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15 Jun

BOOM launches Covid-19 workshops and awareness films

editor0 CommentsSikkimBOOM, Covid-19, H. R. Venkatesh

As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, it is also challenged by an information overload in the digital as well as physical environment, which can cause confusion and mistrust. Senior citizens, due to various technical and awareness constraints, are most vulnerable to this infodemic. In order to address this information gap, BOOM will partner with senior citizen forums, organizations, and associations across India to host free online workshops titled ‘Information Overload in times of COVID-19’ that are aimed to empower senior citizen participants to distinguish between news, opinion, propaganda, and analysis. BOOM has also launched five short film series that…

15 Jun

Prashant Kishor- “I want to quit this space”

editor0 CommentsSikkim

Prashant Kishor who guided the Trinamool (and, in Tamil Nadu, the DMK-Congress alliance) to victory over the BJP (and its southern ally, the AIADMK) and then he wanted to "quit" It will be interesting to see how well I-PAC and its new nine-member leadership team can function without Mr Kishor, and how efficiently it can win elections for Trinamool and its other clients. The contract extension will run till the next round of Assembly elections in Bengal, by which time key states, including UP, Gujarat and Karnataka, and the country would have also held elections. It comes a little over…

15 Jun

India, China, Pakistan appear to be expanding their nuclear arsenals: SIPRI study

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The nine nuclear armed states - the U.S., Russia, the U.K., France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea - together possessed an estimated 13,080 nuclear weapons at the start of 2021. Russia and the U.S. together possessed over 90% of global nuclear weapons and have extensive and expensive modernisation programmes under way, SIPRI said. Approximately 2,000 of the total 13,080 global nuclear warheads in the world are "kept in a state of high operational alert", said the study mentioned in the SIPRI Yearbook 2021. It also said Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China were the five largest importers…

15 Jun

Govt confirms first death in India after Covid vaccination

editor0 CommentsBusinesscovid, Dr Nk Arora, vaccine

The government panel that was studying vaccine side-effects has confirmed that a 68-year-old man died due to anaphylaxis -- a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction -- after he was administered a coronavirus vaccine. Speaking with India Today TV, AEFI Chairperson Dr NK Arora confirmed a death following the Covid-19 vaccination but refused to comment further. AEFI chairperson , Dr NK Arora said that the death assessment report shows that the 68-year-old received his vaccine shot on March 8, 2021 and after an investigation we have found that the reason behind the death is anaphylaxis. The other anaphylaxis cases occurred in…

14 Jun

Allegations misleading, motivated by political hatred: Ram Mandir Trust on corruption charges in land purchase

editor0 CommentsSikkimUTTARPRADESH

Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Champat Rai on Sunday called allegations of fraud in buying land for the Ram Mandir as misleading and politically motivated, adding that all temple land bought so far was at below open market price. "Allegations (of fraud) are misleading and motivated by political hatred. All lands that Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has purchased so far have been bought at a price much less than the open market price," a statement issued by the Trust said. Rai said that after the Supreme Court`s decision on Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in November 2019, people from…

14 Jun

West Bengal govt extends COVID lockdown till July 1 with some relaxations – Check details here

editor0 CommentsSikkimLockdown, westbengal

The West Bengal government on Monday extended the coronavirus lockdown in the state till July 1, in order to curb the spread of infection. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also eased the restrictions and allowed more relaxation. The essential services in the state have been exempted from the lockdown and restrictions. “We have allowed extension of business hours with the condition that the staff be vaccinated. We don’t want business to suffer,” said chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Government and private offices have been allowed to work with 25 per cent staff from June 16 with hours fixed between 10am and 4pm…

14 Jun

Akhilesh demands probe into journalist’s death in crash days after reporting on liquor mafia

editor0 CommentsSikkimUTTARPRADESH

A journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, who had written to police fearing threat to his life by the ‘liquor mafia’, died in an alleged road accident a day later on June 13 night, police said. Shulabh Srivastava, 42 worked as the district correspondent of news channel ABP News. While stating that prima facie,he died in a road accident, the police noted they were probing all other angles. A journalist of a national news channel was found seriously injured on Katra Road in Pratapgarh district late Sunday night. He was rushed to the district hospital where he was declared dead…

14 Jun

West Bengal lockdown continues till 1st July

editor0 CommentsSikkimcovid, lockdown continues till 1st july, West Bengal, West Bengal lockdown

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday announced that the ongoing COVID-induced lockdown in the state has been extended till July 1. As per the latest guidelines, all government offices with 25 per cent strength will function starting from June 16. According to the new guidelines Parks can open from 6:00 am to 9:00 am for morning walks. However, only those who have taken COVID-19 vaccin will be allowed entry inside the parks. All bazaars and markets to remain open between 7:00-11:00 am. Other retail shops to remain open between 11:00-6:00 pm. Restaurants and bar to open between 12-8…

14 Jun

Raid on the property in Noida Sector 135 for violating Covid protocols- Delhi

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The arrests were made following a raid on the property in Sector 135, under the Expressway police station limits, on Sunday night, A pool party was being held at the Green Beauty farmhouse in the Yamuna floodplains area in Sector 135 in violation of the COVID-19 protocols. A total of 46 men and 15 women were arrested," a police spokesperson said. The Noida Police has arrested 61 people, including 15 women, for allegedly partying at a farmhouse in violation of restrictions imposed to combat COVID-19, officials said on Monday. All accused were bathing in the swimming pool in violation of…

14 Jun

Bengal to keep 60% Covid beds for women

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While the number of Covid-19 cases have been on a downswing in Bengal, the health department is boosting its infrastructure in preparations for a third wave. As per data that we have seen in European countries, the third wave seems to have majorly affected children. In this way, mothers taking care of children may get affected as well. Hence, we are planning to have availability of more beds for women and children," Dr Ajay Chakraborty, Director of Health Services, Government of West Bengal, told India Today TV. The gender break-up for bed availability is now around 60:40 in favour of males,…