Monthly Archives: August 2020

Pranab Da is no more, country mourns; ‘End of an Era’

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Former President Pranab Mukherjee died on Monday evening, his son Abhijit Mukherjee said in a tweet. He was admitted at the Army Research and Referral Hospital 21 days ago after his condition deteriorated following a brain surgery.

Abhijit Mukherjee tweeted: “With a Heavy Heart, this is to inform you that my father Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away in spite of the best efforts of Doctors of RR Hospital and prayers, duas and prarthanas from people throughout India! I thank all of You.”

Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to the hospital at 12.07 p.m. on August 10 in a critical condition. The veteran Congress leader was on life support for nearly three weeks. His former party colleagues along with former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi paid rich tributes to the 84-year-old leader.

New Year Eve

The Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi greeting the President, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, on the occasion of New Year, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on January 01, 2017 (PIB Photo)

Known as Pranab Da for many, he was President of India from 2012 to 2017. He was conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award, in 2019 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

“With great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former President Pranab Mukherjee. I join the country in paying homage to him. My deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

‘End of an Era’

The Congress on its official Twitter handle, said: “We are deeply pained by the passing of Pranab Mukherjee. Former President of India and one of the tallest leaders of the Congress Party, Pranab Mukherjee will always be remembered for his integrity and compassion. Our prayers are with his family, followers and the nation.”

Congress national media in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, said the death of the veteran Congress leader, said, “An era has come to an end. Your thoughts, memories and sense of commitment to the party, the people and the nation lives on… Rest in Peace Pranab Da,” Surjewala tweeted.

“Deeply saddened at the demise of former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. The nation has lost a great leader, thinker and statesman. His entire life was dedicated to the service of the nation. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and supporters. May his soul rest in peace,” another veteran Congress leader and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot tweeted.

 

South Asian Americans Upbeat Over Biden’s Selection of Kamala Harris as VP running mate

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By Osman Siddique

The gravity of the current economic, political, and pandemic situations cannot be sufficiently underscored. Collectively, they set the bar impossibly high for Joe Biden in the selection of his vice presidential running mate. Fortunately, he cleared it with Sen. Kamala Harris, the right choice for this momentous decision.

The broad appeal that Biden has amongst the electorate is special. The added excitement and vigor Harris brings to the ticket will be invaluable. Her Jamaican and Indian background will electrify people of all color and ethnicity, inspiring them to vote even if they have not done so in the past. She is experienced, tough, and reflects the diverse aspirations of all Americans.

Tumultuous Period

This presidential election will be contentious, tribal, ugly, and, in all likelihood, challenged. Biden could have no better person by his side during this tumultuous period. Trump’s base may be monolithic, but it was not only his base that got him elected in 2016. He was helped by crossover independents, wavering Democrats, confused Republicans, and those who simply were never thrilled by Hillary Clinton. Harris has an opportunity to make inroads with all of these groups, the people Pete Buttigieg lovingly called “future former Republicans.”

Osman Siddiqui

Her qualifications are remarkable. Harris is a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and the Senate Judiciary Committee. The nation saw her hard-nosed interrogation and dynamic performance during both the Kavanaugh hearings and President Trump’s impeachment trial.

As a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, she fought for the rule of law without any
fear or favor. She took on big oil and big banks and fought against their predatory policies. Critics of her on the left and right may disapprove of certain policies and oppose her stand on some specific issues, but no one can question her integrity and independence rooted in a belief in justice for all.

Kamala Harris has been a leading voice against the Trump administration’s policy of separating children at the border, personally joining protests at immigration shelters. During her campaign as a presidential candidate, she advocated using executive powers to reinstate and expand DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals).

Kamala’s Policies

Kamala Harris supports background checks for gun purchases, a ban on the sale of assault weapons, and the closing of loopholes as a sensible approach toward gun control without impairing our Second Amendment rights. She is opposed to using tariffs as a pressure tactic against countries and supports the goal of containing China, but with a changed approach. She has not only fought to defend the Affordable Care Act, but to and expand and improve it as well.

As a senator from tech-heavy California, Harris has been critical of social media companies’ handling of hate speech and misinformation. In March of this year, she walked for the last time shoulder to shoulder with the late congressman John Lewis across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama commemorating the 55th anniversary of his epic march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Daughter of Immigrants

Today is a red banner day for all America. How beautiful it is to see the daughter of an immigrant father from Jamaica and an immigrant mother from India poised to be the next Vice President of the United States of America. How fulfilling it is to see that this nation, built on the strength of our Constitution and the principles laid out by our Founding Fathers, has made one more giant step toward that “perfect union.”

For me, a South-Asian immigrant from Bangladesh, who had the proud distinction of carrying the U.S. flag for our nation and being the first U.S. ambassador of the Muslim faith to serve anywhere as Chief of Mission, this moment is doubly gratifying. The world will look to Harris as an example of what is possible in America.

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(Ambassador M. Osman Siddique served as the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Nauru under President Bill Clinton (1999-2001). Currently, he is active in the Biden presidential campaign as a senior advisor to “South Asians for Biden,” and a member of “Ambassadors for Biden.” His just-released memoir Leaps of Faith is available on Amazon and other book stalls.)

S P Balasubrahmanyam, the legendary singer, passes away after battling Covid-19

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Renowned Indian singer and legendary S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, 74, who worked predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam passed away in Chennai on Friday at 13:04 Hrs, after battling coronavirus for over a month.

Balasubramanyam tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai early in August and his condition deteriorated by August 13. He was shifted to the ICU in a critical state and was kept on ventilator support till now. He was declared to be in “extremely critical” stage by Chennai-based MGM Hospital  on Thursday, Septemeber 24, 2020 and he was declared dead today.

 

 

Legend in Telugu

Balu, as he is known in the film fraternity, has recorded over 40,000 songs in 16 Indian languages and holds the Guinness World Record for recording the highest number of songs by a singer.

He received six National Film Awards for Best Male Playback Singer for his works in four different languages; Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi; 25 Andhra Pradesh state Nandi Awards for his works towards Telugu cinema, numerous other state awards from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

In 2016, He was honored with the Indian Film Personality of the Year consisting of a Silver Peacock Medal and he received civilian awards such as Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) from the Government of India.

Early Life

Born on June 4, 1946 in Nellore, Balasubrahmanyam developed an interest towards music at an early age, studied notations and learned music. He enrolled at JNTU College of Engineering Anantapur for engineering but discontinued his studies due to typhoid and joined as an Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers, Chennai.

He started his singing career in 1966 with the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna and he held the the rare distinction of rendering the most songs on a single day by any singer — recording 21 songs in Kannada for the composer Upendra Kumar in Bangalore from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on 8 February 1981 and 19 songs in Tamil, 16 songs in Hindi in a day which is a notable achievement and a record.

 

 

Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha set for Christmas 2021 release, not this year

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Aamir Khan’s much awaited movie Laal Singh Chaddha that was initially headed for a Christmas 2020 release has now been shifted to Christmas 2021 due to delays with the ongoing pandemic and its adverse effects on most anticipated movies.

Aamir Khan has a long standing association with Christmas. All his movies released during Christmas have been super successful, be it 3 Idiots, PK, Dhoom 3, Dangal and more. His latest movie, Laal Singh Chaddha which is based on Tom Hanks ‘Forrest Gump, has already shot a few parts in Chandigarh and Kolkata before the nationwide lockdown was implicated. While the situation in the country remains to be crucial, the actor is recently in Turkey to do recce for the movie.

Ever since the makers dropped the first look of Aamir as a Sikh man fans went berserk over it. Keeping the current scenario in mind, Aamir and makers have announced a new release date and shifted it from this december to next December as the movie deserves a grand release.

Viacom 18 studio presents Aamir Khan productions’ Laal Singh Chaddha stars Aamir Khan and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead and Mona Singh in a pivotal role. It is adapted by Atul Kulkarni and is directed by Advait Chandan. The music is by Pritam and lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

Vijay Devarakonda’s ‘Fighter’ heroine Ananya Panday is back shooting on the sets

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The entire world came to a halt when the pandemic hit us. While with each passing day, we are trying to live the new normal, actors have begun shooting following all safety norms. The new name in the list is Ananya Panday who got onto the sets and gave us a glimpse.

All excited and chirpy, the actress took to her social media handle to announce about resuming work and back at being on set. Having missed the camera and the glamour, we could only imagine how happy and enthralled she is to be back at work.

Ananya is undertaking all necessary precautions amidst this ongoing COVID. She shared an image on her social media story showing the crew members dressed in protective gear and PPE uniforms. The caption read as,” Back at it #SafetyFirst” followed by emoticons.

On the work front, Ananya will next be seen in Khaali Peeli opposite Ishaan Khatter. She will also be seen in Shakun Batra’s next alongwith Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi and in Fighter opposite Vijay Deverkonda.

Nani’s next film V to be released direct on Amazon Prime on Sept 5

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Directed and written by Mohana Krishna Indraganti, the Telugu thriller stars Nani in lead, along with Sudheer Babu, Nivetha Thomas and Aditi Rao Hydari in prominent roles. Amazon Prime members in India and in 200 countries and territories can stream the digital premiere of Telugu title V, releasing September 5, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.

Amazon Prime Video today announced the global premiere of Telugu action packed thriller V. Directed and written by Mohana Krishna Indraganti, the film stars ‘Natural Star’ Nani in the lead, along with Sudheer Babu, Nivetha Thomas and Aditi Rao Hydari essaying pivotal roles. Prime members in India and in 200 countries and territories can stream the first star-studded Telugu film V on the streaming service starting September 5, 2020.

Announcing the arrival, Amazon Prime Video shared, “#VOnPrime, Sept 5!”

Taking to his social media, Nani posed a note for his fans and wrote, “V is coming home Red heart. September 5th.. The Hunt is On! @PrimeVideoIN #VOnPrime”

Global Premiere of V

V is an action thriller about a cop falling in love with a crime writer. When everything is going great, his life turns upside down when a killer challenges him with a puzzle to solve. Produced by Dil Raju, Shirish and Harshith Reddy, V is directed by Mohana Krishna Indraganti with music composed by Amit Trivedi. The gritty action-thriller stars Nani, Nivetha Mohan, Sudheer Babu and Aditi Rao Hydari.

Nani said, “I personally enjoy watching gripping action-thrillers and V is one such title that delivers thrills, drama and fast-paced action. The cat-and-mouse game between Sudheer Babu’s and my character is what drew me the most to this project. I am very excited about the Global Premiere of V – the movie marks my 25th in the film industry.”

Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video India, said, “Telugu cinema has delivered block-buster hits that have not just entertained audiences but also conveyed important social messages.”

Producer Dil Raju recalled earlier response to his films such as Jaanu, Maharshi and Sarileru Neekevvaru, that are available to watch world-wide on Amazon Prime Video. … We are thrilled to take our association a step further with the global premiere of V. The film is an action-packed thriller with none other than Nani in the lead along with the talented cast Sudheer Babu, Nivetha Mohan and Aditi Rao Hydari, and we are certain that the story will cut across geographies and will be enjoyed by all audiences.”

 

 

Virat Kohli’s most admirable person in childhood was Hrithik Roshan

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It may seem a while ago, but a page was recently shared by Virat’s childhood friend on his social media account, which stated that during his early days as a kid, Virat Kohli’s most admired person was Hrithik.

Apparently, the page was a part of the scrapbook that Virat had filled for one of his friends. Shalaj Sondhi, Virat’s friend took to his social media to upload  the page and captioned it, “Look what I found bro @virat.kohli some old good memories.”

One of the users commented asking if by Hrithik he meant Hrithik Roshan and his friend replied saying yes. This looks like even the captain was a fanboy when it came to Hrithik Roshan. We believe the admiration was owing to the superstar’s talent and his dedication towards his work.

Ever since this has been posted, fans of both Virat and Hrithik, have been sharing this on other social media platforms and mention how glad they are that there is a common factor between Virat and his fans. Hrithik enjoys unparalleled fame and admiration, and it’s unsurprising that his celebrity fan list is increasing day by day.

It’s interesting how we keep hearing one story after the other on how achievers are fans of Hrithik Roshan and this being the biggest so far.

Jacqueline Fernandez working on video podcast show with her look-alike Amanda Cerny

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Jacqueline Fernandez and her lookalike Amanda Cerny have been roped in to do a video podcast together. Jacqueline Fernandez of Bollywood fame has a following of well over 90 million on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Amanda Cerny is one of the most popular social media stars with over 45 million followers across YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

Launching later this summer, “Feels Good”, with Amanda and Jacqueline, brings together these two “lost sisters” from different sides of the world to give weekly inspiring news story updates from around the globe, along with reviews and unexpected guests.

Jacqueline Fernandez and her lookalike Amanda Cerny have been roped in to do a video podcast together — PR Handout

Conversations will revolve around about dating, wellness and culture, while delivering to audiences all that ‘feels good’.“We love what we do and to have a new platform to curate insightful conversations about wellness, culture, dating, inspiring news stories along with the occasional unexpected guest and all that…well… Feels Good,” Jacqueline and Amanda said in a joint statement.

The announcement that a deal has been inked with the two celebrities was made by podcast platform PodcastOne.

Jacqueline Fernandez is one of the most sought after names in the industry, known for her great body of work and not just commercially successful films but also, the actress has carved a niche in the brands circuit as well.

The actress who is a perfect amalgamation of beauty and poise, has served as an inspiration to everyone with her positive approach and hence, is hailed as the ‘Sunshine’ of the industry.

‘Shakuntala Devi’ shot at real locations to maintain authenticity

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The biopic of Shakuntala Devi has caught the attention of the audience like no other and gave a whole different perspective on the journey. The way the two-hour film has shown the life of Shakuntala Devi is so beautiful with so many raw and real emotions attached to it.

Apart from the story line, one of the things that audiences have really enjoyed are the beautiful aesthetics and all the locations that the film has been shot at- which the makers wanted to keep real to maintain authenticity.

The producer says, “Director Anu Menon has the most commendable aesthetic sense. She had a clear vision of the kind of spaces her script demanded and chose her locations accordingly, never once compromising on the same.”

Vidya Balan in Shakuntala Devi promo

Speaking about the result the producer further added, “The result was a myriad of the most spectacular locations in the UK and Mumbai. From the rolling green hills of High Canons to the 1940s classic hotel Marin Plaza providing a beautiful view of our classic Marine Drive. We even got to shoot in the historic Alexandra Palace, the very first home of the British Broadcasting Company back in the 1950s.”

The picturesque background have been a treat for the audience which have made the film visually more appealing and enjoyable for every single viewer.

The film is already streaming on Amazon Prime Video and is directed by Anu Menon. Shakuntala Devi is produced by Sony Pictures Network Productions and Vikram Malhotra and released across 200 countries and territories on the 31st of July 2020.

Apart from Vidya Balan, the film also stars Jisshu Sen Gupta, Sanya Malhotra and Amit Sadh in pivotal roles.

What happens when weakening magnetic field creates 3 poles, instead of 2 on Earth?

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NASA has taken it seriously as this unique phenomenon will finally result in weakening the earth’s magnetic field and eventually affects the protective field that shields us from solar flares, and disrupts satellite communication.

Already, over South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, this unusually weak spot in the field – called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA – allows these particles to dip closer to the surface than normal. Earth’s magnetic field acts like a protective shield around the planet, repelling and trapping charged particles or solar flares from the Sun.

Currently, the SAA has shown no visible impact on daily life on earth but some recent observations and forecasts show that the region is expanding westward and continuing to weaken in its intensity, making NASA to study the phenomenon.

The South Atlantic Anomaly is also of interest to NASA’s Earth scientists who monitor the changes in magnetic strength there, both for how such changes affect Earth’s atmosphere and as an indicator of what’s happening to Earth’s magnetic fields, deep inside the globe. Instead of two poles, what happens if the earth has many more poles or even three poles?

The future remains unimaginable but a certainty that geophysicists are wary of. See the NASA video here:

How SAA affects satellites?

In order to understand how the SAA and to prepare for future threats to satellites, the Godard team of NASA is assessing the current state of the magnetic field using data from the European Space Agency’s Swarm constellation, previous missions from agencies around the world, and ground measurements.

The geo-dynamo models are unique in their ability to use core physics to create near-future forecasts, said Andrew Tangborn, a mathematician in Goddard’s Planetary Geodynamics Lab. “This is similar to how weather forecasts are produced, but we are working with much longer time scales,” he said. “This is the fundamental difference between what we do at Goddard and most other research groups modeling changes in Earth’s magnetic field.”

One such application is the International Geomagnetic Reference Field, or IGRF — used for a variety of research from the core to the boundaries of the atmosphere, collecting candidate models made by worldwide research teams that describe Earth’s magnetic field and track how it changes in time.

As of now, the changing SAA poses a great challenge to researchers on earth’s dynamics influence other aspects of the Earth system, by tracking this slowly evolving “dent” in the magnetic field.

Michelle Obama lashes out at Trump, overshadows Joe Biden, Kamala at 2020 Convention

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Wearing a viral DNC ‘V-O-T-E’ necklace, Michelle Obama brought to the Democratic National convention Monday an entirely new twist to lash out at President Donald Trump with her fiery speech that obliterated the candidates.

Urging Americans to vote for Joe Biden, she said, he “is not perfect,” but “there is no perfect candidate, no perfect president… His ability to learn and grow — we find in that the kind of humility and maturity that so many of us yearn for right now.”

Reiterating the popular contention that things cannot go worse than what they are, she reminded the US voters that “if you think things cannot possibly get worse, trust me, they can — and they will if we don’t make a change in this election.”

Overshadowed Joe Biden, Kamala Harris

The former First Lady said in a pre-recorded two-hour video address, “If we have any hope of ending this chaos, we have to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it.” She said the country had been “living with the consequences” of the 2016 election and reminded that apathy to vote for right candidate results in disaster.

The widely popular message caught up with Republicans who described it as overshadowing the main candidates — Joe Biden and Kamala Harris — in the 2020 Democratic National Convention. In fact, the message has obliterated all the negative views which may have gone in among the democrats since the selection of Kamala Harris and not other candidates in waiting.


“Whenever we look to this White House for some leadership or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division, and a total and utter lack of empathy,” Michelle Obama said, defending the choice of candidates for Presidential race this time.

Divided Nation

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic started “people shouting in grocery stores, unwilling to wear a mask to keep us all safe has made the children of this country torn apart by “torch-bearing white supremacists,” she reminded them. “Sadly, this is the America that is on display for the next generation,” she said. “That’s not just disappointing; it’s downright infuriating.”

“He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is,” she said sending out a unity call stating that “we live in a nation that is deeply divided,” she reminded.”

Reiterating her infamous 2016 slogan, she said, “when they go low, we go high” and redefined going high means harder path and standing fierce against hatred, unlocking the shackles of lies and mistrust. Finally, she declared that “Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country.”

 

Trump targets Kamala Harris under oft-rejected ‘natural-born’ citizenship row

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US President Donald Trump, who had once brushed aside Newsweek as a source of fakenews has embraced its dubiously opinionated article alleging that Kamala Harris, the Vice Presidential candidate of Joe Biden Kamala is not a natural-born citizen of the United States.

The Newsweek column was aimed at repeating the same old argument leveled against Barack Obama when he contested for the Presidential election in 2008 and Trump was among those who rallied behind it on social media. In fact, he had brought it up several times during his 2016 campaign but in vain. But it smacks of his prejudice against the natural born citizens from the immigrant parents.

What Does US Constitution Say?

In order to become the President or Vice President of the United States, a person must be a natural-born citizen under Section 1 of Article 2 of the US Constitution. Under the 14th Amendment, it clearly states: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.”

The Newsweek article takes exception under the tweaked argument that the Amendment does not confer citizenship on everyone born in the US. During the elections, this old argument has often been revived to weaken the candidates and Obama in 2008 was a victim while Kamala Harris stands to witness the same in 2020. However, the poll outcome has remained neutral to such last-ditch efforts by already weakened opponents.

The column by John C. Eastman, a law professor at Chapman University, sought revive the old argument that undocumented immigrants aren’t subject to the jurisdiction of the U.S. and hence, their children though born in the US are not citizens. However, this argument was repeatedly rejected by federal courts and no legal luminary can take shelter to push forward such controversy.

Nervous Trump Camp?

Trump himself proposed such false claim against Obama that he was not born in Hawaii, but rather in Kenya, though he had to withdraw it later. The US Constitution holds the view that anyone born in the country — even if the parents are undocumented immigrants — is a citizen. And that stands unarguably for Kamala Harris, who is set to become the Vice President for sure as Trump camp is dwindling under pressure to prepare for a defeat.

In another article that appeared in Newsweek debate, UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh takes an entirely different view and supports Harris’ citizenship, with citations from the Constitution and the legal interpretation of it in William Rawle’s 1825 treatise on the Constitution. Rawle, who was a lawyer when  the US Constitution was being framed, and served as the federal prosecutor in Pennsylvania during the Washington and Adams administrations, said that “every person born within the United States, …whether the parents are citizens or aliens, is a natural-born citizen.”

 

It’s Official: Kamala Harris Becomes Joe Biden’s pick for Vice President

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As expected, Joe Biden has chosen Kamala Harris, the voice for coloured people as well as Indian Americans and prominent senator from California, as his Vice President running mate, setting the speculations to rest on Tuesday. Her selection is likely to send shockwaves even among her own followers and India as well.

Harris, who was among those who pitched for Presidential race but withdrew later faced off Joe Biden in the 2020 first primary debate on racial issues. Her views, however, stood the ground that Biden has chosen her as she represents not onl the Indian-origin community but also the Black due to her descent.

Kamala’s grandfather was from Chennai who had participated in India’s freedom movement and later served as a senior diplomat when India attained independence. Moreover, she would be the first woman American vice president, if elected.

Harris represents the racial diversity that Biden wanted prominently to reassure the huge number of voters when the Black Lives Matter movement is knocking the very roots of the United states political system despite the vicious Covid-19 is downrating the country’s economy. Kamala Harris, 55, will be 22 years younger to Biden, who would be the oldest president-elect in U.S. history.

22 Years Younger

“You make a lot of important decisions as president. But the first one is who you select to be your Vice President. I’ve decided that Kamala Harris is the best person to help me take this fight to Donald Trump and Mike Pence and then to lead this nation starting in January 2021,” Biden wrote in an email from his campaign to supporters. “I need someone working alongside me who is smart, tough, and ready to lead. Kamala is that person,” he wrote. “I need someone who understands the pain that so many people in our nation are suffering. Whether they’ve lost their job, their business, a loved one to this virus.”

“This president says he ‘doesn’t want to be distracted by it.’ He doesn’t understand that taking care of the people of this nation — all the people — isn’t a distraction — it’s the job,” Biden continued. “Kamala understands that. I need someone who understands that we are in a battle for the soul of this nation. And that if we’re going to get through these crises — we need to come together and unite for a better America. Kamala gets that.”

In her reply, Kamala Harris tweeted, “can unify the American people because he’s spent his life fighting for us. And as president, he’ll build an America that lives up to our ideals. I’m honored to join him as our party’s nominee for Vice President, and do what it takes to make him our Commander-in-Chief.”

Joint Campaign Ahead

Both Biden and Harris will appear together at the campaign from Biden’s hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday.

Harris, a native of Oakland, California, and the child of Jamaican and Indian immigrants, worked as attorney general, closely with Biden’s late son, Beau Biden, when he was Delaware’s attorney general, particularly in challenging big banks amid the housing crisis. She also wrote a book, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,” where she revealed how she worked with Beau Biden.

Though Miami debate left behind a bad taste in their views, which Trump immediately tried to focus on. Soon after the announcement, at a White House press conference, Trump said Harris was “nasty” and “disrespectful” to Biden during the primary. “She was nasty to a level that was just a horrible thing, the way she was,” Trump said. “I won’t forget that soon.”

However, after she left the race, Harris had extended her full support to the Biden campaign, holding joint fundraisers and roundtables around issues like the racial disparities in coronavirus cases and protecting the Affordable Care Act. In a June she went on successfully raising $3.5 million for the campaign.

Kamala Opposed India’s Policies

However, back home in India, her selection and possibility to become the US Vice President may send shockwaves as she was among those who opposed New Delhi’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir and revocation of autonomy.

She has reportedly said: “We have to remind the Kashmiri people that they are not alone in the world. We are keeping track on the situation. There is a need to intervene if the situation demands.” Notably, Harris was among the India-origin Democrats, barring Raja Krishnamoorthy, who boycotted the Howdy Modi event in Texas.

When Biden wins the November Presidential election, it will be pertinent for Indian forign minister and the Indian diplomats to work their way through to meet her expectations, especially on Jammu and Kashmir issue.

Google COVID-19 Global Case Map now available throughout world

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Google in collaboration with Stanford University has launched a global COVID-19 map to provide media tools to embed up-to-date visualizations of the pandemic in media earlier this year and now extended to throughout the world.

The ‘COVID-19 Global Case Mapper’ allows local reporters to embed a map of their area showing cases and analytics with comparison to the entire local population. “It’s colored by numbers of cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days and shows you the severity of outbreak by the number of people in each location,” said Simon Rogers, Data Editor, Google News Lab.

Johns Hopkins Covid-19 map

Available for nearly 200 countries, the map is accessible in more than 80 languages worldwide. The data is from the New York Times’ open COVID-19 county dataset and the COVID-19 Data Repository by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University and is updated daily.

Stanford University’s Big Local News and Pitch Interactive has launched the new global map originally with support from the Google News Initiative (GNI). “More in-depth, country-level data will be added over time as the map is developed further and as journalists around the world use it to explain how the pandemic has spread,” Rogers said in a statement.

The overall number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed the 20 million mark, while the deaths have increased to over 734,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Malaria study targeting enzymes instead of pathogens paves way for faster treatment of COVID-19

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New research into malaria suggests targeting enzymes from the human host, rather than from the pathogen itself, could offer effective treatment for COVID-19, besides offering faster treatment for a range of many diseases.

The international study, led by RMIT University’s Professor Christian Doerig, proposes a strategy that could save years of drug discovery research and millions of dollars in drug development with the help of repurposing existing treatments meant for other diseases such as cancer.

The approach shows promise for its potential application in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic that has gripped the entire world with over 700,000 deaths already. Published in Nature Communications, the study showed that the parasites that cause malaria are heavily dependent on enzymes in red blood cells where the parasites hide and proliferate.

 

Antibody array data showing activation of kinases in human red blood cells infected with the malaria parasite / CREDIT: RMIT University

 

 

 

Since there are drugs developed for cancer which inactivate these human enzymes, known as protein kinases, to effectively kill the parasite.This method represents an alternative to drugs that target the parasite itself, instead of focusing on enzymes. During the infection, the host cell enzymes were activated revealing novel points of target when the parasite exists in human body host.

Lead author, RMIT’s Dr Jack Adderley, said,”These host enzymes are in many instances the same as those activated in cancer cells, so we can now jump on the back of existing cancer drug discovery and look to repurpose a drug that is already available or close to completion.”

Repurposing of Drugs in Future

In addition to enabling the repurposing of drugs, the approach is likely to reduce the drug resistance, as the pathogen cannot escape by simply mutating the target of the drug, as is the case for many available antimalarials, he noted. Moreover, this approach has the potential to considerably reduce the cost and accelerate the deployment of new and urgently needed antimalarials, explained Dr Adderley.

Doerig, Associate Dean for the Biomedical Sciences Cluster at RMIT and senior author of the paper, described the findings as exciting since as drug resistance is one of the biggest challenges in modern healthcare.

“By targeting the host and not the pathogen itself, we remove the possibility for the pathogen to rapidly become resistant by mutating the target of the drug, as the target is made by the human host, not the pathogen,” said Doering.

Doerig’s team will now collaborate with the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute) to investigate potential COVID-19 treatments using this approach. Doherty. a Nobel laureate, is known already as vocal voice about the Covid-19 treatment and vaccines.

Fatal Cancer found in dinosaur that lived in present Canada 76 million years ago

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Roughly 76 million years ago, a Centrosaurus that lived in what is now Canada was walking around with a malignant tumour in its lower leg, found scientists based on its deformed fossil bone.

The cancer was diagnosed osteosarcoma and this is the first time that cancer has been confirmed in a dinosaur, although scientists have identified benign tumours in Tyrannosaurus rex fossils in the past.
Researchers say that the tumour could have eventually been fatal, but the Centrosaurus probably died in a flood with the rest of its herd.

© ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUMdinosaur fatal cancer /MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

dinosaur bone cancer / © ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM/MCMASTER UNIVERSITY

This deformed bone had a malignant tumor in the dinosaur fossil of partial fibula—a bone from the lower leg—belonged to a horned, plant-eating Centrosaurus that lived about 76 million years ago in what is now Dinosaur Park in southern Alberta in Canada.

Paleontologists initially thought the bone was deforemd due to a fracture but a new study, published in The Lancet Oncology, found it after comparing it with a bone tumor from a human patient. The osteosarcoma cancer primarily attacks teens and young adults and causes tumors of immature bone tissue, frequently in the long bones of the leg.

Similar cancer diagnosis in dinosaurs

In the past such a tumor was found in Tyrannosaurus rex fossils and arthritis in duck-billed hadrosaurs, as well as an osteosarcoma in a 240-million-year-old turtle but they were benign. The present study is the first to confirm a dinosaur cancer diagnosis at the cellular level.

Scientists examined the full fossil with high-resolution computerized tomography scans and examined thin sections under the microscope to find the tumor advanced enough that it had probably plagued the animal for some time.

A similar case in a human, left untreated, would be fatal, they wrote. However, because the fossil was found in a bone bed with lots of other Centrosaurus specimens, the dinosaur likely died in a flood with the rest of its herd and not from the cancer, they said.

WATCH LIVE TODAY: Starlink Mission all set to take off today

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US private space agency SpaceX is targeting Friday, August 7 at 1:12 a.m. EDT, 5:12 UTC, for launch of its tenth Starlink mission which will include 57 Starlink satellites and 2 satellites from BlackSky, a Spaceflight customer.

The standard vehicle Falcon 9 will lift off from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In case you miss the event, a backup opportunity is available on Saturday, August 8 at 12:50 a.m. EDT, 4:50 UTC.

You can watch the launch webcast here, starting about 15 minutes before liftoff.

Sequential Deployment

Falcon 9’s first stage previously supported Crew Dragon’s first demonstration mission to the International Space Station, launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, and the fourth and seventh Starlink missions. Following stage separation, SpaceX will land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The BlackSky Global spacecraft will deploy sequentially beginning 1 hour and 1 minute after liftoff, and the Starlink satellites will deploy approximately 1 hour and 33 minutes after liftoff. Starlink satellites will be deployed in a circular orbit, as was done on the first through fourth Starlink missions.

Weather Forecast

The weather forecast is favorable for SpaceX’s Friday early hours launch from Kennedy Space Center, the Space Force said Wednesday. “The primary weather concern for launch day will be mid- and upper-level clouds streaming across the region from the south along with cumulus clouds over the nearshore waters,” 45th Weather Squadron forecasters said on Wednesday.

The 10th Starlink launch has been delayed nearly 10 times due to technical hurdles so far and several attempts in June and July were rolled back for additional hardware work. Today’s launch will be the booster’s fifth flight.

All Starlink satellites  on this flight are equipped with a deployable visor to block sunlight from hitting the brightest spots of the spacecraft – a measure SpaceX has taken as part of their work with leading astronomical groups to mitigate satellite reflectivity.

Passive Immunity may be a fast track in providing relief for Covid-19 pandemic: Study

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Mutated versions of the 80r and m396 antibodies can be produced and given as a therapeutic to fight the Covid-19 infection

A researcher, using computer models to understand the structure of viruses at the molecular level, has figured out how the old 2002 SARS coronavirus virus functions vis-a-vis the novel coronavirus or SARS-COV-2 that causes Covid-19. He discovered that sequence differences prevent 80R and m396 from binding to COVID-19 using ‘in silico’ analysis to fast-track passive immunity.

Since both illnesses (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) share the same spike protein, the entry key that allows the virus into the human cells, Padilla-Sanchez plans to take the antibodies found in the first outbreak in 2002 — 80R and m396 — and reengineer them to fit the current COVID-19 virus.

In his June 2020 publication in the online journal, Research Ideas and Outcomes, he describes efforts to unravel this problem using computer simulation based on his discovery that sequence differences prevent 80R and m396 from binding to COVID-19.

“Understanding why 80R and m396 did not bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein could pave the way to engineering new antibodies that are effective,” Padilla-Sanchez said. “Mutated versions of the 80r and m396 antibodies can be produced and administered as a therapeutic to fight the disease and prevent infection.”

Supercomputing Process

His docking experiments showed that amino acid substitutions in 80R and m396 should increase binding interactions between the antibodies and SARS-CoV-2, providing new antibodies to neutralize the virus. “Now, I need to prove it in the lab,” he said.

 

 

Structural model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This structural model was built with UCSF Chimera using high-performance computers (Bridges Large and Frontera). The model shows 16 viruses, with the spike proteins shown in green (PDB ID: 6VSB) and an actual lipid bilayer membrane, with ACE2 dimers shown in magenta. All these structures are at atomic resolution. The length of the membrane is approximately 1 micrometer / CREDIT: Victor Padilla-Sanchez

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this research, Padilla-Sanchez used supercomputing resources and ran the docking experiments for computational modeling and analysis of protein structures. The software virtually binds the proteins then provides a score for each binding experiment. “If you find a good docking position, then you can recommend that this new, mutated antibody should go to production.”

Currently, various labs across the world are already testing vaccines. “If we don’t find a vaccine in the near term we still have passive immunity, which can prevent infection for several months as long as you have the antibodies,” Padilla-Sanchez said. “Of course, a vaccine is the best outcome. However, passive immunity may be a fast track in providing relief for the pandemic.”

As of July 2020, COVID-19 has infected more than 16 million people worldwide with more than 630,000 deaths with no vaccine or therapeutics to fight the disease.

Russia completes Phase III trials, gets ready to first vaccinate doctors in October

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Despite apprehensions on the sample numbers of human trials, Russia is preparing a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus in October, after a vaccine completed clinical trials including Phase III trial on Saturday, August 1, 2020.

Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said the Gamaleya Institute, a state research facility in Moscow, had completed clinical trials preparing the required paperwork to register it, Interfax news agency reported. First to be vaccinated will be the frontline workers, doctors and teachers.

“We plan wider vaccinations for October,” Murashko was quoted as saying. Russia’s first potential COVID-19 vaccine is likely to apply for regulatory approval in August. As of Saturday, Augutst 1, 2020, Russia reported 95 new deaths from the novel coronavirus, taking its total to 14,058 out of a total 845,443 cases.

Russian vaccine

As already reported, the Gamalei Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology had been working on an adenovirus-based vaccine at a lighting speed and announced its Phase III trials on June 18. The Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University to conduct and complete the trails of the vaccine.

The clinical trials had been conducted on volunteers by the Institute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology of the Unviersity and the first group of volunteers were discharged on 15 July and the second on 20 July.

The head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, took pride in claiming Russia’s success in developing a vaccine the same way erstwhile Soviet Union’s 1957 launch of Sputnik 1, the world’s first satellite. Despite questions raised by some Western media whether Moscow is putting national prestige before safety.

More than 100 vaccines are being developed around the world against the COVID-19 pandemic but only four are in final Phase III human trials, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, including three developed in China and another in Britain. The vaccine developed by Russia is not among them.

Other Vaccines

Elsewhere, Gilead Sciences, Oxford University’s researchers and American biotech company Moderna are at the forefront of developing a Covid-19 vaccine, while a Canadian and Chinese joint project is equally pushing the date for completion of clinical trials.