Kriti Sanon gets ‘quarantine’ haircut from sister Nupur

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Kriti Sanon gets ‘quarantine’ haircut from sister Nupur

Actress Kriti Sanon got a “quarantine cut” from her sister, singer Nupur Sanon, amid lockdown.

Kriti took to Instagram Stories, where she shared a boomerang video and pictures of herself along with Nupur.

In the boomerang video, Nupur holds a pair of scissors and a spray bottle of water even as Kriti gestures with her fingers to suggest a haircut.

With a “quarantine cut” sticker on the image, Kriti wrote: “Let’s do this!!! @nupursanon.”

In the second image, Nupur is seen chopping Kriti’s long tresses even as the actress seems nervous.

“Wait for it a lil longer… Gonna post the look tomorrow,” she wrote.

On the work front, Kriti will next be seen in “Mimi”, directed by Laxman Utekar. The film is a remake of the National Award-winning 2011 Marathi film “Mala Aai Vhhaychay”.

Defence manufacturing affected by COVID-19: Rajnath

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Defence manufacturing affected by COVID-19: Rajnath

Acknowledging the hardships faced by the defence industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday the manufacturing sector has been affected the most due to lockdown and disruption in existing supply chains.

While addressing through video conference of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) E-conclave in Delhi, Singh said: “The defence sector is no exception to this. Rather, it can be said that the defence sector is more aggravated than other sectors as the only buyer of defence products is the government.”

The minister said to tackle these challenges, MoD has taken several steps for industries, especially MSMEs. He said steps such as extension of response dates of RFP/RFI and early clearance of pending payments will help the industry.

“In this crisis, several financial support measures have been announced by the government and RBI to reduce the financial burden of the industries. These will provide some relief due to the availability of additional working capital and deferment in interest payments,” Singh said.

The minister said the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaign, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will provide many opportunities to Indian industry and will help in restoring millions of jobs.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for being ‘vocal for local’ in this direction. I would like to say that we have to have our indigenous products, but before that in our own life, ‘local’ has to be focal — we have to adopt ‘swadeshi’ products in our life. There is no doubt that MSMEs have a very important role in the goal of indigenous manufacturing, and in the goal of self-reliant India.”

Singh mentioned some of the measures announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman under the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ scheme.

Collateral-free loans of Rs 3 lakh crore for MSMEs will be effective in re-establishing about 45 lakh units and saving employment. Subordinate debt provision of Rs 20,000 crore has been announced for two lakh MSMEs and this will help stressed MSMEs.

Equity infusion of Rs 50,000 crore will be provided through the ‘Mother-Daughter Fund’ for the purpose of benefiting the needy MSMEs.

“A Rs 10,000-crore ‘Fund of Funds’ will be set up to help increase the capacity of these units and for marketing,” the minister said.

The definition of MSME has been revised so that MSMEs can be expanded.

At the same time there will be no distinction between manufacturing and services sector MSMEs. In government contracts (procurements) worth Rs 200 crore or less, global tenders will not be allowed.

This will help MSMEs to grow their business.

In the event of being unable to participate in trade fairs due to COVID-19, e-market linkages will be ensured. The government and PSUs will also ensure the clearance of all outstanding payments in the next 45 days.

The theme of the E-conclave was ‘Business Continuity for MSMEs in Defence and Aerospace Sector’ in which more than 800 defence MSMEs participated. The conclave was jointly organized by Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Department of Defence Production.

Manushi Chhillar joins Lionel Messi, Rohit Sharma in global campaign against COVID-19

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Manushi Chhillar joins Lionel Messi, Rohit Sharma in global campaign against COVID-19

Former Miss World and Bollywood debutant Manushi Chhillar has been roped in for a global campaign against the novel coronavirus. She joins Indian cricket superstar Rohit Sharma, besides global football icons Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale, David Beckham and Mesut Ozil among others in the effort.

Manushi has joined a fitness brand for a super star-studded initiative aimed at raising funds for those affected by a coronavirus. She is part of a global campaign titled Home Team Hero.

Manushi says: “Super excited to become a part of the global Adidas campaign Home Team Hero Challenge. It is an opportunity for the world’s athletes and creators to unite and help make a difference with their workouts for those affected by the coronavirus pandemic globally and I’m proud to be doing my bit for the #COVID19FUND.”

Manushi said that she likes to follow football as a sport.

She said: “No one knows this but I’m actually a very sporty person and I do like football as a sport. So, it’s thrilling to be associated with an initiative that has so many sporting legends and icons of the world coming forward to help.”

Manushi added that the world “needs each and every individual to stand up and support those in need and I am pleased to be working towards this common goal through the challenge”.

Manushi is all set to make her Bollywood debut opposite superstar Akshay Kumar in the upcoming film “Prithviraj”.

Directed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi, “Prithviraj” is based on the life of king Prithviraj Chauhan. It stars Akshay as Prithviraj, while Manushi will play the role of the Sanyogita, the love of his life.

People in containment zone not allowed air travel (Ld)

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People in containment zone not allowed air travel (Ld)

As domestic flight services resume on May 25 with one-third of capacity, it will not allow people to stay in containment zones to board a flight as they will not be eligible for travel.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Thursday came up with a detailed guideline for the airlines and passengers, where it said passengers would have to certify their status in terms of coronavirus infection through the Aarogya Setu app or a self-declaration form.

“The passenger shall not travel if he/she is staying in a containment zone. Also, they should not travel if they have been tested positive for COVID-l9. The passengers are expected to certify the status of their health through the Aarogya Setu app or a self-declaration form,” it said.

If a passenger, who is not permitted to fly, undertakes an air journey, he or she shall be liable for penal action, as per the guidelines.

Further, passengers will have to wear protective gear, or a face mask before entering the terminal as per the prevailing requirement and he/she will continue to wear the mask throughout the journey.

During transit to the airport, the passenger should take all precautions to prevent infection.

In the initial stage passenger would be entitled to carry a maximum of one hand baggage and one checked-in baggage as per the specifications by the airline of his travel.

The ministry also said that limited passenger flight operations of about one-third of capacity would be permitted to operate on May 25.

In a general set of guidelines for passengers and stakeholders issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Centre said: “On the day of commencement, limited operations (about l/3rd) would be permitted.”

“Further augmentation of flights will be done in a calibrated manner.”

The guidelines advised “Vulnerable” persons, such as very elderly, pregnant ladies, passengers with health issues to avoid air travel.

Furthermore, it detailed that no physical check-in counters would be allowed at the airport.

“Only those passengers with confirmed web check-in shall be allowed to enter the airport,” it said.

Besides, the Centre advised the airlines to adhere to the lower and upper limits of fares prescribed by the Ministry during the period of COVID-19 pandemic.

The guidelines come a day after Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said: “Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday, 25th May 2020.”

Ever since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country on March 25, passenger air services were suspended for both scheduled domestic and international flights.

Have more resources invested in diversity than ever: Google CEO

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Have more resources invested in diversity than ever: Google CEO

Amid reports that Google has reduced diversity and inclusion training programs fearing a conservative backlash, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sundar Pichai, has denied any digression from the company’s commitment to promoting diversity within the organization.

In an interview to The Verge, Pichai said the company probably has more resources invested in diversity now than ever.

“Diversity is a foundational value for us. Given the scale at which we build products and the fact we do it locally for our users, we are deeply committed to having that representation in our workforce,” Pichai was quoted as saying.

Pichai’s response came after NBC News, citing former and current Google employees, last week reported that one well-liked diversity training program at the company, called Sojourn, was cut entirely.

The report also said that Google has reduced internal diversity and inclusion training programs since 2018.

Google denied the allegation that it has scaled back inclusion and diversity efforts.

But the report led 10 US lawmakers to send a letter to Pichai this week demanding answers to several questions, including why previous diversity programs were scaled back or cut entirely, what type of diversity initiative is offered to new hires, how Google plans to address lack of diversity and inclusion at the company and whether employees working on Artificial Intelligence undergo additional bias training.

“It is troublesome to hear that Google, an industry leader, plans to scale back efforts to address their lack of diversity when you have previously stated a corporate commitment to improving in this very area,” the House Democrats said in the letter on Monday.

“In 2019, according to Google’s own diversity report, only 3.3 percent of your workforce identifies as Black, 5.7 percent are Latins, .08 percent are Native American, and 31.6 percent are women. In order to promote effective and inclusive economic practices, Google’s workforce should reflect the racial diversity of America,” wrote the lawmakers who are members of the House Tech Accountability Caucus.

However, conservative politicians have accused US tech giants of being biased against conservative viewpoints.

Google was even threatened with penalties for allegedly making “anti-conservative” moderation decisions on platforms like YouTube, The Verge reported.

Maulana Azad RDA writes to Minister against Delhi govt order

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Maulana Azad RDA writes to Minister against Delhi govt order

The Resident Doctors Association of Maulana Azad Medical College and associated hospitals on Thursday wrote to Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan against Delhi government’s order for vacating the hospital-provided quarantine facilities.

In the letter, the RDA cited the government order dated May 20 stating that doctors residing in Hotel Lalit have to vacate the rooms by 12 noon on May 21. “Apart from being given at a short notice, this order is inhuman and blatantly undermines the persistent effort put in by the corona warriors providing treatment at the largest COVID facility of Delhi government,” said the association.

“Doctors working here are at great mental stress due to a huge load of severely ill corona patients. Such an order has only worsened the mental state of doctors on COVID duty,” said the association.

Delhi Government’s Health Secretary Padmini Singla on May 20 issued an order wherein it was written that regular quarantine of healthcare workers after performing duty in COVID-19 areas “is not warranted”. Therefore, all categories of staff on quarantine are directed to vacate the hospital- provided accommodations in hotels and dharmashalas latest by 12 noon on May 21.

The order was issued citing the revised guidelines on the quarantine of healthcare workers by the Health Ministry.

The RDA in the letter to the Minister said that there is abundant evidence of COVID positivity in asymptomatic HCWs wearing proper PPEs, some of them are reported positive on Day 11-14 even when their first report was negative.

“We cannot risk the transmission of infection to them and eventually to the community. Therefore, we request you to revoke the order or provide for alternative accommodation for the period of quarantine,” said the letter.

Yogi transfers money for self-help groups

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Yogi transfers money for self-help groups

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, transferred online a sum of Rs 218.50 crore to the Revolving Fund and Community Investment Fund for 31,938 self-help groups (SHGs).

The Chief Minister also interacted with various SHGs and transferred the online fund to them.

“We have to break the chain of this virus. Our frontline warriors are continuously working in this direction. People working in public places include the corona warriors, businessmen, or the general public. In order to provide them with masks, women SHGs have worked with great strength. Some of them have also developed the PPE kits,” he said.

The Chief Minister lauded the self-help groups and said, “They have done a great job. If these women SHGs get a little bit of guidance and encouragement, they can do anything. I also interacted with them today along with other people and I have realized that they can reach great heights.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Chief Minister had launched Uttar Pradesh Startup Fund and handed over the first installment of Rs 15 crore to the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

The Central government had established a Startup India portal and is providing online courses for young entrepreneurs on topics ranging from data analytics to designing.

The government hopes to establish it as a one-stop platform for all stakeholders in the startup ecosystem to interact with each other, exchange knowledge and form successful partnerships in a highly dynamic environment.

Apple may delay iPhone 12 announcements until October

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Apple may delay iPhone 12 announcements until October

Cupertino based tech giant Apple may push the September “iPhone 12” event into early October due to global coronavirus pandemic.

Apple is considering pushing the announcement into October to avoid a gap between the event and handsets reaching store shelves and the iPhone maker will have more stores reopened by that point as well, according to Jon Prosser, a reliable Apple insider.

Prosser, who correctly reported the release date of the iPhone SE said that there is also the possibility that a later iPhone 12 launch event could allow more reporters and analysts to attend in person.

According to Posser, 5.4-inch and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 models will be available with 128GB or 256GB of storage and that 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro models will have 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options.

Prosser has claimed that the upcoming 5.4-inch iPhone 12 may start from $649 while 6.1-inch iPhone 12 may come with a price tag of $749.

Like the 5.4-inch iPhone, the 6.1-inch device will sport 5G connectivity and a dual-camera setup at the rear.

The only difference is that it would come with a bigger 6.1-inch OLED display, said Prosser.

There will be two ‘pro’ iPhone 12 models as well.

Intel acquires Rivet Networks to boost home Wi-Fi for gaming, streaming

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Intel acquires Rivet Networks to boost home Wi-Fi for gaming, streaming

To ensure fast, reliable and secure Wi-Fi connectivity for smooth gaming and streaming experience at home, chip giant Intel has acquired Rivet Networks, the company that made the Killer brand of gaming-centric networking cards, for an undisclosed sum.

Rivet Networks’ key products, including its Killer brand, will integrate into Intel’s broader PC Wi-Fi portfolio.

Intel and Rivet Networks will build the ‘Killer AX1650 Wi-Fi’ solution, which delivers immersive entertainment and gaming experiences along with powerful Wi-Fi 6 technology.

Rivet Networks’ capabilities, including its software, are complementary to Intel’s wireless products and capabilities, the chip-maker said on Wednesday.

“Rivet Networks is a terrific complement to our existing Wi-Fi products and helps us further our vision of delivering PC platforms that power every person’s greatest contribution,” said Chris Walker, corporate vice president and general manager of the Mobile Client Platforms Group at Intel Corporation.

Rivet Networks’ products deliver speed, intelligence and control for gamers and performance users.

“Its products maximize Wi-Fi bandwidth utilization and optimize the wireless network connection on your platform. In addition, Rivet Networks’ products can also utilize the combination of Ethernet and Wi-Fi to prioritize traffic over both connections,” Walker explained.

Over the past few months, Comcast has reported that Wi-Fi-connected video calls and video conferencing have increased over 283 percent, and Charter Communications reports that over 90 percent of the traffic on its ISP network is Wi-Fi-based.

Even in the case of your phone, more than 70 percent of your mobile (cellular) data traffic runs on Wi-Fi.

Intel which has been investing and contributing to the evolution of Wi-Fi for more than 20 years said that the Rivet Networks team will join its Wireless Solutions Group within the Client Computing Group.

“With the addition of Rivet Networks’ software, we will license its software to customers and develop new solutions for broader PC connectivity enhancement,” said Intel.

AAI asks passengers to reach airport 2 hrs prior to departure

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AAI asks passengers to reach airport 2 hrs prior to departure

State-run Airports Authority of India has advised passengers-to reach the airport 2 hours prior to departure.

In its standard operating procedures (SoPs), the state-run firm also asked passengers to install the Aarogya Setu mobile app without which they won’t be allowed entry into the terminal building.

Even those passengers coming from non-green zones will not be allowed entry.

Besides, all passengers will be required to go in for a thermal check before entering the terminal.

The AAI’s SoPs comes a day after Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said: “Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday, 25th May 2020.”

“All airports & air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from 25th May,” he said.

Furthermore, the minister said the SOPs for the passenger movement would be issued soon.

Ever since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country on March 25, passenger air services were suspended for both scheduled domestic and international flights.

Athletic Club legend Aritz Aduriz announces retirement

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Athletic Club legend Aritz Aduriz announces retirement

Athletic Club Bilbao’s veteran striker, Aritz Aduriz, has announced his retirement from the game with immediate effect.

The 39-year-old announced his decision in a communique in which he said, “sometimes football leaves you, before you leave it,” and explained doctors had told him he needs a hip replacement operation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Aduriz had said in September that he would hang up his boots at the end of the season, but he will now miss the last 11 games of the campaign, as well as the final of the Copa del Rey which will see Athletic play Real Sociedad at a yet to be confirmed date.

“Sadly, my body has said ‘enough,'” explained the striker, who 172 goals for Athletic in 405 appearances for the club, who he represented in three different stages of his career.

Nicknamed ‘the Fox’ he also played for Burgos, Valladolid, Mallorca, and Valencia and represented Spain on 13 occasions.

Aduriz only scored one goal this season, but his last goal was arguably the best of his career: a spectacular 89th overhead kick to give Athletic a 1-0 win at home to FC Barcelona in the opening game of the season.

Microsoft to unify app development for 1 billion Windows 10 devices

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Microsoft to unify app development for 1 billion Windows 10 devices

To help developers build apps for modern work using Microsoft 365 and Windows platforms, Microsoft has unveiled Project Reunion to unifying app development across one billion Windows 10 devices.

Project Reunion will make it easier to build great apps that work across all the Windows 10 versions and devices people use.

“For the past couple of years, we have been breaking down the barrier between Win32 (also called the Windows API) and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) APIs. Project Reunion expands this effort to make it easier to build a great Windows app,” the company announced during its ‘Build 2020′ developer conference.

It will unify access to existing Win32 and UWP APIs and make them available decoupled from the OS, via tools like “NuGet”. This will provide a common platform for new apps.

“Plus, it will help you update and modernize your existing apps with the latest functionality, whether they’re C++, .NET (including WPF, Windows Forms, and UWP) or React Native,” said Microsoft.

One of the first components in the Project Reunion journey is WinUI 3 Preview 1, the high performant, Fluent-optimized native UI framework for Windows.

With WinUI developers can build great user experiences that adapt and scale across devices, whether they are starting a new project, or modernizing an existing app, according to the company.

Microsoft also expanded WebView2 (another component in the Project Reunion journey) with a new .NET Preview.

Now, any Windows app can embed web content with the power of Microsoft Edge and Chromium.

As organizations shift to enable remote work, Windows Virtual Desktop, built on Azure, has provided the ability to provision and scale virtual desktops and apps faster than was previously possible.

“Because scalability is so important, we introduced a feature called MSIX App Attach. The MSIX App Attach Preview will optimize people’s experiences by untangling the OS image that organizations deploy in the cloud from the apps that people need to access,” informed Microsoft.

With Microsoft PowerToys (0.18), app developers can customize the Windows 10 shell for personal workflows.

“Today’s updates add two new utilities: Keyboard Remapper and PowerToys Run. You can remap key to key and shortcut to shortcut using Keyboard Remapper,” said Microsoft.

NYC’s lower-income, minority groups worst-hit by COVID-19

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NYC’s lower-income, minority groups worst-hit by COVID-19

People in New York City’s lower-income neighborhoods and communities of colour were suffering the most due to the coronavirus pandemic, state Governor Andrew Cuomo said citing official data.

As shown in preliminary results of antibody tests of 8,000 people in New York City, the Bronx Borough, where a majority of residents are African-Americans and Latino-Americans, has the highest COVID-19 positive rate of 34 percent, compared with a citywide average of 19.9 percent, Cuomo said at Wednesday’s briefing.

Ranking by zip codes, the top 10 highest-infected neighborhoods were located in the boroughs of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, home to most of the city’s minority groups, reports Xinhua news agency.

The highest rate was recorded in Morrisania, the Bronx, where 43 percent of residents tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies.

All the other nine neighborhoods had a positive rate of over 33 percent.

Moreover, the coronavirus’s spread is continuing in those communities, and “that’s where the new cases are coming from”, said Cuomo.

To combat the disparities, Cuomo said the state will partner with the state’s largest healthcare provider Northwell Health to double church-based testing sites to 44 locations in those hardest-hit neighborhoods.

The state will also expand the testing capacity in 40 locations of New York City Public Housing facilities, where social distancing is hard to maintain due to limited room space.

Meanwhile, the state’s Capitol Region, stepped into phase one of reopening on Wednesday, leaving downstate regions — New York City, Long Island and Mid-Hudson as the only ones not qualified for reopening yet.

Meanwhile, statewide religious gatherings with up to 10 people will be allowed as of Thursday, said Cuomo, who added that participants should wear masks and practice social distancing.

It came a day after the Governor announced that Memorial Day ceremonies with the same scale will be allowed to take place next week in the state, the epicentre of the pandemic in the US.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that the city would offer free COVID-19 tests at nursing homes starting next week, due to the large number of infections there.

De Blasio said the city has procured enough personal protective equipment to get through May, including N95 masks, face shields, goggles, gloves, and surgical gowns.

The state of New York has reported over 354,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 28,000 deaths, remaining as the hardest-hitin the country, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Giroud, Caballero sign one-year contract extension with Chelsea

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Giroud, Caballero sign one-year contract extension with Chelsea

Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud and goalkeeper Willy Caballero have penned down one-year contract extensions until the end of the 2020-21 season.

Having joined Chelsea on a deadline-day transfer from Arsenal in January 2018, Giroud has made 39 starts and 37 sub appearances and scored 21 goals.

“I am delighted to continue my journey and adventure at Chelsea. I can’t wait to get back to playing and enjoying competitive football with my team-mates. I’m looking forward to wearing the Chelsea shirt again, especially in front of our fans at a full Stamford Bridge, whenever it is safe to do so,” Giroud said in an official statement.

On the other hand, Caballero had joined the Blues in the summer of 2017 from Manchester City, and has played nine games this season.

“It is a difficult time for everyone right now so I feel blessed by this opportunity and truly appreciate it. I want to thank my team-mates for helping me to be my best and I want to thank the boss and the club for extending my contract. I’m sure they will continue to demand the maximum from me and I will compete with the same energy as always. I am very happy,” said the 38-year-old goalkeeper.

The English Premier League, which was halted in mid-March due to the spread of novel coronavirus, plans to restart in June. The clubs have returned to training in small groups since Tuesday.

Google wins prestigious US govt Cloud project

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Google wins prestigious US govt Cloud project

Google which was dropped out of the $10 billion Pentagon Cloud project which was eventually won by Microsoft in a bitter fight with Amazon Web Services (AWS), has bagged a Cloud project with the US Department of Defense (DoD).

Thomas Kurian-led Google Cloud announced that it won a pilot project with DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to build secure cloud management solutions to detect, protect against, and respond to cyber threats worldwide.

The multi-cloud solution will be built on Google’s a modern application platform Anthos, allowing DIU to run web services and applications across Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure – while being centrally managed from the Google Cloud Console.

“We’re honoured to partner with DIU on this critical initiative to protect its network from bad actors that pose threats to our national security,” said Mike Daniels, Vice President, Global Public Sector, Google Cloud.

Axios first reported that the contract was between $1 million and $10 million.

The secure cloud management solution will provide benefits such as better network throughput with virtual firewalls and auditing devices that scale to meet demand up to 500,000 concurrent users and 1 million endpoints, Google said in a statement on Wednesday.

It would reduce cost by eliminating excess hardware and servers as applications and services can now be scaled up or down in the cloud-based on-demand.

The solution would also provide support for roaming users on mobile devices, including telework scenarios, with minimal latency for teleconferencing and VoIP.

“This secure cloud management solution will help the DIU maintain vigilance, while also helping it seamlessly manage applications in service of its mission,” said Beau Hutto, VP Public Sector, Netskope.

Modi remembers Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary

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Modi remembers Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary.

Modi tweeted: “On his death anniversary, tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi.”

Gandhi was assassinated on this day in 1991 during a late-night election rally in Sriperumbudur village of Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu ahead of the Lok Sabha polls when a suicide bomber struck. He was the youngest Prime Minister, who took oath at 40, following the assassination of mother and another former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi

US Senate to vote on Trump’s pick for intel chief

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US Senate to vote on Trump’s pick for intel chief

The US Senate will vote on President Donald Trump’s nomination of Congressman John Ratcliffe as the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Thursday.

The Senate, where Republicans have a narrow majority, is expected to approve Ratcliffe for the post, reports Xinhua news agency.

Ratcliffe, 54, was nominated again by Trump in February to be the nation’s intel chief, several months after the Texas Republican’s first nomination was withdrawn amid bipartisan concerns about his qualification.

First elected to the US Congress, Ratcliffe sits on the House Judiciary and Intelligence Committees and was a member of Trump’s impeachment defense team.

US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell is currently the acting DNI.

The Trump administration’s first DNI, Dan Coats, left the post in August 2019 after a tenure in which he conflicted with the White House on a number of national security issues.

The DNI serves as the head of the US intelligence community.

Heat kills thousands of Australians yearly: Study

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Heat kills thousands of Australians yearly: Study

Australian researchers have called to add climate change as an official cause of death after a study published on Thursday found that heat-related deaths have been under-reported in the country.

The study, published by Australian National University (ANU), found that excessive natural heat has been responsible for at least 50 times more fatalities than recorded on death certificates, reports Xinhua news agency.

A statistical analysis found that 36,765 deaths in Australia over the past 11 years could have been attributed to heat, but there were only 340.

“Climate change is a killer, but we don’t acknowledge it on death certificates,” Arnagretta Hunter, a co-author of the study from the ANU Medical School, said in a media release.

“If you have an asthma attack and die during heavy smoke exposure from bushfires, the death certificate should include that information.

“We can make a diagnosis of a disease like coronavirus, but we are less literate in environmental determinants like hot weather or bushfire smoke,” Hunter said, adding that heat is the most dominant risk posed from climate change in Australia.

According to the study, excessive natural heat was responsible for approximately 2 percent of all deaths in Australia.

Hunter said the country’s death certificates must be modernized to capture the impact of global warming.

“Climate change is the single greatest health threat that we face globally even after we recover from the coronavirus.

“We know the summer bushfires were a consequence of extraordinary heat and drought and people who died during the bushfires were not just those fighting fires – many Australians had early deaths due to smoke exposure,” she said.

Scientist fired for refusing to manipulate Florida’s COVID-19 data

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Scientist fired for refusing to manipulate Florida’s COVID-19 data

A US scientist who created Florida’s COVID-19 data website was fired earlier this week for refusing to manipulate data in the way the state officials need to reopen the economy, according to a local newspaper report.

Florida Today reported on Wednesday that Rebekah Jones, who was the chief architect of Florida’s COVID-19 data and surveillance dashboard intended to provide a real-time picture of the local coronavirus situation, was fired on Monday by the state’s Department of Health, reports Xinhua news agency.

The report quoted Jones as telling the CBS-12 news television station in West Palm Beach that Jones was fired because she refused to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen” as ordered.

Jones didn’t give further details, the report said.

The newspaper, which first reported Jones’ removal from her position in charge of Florida COVID-19 data portal, said she confirmed her dismissal in an email, saying: “I worked on it alone, 16 hours a day for two months, most of which I was never paid for, and now that this has happened I’ll probably never get paid for.”

The report said that in an email on May 15 to researchers and other data users, Jones warned that there could be changes concerning the accessibility and transparency of the Florida COVID-19 dashboard data.

Local and other media reports about Jones’ dismissal have raised concerns about the integrity of the COVID-19 data in Florida that were cited as the science base to support decisions on reopening the local economy.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has said he based his decision to start reopening his state on science, and that the Florida data website had been praised by federal health experts.

Agra covid tally at 831, recovery rate better

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Agra covid tally at 831, recovery rate better

Agra Covid-19 tally touched 831 on Thursday as six women reported positive among eight new cases. The recovery rate though continues to improve, with 660 patients discharged so far.

District authorities clarified that the city limits would continue to remain in the red zone, though shops in some markets would be allowed to open in a staggered manner after ensuring they complied with the guidelines.

Meanwhile, the face-off between the administration and doctors of the IMA continued to cause concern. The IMA has opposed arbitrary action against some private hospitals after the Infection Prevention Team served notices to two establishments.

Authorities claimed the migrant workers were now being ferried across by the UP roadways buses to their destinations. The pressure on the Mathura and Bharatpur borders has eased, as more buses have been put on the job. The workers are being provided prompt medicare and food, officials of the state roadways said.

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