Xiaomi to make IoT products in India once market is ready

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Xiaomi to make IoT products in India once market is ready

Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi on Friday said is aims to manufacture its Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled products like a robot vacuum cleaner in India once the market is large enough for consuming such products, a top company executive said on Friday.

When it comes to IoT-based products, Xiaomi TVs are quote popular along with smart bulbs, air purifiers, water purifiers and smart bands.

Apart from TVs, rest of the IoT products are currently being imported.

“Our TVs, smartphones and power banks are locally produced in India. We have 35,000 employees working at our five factories. Similarly, we will start manufacturing our IoT products in India once we are ready and the market is also ready for the same,” Raghu Reddy, Chief Business Officer, Xiaomi India, told IANS.

Xiaomi showcased its Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P’ last month in the India market for Rs 17,999. The company will start shipping the robot vacuum cleaner from September 15, and will offer no-cost EMI for as low as Rs 2,999 per month.

It is equipped with 12 different multi-directional sensors and a dedicated Laser Distance Sensor (LDS) navigation system that can scan complex environments accurately and avoid obstacles during the cleaning process – especially at a time when cleaning homes and offices are a huge task in Covid-19 times.

“We are looking forward to launch more and more IoT products in India. Our aim is to make things simple for customers and for this, we unveiled ‘Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P’. The main idea behind launching the product during coronavirus pandemic was to encourage social distancing,” said Reddy.

The robot vaccum cleaner was launched on Xiaomi’s crowdfunding platform with an aim to sell 10,000 units before bringing it for everyone.

“The way people supported this product, we are confident that it will do well in the India market. We are extending the crowdfunding price of Rs 17,999 for all customers (especially in red zones) till June. Post that, it will be available for pre-order with early bird discounts at a price of Rs 19,999 from June 16 to July 15 and at a price of Rs 21,999 from July 16 to August 15,” informed Reddy.

Post-official launch, it will be available at the actual price of Rs 24,999.

Company has launched Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 with ENC and Mi Box 4K streaming device in India last week, to expand its IoT product portfolio in the country.

‘Wuhan Diary’ releases in India

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‘Wuhan Diary’ releases in India

The much-talked about ‘Wuhan Diary: Dispatches from a Quarantined City by well-known Chinese literary writer Fang Fang, has released in India in the ebook format.

Published by HarperNonFiction, the audio will follow on May 26. The book, which will be translated into 15 languages is a compilation of the author’s diary entries and social media posts that document 60 days of lockdown during the COVID-19 epidemic.

On January 25, 2020, after the Chinese central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, Fang Fang began publishing an online diary. In the days and weeks that followed, the acclaimed author’s nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and hope of millions of fellow citizens, reflecting on the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and most tragically, the lives of neighbours and friends taken by the deadly virus.

An eyewitness account of events as they unfolded, Wuhan Diary captures the challenges of daily life and the changing moods and emotions of being quarantined without reliable information. Fang Fang finds solace in small domestic comforts, and is inspired by the courage of friends, health professionals, and volunteers, as well as the resilience and perseverance of Wuhan’s nine million residents. But, by claiming the writer´s duty to record, she also speaks out against social injustice, abuse of power, and other problems that impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it.

As the writer documents the beginning of the global health crisis in real-time, one is able to identify patterns and mistakes that many of the countries dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic have later repeated. She reminds that, in the face of the new virus, the plight of the citizens of Wuhan is also that of citizens everywhere. She writes: “The virus is the common enemy of humankind; that is a lesson for all humanity. The only way we can conquer this virus and free ourselves from its grip is for all members of humankind to work together.”

Dedicating the book to the people of Wuhan, Fang Fang says that it is also for those people who came to the city’s aid during its darkest hour. All the proceeds from this book will be used to aid people who put their lives on the line for Wuhan.

Celina Jaitley: Felt extremely weak after giving birth to twins

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Celina Jaitley: Felt extremely weak after giving birth to twins

Actress Celina Jaitley says she used to feel “extremely weak” after giving birth to her twins, adding that weight training helped her a lot post-pregnancy.

“When I gave birth to my first set of twins, I realized that after delivery a woman’s body becomes very weak and we need to take special care of ourselves. I was low on vitamins, energy, bone density, and calcium,” Celina said while recalling her pregnancy period.

“I would feel extremely weak, especially since I gave birth to twins. Weight training helped me a lot post-pregnancy. Not just in keeping me fit but to also continuously keep me strong. Weight training increases muscle quantity in your body which is very, very good for health,” she added.

She continued: “Weight training or even lifting heavy objects helps in increasing bone density and it prevents effects of arthritis. But it should be done post-delivery and after receiving the go-ahead from your doctor. It is very good for health and something I practiced after both my pregnancies.”

Talking about her workout experience, she said: “Fitness is all about a fit mind, body and your soul. While you work out, it is important to focus on all three aspects.”

Celina opened up about her post-pregnancy workout regime on the show “Fit & Famous” on Tata Sky Fitness. The interview will go live on May 17 and May 31.

Sale of ready homes rise in FY20, overall housing sales fall: Report

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Sale of ready homes rise in FY20, overall housing sales fall: Report

Bucking the sluggish trend in overall housing sales, ready-to-move-in homes recorded an over 19 percent growth in sales in the financial year 2019-20, a PropTiger report said.

A total of 64,386 completed units were sold in FY 2019-20, higher by 19.4 percent from 53,908 units sold in the previous fiscal.

The total housing sales during the last fiscal stood at 3,22,667 units across nine cities, nearly 11 percent down from 3,62,021 units sold in 2018-19 fiscal.

“The share of ready-to-move-in inventory as a percentage of total sales rose to 20 percent during the 2019-20 financial year as against 15 percent in the previous fiscal, as per the housing brokerage firm’s latest report ‘Real Insight Q4′ 2020,” it said.

In line with expectations, the demand for ready-to-move-in residential properties is growing as customers have become risk-averse because of uncertainties involved in the completion of under-construction flats, the report said.

The demand for under-construction apartments dipped to 2,58,281 units in the 2019-20 fiscal from 3,08,113 units in the previous year.

The share of ready-to-move-in residential properties in the overall housing sales is expected to increase and may reach 30 percent during this fiscal, PropTiger said.

Project delays by multiple builders have shaken buyers’ confidence in the property market.

Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, PropTiger.com, said: “Housing demand remained subdued during FY20 because of the slowdown in the country’s economic growth. The global outbreak of coronavirus during the January-March quarter added to the woes faced by the Indian real estate sector over the last few years. Housing sales are generally higher in the second half of the fiscal and hence the impact of COVID-19 was more pronounced.”

“With under-construction projects likely to be delayed because of the nationwide lockdown, we strongly believe that customers’ preference for completed units will further strengthen,” he said.

Karnataka new law to allow farmers to sell crop for best price (Ld)

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Karnataka new law to allow farmers to sell crop for best price (Ld)

Karnataka is amending the law to enable its farmers to sell their crop for the best price even outside the APMCs, said Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Friday.

“The Karnataka Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) Act is being amended to empower millions of our farmers to sell their produce for the best price in the APMC yard or outside it,” Yediyurappa told reporters here.

The state cabinet on Thursday decided to amend the APMC Act through an ordinance to lift restrictions on the sale of farm produce and allow farmers to sell their crop in the APMC yard or in private markets where they get the best price.

“The purpose of amending the law is to double the farmers’ income as envisaged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new law will enable our farmers to sell their produce to whoever gives him the best price at the APMC yard or outside it in a free market,” asserted Yediyurappa.

Lakhs of farmers and growers of foodgrains, vegetables, fruits and flowers across the southern state suffered huge losses over the last 50 days, as they could not harvest or sell their produce due to the lockdown enforced suddenly on March 25 and extended twice till May 17 to contain the spread of coronavirus.

“The amended Act will benefit farmers in improving their income and reduce losses due to market fluctuations. Our intention is to protect farmers from volatile market trends. It will help farmers in doubling their income by 2022, as he wished by the Prime Minister,” Yediyurappa reiterated.

The amendment will not dilute the powers or work of the APMCs, as all marketing activities will be monitored by the state APMC director.

Clarifying that his government was not removing the APMCs or the Act governing their activities, the chief minister said only two sections of the law were being amended to enable farmers sell their produce in markets where they get the maximum remuneration.

“The new law will stop exploitation of farmers by market forces, middlemen and commission agents and prevent them from selling their produce in distress when prices fall. They can sell their produce to those who pay them the highest price,” pointed out Yediyurappa.

In this context, the chief minister announced that Rs 5,000 would be paid to each corn farmer to compensate for losses they suffered due to the lockdown and distress sales owing to excess production and supply.

“The state government has earmarked Rs 500 crore for compensating all corn farmers, including 50 percent of them who sold their crop in distress to avoid it from perishing in the hot summer season,” added Yediyurappa.

WhatsApp launches new campaign to curb fake news amid COVID-19

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WhatsApp launches new campaign to curb fake news amid COVID-19

Instant messaging platform WhatsApp on Friday launched a new “check it before you share it” education campaign, expanding its efforts to reduce spread of misinformation on its platform amid COVID-19 pandemic.

This campaign acts as a simple reminder that it is the responsibility of everyone to double check the facts before forwarding messages to flatten the misinformation curve, WhatsApp said.

It tries to inculcate behaviour that urges users to gain more information about the messages they receive through any of the many ways, like reaching out to the MyGov helpline to receive crucial updates or searching the web.

“This campaign helps convey our collective responsibility and the need to always verify before sharing information,” Shivnath Thukral, India Head of Public Policy for WhatsApp, said in a statement.

WhatsApp announced the MyGov helpline (+919013151515) last month.

To promote the MyGov helpline, the WhatsApp campaign conveys the precautionary measures that people should take to prevent the spread of COVID-19 like to cough in elbows, stay home, wash your hands, avoid touching your face, and to keep social distancing.

People will be able to see these ads on Facebook and Instagram, and message the helpline with just one tap, WhatsApp said.

In a bid to curb misinformation related to COVID-19, WhatsApp, which has 400 million users in India, last month said it would limit frequently forwarding messages to 1 chat at a time.

WhatsApp has faced scrutiny as rumours spread on the platform have been linked to several mob killings in India.

The instant messaging platform, however, said that 90 percent of messages sent are between two people and it has seen a significant increase in the amount of voice and video calling across India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Rudd: Ant-Man a little bit relatable

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Paul Rudd: Ant-Man a little bit relatable

Actor Paul Rudd feels it is fun to essay superhero character Ant-Man, and says he is wrestling with being a superhero and being a good parent.

“One of the fun things that was fun to play as Scott is that he is a guy who is very much a regular person who has been thrust into this world and so I think that when you watch him try to process all of, you know when you look at ‘Civil War’ and even in the ‘Ant-Man’ films,” Rudd said while talking about his character Scott Lang whose alter ego is the superhero Ant-Man.

“He is wrestling with being a superhero and being a good parent and that it becomes a little bit relatable because I feel like people might think ‘That is how I would feel and that is how I would react’,” he added.

After 2015’s “Ant-Man” and 2018’s “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, Rudd will be back as the superhero with a third “Ant-Man” movie.

Asked what’s been the highlight in the past decade, Rudd said: “I think everybody in that room was feeling that (while taking MCU class photo). You just look around that room and it was an overwhelming thing to take in.”

“There were so many things I think about but I did get to have a nice conversation for a while with Stan Lee when we were shooting the very first Ant Man. He was telling me how excited he was that they were making Ant Man into a film because you could capture scale in a way that you could not do in the comics and in the middle of the conversation, I just took a step back and thought ‘I am talking to Stan Lee about doing ant man’ and that is something I’ll never forget,” he added.

Rudd last appeared as Ant-Man in “Avengers: Endgame”, which will be aired in India on Star Movies on May 17.

Amy Jackson shares ‘pros and cons of working at home’

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Amy Jackson shares ‘pros and cons of working at home’

Actress Amy Jackson has shared the “pros and cons” of working from home amid lockdown.

Amy took to her Instagram Stories, where she shared an adorable black and white photograph of her newborn son Andreas and her partner George Panayiotou.

On the image, she wrote: “The pros and cons of working at home.”

Amy recently shared a photograph of herself along with her son and tagged him as her “lockdown buddy”.

Amy and her fiance Panayiotou became parents to a son and shared his image on social media on September last year.

Amy made her acting debut with the 2010 Tamil movie “Madrasapattinam” and has featured in several Telugu, Hindi and Kannada films apart from Tamil films.

Her last big release was the Rajinikanth-starrer “2.0” in 2018, which released in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu versions. Her Bollywood films include “Ekk Deewana Tha”, “Singh Is Bliing” and “Freaky Ali”.

https://www.instagram.com/iamamyjackson/

We could cut off whole relationship: Trump on China

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We could cut off whole relationship: Trump on China

US President Donald Trump has said that he “could cut off the whole relationship” with China, in one of his strongest comments against Beijing in the wake of the Asian giant’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the media reported.

“There are many things we could do,” Trump told Fox Business on Thursday, adding: “We could cut off the whole relationship.”

The Trump administration has been mulling avenues to possibly punish or seek financial compensation from China for what it sees as withholding information about the virus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, last December.

On Monday, the administration cut investment ties between US federal retirement funds and Chinese equities.

Speaking exclusively to Fox Business, the President raised the impact of ending relations, saying: “Now, if you did, what would happen? You’d save $500 billion if you cut off the whole relationship.”

Trump also said “right now I don’t want to speak to” his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“They should have never let this happen,” Trump said. “So I make a great trade deal and now I say this doesn’t feel the same to me.

“The ink was barely dry and the plague came over. And it doesn’t feel the same to me.”

Although the pandemic originated in China, the US currently accounts for the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world.

According to the Johns Hopkins University, the number of COVID-19 cases increased to 1,417,889 on Friday, with 85,906 deaths.

We have to learn to live with COVID-19: Delhi Minister

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We have to learn to live with COVID-19: Delhi Minister

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said while earlier it was believed that the coronavirus will die with the rise in mercury, but even in countries with very high temperatures the infection is increasing and this shows that we have to learn to live with COVID-19.

Speaking to the media, Jain said while the cases are increasing, the rate of increase is just five percent.

“There was a time when we all thought that this pandemic will be over by May 1 due to the summer. But now we have seen that in the Latin American countries also the pandemic is increasing. The temperature of these countries is very high. This shows that we have to learn to live with COVID-19,” Jain said.

He also said that in the last two months, in the lockdown, we have learned various lessons from the COVID-19.

“If we wear masks, maintain social distancing and wash hands regularly then people will be 90-95 percent safer,” he said.

Jain said on Thursday, India’s growth rate of COVID was five percent and earlier there was a time when the growth rate was 20 percent. “I believe that the numbers should be seen in terms of the percentage increase.”

He said the new cases in Delhi are coming from the containment zones as well as from outside the containment zones.

“We have received various suggestions from the residents of Delhi and based on those we have sent our suggestions to the central government regarding the relaxation of the lockdown. The key suggestions from the people are that every person should wear a mask in public place and social distancing should be maintained all the time. People have also suggested that public transportation should start for example, buses and metros with limited capacity.”

Regarding the malls, he said people have suggested that in the limited capacity of either 25 percent or 50 percent the malls of the city should be opened. They have also suggested that the markets should be opened following either odd-even rules or only three days a week.

“The Delhi government believes that there should be a balance between the fight against COVID and economic activities. We are fighting against the COVID-19 with full effort, but now we have to start the economic activities, therefore, the measures should be followed. When the lockdown was imposed at that time we were not prepared to fight this pandemic, but now we are prepared to fight this pandemic.”

Regarding the issue of the migrant labourers, Jain said there are two kinds of people.
“One is the migrant labourer of Delhi and the second is the migrant labourer of other states who are passing through Delhi. For the migrants, the government has arranged stay and food across Delhi. Any such person you meet can be sent to the nearby shelter of the Delhi government. We are providing lunch and dinner to nearly 10 lakh poor people every day.”

2020 Chinese Grand Prix now slated for October 4

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2020 Chinese Grand Prix now slated for October 4

Formula One’s 2020 Chinese Grand Prix now looks set to take place on October 4, after the sport released its latest version of its 2020 schedule.

Originally slated for April 19, the Chinese Grand Prix was the first race of 2020 to be postponed as the country battled the COVID-19 outbreak, reports Xinhua news agency.

The global pandemic has decimated the F1 calendar, with the season’s first ten races having either been delayed or canceled outright.

F1’s revised calendar puts the Chinese Grand Prix as the 11th race of 19 scheduled and sees it coincide with the country’s week-long National Day holiday celebrations.

The race at the Shanghai International Circuit will take place one week before the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, which retains its original date of October 11.

In an unprecedented move, F1 hopes to start the season with two races in Austria at the Red Bull Ring on July 5 and 12, followed by two at Britain’s Silverstone Circuit on July 26 and August 2, as F1 looks to bulk out the calendar to make up for lost races.

Should these races go ahead as scheduled, it would represent the first time that a circuit has held multiple Grand Prix in a single season.

Elsewhere on the updated calendar, the first-ever Vietnamese Grand Prix has been rescheduled for November 22, though the Singapore Grand Prix looks set to be canceled after it was omitted.

The planned 19-race season will end with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 13, two weeks after its original slot of November 29.

F1’s plans are being adjusted on a regular basis as the COVID-19 situation develops and local regulations change, including bans on major events that currently run to September in several locations.

Urge PMO to amend Act to restart mining: Goa industry to Guv

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Urge PMO to amend Act to restart mining: Goa industry to Guv

Amending the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDR) by the Union cabinet could help to restart the mining industry in Goa at the earliest, the Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry said in a petition to Governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday. They urged the Governor to take up the issue with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in order to bring them relief.

After meeting Malik, head of the GCCI, Manoj Caculo also told reporters, that the trade body had urged the Governor to press upon the PMO and the Union Cabinet to amend the Act and subsequently issue an ordinance to restart the state’s mining industry, which would help boost the local economy.

“We want the Governor to press upon the PMO and Central cabinet to take a decision to amend the MMDRA or whatever has to be done to revive the mining industry in Goa. The Goan economic situation is such that no industry is functional, tourism is shut so mining has to start,” Caculo told reporters outside the Governor’s residence.

Caculo also said that while Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has been talking to the top leaders and officials in the Central government to get the banned industry back on its feet in Goa, the “Governor’s word will have weight”.

The mining issue has been hanging fire in Goa, ever since the apex court banned extraction and transportation of iron ore from 88 mining leases from February 2018, while also directing the state government to reissue mining leases.

The Goa government has also filed a revision petition in the apex court, urging a relook at the order.

It was the second time in less than a decade that all mining in the state has come to a standstill. It was banned the first time in 2012 after a judicial commission exposed a Rs 35,000 crore illegal mining scam, indicting top mining companies as well as politicians and bureaucrats.

Till some months back, the state government had been actively contemplating the formation of a state-run mining corporation as a nodal body to relaunch and oversee mining operations in the state.

While the MMDRA, which was amended by the Central government in 2015, made it mandatory for auctioning of major mineral resources, mining magnates in Goa have argued, that a further amendment allowing for a renewal of the mining leases in case of Goa, followed by an ordinance to the effect, would put the mining industry back on track in the coastal state soon.

COVID-19: Australian Football League to resume in June

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COVID-19: Australian Football League to resume in June

Aussie sport fans received the news on Friday that the Australian Football League (AFL) will return to their screens as of June 11, after being suspended since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan told reporters that all 18 clubs would resume full-contact training as of May 25, with fixtures to be released in blocks of four to six weeks, reports Xinhua news agency.

Players and staff will be tested for the COVID-19 prior to returning to the field and will be educated in the rigorous ongoing protocols being implemented, including twice-weekly testing, which will also apply for umpires and key match-day staff.

“Strict protocols will be in place to protect players, officials, staff and the wider community,” McLachlan said.

“These have been developed with the advice of the Federal, State and Territory governments along with the relevant Chief Health Officers as well as the AFL’s own medical team and with a consultation with players, coaches and clubs.”

McLachlan thanked leaders and health officials for allowing matches to go ahead and stressed the need to remain “agile and flexible” to adapt to the changing COVID-19 crisis.

Four clubs from the states of Western Australia and South Australia will be relocated east, with players to be housed at two luxury golf resorts in the State of Queensland.

On Wednesday, SA officials denied a request by the league to allow an exemption from the mandatory 14-day quarantine for players returning to the state, prompting the temporary relocation arrangement.

“Families can go to join the players. They will be under the same protocols and under a strict set of protocols that have been worked through with the Queensland government,” McLachlan said.

US accuses China of stealing Covid-19 research

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US accuses China of stealing Covid-19 research

The Donald Trump administration on has accused the Xi Jinping government of stealing Covid-19-related research from the US, indicating further deterioration in their bilateral relationship between the US and China.

In a scathing attack on Beijing, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late on Thursday tweeted that China, “the country where the virus originated and the pandemic was allowed to spread,” has refused to share information to help the world combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Instead PRC-affiliated actors are trying to steal COVID-related research from the United States,” he tweeted while warning the People’s Republic of China “to cease this malicious activity.”

Adding further salt to China’s injury, Pompeo said that the US welcomes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) “intention to invest $12B in the most advanced 5-nanometer semiconductor fabrication foundry in the world”.

This deal, he tweeted, “bolsters U.S. national security at a time when China is trying to dominate cutting-edge tech and control critical industries”.

Meanwhile, the US has been continually building up military pressure on China. In the last few weeks, US Navy ships and Air Force B-1 bombers have undertaken missions to the region as a response to China’s attempts to flex its muscle in the South China Sea.

The US Navy Pacific Fleet on Wednesday announced that all its submarines in the region are at sea conducting operations “in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region amidst the pandemic caused by the coronavirus”.

London could be ‘coronavirus free’ by June: Analysis

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London could be ‘coronavirus free’ by June: Analysis

London could be “coronavirus free” by June, as new modeling has suggested that the UK capital was recording only 24 new cases a day, according to an analysis by the Cambridge University and Public Health England published on Friday.

The ‘R’ reproduction rate has fallen to 0.4 in London, with the number of new cases halving every 3.5 days, the Metro newspaper quoted the analysis as saying.

London was initially the hub of the pandemic in the UK and was considered to be weeks ahead of the rest of the country.

When the lockdown was imposed on March 23 it was being hit by around 200,000 new cases per day, but the new modeling suggested that it could be free of fresh diagnoses by next month.

But social distancing concerns were raised after pictures emerged this week of packed London Underground trains with many passengers not wearing masks.

Despite the analysis, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine warned that London’s true infection rate was likely to be “a little bit higher”, the Metro newspaper reported.

Speaking to the BBC Radio 4, he said: “There is some variation around this and there is some uncertainty in this, but what we have observed in London is that case numbers and death numbers have come down faster than in other parts of the country � albeit from a considerably higher level.

“So I think it� well, I would say it is a little bit higher than that, but it is probably lower than the rest of the country.”

As of Friday, the number of COVID-19 cases in the UK has increased to 234,441, with 33,693 deaths, the current highest in Europe.

Typhoon Vongfong ravages Philippine islands

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Typhoon Vongfong ravages Philippine islands

Vongfong, the first typhoon of the season, has ravaged several islands of the Philippines, making landfall six times in the first 24 hours of its passage through the country and ahead of its expected arrival in Manila on Friday.

The typhoon is bringing with it destructive winds and intense rainfall, according to the latest bulletin of the weather service PAGASA.

The Met Office issued a tropical cyclone wind signal number 3, the third-highest on a scale of 1 to 5, in the southern provinces of Luzon Island and level 2 in the central region, where the Manila metropolitan area is located, reports Efe news.

Vongfong weakened slightly after making six landfalls with high-velocity winds and gusts that left the provinces of Samar Norte and Sorsogon without power and communication.

The Met Department recorded winds up to 125 kph speed and gusts between 165-180 kph on Thursday.

Despite weakening slightly, the typhoon’s wind speed may be fatal as it approaches Manila, a megacity where a quarter of its 13 million inhabitants live in overcrowded slums.

The typhoon, locally dubbed Ambo, entered the Philippines on Thursday through the town of San Policarpio on Samar Island, where some 400,000 people live in low-lying, coastal areas that are especially vulnerable to the passage of the storm, whose strength is equivalent to that of a Category 4 hurricane.

Vongfong is moving at a speed of 15 kph as it heads towards the northern Philippines, which it is expected to leave for Japan on May 18.

The Philippines is hit by between 15 and 20 typhoons each year during the rainy season, which usually begins in May or June and ends in November or December.

In November 2013, Haiyan, one of the most powerful typhoons ever to hit the Philippines, caused 6,300 deaths, with more than 1,000 people missing and 14 million affected.

Japan employers recommend 4-day work week

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Japan employers recommend 4-day work week

Japan’s main employers have recommended a four-day work week to reduce the chances of COVID-19 transmission as companies start to reopen.

The Japanese Business Federation, known as Keidanren, published guidelines on Thursday, including a reduction of the work week, a commitment to teleworking and a modification or rotation of schedules to avoid congestion on public transport, reports Efe news.

Some guidelines clash with Japanese social conventions, such as asking people who feel sick to rest at home, a rare occurrence before the epidemic, and for regular business card exchanges to be done online.

Keidanren recommended suspending all non-essential work trips and, if they must be carried out, recording which people, places and routes the worker has been in contact with.

It also asked companies to consider ways to hold meetings with shareholders, as well as interviews or seminars, without gathering in person.

Other recommendations are already widely applied in the country: maintaining a distance of 2 metres apart, frequent hand washing, wearing masks and ventilating offices at least twice an hour.

The document was published the same day the Japanese government announced the lifting of the state of emergency for 39 of the 47 prefectures of the country, which will allow the revival of economic activity in most provinces.

But the main business regions, such as Tokyo and Osaka, were still under the state of emergency.

Japan has registered over 16,000 COVID-19 cases, with 697 deaths, according to John Hopkins University.

girl gang raped in Alwar in Rajasthan

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girl gang raped in Alwar in Rajasthan

Even as Tonk simmers after a gang rape, another minor in Rajasthan was again similarly assaulted in Alwar by three youths who filmed the act and assaulted her threatening her against reporting the incident.

Relatives of the Class 9 student said the police took two days to register any complaint.

Officials confirmed that the offence was reported in Bhiwadi on May 10, but it was only on May 13 that the police filed the complaint, said the girl’s father.

In his complaint, the father said that his daughter went to her uncle’s house on May 10 at around noon. When she did not return for a long time, they got worried and started searching for her. In the meantime, they received a call that their daughter was admitted to a private clinic and they should take her back home.

After returning home, the girl revealed her traumatic experience and said that as she was going to her uncle’s place, three youths at a shelter home stopped her, bashed her up and took her to a deserted room where they gang-raped her and filmed the act.

When she protested and threatened them to get them booked, they banged her head to the wall after which she fell unconscious. She found herself in a private clinic after gaining consciousness.

Meanwhile, DSP Women Cell, Bhiwadi, Prem Bahadur said that the three accused have been detained.

Former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has condemned the incident. Raje tweeted: “After Tonk, the rape of a minor in Alwar reveals the fake claims made by the state government pertaining to women security in state.

“The deteriorating law and order situation in state shows that police and administration have lost their grip..”

A few days back, a minor was gang-raped in Tonk after which the National Human Rights Commission sent notice to state government on May 12. The role of many officials including a doctor is under scrutiny regarding misquoting of the victim’s age and commenting on her character.

Local MLA Kanhaiya Lal Chuadhary and MP Sukhbeer Singh Jaunpuriya staged dharna with Sara Samaj and submitted memorandum to SDM in the name of chief minister. Police then took her statements again in the presence of her sister.

Col Kirori Singh Bainsla has warned of staging a huge protest if the Tonk victim does not get justice. “Gurjar Samaj shall come out on streets if justice is not served to the victim. We want strict punishment against the accused. Why was the case registered a day later? he questioned.

Active COVID-19 cases in China fall below 100

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Active COVID-19 cases in China fall below 100

The number of active COVID-19 cases in China has fallen below 100 for the first time since January, the country’s National Health Commission said on Friday.

According to the Commission, there are 91 active coronavirus cases in the country, including 11 patients in serious condition, Efe news reported.

In the 24 hours until midnight, 14 more patients were discharged, bringing the total to 78,209, while two more cases were in serious condition.

The total number of cases fell despite four new infections Thursday, all of them by local transmission and all in the northeast province of Jilin, where in the last week a resurgence has been detected, with several dozen infected, said the Commission.

After Hubei province, where the pandemic originated last December in its capital Wuhan, northeast China has been the most contentious point for local authorities, who in recent weeks have been forced to close the border with Russia after detecting infections in Chinese citizens coming from Russian territory.

Although this focus was initially limited to Heilongjiang province, where another express hospital was built to combat the pandemic, new cases of local transmission have emerged in Jilin and neighboring Liaoning province in recent days.

The Commission did not report any new deaths, so the total number remains at 4,633 from the 82,933 infected patients officially diagnosed in China since the start of the pandemic, with 11 new asymptomatic cases, placing the total at 619.

Musk’s Boring Company completes digging Las Vegas loop tunnels

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Musk’s Boring Company completes digging Las Vegas loop tunnels

Elon Musks Boring Company has finished excavating the second of two tunnels planned for the Las Vegas Convention Centers underground loop transit system.

The first tunnel was finished back in February and the company will soon start working on above-ground passenger stations at either end of the tunnels, plus a third underground station in the middle of the loop, The Verge reported on Thursday.

The people-mover, which is being formally called the Convention Center Loop, is still scheduled to open to the public in January 2021 in time for the next Consumer Electronics Show (CES) but we still do not know if the event will actually take place owing to COVID-19 pandemic.

Travelling between various points of interest in Las Vegas will become a more convenient task with the help of the upcoming tunnel.

Earlier in May, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said that the autonomous electric vehicles will ferry up to 4,400 passengers per hour at speeds of up to 249 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour) inside two tunnels 40 feet below the surface.

Additionally, a pedestrian tunnel will also allow walkers to make the approximately 15-minute-long trek across the convention space, which spans 3.2 million square feet.

Las Vegas is one of five current cities where the Boring Company has projects either proposed, approved, or underway.

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