Enquiry on B’luru medical college for harassing woman doctor

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Enquiry on B’luru medical college for harassing woman doctor

Karnataka Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar has ordered an inquiry into the alleged harassment of a woman doctor at a city medical college on Saturday after she complained of faulty masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) and later tested Covid-19 positive.

“I have taken note of supply of defective masks and PPE kits to Kempegowda Institute of Medical Science (KIMS) doctors and ordered an inquiry,” said Sudhakar.

The minister said the management of the hospital will be held responsible if found guilty.

According to the information shared by Sudhakar, a woman doctor at KIMS raised an alarm about the faulty PPE kits and shortage of N95 masks but was shunned and ridiculed by the management.

“Last week she raised an alarm about faulty PPE kits and shortage of N95 masks. But the administrative medical officer at KIMS shunned and chastised her for raising this issue,” said one of the doctor’s cousins in a viral post.

Following the alleged ridiculing, the doctor started buying her own N95 masks but she later tested positive for Covid-19.

In spite of her predicament, when the doctor again brought her condition to the notice of the hospital management, she was not spared and again harassed and humiliated.

“She tested positive for Covid-19 and she appealed to the hospital authorities and raised her genuine concerns over the faulty protective gear, but she was again harassed and humiliated,” he said.

Taking a serious note of the development, Sudhakar, a medical doctor himself said the government has taken all necessary measures.

“Doctors are our frontline warriors battling the pandemic. The government has taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our doctors,” he said.

Located at Banashankari in the city, KIMS was established in 1980 by the Vokkaligara Sangha and is affiliated to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health Sciences.

Lockdown: 65% children became device addictive, reveals study

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Lockdown: 65% children became device addictive, reveals study

Around 65% of children have become device addictive in recent months and are unable to stay away from the device even for half an hour. Children are expressing anger, crying, not listening to parents, showing irritable behavior when asked to leave the device.

These facts have come to light in a sample survey carried out by physicians at JK Lone Hospital in Jaipur on 203 children to study the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on child health.

The survey says that a total of 65.2 percent of students have reported physical problems, 23.40% have gained weight, 26.90% have suffered headache/ irritability and 22.40% had reported eye pain and itching.

In fact, 70.70% of students with high screen exposure during the lockdown days have behavioral problems, 23.90% skipped their daily routines, 20.90 percent became careless, 36.80 percent became stubborn and 17.40% reported a reduced attention span.

The study was conceived by Dr. Ashok Gupta, Medical Superintendent & Senior Professor, Department of Pediatrics. Under his direction, this study was carried out by Dr. Ramesh Chaudhary, Dr.Dhan Raj Bagri, Dr.Kamlesh Agarwal, Dr.Vivek Athwani, and Dr. Anil Sharma.

In view of the prevailing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data was gathered on electronic platforms and social media for the study in which the latest and standard questionnaires were used to collect the data.

After obtaining consent, questionnaires were sent to the parents.

The information pertaining to around 55% boys and 45% girls were shared by parents residing in the major cities of Rajasthan such as Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kota, Udaipur, Ajmer, Ganganagar, Bhilwara, Sikar, Churu, Alwar, Hanumangarh, Nagaur, Bharatpur, as well as cities outside Rajasthan such as Delhi and NCR, Kolkata, Mumbai, Agra, Lucknow, Chandigarh.

The survey said that children used mobiles, laptops, computers, and tablets available at home out of which mobiles were the most used tool.

Most schools, on average, engaged children in online classes for 1-8 hours (mean 3 hours ) per day.

It was concluded that after the lockdown almost all the children had a screen time increase of 2-3 times (5 hours/day from 2 hours/day) which reduced their physical activity.

About 50% of these children have difficulty sleeping after going to bed for 20 to 60 minutes and 17% of the children wake up in the middle of their sleep at night and take 20 to 30 minutes to get back to sleep.

They also suffered daytime sleepiness, daytime tiredness, headache and irritability, weight gain, change in body and back pain, and changed toilet habits.

Complaints of behavior change were also reported in about two-thirds of the children. About 6-7 percent of the children started having bedtime fears, stubbornness increased to 32%. The incidence of uncontrolled anger (tantrums) in children also increased by 30%.

To meet the demand of online classes, about 38% of families had to buy a new device, which also put some financial burden on them.

The study overall concluded that COVID-19 and the lockdown had a significant negative impact on the physical, mental, and emotional health of the children leading to poor quality sleep, psychiatric disorders, and parent-child discord.

Dr. Anamika Papriwal, a psychologist, told IANS that family fights over electronic gadgets like laptops, computers, and mobile phones, have become common during this ‘work from home’ (WFH) regime.

“I have been receiving regular calls from families facing erratic behavior from their kids. They share their harrowing tales,” she said.

In fact, parents in Rajasthan have also been protesting the demanding suspension of online classes for primary school.”Virtual classes are creating health problems for our children,” said a parent Anil Mathur, during a protest being staged outside Mahaveer public School demanding the suspension of online classes for kids.

Goa minister lauds Kerala’s Covid-19 management practices

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Goa minister lauds Kerala’s Covid-19 management practices

Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Saturday lauded the Kerala government for implementing some of the best practices in Covid-19 management, even as he announced a blood plasma collection drive in the state from patients who have recovered from the viral infection.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Rane said the state government was in the process of procuring rapid nasal swab testing kits, which are currently being used by the Kerala Health Department for faster testing of suspected Covid-19 cases.

“I just spoke to the Kerala Health Minister about plasma transplants. They have tried in their state on eight patients who were critical and the patients have recovered with the treatment. We have asked our doctors to get in touch with their Kerala counterparts to learn their best practices,” Rane said.

The Health Minister said that the state’s central blood bank had the capacity to store 4,000 units of plasma, which he said could be a lifesaver for critical Covid-19 patients.

Rane added that an awareness campaign would be carried out by the state Health Ministry to motivate cured Covid-19 patients to donate their blood plasma.

“FM and other mediums will be used to motivate them to donate their plasma in order to save other lives,” Rane said.

The Minister said that the key to keeping Covid-19 under check was the speed with which testing is carried out. The Kerala Health Ministry had sent a nasal swab testing kit to the Goa government which can yield results in just half an hour, he informed.

“Kerala has sent us a nasal swab rapid test kit. The Kerala government is using this. The only answer to COVID is fast, speedy testing,” Rane said, adding that government doctors involved in Covid-19 management in the state were being asked to familiarise themselves with the new swab kits.

Solar manufacturing capacity to be tripled

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Solar manufacturing capacity to be tripled

The central government has proposed a major push to domestic manufacturing of renewable energy equipment in the country that would completely eliminate the need for imports, particularly from countries such as China.

As part of the plan, an accelerated manufacturing plan is being operationalized that is incentivizing setting up of solar cell manufacturing capacity of 4,000 MW that would allow project developers to restrict the import of this product completely.

Additionally, 3,000 MW of fresh solar cell capacity is being added under manufacturing linked bids for solar projects. This would incentivize power project developers planning to manufacture in India.

The current capacity of solar cell manufacturing in India is about 2,500 MW. This is proposed to rise over three times in the coming years.

In the case of solar modules as well, 7,000 MW of capacity is being added in addition to existing capacity.

Power minister R.K. Singh had said that under ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ mission, domestic manufacturing capacities would be expended at a rapid pace for meeting goals towards import substitution.

The plan for the renewable sector, he said, should not only be sufficient to meet the country’s needs but would also support exports and earn the country valuable foreign exchange.

Cong is finished in MP, BJP will win all seats: Bharti

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Cong is finished in MP, BJP will win all seats: Bharti

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national vice president and former Union Minister Uma Bharti has claimed that the Congress in Madhya Pradesh is finished and the BJP will win all the seats in the upcoming assembly by-elections.

The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister was in Lucknow to record her statement in the Babri mosque demolition case.

Talking exclusively to IANS, Bharti said, “In Madhya Pradesh, many Congress leaders have joined hands with the BJP, so there is no opposition left there. The BJP will win all the 24 assembly seats that will go to polls soon.”

Bharti was earlier reported to have been miffed over caste equations in the Shivraj Chouhan cabinet expansion. She is said to have expressed displeasure that her suggestions had been ignored but later said that she only spoke about the social imbalance in the cabinet.

On this issue, she said that she has spoken to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and state BJP president B.D. Sharma. They will try to find a solution to the issue, she said.

Asked if she is in political exile, Uma Bharti said, “I have not been in exile at all. I am the BJP’s national vice president. I decided not to contest elections in 2019. Why do you think the only fighting elections is the only way to be in politics?”

On contesting elections in the future, she said, “I had announced not to contest the 2019 elections and then had also said that I will contest the 2024 general elections. I never said I will not contest.”

Uma Bharti and Sadhvi Ritambhara had played a very active role during the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. On the question of participation of women in the Ram temple trust, Bharti said, “The trusts are not formed on the basis of gender, they are for a goal. How does it make a difference, the trust is for Lord Ram. I do not mind it. There are seers and saints in it. I have no objection to it.”

To a question on what changes she sees in the politics of Madhya Pradesh after Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP, the senior BJP leader said, “We already are a big party in Madhya Pradesh. Scindia’s arrival made a difference to the Congress, which is now finished in the state.”

Asked whether her political experience has benefited the BJP in Madhya Pradesh and if she gives advice to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the 61-year-old BJP leader said, “I have not come to that age yet, I am younger than Shivraj. But, if they come asking for advice, I am always there.”

On the question as to who is the best in her eyes among the chief ministers of BJP-ruled states, she said, “Will you make us fight? I won’t tell you. That is my answer.”

On being reminded about her pledge to clean the Ganga which is still very dirty, the former Union Minister said that all the projects of Nirmal Ganga have stopped due to the lockdown. The Sisamau drain, the largest drain in Kanpur and the most notorious for polluting the Ganga, has been closed. “The sacred river will be cleaned in three phases – the first phase is of 3 years, the second for 7 years and the last phase will be of 10 years. There is no dearth of funds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is taking a keen interest in it. That is why he has created a separate ministry,” she said.

Uma Bharti has also been involved in UP politics, where the opposition has alleged that the ruling party is trying to suppress their voice. Responding to this, Bharti said, “The voice of the opposition is weak, that is why it is being suppressed. If they are strong, who will suppress their voice?

In response to another question, Bharti said a grand Ram temple will be constructed in Ayodhya. The whole country is very happy about this. It is a matter of great pride, she said.

837 new corona cases in Andhra, total nears 17K

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837 new corona cases in Andhra, total nears 17K

Andhra Pradesh reported 837 more coronavirus cases in the 24 hours ending 9 am on Friday, taking the state’s corona vases to 16,934, the state nodal officer said. Eight deaths reported from different parts of the state took the state’s death toll to 206.

Health officials said that 258 more patients were cured and discharged from hospitals on Friday, taking the tally of cured persons to 7,632.

As many as 9,096 persons are receiving treatment for Covid-19 at different hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.

As many as 38,898 tests were conducted in the preceding 24 hours, taking the overall number of tests conducted to date to 9,71,611 to date.

On Friday, Kurnool reported 4 deaths, Chittoor 2 deaths, and Krishna and East Godavari districts 1 death each in the last 24 hours.

Anantapur reported the highest daily tally of 149 cases, followed by Prakasam with 139, and Kurnool with 116 cases. Guntur with 80 cases, West Godavari with 57 cases, East Godavari with 56 cases, and Visakhapatnam with 54 cases.

On Friday, 27 returnees from Telangana were among the new cases, apart from 9 returnees from Karnataka, and 3 from Delhi. Two cases each from Rajasthan and West Bengal were reported while 1 case was reported from Tamil Nadu. To date, 2,111 returnees from other states have tested corona positive.

Only two new cases were reported among foreign returnees on Friday — one person with travel history to Saudi Arabia and a returnee from Singapore. The total patients in this category are 409, of which 160 persons were cured. As many as 249 persons in this category are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

30% individual super spreaders caused 80% Covid infections globally

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30% individual super spreaders caused 80% Covid infections globally

Nearly 80 percent of the Covid-19 infections have been caused by the top 30 percent most infectious people worldwide and there is a very wide range of infections that are still undetected, says Dr. Lucy Li, a data scientist at the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub (CZB).

While there are still individual super-spreaders, perhaps more important for this current coronavirus pandemic is the contribution of super-spreading events where large numbers of people congregate in close proximity, she said during an interview with an Amazon team this week.

Her latest research to estimate unreported Covid-19 cases is supported by the AWS Diagnostic Development Initiative, a global program to support organizations working to bring better, more accurate, diagnostics solutions to market faster.

Biohub is a joint collaborative effort by UC Berkeley, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Stanford University funded by a $600 million commitment from Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

According to Li, one thing that makes Covid-19 challenging to track is that not all individuals who have it exhibit symptoms.

“The virus genome mutates at a fairly constant rate as it spreads across the population, even when it’s spreading in asymptomatic individuals. That means that every time someone new is infected, the virus changes a little bit and that mutation happens at a fairly constant rate as it spreads,” she explained.

So even if we aren’t able to test everyone in the population, as long as we know how quickly the virus mutates, we can infer the likely number of undetected transmission events between people who were tested.

“For this research, I created a mathematical model to estimate the number of undetected infections at 12 locations in Asia, Europe, and the US over the course of the pandemic,” she informed.

She found that there was a very wide range of infections that were undetected across these locations.

The rate of undetected infections was as high as over 90 percent in Shanghai.

“We also found that there was significant change over time in the probability of detecting a case,” said Li.

When the virus was first transmitted to these 12 locations, over 98 percent of infections were undetected during those initial couple of weeks, indicating that the epidemic was already taking off by the time that intense testing started happening.

The overall number of global Covid-19 cases has surpassed the 11 million mark, while the deaths have soared to more than 5,24,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Kanpur killings: Priyanka asks Congress leaders to ‘expose’ BJP

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Kanpur killings: Priyanka asks Congress leaders to ‘expose’ BJP

Criticizing the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi termed it as “jungle raj” during a video conference with party leaders on Saturday. The virtual meeting was called to discuss what Congress called the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

Priyanka alleged during the course of the meeting that, “Uttar Pradesh has turned into a jungle raj. Even police personnel are not safe here. The law and order in the state have collapsed because of the alliance between criminals, ruling party leaders, and officials.” She said that the morale of criminals has been boosted in the state.

This sharp attack comes soon after eight police personnel, including a circle officer, were shot dead and six policemen seriously injured when a local criminal, Vikas Dubey, and his gang sprayed bullets on them in Vikru village under Chaubeypur police circle in Kanpur in the wee hours of Friday.

Alleging that criminals are enjoying political protection, Priyanka Gandhi asked Congress leaders to “expose” the BJP in front of the people. She has asked party workers to run a campaign against the state government for this purpose. The meeting also discussed the strategy for the forthcoming panchayat elections the state where law and order will be one of the main electoral issues for Congress.

Congress State President Ajay Kumar Lallu along with Aradhana Mishra, Rajiv Shukla, Jitin Prasad, Brijlal Khabari, Pradeep Jain, Imran Masood among others attended the virtual meet.

Earlier, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also raised questions about the safety of the common people in Uttar Pradesh. “Another proof of hooliganism in Uttar Pradesh. When the police are not safe, how will the public be?” Rahul Gandhi said, quoting a news report.

Tesla to do cross-country drive with Cybertruck later this year: Musk

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Tesla to do cross-country drive with Cybertruck later this year: Musk

Tesla aims to do a cross-country drive with Cybertruck later this year to let people closely see the electric pickup truck, said Elon Musk.
A fan asked Tesla CEO when the East Coast of the US would get a glimpse of the futuristic EV pickup.

“Sure, we will aim to do a cross-country drive with Cybertruck later this year,” Musk replied on Friday.

West Coast is Cybertruck’s exclusive area. The truck was recently on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California.

A cross-country road trip in a Cybertruck would undoubtedly generate an enormous amount of traction on all social platforms for the truck and the manufacturer.

Tesla is also reportedly planning to build its next Gigafactory factory to produce Cybertrucks near Austin, Texas.

As per reports, Musk is set on bringing the next Tesla Gigafactory, or ‘Terafactory’, to Austin, Texas, or at least close to the city.

The factory could produce Tesla’s electric pickup truck as well as the company’s new Model Y crossover electric vehicle.

The Palo Alto-based company said it delivered 90,650 vehicles in the June quarter. It achieved the feat despite its Fremont, California based factory was out of action owing to Covid-19 lockdown for the most part of the quarter.

Tesla delivered 80,050 Model 3s and Model Ys in the quarter and 10,600 of its Model S luxury sedan and Model X SUVs.

Instagram to launch a huge redesign for Stories

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Instagram to launch a huge redesign for Stories

Facebook-owned Instagram is preparing to launch a huge redesign that would make it easier to watch favorite Stories in one place.

Julian Gamboa, Marketing and Social Media Manager at Adweek, recently posted screenshots of the new layout to Twitter and wrote: “You have heard of two rows of Instagram Stories…Now prepare to SEE ALL STORIES.

The screenshots indicate that the main feed may soon include two rows of Stories at the top of the screen.

Additionally, there will be a new ‘See All Stories’ bar at the top of the screen, and once tapped, a user will be taken to a new tab in which all friend’s stories are laid out in a grid.

Instagram is also working on a new feature called video note for its standalone messaging app Threads that helps users stay connected to close or smaller circle of friends.

The new feature will automatically turn audio in videos to live captions. The video note feature would also help Threads users understand what their friends actually mean to say, and respond clearly.

K’taka HC judge expunges remarks on rape victim

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K’taka HC judge expunges remarks on rape victim

Karnataka High Court Justice Krishna Dixit expunged the controversial remarks he made against a rape victim in an order granting anticipatory bail to the accused, an official said on Saturday.

“On an application by the state government, the judge expunged the controversial remarks made against the rape victim, while granting anticipatory bail on June 22 to the accused, as they were also objected to by lawyers and civil activists across the country,” the state legal department official said here.

In the revised order, the judge said he deemed it appropriate to expunge the last four lines in para number 3 (c) on page 4 of the June 22 judgment, as sought in the state government application.

Granting anticipatory bail to the accused, an employee in a private firm owned by the victim, Justice Dixit had made the remarks in the judgment.

“Taking note of the contents of the respondent (state’s application)…, and no objection by the petitioner-accused, I deem it appropriate to expunge the last four lines in the para of the subject judgment dated 22.06.2020, as sought for by government pleader Nageshwarappa,” said the revised order.

The judge clarified that his observations shall not influence the investigation in the case and its likely trial.

Voicing concern over the controversial remarks, lawyers and civic groups, advocate Aparna Bhat last week wrote to Supreme Court Chief Justice S. A. Bobde and Justices R. Banumathi, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee of the apex court to issue an advisory to all courts to refrain from commenting on the conduct of victims of a sexual offense.

Charminar, Golconda Fort to re-open for visitors from July 6

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Charminar, Golconda Fort to re-open for visitors from July 6

Historic Charminar and Golconda Fort, the two major tourist attractions in Hyderabad, will be re-opened from July 6.

Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials said no more than 2,000 visitors would be allowed at the centrally protected monuments every day.

The entry tickets for visitors will be sold online. There will be no physical sale of the tickets. Tourists can book the ticket on the ASI website.

Officials said they would ensure strict adherence to safety protocols issued for all the centrally protected monuments and visitors.

Superintendent archaeologist (Hyderabad circle), Milan Kumar Charley held a meeting with the officials to give a final touch to the arrangements for re-opening of Charminar and Golconda Fort.

Wearing a face mask will be mandatory for visitors. They will also have to maintain social distancing.

Entrance to the monuments will have mandatory hand hygiene and thermal scanning provisions. Only asymptomatic persons will be allowed. No group photography will be allowed within the premises. Officials said eatables would not be allowed.

As per the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) formulated by ASI, only digital payment is allowed at the parking and cafeteria. The cafeteria and kiosk inside the monument shall only serve bottled water on digital payment.

Charminar and Golconda Fort were closed for visitors ever since the lockdown was imposed in the last week of March to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Built-in 1591 by Hyderabad’s founder Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah, Charminar is the symbol of Hyderabad. According to ASI data, about a lakh people visit the monument every month.

The majestic Golconda Fort was the capital of Qutb Shahi kings from 1518 to 1687. It also attracts thousands of visitors every day.

Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent charge) Prahlad Singh Patel on Friday announced that the Ministry of Culture and ASI have decided to open all the centrally protected monuments from July 6.

Only those monuments which are in the non-containment zone will be open for visitors.A

All the monuments will be bound by the protocols like sanitization, social distancing, and other health protocols issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

India set for breaking new space horizons

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India set for breaking new space horizons

India has taken a historic stride towards opening up its space sector for private participation with the creation of IN-SPACe. I have met many exuberant youngsters in the past with eyes set on space who unfortunately could not walk through the system in the absence of a transparent policy framework. The initiative of our Hon’ble Prime Minister in bringing in a ‘new space regime’ has laid a solid foundation for India to multiply its capabilities in space by several-fold. This new body would play the role of a guide for space entrepreneurs. Existing policies are being suitably tweaked to become more accommodative and inclusive, and less ambiguous. This makes it easier for companies to obtain licenses and participate in end-to-end space activities.

ISRO has always been a high achiever and remains the most credible R&D establishment. However, expecting our premier space R&D organization to simultaneously handle the responsibilities of NASA, FCC, Boeing, and SpaceX simply isn’t feasible. Limited manpower and budget leave little capacity to either do business or support business. Opening up ‘facilities to be shared with the private sector is in line with global best practices to help spur innovation and reduce the capital-intensive and high fixed-cost nature of the space business for the industry.

With this change, ISRO’s large talent pool and world-class infrastructure would be made available to the private players that would attract investments and also bring innovators to synergize efforts with ISRO. India spends currently approximately $ 1.6 billion on space annually, 6x lower than China, and more than 30 times lower than the US. The privatization of space is likely to enhance India’s revenue and spend contribution in space, not only making it a major revenue earner but also providing quality jobs.

India has a huge reservoir of talent, currently over 50 startups are set to launch operations in India with a potential not only to bring large revenues but also technology. India is also one of the few countries having a space institute (Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum). However, being a restricted domain, most passports found their future abroad. Now, this pool of talented and qualified engineers shall work for India. This is a major initiative towards making India truly self-reliant (Atmanirbhar).

It was essential for India to open the space sector for private players to meet the demand for space-based applications such as satellite-based remote sensing and data connectivity. This would allow India to digitize several industries and sectors that operate in rural and remote areas. Industry 4.0 applications, such as IoT connectivity over satellite, were also gated as they lacked the enabling infrastructure and open/fair policy. This reform will heavily contribute to creating smart villages, that benefit from both connectivity and space-based services for farming, water management, and disaster prevention.

National Security is largely dependent on surveillance, navigation, and communication proficiency of the nation. The military needs C4I2STAR capability to have a technological edge over adversaries and also bring in the necessary operational superiority. The use of data, networked and secure communications, AI applications and cross-platform compatibility would now be possible with the space revolution that the country has triggered. DRDO has rapidly built the capability to provide state-of-the-art R&D in the field of Defence Space Applications.

They even demonstrated their capability in anti-satellite missions. While the majority of defense application development may still remain under the DRDO domain, availability of private industry for defense needs certainly spares the government resources to engage in more critical missions. DRDO has established itself as a leader in missile technology, it is now set to take strides towards defense space.

Similarly, ISRO would be free from mundane activities of being a space service provider but now would engage in advanced research, in achieving missions that are truly path-breaking in technology and in the exploration of space that would be necessary for India to be a credible space power.

Inzamam throws weight behind Babar to do well in all formats

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Inzamam throws weight behind Babar to do well in all formats

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has backed rising star Babar Azam, saying the Pakistan white-ball skipper has the numbers to back him amid constant comparisons with Virat Kohli.

“Babar is always compared to Virat Kohli but the latter has played a lot more cricket and if you look at their stats and performances at the stage Babar is now, he has not done badly at all,” Inzamam told a TV channel.

The two modern-day greats are time and again pitted against each other, by fans and critics alike, for their impeccable playing styles and incredible consistency.

Azam recently stated that he doesn’t want to be compared with India captain Kohli but with some of the top-class batsmen that have donned the jersey of Pakistan in the past.

“I don’t want to be compared with Virat Kohli. It would be better if people compare me with one of the Pakistani legends like Javed Miandad, Mohammad Yousuf or Younis Khan,” Azam said during a teleconference as per Cricket Pakistan.

Azam and his Pakistan teammates have already touched down in England for their much-anticipated series in August which includes three Tests and as many T20Is.

“Babar struggled initially in Test cricket but we never had any doubt about his ability so we persisted with him and see today where he is standing in all formats,” Inzamam added.

Odisha reports 5 more corona deaths, 495 positive cases

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Odisha reports 5 more corona deaths, 495 positive cases

Five more COVID-19 deaths were reported in Odisha taking the death toll to 34 in the state, informed the Health Department on Saturday.

The state also reported 495 new corona positive cases in the last 24 hours.

Three fatalities were reported in Ganjam district and two in Khordha district.

A 51-year-old male from Bhubaneswar, who was suffering from Pleural Tuberculosis and a 64-year-old male from the state capital city suffering from diabetes succumbed to the virus, informed the health department. Bhubaneswar comes under the Khordha district.

A 50-year-old male from Ganjam, also suffering from diabetes and hypertension, a 27-year-old male and a 35-year-old male from the Ganjam too succumbed to the deadly virus.

Out of 495 fresh positive cases, 355 cases have been detected from different quarantine centers and 140 are local cases.

Ganjam registered the highest 216 fresh cases.

The total positive cases mounted to 8,601 in the state. The active cases stand at 2,853 and recoveries at 5,705.

S.Korea on high alert over rising COVID-19 cases

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S.Korea on high alert over rising COVID-19 cases

South Korea was on high alert as new coronavirus cases exceeded 60 on Saturday for the second straight day, with infections outside the Seoul metropolitan area and cases from overseas showing no signs of a

slowdown.

Health authorities said the spread of the COVID-19 virus appears to be picking up speed, amid concerns the country’s cases may return to an upward trajectory, reports Yonhap News Agency.

The country added 63 cases, which are composed of 36 local infections and 27 cases from overseas, bringing the total caseload to 13,030, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said in a statement.

The number of locally transmitted infections fell 16 from 52 a day earlier, while cases from overseas rose 16 from 11, the statement said.

The number of cases affiliated with the US Forces Korea (USFK) reached 47 on Saturday, according to the American military.

In extended efforts to get the COVID-19 virus under control, health authorities on Saturday made it obligatory for all crewmen to take virus tests when they leave their ships for rotation or their off days starting Monday.

Over the past two months, the densely populated Seoul and the surrounding area, which house around half of the country’s 51-million population, took up most of the newly added cases here.

The trend has prodded health authorities to focus on curbing the spread of the virus in the greater Seoul area.

Last month, they decided to indefinitely apply toughened infection preventive measures in the region amid the growing number of patients from clubs and door-to-door businesses.

The country has carried out 1,319,523 tests since January 3.

Mars Orbiter photos of Red Planet’s biggest moon released

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Mars Orbiter photos of Red Planet’s biggest moon released

The Indian space agency on Friday released an image of Phobos, the closest and biggest moon of Mars clicked on July 1 by the Mars Colour Camera onboard the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).

According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the image was clicked by MOM when it was about 7,200 km from Mars and 4,200 km from Phobos.

“Spatial resolution of the image is 210 m. This is a composite image generated from 6 MCC frames and has been color corrected,” ISRO said.

The ISRO said Phobos is largely believed to be made up of carbonaceous chondrites.

“The violent phase that Phobos has encountered is seen in the large section gouged out from a past collision (Stickney crater) and bouncing ejecta. Stickney, the largest crater on Phobos along with the other craters (Shklovsky, Roche, and Grildrig) are also seen in this image,” ISRO said.

The Rs 450 crore MOM was launched on Nov 5, 2013, from the Indian rocket port at Sriharikota.

Forward Gabriek Martinelli signs new long-term deal with Arsenal

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Forward Gabriek Martinelli signs new long-term deal with Arsenal

Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal, securing his future with the Premier League club.

Martinelli has scored 10 goals in 26 appearances this season since joining from Ituano last summer.

“I am very happy that Gabi has signed a new contract with us. He is a very talented young player and he has impressed us with his performances, attitude, and work-rate. We are looking forward to getting him back to full fitness and to watching his development at our club,” head coach Mikel Arteta was quoted as saying by the official club website.

The Brazil U-23 international began his Arsenal career by scoring on his debut on our USA pre-season tour last summer against Colorado Rapids.

He scored his first Premier League goal in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over West Ham United in December and has become the first teenager to score 10 goals in a single season for the club since Nicolas Anelka more than 20 years ago.

Earlier this week, 18-year-old winger Bukayo Saka also signed a long-term deal with Arsenal. Saka has been at the club since the age of seven. He made his debut in a Europa League match on November 18 and has since made 34 first-team appearances for the side. Saka has assisted 11 goals and is the first teenager to do so for Arsenal since Cesc Fabregas in the 2006/07 season.

K’taka girl writes board exam hours after father’s death

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K’taka girl writes board exam hours after father’s death

A grieving Class X student wrote her last SSLC board exam in Karnataka’s Gadag despite her father passing away early in the morning on Friday, an official said.

“Holding back tears, an emotional 16-year-old Anusha Bhajantri mustered the courage to write her last SSLC board exam in Hindi (third language), hours after her father died at home early morning due to sudden illness,” Gadag block education officer S.S. Keladi Mata told IANS over the phone.

Gadag is about 380 km northwest of Bengaluru.

“Though Anusha had the option of skipping the test and appear in the supplementary board exams due in August, she did not want any further delay, as the exams were already postponed from March due to the COVID-induced extended lockdown. She wrote five subjects since June 25,” said Mata.

Anusha is a student of the unaided Thontadavya High School in the town, but her exam center was at the K.H. Patil high school, a little away from her home.

“Anusha’s father Suresh Bhajantri, 58, was ailing for some time after surgery on his spinal cord at the state-run KIMS hospital in Hubballi, about 55 km away from Gadag,” said Mata.

Anusha is the younger daughter of Bhajantri, who was a teacher in the state-run HPS Primary School in Gadag. Her mother Sumithra is also a teacher in the same school.

Anusha rushed home after finishing her exam at 1:30 p.m. for the last rites of her father.

“The state education department has given Rs 15,000 to Anusha’s family for the funeral expenses of Bhajantri, as he was still in service,” added Mata.

Antibodies that could shield kids from rare, polio-like disease

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Antibodies that could shield kids from rare, polio-like disease

Researchers have identified human antibodies that potentially can prevent a rare but devastating polio-like illness in children linked to a respiratory viral infection.

The illness, called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), causes sudden weakness in the arms and legs following a fever or respiratory illness.

More than 600 cases have been identified since the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention began tracking the disease in 2014.

“We were excited to isolate potent human antibodies that inhibit this devastating polio-like virus, and these studies will form the basis for taking them forward to clinical trials,” said James Crowe, Professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in the US.

There is no specific treatment for AFM, which tends to strike in the late summer or early fall and has been associated with some deaths.

However, the disease has recently been linked to a group of respiratory viruses called enterovirus D68 (EV-D68).

Researchers at the Vanderbilt Vaccine Center isolated antibody-producing blood cells from the blood of children who had previously been infected by EV-D68.

By fusing the blood cells to fast-growing myeloma cells, the researchers were able to generate a panel of monoclonal antibodies that potently neutralized the virus in laboratory studies.

Researchers at Purdue University determined the structure of the antibodies, which shed light on how they specifically recognize and bind to EV-D68.

One of the antibodies protected mice from respiratory and neurologic disease when given either before or after infection by the enterovirus, said the study published in the journal Science Immunology.

“Studying infectious disease from a very basic level and applying the results in an animal model of disease is very powerful; hopefully, our studies will translate to a future therapeutic for this disease in children,” said Richard Kuhn, Professor at Purdue University.

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