Eliud Kipchoge joins ‘Sunfeast India Run As One’ movement

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Eliud Kipchoge joins ‘Sunfeast India Run As One’ movement

Olympic Marathon Champion Eliud Kipchoge, who inspired the world and created history when he broke the two-hour marathon barrier in Vienna last year, will join Procam International’s largest citizen-led movement dedicated to supporting livelihoods – ‘Sunfeast India Run As One’ as the ambassador.

The 30-day movement will kick-start on Saturday while registrations continue till September 11.

35-year-old Kipchoge feels the movement will not only support the marginalized who have been devastated by the economic consequences following the COVID-19 pandemic, but also drive people to lead an active and healthy lifestyle which is the need of the hour.

“India is very close to my heart and I have had the opportunity to witness the warmth and hospitality of this beautiful nation. The idea of helping people through running or walking or jogging is a thoughtful way of engaging people for a good cause. And this is the reason I have joined Sunfeast India Run As One as its ambassador,” said Kipchoge.

“Sunfeast India Run As One is a simple and effective platform for the global community to come together. It is important now more than ever to lead an active lifestyle for a healthy body and mind. I would like to urge you all to take that first step, get moving, and join the movement to make a difference” he added.

Ali Harris Shere, Chief Operating Officer – Biscuits and Cakes Category, Foods Business Division, ITC Limited said, “Kipchoge represents grit, determination and has broken barriers inspiring many. His participation will further encourage people to come forward together and positively impact the lives of many through simple daily activities like walking, running, and jogging.”

Anil Singh, Managing Director, Procam International, stated, “Eliud has broken every sporting barrier, however, it is not just his sporting accolades that define him. He is a humble, simple human being, a global icon, and an inspiration par excellence.”

This new test to diagnose Covid-19 in just 20 minutes

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This new test to diagnose Covid-19 in just 20 minutes

In an ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus, the researchers have developed a new test that can diagnose Covid-19 in just 20 minutes.

The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology, show the rapid molecular test called N1-STOP-LAMP, is 100 per cent accurate in diagnosing samples containing SARS-CoV-2 at high loads.

“STOP-LAMP is what’s referred to as a ‘near care’ test, it is not intended to replace the current gold standard PCR testing,” said study lead author Tim Stinear, Professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia.

“It’s a robust diagnostic test for the specific and rapid detection of Covid-19. But it’s important to note however, it trades some detection sensitivity for speed and ease-of-use,” he added.

According to the researchers, the test is highly accurate and easy to use, making it a prime candidate for use in settings with limited testing capabilities.

The method involves using a small portable machine, which can reliably detect SARS-CoV-2 from just one nasal swab.

In the race to control the Covid-19 pandemic, access to rapid, precision diagnostics is key, the research team said.

“We have developed an alternative Covid-19 molecular test that can be readily deployed in settings where access to standard laboratory testing is limited or where ultra-rapid result turnaround times are needed,” said Stiner.

The study revealed that this new test uses only one tube and involves only a single step, making it more efficient and lower cost than many of the current tests for SARS-CoV-2.

The N1-STOP-LAMP method was found to be 100 per cent accurate and correctly identified 87 per cent of tests as positive when used to assess 157 confirmed-positive samples.

The results were fast, with an average time-to-positive of 14 minutes for 93 of those clinical samples.

“We see this kind of technology having a benefit in settings liked aged care facilities or overseas laboratories with limited resources and equipment,” Professor Stinear said.

“The test requires a small shoebox-sized machine, as well as reagents, but everything is portable,” he noted.

Wildfire near LA threatens 5,000 structures

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Wildfire near LA threatens 5,000 structures

An aggressive wildfire near Los Angeles that has already burnt 10,500 acres with zero percent containment, was threatening more than 5,000 structures, authorities said.

As of Thursday, the fire has already three structures, reports Xinhua news agency.

The blaze, dubbed the Lake Fire, was first reported on Wednesday afternoon in the Angeles National Forest located north of Los Angeles downtown and spread to over 10,000 acres within three hours.

Several structures are threatened by the fire which is growing “with a very rapid rate of speed” and mandatory evacuations are in place, according to the InciWeb, an interstate incident information system.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said on Thursday morning that more than 1,000 firefighters from the Angeles National Forest and other agencies are working together to battle this fire.

Fire officials were quoted by the local CBS news channel as saying that the blaze is unusual since it developed early in the fire season and spread as rapidly as it did without strong winds.

It’s also a history-making event as some of the areas caught fire for the first time since 1968.

“It’s pretty explosive fire behavior,” said Angeles National Forest Fire Chief Robert Garcia.

Naval Tata Hockey Academy Odisha celebrates its 1st anniversary

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Naval Tata Hockey Academy Odisha celebrates its 1st anniversary

Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA) Odisha, based out of Kalinga Hockey Complex, Kalinga Stadium, has completed one year of its journey of grooming hockey talent of the state and shaping the future of the sport in the country.

The academy, established by the states government’s department of sports & youth services, in partnership with HAF (Hockey Ace Foundation) and under the aegis of Tata Trusts and Tata Steel, was launched on August 13, 2019, by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with a vision to groom the upcoming sporting talent in hockey and produce world-class sportspersons.

NTHA Odisha has ventured into planned grassroots programs in Sundargarh & Sambalpur districts and has opened 10 Grassroot centers with the deployment of 16 grassroots coaches to cater to the age group of 7-14 years. These centers have already registered 2000 girls and boys with a focus on gender diversity.

On the occasion, Tusharkanti Behera, Minister of Sports & IT, Odisha government, said: “I congratulate each and everyone at Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Odisha on its first anniversary. This high-performance Centre for hockey was set up with the aim to promote the sport and nurture athletes for the elite level, and it gives me immense pleasure that in a short span the center has grown and continues to evolve.”

UP MLA booked in property grab case held in MP

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UP MLA booked in property grab case held in MP

Lucknow, Aug 14 (Uttar Pradesh) Vijay Mishra, the MLA from Gyanpur in Bhadohi district who was booked on charges of grabbing property and intimidation, was arrested on Friday from Agar in Madhya Pradesh on Friday, an official said.

Bhadohi Superintendent of Police Ram Badan Singh told reporters that Mishra was arrested on a tip-off provided by Bhadohi police to their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh.

The SP said that a police team had been sent to Madhya Pradesh to bring the MLA to Bhadohi on a transit remand.

On August 9, police had said that Vijay Mishra, elected to the Assembly in 2017 on the Nishad Party ticket, his wife Ramlali Mishra, and their son Vishnu Mishra were booked on his relative’s complaint.

It was the second FIR against Mishra within a month. On July 18, he was booked under the Goonda Act for “threatening” a man who bagged a contract for toll collection at the Lalanagar toll plaza on National Highway-2 in Aurai area.

“An FIR naming Mishra, his MLC wife and son was registered by the Gopiganj police under Sections 325, 506, 347, 387 and 449 of the IPC on the complaint of the MLA’s relative Krishna Mohan Tiwari on Friday. On the request of the complainant, who cited threat to his life, we have provided police security to him,” the SP had said.

As many as 71 criminal cases are allegedly lodged against Mishra in various districts of the state. Ten of the cases are being heard in a special MP/MLA court, police sources said.

The MLA’s son Vishnu, however, had told the media that the relative who had complained against them had borrowed Rs 32 crore from his MLA father.

“He had given us cheques for Rs 27 crore, which bounced. In order not to return our money, he lodged a complaint against us,” he alleged.

Trump plans to accept Republican presidential nomination at WH

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Trump plans to accept Republican presidential nomination at WH

US President Donald Trump said that he plans to deliver his convention speech while formally accepting the Republican presidential nomination from the White House lawn, according to media reports.

“I’ll probably be giving my speech at the White House because it is a great place. It’s a place that makes me feel good. It makes the country feel good,” Xinhua news agency quoted Trump as saying to the New York Post in an exclusive interview on Thursday.

Earlier this week, he had floated the idea of giving the speech at either the White House or Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, an American Civil War battlefield.

Trump told the New York Post that he would visit Gettysburg at a later date.

“We’d do it possibly outside on one of the lawns. We have various lawns, so we could have it outside,” he said, citing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as a reason.

Trump’s intent to give the speech at the White House triggered criticism from the Democrats, who said it would be both illegal and unethical for the President to do so.

A federal law known as the Hatch Act generally forbids the use of government property and employees for political activities with some exceptions

“Whether it’s legally wrong or ethically out of the question, it shouldn’t even have been something that was expressed,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

“For the President of the US to degrade once again the White House, as he has done over and over again by saying he’s going to completely politicize it, is something that should be rejected right out of hand,” she added.

The pandemic, which has infected over 5 million people and killed more than 160,000 in the US, has forced the Republican Party to scale back its national convention, scheduled for August 24-27, by moving most of the activities to be held online, while only some in-person business meetings will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Trump scrapped the part of the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, due to skyrocketing COVID-19 caseloads in the state.

He originally planned to give the acceptance speech there on the last day of the convention.

The President still insisted on having a big crowd of supporters at his speech, telling the New York Post that “it’s very big, a very big lawn. We could have a big group of people”.

NZ reports 12 new Covid-19 cases amid 2nd wave

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NZ reports 12 new Covid-19 cases amid 2nd wave

New Zealand reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Friday, all linked to an Auckland family cluster, amid the second and stronger wave of the pandemic in the country.

There was also one suspected Covid-19 case reported in Waikato, which is still under observation in a hospital, Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said in a daily briefing.

New Zealand has reported a total of 48 active COVID-19 cases, with 30 linked to the Auckland cluster, which has brought overall caseload in the country to 1,251, Bloomfield said.

Bloomfield said 38 people linked to the cluster were already in the Auckland quarantine facility, adding that the number is expected to grow.

“We’ve seen no evidence of a Covid-19 positive test outside of Auckland which is unrelated to the cluster we’re dealing with,” said Health Minister Chris Hipkins.

Testing had ramped up at the borders and all frontline workers will be tested by the end of Friday, Hipkins said.

Auckland resumed Alert Level 3 on Wednesday for three days, with the rest of the country going to Level 2, after 102 days without community transmission in the country.

New Zealand went to a month-long national Alert Level 4 lockdown in late March and declared an early success of the coronavirus battle in June.

The government will make decisions and inform people of any further alert level changes at 5.30 p.m. in advance of the lockdown ending on Friday midnight.

Nearly 300 test Covid-19 positive at England food factory

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Nearly 300 test Covid-19 positive at England food factory

Nearly 300 staff at a convenience food factory in England’s Northampton have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, health officials said.

The officials are dealing with the outbreak at the Greencore food company which has seen 299 confirmed cases of Covid-19, Xinhua news agency quoted Lucy Wightman, director of public health at Northamptonshire County Council, as saying on Thursday.

A spokesman for the company, which employs 2,100 people, said those who tested positive were self-isolating.

The confirmed test results may force the town in England’s Midlands region into local lockdown.

Wightman said 79 workers tested positive through National Health Service (NHS) tests while 220 positive results came back from Greencore’s private testing.

“Northampton Borough has been experiencing a high number of cases over the last four weeks and residents and employees have been asked to ‘act now’ to follow additional measures, to avoid a local lockdown or further government intervention,” Wightman said.

Greencore said in a statement that the company took the decision to proactively test workers as a result of a rise in cases in the Northampton area.

“All of Greencore’s sites have wide-ranging social-distancing measures, stringent hygiene procedures, and regular temperature checking in place, and we are doing everything that we can to keep our people safe,” it said.

“Public Health England Midlands has been providing support to colleagues at Greencore in managing the outbreak. This has been supplemented by support from the local infection prevention and control team and Northampton Borough Council’s environmental health colleagues,” said a joint statement by Northampton Borough Council and Public Health Northamptonshire.

Over the past seven days, there were 70 new confirmed cases in Northampton alone and the infection rate is well above the county rate with 580 cases per 100,000 population.

Greencore has a number of factories across Britain and makes food for supermarkets, including Marks & Spencer, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s, according to media reports.

Twitter launches special emoji for Independence Day

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Twitter launches special emoji for Independence Day

As India gears up to celebrate its 74th Independence Day, the microblogging website Twitter on Friday has unveiled a specially designed emoji to honor the Indian Armed Forces, which is a vibrant depiction of the National War Memorial.

The design of the emoji represents the innermost structure of the Memorial, called the ‘Amar Chakra’ or the ‘Circle of Immortality’.

The emoji will be live until 18th August and will be available in English and several Indic languages, such as Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Kannada, Punjabi, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Telugu, Gujarati, and Oriya.

“We hope this emoji will not only add to the Independence Day celebrations but will also encourage Indians across the world to learn more about and pay respects to the lives of India’s brave soldiers,” Mahima Kaul, Director, Public Policy, India and South Asia, Twitter said in a statement.

Twitter India is also supporting the Ministry of Defence’s special initiative #SaluteTheSoldier that pays respects to the lives of Indian soldiers. The Ministry on its part has launched a dedicated Twitter account for the National War Memorial (@salute2soldier).

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be launching the emoji on the eve of Independence Day.

Indians across the globe will be able to participate in Independence Day conversations and celebrate with the emoji using the hashtags like #IndiaIndependenceDay, #NationalWarMemorial, #SaluteTheSoldier, and many more.

This is the sixth edition of the Independence Day emoji by Twitter India, having featured creative symbols for the Ashoka Chakra, Red Fort, the Indian National Flag during the previous years.

Twitter continues to observe Indian culture with celebratory initiatives and activations for Independence Day, Diwali, Republic Day, among other key Indian milestones, events, and festivals.

On this day: Tendulkar scores 1st international hundred in 1990

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On this day: Tendulkar scores 1st international hundred in 1990

He went to score 99 more, a record still unmatched and standing tall like the Himalayas. But ask Sachin Tendulkar and his first international century will always be the one he will remember very fondly.

On August 14 in 1990, an unbeaten 119 against England at the Old Trafford in Manchester marked the beginning of the Tendulkar era. His knock in the second innings emerged as the biggest talking point from the Test.

Chasing 408 for victory, India was down in the dumps at 183/6 when Tendulkar showed superb composure as a teenager and exhibited his repertoire of exquisite drives on the off-side against English pacers.

Sharing a 160-run partnership with Manoj Prabhakar, Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 119 and helped India draw the match. The Master Blaster was just 17 when he hit that magnificent knock – the third-youngest batsman ever to register a Test century.

The rest was indeed history as the Mumbai batting masterclass went on to become a ‘demigod’ in India and arguably the greatest batsman to have played the game since Don Bradman.

Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in 2013, scored 15,921 and 18,426 runs respectively in 200 Tests and 463 matches he played for India.

Amazon can be held liable for faulty products, rules US court

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Amazon can be held liable for faulty products, rules US court

In a major blow to Amazon, a court in California has ruled that the e-commerce giant can be held liable for defective products sold by third-party sellers on its platform.

The ruling by California Fourth District Court of Appeals on Thursday came in response to an alleged incident in which a woman received third-degree burns after a defective replacement laptop battery she bought from a third-party seller on Amazon marketplace caught fire, CNBC reported.

In her allegation, the woman, Angela Bolger, stated that she bought the product from Lenoge Technology HK Ltd., a third-party seller on Amazon’s marketplace.

“Under established principles of strict liability, Amazon should be held liable if a product sold through its website turns out to be defective,” the court said.

The ruling could have widespread implications as Amazon has long avoided taking responsibility for defective and sometimes unsafe products sold on its platform by arguing that it hardly has any role to play in sourcing and distribution of products sold by third-party sellers.

However, the latest ruling did not come in favor of the e-commerce giant.

“Whatever term we use to describe Amazon’s role, be it ‘retailer,’ ‘distributor,’ or merely ‘facilitator,’ it was pivotal in bringing the product here to the consumer,” the court said.

Amazon’s marketplace accounts for nearly 60 percent of the company’s e-commerce sales, said the CNBC report.

The e-commerce giant had earlier said it invests hundreds of millions of dollars every year to ensure the safety and authenticity of the products sold on its platform.

Italian Open tennis tournament to start from September 14

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Italian Open tennis tournament to start from September 14

The main draw of the Italian Open clay-court tennis tournament will start from September 14-21, a week earlier than scheduled in Rome.

This year’s edition of the tournament had been scheduled to start at the Foro Italico on May 11 but was called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The main draw will take place September 14 to 21, therefore with the last day on Monday, in the frame of the Foro Italico. The game will, therefore, be played one week earlier than the dates initially scheduled after the cancellation of the Madrid tournament,” the Italian tennis federation said in a statement on Thursday.

The Madrid Open is now slated to be played after the US Open from August 31 to September 13, and before the French Open, which begins on September 27.

“In the next few days it will be decided whether the men’s qualification draw will be expanded to 64 players and in this case, the matches will start on September 11,” it said.

“Otherwise it will start on Saturday at 12.”

The organizers further announced that the semifinalists of the US Open will have a bye at their debut and would not play before September 16 at the earliest.

Apple releases new iOS, iPadOS, macOS updates

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Apple releases new iOS, iPadOS, macOS updates

Apple has released iOS 13.6.1 and iPadOS 13.6.1 to fix troubling issues in the operating systems, as well as a supplemental update to macOS Catalina 10.15.6.

One can download the iOS and iPadOS updates by opening the Settings, choosing General, and then Software Update.

According to Apple’s release notes, the updates include bug fixes and address an issue where unneeded system data files might not be automatically deleted when available storage is low.

The update will also fix the thermal management issue that caused some displays to exhibit green tints along with an issue where Exposure Notifications could be disabled for some users.

Meanwhile, to download the macOS supplemental update, one has to go to System Preferences and click Software Update.

According to Apple, the update fixes a stability issue that could occur when running virtualization apps.

Additionally, the update resolves a bug that could cause an iMac to appear washed out after waking up from sleep.

Before updating, users are recommended to plugging their device into a power source for the duration of the download/installation process, so as to prevent the unlikely event of the device battery going dead during the update.

Heightened security for I-Day in riot-hit Bengaluru

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Heightened security for I-Day in riot-hit Bengaluru

Security has been stepped up and vigil enhanced across the tech city for the 74th Independence Day celebrations on Saturday amid the coronavirus pandemic and uneasy calm in the riot-hit areas, an official said on Friday.

“Additional forces have been deployed across the city and vigilance stepped up to ensure peaceful celebrations of the 74th Independence Day and prevent any untoward incident in the riot-hit northeast suburb where ban order on assembling of more than five people is in force,” a police official told IANS here.

Though the public is banned from participating in the main function at the Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw parade ground in the city center due to the COVID-induced restrictions on gathering in large numbers for social distancing, additional police personnel have been deployed at the venue to maintain law and order.

“The situation in the riot-hit areas is under control and normal across the city. Flag-hoisting by organizations or associations are allowed in localities across the city under the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing,” said the official.

Karnataka Chief Minister B. S.Yediyurappa will unfurl the Tricolour at the main function after the National Anthem and the state anthem are rendered, inspect the guard of honor and receive a salute from the contingents of the three services, state police forces, NCC and Bharat Scouts & Guides.

“The chief minister will also deliver his I-Day speech in Kannada from the podium after the flag-hoisting ceremony and inspecting the guard of honour,” an official from his office told IANS.

In view of the COVID induced restrictions, about 500 people, including people’s representatives, defense personnel, and state officials have been allowed to attend the main function.

“Unlike in the previous years, the I-Day function will be low-key due to the Covid-19 pandemic and curbs on public gathering in large numbers. No army helicopter will shower rose petals over the parade ground this time. March past and cultural programs by students of the state-run and civic schools in the city have also been canceled,” said the official.

As a special gesture, however, 75 frontline corona warriors and 25 patients who recovered from the infection have been invited to attend the function.

“The hour-long program will be telecast live by the state-run Doordarshan and local news channels for viewing by the people from their homes,” added the official.

The invitees will be subjected to thermal screening at the entrance of the venue to ensure they are free from the virus.

Wriddhiman Saha in need of ‘A negative blood’

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Wriddhiman Saha in need of ‘A negative blood’

India’s Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha is in need of a blood group sample, he has said on social media.

“Hi everyone, very late in the night…I need “A negative” blood in Kolkata…very urgent…can you all help me? Comment down. I will reach out,” Saha said in a tweet late on Thursday night.

The 35-year-old will turn out for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) set to be played in the UAE from September 19 to November 10.

Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has tested negative for COVID-19.

Dhoni will now be arriving in Chennai for a one-week training camp on Friday ahead of the 2020 IPL edition. He had undergone the mandatory test before being eligible to join the camp and his result came out negative, sources in the know of the development told IANS.

In accordance with the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) Standard Operating Procedure before arriving at the franchise’s city of choice for a training camp, they will undergo another round of testing after arriving in Chennai.

Chunky Panday: In ’80s and ’90s, heroes couldn’t dream of doing negative roles

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Chunky Panday: In ’80s and ’90s, heroes couldn’t dream of doing negative roles

Actor Chunky Panday says it was all about heroes doing the right thing on screen when he ventured into Bollywood in the eighties.

Far from his greenhorn days in Bollywood, the actor is now all set to portray a grey role in the web series “Abhay 2”, and he sees it as a great chance that actors today are exploring the dark side of characters.

“When I came into films in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was all about these heroes doing all the right things. The hero couldn’t dream of doing anything negative, but then came SRK and he attempted films like ‘Darr’ and ‘Baazigar’, and now slowly I have seen that even Akshay (Kumar) is doing it, and Aamir (Khan) is doing it. Ranveer (Singh) has done it so convincingly in ‘Padmaavat’,” Chunky told IANS.

The actor, who has been in the industry for over 30 three years, says he made his transition in 2000 because he realized he wouldn’t play the hero anymore.

“I did this transformation in 2000 when I came back from Bangladesh. I realized that I wouldn’t be playing the hero anymore — even though I never played the main hero except in a couple of films,” he said.

Chunky mostly worked in films that had several actors, and he was cast as one of the many leads. “I was always in multistarrer films and I was one of the lead actors, but when I made a conscious effort to get back into characters, I realized how enjoyable it is to play characters. There is no pressure on you. Once you get into that character, it becomes you.”

“Abhay 2”, an eight-episode series, marks the return of Kunal Kemmu as an investigative officer who has a knack for solving crimes by thinking like the offender. Directed by Ken Ghosh, the show will premiere on Zee5 on August 14.

1,977 new corona patients take Odisha’s active cases to 16,353

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1,977 new corona patients take Odisha’s active cases to 16,353

Odisha’s coronavirus cases increased to 54,630 as 1,977 new ones were reported in the last 24 hours in the state, the Health Department said on Friday.

The state’s corona death toll rose to 324 as 10 more patients succumbed to the deadly virus during the period, the department said. Odisha now has 16,353 active cases since 37,900 patients have recovered so far.

Four of the latest corona deaths were reported from Ganjam district, three from Puri district, and one each from Cuttack, Sambalpur, and Sundergarh districts.

The new cases were reported from all 30 districts of Odisha. Of the new cases, 1,241 were detected in quarantine centers while 736 were local contact cases.

Khordha registered the highest 332 cases, followed by Ganjam (280) and Mayurbhanj (120).

NASA helicopter recharges batteries on way to Mars

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NASA helicopter recharges batteries on way to Mars

The helicopter that NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover mission is carrying to the Red Planet has been powered up and its batteries have been charged in the space environment for the first time, the US space agency has said.

The “Ingenuity Mars Helicopter” received a checkout and recharge of its power system on August 7, one week into its near seven-month journey to Mars with the Perseverance rover, NASA said on Thursday.

“This charge activity shows we have survived launch and that so far we can handle the harsh environment of interplanetary space,” MiMi Aung, the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, said in a statement.

During the eight-hour operation, the performance of the rotorcraft’s six lithium-ion batteries was analyzed as the team brought their charge level up to 35 percent.

The project has determined a low charge state is optimal for battery health during the cruise to Mars.

“This was a big milestone, as it was our first opportunity to turn on Ingenuity and give its electronics a ‘test drive’ since we launched on July 30,” said Tim Canham, the operations lead for Mars Helicopter at JPL.

“Since everything went by the book, we’ll perform the same activity about every two weeks to maintain an acceptable state of charge.”

The 2-kg helicopter — a combination of specially designed components and off-the-shelf parts — is currently stowed on Perseverance’s belly and receives its charge from the rover’s power supply.

Once Ingenuity is deployed on Mars’ surface after Perseverance touches down, its batteries will be charged solely by the helicopter’s own solar panel.

If Ingenuity survives the cold Martian nights during its preflight checkout, the team will proceed with testing.

“We have a lot more firsts to go before we can attempt the first experimental flight test on another planet, but right now we are all feeling very good about the future,” Aung said.

The small craft will have a 30-Martian-day – 31-Earth-day — experimental flight-test window.

If it succeeds, Ingenuity will prove that powered, controlled flight by an aircraft can be achieved at Mars, enabling future Mars missions to potentially add an aerial dimension to their explorations with second-generation rotorcraft, NASA said.

Russia to open trade offices in Palestine soon: Envoy

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Russia to open trade offices in Palestine soon: Envoy

Russia will soon open its trade representative offices in Palestine, according to Moscow’s Ambassador.

Gocha Buachidze made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with Palestinian Economy Minister Khaled al-Osaily in the West Bank city of Ramallah, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Palestinian Economy Ministry said in a statement that the Russian trade offices will be located in three Palestinian cities of Bethlehem, Hebron, and Nablus on the West Bank.

“The trade offices will help strengthen the economic cooperation relations, increase the volume of commercial exchange between the two sides, and pave the way to making mutual Palestinian-Russian investments in Palestine,” Buachidze was quoted as saying.

The Russian envoy said his country would send medical supplies to support the Palestinian government’s efforts to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Al-Osaily and Buachidze also agreed to start preparations for holding a meeting of the Joint Governmental Palestinian-Russian Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation in the coming weeks.

SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt

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SC holds Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt

The Supreme Court on Friday held advocate Prashant Bhushan guilty of contempt of court for his tweets criticizing Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and the judiciary.

The order was passed by a bench of Justices Arun Mishra, B.R. Gavai, and Krishna Murari. The apex court is yet to decide on the quantum of punishment, and the hearing on the sentence is scheduled on August 20.

On July 22, the apex court had issued notice to Bhushan on the alleged contemptuous remarks on Twitter. The top court also asked the Attorney General to assist it on the matter. The apex court had asked Bhushan and Twitter to file a reply by August 5.

“We are, prima facie, of the view that the aforesaid statements on Twitter have brought the administration of justice in disrepute and are capable of undermining the dignity and authority of the Institution of Supreme Court in general and the office of the Chief Justice of India in particular, in the eyes of the public at large,” said the court in its order.

The Supreme Court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against Bhushan for allegedly making derogatory comments against the top court on June 27 in a tweet that alleged that the last four Chief Justices had played a role in the “destruction of democracy” during undeclared “emergency” for the last six years. Another tweet on June 29 alleged that the “present Chief Justice” road a bike in Nagpur “while keeping the apex court in lockdown and denying citizens their right to access to justice”.

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