The BCG tuberculosis vaccine boosts the production of immune cells and this may explain how it protects newborns from dying of sepsis

President Xi Jinping expresses concern about the threat to its neighbour, and offers to help.

Women post selfies demanding more representation in official bodies dealing with Covid-19.

President Xi Jinping expresses concern about the threat to its neighbour, and offers to help.

India badminton coach Pullela Gopichand on Thursday emphasized on the need for physical literacy as people around the world are fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. Gopichand along with Margaret Whitehead, who is an esteemed philosopher and stalwart of the modern interpretation of physical literacy, also highlighted the importance of support from the top leadership to promote the need for Physical Literacy and see it as a key pillar for the national level development.

"Physical literacy is a very important part of our life. I think physical activity needs to take centre stage. Health, fitness and all of these things are important especially in these days of COVID-19. We see the need for it more and more," Gopichand told reporters via video conferencing during ELMS Sports Foundation webinar. "We need a healthy and happy country during these challenging times. Our vision to improve physical literacy, sporting excellence in India has received a huge fillip with the involvement of stalwarts like Gopichand and Whitehead interacting on the subject," ELMS Sports Foundation's co-promoter Vita Dani said.

"A healthier and happier nation is truly the need of the hour, not just during the challenging times we're living in currently, but also in the future as we look to bounce back," she added, in the webinar that was widely attended by government officials, heads of private institutions, leading faculty from Physical Education and the media.

Mentored by two of India's most popular sports legends -- two-time Olympic medal-winning coach Gopichand and Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra -- ELMS Sports Foundation has been making a huge impact highlighting the subject of physical literacy in the country.

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Actor Ajay Devgn on Wednesday shared a PSA for 'Aarogya Setu' app. The video featured the actor in dual roles, first as a bodyguard that acts as Setu and the second role shows the actor as himself.

The 'Tanhaji' star took to Twitter and shared the video in which he is shown exercising while Ajay who also played the role of a bodyguard and introduces himself to the actor saying, "Sir, I am your new bodyguard, Setu."

Dhanyawad @PMOIndia @narendramodi for creating a personal bodyguard for every Indian to fight COVID-19. #SetuMeraBodyguard hai aur aapka bhi.

Download @SetuAarogya now!

#IndiaFightsCoronahttps://t.co/fU7MfKfDwM pic.twitter.com/MHi7SMSTGD

— Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) April 22, 2020

Ajay then says, "But I already have bodyguards." "Sir, I'm a different type of bodyguard. Only Setu can guard you against coronavirus."

"How can this save us from coronavirus," asks Devgn. Setu replies: "I can alarm you in advance about the coronavirus threat, and I also alarm you in advance if coronavirus positive person is around you."

"Sir, I also will let you know if your family has any threat from your family," he added. To which Ajay replies, "Why would my family be threatened of me?"

"Sir, if you unconsciously get in contact with a corona positive patient, I am going to alarm immediately so that you don't pass the disease to your family."

He then announced that the Government of India has recruited me as a personal bodyguard to 130 crore Indians.

At the end of the video, the 'Golmaal' star appeals to download the AarogyaSetup app, and says "Setu is my bodyguard from coronavirus, and yours too! "

Along with the video Devgn wrote, Dhanyawad @PMOIndia@narendramodi for creating a personal bodyguard for every Indian to fight COVID-19. #SetuMeraBodyguard hai aur aapka bhi. Download @SetuAarogya now! #IndiaFightsCorona https://bit.ly/AarogyaSetuAppDownload... "

AarogyaSetu app, that was launched earlier this month in a public-private partnership, enables people to themselves assess the risk for their catching the coronavirus infection. The app makes its calculations based on a person's interaction with others, using Bluetooth technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

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Sharing a doodle that said 'not all heroes wear capes,' actor Arjun Kapoor on Monday applauded the healthcare workers of the country who are fighting to combat COVID-19.

The 'Panipat' actor took to Twitter to share the doodle that featured a doctor, a nurse, and a medical staff taking care of an elderly person.

Bowing down to health workers today for their tremendous efforts to #FightCovid19! They work 24/7, through the year to deliver critical services like immunization across the country. Let’s stand #Together4Health and applaud their unwavering grit and determination! pic.twitter.com/9VkuE4kFYm

— arjunk26 (@arjunk26) April 27, 2020

The doodle was titled 'not all heroes wear capes' and an additional text on it read, 'Front-line health workers are working round the clock to keep us safe & healthy. True Heroes.'

Kapoor also urged others to stand up and applaud the healthcare workers for their unwavering determination.

"Bowing down to health workers today for their tremendous efforts to #FightCovid19! They work 24/7, through the year to deliver critical services like immunization across the country," he tweeted.

"Let's stand #Together4Health and applaud their unwavering grit and determination!" his tweet further read.

The '2 States' actor has been posting on social media to raise awareness about different issues related to the coronavirus ever since the crisis began in the country.

Kapoor has several times posted on social media asking people to not abandon their pets due to coronavirus and has also urged people to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.

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People with chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes may suffer physical repercussions if they get into a fight with their spouse, according to a new study.

The findings, published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine, suggests that in two groups of older individuals -- one group with arthritis and one with diabetes -- the patients who felt more tension with their spouse also reported worse symptoms on those days.

"The findings gave us an insight into how marriage might affect health, which is important for people dealing with chronic conditions like arthritis or diabetes," said co-author Lynn Martire, Professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US.

People with osteoarthritis in their knees who experience greater pain become disabled quicker, and people with diabetes that is not controlled have a greater risk for developing complications, the researcher said.

For the study, the researchers recruited a group of 145 patients with osteoarthritis in the knee and their spouses. The other included 129 patients with Type 2 diabetes and their spouses.

The participants in both groups kept daily diaries about their mood, how severe their symptoms were, and whether their interactions with their spouse were positive or negative. The participants in the arthritis and diabetes groups kept their diaries for 22 and 24 days, respectively.

The researchers found that within both groups of participants, patients were in a worse mood on days when they felt more tension than usual with their spouse, which in turn led to greater pain or severity of symptoms.

The researchers also found that within the group with arthritis, the severity of the patient's pain also had an effect on tensions with their spouse the following day.

When they had greater pain, they were in a worse mood and had greater tension with their partner the next day, the researcher added.

Turns out, sex and some certain virus can provide aid to fight against cancer.

According to a research conducted by the Ottawa Hospital, a common treatment for erectile dysfunction combined with the flu vaccine may be able to help the immune system mop up cancer cells left behind after surgery.

The study showed that this unconventional strategy can reduce the spread of cancer by more than 90 percent in a mouse model. It is now being evaluated in a world-first clinical trial.

"Surgery is very effective in removing solid tumours," said senior author Rebecca Auer.

"However, we're now realizing that, tragically, surgery can also suppress the immune system in a way that makes it easier for any remaining cancer cells to persist and spread to other organs. Our research suggests that combining erectile dysfunction drugs with the flu vaccine may be able to block this phenomenon and help prevent cancer from coming back after surgery."

The current study investigated sildenafil (Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis) and an inactivated influenza vaccine (Agriflu) in a mouse model that mimics the spread of cancer (metastasis) after surgery.

Auer is now leading the first clinical trial in the world of an erectile dysfunction drug (tadalafil) and the flu vaccine in people with cancer.

It will involve 24 patients at The Ottawa Hospital undergoing abdominal cancer surgery. This trial is designed to evaluate the safety and look for changes in the immune system. If successful, larger trials could look at possible benefits to patients.

"We're really excited about this research because it suggests that two safe and relatively inexpensive therapies may be able to solve a big problem in cancer," said Auer. "If confirmed in clinical trials, this could become the first therapy to address the immune problems caused by cancer surgery."

Using a variety of mouse and human models, Auer's team also made progress in understanding how erectile dysfunction drugs and the flu vaccine affect cancer after surgery.

Normally, immune cells called natural killer (NK) cells play a major role in killing metastatic cancer cells. But surgery causes another kind of immune cell, called a myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC), to block the NK cells.

Auer's team has found that erectile dysfunction drugs block these MDSCs, which allows the NK cells to do their job, fighting cancer. The flu vaccine further stimulated the NK cells.

"Cancer immunotherapy is a huge area of research right now, but we're still learning how best to use it in the time around surgery," said first author Lee-Hwa Tai. "This research is an important step forward that opens up many possibilities."

The study is published in the journal OncoImmunology.

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ACP Sanjay Kadam starts his day early at the gym, before heading to his office in Bandra West. Pic/RANE ASHISH

Right opposite Dongri police station, cut only by a turning road-strip, is a small ground that sees a flurry of activity every evening. Men in khakhi head out here post work, and engage in a few minutes of pushing and pulling under the dim street lighting, before finally calling it a day.

The open-air gymnasium was started 18 months ago. Until then, the vacant plot doubled up as a makeshift storage area for seized goods. But, with a fitness-conscious senior police inspector, Nitin Bangale, at the helm of affairs, the force had a slim chance of escaping a tough physical regime. When not manning his jurisdiction, Bangale goads his juniors to train with him. In 2015, when Sangram Balasaheb Kadam, a trained body-builder, joined as sub-inspector, Bangale found a willing partner to fuel this obsession. Together, they pump enough iron to put Salman Khan to shame. But, could that be said of the rest of the force serving in the 97 police stations within the city's jurisdiction?

Last month, after the Mumbai police fired back at author Shobhaa De for a tweet that fat-shamed a cop, whom she had incorrectly assumed was from Mumbai Police, the force made no pretence at hiding its disdain. Whether this confidence had anything to do with the healthy turnaround that they have witnessed of late, was what piqued our interest. What we learnt on our 'fit cop' trail was that Bajirao Singham and Chulbul Pandey aren't just figments of Bollywood's popular imagination. Some of them are right there in your nearby police thana. The success stories, however, weren't written overnight. They have been in the making for years.

Seasons of change
Mumbai Police historian Deepak Rao says it was Arvind Inamdar, who first introduced the rigours of exercise within the force as joint commissioner of police, crime, in 1987. Now, 77 years old, the retired Mumbai-based top cop, recalls, "Back in the 1980s, the gang wars in Mumbai were at their peak. To tackle them, we started the Special Operations Squad (SOS), with brand new weaponry. But, unless they were physically fit, they wouldn't be able to fight anyone. So, every morning, I would meet them and run with them for at least six kms." However, this fizzled out after five years.

While some health initiatives were revived years later under former CP MN Singh (2002), the noose around ill-health only tightened during the last decade, says Rao. "Unlike earlier, 80 per cent of the force takes fitness seriously. You don't see hawaldars or officers smoking on duty these days," says Chimaji Adhav, inspector, crime branch, Unit 11.

When the present CP, Datta Padsalgikar, took over the post on January 31, 2016, he was confronted with disturbing figures from the previous year's health report. Of the 163 policemen, who reportedly died in 2015, 30 per cent had suffered from heart-related ailments. Long-work hours, stress, and poor-eating habits, were leading contributors to the problem.

Work hours re-jigged
Within a few months of taking charge, Padsalgikar called for a meeting of all senior cops to discuss possible solutions to the problem.

Top on the to-do list was slashing work hours of constables, who form 80 per cent of the force, from 12 to eight. "The idea was to ensure that the constable gets enough time to spend with his family and also exercise. This would ultimately make him mentally and physically fit," said joint CP (Law & Order) Deven Bharti. However, the project is still a work in progress.

Eight months ago, the Mumbai police also launched a free health-check drive, which made it compulsory for every cop to get an annual medical test done.

Defining a cop's fitness
What makes for a fit cop? Someone who has "learnt to start his day with fruit and not chai," says nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar, who has been working with the Mumbai police since 2016. Phase 1 of the Mumbai Police Welfare Project kicked off in October, in Zone IX wherein for over three months, she and her team visited all police stations on Tuesdays and Thursdays to conduct morning and evening sessions. Here, they would share inexpensive tips on diet and relaxation. They also tied up with gyms to help policemen get access to quality workout facilities. "They were reluctant at first — the eight chais a day didn't come down to two for everyone, but we got it down to five. The banana became the first meal of the day. As they observed positive changes in their body, they became more receptive," says Diwekar. The second phase of the programme will see her working with police representatives, in a more feedback-led module.

For holistic health professional Mickey Mehta, who continues to work closely with the Mumbai police, fitness in the force is more about mental resilience. "A cop who can clock in 15 hours a day and still has the energy to go on, is a fit cop. They, I feel, are more tenacious than their counterparts in Delhi and Haryana. The amount of pressure these guys can take is not funny," says Mehta, who conducted a training camp at Naigaon last year. The road to fitness, he says, is an uphill one for the police. There aren't enough training facilities, and maintaining a diet is a challenge. But, he rules out the need for gyms. "We don't want beefcakes. We are looking at resilient cops, not athletic ones. I recommend a desi workout — 21 minutes of dand baithak (push-ups/squats), stretching, naukasan (boat pose), chakrasan (wheel pose), dhanurasan (bow pose). They need more of military drills and agility training. For instance, I'd scatter potatoes on the ground and make them collect them in the least time possible."

While expert guidance is always at hand, the force too, has its own set of in-house experts. Inspector Sanjay Nikam, crime branch, was a fitness enthusiast even before joining the force in 2001. However, for him the need for mental strength trumps physical fitness. "When you don't have the opportunity to maintain a proper diet and get good rest, it is only your mental strength that keeps you going," says the 41-year-old, who set up a gym at the Wadala (East) police station, which was his first posting. "That gym is still used by policemen. Later, when I moved to Unit 4, I built one on the upper floor," says the inspector who would organise body-building competitions between 2001 and 2006, for the police force. Nikam's sustained efforts also inspired his seniors, who have followed his example and provided fitness equipment at their respective outposts.

DCP Dr Vinay Rathod enjoys the advantage of being a medical expert himself. "Having worked as a resident in one of Nagpur's busiest medical colleges has helped me deal with stress and pain. That comes handy when my staff approaches me for help. If someone has migraine or acidity, I'll recommend anulom vilom. The body's well-being impacts the mind and vice versa," says Rathod, who has run the half marathon for five years.

An endearing image
Sub-inspector Sangram, who grew up idolising Ashok Kamte, former additional CP, Mumbai police, still remembers the late cop toiling away at his gym in Kolhapur, during a brief posting there. Another popular role model is Himanshu Roy. ACP Sanjay Kadam says, "He changed how people perceived the police force. When he walked into the crowd, people scattered, not out of fear, but respect."

The ACP says that when a cop is fit, his confidence "increases by 100 per cent". "It boosts your morale," he says, adding that you begin to feel like a 'superhuman,' which changes how you handle work too.

Image consultant Rukhsana Eisa stresses on the importance of a smart-looking cop, because that has a direct impact on how the public perceives them. "Fitness will translate into confidence and that in turn will lend them a positive demea-nour while interacting with people. If they maintain a correct posture and a level of hygeine, it only adds to the overall image of a fit cop. This way, the feeling of negativity that people generally tend to associate with the police, will fade away."

ACP Sanjay Kadam starts his day early at the gym, before heading to his office in Bandra West.  PIC/SHADAB KHAN

Sanjay Kadam, 56ACP, Bandra police division
I begin my day at 6 am with a glass of milk and four almonds. An hour later, I head to the gym. I become a child in the gym, working out for at least two hours. I do a combination of weights, cardio and functional exercises. If I had to give advice on staying healthy, I would suggest taking packed lunch from home. On most days, my dabba comprises four to five rotis and sabzi. I eat rice only on Sundays. I don't smoke, drink or have tea.

Mickey Mehta, holistic health professional
Mehta says, "A cop who can clock in 15 hours a day and still has the energy to go on, is a fit cop. Mumbai cops, I feel, are more tenacious than their counterparts in Delhi and Haryana. The amount of pressure these guys can take, is not funny." For tenacious cops, not beefcakes, he recommends a desi workout of dand baithaks and yoga asanas.

Rujuta Diwekar, nutritionist
Diwekar and her team have been working with the force since 2016, sharing inexpensive diet and fitness tips. She says making the banana the first bite of the day is a small victory.

Arvind Inamdar is believed to have introduced the rigours of exercise within the force as joint commis-sioner of police, crime, in 1987

Himanshu Roy, former ATS Maharashtra chief, says ACP Sanjay Kadam, changed how people perceived the police force with his image.

Sub-inspector Sangram Balasaheb Kadam often works out with his immediate boss, senior PI Nitin Bangale, at a gym near Dongri police station. Pic/SHADAB KHAN 

Sangram Balasaheb Kadam, 29 Sub-inspector, Dongri Police Station
There's never a fixed schedule [for a police officer]. But, if I start work at 8 am, I wake up at 6.30 am. My diet is different because I am training to become a professional bodybuilder. I begin my day with six boiled eggs, one boiled sweet potato and oats soaked in water. I pack my own dabba. So, around 10 am, irrespective of where I am, I eat three boiled eggs, and a sweet potato. For lunch, I eat two chapatis and 300gm boiled chicken. This is followed by a cup of brown rice and 2 boiled eggs at 5 pm. At 9 pm, just before my workout, I have 3 boiled eggs again and mosambi juice, followed by a protein shake. Dinner is at around 12.30 and is the same as lunch.

DCP Vinay Rathod runs at least 15-20 km each week. Pic/BIPIN KOKATE

Dr Vinay Rathod DCP (Detection), Crime Branch
I joined Force 1 (a specialised counter terrorism unit) in 2011. For this, you need to undergo commando training for two months, where you run 25 km in full gear, while carrying 30 kg. I completed my training and then ran my first half marathon in 2011. Since then, running has become a part of life. I run three times a week and try to clock 15-20 km over seven days. As marathon season approaches, I increase the mileage to 17 km and then leave it at that. Also, while running the race, I am not keen on minimising time. I finish it comfortably in 2.5 hours. I intend to take my officers on regular treks as part of their physical training.

Inspector Chimaji Adhav swims twice a week to stay fit. Pic/NIMESH DAVE

Chimaji Adhav, 47 Inspector, Crime Branch, Unit 11
I wake up at 5.30 am and head out for a one-hour morning walk. I follow that with an hour in the gym in my housing society, where I do weights, skip-jumping and walk the treadmill. Twice a week, I swim. For breakfast, I have chapati-bhaji and do a light lunch if I get the time, which is usually three days a week. Else, I make do with a vada pao and bananas. For dinner, I have chapati-bhaji and one glass of milk.

Inspector Sanjay Nikam carries a mobile workout kit wherever he goes, so that he doesn’t miss a session

Sanjay Nikam, 41 Inspector, Crime Branch, Unit 4
I follow a seven-day workout rule because during a work week, you are bound to miss at least one day. My morning and evening workout schedule lasts from 6.30 to 8.30 am, and 20 minutes after 9 pm. In the morning I do cardio and weights. In the night, it's walking, running and lunges. I also carry a mobile workout kit, comprising extension, rollers and dip sets. That helps me maintain my schedule even when I'm on duty, especially out-station. I begin my day with 15 egg whites and a glass of protein shake, followed by a light lunch of three chapatis and bhaji (if possible). Between 4 and 5 pm, I have 100 grams of chicken. At 7 pm, I have a light snack with coffee. This is my last meal for the day. I only have a glass of warm water before going to bed.

Constable Sushant Mohite is professional body builder and continues to participate at events

Sushant Mohite, 30 Constable, LOCAL ARMS DIVISION, MAROL
I wake at 6 am, and eat an apple, three boiled egg whites, and brown bread or chapati. At 10 am, I eat two to three idlis, a banana and drink a glass of mosambi juice. If I don't manage to get my hands on this, I eat a sandwich without butter and potatoes. For lunch, I eat boiled chicken, chapatis and salad. Around 5 pm, I eat dry fruit, apple and some boiled eggs. Dinner is light with salad and fruit. I work out twice a day — 20 minutes in the morning and another 20 in the evening. I have struggled with my fitness, but a disciplined lifestyle has helped.

There are at least 160 firefighters who are working indefatigably to sanitise the streets and buildings in these times.

A report in this paper detailed how fire brigade personnel are divided into 32 teams and are sanitising more than 3,000 spots in the city, including, of course, hospitals and other places. The service has pressed its machinery into effect but it is in the end, the human chain that is driving the humongous effort of sanitising a teeming, and impossibly crowded city.

Let us recalibrate some aspects of our life and living, post these measures. One of those must be a more conscious effort to fighting fires. Let us make things easier for these firemen. This means working fire equipment in residential buildings. Do press upon the housing society committee that it is absolutely non-negotiable that they have firefighting equipment in the building premises.

We must also have residents attending the drill and familiarising themselves with the working of fire extinguishers, otherwise, the installation is merely cosmetic.

Learn from credible websites about what constitutes as the first response during fires. Knowledge about how to react first, before the experts reach, is important.

Try to keep stairwells and passages free in all buildings for a getaway in case of fire. Landlords of commercial buildings must check if compounds can be de-congested for easier access in case of fire. Easier said than done in a city where every inch of space is a luxury, but some method to the parking madness may be effective to some degree.

Small measures can go some way to make life easier for our firefighters. A more concerted effort is needed, so that we become allies with our men in blue, who are today preoccupied with protecting us in a different way.

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A fire broke out in an apartment on the sixth floor of the Atlas building on Napean Sea Road on Tuesday morning. While the occupants managed to rush down to safety, two women on the upper floors got stuck and were rescued by the fire brigade personnel.

The Mumbai Fire Brigade said the fire was reported at 4.41 am and they reached the site at 4.55 am with three fire engines, four jumbo tankers and one turntable ladder. However, they faced hurdles as the road leading to the building was packed because of parking.

"The team reached on time, but there several vehicles were parked on the road, blocking fire fighting vehicles' way to the building," said local corporator Jyotsna Mehta.

The firemen then went to the opposite building and were able to douse the flames after almost four hours. Deputy Fire Officer A J Mishra also pointed out that the parking was one of the major hurdle in the operation. "There was a strong wind too," he said. "We got a water connection and started operation from the opposite building to stop the vertical spread of the fire. So the major casualty averted," he said, adding that the fire was brought under control around 8.40 am.

A fireman said, "The residents left all the doors of the flat open. So it was difficult to search the origin of the fire. Besides, there wasn't a fire fighting system inside the building that is more than 30 years old."

The cause of the fire is not known.

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A slice of the verdant Nehru Science Centre in Worli has been taken over by the civic authorities for what Centre director Dr S Khened thinks must be for "an isolation centre, or for quarantine."

Khened said, "I do not know exactly for which. We got official communication a couple of days earlier that a portion of the centre's space will be acquired. The front portion of the Centre, just as you enter the main gate, has been taken. We usually use that space to hold Science exhibitions. We have also held a vintage car exhibition two years ago in that venue, so it is a massive space."

Centre officials said preparations are in full swing, with beds and mattresses and even mobile toilets being brought in. The Science Centre officials have tried to talk to those in charge at the site for details but without too much success.

They reasoned, "it is evident that the officials are extremely stressed and we are in fact, prepared for the worst. Authorities are working extremely hard to get this ready," they stated.

Khened said that the environs of the Centre are very green and will need to be maintained. "We need to have some skeletal staff inside to maintain the green patches, the trees, the many plants that we have. They need water and regular upkeep," he said adding that it was important that the Coronavirus facility is completely sealed off from the other parts of the sprawling complex.

The Centre also has skeletal staff quarters on the premises where currently eight senior officers are living with their families, "so it is vital that those who are going to be shifted into the facilities for Coronavirus, be confined to that space. I am sure this has been thought out and will be done," said Khened.

Physical space
The Science centre has moved its activities online, like most other institutions, with two virtual lectures scheduled on their YouTube channel on May 9 and May 11 respectively. The former will be a talk by Dr Vasant Shinde on Rakhigarhi Excavation and the latter is Dr Anil Kakodkar, on 'dealing with energy needs in the context of climate crisis'. Yet, said Dr Khened, "We will open again as a physical space when the government gives the green light. Children, the main visitors at the Centre, may have some apprehension about visiting since this will be used as a Coronavirus facility.

There is a great deal of wariness as the Centre is just next to the Jijamata Nagar slum area, which is a COVID hotspot. "However, with all the trepidation, we too understand that this is for the greater good, and everybody has to do their part in this fight," the director said.

Line up
The Worli area, with an unenviable record number of Coronavirus cases in Mumbai, is also being taken over as quarantine/isolation areas rapidly. Just around the corner from the Science Centre, the Nehru Centre, which is next to the Nehru Planetarium has also been acquired for Corona purposes.

S P Verma, Jt Director of Nehru Centre, said, "The two exhibition halls on the ground floor have been acquired, not the Nehru Planetarium. I think beds and other amenities will be moved in shortly, I do not know when exactly. We had been told to hand over possession of the spaces and have done so," he finished.

The Nehru Centre joins neighbour, NSCI club's The Dome and Mahalaxmi racecourse as an entire line of Haji Ali institutions, whose space has been acquired for Corona combat.

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Noted actor Sonali Kulkarni known for lending support to social causes has raised her voice against the discrimination against COVID-19 positive patients across Maharashtra, through a video. 

There have been rising cases of COVID-19 positive or even suspected patients facing discrimination. Recently in Mumbai's Lalbaug area a 24-year-old photojournalist working with a Marathi newspaper was ostracised and verbally abused by his neighbours after he returned home from institutional isolation. 

The photojournalist had not even tested positive, however, since he was in close contact with two other photojournalists, who had tested positive, the BMC identified him as their high-risk contact and asked him to go to an isolation center on April 20. COVID-19 positive patients are also facing issues like their videos being circulated or their names being shared on Whatsapp groups.

Health professionals including mental health experts are increasingly expressing concerns over the long-term psychological impact of this on patients and their families. Even Chief Minister Shri Uddhav Thackeray has been urging people to show support towards the COVID-19 patients as well as their families instead of stigmatising them.

The 70-second video has been released by Mumbai based Waatavaran Foundation, and Jhatkaa.org who are working together in Maharashtra to create public awareness on COVID-19. The film has been conceptualised and executed by Goregaon based Geeta Singh and Avinash Kumar Singh of Turtle on a Hammock Films. Through this video, popular actor Sonali Kulkarni is seen encouraging and urging people to treat those suffering from COVID-19 with dignity and respecting their privacy. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

It's a small effort but let's take it.. it's going to be our lifestyle to wear a mask.. just like that - let it be as normal to accept a covid recovered person in the society 💕 Wonderful initiative by @waatavaran 👍🙏 #विà¤Âšार_बदला_à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹नाला_हरवा

A post shared by Sonali Kulkarni (@sonalikul) onMay 4, 2020 at 6:59am PDT

"The unfortunate fact is that being COVID-19 positive seems nothing less than a crime as people think that if a person is tested positive for COVID-19 the person is a criminal. This is wrong and this mentality needs to change," says Sonali Kulkarni in the video. "Our fight is against the pandemic, not the people suffering from it," appeals Kulkarni.

Kulkarni concludes by appealing to the public that, let's not shake hands, instead let's shake off all the myths and stigma that is associated with being COVID 19 positive.

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As many as 918 COVID-19 cases and 34 deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of such cases to 8,447 in the country, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday, while asserting that the government is "extra prepared" if there is an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus patients.

Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry's Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said the government is expanding the COVID-19 testing capacity in state-run as well as private medical colleges. "The total number of COVID-19 cases has risen to 8,447. A total of 918 new cases and 34 deaths have been reported since Saturday. The good news is that 716 people have recovered and have been discharged so far. Seventy-four people have been cured since Saturday. The government is extra prepared if the number of cases rises exponentially," he said.

"We are working on an urgent basis to expand the capacity for COVID-19 testing in government and private medical colleges across the country. Fourteen mentor institutes, including the AIIMS and NIMHANS, have been identified to mentor the medical colleges and expand the coronavirus testing capacity," Agarwal added.

According to ICMR officials, a total of 1,86,906 samples have so far been tested across the country, of which 7,953 have been found positive for COVID-19. "In the last five days, on an average, 15,747 samples were tested per day and 584 of those were found to be positive per day," an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) official said at the press briefing. Responding to a question about development of vaccines, he said, "There are 40 plus candidate vaccines that are under development but none of them has reached the next stage."

Relief distribution pictures banned

District magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary has banned circulation of photos and videos showing distribution of relief on social media sites.

'Bengal not fighting a communal virus'

The Centre and the West Bengal government on Saturday pressed a confrontationist button over the Union Home Ministry writing to the state chief secretary and the director general of police seeking action against the 'dilution' of lockdown measures in the state, and over permission for religious gatherings given by the state cops. Hitting back, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hinted that the Centre had a communal stand and said her government was now busy fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and not any "communal virus".

AP govt introduces apps for food delivery

The Arunachal Pradesh government has introduced various Apps including 'U Tell Us' and 'Dukan Dada' to ensure essentials reach at the doorsteps of the people, officials said on Sunday. Besides the AP government, other state governments of the northeastern region have taken some fresh measures to maintain supply of essentials for effective enforcement of the lockdown.

No food, woman throws kids in river

In a shocking incident on Sunday, a woman threw her five children into the Ganga river in Jeghangirabad in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district. As soon as the police were informed, senior officers reached the spot and divers were pressed into service to locate the kids. The woman has been arrested. Sources, meanwhile, said that the woman had earlier said that she and her children were not getting food in the lockdown.

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Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases across the country, a heartwarming story of an IAS officer joining back work after delivering her baby is winning hearts online. Responding to the call of duty, IAS officer and Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner (GVMC) G Srijana returned to work with her one month old baby thereby cutting short her maternity break in order to help the country fight the novel coronavirus crisis.

An extraordinary feather of @IASassociation. 2013 batch IAS Mrs @GummallaSrijana Commissioner @GVMC_OFFICIAL refused to take 06 months maternal leave and joined back her office with one month old baby in lap. Truly inspiring to all #CoronaWarriors #COVID__19 pic.twitter.com/mzbPsUyTco

— Chiguru Prashanth Kumar (@prashantchiguru) April 11, 2020

The 2013 batch IAS officer was working as the municipal commissioner of Greater Visakhapatnam until she was blessed with a baby boy nearly a month ago. But soon after the 21-day nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Srijana joined back work and cut short her maternity leave.

Stood in solidarity to the fight against #Covid_19 On the call of @PMOIndia @narendramodi #9PM9minute pic.twitter.com/kCT9PxQT7F

— Srijana Gummalla (@GummallaSrijana) April 5, 2020

When asked as to how she was looking after her baby while handling work, Srijana said that her lawyer-husband and her mother were her pillars of strength as they are providing her with ample support amid the nationwide lockdown.

à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना सà¤Â‚à¤Â•à¤ÂŸ मà¥Â‡à¤Â‚ à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय à¤Â•à¥Â€ पà¥Âà¤Â•ार पर à¤ÂÂÂ…पनà¥Â‡ 1 माह à¤Â•à¥Â‡ बà¤Âšà¥Âà¤Âšà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‡ साथ à¤Â—à¥Âरà¥Â‡à¤ÂŸर विशाà¤Â–ापà¤ÂŸà¥Âà¤ÂŸनम à¤Â•à¥Â€ नà¤Â—र à¤Â†यà¥Âà¤Â•à¥Âत शà¥Âरà¥Â€मतà¥Â€ सà¥Âƒà¤ÂÂÂœना à¤Â—à¥Âमà¥Âमाला वापस डà¥Âयà¥Â‚à¤ÂŸà¥Â€ पर लà¥ÂÂÂŒà¤ÂŸ à¤Â†à¤Âˆà¤Â‚।
भाà¤Â—à¥Âयशालà¥Â€ हà¥Âˆ यह राषà¥Âà¤ÂŸà¥Âर à¤ÂÂÂœहाà¤Â‚ à¤Âसà¥Â‡ à¤Â•à¥Â‹रà¥Â‹ना यà¥Â‹दà¥Âधा हà¥Âˆ। à¤Â•रà¥Âतवà¥Âय निषà¥Âठा à¤Â•à¥Â‡ à¤Â‡स à¤ÂÂÂœà¥Â€वà¤Â‚त à¤Â‰दाहरण à¤Â•à¥Â‡ लिà¤Â à¤Â†पà¤Â•ा हà¥Âƒदय सà¥Â‡ à¤Â†भार।#NoCoronaPolitics pic.twitter.com/7md7CxKRp2

— Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (@gssjodhpur) April 12, 2020

Srijana also said that she was aware of her responsibilities and that her service was of utmost importance during the coronavirus crisis. The 2013 batch IAS officer also states that the district administration is working in tandem in order to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Young #IAS Officers leading #fightagainstcorona.
GVMC Visakhapatnam Commissioner, Ms Gummalla Srijana @GummallaSrijana
joined back on duty with one month old baby without maternity leave to serve the City.#CoronaWarriorshttps://t.co/DyP3s0uU2z pic.twitter.com/2HlpvZU9pC

— IAS Association (@IASassociation) April 11, 2020

Srijana's inspiring story was shared by hundreds of netizens who lauded her efforts and her commitments towards the country amid the coronavirus crisis. Twitter user Chiguru Prashanth Kumar shared Sirjana's story and said that it was truly inspiring story for all coronavirus warriors.

She is the real SHERNI !!
India is proud of her🇮🇳
History is witness that whenever our Nation has faced crisis, the Sanatan Women have always come forward to fulfill their responsibilities.@NAN_DINI_ @Aabhas24 @prettypadmaja #CoronaWarriors https://t.co/k7y5OFd8Zf

— Sanatan Women (@SanatanWomen) April 12, 2020

While the IAS association through their Twitter handle said that Sirjana joined the duty with her one month old baby without maternity leave in order to serve the city. Twitter user Sanatan Women hailed Srijana as the real SHERNI while another user said that the country was lucky to have such corona warriors.

I salute Mrs.Srijana Gummala who is the Municipal Commissioner of Greater Vishakapatnam & is the
mother of a 1 month old baby.
She has returned to work, with her baby in her arms, because of COVID19 crisis. Yes, she has given up her maternity leave to serve the Nation.
🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/usYi95hVGb

— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) April 12, 2020

Filmmake, producer and social activist Ashoke Pandit also showered heaps of praises on IAF officer Sriana. Pandit said that he salutes Srijana Gummala, who returned to work, with her baby in her arms and also gave up her maternity leave to serve the nation.

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While checking our bank accounts and our stocked fridges this week, have felt a moment of gratitude for the economic security nets that we have, that will help us tide over the next 21 days untill 30th of April 2020, as announced by the Indian government for breaking down the chain of COVID-19 i.e Coronavirus.

But there are also many who don’t have this net, and now do not have the option of stepping out to earn their daily wage and henceforth they are needy.

Some organisations & Individuals are helping the fortunate former reach out to help the latter. Meet Palan if one of the individual helping the poor society during the lockdown.

To help you aid these initiatives, Volunteers for Meet's team has put together a list of verified Non-Government Organizations, charities and institutions, which are working towards this cause in Rajkot, Gujarat.

For instance, Meet's & his team has successfully called for contributions and have donated more than 270 kilograms of rice with more than 235 kilograms of dal which is the basic staple food in india. Congratulations to Mr Meet Palan and all the best to him for his good deeds.

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The Railways has decided to produce over 30,000 Personal Protective Equipment coveralls in April and also plans to manufacture 1,00,000 of the same in May 2020 for medical and health-care personnel who get directly exposed to the COVID-19 disease when working amongst infected patients.

To provide protection to healthcare professionals in the fight against #COVID19, Indian Railways plans to produce over 30,000 coveralls (Personal Protective Equipment) in April 2020. Railways plans to manufacture 1,00,000 of the same in May: Ministry of Railways pic.twitter.com/PrBfG5AsQ1

— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2020

"The Railways has been able to procure and distribute to its workshops and other units sufficient raw material for manufacturing more than 30,000 PPE coveralls in April. The Railways has set the target of manufacturing another 1,00,000 PPE coveralls in May and sourcing of appropriate raw material has been started," said the Ministry of Railways in a statement.

The Railways has recently started manufacturing of PPE coveralls. The prototype coveralls have already cleared the prescribed tests with the highest grades at the authorised Defence Research Development Establishment Laboratory of DRDO at Gwalior. The Railways has also converted over 5,000 of its passenger coaches into mobile quarantine or isolation facilities to deal with COVID-19 patients.

According to the Union Health Ministry, a total of 11,439 people have detected positive for coronavirus, including 1306 cured and discharged and 377 deaths. Currently, the country has 9,756 active corona cases.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India's fight against the coronavirus is "people-driven" and is being fought by the masses and the administration together. "India's fight against coronavirus is actually people-driven. This fight is being fought by the people and the administration together. Every citizen as a soldier is fighting this war," Prime Minister Modi said in his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address.

The Prime Minister said a vast country like India which is starving for development and fighting a decisive battle against poverty has only this option to fight against coronavirus. "I am confident that in future, whenever there is a discussion regarding the pandemic there will be a reference to Indian's people-driven fight against the infection," he said

The Prime Minister said today's Mann Ki Baat is taking place "when we are in the midst of a 'Yuddh' (war).

"When I talk about a mask, I remember an old thing. You also would be remembering, there was a time when a person seen buying fruits would be questioned whether someone in the family was sick. It meant, fruits could only be consumed during illness, such was the thinking that time. But with changing times, this thinking also changed," he said.

"Similarly, perception regarding the mask is also about to change. You will see that mask will now become a symbol of civilised society. If you want to save yourself and others from disease, then you will have to use a mask. And, I have a simple suggestion, 'Gamcha'," he added.

He added that in changing times due to COVID-19, masks are becoming part of our lives. "We have not been habitual of seeing people around us with masks but this is happening now. It doesn't mean that all those who use masks are sick," the Prime Minister said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months and masks and face covers will be part of life while asserting that the country needs to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. The remarks came during his interaction with Chief Ministers via video conferencing to discuss the emerging situation and plan ahead for tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The country has seen two Lockdowns till now, both different in certain aspects, and now we have to think of the way ahead. As per experts, the impact of coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months," Modi said, according to an official release.

COVID-19 impact will remain visible in coming months, need to fight it with impetus on economy: Modi

Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/6eX7vLdAgn pic.twitter.com/aBYrrrTzQy

— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) April 27, 2020

Reiterating the mantra of 'do gaz doori', he said that "masks and face covers will become part of our lives in the days ahead". "We have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19," Modi said. The Prime Minister underlined that the lockdown has yielded positive results as the country has managed to save thousands of lives in the past one and a half months.

"India's population is comparable to that of the combined population of several countries. The situation in many countries, including India, was almost similar at the start of March. However, due to timely measures, India has been able to protect many people," he said.

Prime Minister Modi, however, forewarned that the danger of the virus is far from over and constant vigilance is of paramount importance. "Prime Minister Modi added that under the circumstances, everyone's aim must be rapid response. He pointed out that many people are self-declaring whether they have cough and cold or symptoms, and that this is a welcome sign," the release said.

Prime Minister said that we have to give importance to the economy as well as continue the fight against COVID -19. He emphasized on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures: PMO on PM's meeting with CMs pic.twitter.com/cjk9KaY6IQ

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

The Prime Minister emphasised on the importance of usage of technology as much as possible and also to utilize time to embrace reform measures and on the significance of ensuring that more people download the AarogyaSetu app to bolster the efforts of the country in the battle against COVID-19.

"We have to be brave and bring in reforms that touch the lives of common citizens. People associated with Universities can be integrated on devising ways to fight the pandemic and strengthen research as well as innovation," he said. He also highlighted the importance for states to enforce guidelines strictly in the hotspots i.e. the red zone areas. "The efforts of the states should be directed towards converting the red zones into orange and thereafter to green zones," he said.

On the issue of getting back Indians who are overseas, the Prime Minister said that this has to be done keeping in mind the fact that they don't get inconvenienced and their families are not under any risk. He also urged Chief Ministers to factor in the changes in weather - advent of summer and monsoon - and the illnesses that can potentially come in this season, while strategizing ahead. Union Home Minister Amit Shah reaffirmed the need to enforce lockdown so that maximum lives are saved.

"The Chief Ministers praised the leadership of the Prime Minister during this period of crisis, and also highlighted the efforts undertaken by them in containing the virus. They spoke about the need to keep a close vigil on international borders, and also on addressing the economic challenge and ways to further boost health infrastructure. The leaders expressed gratitude towards the police force and medical staff for the exemplary work done by them in the fight against COVID-19," read the release.

Impact of Coronavirus will remain visible in the coming months, masks & face covers will be part of our life: PM Narendra Modi in his video conference meeting with Chief Ministers pic.twitter.com/aEhVdXnuBx

— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2020

This was the fourth such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on March 20, April 2, and April 11. Today's meeting comes just a week ahead of the scheduled ending of the nationwide lockdown. On March 24, the Prime Minister had announced a 21-day lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended till May 3.

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In an extra-ordinary sight from Madhya Pradesh, an otter was seen putting up a brave front and protecting her baby from a pack of feral dogs. The sight was captured at the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary that has been making rounds in the social media for quite some time now.

The viral video was shared by forest officer Ravindra Mani Tripathi on Twitter called the scene a ‘great fight’ and ‘rare viewing for humans and explained that it shows a ‘great interaction’ between dogs and otters.

The Great fight

Today morning at Gandhisagar..
Great interaction between dogs and otters.The way elder otter prevents younger one is a great learning.A rare viewing by humans.@rameshpandeyifs @dipika_bajpai
@jayotibanerjee@ @nehaa_sinha @susantananda3 @nehaa_sinha@NatGeo pic.twitter.com/VDrTOLVhrU

— Ravindra Mani Tripathi (@RavindraIfs) April 27, 2020

The four dogs in the video are seen standing in the bank of the river and trying to attack a small otter in the water. Soon, two other otters came to the baby’s rescue and put up a fight with the canines.

In another video, that appears to be of the same incident sharing by forest officer Susanta Nanda on Twitter, the elder otter is seen taking the baby to a safe point and joining another otter into running out of the water and scare the dogs. The caption of the video reads, “Otters defending fiercely their baby from feral dogs.”

Otters defending fiercely their baby from feral dogs. Scene from Gandhi sagar Sanctuary, MP. pic.twitter.com/qYYLbvV9WP

— Susanta Nanda IFS (@susantananda3) April 27, 2020

The two videos have collectively garnered more than 11,000 views on Twitter with over 300 likes and was retweeted by more than a hundred of users. The users commented on the video saying that they have never seen a sight such as this one.

What do you think about the video?

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The COVID-19 epidemic has caused shock and grief to Pune Police after a 58-year-old cop lost his life in the battle against the novel coronavirus. Taking to Twitter, the Pune Police handle, which is known for its witty tweets and informative posts, on Monday announced the sad news to its followers.

ASI Shri Dilip Popat Londhe (57) from Faraaskhana Police Station lost his life this afternoon, battling Coronavirus.
Pune Police prays for his his soul to rest in peace and offers its condolences to the bereaved family. pic.twitter.com/XuGFTjqkIG

— PUNE POLICE (@PuneCityPolice) May 4, 2020

In its tweet, the official handle of Pune Police said that they lost ASI Dilip Popat Londhe from Faraaskhana Police Station due to the COVID-19 crisis. While paying tribute to the cop, the Pune Police also offered condolences to the deceased's family.

फरासà¤Â–ाना पà¥Â‹लà¥Â€स सà¥Âà¤ÂŸà¥Â‡शनà¤Âšà¥Â‡ सहायà¤Â• पà¥Â‹लà¥Â€स फà¥ÂŒà¤Âœदार शà¥Âरà¥Â€ दिलà¥Â€प पà¥Â‹पà¤ÂŸ लà¥Â‹à¤Â‚ढà¥Â‡ हà¥Â‡ à¤Â•रà¥Â‹ना रà¥Â‹à¤Â—ाशà¥Â€ बाधित à¤Â…सलà¥Âयानà¥Â‡ à¤Â‰पà¤Âšार à¤Â˜à¥Â‡त à¤Â…सताना à¤Â†à¤Âœ रà¥Â‹à¤Âœà¥Â€ तà¥Âयाà¤Â‚ना वà¥Â€रमरण पà¥Âरापà¥Âत à¤Âालà¥Â‡ à¤Â†हà¥Â‡.
भावपà¥Â‚रà¥Âण शà¥Âरदà¥Âधाà¤Â‚à¤Âœलà¥Â€ 🙏 Our Prayers pic.twitter.com/7oNIOY14fq

— CP Pune City (@CPPuneCity) May 4, 2020

As per the tweet by Pune Police, ASI Dilip Londhe, who had been fighting the novel coronavirus for the past few days succumbed to the deadly virus on Monday afternoon. While speaking to ANI, Dr. Jitendra Oswal, Deputy Medical Director of Bharati Hospital, where the cop was admitted said, "He was on the ventilator for the last 12 days. He was suffering from hypertension and obesity."

To date, Pune has reported 2,051 positive cases of the COVID-19 infection. Amid the lockdown being extended till May 17, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has identified 69 containment zones where all shops carrying essential services shall remain open between 10 am and 2 pm.

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For the past five years more than 16 lakh speech and hearing-impaired people from across the state have been fighting for their basic rights, but the government seems to be completely oblivious of their concerns. So much so, that when thousands of them gathered outside the state social welfare department on Monday to get a response on their 16-point charter of demands, cops resorted to lathi-charge, which they claim was a 'mild' one.

Manoj Patwari, president of the State Level Association for the Deaf, which had organised the protest, said, "We have been demanding our rights for the past five years. There are schools only till Std VII for deaf and mute people, limiting the scope of education. They do not have designated colleges either. Even job opportunities are limited as compared to those for the visually impaired and other physically disabled people. The certificates given are also bogus."

Speaking through interpreter Atiya Hajee, some of the injured protesters said, "We arrived at the spot around 9 am, and had given time to the department till 2 pm to respond. The cops had barricaded us the way animals are kept in a zoo. When one of us tried to get up, he fell on a barricade and accidentally hurt a police officer. Without even understanding the situation, the cops started beating us with rods."

Senior Inspector M M Mujawar of Bund Garden police station said, "One of them had climbed onto a platform of the administration building and was trying to provoke the agitators through sign language. We were just hitting on the ground with lathis to scare them away. We didn't hurt anyone." He added, "One of the protesters asked the others to go towards the cops. Suddenly about 2,000 of them came forward. That is when we resorted to mild lathi-charge. To bring the situation under control, we had detained some of them, but they were later released." MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, who rushed to Pune, said, "I condemn the incident. The cops who provoked other officers and ordered such action should be punished. It's bad that no one from the government visited the spot."

Member of parliament and NCP leader Supriya Sule, who also visited the spot, said, "This is highly condemnable. The protesters should get their basic rights under the Constitution." Meanwhile, Minister of State for Social Justice Dilip Kamble spoke to the protesters over phone and asked them to withdraw the agitation. He asked five of them to go to Mumbai. However, the agitators have decided to continue with the protest till their demands are met.

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Representational Image

To stop false news from spreading on its platform, Facebook has said it put in place a three-pronged strategy that constitutes removing accounts and content that violate its policies, reducing the distribution of inauthentic content and informing people by giving them more context on the posts they see.

Another part of its strategy in some countries is partnering with third-party fact-checkers to review and rate the accuracy of articles and posts on Facebook, Tessa Lyons, a Facebook product manager on News Feed focused on false news, said in a statement on Thursday.

The social media giant is facing criticism for its role in enabling political manipulation in several countries around the world. It has also come under the scanner for allegedly fuelling ethnic conflicts owing to its failure to stop the deluge of hate-filled posts against the disenfranchised Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar.

"False news is bad for people and bad for Facebook. We're making significant investments to stop it from spreading and to promote high-quality journalism and news literacy," Lyons said.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday told the European Parliament leaders that the social networking giant is trying to plug loopholes across its services, including curbing fake news and political interference on its platform in the wake of upcoming elections globally, including in India.

Lyons said Facebook's three-pronged strategy roots out the bad actors that frequently spread fake stories.

"It dramatically decreases the reach of those stories. And it helps people stay informed without stifling public discourse," Lyons added.

Although false news does not violate Facebook's Community Standards, it often violates the social network's polices in other categories, such as spam, hate speech or fake accounts, which it removes remove.

"For example, if we find a Facebook Page pretending to be run by Americans that's actually operating out of Macedonia, that violates our requirement that people use their real identities and not impersonate others. So we'll take down that whole Page, immediately eliminating any posts they made that might have been false," Lyons explained.

Apart from this, Facebook is also using machine learning to help its teams detect fraud and enforce its policies against spam.

"We now block millions of fake accounts every day when they try to register," Lyons added.

A lot of the misinformation that spreads on Facebook is financially motivated, much like email spam in the 90s, the social network said.

If spammers can get enough people to click on fake stories and visit their sites, they will make money off the ads they show.

"We're figuring out spammers' common tactics and reducing the distribution of those kinds of stories in News Feed. We've started penalizing clickbait, links shared more frequently by spammers, and links to low-quality web pages, also known as 'ad farms'," Lyons said.

"We also take action against entire Pages and websites that repeatedly share false news, reducing their overall News Feed distribution," Lyons said.

Facebook said it does not want to make money off of misinformation or help those who create it profit, and so such publishers are not allowed to run ads or use its monetisation features like Instant Articles.

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Having fought cancer four years ago, former India batsman and Bengal coach Arun Lal knows a thing or two about conquering a dreadful disease and as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic, he feels both immunity and optimism need to be kept high. The former player was detected with adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare type of salivary glands cancer, but he overcame the disease and gained abundant hope in the process.

"It's a disease after all. You have to believe that you can fight it. You have no other choice. You have to be prepared for the worst. Hope for the best," Lal, under whom Bengal made their first Ranji final after 13 years this season, told PTI in an interaction. "You have to keep your immunity level high. You have to fight it. You have to stay positive, and believe in yourself. Eat well, sleep well, keep your immunity level high." Lal was slated for a fortnight's holiday in Europe from April 15, but the COVID-19 pandemic put paid to all his plans and he's now confined at home, like everyone else. "You have to prevent it not only for yourself but for everybody else around you. That's what I'm doing, I'm staying isolated. Looking after the elderly in the house," he said. "Nobody knows very much about it yet. You have to be very very clear that you have to stay isolated. You have to wash your hands, wear a mask. You've to be careful." With the world under lockdown to stop the spread of the deadly virus, Lal is doing his bit, looking after his ailing mother and wife, doing household chores that include cooking and cleaning.

"Gardening, cooking, cleaning. Then I've to look after my mother and wife, both are sort of semi bed-ridden. No help is also coming. Only one person I have," he said. "I sometime make the sweet dishes, or may be the odd gobhi-aloo, bhindi or karela. I also love to cook meat. I make lovely meat. 24 hours is less for me. We are managing somehow." A hard taskmaster, Lal is also making sure that his wards are engaged in training. "Now everybody is training on their own. We have laid out plans for the fast bowling unit. They are given whole plan on what to do everyday and what training, and how to do. We want to be fitter than last year." "They don't have grounds so they can only train on the roofs of their buildings, inside home, or in the drive-in and things like that. We hope to get together from July 1. But you never know. Future is very uncertain," he said. "So far we are only working with the bowling unit. Not the batsmen yet. It's been our major deficiency area. We will work very hard on them from next week," he added.

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An innocent game of hide-and-seek ended in a teenager getting stuck inside the washing machine, only to be rescued by fire-fighters. 18-year-old Amari Dancy was playing the game with her cousins when she thought of the washing machine as a good place to hide.

Little did she know that she would end up getting stuck there. One of the cousins saw her stuck in the washing machine, alerted others and called the emergency services for help. The teenager was quoted by NBC News as saying, "We already had hid underneath the bed, in the closet, and we couldn't go down into the basement...So, I was like 'Oh, ok, let's just hide in the washer machine."

Dancy also said that she was relieved after being rescued, "I was really worried to see if they were going to get me out or not. Once they figured out what to do... I just felt relieved. I just wanted to be out of there."

The ordeal faced by Dancy was shared on Instagram by her aunt Naomi Elizabeth, with videos of firefighters wearing masks and rescuing the girl by removing the top of the washing machine to make enough space to pull her out.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by É´á´Â€á´Âá´ÂÉªá´Â‡ÊŸɪᴢá´Â€Ê™á´Â‡á´Â›Êœ 👑 (@mikoa_samigeisha) onApr 19, 2020 at 9:10pm PDT

The post shared on Monday garnered 6,087 likes on Instagram with hilarious reactions pouring in the comments.

A user said, "I'm dying over here.. thanks for the laughs." Another user said, "I am glad her hair was did!!!" Third user asked, "Are you okay???? It’s funny and all but still want to make sure you are doing okay....." One user said, "Didnt ya mama teach you not to play with washing machines?"

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The US Government, through its aid agency USAID, has announced a grant of an additional USD 3 million to India to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In coordination with the Indian government, the USAID is providing these funds to the Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity (PAHAL) project, an innovative financing platform of IPE Global, USAID said in a statement on Wednesday. US Ambassador to India, Kenneth Juster, stated: "This additional funding to support India in its continuing efforts to combat COVID-19 is yet another example of the strong and enduring partnership between the United States and India."

To date, the USAID has provided USD 5.9 million to assist India in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. This assistance will help India slow the spread of COVID-19, provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public health messages to communities, and strengthen case finding and surveillance. Through the PAHAL project, the USAID will support the National Health Authority to establish a financing facility that can mobilize resources from the private sector to assist over 20,000 health facilities enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), India's health insurance scheme for 500 million poor and vulnerable people.

During the talks on April 04, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump had agreed to deploy the full strength of the India-US partnership to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Early this month, India, at the request of President Donald Trump, had exported 35.82 lakh tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the US along with active pharmaceutical ingredient or API required in the manufacturing of the drug.

Trump had thanked India for its decision to export hydroxychloroquine to fight coronavirus and lauded Prime Minister Modi for his "strong leadership" in helping "not just India, but humanity" in this fight.

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Several drugs approved for the treatment of hepatitis C viral infection have been identified as potential candidates against COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, according to a study based on extensive calculations using supercomputer simulations.

Researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) in Germany simulated the way that about 42,000 different substances listed in open databases bind to certain proteins of SARS-CoV-2, and thereby inhibit the penetration of the virus into the human body or its multiplication. Using the powerful MOGON II supercomputer operated by JGU and the Helmholtz Institute Mainz, the researchers made more than 30 billion single calculations within two months.

They found that compounds from the four hepatitis C drugs simeprevir, paritaprevir, grazoprevir, and velpatasvir have a high affinity to bind SARS-CoV-2 very strongly and may therefore be able to prevent infection. "This computer simulation method is known as molecular docking and it has been recognised and used for years. It is much faster and less expensive than lab experiments," said Professor Thomas Efferth from JGU, lead author of the study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization. "As far as we know, we were the first to have used molecular docking with SARS-CoV-2. And it is fantastic news that we have found a number of approved hepatitis C drugs as promising candidates for treatment," Efferth said.

The results are also supported by the fact that both SARS-CoV-2 and the hepatitis C virus are a virus of the same type, a so-called single-stranded RNA virus, explained Efferth. According to the researchers, a natural substance from the Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which has been used in Asia against various other diseases for some time now, might be another strong candidate against SARS-CoV-2. "Our research results now need to be checked in laboratory experiments and clinical studies," said Efferth. Molecular docking had already been used successfully in the search for active substances against the coronaviruses MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, he added.

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The Trump administration has initiated talks on winding down the White House Task Force on COVID-19 and gradually delegating its responsibilities to the relevant federal agencies, US Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday. Pence leads the task force.

"As I have said before, as we continue to practise social distancing and states engage in safe and responsible reopening plans, I truly believe — and the trend lines support it — that we could be in a very different place. And by late May and early June — and that probably represents the timetable for our agencies."

President Donald Trump also confirmed the news. Asked why is now the time to wind down the task force if there could be a recurrence, he said, "Because we cannot close our country down for the next five years. The administration has learned a lot." The president noted that health experts believe there could be a recurrence but they would need to "put it out". Over 71,000 Americans have died more than 12 lakh have been infected from COVID-19 so far.

Infection rate rising
Meanwhile, the infection rate outside of New York is rising even as states move to lift their lockdowns, an Associated Press analysis found Tuesday.

New confirmed infections per day in the US exceed 20,000, and deaths per day are well over 1,000, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.

And public health officials warn that the failure to flatten the curve and drive down the infection rate in places could lead to perhaps tens of thousands of deaths as people are allowed to venture out and businesses reopen. "Make no mistakes: This virus is still circulating in our community, perhaps even more now than in previous weeks" said Linda Ochs, director of the Health Department in Shawnee County, Kansas.

HCQ warnings ignored
Fired vaccine expert Dr Rick Bright has alleged that the US ignored the concerns of doctors over the import of hydroxychloroquine from "uninspected" factories in India and Pakistan and flooded the US with the unproven and potentially dangerous drug to treat COVID-19 patients.

Italy claims to have made vaccine that neutralises COVID-19

Italian biotech firm Takis has claimed that they have developed a vaccine that neutralises COVID-19 in human cells. According to reports, the tests conducted on mice at Rome's Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases showed that the vaccine generated antibodies in mice that could work on human cells too. "This is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy. We believe this will also happen in humans," Takis CEO Luigi Aurisicchio said.

Pak becomes 29th country with over 500 COVID-19 deaths

With a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the past week, Pakistan has now become the 29th country in the world where over 500 deaths have been reported. The Executive Director of National Institute of Health (NIH), Maj Gen Prof Dr Aamer Ikram said things would start improving for Pakistan in June, Dawn reported. But as things stand, he said the total number of cases in Pakistan could go up to 1,50,000. Pakistan's cabinet has given a nod to relax the lockdown restrictions after May 9.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] Illegal fishing destroys marine habitats and threatens species living at sea. An EU-funded project is helping authorities to crack down on these operations by developing the world's first seabird ocean-surveillance system.

Under complete lockdown less than a quarter of India's $2.8 trillion economy is functional. We are expected to lose over Rs 32,000 crore ($4.5 billion) every day during the lockdown

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