Day: January 12, 2021

12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Brazil researchers report disappointing 50.4% efficacy for China’s CoronaVac vaccine – Times of India

RIO DE JANEIRO: A coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac showed "general efficacy" of 50.4% in a late-stage trial in Brazil, researchers said on Tuesday, barely enough for regulatory approval and far short of earlier indications. The latest results are a major disappointment for Brazil, as the Chinese vaccine is one of two that the federal government has lined up to begin immunization during the second wave of the world's second-deadliest Covid-19 outbreak. The letdown after a more promising partial data disclosure last week may also contribute to criticism that vaccines developed by Chinese manufacturers are not subject to the same public scrutiny as U.S. and European alternatives. Last week, the Brazilian researchers had celebrated results showing 78% efficacy against Covid-...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

In SC, Govt echoes what some in BJP said: ‘Khalistani’ presence

THE GOVERNMENT on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that there was a “Khalistani infiltration” into the ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi, endorsing officially for the first time a narrative that was generated on social media and later repeated by some leaders of the ruling BJP. During the hearing on the farmers’ protests, senior advocate P S Narasimha, appearing for one of the intervenors, said its application said that groups such as the proscribed Sikhs for Justice were collecting money to fund the protests. Chief Justice of India S A Bobde referred this to Attorney General K K Venugopal and asked whether he can confirm or deny the charge. “We have been informed there is a Khalistani infiltration in the process,” said AG Venugopal. The court then asked him to file an affid...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Gaming

IndiGo’s Patna airport manager shot dead

IndiGo’s airport manager in Patna was shot dead by unidentified gunmen outside his home on Tuesday evening, said aviation industry sources. The airline confirmed the incident and said it is “extremely saddened by the demise of our Patna airport manager”. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones. We are in contact with his family and providing them our full support, while cooperating with the relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation,” it added in its statement. The aviation industry sources said Rupesh Singh was shot multiple times outside his home in Patna when he returned from his duty on Tuesday evening. Source link

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Health experts term Covid-19 vaccination drive as great achievement for India, hope for positive outcome | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: As India is all set to start the biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 16, the health experts working at several Delhi-NCR hospitals have termed it as a great achievement and are hopeful of a positive outcome. The experts said that India has experienced a massive vaccination drive but there is a need to ensure the proper arrangements for a smooth vaccination drive which will help in removing the fear of Covid-19. Dr Shuchin Bajaj, Founder and Director, Ujala Cygnus Group of Hospitals, New Delhi said that country is looking forward to vaccinate about 300 million people by the end of August. "Vaccination in India is expected to start from January 16. We all know it is a humongous exercise but good thing is that we are used to massive vaccination drives especially as p...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Entertainment

Ananya Panday shares a stunning picture from her Maldives vacation with Ishaan Khatter; captions, “is it too early to post a throwback?” – Times of India

Ananya Panday and Ishaan Khatter welcomed 2021 together in the Maldives. The actress even shared the pictures and videos from her exotic vacay on Instagram. Now, she took to the photo-sharing app to post one more such stunning picture from her holiday. In the pics, she can be seen enjoying the sunset by the sea. Ananya looked drop-dead gorgeous in a multicoloured a dress as she posed for the pictures. The young starlet captioned the post, "is it too early to post a throwback?" Check it out here: Ananya and Ishaan were last seen in Maqbool Khan's 'Khaali Peeli'. They were even spotted walking hand-in-hand at Deepika Padukone's birthday bash. Meanwhile, on the work front, Ananya will next feature in Shakun Batra's upcoming film. She will be sharing screen space with Deepika Padukone and...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Law catches up 14 years on, SC orders demolition of illegal Mcleodganj hotel

The fate of a five-storey, 40-room hotel, built illegally “by throwing into the air the statutory provisions of law” in connivance with officials of multiple government agencies, on forest land meant for a bus stand complex to ease traffic congestion in Mcleodganj, Himachal Pradesh, came full circle after 14 years at the Supreme Court on Tuesday. A three-judge bench led by Justice DY Chandrachud ordered immediate demolition of the illegal hotel, holding that the “circumstances highlight not only conduct oblivious of the environmental consequences of their actions but an active disdain for them in favour of commercial benefits”. The case, in fact, goes back two decades when, between 1997 and 2001, the Centre allowed 0.573 hectare of forest land on the Dharamshala road to be ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

With BJP seeking foot in Andhra door, TDP takes a Hindutva turn

Routed in Assembly as well as Parliamentary elections in 2019, and with the Bharatiya Janata Party trying to get a foothold in the state, N Chandrababu Naidu’s Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is rebranding its politics in Andhra Pradesh, with a pro-Hindu tilt. Desecration of idols and vandalism at temples in the state has provided it with a pretext to position itself as a protector of Hindu traditions. Such communal politics is new to Andhra, and TDP probably felt the urgency and compulsion to change tack with the BJP having initiated an aggressive membership drive, and having announced a rath yatra now. Buoyed by its performance in neighbouring Telangana, the BJP is testing the waters in Andhra with plans to contest the Tirupati Parliamentary seat where a by-election is due follo...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Covid-19 vaccines hit the road, over 50 lakh doses shipped across India

About half a crore doses of Serum Institute of India’s (SII’s) Covishield vaccine were shipped out of Pune to cities across India on Tuesday as the country launched its final phase of preparations for the mass inoculation drive against the novel coronavirus that begins on Saturday. The first consignment of 2.64 lakh doses of the vaccine took off for Delhi on a SpiceJet flight soon after 8 am, landing in the national capital a little before 10 am. A GoAir flight to Chennai and an Air India flight to Ahmedabad followed. The last flight of the day with the vaccine cargo, an IndiGo flight to Lucknow, left Pune at 2.10 pm. By 4 pm, 54.72 lakh doses of the vaccine had reached stores around the country, the Health Ministry said at a briefing in the evening. The first consignment ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Author and analyst Fareed Zakaria is guest at Express e-Adda today

AS THE Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill in the first half of 2020, political analyst, news host on CNN and bestselling writer Fareed Zakaria found himself wondering about the long-term impact of what was obviously one of the most defining events of the 21st century. While he tried to make sense of the crisis for himself, he used his sharp analytical skills to unpack the far-reaching consequences of the pandemic in his most recent book, Ten Lessons For a Post-Pandemic World (Allen Lane), released in October last year. Zakaria, 56, will be the guest at the Express e-Adda on Wednesday. He will be in conversation with Anant Goenka, Executive Director, The Indian Express Group, and Vandita Mishra, National Opinion Editor, The Indian Express. One of the most in...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Pushing the envelope, Supreme Court stays farm laws, names panel for talks

Ostensibly to “assuage” farmers’ “hurt” and to create a space for dialogue on the contentious farm laws, the Supreme Court Tuesday put on hold, until further orders, the implementation of the three laws and named a committee to suggest — in two months — what changes, if any, were needed after it listens to all sides. This interim order by a bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, echoed what the court had said Monday. Claiming that negotiations between the farmers and the government had been fruitless, the court said a “committee of experts” to “negotiate between the farmers’ bodies and the Government of India may create a congenial atmosphere and improve the trust and confidence of the farmers”. It added ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Supreme Court enters uncharted territory; in Aadhaar, poll bonds, took another stand

With its interim order staying the implementation of the three new farm laws, the Supreme Court has entered into uncharted territory. This is perhaps the first time the apex court has stayed a law passed by Parliament without sparing even a single hearing to examine its constitutionality — the court’s primary function. Although the court’s order acknowledges that there is a presumption in favour of Constitutionality of any legislation, it is, effectively, blurring the boundaries of Parliament’s power to legislate, and the court’s powers of judicial review. “This Court cannot be said to be completely powerless to grant a stay of any executive action under a statutory enactment,” the court noted in its order. It also cited the instance of the court staying the operation of th...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Farm unions welcome stay but reject panel: it’s pro-Govt

Welcoming the suspension of the newly enacted agriculture laws, farmer unions opposed to the laws announced Tuesday that they would not participate in the consultation process to be initiated by a four-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the standoff. The unions maintained they would only settle for the repeal of the laws, and their protest would continue until that demand was met — lawyers who represented the unions Monday, Dushyant Dave, H S Phoolka, and Colin Gonsalves, were not present in the Supreme Court Tuesday when the order was delivered. In a statement, the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, spearheading the protests by farmer unions camping at the gates of Delhi since November 26, said: “We noted that the Court has ordered suspension of implementation ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Most on Supreme Court committee have backed farm laws, called protests misguided

Declaring they will not participate in any court-ordered committee process, the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee has said the members of the committee named by the apex court “are people who are known for their support to the three Acts and have actively advocated for the same”. There’s good reason why. All four members have publicly been in favour of the farm laws and none of them has supported the demands for repealing them. Three of the four believe the protesting farmers are misguided; they are unanimous in their view that the farm laws will benefit the farmers immensely. The fourth member — Bhupinder Singh Mann — believes farmer interests should be protected and, as such, is in favour of the amendments that the government has already acceded to such as...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Politics

Ragi bars to millet brownies, a bakery with flavours of Dantewada

A BAKERY that employs women who were trafficked and rescued, transgenders, and those who are differently abled — the district administration hopes to chart a new course with this initiative in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada. “We wanted to provide employment to vulnerable groups that doesn’t constrain them to a routine job. The bakery will supply bread and other items to hotels and government-run canteens, as well as explore other markets. The idea is to make them self-sufficient,” said Astha Rajput, nodal officer of the project. Set up at an initial cost of about Rs 10 lakh, the Navchetna Bakery, equipped with high-end machinery, is yet to be inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. “We are working on providing both the services as well as the items that were not known in th...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Sports

Mushtaq Ali T20: Clinical Tamil Nadu cruise past Assam | Cricket News – Times of India

CHENNAI: A clinical Tamil Nadu thrashed Assam by 10 wickets to register their second win in the Elite Group B Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday. The architects of TN’s victory were their openers --- C Hari Nishaanth (47 n.o., 5x4, 1x6) and N Jagadeesan (78 n.o., 8x4, 3x6) --- who put on an unbeaten 128-run stand to chase down Assam’s target of 127 in just 15 overs. More importantly, the duo ensured the efforts of TN’s bowlers --- led by leggie M Ashwin (2-16) and left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore (2-17) --- didn’t go in vain. 7⃣8⃣* for N Jagadeesan 👌4⃣7⃣* for C Hari Nishaanth 👍1⃣2⃣8⃣*-run stand for the opening wicket 💪Tamil Nadu seal a… https://t.co/xkHAZfPhA4— BCCI Domestic (@BCCIdomestic) 1610468729000Assam’s modest total was never going to test Hari Ni...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Gaming

158th birth anniversary: TMC & BJP claim Vivekananda’s legacy, flock to ancestral home

LEADERS OF the BJP and the TMC on Tuesday made a beeline for Swami Vivekananda’s ancestral home in north Kolkata to mark his 158th birth anniversary, in the run-up to the Assembly polls. Without using party flags, BJP leaders Dilip Ghosh, Mukul Roy, Rahul Sinha and others led a colourful rally from Shyambazar to Vivekananda’s ancestral house at Simla Street. West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the path shown by Swami Vivekananda is the guiding light for the youth. “We should imbibe his ideals and follow in his footsteps for ushering in a better tomorrow,” he said. Holding posters of Vivekananda, festoons and balloons, BJP workers walked down the streets of north Kolkata on this occasion. Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, BJ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Gaming

Covid-19 vaccine arrives in Bengal, first shot to be given at SSKM on Jan 16

The first consignment of 10 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine “Covishield” arrived in Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon. It is the local version of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, and has been manufactured by the Serum Institute of India in Pune. Sources said the first dose in the state would be administered at the SSKM Hospital here on January 16, followed by the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute. Ten thousand SSKM hospital staff, including doctors, nurses and Group-D employees, would be vaccinated in phases. “May all be free from disease’. One step closer! The consignment from Pune carrying #COVID19 vaccines has arrived at #KolkataAirport. Consignment handed over to State Health Department in shortest possible time to maintain the cold chain,” Kolkata airport tweeted after...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Gaming

Bengal: Sisir Adhikari removed as DSDA chairman

Weeks after Suvendu Adhikari left the Trinamool Congress (TMC) to join the BJP, his father and TMC MP Sisir Adhikari was removed from the post of chairman of Digha Sankrpur Development Authority Board (DSDA). Sisir Adhikari has been replaced by TMC MLA Akhil Giri. Akhil Giri is known as a staunch rival of Suvendu Adhikari. The development has come two weeks after 15 TMC councillors of Contai Municipality, led by former administrator of the civic board and younger brother of Suvendu Adhikari left the party to join the saffron camp ahead of the West Bengal elections. Suvendu Adhikari had quit the Trinamool Congress to join the BJP last month. The Adhikari family is considered influential in the Midnapore region. The removal of Sisir Suvendu’s two brothers are also in politics...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Sports

Chaos as Indian shuttlers in Bangkok go through Covid scare, later cleared to play

IT WAS a harrowing day for Indian shuttlers at the Super 1000 in Bangkok — badminton’s first major unlockdown tournament inside a bio-bubble — with the Badminton World Federation saying that Saina Nehwal and H S Prannoy had tested positive for Covid-19 before allowing them to play, based on the antibody test taking cognizance of them having been infected earlier in December. By Tuesday evening, the BWF declared that the entire India squad was cleared to play. According to the BWF, the Thailand Public Health Ministry’s six-member “working group” of doctors initially determined that Nehwal and Prannoy, and a German player, had “tested positive on the PCR test”. But they also said that the players’ “antibody IgG was positive”. “A positive antibody test means a person has been ...

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12Jan By drnakipuriaNo Comments

Gaming

TMC seeks arrest of Sovan for ‘chit fund scam links’, he rubbishes claims

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Tuesday demanded the arrest of former state minister turned BJP leader Sovan Chatterjee for his alleged involvement with a chit fund company that allegedly “looted money from people”. Addressing mediapersons, Ghosh, showing an old photograph of Chatterjee with owners of a chit fund company, said: “He must first give answers to what was his connection with the chit fund company I-core. He is clearly seen in this photograph attending a function with owners of this chit fund company. He had endorsed the firm. So he should be arrested for promoting this firm which looted money from the people.” Ghosh said he had written to the CBI and the Union Home Ministry in this regard nearly a month ago. He also alleged that Chatterjee was also involved in S...

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