves, minced, 1 tbsp. brown sugar (or swerve brown granular), 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce (omit for keto), 1.5 tsp. sesame oil, 1 cup whole cashews

    Method

    Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with arrowroot or cornstarch. Heat avocado oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until brown and crispy. While the chicken is cooking, whisk soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, brown sugar, hoisin and sesame oil in a small bowl. Add to the wok along with the cashews and toss with chicken. Cook until the sauce is thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Enjoy!

    Lemon Yoghurt Cake

    Ingredients

    For the cake

    1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek yoghurt, 1 cup sugar, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons), 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or olive oil), 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

    For the glaze

    1 cup confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

    Method

    –              For the first step, you will have to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Celcius. Grease and flour the pan.

    –              For the next step, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt into one bowl. Once you are done with your dry ingredients, in another bowl, you whisk together the yoghurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix them continuously until you get a smooth consistency.

    –              Next, you will have to slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Now, using a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.

    –              Finally, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.

    –              For the glaze mix the sugar and the lemon juice nicely. Once your cake comes to room temperature, top with glaze to get that extra tangy taste. This cake is extremely easy to make and the recipe will especially come in handy if you are also a little sceptical about ordering food from outside.

  • Indian jet in Dominica for Mehul Choksi flies out, destination unknown

    Indian jet in Dominica for Mehul Choksi flies out, destination unknown

    New Delhi (TIP): The private jet India sent to Dominica with documents linked to the deportation of fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi last week has flown out of the island at 8:10pm (local time) on Thursday, June 3, people familiar with the development said. Choksi, wanted in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, remains at Dominica-China Friendship Hospital under police guard.

    The Indian team, which went there along with the documents, has also returned, the people cited above saidalso added that the flight’s destination is not known.

    Indian-born Choksi disappeared from Antigua and Barbuda, whose citizenship he holds, on May 23 but was detained by Dominican police three days later on charges of illegally entering the island, nearly 100 nautical miles away.

    Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda Gaston Browne said last week that the Bombardier Global 5000 business jet of Qatar Executive landed at Dominica’s Douglas Charles airport May 29. Browne also told a radio show in his country that Choksi may have left Antigua and taken a boat ride to neighbouring Dominica to have dinner or a “good time” with his girlfriend.

    On Thursday, a court in Dominica denied bail to the 62-year-old businessman and remanded him to police custody for roughly two weeks on charges of illegally entering the island nation. And, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court adjourned hearing in a habeas corpus petition filed by Choksi’s lawyers and the government of Antigua, where the 62-year-old spent three years as a citizen before he went missing on May 23, reiterated that it favoured deporting the businessman to India.

    India said it was making all efforts to bring back Mehul Choksi. “He (Choksi) is currently in the custody of Dominica with some legal proceedings underway. We will continue to make all efforts to ensure he is brought to back India,” foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters. “Let me emphasise that India remains steadfast in its efforts to ensure that fugitives are brought back to India to face justice,” Bagchi added. This is the first time the Indian government has officially commented on the issue since Choksi disappeared from Antigua, where he has been living since 2018 after acquiring its citizenship, and was found three days later in Dominica. India-born Choksi faces two separate legal proceedings in Dominica. A magistrate’s court in the Dominican capital Roseau is hearing the government’s charge that the businessman entered the country illegally. And, Choksi’s lawyers have moved the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, alleging that he was abducted and asking him to be sent back to Antigua.

    Source: HT

  • Zydus Cadila first Indian company gets permission for clinical trials of Covid-19 antibodies cocktail

    Zydus Cadila first Indian company gets permission for clinical trials of Covid-19 antibodies cocktail

    New Delhi (TIP): The only Indian company Zydus Cadila which claims to have developed neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs)-based cocktail for the treatment of Covid-19 has been permitted to conduct clinical trials by the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), according to sources.

    “SEC gives a recommendation for the Phase I and II clinical trials of Zydus Cadila’s biological therapy ZRC-3308, a cocktail of two SARS-CoV-2-neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that can emerge as one of the main treatments for mild Covid-19,” the sources said.

    These antibodies are made by cloning unique white blood cells. Domestic pharmaceutical major Zydus Cadila has sought the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) permission recently to undertake clinical trials.

    Zydus said that its biological therapy ZRC-3308, a cocktail of two SARS-CoV-2-neutralising monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) can emerge as one of the main treatments for mild Covid-19.

    Currently, some of the hospitals are administering the cocktail of two fast-acting anti-bodies – Casirivimab and Imdevimab, the batch of the Roche Antibody Cocktail drug arrived in the country on May 24. The cost of a single antibody cocktail is Rs 59,750

    Another antibody cocktail that has received permission is Eli Lilly and Company, India announced that it has received permission for restricted emergency use of its antibody drugs, bamlanivimab 700mg and etesevimab 1400mg, in India for the treatment of patients with mild to moderate coronavirus disease 2019.

    Source: ANI

  • ‘Every journalist entitled to protection’: SC quashes sedition case against Vinod Dua

    ‘Every journalist entitled to protection’: SC quashes sedition case against Vinod Dua

    New Delhi (TIP): The Supreme Court Thursday, June 3,  quashed the sedition case registered against senior journalist Vinod Dua in Himachal Pradesh.

    The verdict was pronounced by a bench led by Justice U.U. Lalit on Dua’s petition seeking quashing of the case registered against him in connection with a video uploaded to YouTube last year. In the video, Dua is criticising the Narendra Modi government’s handling of the Covid-19 lockdown.

    The bench extensively relied on the principles outlined in the Kedar Nath judgment to give relief to Dua.

    The court said that the senior journalist’s statement “if read in the light of the principles emanating” from the judgment and “against the backdrop of the circumstances when they were made, can at best be termed as expression of disapprobation of actions of the Government and its functionaries so that prevailing situation could be addressed quickly and efficiently”.

    Delivered in 1962, the Kedar Nath judgment upheld the constitutional validity of sedition law in India. However, it held that free speech, discussions on matters of government functioning and their criticism, and freedom of press are “essential for the proper functioning of the processes of popular government”.

    “It must however be clarified that every Journalist will be entitled to protection in terms of Kedar Nath Singh, as every prosecution under Sections 124A (sedition) and 505 (publishing or circulating rumour) of the IPC must be in strict conformity with the scope and ambit of said Sections as explained in, and completely in tune with the law laid down in Kedar Nath Singh,” it ruled.

    To prosecute Dua for the alleged offences would violate his rights of freedom of speech and expression, the court held.

    Thursday’s verdict comes days after another apex court bench decided to examine the interpretation of sedition law, particularly in the light of media rights and free speech.

    Justice Lalit’s bench rejected Dua’s plea to restrain state police from registering sedition cases against any media personnel with 10 years’ experience unless cleared by a committee comprising the Chief Justice of the state high court or a judge designated by him, the leader of the opposition and the home minister of the state.

    To allow such a plea would be directly encroaching the domain of the legislature, the court said.               Source: The Print

  • Digital tax row: US suspends additional tariffs on India

    NEW DELHI( TIP): The US has backtracked from imposing penalties on six countries, including India, for introducing the digital services tax (DST) which it felt targeted its social media giants.

    The US has decided to opt for negotiations for the next six months with these countries to work out a satisfactory solution. Making the announcement, US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai said the plan for retaliatory tariffs on some goods from six countries would be suspended till November 29 to provide additional time to complete the ongoing multilateral negotiations on international taxation at the OECD and in the G20 process.

    “The US is focused on finding a multilateral solution to a range of key issues related to international taxation. It remains committed to reaching a consensus through the OECD and G20 processes. Today’s actions provide time for those negotiations to continue while maintaining the option of imposing tariffs if warranted in the future,’’ said Tai in a statement. The USTR holds that the DST is discriminatory and burdens US commerce. In March, Tai was unmoved by the arguments from Commerce Minister Piyush Goel. A day after their meeting, the USTR had said it would impose higher import duties on 45 categories of Indian imports equal to the $55 million that New Delhi presumably earned from imposing 2 per cent DST.                  Source: TNS

  • Dalhousie, Khajjiar: A nature lover’s heaven

    Dalhousie, Khajjiar: A nature lover’s heaven

    If you wish to mesmerize yourself with the beauty that nature hides within itself, a Dalhousie travel is something you should plan for. It is an amazing location with raw natural beauty and unprecedented greenery and forest. Furthermore, you have places like Khajjiar and Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary in the vicinity, What else would any nature explorer want?

    Khajjiar

    Most likely that you would have already seen Khajjiar. This location has been used so many times in movies that you can often recall this destination with breathtaking landscape view. There is a reason Khajjiar is called the Mini-Switzerland in India. This is a destination which will be instantly recommended to you whenever you travel to Dalhousie. Khajjiar is a 21.7 KM drive from Dalhousie.

    KALATOP WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

    Not many people know about this beautiful place near Khajjiar. Kalatop is actually a wildlife sanctuary where you go up to the forest rest house. The rest house is situated approximately 3 KM from the gate. You can stay in the rest house at quite a reasonable price. There is also a jungle walk till Khajjiar from here which is 12 KM of awe-inspiring jungle and adventure of a lifetime. The adventure seekers and true nature lovers must visit the place at least once

    SACH PASS

    In all accounts, Sach pass is again one of the great destinations near Dalhousie and Khajjiar. It is approximately 70 KM from the district headquarter of Chamba. It is under 100 KM travel from Dalhousie. Sach pass is the raw nature at its best. Snow-capped landscape with streams of water bodies and breathtaking view.

    This place, however, is for extreme adventure travelers and you would need an SUV to conquer the treacherous roads. Do not expect urban amenities near this lap of the nature destination. It is, however, worth going for what it offers. Nature at its truest form.

    Ganji Pahari

    An hour walk i.e almost 5 km away from Dalhousie, located in Bakrota Hills this has the most alluring landscapes and panoramic views you’ll ever come across. It was named as the bald hill due to absence of any kinds of plants growing here. This place looks like you’ve stepped into heaven during winters as it gets completely covered in snow. One of the best places to visit in Dalhousie make sure you don’t miss this one.

    MALL ROAD

    Yes Dalhousie too has a mall road. It is great place to spend some time and shop.

    Kailash Villages

    Mostly resting in the middle of lush mountains and dense deodar forests, the laidback and picturesque villages are some of the best places to visit in Khajjiar, to experience the country life. Rota, Ladi etc are some of the most wonderful villages offering clear views of the Mount Kailash, green slopes, and snow-capped peaks you’ll want to capture in your camera. These villages are around Khajjiar Ground and are popular for their apple orchards.

    If you’re willing to stay back to explore the villages of Khajjiar, then there are homestays where you can comfortably stay with the locals, eat authentic Himachal food, and experience the beauty of the slow life of the mountains.

    Panch Pandav Tree

    Within the thick deodar forests surrounding the Khajjiar Lake, Panch Pandav Tree is one of the uniquest places to see in Khajjiar. This tree has 6 shoots and locals believe that the same represent 5 pandavas and Draupadi. Panch Pandav tree is located near a rest house, that leads to remote Khajjiar villages. Just about a kilometer from Khajjiar towards Dalhousie, is a giant deodar tree with about 15 shoots of similar height. This one if known as ‘Mother Tree’ in the region and around.

    Khajji Nag Temple

    Dedicated to Khaji Nag or Lord of Serpents, this is one of the oldest temples of Himachal Pradesh and one of the best Khajjiar places to visit. Khaji Nag temple was built in 12th century and the wood carvings reflect Hindu-Mughal architecture style and pattern. Resting on the bank of Khajjiar Lake, this temple boasts of idols of Shiva, Hidimba, and images of Pandava and Kaurava. The age-old practice of goat sacrifice is still practiced here in the temple.

    Nine Hole Golf Course

    Looking for places to visit in Khajjiar that offer a touch of aristocracy and luxury? Well, we solved that issue for you with this suggestion of ours! Nine Hole Golf Course is one of the high class, fancy places in Khajjiar and indulging in sports here is definitely one of the best ways to enjoy Khajjiar’s scenic views and beauty.

    Dhauladar Range

    If you wish to know about places to visit in Khajjiar for trekking then this it! The Dhauladar Range in Khajjiar is the perfect location to indulge in it and to give you a sudden adrenaline rush. The snow caapped peaks serving as the perfect backdrop and teh mesmerising views are worth dying for! Brace yourselves to witness the mountains in all their glory and haave the time of your life!

    Dainkund Peak

    Dainkund Peak is among the most beautiful and scenic places to visit near Khajjiar. It’s the highest peak in Dalhousie, which means other high snow-capped peaks are clearly visible on a sunny day. It turns into a white heaven in winter and the lush green meadows welcome tourists during summer. Anyone looking for some great places to visit in Dalhousie in December must not skip this.

    Satdhara Falls

    Amongst all the Dalhousie Tourist places, this is one of the most famous ones. Situated at a height of 2036 metres above sea level the name of the place is defined by the seven beautiful springs. These springs are known to have therapeutic and high medicinal properties for several ailments. So, if you wanna relax and rejuvenate make sure you include this in your itinerary.

  • Manoj Bajpayee opts out of Indian remake of Hrithik Roshan starrer ‘The Night Manager’

    Manoj Bajpayee opts out of Indian remake of Hrithik Roshan starrer ‘The Night Manager’

    Actor Manoj Bajpayee has opted out to play the villain in the Hrithik Roshan-led Indian remake of the British limited series, The Night Manager. He was about to play Richard Roper, played by Hugh Laurie in original – an arms dealer who disguises himself to be a business tycoon.

    According to a daily, Manoj Bajpayee was in advanced talks with the makers for the series but due to the second wave of the pandemic, two of his productions got delayed. As a result, he realised that he won’t be able to match his dates with the rest of the starcast, and decided to bow out of the venture. The actor is currently shooting for a film in Uttarakhand and will pay attention to his pending projects after the shoot of the film.

    While Hrithik Roshan has been roped in for playing Jonathan Pine in the show, the makers are in search of a new replacement for Manoj Bajpayee’s character.

    The Night Manager is a British television serial directed by Susanne Bier and starring Tom Hiddleston, Hugh Laurie, Olivia Colman, David Harewood, Tom Hollander, and Elizabeth Debicki in pivotal roles. The series originally premiered on BBC One on February 21, 2016.

  • Kate Winslet didn’t let Mare of Easttown team edit her ‘bulgy belly’

    Kate Winslet didn’t let Mare of Easttown team edit her ‘bulgy belly’

    Our bodies aren’t perfect; they change as we age and might not be flattering at every stage. It’s a reality which the entertainment industry seldom addresses. They have the tools to edit those imperfections after all. One such offer was made to Kate Winslet by her Mare of Easttown director, Craig Zobel. However, the actress refused to let the team edit out her ‘bulgy belly’ from the sex scene in the new series.

    In Mare of Easttown, Kate Winslet plays a detective investigating a murder in a small town near Philadelphia. She is also a grandmother in the HBO Max series. In a recent interview, she revealed that a sex scene showed “bulgy bit of belly”, which the director offered to remove. But her response to it was, “Don’t you dare.”

    Kate also said that she sent back the poster of the crime drama twice as she felt it had been altered too much. The Oscar-winning actress told the New York Times, “I’m like ‘Guys, I know how many lines I have by the side of my eye, please put them all back.’ I said to my husband, ‘Am I OK with that? Is it all right that I’m playing a middle-aged woman who is a grandmother who does really make a habit of having one-night stands?’ He’s like ‘Kate, it’s great.’”

    The actress further added, “Listen, I hope that in playing Mare as a middle-aged woman – I will be 46 – in October I guess that’s why people have connected with this character in the way that they have done because there are clearly no filters. She’s a fully functioning, flawed woman with a body and a face that moves in a way that is synonymous with her age and her life and where she comes from. I think we’re starved of that a bit.”

  • Jodie Foster to receive honorary Palme d’or at Cannes Film Festival 2021

    Jodie Foster to receive honorary Palme d’or at Cannes Film Festival 2021

    Veteran Hollywood actor and filmmaker Jodie Foster will receive the honorary Palme d’or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, the organisers announced Wednesday, June 2. Jodie will be a special guest of the opening ceremony on July 6 to collect her award, which recognises artistic career achievement and a commitment to major issues.

    The 58-year-old actor said Cannes holds a special place in her career spanning over five decades. She first attended the film gala in 1976 as a teenager with Taxi Driver, which ultimately left with the Palme d’or, the highest prize awarded at the festival.

    “Cannes is a festival to which I owe so much, it has completely changed my life. My first time on the Croisette was a defining moment for me. Showcasing one of my films here has always been a dream of mine,” said Jodie in a statement.

    A child prodigy, the actor is best known for her Academy Award winning turns in The Accused and The Silence of the Lambs, along with other notable titles like Sommersby, Panic Room and Flightplan.

  • Matthew Perry Calls Off Engagement With Fiancee Molly Hurwitz

    Matthew Perry Calls Off Engagement With Fiancee Molly Hurwitz

    Just a week after the F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion, Matthew Perry began trending. The actor and his fiancée Molly Hurwitz have called off their engagement, People reports. “Sometimes things just don’t work out and this is one of them,” People quoted the 51-year-old actor as saying. Matthew Perry wished Molly Hurwitz, 29, the best in life and added, “I wish Molly the best.” The couple began dating in 2018 and got engaged in November 2020. In an interview with the same news portal, confirming his engagement to Molly, Matthew Perry had said, “Luckily, I happened to be dating the greatest woman on the face of the planet at this time.”

    Matthew Perry was previously in a long term relationship with actress with actress Lizzy Caplan – they parted ways in 2012. Matthew Perry frequently shared pictures of Molly on his Instagram profile when they were together.

     

  • PM Modi speaks to Milkha Singh, wishes him speedy recovery

    New Delhi (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke to former Indian sprinter Milkha Singh and inquired about his health, reported ANI.

    Modi wished the legendary athlete a speedy recovery and hoped he will be back soon to bless and inspire the athletes who are participating in the Tokyo Olympics.

    Singh who is Covid-19 positive was admitted to the ICU in Covid Hospital of the PGIMER here on Thursday due to dipping levels of oxygen.

    He has been kept under observation and is stable now. He was discharged from a private hospital earlier this week. Milkha Singh was on Sunday discharged from a private hospital where he was getting treatment for Covid-19 infection even as he continues to be on oxygen support. The 91-year-old was discharged in stable condition on the request of his family.

     

  • Govt books 300 million doses of new Indian jab

    Govt books 300 million doses of new Indian jab

    New Delhi (TIP): India made its first advance commitments for a coronavirus vaccine under development, announcing a Rs 1,500 crore deal with Hyderabad’s Biological E to stockpile 300 million doses of its candidate that has shown promising signs but is currently in the last stage of clinical trials.

    The commitment, announced by the Union health ministry on Thursday, June 3, represents the first time the government has placed an advance purchase order, which typically helps secure large volumes of doses, and has been a strategy used by countries that managed to procure doses early. “The arrangement with Biological-E is part of the wider endeavour of Government of India to encourage indigenous vaccine manufacturers by providing them support in research & development and also financial support,” the ministry said in a statement.

    The move comes a day after the Supreme Court pulled up the government for its vaccination policy and gave it two weeks to submit all files and notings that “reflect its thinking and the culmination” of its vaccination policy, which judges said appeared to be “arbitrary and irrational”.

    The criticism around the Covid-19 vaccination drive stems from an acute shortage of doses in the country, where under 19% of the 940 million eligible people have received at least one dose.

    The order that the government disclosed on Thursday will help India get guaranteed access to large doses of the vaccines made by Biological E once the dose is approved. The amount committed will go towards development as well as stockpiling of the doses in advance, which will help push large quantities as soon as clearances are secured. The vaccine is likely to be marketed as Corbevax, according to names previously disclosed by the company.

    The 300 million doses appeared to be the cumulative capacity that Biological E told the Centre it will be able to produce for the rest of 2021. Niti Aayog’s VK Paul on May 13 said the company’s 300 million doses was among the 2.16 billion doses of various vaccines that the government was expecting to be available between August and December. It was not immediately clear when the 300 million doses will begin to become available since Phase III trials were only approved in late April, and the developers – Biological E and its partner, Texas-based Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) – are yet to release data from the Phase 1/2 studies.

    Dr Peter Hotez, the dean of BCM’s National School of Tropical Medicine and one of the scientists involved in the development, said in an interview to an Indian TV channel last month that clinical trials have shown there will be cross-protection against a number of variants of concern. The vaccine is made using a tried-and-tested platform that is also used in the development of the Hepatitis B vaccine, which Biological E has past experience of making.

    In an interview to HT in January, BCM’s Maria Elena Bottazzi said that the vaccine could particularly help inoculate children. “A hepatitis vaccine platform will also help be reassuring for paediatrics use since mRNA and viral vectors have never been used in children,” she said.          Source: HT

  • Govt sets up expert panel to fix national minimum wage

    New Delhi (TIP): The government has constituted an expert group led by Prof Ajit Mishra, that will give recommendations on fixation of minimum wages and national floor minimum wage. “The Ministry of Labour & Employment issued an order and has constituted the Expert Group to provide technical inputs and recommendations on fixation of Minimum Wages and National Floor Minimum Wages,” a labour ministry statement said.

    Minimum wage is different for different categories of workers.

    National floor refers to the minimum level of wage that is applicable to all categories of workers across the country.

    The group has been constituted for a period of three years from the date of notification.

    To arrive at the wage rates, the group will look into the international best practices on the wages and evolve a scientific criteria and methodology for fixation of wages.

    The expert group is chaired by Prof Ajit Mishra, Director, Institute of Economic Growth.

    The members of the expert group include Prof Tarika Chakraborty, IIM Calcutta, Anushree Sinha, Senior Fellow, National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), Vibha Bhalla, Joint Secretary, H Srinivas, Director General, V V Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI).

    DPS Negi, Senior Labour & Employment Advisor, Ministry of Labour & Employment is the Member Secretary.    Source: PTI

  • Kamala Harris calls PM Narendra Modi on US vaccines for India

    New Delhi (TIP): Days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met key officials in the Biden administration in Washington DC, the US announced Thursday, June 3,  that it will distribute Covid-19 vaccines to India as part of its “strategy for global vaccine sharing”.

    President Joe Biden made the announcement and Vice President Kamala Harris called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Washington’s plans to make vaccines available to other countries, including India.

    Initial estimates suggest India will get about 2-3 million doses in the first tranche of doses via COVAX and directly from the US. This is a day’s dose for India – on Thursday, the country administered 2.62 million doses, according to a provisional official report. These included 24,04,166 first dose beneficiaries and 220,805 second dose beneficiaries.

    A US statement said that the administration will begin sharing the “first 25 million doses of COVID vaccines” with countries as part of the framework for sharing at least 80 million vaccines globally by the end of June.

    Biden said: “At least 75 per cent of these doses — nearly 19 million — will be shared through COVAX, including approximately 6 million doses for Latin America and the Caribbean, approximately 7 million for South and Southeast Asia, and approximately 5 million for Africa, working in coordination with the African Union and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.”

    “The remaining doses, just over 6 million, will be shared directly with countries experiencing surges, those in crisis, and other partners and neighbours, including Canada, Mexico, India, and the Republic of Korea,” he said.

    Biden said: “We are sharing these doses not to secure favours or extract concessions. We are sharing these vaccines to save lives and to lead the world in bringing an end to the pandemic, with the power of our example and with our values.”                 Source: Indian Express

  • India’s daily Covid cases, deaths fall to 132,364 and 2713; tally tops 28.5 mn

    India’s daily Covid cases, deaths fall to 132,364 and 2713; tally tops 28.5 mn

    New Delhi (TIP): India recorded 132,364 cases of the coronavirus disease in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide infection tally to 28,574,350, according to the data from the Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW), updated at 8am on Friday, June 4. Also, in the same period, 2713 people succumbed to Covid-19, taking the related death toll to 340,702, the data showed. This is for the first time after two days that India saw a marginal fall in its daily new cases of the viral disease. Since logging 127,510 fresh infections in the 24-hour period leading to June 1 — the lowest single-day rise in more than two months — the country reported 132,788 and 134,154 cases, respectively, in the next two days.

    The number of tests conducted on June 3 stood at 2,075,428, the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) tweeted on Friday morning. While this is a decline from 2,159,873 tests on June, total 357,433,846 tests have been conducted till now, ICMR’s figures showed.

    The decline in daily cases has coincided with containing measures taken by governments at the state and the Union Territory (UT) level. While this decline has prompted several state governments, like Delhi and Maharashtra, to announce measures to “unlock” or exit from lockdown or lockdown-like curbs, others have announced an extension in restrictions to further break the chain of transmission of the virus.

    However, as daily cases are still well above the 100,000-mark, the central government, on June 1, announced the cancellation of class 12th board exams of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Within hours, the Council of Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (CISCE) announced the cancellation of its class 12th exams as well. Class 10th exams were scrapped in April when the second wave was at its peak.

    SII applies to manufacture Covid vaccine Sputnik V

    The Serum Institute of India (SII) has applied to the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) seeking permission to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in the country, sources said on Thursday.

    The Pune-based firm has also sought approval for test analysis and examination. Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine is currently being manufactured in India by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

    “The Serum Institute of India (SII) put up an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) on Wednesday seeking permission to manufacture the COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, in India,” a source said.