Month: August 2023

More than 75 nations participates in the first-ever global Summit on Traditional Medicine

Manish Kumar

The first World Health Organization Global Summit on Traditional Medicine was inaugurated today at Gandhinagar, Gujarat alongside the G20 health ministerial meet. Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the Union Minister of Ayush, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya were invited to light the ceremonial lamp to the accompaniment of auspicious hymns dedicated to Dhanvantari, the god of Ayurveda. Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendra Rajnikant Patel, Union MoS for Ayush Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, and senior delegates of WHO were also…

Ukrainian troops advance as counteroffensive grinds on; Ukraine faces ‘big test’

Manish Kumar

Ukraine’s military advanced in southern Ukraine.  The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said troops continued counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the frontline.  No F-16s this year, says Ukraine’s air force.  Ukraine appears to have made another breakthrough this morning, taking the village of Urozhaine.   Ukraine’s military advanced in southern Ukraine and Russian sources have made “premature” claims about the scale of its operations, military analysts said.  In its latest analysis of the conflict, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said troops continued…

Footwear Maker Bata in Tie-Up Talks with Adidas for Indian Market: Report

Manish Kumar

Footwear manufacturer Bata India is in talks with sportswear giant Adidas for a strategic partnership.  Through the collaboration, Adidas is likely to use Bata India’s retail network to boost its presence in India, the report added.  Bata India, the flagship of Netherlands-based Bata BN, has more than 2,050 stores across the country.  The corporation is one of the world’s leading shoemakers by volume with 150 million pairs of shoes sold annually.  The talks with Adidas are likely at an advanced stage with final deal contours in the works, a media…

UK’s ‘king of the chat show’ Michael Parkinson, passed away

Manish Kumar

British broadcaster Michael Parkinson, best known for interviewing some of the world’s biggest celebrities.  Parkinson estimated he had interviewed more than 2,000 guests in total, including Muhammad Ali, Elton John, John Lennon, the Beckhams, Michael Caine, and Madonna.  Born on March 28, 1935, in Yorkshire in northern England, the son of a miner, Parkinson left school at the age of 16 with dreams of becoming a professional cricketer.  After a period of National Service in the army, instead turned to local newspaper journalism.  After moving into current affairs television in…

Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander separates from propulsion module; ‘It’s a milestone, says ISRO ex-chief

Manish Kumar

Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft’s lander Vikram today successfully separated from its propulsion module and continued its journey towards the Moon.  Former ISRO Chairman K Sivan said that the space agency has achieved a milestone as the mission was very difficult.  After its launch on July 14, the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft entered its lunar orbit on August 5.  The Vikram lander is now at a junction where the closest point on the moon, known as Peruline, will be 30 kilometres away, and its farthest point, the Apolune, will be about 100 kilometres from the…

Indian cough syrup in the market due to bribery: Uzbekistan over 65 child deaths

Manish Kumar

A contaminated Indian cough syrup killed 65 children in Uzbekistan  The Central Asian nation put 21 people on trial – 20 of whom are Uzbeks and one Indian – over the deaths last week.  Distributors of a contaminated Indian cough syrup that killed 65 children in Uzbekistan paid local officials a bribe of $33,000 to skip mandatory testing, Uzbek state prosecutors alleged.  Seven of the 21 defendants pleaded guilty to at least some of the charges against them, which included tax evasion, sale of substandard or counterfeit medicines, abuse of…

New York bans TikTok on government phones, computers; Read to know other countries that imposed a ban

Manish Kumar

In a major blow to the Chinese video streaming platform, TikTok, New York has ordered its government employees to uninstall the application citing a “threat to national security”. In a statement, New York Mayor Eric Adams’ has confirmed that his administration has banned the platform from all government mobile phones, computers, and tablets. “While social media is great at connecting New Yorkers with one another and the city, we have to ensure we are always using these platforms in a secure manner,” Politico quoted City Hall spokesperson Jonah Allon as…

iPhone 15 Production Begins in India, Other Apple suppliers in India will also soon assemble the iPhone 15

Manish Kumar

Apple Inc.’s next-generation iPhone 15 is beginning production in Tamil Nadu, in an effort to further narrow the gap between its India operations and main manufacturing base in China.  A Foxconn Technology Group plant in Sriperumbudur is preparing to deliver the newest devices only weeks after they start shipping from factories in China.  Before the iPhone 14, Apple had only a sliver of its iPhone assembly in India, which lagged China output by six to nine months.  The new iPhone, likely to be announced on Sept. 12, promises to be…

Ghulam Nabi Azad’s ‘All were Hindus before, became Muslims after converting’ statement creates controversy

Manish Kumar

A big statement has come to the fore of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who broke away from Congress and formed DPAP.   He says, ‘All were Hindus before, became Muslims after converting’.  They are telling the people of Jammu and Kashmir that ‘Hinduism is older than Islam, all Muslims in India were Hindus first’.  The chief of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party said this while addressing a gathering in the Doda district on August 14.  Ghulam Nabi Azad courts controversy, says, ‘All were Hindus before, became…

AAP holds protest at Dwarka Expressway to highlight cost overrun, alleging a ‘huge scam’

Manish Kumar

AAP held a protest at the under-construction Dwarka expressway site in Delhi alleging corruption in the project.   The AAP protests came after a CAG report alleged that there was a massive cost overrun in the key infrastructure project.  The CAG report clearly mentioned that the cost increase is because of converting the grade-level road to an elevated road, and the audit report didn’t hint or allege any scam.  The CAG report has not analysed the reasons behind the increase in the cost, such as “land acquisition cost escalation &…