Kitchen ammunition? As easy as five ingredients

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Kitchen ammunition? As easy as five ingredients

The Indian way of nutrition offers a combination of power-packed foods that not only improve immunity but also ensures ‘Sarvagunn Sampann’ health.

Kavita Devgan, Nutrition Expert, Tata Nutrikorner suggests one should integrate these five proven spices to your diet to help build immunity, build optimum health, and ward off common infections.

Turmeric:

Is there anything turmeric cannot do? Seems not. Turmeric is a strong flu-fighter and has anti-inflammatory properties that act as immunity enhancers and can help the body ward off viral infections. So add it to all your ‘takes’ and drink ‘Haldi Doodh’ (Turmeric milk) at night. You could even make Haldi-ghee-pepper-jaggery balls and eat one every day.

Tip:

Just make sure that you use Haldi sourced from Salem that has 3 percent curcumin and natural oils intact.

Trend:

The West is going gaga over Turmeric lattes, try it!

Kasuri Methi (Fenugreek)

This lesser-known spice doesn’t just add an amazing flavor to your dishes, but is also a wonderful source of fiber and is known to be effective in decreasing cholesterol and inflammation in the body. It keeps the digestion happy, which is essential for good immunity while keeping your blood sugar in check.

Tip:

Make sure you source it right and pick superior Kasuri methi sourced from Nagaur that has fewer stems.

Trend:

Drink Fenugreek water on an empty stomach to lose weight and target belly fat naturally.

Coriander Powder

Dhaniya powder is very good for relieving flatulence and aiding better digestion of food by facilitating better bowel movement. This is probably why it has been used extensively in our cooking since ancient times. Good gut health not only protects against cold and virus but aids in faster recovery from an infection.

Tip:

Coriander powder from the Kumbhraj region of Madhya Pradesh is very good as it contains natural oils.

Garam Masala

This blend of ground whole spices is full of antioxidants that help in boosting digestion and fighting inflammation in the body; thus keeping our immunity optimum. Plus it is full of antioxidants and also fights bloating and flatulence.

Tip:

Make sure you source garam masala that has all these spices in it: Coriander, Turmeric, Chilli, Fennel, Black Pepper, Cumin, Salt, Ginger Powder, Mustard, Green Chilli Powder, Fenugreek (leaves), Cinnamon, Coriander (Leaves), Cloves, Allspice, Asafetida, Cardamom, Mace.

Black pepper

Black pepper is both an antioxidant and an antibacterial agent, it contributes to overall wellness tremendously. It also has vitamin C, which naturally boosts immunity, and works as an excellent antibiotic.

Tip:

Stop compromising on the quality of spices that you buy, only buy pepper which comes with the backing of a brand you can trust.

Three more valuable tips for a ‘Sampann’ monsoon diet:

Instead of relying on highly processed lentils that are stripped of nutrients, opt for branded unpolished dals to score more fiber, protein, and antioxidants and definitely eat two servings of lentils every day

Do not fall for fads, instead trust in the Indian way of nutrition that has been with us for ages and suits our bodies best

Cut down on your sugar intake drastically. It has no nutrients, no protein, no healthy fats, and no enzymes, it is just empty calories that can have a disastrous effect on our immunity

Kohli throws light on international journey in 1000th Instagram post

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Kohli throws light on international journey in 1000th Instagram post

Team India skipper Virat Kohli has expressed gratitude towards his fans for their love and support as he shared his 1000th post on Instagram on Thursday.

“”2008 2020. With many learnings along the way, I’m grateful for your love and support you guys have shown me. Here’s to the #1000thPost,” Kohli said on Instagram along with an image.

In the photoshopped image, a young Kohli is seen fist-bumping with the current version of the Indian skipper.

Kohli is one of the most followed Indians on Instagram with 69.4 million followers. He remains the only cricketer in the top-10 list of the highest-earning athletes on Instagram.

The 31-year-old, who made his international debut in 2008, has so far played 86 Tests, 248 ODIs, and 82 T20Is in which he has scored 7240, 11867, and 2794 runs respectively. He has 70 international hundreds to his name (27 in Tests and 43 in ODIs). The right-handed batter is currently at the No.1 spot in ODIs, No.2 in Tests, and No. 10 in T20Is in ICC Rankings.

Kohli captained India to victory in a Test series in Australia last year and in his captaincy, India has developed one of the most potent fast bowling units in the world.

Microsoft weathers pandemic, revenue up 13% in June quarter

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Microsoft weathers pandemic, revenue up 13% in June quarter

Microsoft weathered the pandemic-hit quarter that ended on June 30, with posting $38 billion in revenue which was up 13 percent (year-on-year) and registered $11.2 billion in net income as the tech giant closed several retail stores owing to the Covid-19 fears.

Microsoft’s Azure Cloud growth, however, slowed to 47 percent from 59 percent from the previous quarter.

“The last five months have made it clear that tech intensity is the key to business resilience. Organizations that build their own digital capability will recover faster and emerge from this crisis stronger,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement late Wednesday as he announced results for the company’s fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2020.

“We are the only company with an integrated, modern technology stack – powered by cloud and AI and underpinned by security and compliance – to help every organization transform and reimagine how they meet customer needs,” he added.

Microsoft shares fell as much as 3 percent in extended trading, although quarterly revenue guidance was already lighter than expected.

“Our commercial cloud surpassed $50 billion in annual revenue for the first time this year. And this quarter our Commercial bookings were better than expected, growing 12% year-over-year,” informed Amy Hood, executive vice president and CFO of Microsoft.

The sales in Intelligent Cloud was $13.4 billion and increased 17 percent.

Server products and cloud services revenue increased 19 percent, driven by Azure revenue growth of 47 percent.

The revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $11.8 billion and increased by 6 percent.

Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 5 percent, driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 19 percent.

“Office consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 6 percent and Office 365 Consumer subscribers increased to 42.7 million,” informed Microsoft.

The revenue of LinkedIn that has announced to lay off nearly 1,000 people increased 10 percent.

“Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased 13 percent, driven by Dynamics 365 revenue growth of 38 percent.

Revenue in More Personal Computing was $12.9 billion and increased 14 percent.

Xbox content and services revenue also increased 65 percent in the June quarter while Surface laptop revenue increased 28 percent.

Microsoft returned $8.9 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2020.

Modi 100% focused on his own image: Rahul in latest video

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Modi 100% focused on his own image: Rahul in latest video

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday once again attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the India-China border face-off saying he is 100 percent focused on building his own image and “one man’s image is not a substitute for a national vision”.

“Prime Minister is 100 percent focused on building his own image. India’s captured institutions are all busy doing this task. One man’s image is not a substitute for a national vision,” he said in a tweet attaching the third video of the series.

In the video, the Congress MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said, “Psychologically you will have to deal with the Chinese from a position of strength.”

Emphasizing how India should respond to China, he said that if you deal with them from a position of “strength” you can work with them, you can get what you need and it can be actually done. “But if they sense weakness then you had it. And the first thing is you are not going to take on China without a vision,” the Congress leader said, adding that he doesn’t mean a national vision, but an international vision.

Talking about China’s ambitious ‘belt and road’ project, Rahul Gandhi said, “Belt and Road is an attempt to change the nature of the planet. India has to have a global vision and if they have now to become an idea, and it has to become a global idea the thing that is going to protect India is actually thinking big.”

On India’s border issue with China, he said, of course, we have this border issue and we have to resolve this. “But we have to change our approach, we have to change how we think, this is the point at which where the road parts, if we go this way we become a major player and if we go another way we become irrelevant. And that is why I am aggravating because I can see that a huge opportunity is being lost,” he said.

Attacking the government, the Congress leader said, “Why because we are not thinking in the long term, we are not thinking big and we are disturbing our internal balance, we are fighting among ourselves.”

Pointing out at the political scenario in the country, he said, just look at the politics, all day long Indians are fighting Indians, it is because there is “no clear cut” vision going forward. “And I know that the Prime Minister is an opponent and my responsibility is to question him and put pressure on him so he does his work. His responsibility is to give the vision and it’s not there and I can tell you it’s not there and that is why China is in there today,” he added.

Last Friday (July 17), Rahul Gandhi released his first video and questioned the government’s foreign policy. He slammed the Narendra Modi government over the face-off with China in Ladakh. He said China chose this time to intrude in our land as India’s foreign policy, economy, and relationship with neighboring countries are disrupted.

In his second video released on Monday (July 20), the Congress leader said Modi fabricated a “fake” strongman image to come to power and now his biggest strength is “India’s biggest weakness”.

Tesla to build its next Gigafactory near Texas

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Tesla to build its next Gigafactory near Texas

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that the electric car maker will build its new Gigafactory near Austin, Texas.

The new factory will produce the Cybertruck, along with the Tesla Semi, Model Y, and Model 3 for customers in the Eastern US, said Musk during the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

Tesla will invest $1.1 billion in the new factory within the first five years.

In exchange, Travis County will rebate 70 percent of the property taxes the company will pay, reports TechCrunch.

The new factory in Texas will be open to the public, and there will be a boardwalk and hiking and biking trails.

“We are going to make it a factory that is going to be stunning right on the Colorado River. So we are actually going to have to have a boardwalk over you, hiking, biking trail. It is going to basically be an ecological paradise,” Musk said.

Tesla has promised Texas officials it will employ at least 5,000 people and about 25 of those workers are categorized as “qualifying” jobs and would be paid a minimum of $74,050.

It will be the company’s fourth U.S. factory, along with its vehicle assembly plant in California, a solar facility in New York, and a battery plant in Nevada. Tesla also builds vehicles near Shanghai, China, and is building a new factory near Berlin.

Iqbal Khan on stigma related to red light area

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Iqbal Khan on stigma related to red light area

Actor Iqbal Khan says people tend to forget humanity when it comes to those living in red light areas, because of a societal stigma attached to such places.

He realized this while working on the web series “Ratri Ke Yatri”, which narrates five dramatic and thought-provoking stories set in red light areas. The show features characters that are seeking something in their lives — from love and physical pleasure to refuge and closure — when they visit a red light area.

“Each episode features a character who ends up in the red light area for a different reason. While shooting for the series, I realized that given the stigma surrounding this subject, we sometimes forget that people in red light areas are fellow human beings,” said Iqbal, who plays the role of a conman who makes a living by robbing people.

“As a society, we’re trained to look down upon them but at the end of the day, they are just as human as anybody else. This journey personally taught me that a little kindness goes a long way and eventually, the show tells the viewers not to be quick to judge others,” he added.

Directed by Anil V. Kumar, the MX Player series also features Sudhir Pande, Anju Mahendru, Barkha Sengupta, Parag Tyagi, Avinash Mukherjee, Shiny Doshi, Renee Dhyani, Mansi Srivastava, Reyhna Pandit, and Akashdeep Arora.

LAC: Chinese not retreating, India readies for long haul

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LAC: Chinese not retreating, India readies for long haul

The disengagement between India and China hit a roadblock in eastern Ladakh as Chinese troops have not moved back from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in line with the consensus arrived at during the disengagement talks between both the countries. Seeing this, the Indian Army prepares for a long haul and harsh winter for the high-altitude region.

A massive logistical exercise has started to provide adequate rations and other supplies to its soldiers as the friction areas still remain volatile.

China is not complying with the roadmap for a complete pullback, which was drawn out during the Corps Commander level meet on July 14. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops have not moved back.

The Indian security establishments said that the Chinese retreated a bit and then returned; so there is a need for “constant verification” of the consensus achieved during the meetings between the Indian and Chinese military delegates.

It has been found that the Indian and Chinese troops have pulled back at Pangong Lake by 2km and Finger 4 is empty. However, the Chinese are still camping on the ridgeline. This clearly indicates that the Chinese had camped at Finger 4 that had traditionally been under the Indian control.

The Chinese had come in eight km into the Indian territory, all the way till Finger 4 from Finger 8. India maintains that the LAC runs through Finger 8. Mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as fingers.

In Galway Valley, which is called Patrolling Point 14, the distance between Indian and Chinese troops is three km. At Patrolling Point 15, the distance between troops is around 8km.

But in Hot Springs, that is Patrolling Point 17, 40-50 troops on both sides are just 600-800 meters apart. The Chinese Army had retreated as per the consensus but again returned.

Seeing the Chinese approach, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while reviewing the Indian Air Force’s operational capabilities and deployments at forwarding locations on Wednesday urged the force to stand ready to handle any eventuality on the border with China.

Singh had said during his address at the inaugural session of the three-day Air Force Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi that started on Wednesday.

The minister, during his visit to Ladakh last week, said that India wants peace but there is no guarantee of the final outcome of talks with China. Singh also reviewed the ground situation in the hostile border areas.

India and China are engaged in military and diplomatic deliberations to de-escalate the tense situation in the border areas in Ladakh. The countries are locked in a 10-week-long stand-off at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border.

The Indian delegation’s main agenda at the meet was the complete PLA pullback from the Pangong Lake, Depsang, and other areas in eastern Ladakh.

China had changed the status quo on the LAC at various places, moving inside the Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops were killed in a violent clash in the Galway Valley.

Doctor held for rape attempt on corona patient in UP

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Doctor held for rape attempt on corona patient in UP

A government doctor at Aligarh’s Deen Dayal hospital was arrested on Wednesday on charges of molesting and attempting to rape a 25-year-old woman, who was recuperating in the isolation ward after being tested positive for coronavirus.

According to reports, Doctor Tufail Ahmad, 30, was booked and later arrested from a hotel where he had quarantined himself after completing his duty in the isolation ward.

The victim said in her complaint that Tufail visited the women’s ward on Tuesday night and allegedly touched the private parts of the patient on the pretext of examining her.

On Wednesday morning, the doctor again visited her and repeated the same act.

The case was filed against him on the basis of a complaint lodged by the girl, who works in a private company in Delhi and had come to her home in Aligarh where she developed symptoms of coronavirus.

She was admitted to the hospital on Monday with Covid-19 symptoms and the test report confirmed the positive status a day later.

After examining the CCTV footage, the police said that the doctor went to the isolation ward without wearing a PPE kit and gloves.

Circle officer of the Civil Lines police station, Anil Samaniya, said that the doctor has been booked under section 376 (2) d (takes advantage of his official position and commits rape on a woman in his custody) of IPC at the Quawarsi police station.

Additional City Magistrate, Ranjeet Singh, said that a report has been sought from the Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) of the hospital and it will be submitted to the state government for further action.

Apple giving special iPhones to spot bugs, Google ‘disappointed’

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Apple giving special iPhones to spot bugs, Google ‘disappointed’

Apple is giving away special iPhones with privileged access to security researchers to spot new vulnerabilities and report those back to the company but this will not help Google teams which are busy finding bugs in Apple devices.

Part of Apple’s new security program, the Security Research Device (SRD) is intended for use in a controlled setting for security research and is “provided on a 12-month renewable basis and remains the property of Apple”.

At the moment, security researchers looking to find vulnerabilities on an iPhone have to jailbreak the devices but that comes with several limits like older devices.

Apple said on Wednesday that the new program would make it easier for security researchers to start finding vulnerabilities with special iPhone hardware.

“They are not meant for personal use or daily carry and must remain on the premises of program participants at all times. Access to and use of SRDs must be limited to people authorized by Apple,” said the company.

The move, however, will not help Google’s Project Zero team that has found bugs in Apple devices in the past.

“It looks like we won’t be able to use the Apple ‘Security Research Device’ due to the vulnerability disclosure restrictions, which seem specifically designed to exclude Project Zero and other researchers who use a 90-day policy,” tweeted a “disappointed” Project Zero team lead Ben Hawkes.

“I think we first asked Apple for a security research test device in 2014 or early 2015. And since then we’ve reported over 350 security vulnerabilities to Apple”.

Hawkes, however, said they will continue to research Apple platforms and provide Apple with all of their findings.

Apple said that that shell access is available for security researchers and they will be able to run any tools and choose entitlements.

“If you use the SRD to find, test, validate, verify, or confirm a vulnerability, you must promptly report it to Apple and, if the bug is in third-party code, to the appropriate third party. If you didn’t use the SRD for any aspect of your work with a vulnerability, Apple strongly encourages (and rewards, through the Apple Security Bounty) that you report the vulnerability, but you are not required to do so”.

If you report a vulnerability affecting Apple products, Apple will provide you with a publication date (usually the date on which Apple releases the update to resolve the issue).

Not all security researchers are eligible and the participation in the Security Research Device Programme is subject to review, said Apple.

“Device availability is limited. Devices will not be available for all qualified applicants in the initial application period. Qualified applicants who do not receive a device during this period will automatically be considered during the next application period in 2021,” said Apple.

To be eligible, one must be a membership Account Holder in the Apple Developer Programme, have a proven track record of success in finding security issues on Apple platforms, or other modern operating systems and platforms.

Facebook, Instagram to study if algorithms promoting racial bias

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Facebook, Instagram to study if algorithms promoting racial bias

Alarmed at the growing hateful content on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram are building teams to look into and act upon racial bias in its algorithms that may be discriminatory in their approach.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the social network will study the AI and ML-driven neural networks to know whether they too promote racial bias.

“The racial justice movement is a moment of real significance for our company. Any bias in our systems and policies runs counter to providing a platform for everyone to express themselves”, Vishal Shah, Instagram’s VP of Product, said in a statement.

Instagram will create an “equity team” that will look into the algorithms and harassment policy enforcement while Facebook will also establish a similar team.

“While we’re always working to create a more equitable experience, we are setting up additional efforts to continue this progress,” Shah was quoted as saying in the report on Wednesday.

The details will be out about the teams in the coming months.

The move comes in the wake of the #StopHateforProfit campaign that has begun hurting Facebook financially as over 400 advertisers have pulled out or paused advertising on its platforms.

The civil rights groups leaders in the US were left disappointed after meeting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg this month over their concerns related to the spread of hateful content on their platforms.

Sandberg, Zuckerberg and other Facebook executives met online racial justice group Color of Change, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and others who started the #StopHateforProfit campaign in June.

Several top-notch brands like Disney, Coca Cola, Adidas, Walgreens and Starbucks have pulled their ads from the social network. Microsoft has suspended its advertising on Facebook and Instagram through August.

Facebook has reiterated that it has “more work to do” on curbing hate speech.

Sally Carman on getting engaged amid pandemic

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Sally Carman on getting engaged amid pandemic

Actress Sally Carman feels getting engaged amid the Covid-19 pandemic was a complete surprise package.

In an interview with My Weekly magazine, Sally spoke about how she got engaged to her “Coronation Street” co-star Joe Duttine, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I got engaged during the lockdown, which was a complete surprise. Joe took me and his kids for a walk. He was talking about the Coiners, who used to hide forged coins in the dry stone walls, and told us to see if we could find any. I was totally oblivious and found the engagement ring hidden in the wall. It was really beautiful,” she recalled.

In March, Sally took to her Instagram account and shared the news about her engagement among fans.

She had posted a picture of her ring with the pair drinking champagne, and captioned: “So this happened…#yes”

Facebook Messenger introduces App Lock, new privacy controls

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Facebook Messenger introduces App Lock, new privacy controls

Facebook has introduced new privacy features like App Lock in Messenger that will help users prevent others from accessing their private messages.

App Lock adds another layer of security to private messages. The optional feature gives users “confidence to know that if a friend or a family member needs to borrow your phone, they won’t be able to access your chats”.

“Privacy is at the heart of Messenger – where you can be yourself with the people who matter most to you, whether that’s through a message, video chat, call, or a Messenger Room,” said Jay Sullivan, Director of Product Management, Messenger Privacy and Safety.

App Lock, present in the new Privacy settings section, will use the device’s privacy settings like fingerprint or face authentication to unlock the Messenger app.

“Your touch or face ID is not transmitted to or stored by Facebook. The feature is available today on iPhone and iPad and will come to Android in the next few months,” Sullivan said in a statement on Wednesday.

Facebook said it is also working on new controls so Messenger users can decide who can message or call them directly, who goes to their requests folder, and who can’t message or call them at all.

This will be similar to the message controls on Instagram.

“We’re also exploring more ways to protect your privacy and safety when someone you don’t know sends you a message,” said Facebook.

The social network will test a feature similar to what exists on Instagram and WhatsApp that blurs images in the message requests folder.

This will give Messenger users the choice to view an image from someone they may not know before replying to the message or blocking or reporting the account.

There are over 1.3 billion Messenger users globally and Messenger is expected to grow to 2.4 billion users by 2021.

Inter Milan held by Fiorentina in Serie A

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Inter Milan held by Fiorentina in Serie A

Inter Milan was utterly dominant at the San Siro but was unable to break down a stubborn Fiorentina defense, and the resulting 0-0 draw meant Juventus moved a step closer to their ninth consecutive Scudetto in the ongoing Serie A.

With Romelu Lukaku back from injury, Inter coach Antonio Conte on Wednesday preferred Alexis Sanchez over Lautaro Martinez to partner the Belgian, while Christian Eriksen returned to the starting line-up, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Nerazzurri used their aggression and tempo to press high from the beginning.

Fiorentina risked an own goal just five minutes into the game before keeper Pietro Terracciano performed a double save to deny Inter.

Lukaku almost found the net in the 18th minute but saw his header smack the woodwork.

The home side was then forced to make the change as Stefan de Vrij limped off and was replaced by Andrea Ranocchia.

Antonio Candreva volleyed in from Ashley Young’s cross straight after the break, but it was correctly flagged offside.

Sanchez went closer in the 52nd minute, but his low strike was denied by the upright.

The draw dropped Inter to third place with 73 points, with second-placed Atalanta sitting six points behind Juventus who have a game in hand, meaning the Old Lady just needs one more win to secure the Serie A title with three matches remaining.

Elsewhere, Bruno Peres bagged a hat-trick as Roma surged to a 6-1 win over already-relegated SPAL.

Parma ended their seven-game winless run by defeating Napoli 2-1, with all three goals coming from the penalty spot.

In Wednesday’s other Serie A matches, Lecce condemned Brescia to Serie B next season with a 3-1 victory, Sampdoria suffered a 2-1 home defeat to Genoa, and Torino shared the spoils with Hellas Verona after a 1-1 draw.

Dashboard to help Commonwealth nations tackle coronavirus

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Dashboard to help Commonwealth nations tackle coronavirus

A COVID-19 dashboard has been launched by the Commonwealth Secretariat to help member countries make vital decisions during the ongoing crisis.

The Commonwealth COVID-19 Dashboard is now live and offering crucial data and analysis to help equip governments and health workers with the information they need to tackle the pandemic and its devastating impacts.

Powered by cutting-edge technology and algorithms, the dashboard analyses and compares the latest data on national, regional, and Pan-Commonwealth levels using information from a range of internationally respected sources such as the World Health Organisation.

To ensure that the data can be used as effectively as possible, it presents all of this information using seven-day rolling averages, doubling times, and daily percentage changes in cases and fatalities, for each of the 54 Commonwealth countries, including India.

According to the Commonwealth COVID-19 Dashboard, the total number of people across the Commonwealth who have tested positive so far stands at 2,601,364 with 98,046 deaths.

The dashboard also reveals the number of confirmed cases and deaths is rising most sharply in Commonwealth countries in the Asia region.

Commenting on the dashboard, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “This innovative tool will help health workers, governments and officials make the right decisions at the right time using the right information.

“We all must recognize that this crisis is far from over, while the virus is subsiding in some countries it is, unfortunately, increasing in others. Its impact on people’s health, livelihoods, and general wellbeing and on the economies of countries and regions around the world continues to be devastating.

“Having access to robust, reliable, and up-to-date information, presented using clear and easy to understand graphics, make the dashboard a valuable tool for those seeking to limit these impacts.”

Other dashboard features include a Trend Analysis Tool comparing current and historical data for multiple countries.

Meanwhile, a Commonwealth COVID-19 Analysis page illustrates the pandemic’s ongoing effects on key social, economic, and environmental indicators.

This includes data from a recent United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, which shows the impact of the virus on the tourism sector — a key slice of many Commonwealth economies.

Tahir Raj Bhasin decodes his Bollywood gameplan

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Tahir Raj Bhasin decodes his Bollywood gameplan

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin made his Bollywood debut six years ago, and since then has consciously tried to do diverse roles across a myriad of genres.

Tahir, who made his debut as the villain of the 2014 release, “Mardaani”, has since then tried various other shades in films like “Force 2”, “Manto” and “Chhichhore”.

In the upcoming “83”, he gives reprising a real-life icon a shot. He plays the legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in the Kabir Khan film, about India’s first-ever World Cup win in 1983.

Recalling his Bollywood journey so far, Tahir told IANS: “It has been a massive roller coaster. There has been an adrenaline rush and a lot of learning on the way, and I have been fortunate to work with incredible directors like Pradeep Sarkar, Nitesh Tiwary, Nandita Das, and Kabir Khan. They are great minds.”

The actor says he purposely chose to branch out to a variety of roles and genres.

“It has been a conscious decision on my part to explore parts and that sort of comes across in the work that has been done. ‘Mardaani’, for instance, was an all-out crime drama, ‘Force 2’ and espionage thriller, ‘Manto’ was a period biopic, and ’83’ is a sports biopic, while ‘Chhichorre’ was a college fun film. ‘Loop Lapeta’, the upcoming film is a heist romantic film,” Tahir announced.

“So, I have tried very intentionally to diversify as much as I can, to keep it interesting for myself as well as for others,” he declared.

Rajeev Khandelwal on resuming shoot: We are adjusting to the new normal

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Rajeev Khandelwal on resuming shoot: We are adjusting to the new normal

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal admits shooting in the time of pandemic is difficult, but he hopes that with time we will all be accustomed to the new normal.

Rajeev, who has started shooting for his upcoming web series “Naxalbari”, said: “We have started shooting for ‘Naxalbari’ here in Goa, and we are doing as much as we can to follow precautionary measures on the set. It is always a great feeling to be back after a hiatus, and meet and work with fellow crew members.”

He added: “The world has changed and we are very quickly adjusting to the new normal. We are among the few web series units that have started shooting, and we hope to achieve success despite the challenging and little hostile circumstances.”

“Naxalbari” is an eight-episode story of Red uprising. It is a race against time for a cop named Raghav (played by Rajeev Khandelwal), who is up against the odds, to save the day.

About his character in the show, Rajeev said: “You need to embody that character because it has such intensity. Sturdiness is a natural ask for it, and wearing a mustache is something I have done for the first time. The bigger challenge is balancing sophistication with the right intensity. It has to be effortless. All in all, it is going to be a huge task for director Partho Mitra. The most interesting part of shooting right now is the action scenes in the dense jungles, in the rain with muck and slush all around. From dawn to dusk, it is a completely new experience.”

The show also features Tina Datta, Sreejita Dey, Satyadeep Mishra, Shakti Anand, and Aamir Ali, and is slated to release on Zee5.

Another 1,000-plus new cases sends Guj Covid tally above 51K

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Another 1,000-plus new cases sends Guj Covid tally above 51K

Gujarat, for the second day running, recorded over 1,000 new Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 51,485 on Wednesday, while the death toll rose to 2,229.

Gujarat has witnessed nearly 19,000 cases in July so far, with a daily average of over 850 cases.

Of the 1,020 new cases, Surat, the new corona hotspot, accounted for a fourth, with 256 cases, while Ahmedabad had 195 and Vadodara was third with 80 cases.

Rajkot reported 55 cases, Bhavnagar 38, Gandhinagar 31, Junagadh 30, Bharuch and Dahod with 27 each, Mehsana 24, Gir-Somnath and Kutch with 21 each, Surendranagar 20, Banaskantha and Patan with 19 each, Mahisagar 18, Amreli and Navsari with 16 each, Jamnagar 15, Kheda and Narmada with 14 each, Botad nine, Morbi, Sabarkantha and Valsad with eight each, Anand, Chhota Udepur and Panchmahals with seven each, Tapi five and Aravalli with four cases.

Of the 28 new deaths reported on Wednesday, a bulk – 19 – were in Surat, three in Ahmedabad, two in Junagadh, and one in each Vadodara, Mahesana, Botad and Dahod.

Of the total 2,229 deaths, Ahmedabad accounts for 1,566, while 313 have died in Surat, 62 in Vadodara, 37 in Gandhinagar, 24 in Aravalli, 21 in Patan, 18 in Bhavnagar, 17 in Rajkot, 16 each in Panchmahals and Banaskantha, 15 in Mehsana, 14 in Kheda, 13 in Anand and 11 in Bharuch.

Gujarat’s mortality rate has come down a bit to 4.32 percent but is still one of the highest in the country.

The health authorities have so far conducted 5,76,706 RT-PCR tests, while a total of 837 patients were discharged on Wednesday, taking the total to 37,240.

The state has 12,016 active cases, out of which 78 critical patients are still on a ventilator.

There are 3,33,496 people quarantined in the state – 3,31,569 at home and 1,927 in government facilities.

US stocks rise in volatile trading

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US stocks rise in volatile trading

US stocks ended the volatile session higher as investors digested a slew of latest earnings reports.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 165.44 points, or 0.62 percent, to 27,005.84. The S&P 500 rose 18.72 points, or 0.57 percent, to 3,276.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 25.76 points, or 0.24 percent, to 10,706.13, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nine of the 11 primary S&P 500 sectors closed higher with utilities up 1.53 percent, leading the gainers. Energy slid 1.34 percent, the worst-performing group.

US-listed Chinese companies traded roughly lower, with all the top 10 stocks by weight in the S&P US Listed China 50 index ending the day on a downbeat note.

On the earnings side, United Airlines shares dipped more than 4 percent after the company reported a net loss of US $1.6 billion in the second quarter and an 87 percent year-over-year revenue slump due to the coronavirus impact.

Shares of Microsoft finished up 1.44 percent. The US tech giant reported quarterly results after Wednesday’s close, with earnings of US $1.46 per share and a 13 percent increase in revenue to the US $38 billion.

The market gains were somewhat capped as investors remain cautious amid the surging coronavirus cases in the United States.

“It is too early to declare that the new bull market has arrived, as the United States and the world are by no means out-of-the-woods on the pandemic or the economic downturn,” Mitch Zacks, CEO at Zacks Investment Management, said in a note on Wednesday.

Researchers develop new tools to rapidly test Covid-19 antibodies

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Researchers develop new tools to rapidly test Covid-19 antibodies

Researchers have developed new tools to rapidly test the ability of antibodies to neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic.

The approach, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), will help researchers understand whether patients are susceptible to reinfection by Covid-19 and assess the effectiveness of experimental vaccines, as well as develop antibody-based therapies against the disease.

People infected with Covid-19 produce neutralizing antibodies that prevent the virus from infecting cells by binding to the spike protein on the virus’s surface.

Early studies have suggested that the strength of this antibody response varies greatly between patients, and it remains unknown how long any such neutralizing antibodies persist in the blood to provide protection against reinfection.

“Whether elicited by natural infection or vaccination or administered as a convalescent plasma or in recombinant form, neutralizing antibodies will likely be crucial for curtailing the global burden of Covid-19 disease,” said study researcher Paul D Bieniasz from the Rockefeller University in the US.

“For this reason, the availability of rapid, convenient, and accurate assays that measure neutralizing antibody activity is crucial for evaluating naturally acquired or artificially induced immunity against Covid-19,” Bieniasz added.

According to the study, the research team developed a number of safer, surrogate viruses that can be used in place of Covid-19 to test the neutralizing activity of antibodies targeting the coronavirus spike protein.

The surrogate viruses are versions of either the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) or vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) that produce the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein instead of their own surface proteins.

Some of these surrogate viruses are unable to replicate, making them even safer to use in the laboratory.

Moreover, the viruses are engineered to generate fluorescent or luminescent infected cells, making it easy for researchers to track infection and measure how well this process is blocked by potential neutralizing antibodies.

The researchers tested the ability of convalescent patient plasma samples and purified antibodies to block the entry of the surrogate viruses into human cells grown in the laboratory.

“Each of the surrogate virus-based assays generated quantitative measurements of neutralizing activity that correlated well with neutralization measured using authentic SARS-CoV-2,” said study author Theodora Hatziioannou.

“We think that these surrogate viruses and assays will be of significant use in curtailing the Covid-19 pandemic,” the researchers concluded.

Odisha CM seeks SII’s help for early Covid vaccination

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Odisha CM seeks SII’s help for early Covid vaccination

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday spoke to Adar Poonawalla, the chief executive officer of Serum Institute of India (SII), and sought his cooperation to keep Odisha as a priority for early Covid-19 vaccination.

Through video-conferencing, both discussed on the progress of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The Chief Minister expressed happiness that the Serum Institute has partnered with Oxford University to develop the Covid-19 vaccine.

He also congratulated the recent promising results published in Lancet on the corona vaccine.

The Chief Minister sought his cooperation to keep Odisha as a priority for vaccination once necessary clearances are obtained.

He said that the state government will be in touch with Serum Institute for this purpose.

The Chief Minister also applauded the philanthropic activities carried out by Poonawalla and the foresight in tying up with various research institutions across the globe to develop a vaccine for Covid-19.

Poonawalla appreciated the Chief Minister for getting in touch with Serum Institute for knowing about the progress of the vaccine and the results published in Lancet.

He said that the Oxford University vaccine has shown promising results in the first phase trial.

In India, the next phase trial will start in mid-August and the vaccine will be ready by October-November this year, he added.

He further said Serum Institute and state government can be in touch with each other and carry forward the collaboration once the vaccines are cleared and ready.

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