World
Down with Covid, Saurav Ganguly hospitalised in Kolkata
India's cricket control board chief Sourav Ganguly, affectionately called 'Dada', has been hospitalised after testing positive for Covid.
The 49-year-old former India skipper was rushed to Woodlands hospital, a leading private hospital in the eastern metropolis of Kolkata, on Monday night after his RT-PCR test result came positive, UNB has learnt.
"Saurav displayed mild symptoms of Covid. Anyway, his blood samples will be sent for genome sequencing to ascertain if he has got the new Omicron strain of the virus" a doctor at the hospital told the local media.
On December 24, Sourav attended the premiere of Bengali superstar Dev's latest film Tonic, where he was photographed with several other celebrities like actress Nusrat Jahan and Bollywood singer Babul Supriyo.
Read: Saurav Ganguly appointed ICC cricket panel chief
Saurav has, in fact, been hospitalised for the third time this year.
On January 2, Saurav was rushed to Woodlands after he complained of acute chest pain and dizziness while working out at a gym. Later that day, he underwent angioplasty after three tiny blockages were detected in his coronary artery.
Later that month, he had to be rushed to Apollo hospital after he complained of mild chest pain. Subsequently, he underwent another angioplasty surgery at the hospital.
Considered one of the best captains in international cricket, Saurav quit the game in 2008 but continued playing in the multi-billion-dollar cricketing tournament Indian Premier League for a few more years.
He scored more than 18,500 runs in Tests and one-day internationals. Last year, Dada was elected as the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the world's richest cricketing body.
Immigrants welcome Afghan refugees, inspired by own journeys
Tram Pham tears up recalling how tough life was at first in the U.S. But she also remembers the joy she felt as a 22-year-old refugee from Vietnam when a nurse spoke to her in her native language and guided her through a medical screening required of new arrivals.
Nearly three decades later, Pham hopes to pay that comfort forward as a registered nurse at the same San Jose, California, clinic that treated her family. The TB and Refugee Clinic at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is screening people from Afghanistan who began seeking asylum in the U.S. after American troops withdrew from the country in August.
Pham can’t speak Farsi or Pashto. But she can soothe patients stressed out over the job they can’t find or the rent that’s due. The other day, she held the hand of an older Afghan woman as she cried out her fears.
“I can see patients from all over the world come in. I see, you know, Vietnamese patients. I see a lot of refugee patients,” she said. “I see myself.”
The TB and Refugee Clinic joins a vast network of charities and government organizations tasked with carrying out President Joe Biden’s plan to relocate nearly 100,000 people from Afghanistan by September 2022. Nearly 48,000 Afghans have already moved off U.S. military bases and settled in new communities, the U.S. Department of State said in an email, including more than 4,000 in California.
Read: 'Dallas Buyers Club' director Jean-Marc Vallée dead at 58
The operation has been hampered by the need to scale up quickly after steep cutbacks to refugee programs under President Donald Trump. But the community response has been overwhelming and enthusiastic, said Krish O’Mara Vignarajah, president of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, one of nine national resettlement agencies.
“We know that resettlement isn’t a weekslong or monthslong process. Success requires years of effort. And so that’s where it’s really important to have strong community ties,” Vignarajah said.
The nonprofit, which operates in at least two dozen states, has resettled roughly 6,000 newly arrived Afghans since summer, including 1,400 in northern Virginia, 350 in Texas, 275 in Washington and Oregon and 25 in Fargo, North Dakota.
The state of Oklahoma has received about half of the 1,800 people it was told to expect, said Carly Akard, spokeswoman for Catholic Charities of Oklahoma City. Akard said that in their rush to escape, many of the refugees arrived without identification.
“They fled and didn’t have anything,” she said.
In San Jose, the clinic is scrambling to hire more people and reallocate staff for the more than 800 people expected in the county through September. Not only is the number a large increase from the 100 people the clinic assessed in all of the last fiscal year, it is uncertain when they will arrive, said health center manager Nelda David.
But David said that won’t stop the staff of roughly three dozen from rolling out the welcome mat at the clinic, founded four decades ago specifically to assist Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War. Most of the nurses, assistants and other staff are immigrants or former refugees themselves, and understand the shock of starting over in a new country.
Read: North Korea holds key meeting as Kim marks 10 years in power
Medical interpreter Jahannaz Afshar welcomes Farsi speakers at the front door even before they check in for their first visit. In a windowless office, she explains what to expect over at least four visits as part of a comprehensive health assessment, which includes updating immunizations and checking for infectious diseases. A medical exam is required of all refugees.
But Afshar, who moved from Iran in 2004, also explains cultural differences, such as the American preference for personal space and chitchat. She’ll tell newcomers how to take the bus or use the public library, and reassure them that in the U.S., people help without expectation of getting anything in return.
Most staff members are bilingual, and come from a number of countries, including China, Myanmar, Sierra Leone and Mexico, said Mylene Madrid, who coordinates the refugee health assessment program. But staff can help even without speaking the same language.
An Afghan woman was tense and nervous when she arrived the other day for her first medical exam. By the end of the hourslong visit, however, she was cracking jokes and sharing photos with public health assistant Nikie Phung, who had fled Vietnam decades earlier with her family.
Another new arrival from Afghanistan dropped by the clinic complaining of chest pains but was so anxious she couldn’t elaborate on her symptoms. Pham, the nurse, asked if she could hold her hand. They sat as the woman sobbed, then finally spoke of the stress of having her entire family living in a cramped hotel room.
By then, her pains had receded. Pham noticed that the woman’s daughter and son-in-law were upbeat and more comfortable speaking English. She pulled the daughter aside.
“Would you please spend time with your mom?” she asked her. “Talk to her more.”
Staff members have gone out of their way to connect patients to jobs, furnish empty apartments and tap the broader community for rent and other relief. They’ve stocked diapers for babies and handed out gift baskets at Thanksgiving. During a routine visit, a patient mentioned he needed car repairs for work. Within weeks, the clinic had raised $2,000 to give him.
“Your heart is different,” says Jaspinder Mann, an assistant nurse manager originally from India, of immigrants’ desire to help.
Afshar says she can’t imagine what refugees are going through. The former apparel designer and her husband were not fleeing strife and shootings when they chose to leave Iran. And yet, she too struggled at first.
“And this is one of the things that I always share,” she said. “That even though it’s going to be hard, later you’re going to be happy because ... you’re going to learn so much and you’re going to grow so much.”
At the clinic, she hops on the phone to arrange an eye exam for Mohammad Attaie, 50, a radio technician who fled the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul, this summer with his wife, Deena, a journalist, and their daughter. Sana, 10, adores her new school in San Jose but the couple worry about finding work when they can’t speak the language.
Still, seeing people like Afshar and Pham gives them confidence.
“They are successful. They’re working here. Their language skills are good. I am hoping that in less than a year I can stand on my feet,” Deena Attaie said, speaking in Farsi.
Record COVID case numbers reported in 2 Australia states
Australia’s Victoria and Queensland states reported record levels of new daily coronavirus infections on Tuesday as pressure on testing centers prompted calls for wider use of rapid antigen tests.
Queensland state reported 1,158 cases, the first time the state has seen more than 1,000 cases in a day, but hospitalizations remained low. The state has more than 4,000 active cases of which 257 are reported to be the omicron variant.
State Health Minister Yvette D’Ath announced Tuesday that travelers from out of state no longer will have to have a PCR test five days after arrival. D’Ath said of the tens of thousands who had crossed the state’s borders recently, only 0.6 percent had tested positive on day five.
“Anyone who is waiting in lines now for the day five test . . . will not be required to get day five tests from now,” she said. “We thank everyone for doing the right thing. We have made sure we’ve done this in a safe and responsible way but from now, that no longer applies.”
Read: Australia’s most populous state reports 1st omicron death
Victoria state reported 2,738 new cases Tuesday, beating the previous state record of 2,297 cases in mid-October.
Australia’s most-populous state, New South Wales, saw a slight fall in case numbers but that corresponded with fewer tests around Christmas Day. The state reported 6,062 new infections Tuesday, down from 6,324 a day earlier.
New South Wales Heath Minister Brad Hazzard said the requirement for travelers to Queensland to have a negative PCR test 72 hours before departure was putting unnecessary strain on testing facilities. He said in enforcing the requirement, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was “perverting the purposes of pathology testing.”
“If Queensland thinks people are arriving free of COVID, that’s not necessarily true,” Hazzard said. “These tests have been done three or four days before arriving. It’s counterproductive.
“This rule is contributing to the breakdown of the biggest pathology system in the country. We are not getting the turnaround times we need.”
Read: Australia PM meets with state leaders as virus cases surge
Long lines were reported at testing centers around Sydney on Tuesday.
Australian federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has called for rapid antigen tests to replace PCR tests for most interstate travelers, to relieve pressure on testing centers.
“Using that rapid antigen test ahead of interstate travel is a better approach than the more expensive and time consuming PCR test,” Frydenberg told the ABC. “I think that’s a sensible balance recognizing that people want some level of surety about their health status before they travel.
“But at the same time they want to avoid the long queues and long waiting times coming with the PCR tests.”
Kentucky's death toll from tornadoes rises to 77
Kentucky’s death toll from devastating tornadoes earlier this month rose by one as Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday that an infant died last week. The state's revised death toll from the storms is now 77.
The infant, from Graves County in the western part of the state, died last week, the governor said. Mayfield, the county seat, was hit especially hard by the storms, with hundreds of buildings destroyed.
“This is one that rips at the very fabric of who we are,” Beshear said during a news briefing. He was joined by Kentucky first lady Britainy Beshear.
“Britainy and I ask everyone to join us in lifting up this family and their friends and the community in prayer,” he added.
Also read: Tornado, storm death toll at 90 after Ky teen's body found
Debris removal in affected areas is “starting to ramp up,” Beshear added. While around 26% of Graves County is still without power, outages in other counties are down to less than 1%. Meanwhile, some 11,600 insurance claims have been filed.
“Rebuilding these homes and structures and lives is going to take years and we’ve got to make sure when support is needed down the road that we have it ... and we can deploy it there to help these families,” Beshear said.
Also read: Kentucky hardest hit as storms leave dozens dead in 5 states
All together, the storms killed more than 90 people in five states. The National Weather Service recorded at least 41 tornadoes on Dec. 10 and 11, including 16 in Tennessee and eight in Kentucky.
North Korea holds key meeting as Kim marks 10 years in power
North Korea opened a key political conference Monday to review past projects and discuss new policies amid the pandemic and a diplomatic deadlock with the United States.
The official Korean Central News Agency said Tuesday that leader Kim Jong Un presided over a plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party. The report did not carry any remarks by Kim.
The meeting approved unspecified agenda items and went into the discussions of them, KCNA said.
The report said the meeting would review major polices this year and decide on “the strategic and tactical policies and practical tasks for dynamically guiding the struggle of our party and people to usher in a new period of the development of socialist construction to the next stage of victory.”
Read: China releases shortened negative lists for foreign investment
The plenary meeting is one of the highest-level decision-making bodies in North Korea. Kim has previously used plenary meetings to announce his positions on relations with the United States and South Korea or his country’s nuclear program.
It’s not known how long this week’s meeting may last. In 2019, a plenary meeting was held for four days.
The meeting comes as Kim is marking 10 years in power. Since his father and longtime ruler Kim Jong Il’s death in December 2011, Kim Jong Un has established absolute power at home and fortified North Korea’s nuclear and missile arsenals. The economy has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic, U.N. sanctions and mismanagement, but few experts still question his grip on power.
After a torrid run of nuclear and missile tests in 2016-17, Kim Jong Un participated in a series of landmark summit talks with then-President Donald Trump to discuss the future of his weapons arsenals. Those talks collapsed in 2019 over disputes about how much sanctions relief North Korea would get in return for steps toward partial denuclearization.
China releases shortened negative lists for foreign investment
China on Monday unveiled two shortened negative lists for foreign investment, as part of efforts to further open up the economy and promote high-quality economic development.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that the world's second largest economy has revised its national negative list and pilot free trade zone (FTZ) negative list.
The number of items that are off-limits for foreign investors will be cut to 31 in the 2021 version of the national negative list from 33 in the 2020 version, according to a statement jointly released by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Commerce.
The number of items on the pilot FTZ negative list will be reduced to 27 from 30 in the 2020 version.
The two new negative lists will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022.
According to the new lists, foreign ownership caps on passenger car manufacturing companies will be removed. All manufacturing sectors will be open to foreign investors in the pilot FTZs.
READ: China orders lockdown of up to 13 million people in Xi’an
Foreign investors' access to the service sector in pilot FTZs will also be widened. Foreign investment will be allowed in the social survey industry, but ownership by foreign investors should be no more than 33 percent and the legal representatives should have Chinese nationality.
For those industries that are not included in the negative lists, foreign-invested enterprises should be given national treatment, said an official with the NDRC.
China has remained steadfast in opening up wider and further facilitating foreign entry to the country over the past few years, as well as in improving its business environment. The number of sectors prohibited to foreign investors has been markedly reduced.
Meanwhile, a number of major opening-up measures have been introduced in industries including finance and automobiles, creating broader room for foreign investment.
READ: Harvard professor found guilty of hiding ties to China
Bucking a sharp drop in global cross-border investment, China attracted 149.34 billion U.S. dollars of foreign investment in 2020, maintaining its status as the world's second biggest recipient of foreign investment.
BrahMos deterrent, India never been an aggressor: Rajnath
Laying stress on the importance of deterrence, Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India is manufacturing BrahMos missiles not to attack anyone but to ensure that no country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on India, reported ANI.
After laying the foundation stone for Defence Technology & Test Centre and BrahMos Manufacturing Centre, established by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), in Lucknow, the defence minister said, “It has never been the character of India to attack any country or grab even an inch of land of any country. We want to manufacture BrahMos on Indian soil so that no country has the audacity to think of attacking India.”
Also read: India has contributed in establishment of democracy in Bangladesh: Rajnath Singh
Congratulating the scientists and engineers of DRDO & BrahMos Aerospace, Singh exuded confidence that the two units would play a pivotal role in bolstering national security, defence production of UP. “The state-of-the-art facilities will prove to be an important milestone in the defence sector...,” he said.
Praising chief minister Yogi Adityanath for expediting land acquisition for the project, Singh said, “When I spoke to Yogiji and expressed the desire to establish the BrahMos project, he did not take a second and said that land will be made available at the earliest...”
Also read: Rajnath visits Delhi mission to pay tribute to country's Armed Forces
At 66, Lorraine More wins gold for India in powerlifting
Age is just a number for Lorraine More (66), who has won a gold medal for India by lifting 165kgs in the ongoing Asian Classic and Equipped powerlifting and bench press championship, in Istanbul, Turkey in the masters 3 category (60-69 age group), reported Hindustan Times.
The aim on how to keep bone density issues away after the age of 60 brought More, to the world of powerlifting – a journey beginning with lifting tiny two-kilogram dumbbells at her home, More now lifts weights of 165kgs with ease and she aims for bigger and better.
“It is a myth that after the age of 50 women cannot lift heavyweights. For women everything is possible and their body has the power to stay fit and stronger even after the age of 60. I just want to show all women what they are capable of,” said More, from Istanbul who is now getting ready to achieve another gold medal in the classic powerlifter act on Monday.
Also read: Bodybuilding Vs Powerlifting: Similarities, Differences, Pros, Cons
For her first international gold medal, More lifted 165 kg – Bench press (30kg), squat (60kg) and deadlift (75kg) in the equipped power lift squad category.
More won individual gold medals in all three categories and also earned overall gold medals.
“When I started training, I had never thought of entering a competition, it was my son Rohan who was getting trained by Omkar Chincholkar, along with them I also started training.
“In eight months, we saw her improvement and capability of lifting weight and we thought of giving it a try to a powerlifting competition. We focussed on building strength, mobility and flexibility and she has not been even injured once in the last two years,” explains Omkar Chincholkar, owner of Omfit Health and Fitness Solution.
So far, the journey of powerlifting is the golden path for More as she has won eight gold medals in the district, state, national and international tournaments.
“When I first competed in the district championship, I won gold which gave me more confidence and after that, I kept improving my performance. Along with Omkar, I got help from senior coach Girish Binjwe and both are the reason for what I have achieved today,” said More who had planned to participate in the Asia Pacific powerlifting championship in Taiwan in 2020, but Coivd-19 restrictions made her wait longer to achieve an international medal.
Rohan, who himself has tried powerlifting is on the moon after what his mother has achieved. He said, “It was her dream to represent India in the international tournament and winning the gold medal in debut overseas tournament is the best thing that has happened.”
The tournament is organised by the international powerlifting federation, the Asian powerlifting federation.
Senior coach Binjwe said, “She always had the determination to perform better. This attitude has helped her to achieve success.”
Lorraine and son Rohan, jointly owns Japalouppe, an equestrian academy spread over 19 acres in the outskirts of Pune which has 63 horses.
Also read: Olympic swimming ends with splashy new records, US gold
Difference between powerlifting and weightlifting
*In powerlifting the focus is to lift as heavy as possible in a single plane of motion, so squat, bench or deadlift.
*In weightlifting there are two movements, snatch and clean and jerk, and they are executed much faster.
*In weightlifting the difference is that people, the competitors, are judged on not only how much they can lift but on their technical skill and the control of the lift too.
*Powerlifting (bench press only) is a Paralympic sport while weightlifting is an Olympic sport
Myanmar court postpones verdicts in 2nd case against Suu Kyi
A court in military-ruled Myanmar postponed its verdicts Monday on two charges against ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi in which she is accused of importing and possessing walkie-talkies without following official procedures, a legal official familiar with the case said.
The case in the court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is among many brought against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate since the army seized power on Feb. 1, ousting her elected government and arresting top members of her National League for Democracy party.
The court gave no reason for delaying the verdicts until Jan. 10, according to the legal official, who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities, who have restricted the release of information about Suu Kyi’s trials.
Suu Kyi’s party won a landslide victory in last year’s general election, but the military said there was widespread electoral fraud, an assertion that independent poll watchers doubt.
Suu Kyi’s supporters and independent analysts say all the charges against her are politically motivated and an attempt to discredit her and legitimize the military’s seizure of power while keeping her from returning to politics. If found guilty of all the charges she faces, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.
Read: Myanmar democracy in new era as Suu Kyi sidelined by army
Suu Kyi was convicted on Dec. 6 on two other charges — incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions — and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment. Hours after the sentence was issued, the head of the military-installed government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, reduced it by half. She is being held by the military at an unknown location and state television reported that she would serve her sentence there.
Suu Kyi has been attending court hearings in prison clothes — a white top and a brown longyi skirt provided by the authorities. The hearings are closed to the media and spectators and the prosecutors do not comment. Her lawyers, who had been a source of information on the proceedings, were served with gag orders in October.
A charge under the Export-Import Law of having improperly imported the walkies-talkies was the first filed against Suu Kyi and served as the initial justification for her continued detention. A second charge of illegally possessing the radios was filed the following month.
The radios were seized from the gate of her residence and the barracks of her bodyguards during a search on Feb. 1, the day she was arrested.
Suu Kyi’s lawyers argued that the radios were not in her personal possession and were legitimately used to help provide for her security, but the court declined to dismiss the charges.
Read: Myanmar's Suu Kyi convicted in further blow to democracy
The court on Monday also heard video testimony from the vice chairman of Suu Kyi’s party, Zaw Myint Maung, in another case against her involving alleged violation of COVID-19 restrictions during last year’s election campaign, the legal official said.
Zaw Myint Maung, who had been unable to appear in court earlier for health reasons, testified that people had gathered to see her when she visited Shwe Kyar Pin Ward during the campaign because they respect her, and it wasn’t a violation of virus restrictions, the official said.
The offense falls under the Natural Disaster Management Law and the maximum penalty is three years in prison and a fine.
She is also being tried in the same court on five counts of corruption. The maximum penalty for each count is 15 years in prison and a fine. A sixth corruption charge, in which Suu Kyi and ousted President Win Myint are accused of granting permits to rent and buy a helicopter, has not yet gone to trial.
In separate proceedings, she is accused of violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum term of 14 years.
Additional charges were also added by Myanmar’s election commission against Suu Kyi and 15 other politicians in November for alleged fraud in last year’s election. The charges by the military-controlled Union Election Commission could result in Suu Kyi’s party being dissolved and unable to participate in a new election the military has promised will take place within two years of its takeover.
The military’s seizure of power was met by nonviolent nationwide demonstrations, which security forces quashed with deadly force, killing nearly 1,400 civilians, according to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.
Peaceful protests have continued, but amid the severe crackdown, an armed resistance has also grown, to the point that U.N. experts have warned the country could be sliding into civil war.
Australia’s most populous state reports 1st omicron death
Australia’s New South Wales state reported more than 6,000 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and confirmed its first death from the omicron variant.
The fatal case was identified as a man in his 80s who was infected at an aged care facility in western Sydney. He was fully vaccinated but had underlying health conditions.
New South Wales, the country’s most populous state, reported 6,324 new infections Monday, a fall of 70 from the record number a day before. There were 524 people in hospitals, including 55 in intensive care.
Read: Global covid cases near 280mn as Omicron wave pounds hospitals
New measures came into force in New South Wales on Monday, including limits of one person per 2 square meters (22 square feet) in bars and restaurants and required “check-ins” with QR codes in hospitality venues.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the state government is considering lifting the requirement for health workers to isolate after being exposed to COVID-19 because of staff shortages.
Victoria state reported 1,999 new cases on Monday with three deaths.
State COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said Victoria has moved to random genome testing for the omicron variant to better understand its spread.