The Sun's volatile activity peaked late Tuesday when the colossal sunspot AR3664 unleashed a massive solar flare, the most powerful eruption of the current solar cycle. Watch in for more details!

Sun launches strongest solar flare of current cycle

Avtar Saini, former head of Intel India, lost his life after his cycle got hit&nbsp;by a cab on Wednesday&nbsp;(Feb 28).&nbsp;The driver, identified as Rishikesh Khade (23), reportedly informed the police that he had inadvertently dozed off behind the wheel due to driving throughout the night.

The fatal collision occurred at approximately 5:50 am on Wednesday along Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai's Nerul area. Saini, who was cycling at the time, was hit from behind by the speeding cab. Following the impact, Khade attempted to flee the scene with the bicycle's frame lodged beneath the cab's front wheels. Saini's companions rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was&nbsp;pronounced dead upon arrival.

During interrogation, Khade confessed to losing control of the cab due to exhaustion from driving throughout the night. Subsequently, a case was registered against Khade under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by rash or negligent acts endangering human life), and 304-A (causing death by negligent acts). Additionally, provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act were applied.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/why-this-harassment-shark-anupam-mittal-demands-kyc-reforms-it-dept-responds-695549">Also read |&nbsp;‘Why this harassment,’ ‘shark’ Anupam Mittal demands KYC reforms, IT dept responds</a>

<h2>Legal proceedings and arrest status</h2>

Despite the charges leveled against him, Khade has not yet been arrested. This decision stems from the fact that the maximum imprisonment associated with the charges does not exceed seven years, as clarified by a police official.

Also watch |&nbsp;Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe Blast: At least nine injured, shifted to hospital

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A resident of Chembur in Mumbai, Saini was renowned for his contributions to the development of Intel's 386 and 486 microprocessors, as well as his leadership in designing the company's Pentium processor. His untimely demise has left a void in the technology community.

As Saini's relatives reside abroad, the police are awaiting their arrival to claim his body for the last rites.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Avtar Saini, former head of Intel India, lost his life after his cycle got hit by a cab on Wednesday (Feb 28). The driver, identified as Rishikesh Khade (23), reportedly informed the police that he had inadvertently dozed off behind the wheel due to driving throughout the night.

Avtar Saini, former head of Intel India, lost his life after his cycle got hit by a cab on Wednesday (Feb 28). The driver, identified as Rishikesh Khade (23), reportedly informed the police that he had inadvertently dozed off behind the wheel due to driving throughout the night. The fatal collision occurred at approximately 5:50 am on Wednesday along Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai's Nerul area. Saini, who was cycling at the time, was hit from behind by the speeding cab. Following the impact, Khade attempted to flee the scene with the bicycle's frame lodged beneath the cab's front wheels. Saini's companions rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. During interrogation, Khade confessed to losing control of the cab due to exhaustion from driving throughout the night. Subsequently, a case was registered against Khade under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 279 (rash driving), 337 (causing hurt by rash or negligent acts endangering human life), and 304-A (causing death by negligent acts). Additionally, provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act were applied. Also read | ‘Why this harassment,’ ‘shark’ Anupam Mittal demands KYC reforms, IT dept responds Legal proceedings and arrest status Despite the charges leveled against him, Khade has not yet been arrested. This decision stems from the fact that the maximum imprisonment associated with the charges does not exceed seven years, as clarified by a police official. Also watch | Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe Blast: At least nine injured, shifted to hospital A resident of Chembur in Mumbai, Saini was renowned for his contributions to the development of Intel's 386 and 486 microprocessors, as well as his leadership in designing the company's Pentium processor. His untimely demise has left a void in the technology community. As Saini's relatives reside abroad, the police are awaiting their arrival to claim his body for the last rites. (With inputs from agencies)

Avtar Saini death: Driver who ran over ex-Intel India head says he dozed off

Menopause refers to the milestone that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle and a significant drop in the production of the sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone. But do men experience a similar change as they age? WION decodes male menopause.

How common is 'MEN'opause?

On The Good Life with Priyanka Sharma: - Can you cycle your way to good health? Let’s go riding! - Sumaya Dalmia tells us why women need to start lifting weights - Time to say bye to skinny jeans and tiny bags!

The Good Life: Discover the world on a cycle

‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally’ was launched by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022, as he himself peddled a distance of 7.5kms with 750 cyclists.

"Cycling can play the biggest role in the Fit India campaign. On World Bicycle Day, we are giving a clear message that everyone should make cycling a part of their daily life. Cycling will keep you healthy and help build a clean India," Thakur said in a release.&nbsp;

"On the world bicycle day, across the country, thousands of cyclists have joined us for the camping for fit India movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India movement and Health India movement. By using the bicycle you can cut down the pollution level, you can stay fit and you can also promote the clean India campaign because there will be less pollution or no pollution by the use of bicycles," he added.

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Here’s how Fit India organised <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FitIndiaFreedomRider?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FitIndiaFreedomRider</a> Cycle Rally at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 
 
Take a look at the glimpses from the event 🤩<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CyclingForIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CyclingForIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FitIndiaMovement?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FitIndiaMovement</a> <a href="https://t.co/Uku2bErmSY">pic.twitter.com/Uku2bErmSY</a>
— Fit India Movement (@FitIndiaOff) <a href="https://twitter.com/FitIndiaOff/status/1532645664596799488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Apart from Thakur, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Health &amp; Family Welfare Mansukh Mandviya, MoS for culture and external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, and MPs Manoj Tiwari, Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Bidhuri also attended the event.

More than 9.68 lakh kilometres of distance will be covered by 1.29 lakh young cyclists through the proposed bicycle rallies organized today on World Bicycle Day 2022.

The aim of cycle rallies organized in the country is to encourage and motivate people to adopt cycling in their daily lives for physical fitness and keep them immune to health disorders including obesity, stress, anxiety, and diseases.

The cycle rallies across India on World Bicycle Day have been organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav-India@75.

[with inputs from agencies]

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‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally’ was launched by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022, as he himself peddled a distance of 7.

‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally’ was launched by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur from Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day 2022, as he himself peddled a distance of 7.5kms with 750 cyclists. "Cycling can play the biggest role in the Fit India campaign. On World Bicycle Day, we are giving a clear message that everyone should make cycling a part of their daily life. Cycling will keep you healthy and help build a clean India," Thakur said in a release. "On the world bicycle day, across the country, thousands of cyclists have joined us for the camping for fit India movement, Khelo India movement, Clean India movement and Health India movement. By using the bicycle you can cut down the pollution level, you can stay fit and you can also promote the clean India campaign because there will be less pollution or no pollution by the use of bicycles," he added. Here’s how Fit India organised #FitIndiaFreedomRider Cycle Rally at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi on the occasion of World Bicycle Day Take a look at the glimpses from the event 🤩#CyclingForIndia #FitIndiaMovement pic.twitter.com/Uku2bErmSY — Fit India Movement (@FitIndiaOff) June 3, 2022 × Apart from Thakur, Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju, Minister for Health & Family Welfare Mansukh Mandviya, MoS for culture and external affairs Meenakshi Lekhi, and MPs Manoj Tiwari, Harsh Vardhan and Ramesh Bidhuri also attended the event. More than 9.68 lakh kilometres of distance will be covered by 1.29 lakh young cyclists through the proposed bicycle rallies organized today on World Bicycle Day 2022. The aim of cycle rallies organized in the country is to encourage and motivate people to adopt cycling in their daily lives for physical fitness and keep them immune to health disorders including obesity, stress, anxiety, and diseases. The cycle rallies across India on World Bicycle Day have been organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as part of the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav-India@75. [with inputs from agencies] WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Anurag Thakur launches ‘Fit India Freedom Rider Cycle Rally’

A 55-year-old UK man was arrested after police found a “mountain of stolen” bikes in his back garden, which is so big that it could be seen on Google Earth.

The police found 500 bicycles laying on top of another, which were visible via satellite at a property in Littlemore, Oxford, the Daily Mail reported.

The officers are in the process of identifying the ownership of the bicycles found from the man's property.

The police were informed after neighbours complained against the 54-year-old man claiming that they had been plagued by rats as a result of the haul. They said that it was building up by the week.

The man was then arrested last week on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of the criminal property. He was later released under investigation.

Thames Valley Police told the&nbsp;BBC&nbsp;that a warrant was issued against the man based on the investigation.

&nbsp;According to local neighbours, police were at the address sorting through the hundreds of bikes.

<img alt="The officers are in the process of identifying the ownership of the bicycles found from the man's property. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8071238e-18f5-4dde-92f6-8c66e0f8f624" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/bikes.jpg" />

One of the neighbours said that the 54-year-old man had been living in the neighbourhood for nearly a decade.&nbsp;

“I started reporting his festering collection of bikes four years ago, but it's been going on for about five years,” Colleen Butler told Daily Mail.

"I made the first report because the amount of bikes was just ridiculous,” she added.

People have taken to social media to comment on the photos.

One said: "Cracks me up no one spotted it sooner. Surely you'd think it suspicious to have a garden overflowing with bikes?"

Many agreed with this sentiment, wondering "Did the neighbours not think it strange...?"

"What they got, 222 Kids and Counting lol?"

(With inputs from agencies)

A 55-year-old UK man was arrested after police found a “mountain of stolen” bikes in his back garden, which is so big that it could be seen on Google Earth. The police found 500 bicycles laying on top of another, which were visible via satellite at a property in Littlemore, Oxford, the Daily Mail reported.

A 55-year-old UK man was arrested after police found a “mountain of stolen” bikes in his back garden, which is so big that it could be seen on Google Earth. The police found 500 bicycles laying on top of another, which were visible via satellite at a property in Littlemore, Oxford, the Daily Mail reported. The officers are in the process of identifying the ownership of the bicycles found from the man's property. The police were informed after neighbours complained against the 54-year-old man claiming that they had been plagued by rats as a result of the haul. They said that it was building up by the week. The man was then arrested last week on suspicion of handling stolen goods and possession of the criminal property. He was later released under investigation. Thames Valley Police told the BBC that a warrant was issued against the man based on the investigation. According to local neighbours, police were at the address sorting through the hundreds of bikes. One of the neighbours said that the 54-year-old man had been living in the neighbourhood for nearly a decade. “I started reporting his festering collection of bikes four years ago, but it's been going on for about five years,” Colleen Butler told Daily Mail. "I made the first report because the amount of bikes was just ridiculous,” she added. People have taken to social media to comment on the photos. One said: "Cracks me up no one spotted it sooner. Surely you'd think it suspicious to have a garden overflowing with bikes?" Many agreed with this sentiment, wondering "Did the neighbours not think it strange...?" "What they got, 222 Kids and Counting lol?" (With inputs from agencies)

UK police find ‘mountain of stolen bikes’ in man's backyard that can be viewed via satellite

A McDonald's outlet in China has swapped out regular seats for exercise cycles. Will this help customers cancel out their Big Macs and milkshakes? Or is working out while eating a bad idea? Palki Sharma tells you.

Gravitas: Exercise cycles in Chinese McDonald's

In a bizarre incident, New Zealand MP, Julie Anne Genter chose to pedal to the hospital in labour and then gave birth nearly an hour later. "Amazingly now we have a healthy, happy little one sleeping, as is her dad," she wrote on her Facebook post.&nbsp;

Julie, taking to her Facebook, wrote how she had no intentions of cycling in labour but it just happened. She told that her contractions "weren’t that bad," initially. However, the contractions picked up in intensity by the time she arrived 10 minutes later.&nbsp;

"Feeling blessed to have had excellent care and support from a great team, in what turned out to be a very fast (and happily uncomplicated) birth," Julie wrote.

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This is not the first time that she has done this. In August 2018, she took a similar trip and made global headlines.&nbsp;

Her action, then dubbed "the most onbrand thing ever" by colleagues, was featured in media outlets across the world.&nbsp;

She said that the car was too small to accommodate her "support crew" and the bike ride "put me in the best possible mood".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scottish-schoolgirls-boycott-gender-neutral-toilets-due-to-misbehaviour-by-boys-432493">Also read |&nbsp;Scottish schoolgirls boycott gender-neutral toilets due to misbehaviour by boys</a>

She has been an outspoken supporter of cycling. The Green party's spokesperson for transport has posted several pictures on her Facebook handle with her beloved cycle. Her bio says - "Green MP. I love my bicycle."

One of her recent posts describe a&nbsp;"stunning day to cycle in for the daycare drop".

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&nbsp;

In a bizarre incident, New Zealand MP, Julie Anne Genter chose to pedal to the hospital in labour and then gave birth nearly an hour later. "Amazingly now we have a healthy, happy little one sleeping, as is her dad," she wrote on her Facebook post.

In a bizarre incident, New Zealand MP, Julie Anne Genter chose to pedal to the hospital in labour and then gave birth nearly an hour later. "Amazingly now we have a healthy, happy little one sleeping, as is her dad," she wrote on her Facebook post. Julie, taking to her Facebook, wrote how she had no intentions of cycling in labour but it just happened. She told that her contractions "weren’t that bad," initially. However, the contractions picked up in intensity by the time she arrived 10 minutes later. "Feeling blessed to have had excellent care and support from a great team, in what turned out to be a very fast (and happily uncomplicated) birth," Julie wrote. × This is not the first time that she has done this. In August 2018, she took a similar trip and made global headlines. Her action, then dubbed "the most onbrand thing ever" by colleagues, was featured in media outlets across the world. She said that the car was too small to accommodate her "support crew" and the bike ride "put me in the best possible mood". Also read | Scottish schoolgirls boycott gender-neutral toilets due to misbehaviour by boys She has been an outspoken supporter of cycling. The Green party's spokesperson for transport has posted several pictures on her Facebook handle with her beloved cycle. Her bio says - "Green MP. I love my bicycle." One of her recent posts describe a "stunning day to cycle in for the daycare drop". ×

New Zealand MP, Julie Anne Genter, pedals to hospital in labour; gives birth after an hour

COVID-19 is once again in retreat.

The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough,&nbsp;and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr&nbsp;Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week.

The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths&nbsp;which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations&nbsp;have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer.

These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months.

Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations&nbsp;such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways.

The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others&nbsp;and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/too-soon-to-tell-fauci-talks-about-christmas-gatherings-as-he-warns-americans-to-not-be-complacent-418125">Also read |&nbsp;'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent</a>

Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me.

The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings.

Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since.

The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months.

In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US,&nbsp;it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post.

I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions.

In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain.

But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be&nbsp;more&nbsp;encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism.

The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates&nbsp;along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-zealand-drops-its-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-delta-persists-418063">Also read |&nbsp;New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists</a>

Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.”

COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy.

COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future.

Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention.

COVID-19 is once again in retreat. The reasons remain somewhat unclear, and there is no guarantee that the decline in caseloads will continue. But the turnaround is now large enough, and been going on long enough to deserve attention. The number of new daily cases in the United States has fallen 35% since Sept. 1. Worldwide, cases have also dropped more than 30% since late August. “This is as good as the world has looked in many months,” Dr Eric Topol of Scripps Research wrote last week. The most encouraging news is that the most serious forms of COVID are also declining. The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID has fallen about 25% since Sept. 1. Daily deaths which typically change direction a few weeks after cases and hospitalisations have fallen 10% since Sept. 20. It is the first sustained decline in deaths since early summer. These declines are consistent with a pattern that readers will recognise: COVID’s mysterious two-month cycle. Since the COVID virus began spreading in late 2019, cases have often surged for about two months, sometimes because of a variant, such as delta, and then declined for about two months. Public health researchers do not understand why. Many popular explanations such as seasonality or the ebbs and flows of mask wearing and social distancing are clearly insufficient, if not wrong. The two-month cycle has occurred during different seasons of the year and occurred even when human behavior was not changing in obvious ways. The most-plausible explanations involve some combination of virus biology and social networks. Perhaps each virus variant is especially likely to infect some people but not others and once many of the most vulnerable have been exposed, the virus recedes. And perhaps a variant needs about two months to circulate through an average-sized community. Also read | 'Too soon to tell': Fauci talks about Christmas gatherings as he warns Americans to not be complacent Human behaviour does play a role, with people often becoming more careful once caseloads begin to rise. But social distancing is not as important as public discussion of the virus often imagines. “We’ve ascribed far too much human authority over the virus,” as Michael Osterholm, an infectious-disease expert at the University of Minnesota, has told me. The recent declines, for example, have occurred even as millions of American children have again crowded into school buildings. Whatever the reasons, the two-month cycle keeps happening. It is visible in the global numbers: Cases worldwide rose from late February to late April, then fell until late June, rose again until late August and have been falling since. The pattern has also been evident within countries, including India, Indonesia, Thailand, Britain, France and Spain. In each of them, the delta variant led to a surge in cases lasting somewhere from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 months. In the US, the delta surge started in several Southern states in June and began receding in those states in August. In much of the rest of the US, it began in July, and cases have begun falling the past few weeks. Even pediatric cases are falling, despite the lack of vaccine authorisation for children younger than 12, as Jennifer Nuzzo of Johns Hopkins University told The Washington Post. I want to emphasise that these declines may not persist. COVID’s two-month cycle is not some kind of iron law of science. There have been plenty of exceptions. In Britain, for example, caseloads have seesawed over the past two months, rather than consistently fallen. In the US, the onset of cold weather and the increase in indoor activities or some other unknown factor could potentially spark a rise in cases this fall. The course of the pandemic remains highly uncertain. But this uncertainty also means that the near future could also prove to be more encouraging than we expect. And there are some legitimate reasons for COVID optimism. The share of Americans ages 12 and older who have received at least one vaccine shot has reached 76%, and the growing number of vaccine mandates along with the likely approval of the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11 will increase the number of vaccinations this fall. Almost as important, something like one-half of Americans have probably had the COVID virus already, giving them some natural immunity. Also read | New Zealand drops its COVID-19 elimination plan as Delta persists Eventually, immunity will become widespread enough that another wave as large and damaging as the delta wave will not be possible. “Barring something unexpected,” said Dr. Scott Gottleib, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and author of “Uncontrolled Spread,” a new book on COVID, “I’m of the opinion that this is the last major wave of infection.” COVID has not only been one of the worst pandemics in modern times. It has been an unnecessarily terrible pandemic. Of the more than 700,000 Americans who have died from it, nearly 200,000 probably could have been saved if they had chosen to take a vaccine. That is a national tragedy. COVID also isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. It will continue to circulate for years, many scientists believe. But the vaccines can transform COVID into a manageable disease, not so different from a flu or common cold. In the past few weeks, the country appears to have moved closer to that less-grim future. Whatever the next few months bring, the worst of the pandemic is almost certainly behind us.

Trying to Make Sense of COVID’s Mysterious 2-Month Cycle

A police constable from Bastar has set off on a 6,000-kilometre cycle ride from Delhi&#39;s India Gate which will go along the Golden Quadrilateral. 42-year-old Banshi Lal Netam says he wants to spread the message of peace and create a Guinness World Record with his cycle ride.&nbsp;

The Bastar community of Chhattisgarh grapples with chaos and Netam, through his ride, is determined to spread the message of peace all across. In about 20 days Netam will be travelling to states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and then return to Delhi.

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42-yr-old police constable Banshi Lal Netam from Bastar, sets off on 6,000 km cycle ride along Golden Quadrilateral from Delhi&#39;s India Gate says I want to spread the message of peace and to create a Guinness World Record with this cycle ride. (05.03.2018) <a href="https://t.co/9mxryB47mH">pic.twitter.com/9mxryB47mH</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970837810851717120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;My main motive is to feature in the Guinness World Record, Golden book world record. Then I want to open a hub of adventurous sports in Bastar and help the youth of Bastar use this opportunity fully -- like cycling, mountaineering, para mountaineering, horse riding. I want to help the kids of Bastar,&quot; Netam said.

&quot;When I go on the tour and meet different people I have just one aim. You must have heard about Bastar. Hence spreading peace in Bastar would be my message,&quot; he further added.

Netam has been preparing for over a year for this ride. He practised every day by cycling for about 350 kilometres.

(With inputs from ANI)&nbsp;

Through his ride Netam is determined to spread the message of peace all across

A police constable from Bastar has set off on a 6,000-kilometre cycle ride from Delhi's India Gate which will go along the Golden Quadrilateral. 42-year-old Banshi Lal Netam says he wants to spread the message of peace and create a Guinness World Record with his cycle ride. The Bastar community of Chhattisgarh grapples with chaos and Netam, through his ride, is determined to spread the message of peace all across. In about 20 days Netam will be travelling to states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and then return to Delhi. 42-yr-old police constable Banshi Lal Netam from Bastar, sets off on 6,000 km cycle ride along Golden Quadrilateral from Delhi's India Gate says I want to spread the message of peace and to create a Guinness World Record with this cycle ride. (05.03.2018) pic.twitter.com/9mxryB47mH — ANI (@ANI) March 6, 2018 × "My main motive is to feature in the Guinness World Record, Golden book world record. Then I want to open a hub of adventurous sports in Bastar and help the youth of Bastar use this opportunity fully -- like cycling, mountaineering, para mountaineering, horse riding. I want to help the kids of Bastar," Netam said. "When I go on the tour and meet different people I have just one aim. You must have heard about Bastar. Hence spreading peace in Bastar would be my message," he further added. Netam has been preparing for over a year for this ride. He practised every day by cycling for about 350 kilometres. (With inputs from ANI)

42-year-old policeman from Bastar to cycle 6,000 kilometres for peace

Nineteen-year-old Vedangi Kulkarni wants 2018 to be a special year.

The last few months of 2017 have seen her clock hundreds of kilometres on bicycle, almost every day, in pursuit of her dream.

She now wants to be the youngest and fastest woman to cycle around the world by completing a 29,000-km journey solo and unsupported within 130 days.

It will take her across all continents, except South America and Antarctica, and put her through the most testing conditions that exist on the planet.

This is definitely not the rosy stuff the dreams of 19-year-olds are made of.

&quot;It is going to be super cool, I am very excited about it,&quot; a nonchalant Vedangi, who studies sports management at Bournemouth University, told PTI recently before setting out on a 1,400-km &#39;training ride&#39; from Mumbai to New Delhi.

Call it her way of ringing in the New Year.

The young cyclist, who hails from Pune, plans to start her record attempt in June 2018 from Perth in Australia, and has divided the campaign into five phases. In the first phase she will cycle across Australia upto Brisbane, from where she will take a flight to begin the second phase from Wellington to Auckland.

From Auckland, she will fly to Anchorage in Alaska, and cycle eastward to Montreal.

Then a flight to Lisbon, and she will start the most arduous part of her ride -- a 14,520-km leg across Europe and Asia which will take her through 10 countries before reaching Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Then she would fly back to Perth, the start-finish line.

&quot;There are certain laid-down norms (by Guinness World Records) in order to qualify (for getting into the record book for cycling around the world). I am only adhering to them,&quot; she said.

Paola Gianotti&#39;s 2014 record of cycling around the world in 144 days will certainly be on her mind. In the men&#39;s category, Mark Beaumont holds the record for completing the journey in 78 days. To date, no Indian -- man or woman -- has attempted to break these records.

A keen footballer in her school days, Vedangi got hooked onto cycling, courtesy a ride in Himachal Pradesh. She followed it up with a solo ride along the Manali-Leh- Khardungla top-Drass route in 2016.

After arriving in the UK for a sports management course, her plans to attempt a world record began to take shape. Every weekend and vacation was spent logging hundreds of kilometres on bike.

&quot;I met very interesting people and read a lot before finalising my plans. You need help because of the huge amount of logistics involved, and I am alone all through the journey,&quot; she said.

In New Delhi, she will try to meet potential sponsors and also government officials, whose help would be needed for the paperwork needed to cross continents on two wheels, solo.

Nineteen-year-old Vedangi Kulkarni wants 2018 to be a special year

Nineteen-year-old Vedangi Kulkarni wants 2018 to be a special year. The last few months of 2017 have seen her clock hundreds of kilometres on bicycle, almost every day, in pursuit of her dream. She now wants to be the youngest and fastest woman to cycle around the world by completing a 29,000-km journey solo and unsupported within 130 days. It will take her across all continents, except South America and Antarctica, and put her through the most testing conditions that exist on the planet. This is definitely not the rosy stuff the dreams of 19-year-olds are made of. "It is going to be super cool, I am very excited about it," a nonchalant Vedangi, who studies sports management at Bournemouth University, told PTI recently before setting out on a 1,400-km 'training ride' from Mumbai to New Delhi. Call it her way of ringing in the New Year. The young cyclist, who hails from Pune, plans to start her record attempt in June 2018 from Perth in Australia, and has divided the campaign into five phases. In the first phase she will cycle across Australia upto Brisbane, from where she will take a flight to begin the second phase from Wellington to Auckland. From Auckland, she will fly to Anchorage in Alaska, and cycle eastward to Montreal. Then a flight to Lisbon, and she will start the most arduous part of her ride -- a 14,520-km leg across Europe and Asia which will take her through 10 countries before reaching Ulan Bator in Mongolia. Then she would fly back to Perth, the start-finish line. "There are certain laid-down norms (by Guinness World Records) in order to qualify (for getting into the record book for cycling around the world). I am only adhering to them," she said. Paola Gianotti's 2014 record of cycling around the world in 144 days will certainly be on her mind. In the men's category, Mark Beaumont holds the record for completing the journey in 78 days. To date, no Indian -- man or woman -- has attempted to break these records. A keen footballer in her school days, Vedangi got hooked onto cycling, courtesy a ride in Himachal Pradesh. She followed it up with a solo ride along the Manali-Leh- Khardungla top-Drass route in 2016. After arriving in the UK for a sports management course, her plans to attempt a world record began to take shape. Every weekend and vacation was spent logging hundreds of kilometres on bike. "I met very interesting people and read a lot before finalising my plans. You need help because of the huge amount of logistics involved, and I am alone all through the journey," she said. In New Delhi, she will try to meet potential sponsors and also government officials, whose help would be needed for the paperwork needed to cross continents on two wheels, solo.

Pune girl aims to cycle around the globe solo and set a record

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