Vivo V5 Lite to be launched in March 2018; Expected specs, price

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The upcoming Vivo V5 Lite is expected to be launched in March 2018. It features an HD resolution IPS LCD that measures 5.5-inch(13.97 cm) screen with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels, indicating a sharper display.

It also sports a fingerprint sensor for the security of the device.The Vivo V5 Lite comes in multiple colour options like Rose Gold and Champange Gold,the price in India is expected to be Rs.20,999. It will come with a 32-GB storage variant.

Vivo V5 Lite is powered by an octa-core Media Tek MT 6750 chipset, which has a 64-bit processor to make it fast and smooth performance. It runs Android v 6.0 (Marshmallow) with Funtouch UI on an octa-core CPU. It has a Corning Gorilla Glass protects the display from minor physical damage.

Vivo V5 Lite expected key specifications:

Display : 5.5-inch

Resolution : 720×1280 pixels

Processor :octa-core

OS : Android v6.o Marshmallow

RAM : 3GB

Storage : 32GB (expandable upto 128GB via a microSD card)

Camera : 13MP rear camera and 16MP front-facing camera

Battery : 3,000mAh Li-ion non-removable

Nokia E1 Comes with 5.5″ display

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The Nokia E1 is an upcoming Smartphone rumored to come with a 5.5-inch touch screen display with a 1080 resolution.The pixel density is 401 PPI.The Nokia E1 comes with Android 7.0 Nougat,powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 pro chipset that bears 4GB of RAM and a 2.6GHz octa-core processor.An Adreno 306 GPU graphics engine.

The Finnish Smartphone will come with 64GB variant, and the price in India is expected to be at Rs.35,000.

Nokia E1 comes in multiple colour options like White,Silver,Grey and Black which are also priced the same. It is expected to be launched in January 2018.

Nokia E1 expected key specifications:

Display : 5.5-inch(13.97 cm)

Resolution : Full HD(1080×1920 pixels)

Processor : Octa-core

Chipset : Snapdragon 821

O S : Android 7.0 Nougat

RAM : 4GB

Storage :64GB(expandable upto 128GB via a microSD card)

Camera : 20MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing shooter

Battery : 2,700mAh non-removable

Veterinary surgeons perform first-known brain surgery on seal

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

A neurosurgical team at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University has successfully performed what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind brain surgery on a Northern fur seal named Ziggy Star in an attempt to address her worsening neurologic condition. Ziggy, an adult female, is recovering well at her permanent home at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Connecticut.

“The ability to successfully complete this procedure with many unknown factors is due in large part to the collaboration among colleagues at Cummings and Mystic,” said Cummings lead neurosurgeon, Ane Uriarte, DVM, Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Neurology. “The combined expertise and skills from all our areas of specialty–from neurosurgery to anesthesia and zoological medicine–was critical to this success.”

Ziggy was first seen at the Henry and Lois Foster Hospital for Small Animals at Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tufts University in September for a condition that had progressed over several years and was causing severe neurologic episodes, difficulty moving, reduced training response, and cluster seizures. An MRI revealed an accumulation of cerebral spinal fluid in the brain, a condition known as hydrocephalus.

Mystic Aquarium took in Ziggy approximately four years ago after she was found stranded on the California coast and deemed non-releasable by the federal government. At the time, she had an MRI that showed some neurologic abnormalities. She received treatment, but her symptoms continued to progress at a concerning rate, with the seizures emerging more recently.

“The MRI taken recently by our team showed that the brain was disappearing due to the excess fluid, and it was significantly worse than the last study four years ago,” said Uriarte. “After discussion with Mystic’s veterinary team, we determined the best option to prevent further deterioration of the brain and to improve Ziggy’s symptoms was to surgically place a shunt to drain the excess fluid, relieving some of the pressure on the brain.”

While this surgical procedure could not reverse damage caused to the brain by excess fluid, if successful, it could stop the progression of Ziggy’s condition, improving her quality of life, level of responsiveness and mobility.

Though hydrocephalus is a fairly common condition in cats and dogs, veterinarians were unable to find documented cases of this particular disorder being surgically managed in pinnipeds–seals, sea lions and walrus. With no published research or documentation on similar procedures in pinnipeds, they relied heavily on their experience treating the condition in other animals, combined with extensive review of the skeletal structure of the fur seal to determine where to enter the skull and place the shunt.

The team present on the day of the surgery, conducted Nov. 20, included veterinary anesthesiologists, neurosurgeons and zoological medicine specialists from Cummings Veterinary Medical Center, as well as zoological medicine specialists from Mystic Aquarium who serve as Ziggy’s primary veterinarians. Ziggy’s trainers were also present, who helped to keep her calm and comfortable throughout transport and recovery. A boarded anesthesiologist who specializes in marine mammals was brought in by Mystic Aquarium as well. A marine mammal’s “dive reflex” can often lead to alterations in heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations when under anesthesia, which can make anesthesia more challenging than with a dog or a cat.

The surgical procedure, which lasted a little over an hour, involved placing a shunt catheter – a narrow tube — through the skull and into the brain. The catheter was then positioned underneath the skin through the neck and passed down to Ziggy’s abdomen. A valve controls the flow of excess cerebral spinal fluid from the brain to the abdomen, where it is absorbed by the body. Post-surgery, the veterinary team confirmed that the shunt was placed correctly via CT scan.

Ziggy had a slightly prolonged recovery after the procedure due to seizure activity that was successfully managed. She was transferred back to Mystic Aquarium on Nov. 21 once she was in stable condition.

Foster Hospital’s Medical Director Virginia Rentko, VMD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, added, “It’s exciting to see our team translate their skills and experience in the treatment of such a unique patient. Taking on these challenging cases is an essential part of advancing veterinary medicine.”

Ziggy is currently living in an off-exhibit habitat at Mystic Aquarium, where she is being monitored through her recovery and rehabilitation.

“We continue to monitor Ziggy very closely,” said Jen Flower, DVM, MS, Diplomate of the American College of Zoological Medicine, Chief Clinical Veterinarian at Mystic Aquarium. “She is showing marked progress daily; eating a full diet; moving well within her habitat and showing normal swim patterns. No additional seizures have been noted post-operatively.”

Proteasome inhibitor leads to higher than expected rates of heart attacks: Study

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib has taken on an increasing role in the treatment of multiple myeloma, but new research from the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania shows the therapy comes with the risk of cardiovascular problems in a higher than expected percentage of patients.

An analysis of past studies shows 18 percent of multiple myeloma patients receiving carfilzomib experience cardiovascular adverse events (CVAE) such as hypertension, heart failure, heart attacks, or arrhythmia. More than eight percent of patients experience high-grade CVAEs that are more severe, which is more than twice as common as with other drugs for treating relapsed myeloma. Researchers published their findings today in JAMA Oncology.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a bone marrow cancer that affects plasma cells. Normal plasma cells work as part of the immune system, but in MM these cells become cancerous and grow out of control, leading to multiple painful bone tumors, as well as anemia, kidney failure, and recurrent infections. The American Cancer Society estimates there were more than 30,200 new cases of MM in 2017. Standard treatments include chemotherapy and radiation. Survival of these patients has improved with the use of proteasome inhibitors.

Carfilzomib is one of three proteasome inhibitors currently approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Proteasomes are essentially garbage workers that break down and eliminate proteins inside a cell. Diseases that require more protein turnover to survive, like MM, need more proteasomes. The inhibitor drugs block them from doing their job, causing the cells to fill up with protein and die.

“Like any cancer therapy, the concern with this approach is that it may have an effect on an otherwise healthy part of the body – in this case, the heart,” said the study’s lead author Adam J. Waxman, MD, a Hematology Oncology fellow in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Brendan M. Weiss, MD, an adjunct professor of Hematology Oncology at Penn, is the study’s senior author. Weiss also works in research and development at Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which does not manufacture or support any of the drugs involved in this analysis.

Researchers gathered data from 24 studies reported from 2007 through 2017, which included information on 2,594 MM patients. They found 18.1 percent of patients who took carfilzomib experienced CVAE, with 8.2 percent of those cases being grade three or higher, meaning they are categorized as severe. For comparison, a similar review of bortezomib, another proteasome inhibitor, found just 3.8 percent of patients experienced CVAE and only 2.3 percent were severe.

The most common CVAEs were hypertension (12.2 percent) and heart failure (4.1 percent). Arrhythmias (2.4 percent) and ischemic events (1.8) – in which there isn’t enough blood flow to the heart leading to the death of heart muscle – were observed less commonly. Researchers also found that higher doses of carfilzomib are associated with higher rates of CVAE, and that carfilzomib was associated with an elevated risk of CVAE compared to control groups who did not receive carfilzomib. “Taken together, these findings argue that carfilzomib is responsible for an elevated risk, and anyone who is treating patients with this drug needs to be aware that this is a common event,” Waxman said.

Researchers say these findings are particularly important since there are already overlapping risk factors for both MM and cardiovascular disease, such as older age and obesity. Previous studies have shown nearly two-thirds of MM patients had cardiovascular disease at baseline, and 70 percent experienced cardiovascular events within six years.

“Clinicians should be paying attention to who may be at highest risk for these events so they can tailor their therapy accordingly,” Waxman said.

Researchers also called for further clinical trials to specifically evaluate this connection, arguing that it may be underrepresented by current data. “If you’re not specifically looking for this, you might report it differently,” Waxman said.

NOAA Satellite keeps an eye on US holiday travel weather

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

A satellite view of the U.S. on Dec. 22 revealed holiday travelers on both coasts are running into wet weather. A visible image from NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite showed systems affecting the Pacific Northwest, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and the areas from the southeastern U.S. to the Mid-Atlantic.

NOAA’s GOES-East satellite provides infrared and visible data of the eastern half of the U.S. In a visible image taken on Friday, Dec. 22 at 1902 UTC (2:02 p.m. EST) from NOAA’s GOES-16 satellite, now known as the GOES-East satellite, a large area of clouds associated with a frontal system stretched from Texas through the Ohio Valley into New England bringing rain with it. The system was also bringing snow to parts of Maine. The front will push off the Atlantic coast by Sunday, Dec. 24 and behind it a second cold front is forecast to move into the region.

In the Pacific Northwest, clouds seen in the GOES-East satellite image are associated with two low pressure areas, one just west of Washington State and the other over Idaho. The National Weather Service said “A frontal zone dropping through the Intermountain West along with a wave of low pressure approaching from the Pacific will promote coastal rains for Washington, Oregon, and eventually northwest California with areas of snow across the Cascades and Interior Northwest as well as the northern / central Rockies over the next couple of days.”

Parts of northern Minnesota, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan are also forecast to receive some snow on Dec. 22.

The National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center noted that weekend holiday travelers can expect “possible heavy rainfall and flooding across the lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys into early Saturday, Dec. 23. Snow and ice will overtake much of the Great Lakes and Northeast, while arctic air moves into the northern Plains.

It will really feel like winter by Dec. 24 as Arctic air is forecast to surge southward along the Northern Rockies and into the Northern Plains in the wake of the cold front moving through the Southeast and a secondary boundary dropping into the northern Plains.

NWS said “Temperatures across this sector will plummet into the teens above zero, which on average will be 20 degrees below normal for late December, though no record lows or record cold high temperatures are anticipated until at least Monday, Dec. 25.

Meanwhile, low humidity and offshore winds will continue to result in elevated-to-critical fire weather conditions across southern California through at least Christmas Day.”

2017 top science news release breaks record

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The most popular news release on EurekAlert! in 2017 is also the most-visited in the science-news service’s 21-year history.

Attracting 898,848 views since April, the University of Central Florida release — describing an artificial photosynthesis process that cleans air while producing energy, complete with video — outperformed a 2012 announcement of trending releases from that year, which has clocked 886,820 visits in five years.

Sunshine State shines

The UCF release is also the most-shared release of 2017 and surpassed its 2016 predecessorby 116%.

Institutions in the Sunshine State also outshone hundreds of others by occupying three of the 10 trending releases this year. In second place, the Florida Museum of Natural History release explains how migratory birds are bumped off schedule as climate change shifts spring, while Florida Atlantic University took the sixth spot with a release about bilingual children’s ability to develop both languages.

NASA captures image of Tropical Storm Kai-Tak moving over Philippines

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Arun Kumar

NASA’s Aqua satellite provided infrared imagery of Tropical Storm Kai-Tak that revealed the western side of storm had moved into the southern and central Philippines. Infrared data revealed very cold cloud top temperatures with the potential for heavy rainfall.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite captured an infrared image of Tropical Storm Kai-Tak on Dec. 14 at 12:11 p.m. EST (1711 UTC). Infrared data provides cloud top temperatures and the coldest cloud tops and strongest storms were blanketing the southern and central Philippines.

Infrared data showed persistent central cold cover obscuring the low-level circulation center where cloud top temperatures were as cold as minus 115.6 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 82 degrees Celsius. NASA research has shown that storms with cloud tops that cold have the potential to generate heavy rainfall.

On Dec. 15 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center reported that Tropical storm Kai-tak, known as Urduja in the Philippines had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (52 mph/83 kph). The storm had slowed to a crawl, moving west at just 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph). When a tropical cyclone slows over land, it increases the likelihood for inland flooding.

Kai-Tak was centered near 11.6 degrees north latitude and 127.6 degrees east longitude, just east of the Eastern Visayas region and about 436 miles east-southeast of Manila, Philippines.

On Dec. 15, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) issued Heavy Rainfall Warning No.17 at 8:40 p.m. local time on Friday, December 15, 2017. PAGASA issued orange and yellow level warnings.

There is an Orange Warning Level for Eastern Samar and Samar, where flooding is threatening in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas. There is a Yellow Warning Level for Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Negros Oriental where flooding is possible in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Kai-tak to continue moving westward through the Philippine archipelago, while intensifying slightly. After landfall in the Eastern Visayas region, the storm will weaken and turn to the southwest where it is expected to track into the South China Sea by Dec. 18.

For updated forecasts and warnings from PAGASA, visit: https://www1.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/

Tropical Storm Kai-tak developed near the east central Philippines as the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed overhead and analyzed its rainfall. GPM is a joint mission between NASA and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

The GPM satellite traveled over the Philippine Sea on December 12, 2017 at 7:38 a.m. EST (1238 UTC). The satellite’s GMI and DPR instruments collected data showing that strong convective storms in the area were producing heavy precipitation. GPM’s radar (DPR Ku band) data showed that a few of the most intense storms were dropping rain at a rate of greater than 143 mm (5.6 inches) per hour.

GPM’s radar (DPR Ku band) provided 3-D measurements of precipitation structure within the developing depression in the Philippine Sea. The storms were probed within the 245 km (152 mile) swath scanned by GPM’s Ku band radar. Several of the powerful storms in the area were found by GPM’s radar to reach altitudes greater than 16 km (9.92 miles).

On Dec. 14, Philippines warnings were posted for Tropical depression Kai-tak. Public storm warning signal #2 is in effect for the Visayas provinces of Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran. Public storm warning signal #1 is in effect for the Luzon provinces of Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate and Romblon; and for the Visayas provinces of Northern Samar, Leyte, and Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu including Bantayan Island, Capiz, Aklan and Northern Iloilo.

On Dec. 14 at 10 a.m. EST (1500 UTC) Tropical Storm Kai-tak, formerly System 96W was located near 11.6 degrees north latitude and 127.6 degrees east longitude, about 433 nautical miles east-southeast of Manila, Philippines. Kai-tak was moving to the west at 2 knots (2.3 mph/3.7 kph), through the central Philippines. Maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph).

On Dec. 14 at 4:58 a.m. EST (0958 UTC) a Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder (SSMIS) image showed a slightly improved organization with strong bands of thunderstorms banding over the northern quadrant wrapping into the southwest quadrant of the system. Animated radar imagery from the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA showed heavy rain bands persisting over the central Philippines.

Tupac Shakur murder weapon found then lost: TV documentary

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The mysterious death of rapper Tupac Shakur surfaced again over the murder weapon that was purportedly found by police officials 19 years ago but never handed over to officers investigating his murder.

The weapon, a .40 calibre Glock was discovered in 1998 in the backyard of a Crips gang member, in Compton, Los Angeles, but was not transferred to Las Vegas police who are still probing the murder case.

A new documentary aired has revealed that the gun disappeared when prosecutor feared that it might spark gang warfare, and its whereabouts remained a mystery, reports thesun.co.uk.

Police records apparently show that the gun was tested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2006 but disappeared mysteriously.

The document titled, “Who Killed Tupac?” said the investigators were concerned about violence which may erupt once the weapon was linked to a Crips member with whom Tupac had “beef”.

Tupac was killed on September 7, 1996, while driving through Las Vegas and his fellow rapper Notorious BIG, was among many people who were implicated in his death but not proved so far.

Sindhu Wins Dubai World Superseries Semi-Finals 2017, to Play Final Tomorrow

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Arun Kumar

P.V. Sindhu has beaten China’s Chen Yufei 21-15, 21-18 to reach her maiden final at the BWF Superseries Finals in Dubai, where she will play against top seed Akane Yamaguchi on Sunday.

Sindhu will be the second Indian to reach the final of BWF Superseries Finals after Saina Nehwal did in 2011.

UTA discovery to make high-speed Internet cheaper

Posted on December 16, 2017 by Arun Kumar

New research has proved how to dramatically reduce the cost and energy consumption of high-speed internet connections, making high-speed Internet much cheaper than now.

Researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington and the University of Vermont have shown in their experiment that nonlinear-optical effects, such as intensity-dependent refractive index, can be used to process data thousands of times faster than what can be achieved electronically.

Until now, such processing has worked only for one optical beam at a time to avoid nonlinear-optical effects which cause unwanted inter-beam interaction, or crosstalk, when multiple light beams are present.

In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, Michael Vasilyev, an electrical engineering professor at UTA, in collaboration with Taras I. Lakoba, a mathematics professor at UVM, detailed an experimental demonstration of an optical medium in which multiple beams of light can autocorrect their own shapes without affecting one another.

It enables simultaneous nonlinear-optical processing of multiple light beams by a single device without converting them to electrical form, opening the way for this technology to reach its full multi-Terabit per second potential, resulting in cheaper and more energy efficient high-speed internet communications.

Currently, to eliminate the noise accumulated during light propagation in optical communication links, telecom carriers must resort to frequent optoelectronic regeneration, where they convert optical signals to electrical via fast photodetectors, process them with silicon-based circuitry, and then convert the electrical signals back to optical, using lasers followed by electro-optic modulators.

Since each optical fiber can carry over a hundred different signals at various wavelengths, known as wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM), such an optoelectronic regeneration needs to be done separately for each wavelength, making regenerators large, expensive and inefficient consumers of power.

An attractive alternative to this is processing the optical signal directly, without converting it to electrical and back. In particular, the speed of light propagating in a transparent medium can be slightly modified by a change in the light intensity. This is a manifestation of a nonlinear-optical effect known as “self-phase modulation” or SPM.

If light contains both signal and noise, the SPM can help clean the signal from noise by scattering the noise energy into frequencies well outside the signal band, from where the noise can be easily removed by a filter.

When applied to light containing useful data, this SPM-enabled noise-removal operation is called “all-optical regeneration,” which can result in optical auto-correction of the signals carrying hundred times faster data rates than what can be processed electronically.

However, the adoption of the all-optical regeneration in communication systems has been hindered by its inability to work with WDM signals.

In their published article, Vasilyev and colleagues report experimental demonstration of a novel group-delay-managed nonlinear-optical medium, where strong SPM effect is achieved without such inter-channel interference.

Splitting a conventional nonlinear medium, such as an optical fiber, into several short sections separated by special periodic-group-delay filters yields a medium in which all frequency components of the same WDM channel travel with the same speed, ensuring strong SPM. Different WDM channels travel with different speeds, which dramatically suppresses any inter-channel interaction.

“Our new nonlinear medium has allowed us to demonstrate simultaneous all-optical regeneration of 16 WDM channels by a single device, and this number has only been limited by the logistical constraints of our laboratory” Vasilyev said. “This experiment opens the opportunities to scale the number of channels to over a hundred without increasing the cost, all in a book-sized device.”

The multi-channel regenerator could even potentially shrink to the size of a matchbox in the future if the nonlinear-optical medium could be implemented on a microchip.

CBSE Announces Schedule for Class 12 Practicals, to be held from Jan 18 to Feb 25, 2018

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the time table for class 12 practical board exams scheduled to be held from January 16, 2018.

A circular dated December 8, 2017, has been dispatched to all schools with instructions to conduct practicals for Class 12 and also to submit the internal grades for the students in class 10th to the board.

The schools have to upload the practical marks on the website by February 25, 2018.The actual dates will be decided by the schools under the supervision of a CBSE-designated examiner.

However, the schedule for theory papers will be released soon.

OCKHI Search for Missing Fishermen Enters 11th Day

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Arun Kumar

‘OP Sahayam’ of Southern Naval Command persisted for the eleventh day on 10th December, 2017 over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands with 10 ships and all aircraft into the search and rescue (SAR) operations to find scores of fishermen still missing.

Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft P8I searched over entire Maldives. Fishing community had estimated few vessels to be stranded in the islands of Maldives. Expeditious clearance was obtained through diplomatic channels to fly over Maldives and calls were given on Very high frequency (VHF) Radio. Officials have also confirmed that Maldivian local undertook search and have not located any fishermen on the islands.

INS Sujata equipped with mobile morgue boxes, embarked four fishermen and deputy Tehsildar Mr Mohan Raj on 10 Dec 17 at Vizhinjam port for joining the deep sea search operations. The search is expected to continue up to the satisfaction of the fishermen.

INS Subhadra, another naval vessel under routine deployment, identified twelve crew onboard two Tamil Nadu registered fishing vessels Milkyas & Felaxia about 90 miles Northwest of Bitra island of Lakshdweep group of Islands. The fishermen requested assistance for drinking water and 1500L was transferred to them. The ship, in its further search encountered two capsized fishing vessels, Annei and AVM EP Turai and investigation revealed no survivors onboard. This has been intimated to the State Governments.

The Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant which provides fresh water to the islands is yet to be made functional and hence Indian Navy continued with replenishment of fresh water in excess of 70000 Ltrs to Kavaratti

Over Four lakh square miles have been searched/ sanitised by Indian Naval assets for providing SAR since the calamity ‘Ockhi’ struck the L & M islands and Southeast Arabian Sea.

‘Dangal’ actress Zaira, 17, alleges molestation inside flight

Posted on December 10, 2017 by Arun Kumar

The National Award winning Kashmiri actress in the film ‘Dangal’, Zaira Wasim, has alleged mid-flight molestation by a co-passenger sitting behind. She posted on social media about the incident leading to strong reaction among women groups and the police registering an FIR in Mumbai.

The incident was partially captured by the actress in her smartphone and in her Instagram account she revealed the entire episode in tears making an impact on social media which went outrageous about such incidents.

In her Instagram post, she said:”I just landed, the whole irony of this that I yelled… and this is not done… this is not how you should be treated or made to feel. This is terrible.
This is how they will take care of girls? No one will help us if we don’t decide to help ourselves and that is the worst thing,” she said, evoking even Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s reaction.

“Any harassment or crime against women should be dealt with swiftly and effectively. As a mother of two daughters, I am appalled at what happened with Zaira,” Mufti tweeted demanding action. She was joined by former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who said the passenger should be identified by Air Vistara and a case should be filed.

Vistara Airlines apologized to the actress and said it has ordered a probe. “We apologize for what Wasim experienced and we have zero tolerance for such behaviour,” said the airlines on its official Twitter page.

Wrestler Babita Phogat too tweeted a video in support of Zaira, who played as younger Phogat in the film ‘Dangal’. “If someone is misbehaving with you, give a tight slap on their face. They will never dare to repeat their actions again. Zaira, you don’t need to be afraid of anyone and just be ‘dhaakad’ in real life as well.

But the social media is divided about her action. While some have expressed apprehension as to why she did not raise alarm immediately and call the crew, others said it could be her after-thought reaction. However, human rights and women organisations have asked for action by the authorities and demanded the identity of the person.

OCKHI Cyclone Advisory Issued, Heavy Rainfall in Mumbai, Surat on Dec. 5, Helpline Opened

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Arun Kumar

Saturday’s OCKHI cyclone has hit Kerala and Lakshadweep islands while moving deep into the Arabian Sea on Monday before turing into the coastal regions of Western India on Monday and causing heavy rainfall in Mumbai and Surat regions.

An advisory issued by the Met Department on Sunday at 3 p.m. said the “Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Ockhi” was over Lakshadweep area and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea and moved northwestwards and lay centered over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 12.1º N and Longitude 69.0º E, about 420 km west-northwest of Amini Divi, 880 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 1090 km south-southwest of Surat.

“It is very likely to weaken gradually and move north-northwestwards for some time and then recurve northeastwards towards south Gujarat coast,” said the alert.

The forecast said rainfall is likely at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places over south Gujarat on 5th December. Squally winds speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph very likely over and around north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradual decrease thereafter was expected.

For help, India Meteorological Department can be contacted on Phone: (91) 11-24652484, FAX: (91) 11-24643128, 24623220, E-mail:cwdhq2008@gmail.com, Website: rsmcnewdelhi.imd.gov.in

On Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday Dec. 5, squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph will be very likely along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat coasts and sea conditions would be very rough.

South Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts: Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Sea along and off South Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts from 4 th December for the subsequent 48 hours.

As Ockhi cyclon is very likely to move west-northwestwards towards north Tamil Nadu – south Andhra Pradesh coasts during next 3-4 days, sea condition over southwest Bay and adjoining central Bay of Bengal would be very rough from 5th December onwards. Hence, fishermen are advised not venture into deep sea off north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coast from 5th December 2017 onwards, said the alert.

OCKHI Cyclone Update: Indian Navy’s Launches Huge Search and Rescue Operations

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Arun Kumar

Indian Navy’s search and rescue operations continued for the third day over Southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands in the aftermath of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘OCKHI’.

The ships deployed by the Southern Naval Command include IN Ships Sagardhwani, Jamuna, Nireekshak, Kabra and Kalpeni off the Kerala coast and Sharda , Shardul towards Lakshadweep islands. Besides this three air craft viz, Dornier (Do) fixed wing aircraft, Seaking Helicopter (SK) and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) were also deployed throughout the day.

A total of 84 personnel have been rescued over the last two days which includes 62 by aircrafts and 22 by ships. Additionally, transfer of two dead bodies was also effected through ALH to Thiruvananthapuram after being picked up by INS Sagardhwani.

Of the 62 people rescued by naval aircraft 8 personnel were transferred to Kochi in batches of 04 after being picked up 20 Nautical miles southwest and 80 nautical miles west of Kochi respectively. Those evacuated to Kochi were given preliminary first aid at naval clinic at INS Garuda before being handed over to the civil administration. The rest of the rescued persons have been transferred to Thiruvananthapuram.

INS Shardul from Kochi is heading towards Minicoy islands with Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) “bricks”, which includes water, dry provisions, medical equipment, blankets, diving team, generators, salvage equipment, desalination and decontamination kits, diving team and has a Chetak helicopter embarked.

The relief material would sustain 2,000 persons for over a period of seven days. INS Sharda is heading towards Kavaratti islands with HADR material sufficient to last for more than seven days for 500 people. The ship while proceeding to the islands, saved nine lives from a capsized boat in distress enroute.

Naval ships fom Mumbai, INS Chennai, Kolkata and Trikand have also sailed out from Mumbai for Lakshadweep and Minicoy (LAM) islands with HADR material sufficient for approximately 5000 persons and would last for more than seven days. Androth and Kavaratti are reported to be experiencing strong winds of 40-60 knots coupled high swells of 3-4 metres with a sea state of 5-6. All the ships are expected to reach LAM by morning tomorrow

In addition to the aircraft from Kochi, the P8I aircraft from Arakkonam with greater reach is being used to maintaining a close vigil continuously over the sailing ships and provide inputs if any. The areas close to coast would continuously monitored using DO aircraft from Kochi.

Manushi Chillar wants to be a doctor, not Bollywood fame

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Arun Kumar

Miss World Manushi Chillar has refuted speculation that she would enter Bollywood like other Miss World winners in the past like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan or Priyanka chopra. Though she has enthralled co-participants during the dance performance in Miss World pageant with “Nagada sang dhol”, she has little interest to become a “Bollywood actress”.

Manushi Chhillar told IANS that she is keen to finish her medical education and become a doctor who would serve with the title of Miss World as well. “I have really not given Bollywood a thought, so let’s see after one year when I get back to college because I have to complete my education (MBBS) as well,” she told IANS.

As Miss World, Manushi Chillar will be engaged in world engagements throughout the year before she passes on the crown to the next year’s winner. After that, she has to return to the Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College for Women in Khanpur Kalan village in Sonepat.

As a daughter of doctor parents, Manushi has grown with the whole family focusing on the profession but the one year of Miss World title will take her around the world and spreading the message of positivity in cooperation with several non-profit organisations engaged in social service, especially women.

Later, Manushi wants to be a cardiac surgeon and wants to highlight on menstrual hygiene among women.

Ockhi now ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’; Lakshadweep, Minicoy Islands hit, Mumbai Next

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Arun Kumar

Upgraded as the very severe cyclonic storm, Ockhi moved to Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea further west-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph for the past six hours over Lakshadweep area and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 9.8º N and Longitude 71.0º E, about 280 km northwest of Minicoy and 240 km southwest of Amini Divi.

The system is very likely to weaken gradually from tonight. It is very likely to continue to move northwestwards during next 24 hours and then recurve northeastwards during the subsequent 48 hours, said a statement by the Met department. Mumbai will witness heavy rainfalls on December 5. Here is the detailed path:

Date/Time(IST)	Position(Lat. ⁰N/ long. ⁰E)	Maximum sustained surface wind speed (kmph)	Category of cyclonic disturbance

02/1130	9.8/71.0	140-150 GUSTING TO 165	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
02/1730	10.4/70.3	140-150 GUSTING TO 160	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
02/2330	11.1/69.8	135-145 GUSTING TO 160	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
03/0530	11.7/69.4	130-140 GUSTING TO 155	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
03/1130	12.5/69.0	125-135 GUSTING TO 150	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
03/2330	13.7/68.8	120-130 GUSTING TO 145	VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
04/1130	15.3/69.3	100-110 GUSTING TO 120	SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM
04/2330	16.9/70.1	80-90 GUSTING TO 100	CYCLONIC STORM
05/1130	18.3/70.9	60-70 GUSTING TO 80	CYCLONIC STORM
05/2330	20.6/72.1	50-60 GUSTING TO 70	DEEPDEPRESSION
06/1130	21.9/72.9	35-45 GUSTING TO 55	DEPRESSION

The Met Department has also issued a warning of heavy rainfall and rainfall in areas as below:

Warning:

(i) Heavy Rainfall warning:

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy falls (>20 cm) very likely over north Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours and isolated heavy to very heavy falls during subsequent 24 hours. Isolated heavy to very rainfall is very likely over south Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours.
Rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Kerala during next 24 hours.

(ii) Wind warning:

Gale winds speed reaching 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph very likely over & around north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradual decrease thereafter and becoming 65-75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph by tomorrow, the 3^rd December morning. Gale winds speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph very likely over and around south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradual decrease thereafter becoming 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph by tomorrow, the 3^rd December morning.
Squally wind speed reaching 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph very likely along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hours and along & off Karnataka coasts during next 48 hours.

(ii) Sea condition:

Sea conditions would be phenomenal over and around north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradually becoming high by tomorrow, the 3^rd December morning. It is very likely to be high to very high over and around south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours and gradually becoming rough to very rough by tomorrow, the 3^rd December morning.
Sea conditions would be rough to very rough along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hours and along & off Karnataka coast during next 48 hours.

(iii) Storm surge:

Storm surge of about 1 meter above astronomical tides very likely to inundate low lying areas of north Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hrs and storm surge of about 0.5 metre above astronomical tides very likely to inundate low lying areas of south Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hrs.

(iv) Damage Expected over North Lakshadweep Islands during next 24 hours: Damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of tree branches and uprooting of large avenue trees. Major damage to thatched houses/huts: Major damage to kutcha houses, some damage to pucca roads and flooding of escape routes. Damage to banana & Papaya trees and standing crops.

Damage Expected over South Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours: Minor damage to power and communication lines due to breaking of tree branches. Major damage to thatched houses/huts. Major damage to kutcha houses, minor damage to pucca roads. Some damage to banana & Papaya trees, orchards and standing crops.

(v) Action suggested

Lakshadweep Islands: Fishermen around Lakshadweep Islands are advised not to venture into the sea during next 48 hours.
Kerala & Karnataka coast: Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along & off Kerala coast during next 24 hrs and along and off Karnataka coast during next 48 hrs.

UGC halts mushrooming, misleading ‘universities’

Posted on December 2, 2017 by Arun Kumar

Following the supreme Court directive, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has put an end to often misused nomenclature ‘university’ by private educational institutes and asked them either to drop the word immediately.

In its directive dated Nov. 29, 2017, UGC secretary PK Thakur wrote to 29 such institutes asking them to respond by 4 pm on Thursday, Nov.30, 2017. Out of these 29, 22 institutes do not have ‘University’ tag in the name notified by the Government, while others have been asked to change the name soon.

Some of the misleading varsities in nomenclature include Symbiosis International University in Pune, Christ University in Bengaluru, Jain University, Maharishi Markandeshwar University and Lingaya’s University, which are given the status of deemed to be university status.

Thakur told them to immediately discontinue with the name of the Deemed to be University using the word ‘University’ and revert back to the name notified by the Government of India.

With this Christ University has to change its name to Christ institute while Manipal University should revert to its original registered name as Manipal Academy of Higher Education and TERI University as TERI School of Advanced Studies.

The Supreme Court on Nov. 3, asked the UGC to stop deemed-to-be universities from using the word “University” in their names. Accordingly, the UGC on Nov. 10 directed 123 Deemed-to-be-Universities to drop the word ‘University’ from their names, which is in violation of the Section 23 of the UGC Act.

Terming non-compliance of the orders very serious, the UGC said,”It has been decided to give a last chance to the Institution Deemed to be University to immediately discontinue with the name of the Deemed to be University using the word ‘University’ and submit an alternative proposal as requested vide above UGC letter. Failure to comply with these directions would amount to violation of the UGC (lnstitutions Deemed to be Universities) Regulations, 2016 and necessary action would be initiated against the Institution Deemed to be University in accordance with Clause 22.0 of these Regulations which may include recommending wathdrawal of the declaration notifying the institution as an Institution Deemed to be University to the Central Government.”

India International Times

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Ockhi now ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’; Lakshadweep, Minicoy Islands hit, Mumbai Next

UGC halts mushrooming, misleading ‘universities’