India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (Dec 9) called the alleged links between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros a "serious" concern and appealed that it should not be seen through a "political lens", while appealing for a united front against "anti-India forces."

"It is an important issue that I want to raise without doing politics over it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Sores are serious. We do not want to see it by giving a political spin," said Rijiju.

"We want to run parliament. I want to clarify that some issues are politically driven but if powers outside India are trying to defy India and fight against India then there are serious concerns," said the minister.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-accuses-us-deep-state-elements-for-targeting-pm-modi-says-washington-trying-to-destabilise-india-782118">BJP accuses US 'deep state' elements for targeting PM Modi, says Washington trying to 'destabilise India'</a>

“The issue of George Soros was raised in the Parliament. The report is in the public domain and there are serious allegations&nbsp;in&nbsp;it. Whoever the leader is from whichever party. I don’t want to name them. This Soros works against India," said Rijiju, while speaking to reporters.

“I only appeal to remain united against anti-India&nbsp;elements. The government is always ready for a discussion," he added.

<h2>What are the allegations of the BJP?</h2>

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday (Dec 8) alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has ties with the organisation which is financed by the George Soros Foundation. The foundation supports the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation.

As per BJP, Gandhi has played the role of the co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation earlier, which is concerning.

“Notably, the FDL-AP Foundation has expressed their views that treat Kashmir as a separate entity. This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organisation that has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation expresses the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and the political impact of such connections," said the party.

The ruling party also pointed towards partnerships between Soros-linked organisations and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, calling it evidence which proves foreign influence in the country's domestic affairs.&nbsp;

The accusations of the BJP were dismissed by the US government as the embassy called them "disappointing".

Watch:&nbsp;PM Modi-Led BJP Says US State Department Targeting India

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-modi-led-bjp-says-us-state-department-targeting-india-782297/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that 10 questions will be posed by him to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on this issue.

<h2>Congress rebuts allegations of BJP&nbsp;</h2>

Speaking to NDTV, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram dismissed the allegations of the BJP and called them "dark fantasies" which should only remain in the "dark web".

"These deep state theories should be confined to the dark web and not serious political discourse. People have dark, morbid fantasies and they can continue to have them, and there will be no credence given to all these conspiracy theories. We are always for the sovereignty and unity of India. We are patriots, we are nationalists and we are doing nothing that is against the integrity of India," he said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (Dec 9) called the alleged links between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros a "serious" concern and appealed that it should not be seen through a "political lens", while appealing for a united front against "anti-India forces.

India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (Dec 9) called the alleged links between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros a "serious" concern and appealed that it should not be seen through a "political lens", while appealing for a united front against "anti-India forces." "It is an important issue that I want to raise without doing politics over it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Sores are serious. We do not want to see it by giving a political spin," said Rijiju. "We want to run parliament. I want to clarify that some issues are politically driven but if powers outside India are trying to defy India and fight against India then there are serious concerns," said the minister. Also Read: BJP accuses US 'deep state' elements for targeting PM Modi, says Washington trying to 'destabilise India' “The issue of George Soros was raised in the Parliament. The report is in the public domain and there are serious allegations in it. Whoever the leader is from whichever party. I don’t want to name them. This Soros works against India," said Rijiju, while speaking to reporters. “I only appeal to remain united against anti-India elements. The government is always ready for a discussion," he added. What are the allegations of the BJP? The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday (Dec 8) alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has ties with the organisation which is financed by the George Soros Foundation. The foundation supports the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation. As per BJP, Gandhi has played the role of the co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation earlier, which is concerning. “Notably, the FDL-AP Foundation has expressed their views that treat Kashmir as a separate entity. This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organisation that has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation expresses the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and the political impact of such connections," said the party. The ruling party also pointed towards partnerships between Soros-linked organisations and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, calling it evidence which proves foreign influence in the country's domestic affairs. The accusations of the BJP were dismissed by the US government as the embassy called them "disappointing". Watch: PM Modi-Led BJP Says US State Department Targeting India However, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that 10 questions will be posed by him to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on this issue. Congress rebuts allegations of BJP Speaking to NDTV, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram dismissed the allegations of the BJP and called them "dark fantasies" which should only remain in the "dark web". "These deep state theories should be confined to the dark web and not serious political discourse. People have dark, morbid fantasies and they can continue to have them, and there will be no credence given to all these conspiracy theories. We are always for the sovereignty and unity of India. We are patriots, we are nationalists and we are doing nothing that is against the integrity of India," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

BJP's Kiren Rijiju calls Sonia Gandhi-George Soros link 'serious concern', Congress pushes back

Toy manufacturing giant Mattel issued an apology after the customers called out the company for carrying a tiny inadvertent advert of the pornographic website on the packaging of dolls which were made for the new movie&nbsp;Wicked.&nbsp;

The movie will premiere on November 3 and will hit the theatres later this month.&nbsp;

"Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the US, which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page," said the company, in a statement.

"We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this," it added.

If the URL on the box is entered, it omits the word "movie" and takes users to an age-restricted website.&nbsp;

One shopper took to X on November 9 and showed the error on the Glinda toy box.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fictosexual-japanese-man-celebrates-sixth-wedding-anniversary-with-fictional-vocaloid-wife-773382">'Fictosexual' Japanese man celebrates sixth wedding anniversary with fictional Vocaloid wife</a>

Sarah Genao shared side-by-side images of the front and back of the Glinda toy package and wrote the caption, “The official Mattel Wicked dolls link to a porn site on the box.”

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
video proof <a href="https://t.co/6wntuTBoXw">pic.twitter.com/6wntuTBoXw</a>
— just2good (Sarah Genao) (@just2goodYT) <a href="https://twitter.com/just2goodYT/status/1855400873880379815?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Genao then shared a video in which she flipped a Nessarose box and showed the same link on it.

She then said that she believed the URL was “www.wickedmovie.com” which was the official website of the film.

Watch:&nbsp;Indian Designer Anita Dongre Designs Exquisite Doll

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indian-designer-anita-dongre-designs-exquisite-doll-764612/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

She then wrote in the comments that she thought the URL they meant to share was “www.wickedmovie.com” – the film’s official website presented by Partners.

<h2>Internet users express shock over the link</h2>

The&nbsp;viewers shared their comments on the post of Genao and expressed their shock.&nbsp;

“Thats an insane oversight,” wrote one person on X.&nbsp;

"Why would they do that knowing that it’s mostly kids buying these dolls?” quizzed another user.

“I had to google this at a McDonald’s to see if it was true...it’s true," said a third user.

“Recall incoming? Stickers over the website? What are the odds these boxes end up being worth anything?” wrote a fourth person.

“This might be the biggest fail in official merch history, especially considering it’s meant for kids!” commented a fifth user.

(With inputs from agencies)

Toy manufacturing giant Mattel issued an apology after the customers called out the company for carrying a tiny inadvertent advert of the pornographic website on the packaging of dolls which were made for the new movie Wicked.

Toy manufacturing giant Mattel issued an apology after the customers called out the company for carrying a tiny inadvertent advert of the pornographic website on the packaging of dolls which were made for the new movie Wicked. The movie will premiere on November 3 and will hit the theatres later this month. "Mattel was made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls, primarily sold in the US, which intended to direct consumers to the official WickedMovie.com landing page," said the company, in a statement. "We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this," it added. If the URL on the box is entered, it omits the word "movie" and takes users to an age-restricted website. One shopper took to X on November 9 and showed the error on the Glinda toy box. Also Read: 'Fictosexual' Japanese man celebrates sixth wedding anniversary with fictional Vocaloid wife Sarah Genao shared side-by-side images of the front and back of the Glinda toy package and wrote the caption, “The official Mattel Wicked dolls link to a porn site on the box.” video proof pic.twitter.com/6wntuTBoXw — just2good (Sarah Genao) (@just2goodYT) November 10, 2024 × Genao then shared a video in which she flipped a Nessarose box and showed the same link on it. She then said that she believed the URL was “www.wickedmovie.com” which was the official website of the film. Watch: Indian Designer Anita Dongre Designs Exquisite Doll She then wrote in the comments that she thought the URL they meant to share was “www.wickedmovie.com” – the film’s official website presented by Partners. Internet users express shock over the link The viewers shared their comments on the post of Genao and expressed their shock. “Thats an insane oversight,” wrote one person on X. "Why would they do that knowing that it’s mostly kids buying these dolls?” quizzed another user. “I had to google this at a McDonald’s to see if it was true...it’s true," said a third user. “Recall incoming? Stickers over the website? What are the odds these boxes end up being worth anything?” wrote a fourth person. “This might be the biggest fail in official merch history, especially considering it’s meant for kids!” commented a fifth user. (With inputs from agencies)

Mattel issues apology after users find link to porn website on its Wicked doll boxes

A new report has found that, Climate change has made downpours like the one that caused devastating floods in central Europe this month, twice as likely to occur...

New Report Finds Floods-Climate Change Link

Roman Abramovich, one of the world's richest men who owns the Chelsea Football Club in the UK, was on Thursday added to the UK government's sanctions list against Russian oligarchs with known links with President Vladimir Putin.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Abramovich, worth more than 9 billion pounds (USD 11 billion), is on a new list of seven wealthy Russians whose business empires, wealth and connections are closely associated with the Kremlin.

These oligarchs, with a collective net worth of around 15 billion pounds (USD 19 billion), will have their assets in the UK frozen, be banned from travelling to Britain and no UK citizen or company would be allowed to do business with them.

"There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine,"&nbsp;said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ligue-1-kylian-mbappe-neymar-on-fire-as-paris-st-germain-thrash-clermont-6-1-469965">Ligue 1: Kylian Mbappe, Neymar bag hat-tricks as Paris St-Germain thrash Clermont 6-1</a>

"Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies," he said.

Given the significant impact that sanctions on Abramovich would have on the Chelsea Football Club and potential knock on effects, the UK government has also published a licence which authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea.

This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and other football related activity which will in turn protect the Premier League, the wider football pyramid, fans and other clubs.

"This licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the football authorities,"&nbsp;the FCDO said.

Others newly-sanctioned by the UK include leading industrialist Oleg Deripaska worth 2 billion pounds (USD 2.6 billion), and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin.

A further group of Russia-based oligarchs close to Putin have also been placed under sanction&nbsp;including Andrey Kostin, Chairman of VTB bank; Alexei Miller, CEO of energy company Gazprom; Nikolai Tokarev, president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company Transneft; and Dmitri Lebedev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Rossiya.

"Today's sanctions show once again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his aggression,"&nbsp;said UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

"The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame. Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his brutal war machine," she said.

The sanctions are described as the latest step in the UK's response to Putin's illegal and "unprovoked invasion", designed to ensure he fails in Ukraine by crippling Russia's economy supporting his war machine.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/serie-a-dusan-vlahovic-strikes-as-juventus-earn-crucial-win-against-cagliari-469953">Serie A: Dusan Vlahovic strikes as Juventus earn crucial win against Cagliari</a>

The FCDO said the UK has been at the forefront of this effort, shutting out large proportions of whole sectors of the Russian economy, such as its defence industry, its financial institutions and its transport sector.

The UK has previously sanctioned more than 200 of Russia's most significant and high-value individuals, entities and subsidiaries since the conflict began, with over 500 of them now covered by the UK's sanctions list.

Britain's fast-tracked Economic Crime Bill, which comes into force next week, is designed to significantly simplify the process of imposing sanctions, allow the UK to more easily sanction individuals, stop oligarchs threatening the UK with multi-million pound lawsuits for damages at the taxpayer's expense and also allow the UK to mirror allies' designations.

"The UK will keep going further, faster and deeper to punish Putin's regime for this callous war,"&nbsp;the FCDO said, adding that it will continue to lead global efforts to provide Ukraine with economic, diplomatic, humanitarian and defensive support.

Roman Abramovich, one of the world's richest men who owns the Chelsea Football Club in the UK, was on Thursday added to the UK government's sanctions list against Russian oligarchs with known links with President Vladimir Putin.

Roman Abramovich, one of the world's richest men who owns the Chelsea Football Club in the UK, was on Thursday added to the UK government's sanctions list against Russian oligarchs with known links with President Vladimir Putin. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said Abramovich, worth more than 9 billion pounds (USD 11 billion), is on a new list of seven wealthy Russians whose business empires, wealth and connections are closely associated with the Kremlin. These oligarchs, with a collective net worth of around 15 billion pounds (USD 19 billion), will have their assets in the UK frozen, be banned from travelling to Britain and no UK citizen or company would be allowed to do business with them. "There can be no safe havens for those who have supported Putin's vicious assault on Ukraine," said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. ALSO READ: Ligue 1: Kylian Mbappe, Neymar bag hat-tricks as Paris St-Germain thrash Clermont 6-1 "Today's sanctions are the latest step in the UK's unwavering support for the Ukrainian people. We will be ruthless in pursuing those who enable the killing of civilians, destruction of hospitals and illegal occupation of sovereign allies," he said. Given the significant impact that sanctions on Abramovich would have on the Chelsea Football Club and potential knock on effects, the UK government has also published a licence which authorises a number of football-related activities to continue at Chelsea. This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and other football related activity which will in turn protect the Premier League, the wider football pyramid, fans and other clubs. "This licence will only allow certain explicitly named actions to ensure the designated individual is not able to circumvent UK sanctions. The licence will be kept under constant review and we will work closely with the football authorities," the FCDO said. Others newly-sanctioned by the UK include leading industrialist Oleg Deripaska worth 2 billion pounds (USD 2.6 billion), and Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. A further group of Russia-based oligarchs close to Putin have also been placed under sanction including Andrey Kostin, Chairman of VTB bank; Alexei Miller, CEO of energy company Gazprom; Nikolai Tokarev, president of the Russia state-owned pipeline company Transneft; and Dmitri Lebedev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bank Rossiya. "Today's sanctions show once again that oligarchs and kleptocrats have no place in our economy or society. With their close links to Putin they are complicit in his aggression," said UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. "The blood of the Ukrainian people is on their hands. They should hang their heads in shame. Our support for Ukraine will not waver. We will not stop in this mission to ramp up the pressure on the Putin regime and choke off funds to his brutal war machine," she said. The sanctions are described as the latest step in the UK's response to Putin's illegal and "unprovoked invasion", designed to ensure he fails in Ukraine by crippling Russia's economy supporting his war machine. ALSO READ: Serie A: Dusan Vlahovic strikes as Juventus earn crucial win against Cagliari The FCDO said the UK has been at the forefront of this effort, shutting out large proportions of whole sectors of the Russian economy, such as its defence industry, its financial institutions and its transport sector. The UK has previously sanctioned more than 200 of Russia's most significant and high-value individuals, entities and subsidiaries since the conflict began, with over 500 of them now covered by the UK's sanctions list. Britain's fast-tracked Economic Crime Bill, which comes into force next week, is designed to significantly simplify the process of imposing sanctions, allow the UK to more easily sanction individuals, stop oligarchs threatening the UK with multi-million pound lawsuits for damages at the taxpayer's expense and also allow the UK to mirror allies' designations. "The UK will keep going further, faster and deeper to punish Putin's regime for this callous war," the FCDO said, adding that it will continue to lead global efforts to provide Ukraine with economic, diplomatic, humanitarian and defensive support.

UK govt adds Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich in sanctions list against Russian oligarchs for Putin link

China fired a fresh regulatory shot at its tech giants on Monday, telling them to end a long-standing practice of blocking each other's links on their sites or face consequences.

The comments, made by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at a news briefing, mark the latest step in Beijing's broad regulatory crackdown&nbsp;that has ensnared sectors from technology to education and property and wiped billions of dollars off the market value of some of the country's largest companies.

China's internet is dominated by a handful of technology giants which have historically blocked links and services by rivals on their platforms.

Restricting normal access to internet links without proper reason "affects the user experience, damages the rights of users and disrupts market order," said MIIT spokesperson Zhao Zhiguo, adding that the ministry had received reports and complaints from users since it launched a review of industry practices in July.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-fines-alibaba-record-275-billion-for-anti-monopoly-violations-376566">Also read |&nbsp;China fines Alibaba record $2.75 billion for anti-monopoly violations&nbsp;</a>

"At present we are guiding relevant companies to carry out self-examination and rectification," he said, citing instant messaging platforms as one of the first areas they were targeting.

He did not specify what the consequences would be for companies that failed to abide by the new guidelines.

The MIIT did not name any companies, but the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper reported on Saturday&nbsp; that&nbsp;Alibaba&nbsp;Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd were among the firms told to end the practice by an unspecified time last week.

Shares in&nbsp;Alibaba&nbsp;Group and Tencent Holdings fell on Monday by over 6% and 3% respectively against a 3% decline in the Hang Seng Tech Index.

COMMON PRACTICE

The practice targeted by the MIIT is common.

Tencent restricts users from sharing content from ByteDance-owned short video app Douyin on Tencent's instant messaging apps WeChat and QQ. In February, Douyin filed a complaintwith a Beijing court saying it constituted monopolistic behaviour. Tencent has called those accusations baseless.

In other cases,&nbsp;Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall e-commerce marketplaces do not allow Tencent's payment service WeChat Pay to be used as a payment option.

Tencent said it supported the MIIT's guidance and would make the necessary changes in phases.&nbsp;Alibaba&nbsp;said it would comply with the MIIT requirements and "looked forward to finding common ground with other platforms."

ByteDance "called on all Internet platforms to take action, not make excuses, clarify timetables and actively implement them to provide users with a safe, reliable and convenient network," it said in a statement.

Michael Norris, research and strategy manager at Shanghai-based consultancy AgencyChina, said, "Forced cracks in China's walled gardens has the potential to re-write China's digital advertising and e-commerce landscapes," said

"In the short term, all eyes will be on Tencent as it comes to grips with what it means to open WeChat to&nbsp;Alibaba&nbsp;and ByteDance," he said.

The MIIT also said on Monday that China had "too many" electric vehicle (EV) makers and the government would encourage consolidation.

China fired a fresh regulatory shot at its tech giants on Monday, telling them to end a long-standing practice of blocking each other's links on their sites or face consequences.

China fired a fresh regulatory shot at its tech giants on Monday, telling them to end a long-standing practice of blocking each other's links on their sites or face consequences. The comments, made by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at a news briefing, mark the latest step in Beijing's broad regulatory crackdown that has ensnared sectors from technology to education and property and wiped billions of dollars off the market value of some of the country's largest companies. China's internet is dominated by a handful of technology giants which have historically blocked links and services by rivals on their platforms. Restricting normal access to internet links without proper reason "affects the user experience, damages the rights of users and disrupts market order," said MIIT spokesperson Zhao Zhiguo, adding that the ministry had received reports and complaints from users since it launched a review of industry practices in July. Also read | China fines Alibaba record $2.75 billion for anti-monopoly violations "At present we are guiding relevant companies to carry out self-examination and rectification," he said, citing instant messaging platforms as one of the first areas they were targeting. He did not specify what the consequences would be for companies that failed to abide by the new guidelines. The MIIT did not name any companies, but the 21st Century Business Herald newspaper reported on Saturday that Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Tencent Holdings Ltd were among the firms told to end the practice by an unspecified time last week. Shares in Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings fell on Monday by over 6% and 3% respectively against a 3% decline in the Hang Seng Tech Index. COMMON PRACTICE The practice targeted by the MIIT is common. Tencent restricts users from sharing content from ByteDance-owned short video app Douyin on Tencent's instant messaging apps WeChat and QQ. In February, Douyin filed a complaintwith a Beijing court saying it constituted monopolistic behaviour. Tencent has called those accusations baseless. In other cases, Alibaba's Taobao and Tmall e-commerce marketplaces do not allow Tencent's payment service WeChat Pay to be used as a payment option. Tencent said it supported the MIIT's guidance and would make the necessary changes in phases. Alibaba said it would comply with the MIIT requirements and "looked forward to finding common ground with other platforms." ByteDance "called on all Internet platforms to take action, not make excuses, clarify timetables and actively implement them to provide users with a safe, reliable and convenient network," it said in a statement. Michael Norris, research and strategy manager at Shanghai-based consultancy AgencyChina, said, "Forced cracks in China's walled gardens has the potential to re-write China's digital advertising and e-commerce landscapes," said "In the short term, all eyes will be on Tencent as it comes to grips with what it means to open WeChat to Alibaba and ByteDance," he said. The MIIT also said on Monday that China had "too many" electric vehicle (EV) makers and the government would encourage consolidation.

China tells tech giants to stop blocking rivals' links

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel,&nbsp;were likely linked to their vaccination. 
 
Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population. 
 
In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December 2020 and May 2021 among more than five million vaccinated people, the ministry said in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned to examine the matter. 
 
Most patients, who experienced heart inflammation spent no more than four days in hospital and 95% of the cases were classified as mild, according to the study, which the ministry said was conducted by three teams of experts. 
 
The study found "there is a probable link between receiving the second dose (of Pfizer) vaccine and the appearance of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30," it said in a statement. 
 
According to the findings, such a link was observed more among men aged 16 to 19 than in other age groups. 
 
Pfizer said in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis, noting that no causal link to its vaccine has been established. 
 
Adverse events are thoroughly reviewed and Pfizer meets regularly with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health to review data, it said. 
 
A US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last month recommended further study of the possibility of a link between myocarditis and mRNA vaccines, which include those from Pfizer and Moderna Inc. 
 
CDC monitoring systems had not found more cases than would be expected in the population, but the advisory group said in a statement that members felt healthcare providers should be made aware of reports of a "potential adverse event." 
 
The Israeli ministry released the statement, which contained no recommendations, ahead of a widely expected decision on whether to begin vaccinating youngsters aged 12 to 15 in Israel. 
 
It said a team examining that issue would make its recommendation to the ministry's director-general, but gave no date. 
 
Israeli media reports said a decision on including the 12-15 age group in the country's vaccination programme could come as early as Sunday. 
 
Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout. 
 
With COVID-19 infections down to just a handful a day and total active cases at just 340 across the country, the economy has fully opened, though restrictions remain on incoming tourism. 
 
Some 55% of Israel's population has already been vaccinated. As of Tuesday, restrictions on social distancing and the need for special green vaccination passes to enter certain restaurants and venues were scrapped. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, were likely linked to their vaccination.

Israel's Health Ministry said on Tuesday, it found the small number of heart inflammation cases observed mainly in young men, who received Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in Israel, were likely linked to their vaccination. Pfizer has said it has not observed a higher rate of the condition, known as myocarditis, than would normally be expected in the general population. In Israel, 275 cases of myocarditis were reported between December 2020 and May 2021 among more than five million vaccinated people, the ministry said in disclosing the findings of a study it commissioned to examine the matter. Most patients, who experienced heart inflammation spent no more than four days in hospital and 95% of the cases were classified as mild, according to the study, which the ministry said was conducted by three teams of experts. The study found "there is a probable link between receiving the second dose (of Pfizer) vaccine and the appearance of myocarditis among men aged 16 to 30," it said in a statement. According to the findings, such a link was observed more among men aged 16 to 19 than in other age groups. Pfizer said in a statement that it is aware of the Israeli observations of myocarditis, noting that no causal link to its vaccine has been established. Adverse events are thoroughly reviewed and Pfizer meets regularly with the Vaccine Safety Department of the Israeli Ministry of Health to review data, it said. A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory group last month recommended further study of the possibility of a link between myocarditis and mRNA vaccines, which include those from Pfizer and Moderna Inc. CDC monitoring systems had not found more cases than would be expected in the population, but the advisory group said in a statement that members felt healthcare providers should be made aware of reports of a "potential adverse event." The Israeli ministry released the statement, which contained no recommendations, ahead of a widely expected decision on whether to begin vaccinating youngsters aged 12 to 15 in Israel. It said a team examining that issue would make its recommendation to the ministry's director-general, but gave no date. Israeli media reports said a decision on including the 12-15 age group in the country's vaccination programme could come as early as Sunday. Israel has been a world leader in its vaccination rollout. With COVID-19 infections down to just a handful a day and total active cases at just 340 across the country, the economy has fully opened, though restrictions remain on incoming tourism. Some 55% of Israel's population has already been vaccinated. As of Tuesday, restrictions on social distancing and the need for special green vaccination passes to enter certain restaurants and venues were scrapped. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel sees probable link between Pfizer vaccine and myocarditis cases

After ISRO informed that it had lost contact with its GSAT-6A satellite on Sunday, they are now speculating that it is very well possible that it could become a 'fully loaded space debris' if link is not established soon enough.&nbsp

Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery.

As per reports, the satellite's onboard motors have fuel for raising its orbit and also for the next 10 years. The satellites are powered by solar panels that charge the onboard batteries.&nbsp

According to experts, the power system could have failed due to some short-circuiting or arcing resulting in what is known in the space terminology 'loss of lock' or loss of contact with the ground station.&nbsp

The ISRO Chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these type of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said.

"Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. &nbsp&nbsp

To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First, we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job."

The Indian Space Research Organisation lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp

The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite.

Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery

After ISRO informed that it had lost contact with its GSAT-6A satellite on Sunday, they are now speculating that it is very well possible that it could become a 'fully loaded space debris' if link is not established soon enough. Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery. As per reports, the satellite's onboard motors have fuel for raising its orbit and also for the next 10 years. The satellites are powered by solar panels that charge the onboard batteries. According to experts, the power system could have failed due to some short-circuiting or arcing resulting in what is known in the space terminology 'loss of lock' or loss of contact with the ground station. The ISRO Chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these type of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said. "Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First, we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job." The Indian Space Research Organisation lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite.

GSAT-6A could become 'space debris' if link not established: Experts

Indian railway minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a new rail link connecting Bangladesh to the northeastern state of Tripura. 
 
Prabhu along with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mujibul Haque, laid the foundation stone of the 15 kilometre long India-Bangladesh rail link in Tripura&#39;s capital Agartala.&nbsp;After laying the stone, the railway minister said they were also finding out a way to connect India to Chittagong, Bangladesh&#39;s financial centre. 
 
&quot;We will have a more detailed discussion to bring in these two friends even closer to one another to benefit from each other&#39;s connectivity. So this is part of a Trans-Asian railway network and I am sure in the next few years time we will be able to connect more. In fact, we just discussed, we are also finding out how we can have a small little connectivity that is missing to bring this part of India, connecting directly to Chittagong,&quot; said Prabhu. 
 
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the railway project with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, during his visit to Dhaka in June 2015. 
 
The Indian government would bear the entire expenditure of the railways project.&nbsp;Reportedly, on the Indian side, some portion of the track would be elevated to avoid farm land and habitations.&nbsp;Currently, India and Bangladesh have four rail links with West Bengal. 
 
(Reuters)

The 15 kilometre-long rail link will connect India's northeastern state of Tripura to Bangladesh

Indian railway minister Suresh Prabhu on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a new rail link connecting Bangladesh to the northeastern state of Tripura. Prabhu along with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Mujibul Haque, laid the foundation stone of the 15 kilometre long India-Bangladesh rail link in Tripura's capital Agartala. After laying the stone, the railway minister said they were also finding out a way to connect India to Chittagong, Bangladesh's financial centre. "We will have a more detailed discussion to bring in these two friends even closer to one another to benefit from each other's connectivity. So this is part of a Trans-Asian railway network and I am sure in the next few years time we will be able to connect more. In fact, we just discussed, we are also finding out how we can have a small little connectivity that is missing to bring this part of India, connecting directly to Chittagong," said Prabhu. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had discussed the railway project with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, during his visit to Dhaka in June 2015. The Indian government would bear the entire expenditure of the railways project. Reportedly, on the Indian side, some portion of the track would be elevated to avoid farm land and habitations. Currently, India and Bangladesh have four rail links with West Bengal. (Reuters)

Indian railway minister lays foundation stone of rail link with Bangladesh

Switzerland opens the world&#39;s longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. 
 
The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe&#39;s north and south. 
 
Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called &quot;a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy&quot; came in on schedule and on budget. 
 
High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. 
 
The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. 
 
&quot;It is just part of the Swiss identity,&quot; Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. &quot;For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans.&quot; 
 
The tunnel along Europe&#39;s main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8&deg;F). 
 
The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. 
 
Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. 
 
Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. 
 
Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. 
 
The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. 
 
The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. 
 
Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. 
 
(Editing by Richard Balmforth)

Construction took two decades, will provide high-speed rail link under the Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe

Switzerland opens the world's longest and deepest rail tunnel through the heart of the Alps on Wednesday in an engineering marvel that stands as a symbol of European unity at a time of increasing fragmentation. The 57.1-km (35.5 mile)-long Gotthard Base Tunnel, 17 years under construction and designed to last a century, is part of a 23 billion Swiss franc infrastructure project to speed passengers and cargo by rail under the mountain chain that divides Europe's north and south. Typically Swiss, the project that federal transport office director Peter Fueglistaler called "a masterpiece of timing, cost and policy" came in on schedule and on budget. High-speed trains will whisk passengers in 17 minutes through a passage that took days until the first Alpine rail tunnel opened in 1882. Around 260 freight trains and 65 passenger trains will traverse the two-tube tunnel daily once final testing ends later this year. The Swiss, as a rule rail fanatics, are throwing a party to mark the event that will draw the leaders of all its neighboring countries in a show of European solidarity. "It is just part of the Swiss identity," Fueglistaler said of the Swiss fondness for major engineering feats. "For us, conquering the Alps is like the Dutch exploring the oceans." The tunnel along Europe's main rail line that connects the ports of Rotterdam in the north to Genoa in the south snakes through the mountains as much as 2.3 km below daylight and through rock as hot as 46 degrees Celsius (114.8°F). The rail route goes over the pass now in a series of loops and tunnels. The new flat route means even heavy trains will need only one locomotive rather than two or three. Engineers had to dig and blast through 73 kinds of rock as hard as granite and as soft as sugar. Nine workers died. Swiss voters -- despite opposition at times from the government and parliament -- supported the gargantuan rail project in a series of binding referendums in the 1990s. Fittingly, the first ones to travel the tunnel at the official opening will be 500 lucky winners plus guests from the 130,000 who entered a ticket lottery for the inaugural trip. The overall project includes the Loetschberg rail tunnel that has already opened, the Cereti tunnel still being built and renovations to make rail tunnels at least 4 meters high at the corners to be able to handle big freight containers. Work is due to finish in 2020. The mammoth rail venture is being financed by value-added and fuel taxes, road charges on heavy vehicles and state loans that are due to be repaid within a decade. Major contractors included Alpiq, Balfour Beatty, Thales and Heitkamp. (Editing by Richard Balmforth)

World's longest, deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland

link

Link, News on Link, stories on Link, articles on Link, Link stories at Wion, Link news, Link latest news